133: Chapter 133 County Party Committee Report

The early winter morning mist had not yet dispersed as a black Passat sped along the asphalt surface of the provincial highway, heading towards Qingjiang County.

Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang was driving, with Police Chief Zhao Gang sitting in the passenger seat.

Zhu Wenhao sat in the back row, his back against the leather seat and his eyes slightly closed, sorting through his thoughts of the past two days.

The Party School graduation farewell party two days ago had a full turnout. Even Class Monitor, with whom he had never gotten along, had raised a glass and gone through the motions.

Amidst the bustling noise of the hall, only Liu Ruobing sat in the opposite corner, her gaze as cold as frost and snow.

Love turning to hate was nothing more than the exasperation that followed when one's bargaining chips fell through.

The world bustles for profit; once the benefits are gone, everyone disperses.

The next day, when Zhu Wenhao returned to the Linjiang City Organization Department, Division Chief Zhao Desheng specially brewed a pot of fine tea, his words filled with the polite pleasantries and wariness of seeing off an unwanted guest.

Zhu Wenhao didn't linger. He turned around and hosted a casual dinner, inviting Wu Dehai, Old Sun, and Section Chief Li out for a meal.

These few hidden pieces wedged into the municipal organs would be of great use sooner or later.

The transfer order went through extremely quickly.

Yesterday, he went home to bid farewell to his parents, and after nightfall, he went to Donghu Bay. Su Qinghan offered no superfluous, tender words of farewell, only half a night of intense passion. Before he left, she helped pack his luggage, leaving him with only a single phrase: "Take care of yourself."

This morning, the appointment documents for Police Chief Zhao Gang and Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang were issued simultaneously.

The chief and deputy chief of the Heishi Town Police Station.

Three men in one car, heading straight for Qingjiang.

"Brother Hao, we're slowing down."

San Qiang held the steering wheel with one hand and stepped on the brakes.

The car slowed down. Zhu Wenhao opened his eyes, his gaze passing through the car window.

Outside the toll station connecting the provincial highway to Qingjiang County, a long queue had formed on the hard shoulder. Over a dozen heavy-duty trucks were lined up bumper-to-bumper, stuck in the auxiliary lane and unable to move.

Enforcement vehicles of the road administration and traffic police flashed their warning lights. Several uniformed officers, holding ticket books, were knocking on the doors of the truck cabs one by one.

The sounds of arguments and apologetic laughter while offering cigarettes were mixed with the idling roar of the heavy truck engines.

"This is quite a scene." Police Chief Zhao Gang rolled down the window and stared outside for a while. "Other districts and counties only do random checks, but this intersection in Qingjiang County is practically casting a net to catch everything."

"Director Zhao, you don't understand." San Qiang rested one hand on the steering wheel and sneered. "Qingjiang County is a notorious 'fine-heavy county' under our Linjiang City. With so many mines, there are tons of trucks hauling coal and stone. They're definitely overloaded; if they aren't, they can't even earn back their fuel money. The road administration and traffic police choke them right here to collect tolls. It's what they call 'living off the mountain if you live near it, living off the road if you live near it'."

Police Chief Zhao Gang furrowed his brows. "If they keep doing this, the people at the bottom will rebel sooner or later. Doesn't the county do anything about it?"

"Do something?" San Qiang spat. "The local treasury is dirt poor; they rely entirely on this revenue from fines and confiscations."

Zhu Wenhao watched the farces unfolding outside the window.

"Barren hills and unruly rivers breed corruption." Zhu Wenhao spoke in a steady tone. "When the law degenerates into a ledger for amassing wealth, half of this place's roots are already rotten. Just drive."

"You got it."

San Qiang stepped on the gas, and the Passat bypassed the checkpoint, entering the main road of Qingjiang County town.

The town had a strong vibe of a rural-urban integration zone. Newly built commercial housing and dilapidated old blocks were interspersed, with grey dust swirling in the streets along with the cold wind.

According to the rules, one had to report to their corresponding department first.

