Ghost Stocks

Chapter 29

At this moment, another policeman asked, "We will investigate what you said. What were you doing staying in that Zhang Wenqing's dormitory at night?"

Feng Junzi lowered his head, a hint of embarrassment on his face, and replied, "I met this nurse by chance during my trip to the mining area. We hit it off immediately and got along very well. Let's find some time to have a good chat."

The agent seemed dissatisfied with the answer and asked, "What did you talk about?"

Before Feng Junzi could answer, the director continued, "What they talk about is their private matter. What could a man and a woman possibly talk about behind closed doors at night? I think we shouldn't ask. Let's wait until Mr. Feng's account is verified before conducting a further investigation."

The police chief seemed to be intentionally protecting Feng Junzi, which surprised Feng Junzi, as he had only been there for a little over three days and didn't know the police chief at all. Despite his surprise, Feng Junzi remained outwardly calm. The two police officers asked Feng Junzi a few more questions and then ended the conversation, seemingly a routine investigation. As they left, they told Feng Junzi, "We will verify your account. If there are any discrepancies, we will come back to you."

The meeting was suspended for the day, but the mine's hospitality towards the attendees was even more enthusiastic than before, making it difficult to complain. It's worth mentioning the living facilities in the mining area: some might find it strange that such an important meeting wasn't held in Qingjiang City but rather in a rural mining area. In fact, the living and entertainment facilities in this mining area are in no way inferior to, and perhaps even more upscale than, those in Qingjiang City's high-end venues. A cluster of distinctive new buildings has only appeared in the center of the mining area in recent years, while the surrounding factory buildings still appear dilapidated, giving one the feeling of being in a place where Africa and Europe meet.

This situation is easily explained. Coal becoming a scarce commodity and its soaring price is a recent phenomenon. Three or four years ago, this was Qingjiang City's largest state-owned loss-making enterprise, heavily indebted and on the verge of bankruptcy, with dilapidated factory and mining facilities. However, in less than thirty years, just two or three years, Qingjiang Group transformed from the largest loss-making enterprise in the area into the city's largest taxpayer and top exporter. As a result, many high-end living and entertainment facilities have been built in the mining area in recent years.

After lunch, Feng Junzi walked out of "Europe" and headed towards "Africa". He wanted to visit the Zhang family. However, he had only walked a few steps from the hotel when someone called out to him. Feng Junzi turned around and saw that it was Chief Chen of the police station, whom he had met that morning.

Director Chen came over to greet him: "Teacher Feng, would you like to go for a walk?"

Knowing that the director wouldn't call him out of the blue, Feng Junzi replied, "Yes, just browsing around. Did Director Chen call me for something?"

Director Chen: "We have verified what you said this morning. At least three people in the hospital can attest to the truth of what you said. You and Zhang Wenqing did not leave her dormitory all night."

Feng Junzi: "Can this really be proven? If someone went out at night, would everyone have noticed?"

Director Chen smiled and said, "Perhaps you don't understand the people in our small town. You, a grown man, entered a single woman's dormitory, thinking you wouldn't be noticed, but actually you've already been watched."

Feng Junzi: "Is someone secretly watching me?"

Director Chen: "There are many busybodies. The doctor on duty in the building across the street, the nurse living in the same courtyard, and perhaps even a single young man who is interested in Zhang Wenqing, may all be secretly keeping an eye on him."

Feng Junzi: "Don't they sleep at night?"

Director Chen: "You know what, there really are people who don't sleep at night, especially the male doctor on duty in the building across the street who keeps staring at Zhang Wenqing's window."

Feng Junzi: "How boring."

Director Chen: "It is indeed boring, but it may not be a bad thing. At least now Zhang Wenqing is no longer a suspect."

"What?" Feng Junzi asked, somewhat surprised. "Did you suspect Zhang Wenqing?"

