185: Chapter 185 Another Overt Scheme

Minister Xiao Dingyu's office.

The door closed.

Minister Xiao Dingyu sat alone behind his large desk, steam rising from the purple clay teacup in his hand.

Deputy Director Liu Qiang's defection to Governor Zhou Zhiwen's camp had dealt a heavy blow to the Li Faction.

As the core force pushed to the forefront after Elder Li stepped back to the second line, Minister Xiao Dingyu had been under immense pressure recently, like Mount Tai pressing down on him.

Elder Li's old superior had been retired for many years, and they had fewer and fewer trump cards left to play.

As the head of the Provincial Organization Department, Minister Xiao Dingyu ranked last in the Provincial Party Committee's Five-Person Group. In the three-way struggle among Secretary Lao Liguo, Governor Zhou Zhiwen, and Deputy Secretary Yang Jianhua, he had become the link with the weakest foundation.

Secretary Lao Liguo had taken an interest in him because recruiting Minister Xiao Dingyu was an extremely cost-effective deal.

Minister Xiao Dingyu had to carefully deliberate every single step he took.

It was not until Zhu Wenhao entered the picture that this besieged situation saw a turning point.

This young man made him see a glimmer of hope for the survival of the Li Faction.

He picked up the phone, dialed a string of numbers, and after a few long rings, a man's voice came from the other end of the receiver.

"Minister Xiao, is the matter with Minister Qi settled?" Zhu Wenhao got straight to the point.

"Zhu Wenhao, everything is going exactly as you deduced," Minister Xiao said, leaning back in his chair. "Qi Tian took that list of candidates and went to prepare the materials in high spirits."

"This is the life-saving straw that Minister Qi grabbed after drowning. Naturally, he will hold onto it for dear life," Zhu Wenhao commented on the other end of the line.

Minister Xiao picked up his teacup to moisten his throat. "Zhu Wenhao, how can you be so sure that after this show is over, Secretary Lao will go with the flow and promote Qi Tian to executive deputy director of the Organization Department? When he was in front of me, his attitude toward who would get this position was extremely vague."

"During the Wu Gu Rebellion in the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Emperor later realized that Crown Prince Liu Ju was likely framed. Yet, to quell the chaos and stabilize the morale of the army on the front line, he still bestowed titles and promotions on those generals who had contributed to suppressing the rebellion. Those in high positions rule by weighing pros and cons and going with the flow."

Minister Xiao listened quietly, his thoughts drawn in by this grand exposition.

Zhu Wenhao continued his analysis, "Looking at Jiangnan Province today, Deputy Director Zhao Bingzhang of the Development and Reform Commission is a trusted subordinate of Standing Committee member and Vice Governor Liu Zhiyong. Vice Governor Liu supported Secretary Lao in the previous Standing Committee meeting, so Governor Zhou gave Deputy Director Zhao Bingzhang a hard time in the government compound to warn him. Liu Zhiyong is in a difficult position now."

"At this time, if you, Minister Xiao, step forward and insert Deputy Director Zhao Bingzhang's name into the evaluation list for the director of the Development and Reform Commission, it would be equivalent to pulling Liu Zhiyong back from the edge of a cliff. With the endorsement of the Provincial Organization Department, Liu Zhiyong's prestige in the Provincial Government will surely soar."

"As the head of a province, Secretary Lao needs to soothe Liu Zhiyong's feelings and set an example for the officials under him. And since Minister Qi did such a face-saving job for him, how could he not show some appreciation? Rewarding merit is an important tool to stabilize morale. Secretary Lao will not only swallow this fruit, but he will also swallow it happily."

The light in Minister Xiao's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Not only that," Zhu Wenhao added the final link. "Minister Xiao, by elevating Deputy Director Zhao Bingzhang, Liu Zhiyong will owe you a favor. With Vice Governor Liu echoing the Li Faction in the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, you will no longer be alone when speaking up in Standing Committee meetings."

Three birds with one stone, a masterfully laid trail.

Minister Xiao let out a long sigh. The huge boulder that had been weighing on his heart for so long had finally shifted slightly.

"Zhu Wenhao, thank you."

"You're being too polite, Minister Xiao," Zhu Wenhao replied crisply. "You are my father's former superior and the backbone of the Li Faction. Helping you resolve this situation is also helping me pave my own way forward."

The two exchanged a few more details about the follow-up before cutting the call.

Single dormitory, Heishi Town.

Zhu Wenhao put down his phone and turned to look at Su Qinghan, who was standing nearby.

Su Qinghan was wearing a black overcoat and holding a handbag. "Done talking?" she asked.

Zhu Wenhao nodded.

"Let's go. I'll take you out to get some new clothes," Su Qinghan said briskly, pushing open the door.

"You are the deputy secretary of the Town Party Committee after all. Wearing this old coat all day long will only invite gossip. I have to rush back to Linjiang this afternoon, so let's get this done before I leave."

Zhu Wenhao didn't care much about clothes, but seeing the rare persistence in her eyes, he didn't object and followed her.

On the main street of Heishi Town, the cold wind was bleak.

Most of the shops on both sides were grocery stores selling agricultural supplies and labor protection gear, with no high-end brands in sight.

Su Qinghan pulled him into a clothing store with a slightly larger storefront.

Seeing their extraordinary bearing, the shop owner eagerly stepped forward to make a sales pitch.

Su Qinghan ignored the owner's chatter and browsed through the racks on her own.

She picked out a dark gray cashmere overcoat and two thick sweaters, holding them up against Zhu Wenhao to size them up.

"Go try them on," she said, handing him the clothes.

Zhu Wenhao changed into the overcoat and stepped out of the fitting room.

