Chapter 369: Deng Yunheng, the Acting County Magistrate!

Chapter 369: Deng Yunheng, the Acting County Magistrate!

On the bus to Nancheng County, the passengers, who had been dozing off, were all startled awake by the sudden rough voice.

Deng Shirong followed the voice and saw four middle-aged men, all with rather fierce looks, standing up in the bus. They were all between 30 and 40 years old, and each of them held a semi-automatic rifle, exuding a menacing aura.

In recent years, Deng Shirong had traveled out quite often, and he had always returned home safely, considering himselfselfIn the current situation, encountering bandits was something he had anticipated.

In this era, these bandits and highwaymen were loathed by the people, largely due to their cruelty and inhumanity.

Perhaps at the beginning, some of them might have only wanted some "toll," not intending to commit murder.

But as the "toll" came easily, it gradually became insufficient to satisfy their growing greed, andSoThusThusAs it progressed, the,0 matter, and't happened, they started looted all the money and valuables from the truck drivers.

Eventually, theythey even began to seize the trucks and their cargo.

After all, in this era, the truck was the lifeline of the drivers. Robbing them of money was one thing, but robbing them of their cargo and truck was another.

Thus, in the struggle, killings became inevitable.

And once the Pandora's Box was opened, it could not be closed again.

Getting back to the point.

The driver, who had been driving calmly, was suddenly seized by panic when the four bandits appeared. He instinctively hit the brakes.

The sudden braking caused the bandits to lose their balance, and the closest one immediately struck the driver with the butt of his rifle, cursing, "The hell with your mother, do you want to die?"

Deng Shirong, seeing the situation, immediately used his System's spatial ability to lock onto the guns of the four bandits and silently remove the bullets.

Just then, one of the bandits, who was pointing his rifle at Deng Shirong, shouted, "Hand over all your money, don't try to hide it it and if I find any, this will be your last day."

Deng Shirong, seated in the aisle, faced the bandit with the gun pointed at him.

With the bullets removed from the bandits' guns, Deng Shirong did not hesitate. As the bandit threatened, he swiftly grabbed the gun barrel with his left hand, pulled the bandit towards him, and with his right fist, punched the bandit squarely in the eye.

TheTheThe bandit, whose reaction was not slow, tried to pull the trigger as Deng Shirong resisted.

Unfortunately for him, his gun misfired, and he was hit squarely in the eye by Deng Shirong, almost causing his eyeball to burst.

As Deng Shirong attacked, he also shouted, "You little bastard, I'll show you who's in charge. Everyone, don't be afraid, their guns are empty, let's take them down together."

A bandit standing at the back, startled, immediately raised his gun at Deng Shirong, shouting, "The hell with your old man, if you want to die, I'll send you on your way."

However, his gun misfired repeatedly, and the bandit was stunned.

This scene was observed by a strong young man nearby, who without hesitation, struck the bandit's cheek with his large fist and shouted, "Don't be afraid, their guns are empty, let's take them down together."

Though the words were many, the events unfolded in an instant.

In such a situation, if no one dared to resist, they would be at the mercy of the bandits. But once someone led the resistance and remained unharmed, others found the courage to join.

Thus, under thelead ofthe strong young man, other male passengers also up and joined in the resistance.

"Brothers, let's take them down together!"

"The hell with it, to dare rob like this, do they think we're made of clay?"

"Damn, I'll show you who's in charge, watch me beat you to death."

"..."

In an instant, the men on the bus were roused to action, and the four bandits were pummeled on the ground.

Especially the driver, who had been struck hard by the bandit's rifle butt, bleeding from his head, now seized the opportunity to retaliate, the bandit, who had not hesitated to strike back.

At this moment, the intense pain from their wounds caused the bandits to feel both panic and confusion. Who the hell said their guns were empty?

Their guns were clearly loaded!

But why didn't the bullets come out when they pulled the triggers?

Damn, where did the bullets go?

In the heat of the moment, no one held back. If they were beating ordinary people, there might have been some hesitation about using lethal force, but with these ruthless robbers, no one felt any mercy, and everyone beat them with all their might.