Chief Chen: "It wasn't me, but the police deduced that it was someone inside the hospital who committed the crime, and they investigated who might have a grudge against Wang Minggao. As a result, they first suspected Zhang Wenqing. When we spoke with you this morning, Zhang Wenqing was still being detained at the police station for investigation. Fortunately, you proved that she was with you all night, otherwise she wouldn't be able to go home now."

Feng Junzi: "Have you released them now?"

Director Chen: "After hearing what you said, I will immediately investigate and release the person as soon as I have found out the truth."

"You seem to be very protective of Zhang Wenqing?" Feng Junzi said casually, while observing Director Chen's expression out of the corner of his eye.

Director Chen's candid answer surprised him: "Yes, I want to protect this girl. I don't want her to get involved in this kind of thing. I owe the Zhang family a favor, and I owe her brother Zhang Wenzheng."

Zhang Wenzheng had been dead for a year, and Director Chen's sudden remark piqued Feng Junzi's curiosity, prompting him to ask, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Director Chen: "Let's walk and talk. I'll show you around."

It's been almost seven or eight years since Director Chen recounted this incident. At the time, two young men from Zhang Wenzheng's village were transporting a tractor full of medicinal herbs to the city to sell. Zhang Wenzheng happened to be heading to the city and hitched a ride with them. On the way, they encountered the police, and the two men suddenly ran away. The police only apprehended Zhang Wenzheng. It turned out that the herbs and the tractor were stolen.

Zhang Wenzheng was unable to defend himself and was imprisoned for theft. The officer in charge of the trial and closing of the case was Director Chen, who was then just a regular police officer. Later, the two men were arrested for another case, and the investigation revealed it was a wrongful conviction. By then, Zhang Wenzheng had already been in prison for over half a year. He only received a little over two hundred yuan in compensation for six months, which angered many people who urged him to sue the police officer surnamed Chen.

Director Chen's rude attitude and hasty conclusion of the case back then actually left many doubts. If Zhang Wenzheng had pressed him on, Director Chen's future would have been ruined, and he would never have become the director. However, Zhang Wenzheng was very magnanimous: "Officer Chen did not intend to wrong me. The tractor and the medicinal herbs were indeed stolen goods, and I was the only one present at the time. Later, I learned a lot about law and technology in prison, so I think we should not make things difficult for him anymore."

In this way, Director Chen escaped a disaster, but he always felt sorry for Zhang Wenzheng and felt that he owed the Zhang family a favor.

After listening to Chief Chen's recollection, Feng Junzi asked, "So that's how it happened. Chief Chen won't be solving cases like this now, will he?"

Director Chen sighed, "This is a lesson. Besides, the situation was different back then. We didn't know what 'presumption of innocence' meant back then."

Feng Junzi suddenly remembered something else and asked Director Chen, "You only went to investigate what happened that night because I told you to. Didn't Zhang Wenqing himself mention it? Or did you intentionally avoid mentioning it to me during your questioning?"

Director Chen: "I'm also puzzled. Zhang Wenqing didn't say anything. This girl is really stubborn."

Feng Junzi: "That's probably because Chief Chen is taking care of her; otherwise, no one would dare to be stubborn in the police station!"

Director Chen seemed a little embarrassed and replied, "Actually, this is normal. A young woman who has spent the night with a man is naturally embarrassed to tell others... Teacher Feng, you come from a big city and are a learned person. Zhang Wenqing is a good girl, and I hope you will treat her well in the future."

Feng Junzi was taken aback by what Director Chen had said and didn't know how to respond, so he could only stammer. He changed the subject, saying, "Things here are really strange. Back when the Great Khingan Mountains were ablaze, there was a Standing Committee that the fire couldn't destroy. Now, in your Qingjiang Coal Mine, there are seminars and board meetings that the dead can't disperse. Under these circumstances, the meetings are still going on."

Director Chen: "I don't know about other things, but the production and operation of Qingjiang Coal Mine is very important to our city's economic work. As I just said, it is our city's number one export earner. I don't know if Teacher Feng knows this."

