Xu Chunliang calmly said, "Don't be afraid, non-venomous snake!"

The green snake in front of them had a slender body, medium build, and was about three feet long. Its head was oval, with a slightly pointed mouth, large black eyes, smooth and glossy skin, with a bright green body, and the ventral side of the head and the front of the torso were yellow-green.

This was the Green Vine Snake, with larger head scales that distinguish it from the small scales of the Green Bamboo Snake.

The Green Vine Snake is non-venomous, and in Xu Chunliang's eyes, not only is it not ugly, but it also appears quite beautiful and cute.

At this moment, a rustling sound came from around them. Mei Ru Xue no longer dared to look and closed her eyes, tightly gripping Xu Chunliang's arm.

Dozens of snakes were approaching them from the surrounding bushes, mostly green snakes, but also including Red Chain Snakes, Green Bamboo Snakes, and Five-step Snakes.

Xu Chunliang recalled that anonymous letter warning him, secretly thinking that such a large-scale snake formation must be controlled by someone behind the scenes, though the Snake Handler probably didn't expect to deal with a snake master.

The snakes formed a two-meter diameter circle around the two of them. Instead of feeling scared, Xu Chunliang felt inexplicably excited.

Showing off in front of Guan Gong, wielding an axe at Lu Ban's gate.

However, to control dozens of snakes at once is no easy feat, and their snake-handling skills are definitely not inferior to Han Tianchi's.

Clearly, it was a leftover trouble from before, proving the saying, "if you don't remove the root, the grass will grow again."

Mei Ru Xue, feeling that Xu Chunliang hadn't moved for a while, couldn't help but open her eyes, and the sight made her soul nearly leave her body.

In her entire life, she hadn't seen so many snakes, all surrounding them. Mei Ru Xue said tremblingly, "Quick... Drive them away..."

Seeing her pale, frightened expression, Xu Chunliang found it amusing and deliberately said, "Why did they come for you?"

"Not for me, they're here for you."

Xu Chunliang teased, "Why do you leaders always like to shirk responsibility? Fine, the leader goes first, and the masses stay behind."

Both frightened and angry, Mei Ru Xue wondered how they could leave when surrounded by snakes. It was as if the words meant nothing.

Suddenly, she remembered her phone and pulled it out to call the police. However, Xu Chunliang stopped her, telling her not to call in case it drew the snakes' attention.

Mei Ru Xue stared at the snakes all craning their necks around them. Whether she called or not, their attention was on them. She couldn't figure out why so many snakes had appeared so suddenly. What should they do?

Xu Chunliang bent down, "I'll carry you past them."

Although Mei Ru Xue felt it was inappropriate, her fear of the snakes left her no choice, so she obediently clung onto Xu Chunliang.

Xu Chunliang's strong hands lifted her as if carrying her through clouds and mist. Fearing she'd fall, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, wondering if his hands were placed too high?

Xu Chunliang's hands felt firm and elastic, and once again, his steadfast heart suffered. The inevitable trials of life! If not me in hell, then who?

"Gentle now, don't strangle me to death." Xu Chunliang surveyed the area; the Snake Master must be nearby, but it was difficult to pinpoint their exact location due to the dense grass and trees.

Xu Chunliang carried Mei Ru Xue forward in big strides. Where he stepped, the snakes scurried away without attacking.

Hidden deep in the bushes, two Snake Handlers quietly watched the scene unfold, their faces filled with shock and bewilderment.

The carefully laid snake array proved ineffective as Xu Chunliang effortlessly carried Mei Ru Xue out, marking a complete failure of the ambush.

The two exchanged glances, not daring to act rashly. But the rustling in the bushes indicated that the dispersed snakes were closing in on them.

They realized something was amiss, but before they could react, dozens of snakes launched a frenzied attack on them.

Mei Ru Xue clung to Xu Chunliang, afraid to open her eyes. Hearing screams from behind, she whispered, "It sounds like someone."

"I didn't hear anything!" A disdainful smile appeared on Xu Chunliang's lips. Whether dead or severely injured, the hidden Snake Master had brought trouble upon themselves.

Mei Ru Xue, unsure if they were out of danger, found comfort on Xu Chunliang's broad back. Carefully opening her eyes, she realized they were near the town.

The surrounding mist had cleared, with the silvery moonlight spilling over them like mercury, replacing the stench in the air with the sweet scent of osmanthus trees lining the road.

Mei Ru Xue now realized they were far from the snake swarm. She reached out and tapped Xu Chunliang on the shoulder: "Put me down!"

Xu Chunliang smiled and placed her down. Mei Ru Xue, still shaken, looked around: "I clearly heard someone screaming just now."

Xu Chunliang said: "In medical terms, what you experienced is called auditory hallucination, Town Mayor Mei, you seem a bit timid..."

Mei Ru Xue threatened him: "Don't you dare tell anyone about this, or I won't help with Changxing's property transfer issue."

