Mr. Qian had a black eye that, together with his plump figure, made him resemble a certain national treasure animal.
"Panda... how could there be a panda..." From last night until now, the events unfolded like a movie in Mr. Qian's mind, replaying countless tis, but he couldn't help but think about it; it was all too bizarre, like a dream.
Every ti Mr. Qian visited the beauty salon for a job inspection, he claid to 'examine carefully,' but his physical stamina couldn't keep up; in practice, the inspections were rushed through in just two or three minutes. The salon girls were all too aware of his ways. After last night's encounter, one of the girls casually put on a thong and used a piece of toilet paper to wipe off stains, while Mr. Qian, naked, lay on the bed smoking a post-coital cigarette, one hand holding the cigarette and the other, having nothing better to do, wandering over the girl's body...
Just then, the room door was suddenly and forcefully kicked from the outside. The doors of these small beauty salons were only secured with a small latch, and it burst open instantly.
Mr. Qian was startled, thinking damn it, just his luck to encounter a police raid? Even though he was no longer a civil servant after the restructuring, he still belonged to a managent institution, in charge of operating all the agricultural markets in the county. With the director retiring later this year, he was the obvious next in line for the position, but if this scandal got out... Given the county's intensity in cracking down on pornography and illegal activities, not to ntion a promotion, he probably wouldn't even be able to hold onto his deputy director position.
Both Mr. Qian and the girl turned to look at the door, only to see not the police, but the foreign young man they had seen downstairs earlier.
Mr. Qian broke out in a cold sweat at the shock, but seeing that it wasn't the police, he heaved a sigh of relief. Before he could relax, the young man suddenly took out a cara and started snapping away, capturing the scene inside the room with crystal-clear detail.
The whole thing lasted only two or three seconds, and by the ti Mr. Qian reacted, the young man had already turned and run.
Seeing the cara, Mr. Qian knew he was in deep trouble. He grabbed so clothes, leaped off the bed, and dashed after him. He had just left the room and entered the corridor when he saw a chubby animal that had completely blocked the narrow, dim hallway.
"A bear? No, a panda? Where did a panda co from?" Mr. Qian couldn't believe his eyes.
While Mr. Qian was still trying to discern whether it was a real panda or a stuffed toy, the panda, reeking of alcohol, lunged at him. The massive creature's inertia knocked Mr. Qian to the ground, and the panda smacked him in the face with a paw.
Mr. Qian cried out in agony from the blow that made stars dance before his eyes, and he turned a corner in pain. The panda, however, did not stay to fight and instead stepped on his belly and ran past him, diving into the adjacent room, climbing onto a stool beneath the window, and leaping out the second-floor window.
The commotion had alerted the rest of the salon and within a few minutes, two burly n rushed upstairs. The girl from the room also ran out wrapped in a garnt and helped Mr. Qian up, "Mr. Qian, are you okay?"
"The panda, did you see a panda just now?"
The hallway was empty, not a panda in sight.
"A panda, where did a panda co from?" The girl suppressed her laughter and shook her head. She hadn't seen anything clearly, as the panda had passed by in a flash and the hallway was poorly lit.
The two bouncers usually rested in the backrooms to avoid scaring custors and had only co over when they heard the noise.
Earlier, a foreigner had indeed made a hurried exit; it was likely that he had so conflict with Mr. Qian and had hit him.
But where would a panda co from in this big county town, even if there was a panda, it wouldn't co to a beauty salon; pandas don't seek health spas.
The two bouncers looked at each other, wondering if Mr. Qian had blasted his brains out masturbating and beco confused.
...
Mr. Qian spent the entire morning in his office pondering whether soone was trying to set him up or if it was just an accident.
The foreigner looked like a tourist, and it wasn't strange to see him drunk with a cara in hand.
But if soone was out to get him, that would be a big problem, especially if those few photos were conclusive evidence.
What was going on with the panda, anyway?
It was a complete mystery.
In the end, Mr. Qian couldn't resist and made a few calls to so reliable friends, asking them to help him find out.
"Oh, oh, oh, I see, a foreigner, a panda, the panda hit you with a punch, and then disappeared. I got it, I'll have the brothers look into it."
If it weren't for the good relationship they had, the other party would have nearly burst out laughing.
Overnight, small circles in the county were abuzz with gossip. They said Mr. Qian had fought with a drunk foreigner in a beauty salon out of jealousy, and the foreigner had beaten him up. To save face, Qian insisted it was the panda who had hit him.
Why not say it was gatron that hit you? That would be more prestigious.
The person didn't take it seriously at all. Mr. Qian, the foreigner, the panda—he couldn't afford to offend any of them. There was no need to ddle in this ss.
Mr. Qian was restless in his office all day. Just before closing ti, he suddenly received a call from the higher-ups. They spoke in a calm voice, instructing Mr. Qian to visit the county discipline inspection commission first thing in the morning.
"Leader, did they ntion what it's about?" Mr. Qian's heart skipped a beat, knowing it wasn't a good sign.
Normally, when governnt departnts interacted with their unit, they definitely went through their director, not calling him directly.
Moreover, the counterpart had explicitly ntioned the county discipline inspection commission!
Calling him directly ant that the higher-ups in the county didn't intend to show any consideration for his director's face!
On the other end, there was silence. Mr. Qian's heart sank. A few seconds later, the deep voice of the superior leader sounded, displeased, "What on earth is going on with you and Sun Town? Wu is such a straightforward person, and you've pushed him to the edge. Tell ..."
The mayor of Sun Town, Mr. Wu, made an official report against Mr. Qian.
There was solid evidence of prostitution, and another charge was abuse of power, which wouldn't be difficult to investigate once they confronted a few of his relatives.
When the leaders got the news, they were furious.
Sun Town was so poor that it depended on county subsidies every year, a substantial financial burden. Finally, a capable person appeared, leading the people of Sun Town to breed wild boars, and perhaps within a year or two, they could escape poverty and no longer need subsidies from the county. At a ti like this, Mr. Qian still reached his hand out toward Sun Town, which was nothing but trouble for the county. Besides, with the strict enforcent of party discipline and ethics these days, Mr. Qian still brazenly committed his offenses, tarnishing the county's reputation. What was he thinking!
He couldn't even manage himself, yet he aspired to be promoted and manage the entire agricultural market? Dream on!
"Ah? Sun Town? Mayor Wu..." Mr. Qian imdiately understood most of it.
"No more talking, wrap up your current work," the leader said in a grave voice.
Mr. Qian turned pale and slumped into the couch, completely dumbfounded, the phone slipping from his hand without his notice.
Reviews
All reviews (0)