Chapter 58: The Room-Swapping Plan

In the end, Liu Weidong still couldn't win against Lou Yanru and went with her to deposit the money. After making the deposit, Liu Weidong told Lou Yanru to go home while he headed straight to the police station.

As soon as Zhang Yang saw Liu Weidong approaching, he laughed. "Are you here to ask if anyone is selling a house? If you're in such a hurry, you'd better go ask around yourself. The police officers can't possibly go door-to-door."

Liu Weidong smiled and nodded. Unexpectedly, while he was chatting with Zhang Yang, the very officer who had accompanied Chen Hao to look at houses last time happened to walk in from outside. Both of them froze when they caught sight of Liu Weidong.

What kind of person was Zhang Yang? A single glance at their expressions told him they had met before.

"You two know each other?"

Liu Weidong smiled and nodded. "We met when I was buying a house. Last time, it was this comrade here who led Chen Hao all over the streets looking at properties."

"Oh? Is that so? How come I didn't know about this?"

The police officer's expression stiffened. "Director, you've misunderstood. I happened to run into Chen Hao while patrolling the street. We were junior high school classmates, and looking at houses together was just a coincidence. If I had known which family was selling their house, would I really have kept it from you, Director?"

Zhang Yang let out a hum. "I suppose you've been patrolling the streets every single day these past couple of days, haven't you? The entire East Market is buzzing with rumors that someone is poking around asking whose house is up for sale, and local residents have even started asking the neighborhood committee if this area is slated for demolition."

The officer's face turned even uglier, and he didn't dare to utter another word.

Zhang Yang waved his hand to dismiss the officer.

"With Chen Hao stirring things up like this, anyone who was thinking of selling has changed their mind and is sitting on the fence, just watching how things play out. Manager Wang and I wanted to buy as well, but we haven't been able to find a single available property."

Zhang Yang shook his head repeatedly.

Liu Weidong chuckled. "Waiting by the stump for a hare, are we? I'll just hang around the East Market these next couple of days. Whichever house Chen Hao enters, I'll go right in after him and outbid him. Even if we can't buy it, we'll make sure he doesn't get it either."

Zhang Yang developed an even worse headache. "You're cutting off a thousand of the enemy's forces while losing eight hundred of your own; that's hardly a good strategy. If I had your capability, I'd acquire a few multi-story apartment buildings and trade those apartments for single-story courtyard houses. So many people are eager to move into apartment buildings nowadays, but unfortunately, I don't have that kind of skill."

Liu Weidong was momentarily speechless. "Director Zhang, do you trust me or not? If you trust me, just stay put as the director of the Railway Station Precinct. Don't trade this position even if they offer you the post of deputy bureau chief. You'll understand the hidden benefits of this place later on."

Stepping out of the police station, a faint smile played across Liu Weidong's lips.

How could he have forgotten about exchanging properties? He should make good use of his two patents then. Selling them outright for cash wasn't the most profitable move, but trading them for a couple of apartment buildings should be entirely feasible.

As soon as he stepped into the house upon returning home, the Lou sisters were chatting away. Seeing Lou Yanhua, Liu Weidong asked with a cheerful smile, "My dear sister-in-law is in high spirits. It seems your song received quite an enthusiastic response, then?"

"Of course! The arts examination teachers even stood up and applauded for me, and the instructors from the song and dance troupe even asked me for the sheet music and lyrics. Getting into the Teachers' College is definitely in the bag for me; as for the Fine Arts Department of the Normal University, that remains to be seen. My sister and I are going to visit our dad—let's all go together."

Liu Weidong suddenly asked, "Yanhua, after your exam, did Chen Hao look for you again?"

"Why wouldn't he? He was waiting for me right at the school gate just now and only left when he saw me coming here. He seems rather terrified of you."

Only then did Liu Weidong stand up and head toward the door. "Wife, go change your clothes; we're heading to the Red Star Farm. The two of you are quasi-college students now, so you should give your father something to be happy about."

Liu Weidong brought the cadre uniform gifted by Manager Wang to Lou Nan. Looking at his two daughters and then at Liu Weidong in his military uniform, Lou Nan was overcome with a joy too deep for words.

"Weidong, you are the benefactor of the Lou family. We're all family here, so I won't say too much about being grateful. Yanru's mother has a peculiar temperament, so please don't hold it against her."