The Passat came to a steady halt in front of the Qingjiang County Party Committee compound.

"I'll go to the Organization Department first." Zhu Wenhao pushed the door open and got out of the car. "You two go to the County Public Security Bureau to report. Once you get your paperwork, wait for my call."

"Take care of yourself," Police Chief Zhao Gang replied briefly.

The Passat turned around and merged into the traffic.

Zhu Wenhao turned around, his gaze falling upon the County Party Committee compound in front of him.

Two cast-iron gates stood wide open. A security booth stood at the entrance, inside of which sat a man in his fifties, holding an enamel tea mug and listening to traditional opera playing on the radio.

Zhu Wenhao climbed the steps.

"Young man, what are you here for?"

The old gatekeeper leaned halfway out of the window, sizing up Zhu Wenhao from head to toe.

"Reporting for duty. Going to the Cadre Section of the Organization Department." Zhu Wenhao stopped in his tracks.

The old man raised his eyelids. "Newcomer? Let me see your transfer order."

This was not a rule a gatekeeper should be enforcing.

The County Party Committee compound was not a highly classified area. While checking identities upon entry was normal, demanding a transfer order was overstepping his authority.

Zhu Wenhao did not budge.

"Gate security only verifies identity. My transfer order is to be handed to the County Party Committee leadership. Since when did your security booth start acting on behalf of the Organization Department?"

The old man was left speechless, his old face flushing red. He had guarded the gate of the compound for over a decade, and he never expected to be embarrassed face-to-face by a wet-behind-the-ears kid.

"Fine, go on in!"

The old man sat back heavily in his chair, slamming his enamel tea mug onto the desk with a dull thud.

"Building Two, third floor, turn right, the very last room."

A gatekeeper's attitude is the barometer of a compound's political ecology.

When even an old gatekeeper dared to borrow authority to bully others, the rules of Qingjiang County had long been eaten away by lax, worldly relationships.

Zhu Wenhao stepped into the compound.

Office Building Two. The door to the Cadre Section was slightly ajar.

Pushing the door open, there were two desks inside. A young clerk was typing on a computer, while a woman in her early thirties was trimming her fingernails.

Seeing someone enter, the woman didn't even raise her head. "What do you need? Who are you looking for?"

"Reporting for duty. Transferred from the Linjiang Municipal Committee Organization Department." Zhu Wenhao placed his portfolio on the desk.

The woman stopped what she was doing, pulled the portfolio over, and casually glanced at the name on the header.

"Zhu Wenhao?"

"The new deputy secretary of Heishi Town?" The woman sized him up, her previously negligent posture straightening up a bit. "Please have a seat first. I'll go report to the minister right away."

This sudden shift in attitude showed that his name had already been registered in Qingjiang County.

A twenty-four-year-old parachuted into a substantive deputy-section-level position, and assigned to the most chaotic Heishi Town to boot—the words "has a background" were practically plastered on his forehead.

Moments later, footsteps echoed in the corridor.

The Deputy Minister of the County Party Committee Organization Department personally came out to welcome him. He was of medium build, slightly balding at the temples, with an all-around slick smile plastered on his face.

"Comrade Zhu Wenhao, we've been longing for your arrival like waiting for the stars and the moon, and you're finally here." The deputy minister extended both hands. "I am the Deputy Minister of the Organization Department, Deputy Minister Li Ming. Secretary Lu Guoliang instructed that as soon as you arrive, you should go straight to his office."

Secretary Lu Guoliang, the County Party Committee Secretary, wanted to receive him in person.

The reception standard was exceptionally high.

Zhu Wenhao reached out and shook his hand with moderate force. "Thank you for leading the way, Minister Li."

Building One of the County Party Committee, top floor.

Deputy Minister Li Ming led Zhu Wenhao to the door and tapped lightly with his knuckles.

"Come in."

A deep baritone voice sounded from within.

The door opened. Secretary Lu Guoliang sat behind a broad desk. He was around fifty years old, with a square face and a calm, steady aura.