To Xu Chunliang, it almost sounded like she was indirectly agreeing to help with Changxing's property transfer, so he smiled and said: "Don't worry, your fearless image won't suffer any loss. Everything that happened tonight is a secret just between us."

Mei Ru Xue's face heated up, realizing that Xu Chunliang's words suggested their relationship had subtly deepened.

Xu Chunliang first took Mei Ru Xue back to the town government's residence, then returned to the hospital.

He didn't opt to go back and find the Snake Handler who ambushed them. Judging from the screams earlier, there should be at least two people, and they wouldn't have fared well against dozens of snakes. They might already be on their way to the hospital for emergency care.

Back at the hospital, Xu Chunliang made a special trip to the emergency room, but didn't hear about any snake-bite emergency cases.

As he opened the door to his dorm, Tang Mingmei next door heard the noise and came out: "Xiaoxu, just got back?"

"Sister Tang, I went out for some business, so I'm a bit late. Hope I didn't disturb you?"

Tang Mingmei shook her head and handed him a box of instant coffee to help him stay alert.

Xu Chunliang took it, just as Yan Huaiyi returned, greeted them, and asked Xu Chunliang about the outcome of today's meeting in the town. Xu Chunliang hadn't reported back yet since he just returned.

Xu Chunliang told Yan Huaiyi that the town had decided to put the demolition on hold for now and that there was some progress on the property transfer issue.

Hearing that things were moving in a positive direction, Yan Huaiyi was quite relieved. He had to go back to Dongzhou for an important matter the next day and expected to return by the following Tuesday. This trip was actually for a meeting with the organization about his appointment as the director of the Infectious Disease Hospital.

Currently, Yan Huaiyi was in Cao Camp but mindful of the Han cause, as he no longer considered himself part of Changxing.

In fact, everyone around could see Yan Huaiyi's passive work attitude. They would rather consult Xu Chunliang on matters, as the public's perception was sharp. Even Zhang Haitao had become Xu Chunliang's personal driver, though he used to be Zhang Haibin's confidant.

Deputy Director Zhang Haibin's suspension caused quite a stir at the Weishan Island Branch, even the few households that refused to pay rent were panicked.

Xu Chunliang, through Zhang Haitao, conveyed that those who paid the overdue rent could continue their business, but for those who persisted in not paying, their stores would be forcibly demolished in collaboration with the Comprehensive Law Enforcement Office. Essentially, they could forget about doing business.

With Zhang Haibin's downfall, these people lost their psychological support and panicked one by one, even Xu Daping couldn't hold out any longer, and they all went to pay their overdue rent.

Jin Yonghao was astonished to see an additional 470,000 in the account. He had been chasing rent for over a year without collecting a cent, but Xu Chunliang managed to collect all the rent within days of arriving. Truly, the young are formidable!

He even thought that if the hospital appointed Xu Chunliang as the deputy director here, it wouldn't be bad. After all, the position that belonged to Zhang Haibin was vacant. Even appointing Xu Chunliang as director would be fine, allowing him to return to the main branch.

On Saturday morning, Jin Yonghao went to Shiliang Village again. His attempt to make a medical appointment last time failed, and his hemorrhoids had worsened in recent days. He even resorted to using sanitary pads.

Doctor Liu from Shiliang Village was his last hope for conservative treatment. If Doctor Liu's ancestral secret remedy didn't improve his condition, hospitalization for surgery would be his only option, making him wince at the thought.

Despite being Saturday, the Weishan Island Hospital had its share of patients, and Cao Jing was busy in the ultrasound room, while someone outside was openly cursing her by name.

Cao Jing didn't even know who she had offended. Several rural grannies were cursing her, claiming she had wrongly identified the gender, saying it was a boy, but it turned out to be a girl at birth.

The grannies were quite fierce, blocking the ultrasound room and cursing, creating chaos on the scene.

With the main leaders absent, someone found Xu Chunliang.

Xu Chunliang had just reported to Zhao Feiyang, mainly repeating Mei Ru Xue's requests. No one was foolish enough to expect full support from Hu Shan Town Government with just a PPT presentation. Xu Chunliang himself felt embarrassed; Changxing must prove its strength, not just make empty promises.

Zhao Feiyang understood the Hu Shan Town Government's demands and planned to personally visit Hu Shan Town to explain the situation. Recently, his focus was on upper-level coordination. Securing support from Dongzhou City and Weishan County would mean more than half the success.

Zhao Feiyang also praised Xu Chunliang's efforts, encouraging him to take on more responsibilities. He had already heard about Yan Huaiyi's transfer. For Zhao Feiyang, this outcome was expected.

The reason he pressured Yan Huaiyi was to make him back down on his own. Rather than kicking him out, it was better for Yan Huaiyi to voluntarily choose to leave, as Zhao Feiyang had a candidate in mind for the vacated position.

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