Power and Wealth
Chapter 1976

Chapter 1976

The atmosphere grew tense.

Anger erupted among the people from Yanbei County.

Anyone in their shoes would feel the same. Secretary Yang and a few leaders were furious by his side, shouting at Jiaolin County’s side.

“Bastards!”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Who gave you the right to hit people?”

“You’re occupying our county’s territory and attacking our people!”

Some younger officers and clerks from Yanbei County even rolled up their sleeves, ready to take action.

But Jiaolin County’s people were unfazed. With Dong Xuebing’s robust backing, they weren’t afraid. They were ready for a fight.

At that moment, more people arrived from Jiaolin County’s direction.

Secretary Yang’s secretary, Su Yan, saw the first figures coming up the mountain road. Then came Zhang Dongfang, Chang Lin, and a few others from Jiaolin County. At the end were some unfamiliar faces Dong Xuebing had never seen before. Only when he spotted a familiar figure, did Dong Xuebing realize who they were—the Director of the Provincial Cultural Bureau, Xiao Dongnan. The same Xiao Dongnan who had been pursuing Fang Wenping. It was clear these unfamiliar faces were either from the Provincial Cultural Bureau or its affiliated agencies, likely there to confirm the identity of the ancient tomb. Yesterday, Dong Xuebing had already reported to the city and provincial authorities, and it seemed people were quick to respond, arriving at such a critical moment.

“What’s going on?” Xiao Dongnan arrived and immediately raised his voice. “Everyone, stop! What’s going on here?” With the two groups seemingly on the brink of a fight, Xiao Dongnan ordered them to break up.

Xiao Dongnan held a high rank—legitimately a senior official, much higher than Dong Xuebing and Secretary Yang. However, his position in the Cultural Bureau was relatively weak, a department with little power over local counties and cities. So, his authority was limited. But this time, the Provincial Cultural Bureau was interested in the ancient tomb issue, likely holding considerable influence. Seeing Xiao Dongnan speak, Secretary Yang gave him a bit of respect and told his people, “Calm down.”

Dong Xuebing remained silent because there was no need to speak. Even if Xiao Dongnan hadn’t arrived, they wouldn’t have resorted to violence in such a situation.

Su Yan hurried over. “Secretary, this…”

Zhang Dongfang and Chang Lin didn’t understand the situation either. They were puzzled by how so many police officers from Yanbei County were lying on the ground.

“What’s going on, Xuebing?” Zhang Dongfang asked, bewildered.

Xiao Dongnan was angry. “Yes, what’s going on? I heard gunshots down below just now.”

Dong Xuebing calmly explained, “Secretary Xiao, you just got here and don’t know. Just now, our county’s workers and a few teachers were doing archaeological excavations, and suddenly, a group of fake police officers charged in, attacking our people and smashing our tents.” He pointed toward the damage. “Look, they even stomped on the spotlights, breaking them. Then they tried to steal our artifacts, claiming they were Yanbei County’s police. I don’t believe them for a second. It’s laughable; I know Yanbei County well. The Yanbei County police are state officials; there’s no way they could have such low-quality and law-breaking officers. It’s a joke. Then I had them show their IDs, and none of them could produce any. No real police could look like these people; they were tomb robbers. They pretended to be from Yanbei County to scare us away and then steal the artifacts themselves, continuing to plunder from the ancient tombs. It was despicable and serious. So, I led the people of Jiaolin County to subdue the criminals. The process was nerve-wracking. The gunshots you heard just now were from the tomb robbers—it was perilous. Luckily, our Jiaolin County people weren’t afraid of hardships, standing strong against these evil forces. Only through unity were we able to regain control.”

Sun Chenggong angrily retorted, “Who are the criminals here?”

Another injured policeman added, “We’re from Yanbei County’s police.”

Dong Xuebing glanced at them coldly. “I’ve never seen such low-quality police officers. Stop your excuses; we already have all the evidence of your crimes.”

The group of injured policemen was nearly apoplectic.

People from Jiaolin County almost laughed out loud.

Yanbei County’s Secretary Yang Gang had a dark look on his face. “So, these are our police?”

Dong Xuebing feigned surprise. “Really? Are such low-quality police your public servants? Oh, what a misunderstanding.”

Yang Gang was furious. “Just a misunderstanding? Who gave you the right to hit people?”

Dong Xuebing said, “That’s unreasonable, Old Yang. How were we supposed to know they were your people? We thought they were tomb robbers, parading under Yanbei County’s name to cheat and steal. I was so angry about it. Our two counties are neighboring ones, always operating on mutual support and friendly development principles. I couldn’t stand by and let my brother county’s reputation be tarnished, so I acted against them. Besides, we didn’t start it—they did. If you’re saying these are your people from Yanbei County, then I have a lot of accounting to do with you. What do you mean, coming into our Jiaolin County’s territory, attacking people, destroying things, and trying to damage national cultural assets? Who gave you the gall? Who gave you the right to hit people and even shoot guns? Are you crazy, trying to stage a rebellion? Let me tell you, Yang Gang, this isn’t over.”

His words were sharp and on point.

“This Dong Xuebing, he’s quite something.” Teacher Chu laughed.

Teacher Mu smiled slightly. “He’s more than that. He’s no ordinary person.”

Dong Xuebing could talk his way out of anything. There was no one he couldn’t shut up with his sharp tongue; he could both argue and insult.

People from Yanbei County gasped for breath, feeling choked by his words. They all knew that Jiaolin County’s Secretary was making excuses; there was no way he didn’t know these people were from Yanbei County.

Yang Gang glared at Sun Chenggong. “Why didn’t you show your IDs?”

Sun Chenggong stammered, “Sorry, Secretary, our IDs… we don’t know when, but they were taken from us and lost.”

“All of them lost?” Yang Gang’s eyes widened.

“Yes, sir,” Sun Chenggong admitted, feeling deeply embarrassed.

“Idiot!” Yang Gang cursed, feeling icy anger inside. He knew that there was nothing they could do about Jiaolin County this time. Their police had taken a beating for nothing.

What a mess for Yanbei County. What a piece of work Dong Xuebing is.