After all, the four robbers were just ordinary people, just bolder. They relied on their guns, and when the guns failed, they had no means of resistance.

Their only option was to protect their vital points.

But it was of no use. After more than ten minutes of beating, the four robbers were barely breathing.

Apart from the initial punch, Deng Shirong did not participate in the beating. When the passengers had vented their anger, he asked the driver, "A Biao, are you okay?"

The driver, who had been the main force in beating the robbers, panted, "I'm fine. It's a good thing you were here. If you hadn't noticed that their guns were empty, we would have been robbed for sure."

Deng Shirong didn't dwell on the topic and said, "A Biao, if you're okay, keep driving. Take these four robbers to the nearest police station and hand them over to the authorities."

The driver replied, "Alright, I'll take them to the police station."

With that, the driver returned to the driver's seat, started the bus, and drove towards the nearest police station.

The young man who had acted first was now examining one of the semi-automatic rifles, saying with a whistle, "This is a real gun. It's a good thing they didn't have any bullets, or it would have been dangerous."

"Pretty strange, though. If they were going to rob people with guns, why didn't they bring bullets?"

"Maybe they couldn't get any bullets?"

"If they could get guns, why couldn't they get bullets?"

"Maybe they ran out of bullets and didn't have time to reload."

"That's possible, but they were really bold to rob without bullets. They must not know what 'death' means."

"It's not that they were bold; it's that we wouldn't risk our lives in such a situation."

"That's true..."

The male passengers were all discussing the matter.

Deng Shirong reminded the young man, "Don't touch their guns. The police might need to collect fingerprints. These are evidence of their robbery."

The young man quickly put down the gun and said, "Thanks for the reminder. You're really something, ready to act when needed. If you hadn't led the way, I wouldn't have dared to move."

Deng Shirong smiled, "You did well too, responding right away!"

The female passengers, who were generally more timid, were still shaken by the incident. Whether it was being threatened with guns or witnessing the other male passengers beating the robbers, it had scared them.

One of the female passengers asked, trembling, "Um... are they... dead?"

The young man shouted, "If they are, they deserve it. They should have been beaten to death."

"Exactly, these people are scum. From their calm demeanor, it doesn't look like it's their first time robbing. We're doing society a favor."

"Right, if we beat them to death, the government would thank us!"

"..."

The male passengers were genuinely unafraid. Even in the future, if someone were to die in a struggle, there would be no criminal liability unless the person was killed after being subdued.

In this era, it was even less of a concern. Although it wasn't yet the time when killing bandits was rewarded, beating to death a criminal who was robbing on a bus would definitely not result in criminal charges.

Soon, the driver arrived at the nearest police station and explained the situation to the police.

The four robbers were still alive but in critical condition, with multiple broken ribs and comminuted fractures in their limbs. Even if they survived, they would likely be disabled and unable to commit crimes again.

Since they were still alive and the evidence clearly showed they were armed robbers, the police praised the male passengers for their courage and then let them go.

...

Nanxiong County, Guangdong, was one of the six major ginkgo tree regions in the country. Deng Shirong had come here to continue his search for ginkgo trees.

Creating a famous scenic road was no easy task, but he had finished his fruit business this year, so he had plenty of time to travel to different places and gather the ginkgo trees needed for his village road.

After spending more than a month in Nanxiong County, visiting various towns, Deng Shirong managed to obtain over a hundred ginkgo trees that met his requirements.

Next, he left Nanxiong County and headed to other ginkgo regions.

...

Bangjie Village.

After the Qingming Festival, the Ye Deng Clan began a new round of construction.

First, they started laying cement roads. This new roadbed was several dozen meters away from the river, and the entire roadbed was very stable, ensuring that there would be no collapse. Therefore, the construction of the roadbed did not require steel bars. They only needed to create a layer of several dozen centimeters of sub-base, followed by a layer of several dozen centimeters of base, and finally, a layer of 20 to 30 centimeters of cement pavement. This would make the road very difficult to damage.

Once the technology and equipment for asphalt concrete mature, they could replace the cement road with an asphalt road.