Feng Junzi sneered, "Of course I know this very well. There's a railway here that goes straight to Qinhuangdao. The high-quality anthracite coal produced here is loaded onto ships at the Qinhuangdao dock and shipped to Japan. After the Japanese buy the coal, they neither burn nor use it. Instead, they seal it with wax and sink large chunks into the bay, making it their strategic energy reserve. Did you know that? A major exporter? Hmph!"

What Feng Junzi said was clearly beyond Director Chen's knowledge. He looked at Feng Junzi in surprise, and after thinking for a long time, he finally uttered two inexplicable words: "Serves him right!"

Feng Junzi: "What did you say? You deserved it?"

Director Chen: "I said the mine leaders deserved to die. You don't know, almost the entire clan of my grandfather's generation died at the hands of the Japanese devils... Sigh! I won't say anymore."

After Director Chen left, Feng Junzi stood there lost in thought. He knew why Zhang Wenqing hadn't said anything: both he and Zhang Wenqing suspected that someone was involved in Wang Minggao's death.

Just last night, while he was chatting with Zhang Wenqing, he heard a noise outside. Feng Junzi opened the door and saw a very familiar figure drift into the back door of the inpatient department. Later, he remembered that he had seen this figure before—it was Zhang Ting, the girl he had met by the mine pit that day. Zhang Ting is Zhang Wenzheng's daughter. Since Feng Junzi recognized her, there was no reason why Zhang Wenqing wouldn't recognize her, but at the time she said she hadn't seen anything.

It seems Zhang Wenqing also knows that Wang Minggao's death is likely related to Zhang Ting, so he chose to remain silent, which is a reasonable explanation. Although this explanation is reasonable, Feng Junzi still feels that something is not right, but he can't figure out exactly what it is.

Part 3: The Ghost Miner, Chapter 15: The Gentleman and the Scoundrel

The police suspected Zhang Wenqing, but did not continue their investigation. This was not because Chief Chen was protecting her, but because another lead had emerged in the case. The lead appeared suddenly. After Wang Minggao's death, while his family was arguing over the inheritance, an uninvited guest arrived at the Wang family with an IOU written by Wang Minggao before his death.

The IOU was indeed written by Wang Minggao before his death. It stated: "I owe so-and-so 200,000 RMB. I have already repaid 100,000 RMB, and the remaining 100,000 RMB will be repaid within ** time." The person holding the IOU was a young man with a scar on his face, who looked very fierce and intimidating. The police found his appearance suspicious and immediately took him in for questioning. After interrogation, the man confessed to being instructed by Wang Minggao to murder Liu Wanshan—Wang Minggao gave him 100,000 RMB to kill Liu Wanshan, promising to pay him another 100,000 RMB after the deed was done.

New clues led the police to realize that the deaths of Wang Minggao and Liu Wanshan might be part of a series of cases, so they launched a focused investigation in that direction. However, the investigation yielded nothing, and Wang Minggao's death ultimately remained a cold case. Of course, these are all stories for later, and ones that Feng Junzi and Lin Zhenzhen were unaware of.

After Wang Minggao's death, Secretary Yuan was like a lost dog, and no one paid any special attention to Lin Zhenzhen anymore. Lin Zhenzhen, who had nothing to do, was discharged from the hospital that afternoon and slipped back to the mining area hotel. That evening, when Lin Zhenzhen barged into Feng Junzi's room, Feng Junzi was lying in bed, lost in thought. Lin Zhenzhen grabbed his ear and pulled him up. Startled, Feng Junzi saw it was Lin Zhenzhen and yelled, "Little miss, can you be a little gentler? What are you doing? I haven't offended you!"

Lin Zhenzhen clearly had a accusatory tone in her voice, and said angrily, "How do you know you haven't offended me? Everyone's saying that Mr. Feng is really a womanizer. He's only been in the mining area for three days and he's already hooked up with a nurse from the hospital and spent the night with her. You don't care, but what about that unmarried girl? If this were the old society, you would be considered a person who ruins one's reputation."

