131: Chapter 131 The Provincial Capital: The End

Zhu Wenhao pulled open the car door and sat in the driver's seat.

He was in no rush to start the engine; he reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number.

"Zhou Xu, send out a notice."

"There will be a class dinner tomorrow night as a farewell meal. Tonight, the class committee members will meet up to touch base."

"Understood," Zhou Xu replied crisply.

"Call Liu Ruobing and Director Xu Jie as well," Zhu Wenhao tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the steering wheel.

Director Xu Jie.

Her household registration is in The Capital, and she works in the Provincial Government Office.

Ever since Liu Ruobing was replaced, Zhu Wenhao had assigned the task of taking meeting minutes to her.

This girl was quiet and reserved, acted with extreme stability, and every word she wrote hit the mark; she never exaggerated or embellished.

What was more interesting was that Zhu Wenhao could often catch a familiar sense of restraint in her.

That was the art of hiding one's brilliance, possessed only by old hands in the officialdom of the Great Ming.

"Alright," Zhou Xu paused for half a second on the other end of the line. "Also, we need to have a private, in-depth talk tonight."

Zhou Xu's intention to recruit him had been hinted at openly and covertly several times, and every time, Zhu Wenhao had calmly pushed it back.

This scion of the Zhou family from The Capital had a large appetite, but his patience was also substantial.

"See you tonight," Zhu Wenhao cut off the call directly.

Thousands of miles away, at the Linjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau building.

Police Chief Li Jianguo leaned back in his spacious office chair, feeling relaxed and content.

With the Taiyao Gang destroyed and the special task force's case closed, Police Chief Li Jianguo did not obsess over the loopholes in the case files.

This concession stemmed from a phone call with Zhu Wenhao some time ago.

"Repair the road openly, cross the Chencang secretly. Preserve your strength, and there will be plenty of time in the future."

Police Chief Li Jianguo had fully grasped the meaning of these words.

Only by securing the results could his position in the Linjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau be solidified, and only then would he have the opportunity to continue digging deeper.

As expected, Secretary Zhu Tianhe had spoken with him the day before yesterday.

The Municipal Organization Department had already initiated the internal assessment process for his concurrent position as Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe had even painted a grand blueprint for him—work hard, and in three years, he would be recommended to enter the government sequence and serve as the Deputy Mayor in charge of political and legal affairs.

Deputy Bureau Level.

This stratum was a threshold that Police Chief Li Jianguo had never dared to even dream of measuring before.

Now, that door was slowly opening for him.

His private phone on the desk rang abruptly.

Police Chief Li Jianguo caught sight of the name "Zhu Wenhao" on the screen and answered the call.

"Zhu Wenhao, is there something that needs to be done?"

"Bureau Chief Li, there is a matter I would like to ask for your help with," the voice of Zhu Wenhao came through the receiver.

"Go ahead."

"Send Police Chief Zhao Gang to Heishi Town in Qingjiang County to serve as the chief of the Town Police Station."

Police Chief Li Jianguo's hand holding the phone stiffened slightly.

He was the Deputy Captain of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Lubei Branch; why send him down to a desolate, impoverished place to be a Town Police Station chief?

This tactic of an apparent promotion that is actually a demotion was usually used to exile cadres who had made mistakes.

But Police Chief Li Jianguo's mind raced quickly.

Police Chief Zhao Gang not only hadn't made any mistakes, but he had also saved Su Qinghan's life a while ago and performed a great service.

Zhu Wenhao was definitely not the type to burn bridges or repay kindness with ingratitude.

To send such a capable and fierce general down into the tangled powder keg of Qingjiang County...

"Zhu Wenhao, has your destination been decided?" Police Chief Li Jianguo hit the nail on the head.

"Yes. Qingjiang County," Zhu Wenhao did not conceal it. "Let him go first to test the waters for me and act as an advance scout."

This young man's ambition was terrifyingly large.

"There's no difficulty in arranging that," Police Chief Li Jianguo immediately made the decision. "How about this: I'll have San Qiang go over with him as well. I'll arrange a real position for him as Deputy Chief of the Town Police Station in Heishi Town. In the future, when you want to transfer Police Chief Zhao Gang back to the city, San Qiang can take over directly so that things down there won't fall into chaos."

