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Nie Zhenbang’s tone was quite hostile, and his attitude wasn’t much better. Upon hearing Nie Zhenbang’s words, Duan Changgui’s face turned somewhat unpleasant. After hesitating for a moment, he turned his head and yelled, “Get out of here. Duan the Third, do you want me to personally help you get up?”

This remark made Nie Zhenbang’s eyebrows furrow once again. Everyone was insolent in his presence, and their language was extremely abusive. It was clear to see how domineering and rampant Duan Changgui was in the Duan Clan Village.

After Duan Changgui’s roar, Duan the Third’s family was scared into trembling and clamoring to get up. Perhaps because they had been kneeling for a long time, their legs and feet were a bit numb.

Several burly men rushed up and started kicking them. Duan Changgui didn’t bother stopping them. Instead, he laughed and said, “Damn you, Duan the Third, remember this. You can’t skimp on a cent of last year’s withholding fee for me. I’m giving you three more days. If you don’t pay up, get ready to tear down your house.”

Having said that, Duan Changgui greeted Nie Zhenbang with a smile: “Hehe, Secretary Nie, sorry for the unpleasant scene. These country folks, they are naturally stubborn. You need to show them some colors, or they won’t know who’s the boss. These poor, miserable creatures need to be ruled with an iron fist, then they’ll fearfully hand over the money.”

This remark made Nie Zhenbang frown again. Such arrogance, an unheard level of insolence from a village secretary, was something Nie Zhenbang had never witnessed before.

Nie Zhenbang’s face turned gloomy, and his tone was somewhat stern: “Secretary Duan, is this how you treat your villagers? Such rudeness and violence. Is this how your ‘prosperous village’ came about? How can there still be villagers who can’t afford to pay agricultural withholdings, and are forced to tear down their houses and sell their livestock? Are you a bandit?”

As soon as the words fell, a man who came with Duan Changgui gave Nie Zhenbang a contemptuous look and then said: “Who do you think you are, Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee? I don’t think so. Which secretary rides the bus? You brazen brat, dare to impersonate our New Li City’s Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee. Guys, grab him and take him to the police station.”

Nie Zhenbang had no solution against an ordinary villager’s remarks. He had arrived in a hurry and had brought nothing with him. He did not even bring his work permit, which was in his office. He was used to having Yi Jun around and thus did not worry about these matters.

Moreover, even if these people recognized him, hard claims of his impersonation would be of little help. Accusing someone with words alone is impossible. These people were not part of the system. Furthermore, he was not the type to execute someone on the basis of their words alone.

However, at this point, Nie Zhenbang sensed from the tone that they were likely to act. If he was grabbed and beaten up, they could afterward conveniently claim ignorance. This was the most disadvantageous scenario for him.

Nie Zhenbang was about to speak when a man suddenly emerged from the crowd of onlookers. He said in a deep voice, “It’s truly lawless. Nie Zhenbang was on “Daily at Seven”. You villagers who don’t recognize him, are purposely trying to cause trouble. If you’re looking for a fight, I, Feng Kuang, am ready.”

The young man moved with the swagger of a dragon or a tiger – a strut and physique immediately recognizable as belonging to someone from the military. Furthermore, it was clear he was a special force soldier with strong military skills.

Feng Kuang then turned to Nie Zhenbang, “Secretary Nie, these people must be rotten to the bone. A long-standing problem cannot be solved in an instant. I suggest you contact the Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Municipal Party Committee Office. You’re namely outnumbered. You can’t argue with these people.”

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang looked at his cell phone, but due to the undeveloped mobile signal coverage in the rural parts of the Northwest Region, it was impossible to contact anyone.

A crafty gleam flashed in Duan Changgui’s eyes. Making a big fuss under these circumstances would be the worst. If only Secretary Nie was involved, he could easily deny everything after beating him up. Whether Nie Zhenbang retaliated or not, his credibility as the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee would be damaged, and no one could blame him on the surface.

Duan Clan Village’s glory was based on its connections and channels, which were Duan Changgui’s reliance.

But with the sudden appearance of Feng Kuang, things became more complicated. Whether to fight or not to fight became a dilemma. Shortly thereafter, Duan Changgui forced a smile and said, “When the respected Secretary arrives, we should warmly receive him. Secretary Nie, would you grace us with your presence at our village department for a casual meal?”

Nie Zhenbang was deep in thought at that moment, aware that many things in the countryside could change before his next visit. After all, villagers lived in close quarters, and any ill feelings were often bottled up; no one knew if the government was truly cracking down or just bluffing. If it turned out to be the latter, what would happen to him after the local bullies regain their composure? Would they hold a deadly grudge against him?

