"Boss, was your attitude towards Captain Xiao a bit much just now?"
Walking on the road, Yao Dong looked at Qin Chuan, who was leisurely strolling beside him, even whistling, and could no longer suppress his inner doubts.
Qin Chuan turned his head, a smile on his lips, but his expression was inscrutable. Instead of easing Yao Dong's unease, it instilled a sense of inexplicable awe.
Yao Dong didn't dare to look any further and quickly lowered his eyes, completely concealing the turbulent emotions within him.
Since he decided to follow Qin Chuan, Yao Dong found himself increasingly unable to fathom his young boss. Despite being seven or eight years younger than him, Qin Chuan's conduct and methods far surpassed any young person he had ever encountered.
Experienced!
Decisive!
Ruthless!
Calm!
...
Yao Dong felt his elementary school education was insufficient to describe it.
"Heizi ge, are you confused about why I was so aggressive towards Xiao Guodong today?"
Qin Chuan finally spoke.
Yao Dong nodded like a pecking chicken; this was precisely what he wanted to ask.
Qin Chuan's lips curved into that inscrutable smile again. He turned to look at the police station building hundreds of meters away and said slowly, "Actually, I didn't want to be like this. After all, Xiao Guodong is an official, a captain no less, responsible for the peace of our small county! And we are just common folk. As the saying goes, commoners should never fight officials; it's an ironclad rule!"
Yao Dong quickly agreed, thinking the same.
"But..."
At this moment, Qin Chuan's tone shifted. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness, and the light in his gentle eyes grew sharper.
"It seems our captain looks down on us!"
Yao Dong was bewildered, his face blank. "Xiao Guodong looks down on us? When did that happen? I didn't notice!"
Qin Chuan chuckled, "If anyone could see Xiao Guodong's attitude so easily, how weak would we have to be! If we were truly that pathetic, I fear I would have already become trash that everyone could trample on!"
Yao Dong was still somewhat confused and couldn't understand.
Seeing this, Qin Chuan changed his approach and asked, "Yao Dong, let me put it this way. You know the local powers in our county. Who do you think are the most influential people here?"
This time, Yao Dong unhesitatingly counted on his fingers. "Excluding officials, the most influential person in our county, among the common folk, is definitely Lord Han, Han Shifei!"
"Others, Guo Guang from the Guo family is one, and Director Zhang Bingshan from the brick and tile factory is another. Boss Ge from the lumber mill also counts."
Yao Dong listed them like a familiar rhyme, with great clarity.
"However, these days, Zhang Bingshan from the brick and tile factory has reportedly retired from the underworld completely and is no longer involved in shady businesses. Boss Ge from the lumber mill has also retired."
"Currently, only Han Shifei and Guo Guang are still involved in underground dealings in our county!"
Qin Chuan asked in surprise, "Director Zhang of the brick and tile factory and Boss Ge of the lumber mill were also involved in shady dealings before?"
"Of course!!"
Yao Dong replied, "As far as I know, both Director Zhang and Boss Ge came from ordinary families. To achieve prominence and amass a fortune, who could stay completely clean?"
Qin Chuan patted his forehead, muttering in annoyance. His question had been incredibly naive. Yao Dong was right; how could someone with vast wealth remain unsullied?
This statement held true in any era!
The accumulation of capital, who could achieve it with clean hands? Every penny was stained with blood.
"Yao Dong, if you were Captain Xiao, and you had to choose between me and Guo Guang, who would you lean towards?"
Qin Chuan asked.
Yao Dong blinked. Qin Chuan's question had clearly gone beyond his usual considerations. He then began to think seriously, his face contorted as if constipated.
"Haha, you'd lean towards the Guo family, wouldn't you?"
Qin Chuan noticed this and burst into laughter.
"Boss, I think I almost understand your approach!"
Yao Dong said slowly. He wasn't a fool; after this roundabout explanation, he had a general grasp of Qin Chuan's intentions.
"You deliberately provoked Captain Xiao so aggressively today to confront him!"
Yao Dong stared at Qin Chuan. "Besides your method of dealing with Xiao Guodong, I remember you also mentioned County Magistrate Ye and Secretary Wang in the office at the end!"
Qin Chuan showed an approving expression. "That's right. I am indeed confronting Xiao Guodong! Letting him know that I'm not someone who can be easily manipulated!"
"We can't have a repeat of last time, where even catching a few hoodlums who vandalized shop signs took so long to resolve!"
Qin Chuan's tone became exceptionally cold, his gaze sharp.
"In a county, no matter how powerful the local forces are, they cannot be more powerful than the county magistrate!"
"Especially since Magistrate Ye and Secretary Wang were suddenly appointed, they have significant backgrounds!"
"If I'm not mistaken, the official circles in our county are currently in a state of chaos, with everyone choosing sides!"
"Some factions are aligning with County Party Secretary Zhao Anquan, while others are siding with the newly appointed County Magistrate Ye Qingping!"
Yao Dong's expression was one of shock. "Boss, are you saying that Magistrate Ye and County Party Secretary Zhao Anquan have been in conflict?"
"Of course. Official power struggles are often more intense than those in the private sector!"
Qin Chuan sneered. He knew all this from Wang Ping'an, though he also gathered intelligence secretly at times.
Throughout history, businessmen and officials have always cooperated, benefiting each other.
As a capable businessman, one must have a clear understanding of the local political landscape and make the correct choices to earn substantial profits.
Of course, this path is fraught with peril. A wrong choice can have dire consequences.
If those in power fall, everyone associated with them will suffer.
Since his encounter with Ye Meiyun, Qin Chuan had aligned himself with Ye Qingping.
Only by ensuring Ye Qingping's success would he enjoy endless benefits.
"In that case, we don't know what choice Xiao Guodong will make?"
Yao Dong, having understood everything, marveled at Qin Chuan's foresight and sharp tactics. He then subconsciously murmured.
Qin Chuan smiled faintly. "It's simple. We'll see the outcome soon..."
Yao Dong became confused again...
Just then, several motorcycles, carrying police officers, sped out from the entrance of the police station hundreds of meters away, heading rapidly into the distance.
Yao Dong stared dumbfounded. "Boss... This... This is..."
Qin Chuan's face broke into a brilliant smile. "Xiao Guodong has made his choice!"
"Even if it's not a true choice, he probably won't dare to underestimate us lightly in the future and will take our matters more seriously!"