Next, they transported large boulders to both sides of the river village. According to the clan head, these boulders, which weighed several tons each, were for decorative purposes. Moving these boulders from the stone mountains was no easy task.

Of course, it was not easy, but it did not daunt the hardworking clan members. After all, even ancient people could move boulders weighing several dozen tons, let alone modern people. Although the machinery of this era was far less advanced than in the future, it could still provide significant assistance, making the conditions much better than those of the ancients.

Some clan members were laying the road, some were transporting the boulders, and others, under the leadership of Deng Yunfeng, the head architect, began constructing the Ye Deng Clan's villa complex according to the blueprints provided by the architectural design institute.

To be honest, when they saw the rendering, the clan members were amazed at how beautiful it was.

Therefore, they were full of enthusiasm, eager to build the houses as soon as possible.

Currently, the villa complex construction had not been funded by a collective effort, but the clan head had already announced that the food company would cover the costs. Once the villa complex was built, the costs would be deducted from the dividends based on the chosen villa specifications.

...

Wuhan.

A certain residential compound.

Mother Gu came out of the room carrying a suitcase and called out, "Weiwei, are you ready?"

Gu Caiwei's voice came from the room, "Wait a moment, I'll be done in a minute."

In the living room, Father Gu, sitting on the sofa, said to Mother Gu, "I've arranged everything for you. Be careful when you're out, and listen to the security personnel's advice. Don't be like last time when you didn't even realize your money was stolen."

Mother Gu nodded and said, "Understood. Last time, we were careless, and after such a setback, we will definitely be more careful. Besides, this time we're not taking the train but flying directly. There won't be any thieves on the plane."

In this era, people who could afford to fly were usually of high status, and it was indeed rare to encounter thieves.

Father Gu said, "In any case, just listen to the security personnel's advice."

As he spoke, Gu Caiwei also came out carrying a suitcase.

Mother Gu said, "Old Gu, we'll be off now. Take care of yourself."

Gu Caiwei also reminded, "Dad, remember to eat on time."

Father Gu smiled and said, "Caiwei, I trust your judgment in people. I'm looking forward to your good news."

Gu Caiwei blinked and said, "Dad, are you that eager to see me married?"

Father Gu laughed and said, "It's not that I'm eager to see you married, but you will eventually get married. It's better to marry early than late, so I have plenty of time to cultivate a good son-in-law."

"Let's discuss the marriage later. It's getting late, so let's hurry up and leave to avoid missing the flight."

"Okay, let's go!"

...

Fuzhou County.

Deng Yunheng sat in his office, and other vice-counties kept coming in to report on their work.

This was because the original county magistrate had been transferred to another place, and Deng Yunheng had been officially appointed by the higher authorities as the acting county magistrate, responsible for the overall administration of the county government.

If everything went as planned, it would not be long before the "acting" designation was removed, and he would become the official county magistrate.

Therefore, it was quite normal for the vice-counties to come and report their work enthusiastically.

When the county magistrate was absent, the deputy county magistrate in charge of daily operations would take over, and Deng Yunheng had ample experience in this role. Now that he was officially the acting county magistrate, he could naturally manage the work efficiently.

After discussing with the vice-counties, Deng Yunheng began to think about how to promote the economic development of Fuzhou County.

The shrimp farming project he had initiated had already achieved significant results, but that was not enough. More industries needed to be developed for the county's economy to truly take off.

Thinking about this, Deng Yunheng picked up the office phone to call his father and discuss the issue. He believed that among the people he knew, his father's insight in the economic field was truly among the top three. Listening to his father's advice would definitely be beneficial.

He made his first call to the Shuifeng Restaurant.

The person who answered the phone was none other than his sister, Deng Yunzhen.

Deng Yunheng smiled and said, "Sis, it's me."

Deng Yunzhen exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Yunheng, have you eaten yet?"

Deng Yunheng replied, "I haven't finished work yet. Sis, how have you been recently? Has my little nephew started running?"

Deng Yunzhen smiled, "I'm doing well. The little guy can run now, but he's quite mischievous. He doesn't run very steadily, wobbling all over the place, and he's giving his grandma a hard time."