Changes in grassroots personnel must pay attention to echelon construction.

Police Chief Li Jianguo was helping Zhu Wenhao secure his defenses.

"Then it's settled," Zhu Wenhao accepted the favor. "When I return to Linjiang, I'll find you both for a drink."

The call ended.

Police Chief Li Jianguo picked up his warm tea and drank it in one gulp.

In Jingjiang City, at the Southern Suburbs Cadre Retirement Home.

Zhu Wenhao's Audi parked outside the compound; he had come to accompany the old man for a game of chess.

Inside the study, the black and white pieces were locked in a fierce battle.

Li Zhenguo was in high spirits today; he held a white piece in his hand, his gaze scanning back and forth across the center of the chessboard.

Zhu Wenhao held the black pieces, placing them neither too quickly nor too slowly, defending flawlessly.

"Minister Xiao Dingyu called the day before yesterday, and Executive Vice President Zhou Zhengming also came here to lay his cards on the table," Old Master Li slapped a white piece onto the edge of the chessboard. "They told me about your intentions. That place, Qingjiang County, is a tough nut to crack. I didn't stop you."

"Thank you for your concern, Grandfather," Zhu Wenhao picked up a black piece, blocking the path of the white pieces. "A fierce general must rise from the ranks. If one doesn't go and roll in the mud, how can one gain the qualifications to suppress those old veterans in the bureaucracy?"

"It's a good thing for a young man to have drive," Li Zhenguo picked up the purple clay teacup beside him. "Staying in provincial-level organs for too long makes it easy to develop an air of delicacy. Going to the local level to test the waters and seeing how those clans and mining tyrants arm-wrestle with grassroots departments will be beneficial for you, with no harm."

The two played for a dozen or so moves.

Zhu Wenhao's black pieces gradually established an unshakable, solid position in the center.

"There is one more thing," Li Zhenguo changed the subject. "Regarding the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, I have had Minister Xiao Dingyu of the Organization Department hold back the official document for Deputy Director Liu Qiang's promotion to the Bureau-level rank for now."

Zhu Wenhao's hand paused slightly, then immediately returned to normal.

The promotion process had reached the final stage when it was suddenly and forcefully stalled by the higher-ups.

This was the most direct and severe warning in officialdom.

Old Master Li did not act unless necessary, but once he did, he struck straight at the lifeblood.

After Li Juan went back, she must have quietly reported Deputy Director Liu Qiang.

Without rules, there is no order.

"Thunder and rain, all are imperial grace," Zhu Wenhao placed a piece. "Using people is like riding a horse. If the reins are too loose, the master must pull them tight to let him know who provides the fodder."

Li Zhenguo nodded approvingly.

"This person, Deputy Director Liu Qiang, is good at maintaining the status quo, but lacks flexibility. Taking this opportunity to leave him out in the cold will let him reflect behind closed doors. If he cannot grasp the crux of this, then it doesn't matter if someone else takes that Bureau-level position."

The grandfather and grandson, over the chessboard, lightly set the tone for the fate of a bureau-level official in Jiangnan Province.

The chess game reached its end.

Zhu Wenhao steadily won the game with a two-and-a-half-point advantage.

He did not hold back, but during the endgame phase, he controlled the winning margin within a very measured range.

"It's getting late," Li Zhenguo glanced at the slanting shadows of the sun outside the window. "Go and get busy. In this place, the provincial capital, you need to weave more webs of human relationships and worldly affairs."

Zhu Wenhao stood up to take his leave.

Butler Wang Jianan saw him off to the gate of the compound.

Driving away from the Cadre Retirement Home, Zhu Wenhao headed toward a private restaurant near the Provincial Party School.

The lights were just beginning to shine, and the nightlife in Jingjiang City was unfolding.

This private restaurant was hidden in a quiet alley; the storefront was not large, but the inside was a world of its own.

Study Committee Member Cao Rui had long since reserved the most spacious private room on the second floor.