Feng Junzi: "Let go first. How can you be so indiscriminate? Didn't we discuss this with you beforehand? You didn't object. Besides, it's all to protect you."

Lin Zhenzhen let go and sighed, "This is also my fault for not thinking things through."

Feng Junzi rubbed his reddened ears and said, "When has Miss Lin ever considered things thoroughly?"

Lin Zhenzhen: "Let's not talk about this anymore, but you pretended to be my boyfriend in front of others, but then you sneaked into another girl's dorm that night. Everyone is laughing at me for having married the wrong person. How do you plan to settle this score?"

Feng Junzi: "Don't use idioms so carelessly. You even know this. You're quite well-informed."

Lin Zhenzhen: "You forgot that a good half of the people here work in journalism, and news travels faster than anything else. People in your circle all know that you've always been a womanizer, but it's not good for your image in a place like this."

Feng Junzi honestly replied, "Yes, I was wrong. Things happened too suddenly, and I didn't think it through carefully. I won't do it again next time."

Lin Zhenzhen: "Next time! You want a next time?"

Feng Junzi: "Next time I won't pretend to be your boyfriend, I'll just say I'm your husband... Ouch... Please have mercy!"

...

The meeting, which had been suspended for two days, finally took place as scheduled. The agenda for the final day was simple: in the morning, experts from various fields provided professional opinions on the new project at Qingjiang Coal Mine; in the afternoon, the board of directors of Qingjiang Coal Mine passed a resolution to invest in the new project and issue new shares. A small press conference was held after the board resolutions were released.

All the "experts" present, including Feng Junzi himself, expressed positive and supportive opinions on the new project at Qingjiang Coal Mine. Despite everything that had happened, Feng Junzi himself knew that if he looked at the investment plan being discussed objectively, there was really no reason to object—given the tight supply of coal, expanding production was perfectly justifiable from both an economic and social perspective.

As the meetings finally concluded, Feng Junzi looked at the banner above the podium: "Strengthen Scientific Decision-Making, Protect Investors' Interests!" and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. The Qingjiang Coal Mine, now raking in money every day, hadn't protected a truly good man like Zhang Wenzheng, let alone the thirty-six migrant workers whose names hadn't even been recorded. It hadn't even protected the high-ranking leaders like Liu Wanshan and Wang Minggao. Looking at Chairman Zhang Zeguang sitting on the podium, he thought that Zhang Zeguang's fortune was probably in jeopardy too. Who could he expect such slogans to protect?

The meeting ended, but the matter wasn't over yet. After the meeting, someone told Lin Zhenzhen that President Zhang wanted to see her. Lin Zhenzhen vaguely guessed why, so she insisted on going with Feng Junzi. Feng Junzi also knew that this final hurdle had to be overcome, so he accompanied Lin Zhenzhen to Zhang Zeguang's office.

Zhang Zeguang, by administrative rank, was a deputy mayor-level cadre. However, his office was significantly more luxurious and spacious than those of several ministers that Feng Junzi had seen, roughly the size of half a basketball court. Zhang Zeguang was of fairly robust build, but sitting behind that overly large desk, he appeared unusually short.

Zhang Zeguang was very polite and not surprised that Feng Junzi and Lin Zhenzhen had come together. He warmly invited them to sit down and had his secretary pour tea. Zhang Zeguang first apologized for the accident Lin Zhenzhen had encountered and expressed great concern for her health. He also offered a few perfunctory compliments to Feng Junzi before getting to the point, saying, "I didn't expect so many unexpected things to happen during this meeting. Please forgive me if there has been any inadequacy in our hospitality. I heard that Miss Lin seemed to have encountered some trouble in the mine. Of course, I don't doubt Miss Lin's intentions. I just hope that we can all be true materialists and not dwell on subjective speculation."

Before Feng Junzi could speak, Lin Zhenzhen replied rather bluntly, "I don't have the same theoretical knowledge as President Zhang, nor do I know how to talk so much nonsense. However, I do know a little about Zhang Wenzheng's matter. Did President Zhang invite me here for this very reason?"