With broad shoulders and a straight back, the aura of authority he had developed from long-held high positions could no longer be concealed.

Su Qinghan walked around him, reached out to smooth down his collar, and fastened an unbuttoned button.

"Looks decent enough. We'll take these two."

She paid, and they walked out of the store carrying the shopping bags.

Returning to the parking area outside the Town Government compound, Su Qinghan stood by her car.

"I should head back."

The situation in Linjiang City was equally perilous.

Political Commissar Wang Haitao, the political commissar of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, had been detained by the Discipline Inspection Commission. Mayor Su Changming was taking the opportunity to strike back, intending to dismantle Secretary Zhu Tianhe's foundation in Linjiang.

As the liaison between the anti-gang Supervision Team and the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, Su Qinghan had to go back to keep an eye on things.

"Keep your wits about you in everything," Zhu Wenhao said, looking straight at her. "If you hit an impasse you can't bypass, protect yourself first."

"Worry about yourself," Su Qinghan said as she opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat. "Those local snakes in Heishi Town have no intention of letting you have a peaceful New Year."

The engine roared to life.

Their eyes met through the car window.

The car turned around, drove onto the provincial highway, and turned into a black speck that vanished at the end of the horizon.

Zhu Wenhao carried the bags back to his dormitory.

He turned on the gas stove and cooked a bowl of plain noodle soup.

After a simple lunch, he stood by the window holding a white porcelain teacup.

In his mind, he began to dissect Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi's plot for Heishui Village.

Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi had devised a malicious plan to mobilize the village's elderly, widows, and women early tomorrow morning to blockade the Town Government's gates with white banners. Their slogan would be "Zhu Wenhao oppresses the villagers and disrupts unity."

This soft-knife tactic was calculated on the premise that the law does not punish the masses.

The police force could not take coercive measures against the elderly, weak, sick, or disabled. If an accident occurred during a scuffle, the resulting public outcry would be enough to drown the deputy secretary.

As the secretary of the Town Party Committee, Secretary Qiu Dehai would certainly hope this fire would catch, so he could seize the opportunity to lodge a complaint with higher authorities and have him expelled from Qingjiang County.

Backing down and compromising had never been in his dictionary.

He took out his phone and dialed Police Chief Zhao Gang's number.

"Zhu Wenhao," Police Chief Zhao Gang answered.

"Come to my dormitory," Zhu Wenhao instructed. "And bring the registers for all the low-income and impoverished households in Heishui Village."

In less than ten minutes, Police Chief Zhao Gang knocked on the dormitory door, a thick manila folder tucked under his arm.

"All the materials are here," Police Chief Zhao Gang said, emptying the folder onto the desk. "Zhu Wenhao, Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi's move is too insidious. Our Police Station personnel can't touch the elderly and women at all. The moment we touch them, they'll dare to lie down on the ground."

Zhu Wenhao pulled back a chair, sat down, and pulled out a register.

"In governance, winning hearts and minds is paramount. Since they are relying on being a vulnerable group, we will dismantle their plot using the very rules of vulnerable groups."

He tapped his finger on the list.

"These elderly people pushed forward by Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi to be used as shields are only after the village's meager low-income subsidies, five-guarantee benefits, or their younger generation's livelihoods in the village enterprises."

"Go call Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang. Deploy all the supporting police force from the Municipal Public Security Bureau," Zhu Wenhao deployed methodically.

"No uniforms. Everyone change into plain clothes and enter Heishui Village overnight."

Police Chief Zhao Gang listened, waiting for what came next.

"No arrests, no interrogations. Go to the homes of these elderly people who are planning to make trouble tomorrow and conduct home visits," Zhu Wenhao said, his eyes cold.

"Bring the registers. Tell them that the Town Government is currently auditing the flow of poverty alleviation funds. Anyone who participates in illegal gatherings and disrupts the work order of state organs will have their immediate family members placed on the audit list for abnormal low-income subsidy disbursements."

Police Chief Zhao Gang's eyes lit up.

Cutting off people's financial lifelines was more effective than any verbal warning.

"Furthermore," Zhu Wenhao continued, "have the officers bring law enforcement recorders and first educate them on the law upon entering. Read out the legal consequences of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, especially the impact on their children and grandchildren's political vetting for college entrance exams or military service, item by item."

Chinese people value the future of their descendants above all else.

With the future of their offspring as the bargaining chip, none of those elderly people would dare to wade into these muddy waters for Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi's petty benefits.

"A brilliant move to pull the rug out from under them!" Police Chief Zhao Gang felt immensely relieved. "As long as we dismantle their motivation from the root, not even one in ten of those who planned to follow Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi to the Town Government tomorrow morning will show up."

"That's not enough," Zhu Wenhao stood up and walked over to the coat rack.

"One must always be on guard. Contact the county hospital for two ambulances to park outside the Town Government compound tomorrow morning. Also, dispatch several female officers and doctors from the health clinic to be on standby."

He turned back and looked straight at Police Chief Zhao Gang. "Since they want to put on a show, we'll set up a stage for them. If anyone dares to fake an illness and collapse in front of the gates tomorrow, have the doctors put them on stretchers and take them to the county hospital for a full-body checkup. The examination fees will be forcibly deducted from the accounts of the village enterprises under the Zhang Clan's name."

Police Chief Zhao Gang gathered the registers on the table, his expression solemn and stern.

"Understood. I'll go arrange it right away to ensure Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi stages an empty city stratagem tomorrow."

"Go on then."

Zhu Wenhao picked up his teacup again, watching the sun slowly sink in the west outside the window.

In his eyes, the reckless antics of the Heishui Village clan were nothing more than an ant trying to shake a giant tree.

The net of the law had already been cast. He would just wait for dawn to see how this group of buffoons would end their act.