CH 175

Later, Lin Wen went to the hospital to visit Yang Shaohu.

His injuries were almost healed, but he was still unconscious.

His confidante stood by his bedside.

Her complexion had improved a lot, and she no longer looked haggard. Looking at the much improved Yang Shaohu, her eyes were filled with tenderness.

When Lin Wen arrived, she immediately got up from the bed and knelt down, but Lin Wen pulled her up.

"There is no need for this gesture in my territory."

Lin Wen told her, and she looked confused and grateful.

Lin Wen had a brief conversation with her and learned that this woman's name was Lian Mei. She had been sold to the Council by her father at a young age and had undergone rigorous training and inhumane abuse there. She had been indoctrinated with the concept of hierarchy.

Later, she was insulted and tortured by many Council officials at a banquet, and it was thanks to Yang Shaohu's rescue that she survived.

After her injuries healed, she had been hiding in a house outside the city where Yang Shaohu lived, living a peaceful and dreamlike life for nearly two months. But when Yang Shaohu was arrested, she was forced to flee and seek help.

Yang Shaohu was isolated in the Council and had no true friends, so he often confided in her and told her many internal affairs of the Council.

Through him, she came to know about Lin Wen.

Due to her unlimited trust in Yang Shaohu, she also developed trust in Sheriff Lin, whom Yang Shaohu spoke highly of.

When Yang Shaohu was arrested, she immediately thought of Lin Wen.

The day before the incident, she heard Yang Shaohu say that the Council would launch a plot and attack against Lin Wen at the Ministerial Meeting.

That meant that as long as she could enter the Imperial Headquarters, she had a great chance of finding Sheriff Lin.

She successfully infiltrated the first ring of the capital, but no matter what, she couldn't enter the zeroth ring.

That night, it was her closest attempt to success, but her actions angered the three guards, and she was dragged out of the cart and subjected to a long beating.

In her near-despair, she saw hope at the bottom of the abyss.

Lin Wen saved her.

Although she had never seen a photo of Lin Wen, it was rare for such a young high-ranking official in the Empire.

In that instant, she instinctively recognized that this person was Lin Wen.

And then, miraculously, everything went smoothly, as if it wasn't real.

Therefore, in Lian Mei's eyes, Lin Wen was the heaven for her and Yang Shaohu, the highest "master" taught by the Council.

So kneeling down was her instinctive reaction.

Lin Wen knew that it would be difficult to completely change her mindset in a short period of time, so he changed his approach and said:

"Every place has its own rules. The Council has its own rules, and Changshan County has its own rules. When you come to Changshan County, you must abide by its rules."

Lian Mei nodded to show her understanding.

"The core rule of Changshan County is the Twenty-Four True Words. As long as you strictly follow these Twenty-Four True Words, you can live happily with Shaohu in Changshan County forever. Do you understand?"

Lian Mei quickly nodded, "Master... Sheriff Lin, I understand. I will set a good example and strictly abide by them, never daring to violate them."

"Very good." Lin Wen nodded in satisfaction. "Listen carefully, the Twenty-Four True Words of Changshan County are..."

"Wealth, prosperity, harmony, freedom, equality..."

Even after Lin Wen walked out of the ward, he could still hear Lian Mei chanting the True Words.

After that, Lin Wen went to visit Zhao Minggong.

Zhao Minggong looked very good, and his face was full of joy when he saw Lin Wen, but he was already lying in bed and couldn't move.

His hospital bed had been transformed into a large office, filled with various files as high as mountains, with the majority being the future development plans for Changshan County.

In Zhao Minggong's long-term plan, Changshan County was to become the transportation hub of the empire:

The highest-grade imperial highway would pass through Changshan County, connecting the six provinces in the east and west.

Another imperial highway would traverse north and south, piercing through the Yunxiao Mountains and the Taixu Mountains, crossing the Tianjiang River, and connecting the five provinces in the north and south.

With smooth transportation, Changshan County would thrive, and comprehensive development would have a way forward.

Of course, this was just a dream within a dream.

Zhao Minggong named the plan for the future as the "Heavenly Works Plan," which was expected to be realized in thirty years.

