Chapter 164: A Disguised Gift of Money

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“Hmm, that old fellow Nie Zhongping really is a strong possibility!”

Yang Tianhe took a sip of tea and sighed. “A man who started out teaching in a village and then went into politics. His intelligence is extraordinarily high. He has no powerful backing whatsoever, yet wherever he goes, he manages to get along with everyone, and no one can find fault with him. Whatever his superiors assign him, he handles perfectly. He has never slipped up.”

Seeing Yang Tianhe praise another man, Wu Jiong hurriedly said, “Oh, it isn’t quite like that. He’s simply had good luck. Just when the entire Bohai region was incorporated into the nation’s grand development plan, he happened to be in charge of attracting investment. Once he explained the general direction of national policy, which company looking to exploit the government’s policies wouldn’t rush into Bohai? Just look at the companies Nie Zhongping brought in—aren’t they all built on policy-backed loans? Besides, Nie Zhongping isn’t without flaws. He’s been at odds with his wife for years and keeps three or four mistresses outside the home. Who doesn’t know that? If he really dares to compete with you for the position of second deputy mayor, I’ll send a few anonymous letters and ruin him.”

Wu Jiong spoke timidly. Yang Tianhe, sitting beside him, first allowed a satisfied smile to curl across his lips, but immediately afterward his expression changed. He scolded, “What are you saying? Do I look like that kind of petty schemer? Nothing like that must happen because of me. And don’t let me hear that you’ve done anything.”

“Yes! Of course!”

Wu Jiong understood Yang Tianhe’s meaning. By saying this, the mayor was telling him to handle the matter beautifully and discreetly, and never let it be traced back to Mayor Yang.

“Hmm. I didn’t sleep well last night. I need to relax today.”

With the corners of his mouth slightly raised, Yang Tianhe clapped his hands, rose, and headed toward a private card room just outside his office.

“Right away. I’ll arrange for people to keep you company.”

As usual, Wu Jiong personally went to the casino outside to find the regular patrons who had come to play that day, then brought them to Mayor Yang’s private room for a private game.

Most of those regular patrons were the heads of major companies. They had more money than they could spend and liked coming in at night to join the excitement. In plain terms, however, they were there to give Mayor Yang money by indirect means.

They were all shrewd men. They had bribed Wu Jiong long ago: whenever Mayor Yang came to the Huanglong Hotel, they would immediately come to the casino and play a few rounds, no matter what they had been doing. Then, whenever Mayor Yang felt like playing, Wu Jiong would naturally summon them to keep him company.

A man like Yang Tianhe would never loiter around in the public casino; it would look bad. By calling in a few regular patrons, he could both retain these dependable pillars of the casino and exchange information with them. When convenient, he could also use his authority to help them.

But there was another reason—the thing Yang Tianhe was most “addicted” to. It was not the card games themselves, but the fact that Yang Tianhe had never lost.

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The regular patrons had already agreed among themselves to take turns losing, which amounted to giving Yang Tianhe money by another route.

After losing for a while, they would go directly to Yang Tianhe and bring up whatever difficulties they faced.

None of them was a fool. Once Yang Tianhe accepted their money, he would naturally get things done. And these regular patrons were clever enough to ask only for matters within Mayor Yang’s authority—things he could handle smoothly every time.

Wu Jiong was the key to all of this.

As the mayor’s chauffeur, he spent every day at his side. He knew exactly what the mayor could do, what he dared to do, which people he could not afford to associate with, and whose money he dared accept. Wu Jiong understood all the hidden rules. He was Yang Tianhe’s gatekeeper; anyone hoping to approach the mayor had to pay respects to Wu Jiong first.

“Brother, apart from the bosses of the Luneng Group and Guozheng Industries, who usually play with you, there’s another regular patron. He often comes to the casino and throws money around, but he’s never had a chance to play with you.”

Wu Jiong soon brought three men over and reported this from outside the card room.

Yang Tianhe asked curiously, “Who is it?”

“Oh, the director of Bohai City’s largest machinery manufacturer—Wu Gang!”

Wu Jiong answered promptly.

“Mayor Yang, hello! Hello!”

Wu Gang eagerly pushed open the half-closed door and hurried over to shake Yang Tianhe’s hand enthusiastically.

“I’ve wanted to pay my respects to you for a long time, Mayor Yang, but never had the opportunity. At last, we’ve managed to get together today.”

“Oh—you. I’ve seen you before. I attended the groundbreaking ceremony at the new site of your machinery plant. But after I gave my speech, I had to leave immediately for a meeting in the provincial capital.”

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The moment Yang Tianhe saw who it was, he understood what this was about. It had to concern the development permits and related procedures for the old plant site.

“Yes, yes, exactly! That time, I was hoping we might have a meal together and speak properly, Mayor Yang. But you handle a thousand affairs a day and are so busy! Still, it doesn’t matter. Look at us—we’ve managed to meet today.”

After years of making his way through Bohai, Wu Gang had perfected the art of acting familiar and reacting quickly. He knew how to speak to men and ghosts alike. He also knew how important Wu Jiong was to Yang Tianhe, so he had established contact with Wu Jiong through every channel available. Altogether, he had spent more than a million on him before Wu Jiong finally agreed to arrange for Mayor Yang to attend the groundbreaking ceremony.

Although Yang Tianhe had merely shown his face, stayed for a dozen minutes, and delivered a few words before leaving, the fact that the mayor had attended changed everything. From the moment construction began, not a single one of the longtime street toughs and local thugs who made a living extorting construction sites appeared. They all knew the land had powerful backing, with the mayor standing behind it, and no one dared provoke that kind of trouble.

Afterward, Wu Gang continued showering Wu Jiong with money. Today, he had finally spent enough to daze him into submission and earn an introduction to Mayor Yang.

Although Wu Gang was also a municipal model worker and a member of the city’s advisory committee, and often saw Mayor Yang at meetings, those were merely public occasions. Whenever they met, they exchanged only the polite falsehoods required on the surface.

This was entirely different. He had come directly into the mayor’s “inner sanctum.” After a night of cards, the conversation would consist of genuine words spoken from the heart. With this as a beginning, he would have tied himself to Yang Tianhe’s great tree. As long as he spent enough money, virtually everything involving development and construction in Bohai City would proceed smoothly.

“Come, sit down, everyone. It’s been a while since we played. No need to hold back today, gentlemen. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, so let’s play freely!”

That was Yang Tianhe’s customary opening remark. The bosses of Luneng and Guozheng were long accustomed to it; only Wu Gang did not yet understand what he meant.

Yang Tianhe was telling them to let loose, place larger bets, play more aggressively, and give more generously.

Of course, Wu Gang was a wealthy man in Bohai City. The machinery plant’s annual revenue was around one billion yuan. Even if its net profit was only ten percent, that still amounted to one hundred million. For Wu Gang, casually moving twenty or thirty million yuan each year was no more difficult than playing a game.

Although the machinery plant still officially bore the name of a joint-stock enterprise, everyone knew that, in plain terms, it belonged to Wu Gang himself. He could do with it as he pleased.

To show his respect as a newcomer, Wu Gang immediately and cheerfully threw forty thousand yuan onto the table as the opening stake.

“Come on! I brought two cases. Let’s have a good time.”

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