Zhang Zeguang didn't seem to mind Lin Zhenzhen's tone and said gently, "Such a large coal mine has a lot of things to do every day. I, as the leader, may be a bit bureaucratic, and it's inevitable that some of my subordinates will make mistakes. These are all internal company matters. Please believe me, Ms. Lin, that we can definitely resolve them."

At this moment, Feng Junzi stood up and slowly walked to Zhang Zeguang's desk. He pulled out several sheets of paper from somewhere and placed them on the table in front of Zhang Zeguang. These sheets were actually two documents. As mentioned earlier, one was a mining area newsletter from a year ago and a report from the Qingjiang Daily; the other was a photocopy of Zhang Wenzheng's will. Zhang Zeguang quickly glanced through them, his previously amiable face gradually turning deathly pale. He asked in a stammering tone, "Where...where did this come from? What...what do you want?"

Just as Lin Zhenzhen was about to speak, Feng Junzi turned around and glared at her fiercely, silencing her. Then he said to Zhang Zeguang, "Mr. Zhang is a smart man, so I won't beat around the bush. I brought this document because I really want to make a deal with you."

Hearing Feng Junzi's words, Zhang Zeguang seemed relieved and stopped stammering. He asked, "What do you two want? Just say it directly. How much?"

Feng Junzi didn't even lift his eyelids, and said indifferently, "Not much, two hundred thousand."

"What! Feng Junzi! You actually..." Lin Zhenzhen jumped up from the sofa, pointing at Feng Junzi, too angry to speak. Feng Junzi walked over expressionlessly, whispered a few words in her ear, and then put his hand on her shoulder and pressed her back onto the sofa.

Zhang Zeguang had now regained his superior and calm demeanor. He smiled and said to Feng Junzi, "Two hundred thousand, no problem at all, I can give it to you right away. However, I think you two should also understand that after you take the money, this matter will be over. Also, I'm afraid you'll have to hand over the original copy of Zhang Wenzheng's will to me as well."

Feng Junzi caught a hint of contempt in Zhang Zeguang's smile and found it amusing. A despicable person like Zhang Zeguang, when he assumed others were just as despicable, would look down on them. Now, in Zhang Zeguang's eyes, Feng Junzi was undoubtedly a greedy, blackmailing man, so he became arrogant again. As Feng Junzi was thinking, Zhang Zeguang continued, "Do you want the 200,000 in cash or a bankbook? A bank card might be more convenient. When will you give me Zhang Wenzheng's will?"

Feng Junzi: "No need to give me anything, I don't want anything."

Zhang Zeguang was clearly surprised and asked, "Then what you just did..."

Feng Junzi interrupted him, saying, "I think you've misunderstood, Mr. Zhang. It's not that I'm asking you for money, but that you owe someone money. I never accept a penny of dirty money, and I think Miss Lin is the same." At this moment, Lin Zhenzhen, who was sitting to the side, also nodded vigorously.

Zhang Zeguang's smile, which had just returned, became tense again, and his voice stammered, "Then, then that two hundred thousand you mentioned earlier..."

Before he could finish speaking, Feng Junzi continued, "Zhang Wenzheng was a formal employee of your coal mine, right? According to Article 25 of the 'Implementation Measures for Work-Related Injury Insurance for Enterprise Employees' issued by the Ministry of Labor on August 12, 1996, and Article 73, Paragraph 2 of Chapter 9 of the 'Labor Law,' the Zhang family should receive approximately 200,000 yuan in various subsidies, pensions, and survivor's allowances. The Zhang family may not understand, but don't forget I'm an expert. I don't know the exact amount of compensation your mine gave them, but I've heard it's less than half. What I want is this 200,000 yuan. I'm not asking you to do anything illegal; you just need to pay this money to the Zhang family through reasonable, legal, and normal procedures."

