Chen Feng quickly asked his parents what was going on, and the two elders, trembling, recounted the whole story.
It turned out that the village head was behind all of this. Originally, each household was supposed to receive around one million yuan in compensation, but the village committee only gave less than 100,000 yuan to each family.
This naturally angered the villagers; the difference was too vast.
If it were just tens of thousands of yuan, it might be understandable, as corruption was not uncommon in official circles.
However, extorting over 900,000 yuan from a single family was outrageous and absolutely unacceptable.
"Villagers, please go back first. A large crowd won't solve the problem," Chen Feng shouted from a high vantage point.
He hadn't known about this before, but after following Qin Yan, he had become well aware of such matters.
Frankly speaking, large-scale gatherings, even if justified, could be twisted into something unruly, which was exactly what the village head wanted. With a phone call, a large group could be labeled as rioters and arrested. Not only would they fail to get their money back, but they might even have trouble getting out of detention.
"Chen Feng, the village head embezzled so much money; we absolutely cannot let this slide," the villagers shouted in unison.
"Villagers, I'm already aware of what you're saying. I drive for the Ming Shan Town leadership. Although I'm not a formal member of the officialdom, I do know some things about how things work. Don't worry, in a society governed by law, the village head cannot cover everything up with his bare hands." Chen Feng earnestly advised the villagers.
The villagers became hesitant upon hearing this.
Firstly, they had been gathered for nearly half the morning, the village head's attitude remained unyielding, and he had even threatened to call the police. If they didn't leave, they might be arrested and taken to the town's detention center.
Secondly, if they left, only Chen Feng would be left to handle this matter. Chen Feng was just a driver; could he really manage such a significant issue?
As the villagers were hesitating, Qin Yan called Chen Feng, informing him that a large number of police officers had gone to He Wu Village and told him to be careful.
Without further ado, Chen Feng immediately messaged Qin Yan, telling her that the villagers were skeptical about the arrival of a large police force and asking her to send some videos.
Within a minute, Qin Yan sent Chen Feng the requested videos.
Chen Feng showed the videos to the villagers.
Upon seeing the videos, the villagers immediately panicked.
"Damn it, I never thought that the village head would actually call the police!"
"Chen Feng, since you drive for the town leaders, we trust that you can handle this."
With that, the villagers dispersed from the village committee office.
Chen Feng's parents did not leave.
"Xiao Feng, you should leave with us too. If the police come later, you won't be able to leave." The two elders anxiously urged him.
"Mom and Dad, I can't leave. He Wu Village finally has a chance for demolition compensation, and we can't let the village head ruin it like this," Chen Feng replied honestly.
"Chen Feng, I know you're not reconciled. To be honest, your mother and I are also not reconciled. However, since ancient times, the arm cannot twist the thigh. The village head is a local tyrant, and he's even called the police. With both the black and white coming at us, we can't defeat him. Money is good, but we must be alive to spend it!" Chen Feng's parents urged and tried to pull him away.
"Mom and Dad, don't you remember? I now drive for the second-in-command of Ming Shan Town. I'm no longer the graduate of a mediocre university who was nothing. I can still deal with a mere village head," Chen Feng calmly reassured his parents.
"Can you really do it?" Chen Feng's parents hesitated.
The deputy town head was an absolute big shot in He Wu Village. Chen Feng driving for such a high-ranking official likely gave him some connections.
"Mom and Dad, don't worry. Our Deputy Town Head Qin can still cover a mere He Wu Village," Chen Feng said with a composed expression.
"Alright then, give it a try. But be careful, if things go wrong, leave quickly," Chen Feng's father cautioned him.
"Oh, and ask your colleague Cheng Lu to lie low with us first," Chen Feng's father added.
"Uncle, it's fine. Chen Feng and I are both Ming Shan Town staff. They wouldn't dare do anything to us," Cheng Lu replied with firm determination.
Being able to face this critical moment with Chen Feng, she felt no fear but rather a sense of shared hardship and happiness. Of course, she couldn't directly tell Chen Feng's father about this feeling.
Hearing Cheng Lu say this, Chen Feng's father didn't insist on her leaving. Since Cheng Lu was a Ming Shan Town staff member, she might be able to help his son Chen Feng to some extent.
After Chen Feng's parents left, Chen Feng calmly entered the village head's office.
"Chen Feng, why are you back?" the village head said with a smug smile.
"Village head, I won't waste your time. He Wu Village didn't have demolition compensation quotas originally; it was Deputy Town Head Qin who gave our village a welfare. And you, being insatiably greedy, dared to embezzle over 900,000 yuan of the over one million yuan compensation per household. Do you really think the elders and villagers are idiots, not knowing about such blatant embezzlement?" Chen Feng said with a solemn expression.
"Chen Feng, don't say too much. Others may fear Qin Yan, but I don't. To tell you the truth, this money isn't mine alone; people in Ming Shan Town are also getting a share. How about this: pretend nothing happened, and I won't take a cent of your family's over one million yuan, how about it?" the village head whispered.
Cheng Lu, standing beside them, felt a knot in her stomach. The village head's methods were truly insidious, throwing out the temptation of one million yuan without a second thought. Chen Feng, being from a rural background, might not be able to resist it.
"Village head, I'll tell you clearly. Not a cent of this compensation can be embezzled," Chen Feng said seriously. The stone in Cheng Lu's heart immediately settled.
"Chen Feng, are you deaf? Didn't you hear me say that this money isn't just for me, but people in Ming Shan Town are also getting a share? You're just a deputy town head's driver; do you really think you're someone important? Let me tell you, Deputy Town Head Qin Yan will also be among those receiving money." the village head said coldly.
"I'm sorry, you've misjudged both me and Deputy Town Head Qin," Chen Feng said confidently.
Having spent some time with Qin Yan, he understood this woman. She loved money, but she was definitely cautious about it. Qin Yan would never get involved in such risky money. The money Qin Yan took was always discreet, and she wouldn't take the other party's money to the point of no return!
"Chen Feng, are you stupid? Who in this world doesn't like money? It's true that Qin Yan is more arrogant than other deputy town heads, but so what? Just increase the money, to whatever amount Qin Yan is satisfied with." the village head replied recklessly.
Chen Feng was filled with emotion at the village head's remarks. Some grassroots levels in rural areas were utterly rotten, brazen, and blatant. Such a terrible thing was as casual as everyday life in the village head's eyes. It seemed that this time, he had to rid his hometown of a scourge. Otherwise, his position as a deputy town head's driver would have been for nothing.
"Then call Deputy Town Head Qin right now and see if she'll be swept away by money," Chen Feng stared intently at the village head.
"No need for me to call Qin Yan; Town Head Wang of Ming Shan Town will naturally go to Qin Yan," the village head replied arrogantly.
Chen Feng was taken aback for a moment. No wonder the village head was so arrogant; it turned out that Wang De Lai was the village head's backing...