The next afternoon, He Yuan changed into a clean Mao suit, deliberately toned down his sharp aura, and returned to the same supply and marketing cooperative.
Instead of heading directly to the center-parted salesman, he browsed around other counters first, bought a pack of cheap cigarettes, and casually wandered over to the non-staple food counter.
At that moment, there was no one at the counter, and the center-parted salesman was leisurely leaning against it, munching on sunflower seeds.
Seizing the opportunity, He Yuan put on an ingratiating smile and approached.
“Comrade, busy?” He Yuan offered a cigarette.
The center-parted salesman glanced sideways at the cheap cigarette, snorted, and didn’t take it.
He looked He Yuan up and down with a hint of disdain, asking condescendingly, “You again? Weren’t you all high and mighty yesterday? What do you want to buy today?”
He Yuan awkwardly retracted the cigarette, not lighting one for himself either, and spoke even more humbly.
“Ahem, I was in the wrong yesterday. Young and impulsive, didn’t know any better. My wife gave me an earful when I got back—when you’re out and about, you can’t be so rigid.”
This seemed to strike a chord with the salesman.
A trace of smugness appeared on the salesman’s face, and his tone softened slightly.
“Hmph, good that you realize it. In these parts, you’ve got to know your place.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” He Yuan nodded repeatedly, playing along.
“Just looking at you, comrade, I can tell you’re a man of insight, well-traveled and knowledgeable. Not like us, coming from out of town, clueless about everything.”
He deliberately paused, lowered his voice, and leaned in as if confiding.
“To be honest with you, we came here to see if there are any opportunities… or maybe find some work. These days, it’s tough relying solely on that fixed salary.”
“Seeing how impressive you are, you must have plenty of connections. I was wondering if you could point us in the right direction?”
With these words, He Yuan positioned himself as someone seeking a favor, greatly flattering the salesman’s vanity.
Moreover, when he handed over the cigarette pack, there was a ration coupon tucked inside.
Sure enough, the salesman looked him up and down a few more times, his attitude growing even more arrogant.
But he also seemed more inclined to offer guidance.
“Oh? Looking for opportunities? That’s not an easy thing to come by.” He drew out his words, pocketing the cigarettes.
“Yes, yes, I know it’s not easy. That’s why I thought to ask someone as capable as you,” He Yuan said, keeping his posture extremely humble. “If we can make the right connections, we certainly won’t forget your kindness.”
Hearing the word “kindness,” the salesman narrowed his eyes, clearly tempted. Although his brother-in-law had some influence, he himself was just a salesman with little extra income. If he could squeeze some goodies out of this guy, it would be more than welcome.
He put on a thoughtful expression, lowered his voice, and said, “Seeing as you’re being respectful today… you’ve come to the right person asking me. But in this county, a lot of things aren’t for just anyone to get involved in.”
“Understood, understood,” He Yuan replied, playing the part of an eager learner. “We’re just trying to scrape by, definitely won’t cause you any trouble. It’s mainly about having some backing, for peace of mind, you know? I’ve heard… your brother-in-law, Director Wang, is quite the man in this county?”
He subtly raised a thumb, his expression practically lifting the salesman to the highest of heights.
Mentioning his brother-in-law, the center-parted salesman—Zhao Dezhu—unconsciously puffed out his chest, as if the influence were his own.
“Hmph, at least you’ve got some sense. My brother-in-law indeed has a say in this county, but…” He deliberately trailed off, building suspense.
He Yuan immediately understood. He pulled out the various ration coupons he had prepared in advance—these were hard currency.
He quickly slipped them into the salesman’s hand.
“Just a small token of appreciation, not worthy of much. Buy yourself a pack of cigarettes, and if you could put in a good word for me, I’d be grateful. It’d be even better if there’s a chance to invite Director Wang for a meal.”
Zhao Dezhu felt the pack of cigarettes, its substantial weight bringing a smile to his face. His attitude warmed considerably.
“Easy enough, easy enough. I can see you’re a sensible one. Alright then, my name is Zhao—Zhao Dezhu. What’s yours? I’ll mention you to my brother-in-law later.”
“Whether he agrees to see you or not will depend on your luck and your sincerity.”
“Thank you, Brother Zhao! Thank you so much!” He Yuan’s face lit up with exaggerated gratitude, but inside, his heart was as cold as ice.
The bait was finally cast, and the other side had taken it.
“My name is He… He Jianshe. This is my room number at the guesthouse.” He handed over a small slip of paper.
“Alright, wait for my message.” Zhao Dezhu stuffed both the note and the cigarettes into his pocket, waving his hand as if to say, “Leave it to me, don’t worry.”
He Yuan showered him with another round of effusive thanks before bowing and scraping his way away from the counter.
The moment he turned around, all traces of humility and ingratiation vanished from his face, replaced by a gaze as sharp as a blade.
Not far from the supply and marketing cooperative, Ji Shuyu appeared to be browsing through items at a roadside stall, but she had witnessed the entire exchange.
Seeing He Yuan emerge, she casually walked away as if nothing had happened.
The two of them walked one after the other, moving in tacit unison toward the direction of the small inn.
Back in the room, with the door closed, He Yuan let out a long, heavy sigh and rubbed his cheeks.
The act of playing the meek and submissive role had nearly exhausted a lifetime’s worth of acting skills, feeling more draining than leading his team through a tough battle.
Ji Shuyu stepped forward without a word, simply reaching out to tightly grasp his large hand.
She could clearly feel the warmth of He Yuan’s palm and the strength with which he held her hand.
He had set aside his pride to engage in the very kind of sycophancy he despised—all for the mission, to uncover the hidden corrupt individual.
And for Lin Fang.
He Yuan didn’t want there to be another Lin Fang in the future. He refused to let another comrade end up in a situation like Lin Fang’s.
He Yuan clasped her hand even tighter, as if drawing strength and a sense of purity from her.
“Step one, done,” he said in a low, weary voice. “Next, we wait for that fish to take the initiative and contact us.”
He Yuan had given away quite a bit. In a small county like this, it was essentially telling Zhao Dezhu and his brother-in-law that he was a rich fool with more money than sense.
If they were looking to amass wealth, contacting He Yuan would be the most logical next step.
After Zhao Dezhu finished work that evening, he hummed a tune and went to see his brother-in-law, Director Wang.
“What are you doing here again?” Zhao Xiaocui, Zhao Dezhu’s sister, frowned at the sight of her brother.
Zhao Dezhu had five older sisters. To finally have a son, the Zhao parents had nearly risked their lives.
Fortunately, the outcome was considered good—at least to them.
But Zhao Xiaocui deeply disliked how Zhao Dezhu constantly showed up looking for handouts.
One day, it was asking for money; the next, it was pestering her husband to pull strings for him.
The problem was, Zhao Dezhu had a silver tongue. He knew exactly how to sweet-talk her husband into doing things for him.
Zhao Xiaocui had tried to warn her husband not to indulge Zhao Dezhu’s every request.
She believed her brother had dubious morals, but her husband dismissed her concerns, thinking she was overreacting.
It infuriated Zhao Xiaocui to the point where she often didn’t want to speak to her husband.
“Oh, come on, Second Sister, is that any way to greet your dear brother? I’m here to bring money to Brother-in-Law!”
Leave a Reply