Chapter Fifty-Six: Year's End

  Liu Zhaoguo finally accepted Zhao Guotang's suggestion. His temper was that once he decided on something, he wouldn't easily change it. Since he trusted Zhao Guotang's judgment, he didn't hesitate anymore and invested all the 60,000 yuan he had saved from working in the army for over twenty years into stocks according to Zhao Guotang's advice.

  Now, however, the stock prices of Angang Steel and Anyuan Light Railway have already risen to 1:2.4, which is more than double what Zhao Deshan bought in at, but in Zhao Guotang's memory, this is still far from enough. After the Spring Festival in '93, Anyuan Light Railway will rise to around 1:16 and Angang Steel will also soar to over 1:13 before falling back down.

  An Yuan's winter always comes late, the cold and humid weather makes people who are used to this climate feel extremely annoyed. The sunny days must be accompanied by heavy fog in the morning, which hinders everything, and the occasional rain and snow make people at a loss. The overcast weather almost lasts until February, even during the Spring Festival, it's hard to see a good face of the old sky.

  Compared to the bad weather, Zhao Guo's mood was very good. In addition to the profits of the sand and gravel field continuing to increase slowly, more importantly, he had established a relatively stable and good relationship with Liu Ge. Of course, if there were any mishaps in the black market for stocks, it might directly jeopardize his newly established relationship with Liu Zhao Guo, but such things could not happen. Zhao Guo did not believe that a butterfly could change this storm.

  Every month, Zhao Changchuan's profits were handed over to Zhao Guotang without hesitation and invested in the black market by Zhao Deshan. The stock price continued to rise slowly, although there were some small fluctuations from time to time, but it did not affect the overall trend. This situation lasted until a month before the Spring Festival, when various stocks began to show significant gains.

  Zhao Guodong knew that the black market frenzy in his memory had finally started, and within these two or three months, the stock certificates of Niuwang Temple would rise to an astonishing price.

  Then, with the government issuing announcements to regulate stock right certificate transactions, the provincial government will start taking measures to ban self-issued stock markets: through propaganda media to warn stock investors that the risks of stock and stock right certificate transactions are borne by the buyers themselves, and self-issued transactions are not protected by law. Prohibit various companies from putting their issued stocks and stock rights certificates into the self-issued market, implement custody and centralized management of stock rights certificates, prohibit private transactions, and as issuing enterprises also issue various restrictive requirements, this frenzy will come to an end.

  As the year-end approaches, there are more and more trivial matters in the office. The bonus policy of the bureau is gradually being implemented. New Year's Day will be 1,500 yuan, and it is estimated that there will be another 1,500 yuan before the Spring Festival, which is much higher than last year. However, this has also brought huge economic pressure to the office. Eight cadres need 24,000 yuan, plus the bonuses for the annual joint defense and various New Year's expenses, and it is estimated that 30,000 yuan will not be enough.

  Zhao Guotong found that Qiu Yuanfeng had been staying in the office very little during this period, and it was rare for him to appear in the office for two or three days a week. He often went to the district working committee to report on his work.

  Facing a huge financial shortfall, Qiu Yuanfeng asked Zhao Guotang and Liu Meng to seize the opportunity to strike appropriately. He also asked Zhao Guotang, He Honghai, and Luo Mingshan to go to their respective township party committees and governments to raise funds.

  Good interpersonal relationship helped Zhao Guodong a lot, the 3,000 yuan from Daoguan Township and the 2,000 yuan from Tuling Township were quickly in place, while He Honghai's alms in Heishi Township and Baolong Township were not very smooth, and finally only 1,500 yuan was left in Heishi Township.

  As for Jiangmiao Town, it directly rejected Luo Mingshan's request, which made Qiu Yuanfeng rarely furious. Not only did he scold Luo Mingshan in the police station until he was covered in blood, but also boasted in the courtyard of the Jiangmiao District Committee that he would let the Jiangmiao Town Party Committee and government understand the fighting power of the police station.

  That night, Zhao Guotang, Liu Meng and He Honghai led the joint defense team to capture four government officials who were gambling at a mahjong den in the home of a deputy town head in Jiangmiao Town. The next afternoon, they launched another raid on a teahouse owned by the sister-in-law of the party committee's deputy secretary in Jiangmiao Town and captured over ten people involved in the gambling activities.

  Two consecutive actions made the relationship between Jiangmiao Town and the police station suddenly tense, especially after Qiu Yuanfeng clearly demanded that the four government officials who participated in gambling be detained for administrative detention, the district work committee, which had been silent all along, also had to come forward to coordinate the relationship between the two sides.

  Qiu Yuanfeng returned to the police station from the district work committee, looking very calm, making it difficult for Zhao Guodong to determine whether the coordination work of the district work committee was effective.

  "Xiao Zhao, don't you think our police station's actions this time were a bit excessive?" Qiu Yuanfeng saw Zhao Guotang come in and gestured for him to take a seat.

  "Qiushuo, it's almost the end of the year, is it really necessary to sour the relationship with Jiangmiao Town? We still have work to do next year." Zhao Guodong also couldn't figure out what Qiu Yuanfeng was thinking.

  "Heh, Xiao Zhao, you're still too young and don't quite understand some things. The Jiangmiao Town gang thinks that just because our police station is on their turf, they can point fingers and make snide comments, not to mention they often say some pretty cold words behind our backs. I've been wanting to take care of them for a while now, this time was just an opportunity. Don't worry about the work, the Jiangmiao Town gang's foundation among the masses isn't even as strong as ours at the police station. I didn't expect much support from them anyway."

  "But why?"

  "No need to say more, I know what you mean." Qiu Yuanfeng paused for a moment before saying: "Xiao Zhao, to be honest with you, I'll be leaving after the New Year."

  "What?" Zhao Guotang was shocked, "Qiu Suo, where are you going?"

  "It's either the Public Security Bureau or the Household Registration Bureau, the bureau has already gotten wind of it and is just waiting for the party committee meeting to pass after the new year." Qiu Yuanfeng knew that logically he shouldn't have revealed these things in front of Zhao Guodong, but after Liu Zhaoguo, the executive deputy director of the municipal public security bureau, showed concern for Zhao Guodong, he realized he couldn't treat Zhao as an ordinary police officer anymore.

  "That Qiu Suo is really a high promotion, the Public Security Bureau and the Household Registration Bureau are much stronger than Jiang Miao Suo." Zhao Guotang said sincerely.

  "It's okay, maybe the organization is considering my age and thinks I should go back to the city to take care of my family." Qiu Yuanfeng seemed quite satisfied with this arrangement by the organization. "Little Zhao, I have formally recommended you to take over as deputy director of Jiangmiao, but I only have the right to recommend, not decide. The Spring Festival is approaching, and you should also make some moves."

  Zhao Guotong apparently understood the profound meaning of Qiu Yuanfeng's words, and took action. Whether it was Liu Zhaoguo or Luan Zhengyuan, he had to take action. The official hat would not fall onto his head by itself, no matter how strong his abilities were.

  Tonight at 12 o'clock, we will be ranking again, looking forward to your support, book friends!