Chapter 5: The Mysterious Woman

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Xiao Zhang dared not offend Niu Dashan, so he hurriedly moved the materials over, making five trips in total, stacking nearly a meter high on the adjacent table.

“Sit here and enter all the data into the poverty alleviation system.”

“I’m telling you, the system closes at 5 p.m. today. If you don’t finish entering the data, the funds won’t be allocated to the township. Without the funds, the poverty alleviation work can’t proceed, and if the farmers riot, you’ll bear full responsibility!”

After Niu Dashan finished speaking, everyone in the poverty office was stunned.

With so many materials and only a few hours left until 5 p.m., how could it possibly be done?

“You’re doing this on purpose,” Lu Hao squinted, his face darkening with anger. He hadn’t expected to be targeted right after arriving.

“Lu Hao, don’t say that. I just wanted to see what you’re capable of, is that wrong? If you think I’m deliberately making things difficult, you can use your connections to get transferred back to the county,” Niu Dashan said smugly.

Looking at that infuriating face, Lu Hao wanted to punch him hard.

But thinking that the township leaders wouldn’t side with him if it came to a fight, he swallowed his anger for the time being.

Niu Dashan strode out with his hands behind his back and deliberately shouted outside, “You’re far from being able to take me on.”

After Niu Dashan left, several people in the office gathered around.

“Kid, you’re really unlucky. Niu Dashan originally wanted to get his niece a contract position in the poverty office. The township secretary had agreed, but when you were sent from the county, the secretary suddenly forbade his niece from joining.”

“He hates you with a passion. That guy’s the local tyrant around here; you won’t have an easy time.”

“He’s also backed by the township chief. In the poverty office, he’s the real boss—even Song Bo has to listen to him.”

Listening to the office chatter, Lu Hao finally understood why he was being targeted.

It seemed Niu Dashan had already figured out his background, knew he had no backing now, and wanted to force him out.

But Lu Hao was naturally stubborn and never accepted defeat.

He sat down, leafing through the towering pile of documents on the table, then opened the computer and found some electronic versions.

Although the spreadsheets were messy and each had a different format, at least they matched the paper materials.

After a few minutes, Lu Hao couldn’t help but smile.

He was a graduate of Jinzhou University, one of the nation's top universities, with excellent grades, plus two years of military experience. Handling this computer stuff was a breeze.

Lu Hao immediately created an Excel template, wrote a simple program to organize and import the electronic data, then quickly cross-checked it with the paper versions.

By late afternoon, just before leaving, Niu Dashan returned to the office. Lu Hao was already chatting with others.

“You’ve got time to chat? Don’t you realize how serious this is? If the funds aren’t transferred to the township on time, the secretary won’t spare you,” Niu Dashan scolded, glaring at Lu Hao.

“I know. But the materials you mentioned, I already uploaded them to the system,” Lu Hao stretched lazily.

“Don’t joke with me. How could you upload so much data so fast? You think I’m an idiot? Open it up, let me see. Don’t try to fool me,” Niu Dashan said disdainfully.

He barely understood computers, only knowing how to turn them on and off and watch dramas. The office software and poverty system operations were all left to Lu Hao.

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Lu Hao operated the computer, opening files one by one for Niu Dashan to see, still smirking lazily. “Director Niu, this is nothing. It doesn’t even take half an hour. Why would I fill in false data?”

Niu Dashan didn’t believe him and wanted to check against the paper copies. Xiao Zhang came over quietly and said, “Director Niu, I checked. Lu Hao’s submissions are fine. He used some programming trick—it was very fast.”

Upon hearing this, Niu Dashan’s face darkened worse than if he had eaten something foul.

This was beyond his understanding. Before, Xiao Zhang took at least two days to handle this. To see Lu Hao finish so quickly was a slap in the face. He even felt the others were mocking him behind his back.

“Alright, alright, you’re impressive!”

Niu Dashan, losing face, slapped Lu Hao heavily on the shoulder and ground his teeth with a sinister smile. “Since you’re so capable, pack your things and go teach villagers how to grow tangerines in Xiangyang Village.”

“Our main poverty alleviation work is to help rural people prosper by growing tangerines to sell in the city. It’s a key task.”

“You’ll lead the villagers on the ground. I believe their tangerines will grow better under your guidance.”

No way would Niu Dashan tolerate a newcomer embarrassing him publicly without retaliating. If he didn’t crush Lu Hao, no one in the poverty office would take him seriously.