Feng Junzi's words completely surprised Zhang Zeguang. After he finished speaking, Zhang Zeguang's face turned extremely ugly. He said with a dark expression, "So that's how it is. This matter is quite difficult because if I do this, it will involve more than just Zhang Wenzheng. How about this, I can give you an extra sum of money privately, and you can secretly take it and give it to the Zhang family, isn't that the same?"

At this moment, Lin Zhenzhen, who had been silent until now, finally couldn't help but speak up: "It's different, completely different! This is the difference between a gentleman and a villain."

Feng Junzi continued, "It's up to you, Mr. Zhang, to decide. After all, it's the leader's decision. As long as you do what I say, I won't pursue the matter of Zhang Wenzheng's will. I also assure you that this will never see the light of day again. I think I'm a more trustworthy person than you, Mr. Zhang."

When Feng Junzi and Lin Zhenzhen walked out of the office, one could imagine how gloomy Zhang Zeguang's face was. Feng Junzi also looked very melancholy, while Lin Zhenzhen seemed quite happy. She said to Feng Junzi, "I really didn't expect you to pull something like this. Did you feel bad for Zhang Wenqing after I pulled your ear yesterday?"

Feng Junzi: "I do owe her a favor. This is probably all I can do for the Zhang family."

Lin Zhenzhen: "Are you really not going to pursue this matter? Wouldn't that be letting the bad guys get away with it?"

Feng Junzi smiled mysteriously and said, "Who said I wouldn't pursue it? I just promised him that I wouldn't pursue Zhang Wenzheng's will anymore, but I didn't say that you wouldn't pursue it anymore. You can handle the rest."

Lin Zhenzhen: "You little rascal, you cheated! What do you want me to do?"

Feng Junzi: "Tell everyone the truth. As far as I know, your newspaper has a great influence in Beijing, North China, and even the whole country. What I can't do, you can."

Lin Zhenzhen: "That might be a bit difficult. Let me think about it."

Part 3: The Ghost Miner, Chapter 16: The Art of the Mouthpiece

The meeting, originally scheduled for three days, lasted five, but finally came to an end. For Feng Junzi and Lin Zhenzhen, this period of time felt like a bizarre dream. The day after the meeting ended, Feng Junzi and Lin Zhenzhen, along with other participants, traveled in a luxury bus from the coal mine to the provincial capital airport, 200 kilometers away.

Lin Zhenzhen sat next to Feng Junzi. She was still thinking about what Feng Junzi had said yesterday. After thinking for a long time, she couldn't come up with a good solution, so she asked Feng Junzi, "Feng Junzi, I think your idea is not very feasible. It's difficult to publish news reports like this. Our director and the editor-in-chief above probably won't agree."

Feng Junzi laughed: "I've thought about this problem before. Now I want to test your intelligence. How can you make the truth of this matter come out and get your newspaper's leaders to agree to publish this article?"

Although Lin Zhenzhen was a little slow to react, she was definitely not stupid. She understood what Feng Junzi meant and said, "I know what you want to say, but can you give me some suggestions on how to write it? Besides, after returning from the coal mine, you should at least give a reason for publishing a report about a mine accident a year ago."

Feng Junzi: "Zhang Wenzheng, Zhang Wenzheng is the reason. I've compiled some of his deeds, and I think they're sufficiently exemplary and educational. Also, there's the accident you encountered in the mining area, and the suicide note you found unintentionally. I think your leaders will be interested in taking these back. Just promote the bright and sunny aspects, don't write anything else, but highlight the details of Zhang Wenzheng's death and the contents of his suicide note. Can't you do that?"

Lin Zhenzhen: "Thank you for reminding me, I understand."

Lin Zhenzhen remained silent, seemingly deep in thought, while Feng Junzi also gazed quietly out the car window, lost in thought. However, Lin Zhenzhen seemed unable to remain quiet for long; after a while, she nudged Feng Junzi again: "What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about Zhang Wenqing? I heard the police spoke to you. What exactly happened that night? Can you tell me? Don't worry, given our relationship, I'll keep it a secret."