When Zhu Wenhao pushed the door and entered, four people were already sitting around the round table.

Study Committee Member Cao Rui was checking the dishes with the waiter while holding the menu. Seeing Zhu Wenhao enter, he immediately came up to greet him. "Secretary is here, quick, take the seat of honor."

Zhou Xu sat by the tea table, leisurely scalding the tea set with boiling water.

Shen Zhe was talking in low voices with Director Xu Jie about something.

Liu Ruobing sat in the corner, her expression lacking its usual arrogance, revealing a hint of caution, but she seemed a bit melancholy tonight.

Ever since she was stripped of her position as the meeting minutes recorder, her status in the Spark Class had plummeted.

Being called to attend the class committee gathering today, she knew deep down that this was the last bit of dignity Zhu Wenhao was leaving her.

Class Monitor did not come.

This was within everyone's expectations; those with different paths do not work together.

Zhu Wenhao took his seat at the head of the table, and everyone followed suit.

"Today's meal is a summary for our Spark Class committee members," Study Committee Member Cao Rui picked up the decanter and filled everyone's glass, even filling the red wine for Director Xu Jie and Liu Ruobing.

"During this short time, thanks to Zhu Wenhao taking the helm, we committee members have managed to show our faces and gain face before the leaders of our respective units," Study Committee Member Cao Rui raised his glass. "This first cup is to toast the Secretary."

Everyone raised their glasses one after another.

Zhu Wenhao picked up his wine cup. "In the same boat, relying on everyone's great help. Cheers."

They drank it all in one gulp.

After three rounds of drinks and tasting the dishes.

The atmosphere in the private room gradually became lively.

Shen Zhe and Study Committee Member Cao Rui chatted about their observations in various cities, and Liu Ruobing occasionally chimed in, desperately trying to reintegrate into this core circle.

Director Xu Jie ate quietly, only picking up her glass to take a sip when others toasted, her sense of propriety perfectly managed.

Zhou Xu put down his chopsticks and wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

He picked up a cup of clear tea and went to sit in the empty seat beside Zhu Wenhao.

"Zhu Wenhao, once the graduation ceremony is over, everyone will go their separate ways," Zhou Xu pushed up the black-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"There is a position in the Comprehensive Division of the Provincial Party Committee Office, and I want to transfer you there."

"It's a substantive Deputy Section-level position, specifically responsible for drafting important speeches for Secretary Lao. This is a position with direct access to the ears of the higher-ups."

Zhu Wenhao picked up a piece of steamed marble goby and placed it on his side plate.

"Zhou Xu, thank you for your kindness," Zhu Wenhao put down his chopsticks. "The threshold of the Provincial Party Committee Compound is too high, and I'm used to being wild; I can't handle that kind of restriction."

Zhou Xu's eyes narrowed slightly.

A chance for direct access to the higher-ups, and he refused it just like that—this was definitely not the mindset of an ordinary cadre.

"You want to go to the grassroots?" Zhou Xu's mind raced quickly.

"Qingjiang County," Zhu Wenhao did not hide it from him. "The poor mountains and treacherous waters there are more suitable for me."

Zhou Xu leaned back on the chair, silent for a long time.

He had originally thought that throwing out the bait of the Provincial Party Committee Office would be enough to make this young man from a prefecture-level city feel grateful.

Now it seemed that from the very beginning, he had underestimated the other's appetite.

"Qingjiang County, the clan forces in that place are a headache even for the Linjiang Municipal Party Committee," Zhou Xu picked up his teacup again. "If you go alone, it will be a narrow escape from death."

"If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger's cub?"

Zhu Wenhao picked up his wine glass and clinked it against Zhou Xu's teacup.

"Committee Member Zhou, there will be plenty of time in the future. For the trends in the provincial capital, I will have to rely on you to keep me informed."

The two looked at each other, and nothing more was said.

This meal lasted until nine o'clock in the evening.

Everyone dispersed.

Zhu Wenhao walked out of the private restaurant, the autumn breeze brushing his face.

He stood under a street lamp, took out his phone, and dialed Su Qinghan's number.