Chapter 48: Captured

Wang Li was an absolute old hand; if he could manage to get funds, there was a genuine possibility of the two of them cooperating in the future.

As the deputy director of the Bureau of Commerce, it was entirely feasible for him to help formulate a commercial plan and build a comprehensive shopping mall before the demolition of the East Market. Didn't a major tycoon in his past life amass a fortune precisely through loans?

Cultural exchange groups? Daqingshan had Paleolithic ruins that had not yet been fully excavated, along with mountain-going culture and shaman culture—all of which could be used as gimmicks.

The first step of reform and opening up was cultural openness. In the early 1980s, radio sets played Hong Kong and Taiwanese songs every day, and celebrity photo cassettes became a fashion pursued by the youth, followed later by Hong Kong shirts, jeans, toad-eye sunglasses, and cassette recorders.

The spring breeze of reform blew everywhere, private enterprises blossomed, and the market economy caused state-owned enterprises to gradually lose their competitiveness. The bankruptcy of numerous state-owned enterprises meant that pain and joy coexisted.

Liu Weidong was no bodhisattva; he merely wanted to be a vanguard in the tide of reform, a conscientious entrepreneur, rather than a capitalist who harvested the common people like leeks.

Just before getting off work, Liu Weidong made another call to the Agricultural Research Institute, and Secretary Zhang said the truck wouldn't be fully loaded until past seven o'clock.

Calculating the time, Liu Weidong figured the delivery would arrive at the Second Production Team around ten o'clock in the evening. He hurriedly called Wang Jianguo to inform him of the arrival time.

"Weidong, I've already arranged everything. I know what you're worried about—if anything goes wrong, your uncle will take the blame. It will never implicate you."

Liu Weidong hurriedly explained, "Uncle Jianguo, you've misunderstood. I'm not afraid of being implicated; I'm afraid the saplings might be detained. You know our production team is the first to engage in diversified operations—how many pairs of eyes are watching?"

"What you say is true. If they damn well detain the truck for a few days and don't let it go, and the saplings die, who can we reason with? After all, there's no official document from higher-ups on this; verbal promises count for nothing at a critical moment. I think I'd better take some people to the commune to keep watch. In case the commune people try to hijack the truck, I'll fight to the death if I have to, just to get the saplings back to the Second Team."

Hearing Wang Jianguo say this, Liu Weidong finally put his mind at ease.

After cooking dinner and writing for a while, Liu Weidong sat in the courtyard, rummaging through the memories of his past life to search for cultural deposits in Binjiang that people loved to hear and see.

The history of the ancient shipyard wasn't his place to uncover, leaving only folklore—eagle taming, hunting, and mountain foraging. He wasn't sure if these counted as the "Four Olds."

Returning home from school, Lou Yanru took out a dozen test papers. Liu Weidong took a look and saw that her liberal arts scores were decent, but her science scores were lacking.

"The cram school teacher said that in my situation, I can apply through special recruitment. The extra points you secured for me as a minban teacher are crucial. You truly have remarkable foresight."

Liu Weidong smiled. "To fulfill your university dream, I naturally had to rack my brains. Did you think spending money to buy grain for the village was really just to win a bet with Li Baotian? I did this, first, to repay the villagers' favor, and second, to shut the villagers' mouths and pave the way for you to gain a formal teaching status..."

Just as Liu Weidong reached this point, violent banging suddenly sounded on the outer door.

"Weidong, could something have happened at my home? Only Yanhua knows where we live."

Lou Yanru said this as she put on her shoes and stepped onto the floor. By then, Liu Weidong had already slipped into his shoes, run out into the courtyard, and pulled open the door bolt.

The harsh beam of a flashlight shone directly into his face.

Vaguely, Liu Weidong saw quite a few people standing at the doorway.

"Are you Liu Weidong? We are from the Yongchuan County Public Security Bureau. Come with us..."

After his eyes adjusted, Liu Weidong saw clearly that five or six police officers in blue uniforms were standing at the door, among them Zhang Yang, the chief of the railway station police substation—the very person Wang Li had asked for help in buying a house.

