Free Web NovelChapter 85: Chapter 84: Dedicated Management Department for the Shantytown District
"Alright, let’s assume for a moment that this is true!" Madam Xue rubbed her temples, a headache brewing. "In that case, Mr. Xiao Zhu, I’m truly at a loss... You don’t want to be set up with my daughter, and you don’t want to be my husband’s secretary! So why have you said all this...?"
"I’ve already told you, I’m an intelligence broker! And since I’m a merchant, it’s only natural that we make a trade." Chu Bamboo calmly took a sip of tea, then his expression twisted for a moment. It wasn’t his first time drinking it, but he really still couldn’t get used to this kind of traditional tea.
’Son of a bitch! In the Real World, I only ever drink milk tea!!’
"I gave you two pieces of intel, indirectly preventing a severe blow to the Xue Clan... Don’t give me that look. If this really got out, you’d be lucky if a ’severe blow’ was all you suffered!"
Chu Bamboo patiently analyzed the situation. "The Imperial Capital has had its eye on Jiangnan for a while now. Do you really think they’re sending a Judge here to uphold Justice? Who do you think you’re kidding? The taxes Jiangnan has paid in the last two years are only fifty or sixty percent of what they were twenty years ago! Do you really think the Emperor can’t see such a rapid drop? Do you take him for some great philanthropist?"
"Right, right, the Xue Family will feel completely innocent. After all, it doesn’t seem to have much to do with you. In the current climate, there isn’t much profit in industry anyway. If you paid all your taxes according to the regulations, you’d surely go bankrupt... The biggest culprits are that group in the First District playing with financial operations... But whose fault is it that your weakness was the one that got exposed?"
"In any case, if the Imperial Capital gets ahold of this leverage, get ready to bleed! And conveniently, the Daqian treasury is running a deficit this year."
At this, Chu Bamboo wore a noncommittal expression.
’Truthfully, there’s no way this matter could truly shake Lu Jin’s position... However, for the Emperor to use this to make a quick fortune, put the squeeze on Lu Jin, PUA him a little, and then, yes, bestow some favor upon him—that would be a multi-win situation for the Emperor!’
"But... we can’t confirm this right now..."
"Wake up! You made it this far from being a commoner. Can you really not see through it?" Chu Bamboo laughed out loud. "And please, stop asking for evidence... If I actually laid the evidence out in front of you, what price do you think this intel would be worth?"
’What are they thinking? It’s this price precisely because there’s no evidence! If I had hard proof, the asking price would be a hundred times higher, and you’d have no choice but to accept it!’
"...How much money do you want?" Madam Xue took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm her turbulent emotions. ’This kid... he’s so infuriating... but there’s nothing I can do about him!’
’Worse, if this turns out to be true, we’ll end up owing him a huge favor...’
"Money? You must be joking," Chu Bamboo said, looking at Madam Xue speechlessly. "Is this the kind of problem that money can solve?"
Madam Xue: "..."
"To put it bluntly, even if you gave me every industry and all the capital the Xue Clan has invested in Jinghai City... as long as my information is true, you wouldn’t be losing on this deal. In fact, you’d be making a killing."
Chu Bamboo curled his lip. ’After all, if the Emperor really got his hands on that leverage... taking half your family’s gold would be considered an act of mercy... Even if he confiscated all your industries, you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on!’ freeweɓnøvel.com
Madam Xue was speechless. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
"The terms of the exchange," Chu Bamboo said, turning to Lu Jin and holding up three fingers, "are three things that you can accomplish!"
Lu Jin’s expression turned serious, but he didn’t refuse immediately, inclining his ear to listen.
"First, when I enter the Official System after this assessment, I don’t want to take up one of the existing slots. It would be too unfair to the other candidates competing with me for those few spots! I’m going to pass the assessment anyway, so it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to arrange it."
Lu Jin’s expression was inscrutable. ’What kind of condition is this? Or is he just using this simple request to pave the way for the truly difficult ones to come?’
"My second condition: I hope you, esteemed sir, can push forward... hmm, yes, that proposal you made at the meeting half a month ago. The one that died on the vine for various reasons—the decision to establish a dedicated Management Department for the shantytown redevelopment zones..."
Lu Jin: "...?"
’Wait, you know about that too?!’
’There were only three people at that meeting. Who did you hear it from?’
"No, that’s not right! This matter... what benefit is it to you?" Lu Jin sensed something was off. After all, if the management of the redevelopment zones were to be formalized and regulated, it would actually weaken the power of the unions!
’For Mr. Zhu, the uncrowned king of the redevelopment zones, this should be something absolutely unacceptable!’
’In reality, the reason it died on the vine back then was because the unions had already filled the ecological niche of governing the shantytown redevelopment zones... It’s not that the officials could have forcibly taken over, but the problem was, you didn’t deal with it when it was complete chaos, and now that they’ve established some order, you’re coming in to reap the rewards?’
’Are they not afraid of the unions organizing protests, or even something bigger... If this truly incited civil unrest in the city and the cause was traced back, it would, at the very least, cost a few deputy-level district administrators their heads! It could even shake the prestige of the person who first proposed it.’
"Therefore," Chu Bamboo said with a broad smile, "my third condition is this: I will have successfully passed the assessment and entered the Official System, making me one of your own. Add to that the considerable merit I’ve earned and my rather special status... according to the rule of handling special cases with special procedures, I should be eligible for promotion to... the position of Director of this dedicated Management Department, shouldn’t I?"
Lu Jin’s eyes slowly widened.
Chu Bamboo continued to speak with confident ease, "Furthermore, according to the Founding Jade Edict of Daqian, any matter that appears for the first time can be handled with special procedures, subject to specific designation and review... This dedicated Management Department—its charter has plenty of room for negotiation!"