Liu Weidong didn't say anything, but Lou Yanru's eyes reddened as she recounted how Liu Weidong had run into trouble and how her mother had forced her to seek a divorce.

"Nonsense! Let alone being family, even friends shouldn't kick someone when they're down. What on earth is Song Qian trying to pull?"

Lou Nan trembled with fury.

"Weidong, you were much too reckless. The current policies are still unclear, and acting like this makes you an easy target for others. In the future, you must use your head more when doing things. As for Yanru's mother, you don't need to pay her any mind; just focus on doing your own work well. I can understand your emotional attachment to Daqingshan, but compared to the countryside, I think entering a state-owned enterprise to do research suits you better."

Liu Weidong smiled. "Dad, for the next few years, my main task is to take good care of Yanru. Furthermore, once the policies are fully relaxed, the countryside will actually benefit even more because it has land resources that can be utilized. State-owned enterprises, on the other hand, will face increasing pressure. Secretary Zhao has already submitted your appeal documents to the provincial party committee, and your name will be cleared very soon."

Upon returning from the cadre school, the spirits of the Lou sisters were noticeably lifted.

"Weidong, you have so much work in the city. I'll head back tomorrow to take care of Dad."

Liu Weidong shook his head. "In another week, the scores will be released. The admissions office will conduct political background checks and then handle the file transfers. You really can't leave Binhai at a time like this. My dad is already able to work in the fields, and I've also sent back rice and soybean oil, so you don't need to worry. Once those two patents make some headway, I'll head back to the Second Production Team for a while to check on the experimental plots and see how the medicinal herbs are growing."

Lou Yanhua stared wide-eyed at Liu Weidong. "Brother-in-law, you've invented two more patents?"

Liu Weidong nodded. "I came up with them previously, and they've already been submitted to the government for evaluation."

Lou Yanhua looked at her sister with a resentful expression. "Sis, you are truly lucky. Look at the kind of people Mom tried to set me up with! Mom clearly knew Chen Hao used to chase after you, yet she still forced me to date him. I really don't know what's going on in her head."

Liu Weidong sighed. "Yanhua, you must make your own decisions when it comes to marriage. I've told you the story of *The Legend of Daqingshan*—Song Wei was a victim of a political marriage, and look how tragic her end was."

Lou Yanhua returned home with a disappointed look on her face. Watching her retreating figure, Lou Yanru experienced a whirlwind of emotions.

"My mother sees that I'm determined not to divorce, so now she's plotting against my sister instead. What is so great about Chen Hao anyway? Why is my mother so obsessed with marrying into his family?"

Liu Weidong chuckled softly. "Yanru, you probably didn't know this, but Chen Hao is scouring the entire East Market for a house. I suspect the city has intentions to develop the East Market, and his father is playing the exact same game I am. Why am I in such a hurry to sell my patents? It's so I can beat Chen Hao to those properties. Whichever house he takes a fancy to, I'll outbid him just to drive him crazy."

Lou Yanru shook her head in speechlessness.

Liu Weidong hadn't told Lou Yanru about how Chen Hao had hired people to ambush him, fearing it would worry his wife. In fact, he was currently hoping Chen Hao would hire thugs to beat him up again; that way, not only could he stretch his legs a bit, but he could also conveniently catch a criminal and hand him over to Zhang Yang.

In the afternoon, Liu Weidong went to the machinery factory. The separator equipped with the new parts underwent its official trial run, operating without a single anomaly for three consecutive hours. Song Yi, Master Liu, and the others jumped for joy.

"Weidong, Director Lü was just talking about the steering gear earlier. He said the experts from the provincial department carried out a comparative evaluation using imported equipment, and their conclusion is that it's entirely feasible. The new parts for the separator were also delivered to the provincial department by the bureau, and after testing at the metal testing center, the Brinell hardness and Charpy impact test values are almost identical to imported parts. The provincial department has already decided to apply for a patent for the steering gear, and the next step is for Bureau Chief Yu to discuss the price with you."

The excitement on Master Liu's face was beyond description.

One must know that No. 1 Machinery Factory had never possessed a finalized product. Once the steering gear project was handed over to the factory and tied to a provincial enterprise, No. 1 Machinery would likely be upgraded to a provincially managed enterprise, and the workers' wages and benefits would experience a qualitative leap.