Two policemen stepped forward to put handcuffs on Liu Weidong, but Lou Yanru immediately blocked his path.

"What are you doing? On what grounds are you arresting my husband? What law has he broken?"

One of the policemen looked somewhat impatient. "Don't obstruct us in carrying out an arrest. If you dare block us again, we'll arrest you too."

At that moment, Zhang Yang spoke up.

"Using coercive measures right upon summoning a suspect? This is the first time I've seen such a thing. I helped you find the person, so my task is fulfilled, but times aren't like a few years ago. Don't go acting recklessly when handling cases at your county bureau."

With that, Zhang Yang walked over and pulled Lou Yanru aside.

"Go pack some luggage for Liu Weidong. The county bureau is issuing a legal summons; family members shouldn't cause trouble."

Only then did Liu Weidong pat Lou Yanru on the shoulder. "Don't worry, wife. Go get me a quilt. Surely you know whether your man has done anything bad or not?"

Tense and terrified, Lou Yanru ultimately went inside and came out with a military quilt. Holding the quilt, Liu Weidong got into the jeep with three police officers.

Lou Yanru kept tussling with Zhang Yang, trying to prevent Liu Weidong from being taken away. Seeing the jeep drive off, she squatted on the ground and wailed bitterly.

During this period, Liu Weidong had been running around for the production team, even paying out of his own pocket to help them buy grain and tree saplings. How could he be arrested by the police? Where was the justice in this?

"Lou Yanru, don't get so emotional. A summoned investigation doesn't mean he's guilty. As long as Liu Weidong is innocent, he'll be released very soon."

"On what grounds did you arrest Weidong?"

Lou Yanru glared at Zhang Yang with righteous indignation.

Zhang Yang hesitated for a moment and said, "It's inconvenient for me to disclose the details of the case, but it's rumored that a checkpoint detained a truckload of saplings, which seems to be related to Liu Weidong."

"That was bought from the Agricultural Research Institute by the Fenghou Second Production Team! Weidong was merely acting as a bridge for the village, and our family even advanced a lot of money!"

Zhang Yang gave a bitter smile. "I cannot interfere with the county bureau's handling of the case, but I can guarantee that Weidong won't suffer in the detention center."

Only then did Lou Yanru realize that Zhang Yang was helping her, which made her cry even harder.

"Liu Weidong might undergo intensive interrogation tonight. You heard what I said before leaving—it was to remind the county bureau's police officers not to use corporal punishment. However, I'm not sure how much weight my influence carries, so you must figure out a solution yourself."

Having said that, Zhang Yang waved to another police officer and turned to leave.

Lou Yanru stood at the doorway in a daze for a moment, then mounted her bicycle and pedaled toward the Third Department Store.

Liu Weidong sat in the back seat of the jeep holding his quilt, flanked by a police officer on either side.

Perhaps Zhang Yang's words had taken effect; after getting into the car, the police did not handcuff him.

Liu Weidong was not foolish enough to initiate small talk with the officers upon entering the vehicle. Instead, he closed his eyes without a word, mentally reviewing everything he had done during this period.

Zhang Yang was a police officer. Speaking to his Yongchuan counterparts in that manner right in front of him was tantamount to hinting that the Yongchuan police did not possess any conclusive evidence.

Since Zhang Yang acted this way, it should serve as a prompt for Lou Yanru to find someone to bail him out. Once the news of his arrest reached Zhao Luojun, Zhao certainly wouldn't sit idly by. Putting aside his relationship with Lou Nan, if Liu Weidong stayed locked up, the development of the oil press machinery for the oil mill would be stalled.

What worried Liu Weidong the most was that truckload of saplings.

Privately clearing wasteland to grow medicinal herbs at most violated policy, but clearing wasteland was the production team's affair, and he wasn't a leader of the production team. The police arresting him meant someone must be stirring up trouble behind the scenes.

Yet those saplings were purchased by him in his personal name from the Agricultural Research Institute, and he hadn't yet had time to settle the accounts with the Second Team. If someone truly made an issue out of this and detained him for a few days under the pretext of an investigation, he would be completely helpless. However, if the saplings rotted in the truck for a few days, the majority of them would die, and the losses would be massive.