Deng Yunheng said, "Once he runs more, he'll naturally become steadier. It's good for boys to be a bit mischievous. If he sat still all day without moving, we'd have to worry if he was slow-witted."

Deng Yunzhen said, "Dad says the same thing. The main concern is that his grandma is afraid he'll bump into things. She follows him around all day, and it's no wonder she gets tired!"

Deng Yunheng asked, "Little kids bumping into things is normal. How is my brother-in-law's work going recently?"

Deng Yunzhen replied, "It's going well. Now that the county magistrate of Bobai is your friend's father, he's been taking good care of my husband because of you."

Deng Yunheng advised, "Sis, this is a rare opportunity. Encourage your husband to perform well and try to get a promotion during Uncle Song's term."

Deng Yunzhen laughed, "I don't need to remind him. He's been much more proactive lately."

The siblings chatted for a while, and then Deng Yunheng asked, "Sis, is Dad around?"

Deng Yunzhen said, "He's not here. He said he had to go far away to buy some ginkgo trees for the village. I don't know when he'll be back. What did you need to talk to him about?"

Deng Yunheng replied, "I just wanted to ask him something. It's fine if he's not around."

Deng Yunzhen said, "When Dad comes back, I'll have him call you."

Deng Yunheng said, "Alright, thanks. I'll hang up now!"

Deng Yunzhen said, "Okay, take care."

...

Three days later.

At noon after work, Deng Yunheng went out to eat as usual.

He wasn't looking for a fancy meal; he usually just had a bowl of rice noodles or some congee for lunch.

Today was no different. The weather was a bit stiflingly hot, and Deng Yunheng didn't want to eat steaming hot rice noodles. He just wanted some cool, plain congee from his hometown.

Unfortunately, although Fuzhou County had congee, the side dishes that went with it were quite unusual for Deng Yunheng. They didn't have the same variety of delicious side dishes that he was used to in Bobai.

When it came to various types of congee, Guangdong should be the undisputed champion.

However, if we were to compare just plain congee, Guangxi's plain congee would definitely come first.

The reason Guangxi's plain congee is considered the best is not the congee itself, but the side dishes that go with it.

In the summer, many cities in Guangxi have self-service plain congee stands. Long tables are filled with dozens of different side dishes, all classic accompaniments to congee. There are always a few that make you want to try them just by looking.

Plus, the prices are very reasonable, so these self-service congee stands do a lot of business, something unique to the region.

Fuzhou County didn't have any dedicated congee stands, so if you wanted congee, you had to go to a restaurant.

So, Deng Yunheng walked to a restaurant he often visited.

As he entered, the observant boss lady immediately greeted him with a smile, "County Magistrate Deng, come in and sit down. What would you like to eat today?"

Deng Yunheng smiled and said, "It's a bit stuffy today, so I don't have much of an appetite. Have the chef make a savory vegetable dish, a plate of fried peanuts, and a bowl of plain congee."

The boss lady welcomed Deng Yunheng to sit down and said, "Sure, just a moment, it'll be ready soon."

With that, the boss lady went to prepare the tea. For regular customers, she served ordinary tea, but for the county magistrate, she naturally brought out the best tea.

After the boss lady left, Deng Yunheng habitually looked around and noticed two familiar-looking guests sitting at a table not far to his left.

Focusing his gaze, Deng Yunheng's excellent memory immediately recognized them.

At that moment, the two guests also looked at him, and Deng Yunheng blurted out, "Miss Gu? Aunt Chen?"

These two were none other than the mother and daughter from the Gu family, who had come from Wuhan.

They had arrived in Fuzhou County two days ago and had been discreetly gathering information about Deng Yunheng. Knowing that he often visited this restaurant, they had come early today to try their luck and see if they could meet him and observe him up close.

Their luck held, and they did indeed encounter him.

What surprised them, however, was that before they could even observe him closely, he recognized them right away.

At that moment, the Gu family mother and daughter were a bit stunned. They had never met before, so how did Deng Yunheng recognize them?

...

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(End of Chapter)

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