On the guest sofa to the left sat another person.

The man was of slender build, holding a purple clay teacup in his hand, his gaze highly piercing.

That was County Mayor Gu Mingchuan.

Both the secretary and the county mayor were present.

This setup was by no means an ordinary conversation.

"Secretary Lu Guoliang, County Mayor Gu Mingchuan. Comrade Zhu Wenhao has arrived." Deputy Minister Li Ming brought him in, then tactfully exited the office, pulling the door shut behind him.

"Comrade Zhu Wenhao, you've had a long journey." Secretary Lu Guoliang put down his signing pen, stood up, and walked around the desk. "Sit down, let's talk."

Zhu Wenhao took his seat. His back was straight, and his hands were resting flat on his knees.

"Placing you in Heishi Town was a decision of the Provincial Organization Department." Secretary Lu Guoliang did not beat around the bush. "That place is highly complex. Clan forces are powerful, and there are many mineral resource disputes. The previous deputy secretary fell there, and the county attaches great importance to this."

County Mayor Gu Mingchuan set down his purple clay cup beside him. "Comrade Zhu Wenhao, you are still young. A twenty-four-year-old deputy-section-level deputy secretary of a town party committee is rare in the entire province. Placing this burden on you is a test. The stability of Heishi Town concerns the economic foundation of the entire county. After you go down there, what are your plans?"

They were already starting to sound him out.

Whether he would be a new official making a grand display of authority with "three initial fires" or cautiously coasting along to build up his credentials—Secretary Lu Guoliang and County Mayor Gu Mingchuan were both waiting for an answer.

Zhu Wenhao's gaze swept across the faces of the two chief officials.

"Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish. Governing a township is the same."

Zhu Wenhao spoke in an unhurried, steady tone. "I am a newcomer, unfamiliar with both the people and the place. Talking about drastic reforms at this stage would be mere armchair theorizing."

"Among the thousands of tangled threads, one must first find the thickest one." He picked up the hot tea the secretary had just poured for him. "First listen, first observe, and walk around more. Once I've sorted out Heishi Town's ledgers and network of relationships, then we can talk about breaking the deadlock."

He didn't blindly take a stance, nor did he rashly make grandiose promises.

A hint of approval appeared in Secretary Lu Guoliang's eyes. This calm composure and inner strength far surpassed those scholars parachuted from the city who only knew how to recite documents.

"Very good. Guard against arrogance and rashness." Secretary Lu Guoliang made the decision. "In a moment, I'll have Comrade Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan meet with you. He is the Deputy Secretary of the County Party Committee and concurrently the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, so he knows the ins and outs of the lower townships best."

Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the office door.

A burly man pushed the door open and entered.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan.

He was the representative figure of Qingjiang County's local faction.

"Secretary Lu Guoliang, County Mayor Gu Mingchuan." Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan greeted them as he entered, his gaze locking directly onto Zhu Wenhao.

"This must be Comrade Zhu Wenhao."

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan stepped forward, extending his hand condescendingly. "The local customs in Heishi Town are fierce, and the waters run very muddy. When young comrades go down there, they must seek instructions and report back often. Avoid acting on impulse; if you cause trouble, it won't end well."

A warning.

An blatant attempt to establish his rules.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan had operated in Qingjiang County for many years, covering the sky with one hand in the political and legal system. The shady mining businesses in Heishi Town involved the interests of various parties behind the scenes. He absolutely did not want a parachuted official with a complex background to disrupt the status quo.

Zhu Wenhao stood up and reached out to shake his hand.

"Secretary Qin is right in his teachings."

Zhu Wenhao looked directly into Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's eyes. "Seeking instructions is the rule, but taking responsibility is one's duty. One must perform the duties of their office. As long as it complies with the law, there is no situation that cannot be resolved."

Two forces silently wrestled in mid-air.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's face tightened slightly, then he released his grip.

"The young are to be feared. Then I shall wait to see Comrade Zhu Wenhao's achievements in Heishi Town."