The previous plan was named the "Heart Bypass Plan," meaning to build a bridge on the blocked main artery of Changshan County, which was expected to be partially opened in three years.

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Currently, the focus was on restoring the vitality of Changshan County's heart and promoting rapid development in the four areas of Huaizhen, Shangxi Town, Qingze Township, and the soon-to-be-completed new homes for disaster victims.

And in these four areas, high-grade roads above a certain level would be built to connect them and interlink.

Changshan County had poor geological conditions. In addition to the undulating mountains and basins, there were geological hazards such as caves, underground lakes, and sandy soil layers, making the cost of road construction very high.

Therefore, the difficulty and cost of building roads to connect these four areas were very high.

This was also the reason why Changshan County had known all along that road construction was necessary for development but had never done it.

Now, with the right timing, favorable conditions, and capable people, Zhao Minggong immediately pushed forward the main road plan and prioritized it above all other projects.

The construction personnel were carefully selected, and Zhao Minggong specifically hired experts in road engineering to guide the work and intended to cultivate his own team of road experts.

After all, this was just an appetizer. The real challenge would be the imperial highway that would run from east to west.

Lin Wen chatted with Zhao Minggong for two hours, and the old man was very happy. Lin Wen told him a lot of good news:Changshan County had opened up the aid route, and for a long time to come, funds, personnel, and materials would be continuously supplied, so there was no need to worry about shortages. A future government official had also been found, who would come to assist Zhao Minggong in his work as soon as he recovered from his illness.

Afterwards, Lin Wen bid farewell and left. Li Xiaoli specially came out to give Lin Wen a crystal pear engraved with a very delicate portrait of Lin Wen.

She now looked much more mature, handling people and matters with grace and ease. Her every move was natural and appropriate, and she always had a sunny smile on her face, which made people feel good at first sight.

"Sheriff Lin, thank you."

Lin Wen scratched the back of his head, opened his heart, and said, "What are you thanking me for? Come, give me a kiss."

Slap.

Lin Wen went back with five big palm prints on his face.

After Li Xiaoli returned to her sickbed, Zhao Minggong said, "Xiaoli, you really should thank Sheriff Lin."

Li Xiaoli pouted, "No, he's too slick, taking advantage of me."

Zhao Minggong laughed, "Girl, your slap was so loud, I'm afraid more than half of the people here saw it. What do you think they would think when they saw this scene?"

Li Xiaoli thought carefully and said, "Two possibilities. Sheriff Lin had ill intentions and I taught him a lesson. Or we have a close relationship and were flirting."

Zhao Minggong patted her head with a smile, "No matter which one, do you think anyone will bother you in the future?"

Li Xiaoli quickly understood. Although she had the power to punish people, she was kind-hearted and soft-handed, always reluctant to be harsh, and lacked deterrence.

So the flies were always buzzing around, and the minor harassments were endless.

But Sheriff Lin was different. He now held the sword of the Security Bureau and had become an existence that could not be defied in Changshan County.

Everyone knew that the female devil in the Security Bureau was Sheriff Lin's trusted confidante.

The Security Bureau had killed so many people in Changshan County that the corrupt officials in the county government had nowhere to go, creating a huge deterrent to all officials.

Wherever the crows of the Security Bureau went, there would be a whole day of alarm.

Which official was not afraid of the Security Bureau?

Which official did not tremble at the sight of the grey-cloaked crows?

Li Xiaoli publicly slapped Sheriff Lin, but Sheriff Lin did not retaliate. Whether he was just teasing Li Xiaoli or really had a relationship with her, it proved her status in Sheriff Lin's heart.

Who would dare to provoke her at this time, not afraid of the crows of the Security Bureau coming to your grave in the middle of the night.

Li Xiaoli was thoughtful.

Zhao Minggong gently stroked her hair and smiled, "Girl, Sheriff Lin is a hero. He won't have any ill intentions and won't care about anything. But one should be upright, have a clear conscience, and distinguish between gratitude and grudges. When you have time, prepare a gift for him and apologize to him."

"Okay!"

Li Xiaoli smiled, as warm as spring.