PDLP Chapter 295 When faced with two evils, choose the lesser.
Chapter 295 When faced with two evils, choose the lesser.
Zheng Zhiguo put his hand on Chen Xianping's shoulder and pulled him closer, so the two were almost head to head. Zheng Zhiguo lowered his voice.
"Ping, please."
County Chief Chen never said he was going to assign a position to anyone.
As far as I know, you are the first.
"Is it an honor?"
When the topic came up again, Chen Xianping became agitated once more.
He had followed Zhou Xiangzhang for so long, doing so many dirty jobs for their family, but when he fell on hard times, Zhou Xiangzhang discarded him like trash.
After being released from the detention center, Chen Xianping went to Zhou Xiangzhang, hoping to find a way out. However, Zhou Xiangzhang, who was clearly capable at the time, did not help him at all.
Instead, Zheng Zhiguo took action and arranged for him to be transferred to Qinghe City, where he became the professional manager of the resort.
Now, Zhou Xiangzhang's former rival, Chen Dawei, has promised to find him another way out.
County Magistrate Chen's willingness to forgive and forget made Chen Xianping extremely grateful.
"It's my greatest honor," Chen Xianping said earnestly.
"County Chief Chen is always reliable in his words and deeds. If he says he'll do something, he'll definitely put in the effort to do it for you. But you also need to give him positive feedback, right?"
As he spoke, Zheng Zhiguo gestured towards the direction of Cai Lei's room.
"That person is very important to County Chief Chen."
He entrusts people to you because he trusts you.
First, you must ensure he lives.
Second, you need to find a way to help him quit that stuff.
Listen carefully to my request.
I can't die; I have to break the addiction.
As you said, Cai Lei has fair skin and a noble status, so this matter is not easy to handle.
That's why I came to you – because it's so difficult to handle.
This shows your standing in County Chief Chen's eyes.
He truly admires you, Xianping.
Chen Xianping was so confused by what he was being told that he nodded in agreement without really thinking, "Okay."
I will definitely seize this opportunity.
Whether we can turn things around depends on this game.
The difficult problem thus fell on Chen Xianping's shoulders.
After finishing his business, Zheng Zhiguo was too lazy to go to his own room to sleep, so he lay down on the sofa in Chen Xianping's room, fully clothed.
Nine o'clock in the morning.
The former Public Security Bureau Chief of Yuanshan County, Zheng Zhiguo's former superior, came to the resort. After having breakfast with Zheng Zhiguo, Zheng Zhiguo led his team back to Yuanshan County.
Before leaving, Zheng Zhiguo got into the car, then got out again, went to Cai Lei's room, and glanced out the window.
Seeing Cai Lei tied to the bed, his mouth gagged with a strip of cloth, unable to utter a sound, saliva dripping from the cloth onto the pillow, and his eyes pleadingly looking at Zheng Zhiguo.
Seeing how pitiful he looked, Zheng Zhiguo felt a pang of sympathy and wasn't sure if he had done the right thing or the wrong thing.
With a final grit of his teeth, he said nothing, turned around, and left.
Upon returning to Yuanshan County, I immediately reported Cai Lei's situation to Dawei.
Dawei immediately informed Cai Zhengjie as well.
The information Cai Zhengjie heard had already been embellished twice, and it was bound to differ greatly from the actual tragic situation. Zheng Zhiguo and Dawei would both subjectively downplay the situation and not portray Cai Lei as being in such dire straits.
Even so, Cai Zhengjie was still very upset after hearing this.
After all, he is his own son.
After a period of distress, Cai Zhengjie finally made up his mind.
"It's good to suffer a little."
Cai Lei just hasn't suffered enough.
We, the elderly couple, have protected him too well.
Unexpectedly, our protection became a burden for him.
He felt this was a constraint, a form of control.
He didn't know that back in school, many of his classmates envied him.
How many children didn't have enough to eat back then?
At least let's give him a life where he has enough to eat and wear, right?
You can't have everything, can you?
They want both a stable and respectable life, and excitement and freedom.
He's living too well; we've been too good to him.
David sighed and said, "Overall, the suffering people have to endure is quite considerable."
No one can have a smooth life forever.
We will do our utmost to mobilize resources and help your son escape his misery.
Whether he can pull through is up to him.
Cai Zhengjie had just hung up the phone.
Immediately, Chen Tiecai arrived at Cai Zhengjie's office. Before Secretary Zhengjie could respond after he knocked, Chen Tiecai pushed the door open and sat down on the guest sofa in Cai Zhengjie's office with a serious expression.
Seeing his depressed look, Cai Zhengjie knew that the other man must have found out about Cai Lei's departure. He remained calm, lit a cigarette, and then asked knowingly, "Comrade Tie Cai, what's wrong so early in the morning? Who are you angry with?"
"Dude, is this how you play?"
"What are you talking about?"
Chen Tiecai was even angrier when he saw him pretending to be stupid. He pointed to the direction outside the window and said, "I am a public official. There are many things I cannot do."
But Chen Wei is not.
You know what kind of personality that kid has.
We trust you and want Cai Lei to come home and spend time with you every day.
But you're different.
Did you take the person away?
You're forcing Chen Wei to act recklessly.
Once the person is removed, everything will be fine?
Can you take away the video he has?
Cai Zhengjie gave a bitter smile, shook his head slightly, his anger had reached its peak, but he forced himself to hold it in.
We can't exactly start a fight in the city government compound, can we?
This Chen Tiecai, through his son Chen Wei, used illegal and despicable means to obtain evidence of Cai Lei's crimes such as drug use and prostitution, and then used it to threaten him.
Cai Zhengjie was initially forced to cooperate with Chen Tiecai several times when the incident first occurred.
He later discovered that if his son Cai Lei did not leave this environment, he would never be able to break free, and he and Cai Lei would forever be controlled by Chen Tiecai—which was tantamount to slow suicide.
Since death is inevitable sooner or later, might as well take a gamble.
That's why I partnered with David.
"Then I'll be frank with you."
I've considered the consequences you mentioned; it's nothing more than Chen Wei releasing Cai Lei's incriminating evidence.
I'm fine.
The worst-case scenario is that Cai Lei won't be able to stay in Meihua City, so I've found him a way out.
As for my official position, to be honest, I really don't care much about it.
It's you, on the contrary.
If Chen Wei releases the information, I think the police will definitely find out who drugged Cai Lei.
Your son Chen Wei can't leave either.
You won't be able to keep your official position either.
It's nothing more than mutual destruction.
I'm willing to risk everything, but you might not.
You have quite a few political enemies. Just Comrade Dawei from Yuanshan County alone is enough to give you a headache, isn't he?
"Even without my official position, I can still protect myself; I can withstand an investigation. But without your position, can you still protect yourself?"
Once the situation was laid out like this, the picture immediately became clear.
Cai Zhengjie's actions were indeed very risky. If Chen Wei couldn't hold back and released the materials, both companies would be finished. Cai Zhengjie's fate might be slightly better.
If he doesn't do this, Cai Zhengjie will be dragged into the abyss step by step, constantly threatened, and his final outcome will be tragic.
The lesser of two evils.
Just as Cai Zhengjie was in a dilemma, Dawei emerged victorious in the struggle, demonstrating his outstanding political talent. Dawei's willingness to cooperate greatly strengthened Cai Zhengjie's bargaining power.
That's why he dared to go all in today.