“Tangerines? What kind of joke is this? Why send me there?” Lu Hao jumped up.

Villagers surely knew how to grow tangerines. Besides, the season for planting was over; there was no need for him to teach them.

“Why? Because I’m the deputy director.”

“Oh, so you know you’re just the deputy director? If Director Song hasn’t said anything, I’m not going anywhere,” Lu Hao snapped back.

“Song Bo? He’s nothing. I’m in charge here at the poverty office. If you don’t obey orders, go find him.”

Seeing Niu Dashan’s arrogant face, Lu Hao turned and left.

At the end of the corridor, he knocked on Song Bo’s office door.

“Director Song, Deputy Director Niu assigned me to go teach villagers how to grow tangerines,” Lu Hao said through gritted teeth.

“Tangerines?”

Song Bo was taken aback, then smiled warmly. “Lu Hao, you just arrived at the poverty office. You should get more grassroots experience. If he sent you, you’d better go.”

“But…”

“Poverty alleviation means sharing hardships with the people. Don’t you have even that much awareness?”

Song Bo didn’t give Lu Hao a chance to argue and waved him off.

Lu Hao had no choice but to leave. It seemed the office gossip was right—Niu Dashan was the real boss there.

When he returned to the office with a gloomy face, Niu Dashan was lounging with his legs crossed, sipping hot tea and eating peanuts.

“Kid, you went to complain and got nowhere, huh? I told you, I’m the boss here. Sending you to grow tangerines is for your own good—to get you into the grassroots. How could Director Song not approve?”

Seeing Lu Hao’s frustration, Niu Dashan’s expression was one of utter triumph.

“If Deputy Director Niu is so powerful, I believe you’ll soon be promoted to director. When that happens, I’ll throw you a proper banquet to celebrate,” Lu Hao said, provoking laughter from others in the office.

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Since Niu Dashan insisted on making things difficult, Lu Hao showed no more patience and turned to leave the office.

“No laughing! What are you laughing at?” Niu Dashan slammed the table and shouted outside, “Even if I’m just a deputy director, I can make you plant tangerines for life. If you have the guts, quit. Otherwise, don’t ever think about coming back.”

He deliberately wanted Lu Hao to hear and get upset. But Lu Hao didn’t take it seriously.

He knew Niu Dashan just wanted to drive him away. If he threw a tantrum or resigned in anger, that would be exactly what Niu wanted.

Besides, Lu Hao knew many impoverished areas genuinely lifted themselves out of poverty by planting fruits and vegetables. This was indeed a chance to get closer to the grassroots.

Fortunately, the township government wasn’t far from Xiangyang Village. Driving and asking around, Lu Hao arrived at the village entrance in about ten minutes.

The village chief was chatting with villagers. Lu Hao introduced himself, saying Niu Dashan sent him.

The village chief smiled and said it was late today, and he would take Lu Hao to the tangerine orchard tomorrow.

That night, Lu Hao stayed at the village chief’s home.

The village chief was a man in his forties, honest and straightforward. He guessed Lu Hao was deliberately pushed here by Niu Dashan and chatted extensively about the affairs of Fangshui Township government.

For example, the township chief, backed by the county head, was cordial but secretly at odds with the party secretary.

As for the third-ranking official, the party deputy secretary, she was a mysterious and beautiful woman with a strong background, sent directly from the city to gain grassroots experience and likely to be promoted soon.

Before going to sleep, the village chief warned Lu Hao to be careful not to choose the wrong side.

Lu Hao, new to the system, resolved to be cautious. In the bureaucracy, one wrong move could make life even harder.

The next morning, the village chief took Lu Hao to the tangerine orchard. Countless tangerine trees stretched as far as the eye could see, their green leaves dotted with bright orange fruit.

“Our tangerines were planted long ago. Soon, it will be harvest time. We hope to get a good price.”

While the village chief showed Lu Hao around, a beautiful woman entered Fangshui Township government.

She was the third-ranking official of Fangshui Township, the party deputy secretary, and the most beautiful and mysterious woman there.

She rarely involved herself in poverty office affairs, but today she walked straight into Song Bo’s office.

“Secretary Lin, good morning!”

Seeing Lin Xiyue enter, Song Bo hurried to stand and greet her respectfully.

“Uninvited visits usually mean trouble,” thought Song Bo. Lin Xiyue rarely spoke to him, so her sudden appearance gave him a bad premonition.

“I heard the county sent someone named Lu Hao here. I want him to come to my office for a talk,” Lin Xiyue said coldly, then turned to leave.