Nie Zhenbang also wanted to personally see what Duan Clan Village was like. Taking advantage of the situation, he turned his head to Feng Kuang, who was standing nearby. “Comrade Feng Kuang, are you here on official business, or for something else? If you’re free, would you like to accompany me to Duan Clan Village?”

The public road in Duan Clan Village was well-maintained, connecting to the national highway with a concrete road surface. There was even a sign by the side, declaring it the ‘Prosperous Model Village of the Xibei Autonomous Region’ and ‘Huaxia’s Model Village of Moderate Prosperity.’ About a kilometer down the road, leading into the village, a two-story office block stood at the village entrance. Seven or eight houses were lined neatly along a single row. On either side of the fence, signs hung displaying ‘Duan Clan Village Party Branch Committee of New Li City’s Daming Township’ and ‘Duan Clan Village Resident Committee of New Li City’s Daming Township.’

Two-story buildings lined both sides of the pathway. Even further in, despite being single-story houses, they appeared new from the outside, confirming the village’s reputation as a ‘prosperous and moderately wealthy’ village.

However, Nie Zhenbang was thinking about Duan Lao San. He asked in a solemn tone, “Duan Changgui, where does Duan Lao San live in your village?”

Duan Changgui’s face slightly changed. Nie Zhenbang’s behavior was unsettling. If Nie Zhenbang were to visit the village committee, Duan Changgui would certainly reveal past issues, politely welcome Nie Zhenbang, and then graciously bid the city’s Party Secretary farewell. However, as Nie Zhenbang was persistently probing into his affairs, an action equivalent to a death sentence for Duan Changgui, he understood his own predicament. If relations were to sour, not only would his future be ruined, but he might even go to jail.

Duan Changgui’s face darkened and he replied coldly, “If the Secretary is interested in inspecting the living conditions of the people, you can find it yourself. I am busy with other matters, so I won’t accompany you.”

Nie Zhenbang continued to inquire from house to house, following a small road near the highway into the village. About five hundred meters later, a modest house appeared before Nie Zhenbang and Feng Kuang.

The house was so rundown it could be best described as destitute. When Nie Zhenbang and the others entered the house, Duan Lao San and his family were obviously startled.

Nie Zhenbang, making his tone as gentle as possible, said, “Duan Lao San, don’t be scared. I am the City Party Secretary of Xinli City, can you tell me what happened today?”

Duan Lao San sighed and slowly shook his head. However, his wife spoke up, “Is it because we can’t afford the deposit? Duan Changgui knows we have been raising four or five lambs. He wanted to take them away. These were borrowed from my elder brother’s family. We were counting on these lambs to grow bigger and repay the debt. So, in his panic, old San hit Duan Changgui.”

As her words trailed off, the door was kicked open with a bang. Duan Changgui strutted in with a group of people. He glared at Duan Lao San’s wife, a cold smile on his face, “Trying to complain? I’m not scared. Let me remind you, Duan Lao San, I’ve made up my mind about the deposit today. Even if you complain to a higher authority, it won’t be of any use.”

His words caused Nie Zhenbang to furrow his brows. In villages, there’s usually an agricultural deposit to be made, commonly referred to as a ‘three-item deposit.’ From a modern perspective, this deposit is regarded as an illegal levy.

The term ‘three-item deposit’ refers to the total amount of money extracted from farmers’ income by village-level collective economic organizations, which is used to sustain or expand reproduction, initiate public welfare projects, and cover daily management expenses. The deposit includes three items: the accumulation fund, the public welfare fund, and the administration fee. The ‘township coordination fee’ is collected legally from affiliated units (including township and village-run enterprises, joint household enterprises) and farmers, and is used for village-level education, family planning, consoling, militia training, building village roads, etc.

Duan Changgui looked at Nie Zhenbang with a smug look in his eyes and said, “Old Three, you can report to the Secretary. Tell him I am bullying the villagers here. What’s more, your deposit, you can ask the Secretary to waive it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Duan Changgui’s face changed. He yelled angrily, “You spineless bastard, dare to hit me. Fugui, you guys, get everything valuable he has.”

With Duan Changgui’s words as an order, a group of people rushed forward like bandits. Some led the lambs away, some grabbed anything that was valuable. At this moment, Duan Lao San knelt down again, begging, “Secretary Duan, Secretary Duan, I beg you. These lambs were borrowed from my brother-in-law. My entire family, we were counting on these lambs. Be assured, when the lambs grow up, I will repay the money I owe to the village. I surely will. I was wrong to hit you. I will apologize. I will.”

At this moment, Duan Changgui smiled lightly, looked at Nie Zhenbang, and said, “Distinguished Secretary, you see, this — this was not instigated by me. Some weak-willed individuals, they are like this — can’t blame me right?”