16: Chapter 16 Su Changming's Soft Heart, Su Qinghan Passes the Test

Li Juan put down her teacup.

"I went back to the Provincial Party Committee residential compound," she began, her speaking pace unhurried and her logic clear.

"I went to see the old man first."

"The old man was tinkering with his pots of orchids in the courtyard without looking up."

"I relayed what happened at the Linjiang exam site from start to finish."

"After hearing it, the old man threw his shears down and turned to walk into the inner room."

"He didn't come out for half an hour." Li Juan fiddled with the jade bracelet on her finger.

"When he came out again, he handed me a slip of paper."

"He had finished talking with the old man of Liu Family and told me to go to the address above to find Liu Haiping."

"I arrived at the address, which was a teahouse."

"Division Chief Liu Haiping had already brewed a pot of Mingqian Longjing tea, waiting for me." Li Juan sneered.

"This man is very slippery."

"Upon seeing me, he kept calling me 'Sister Li' and refused to mention the score suppression at the exam site."

"He only said there was a vacancy in Cadre Division 2 of the Municipal Organization Department of Linjiang City, which was very suitable for a young person to gain experience."

"He had already entrusted someone to make arrangements to transfer Zhu Wenhao there."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe frowned.

"Cadre Division 2 of the Organization Department?"

That was the core department in charge of the assessment and promotion of cadres for the entire city.

It held immense real power.

Liu Family had truly paid a heavy price.

"A slap followed by a sweet date." Zhu Yuntong tapped his finger on the mahogany table twice.

"Liu Family wants face, so we will take the substance."

"This deal is not a loss."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe pondered for a moment and nodded.

"The Organization Department is in charge of cadres."

"Even if Mayor Su Changming becomes the mayor, the power of personnel appointments still lies with the Municipal Party Committee."

"If you enter the Organization Department, it's a pretty good place to go."

The destination of Zhu Wenhao was settled.

On the other side, the recruitment of the Municipal Finance Bureau was proceeding step by step.

Su Qinghan's written exam score was the highest, so she logically entered the interview stage.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe secretly made a few phone calls.

In the officialdom of Linjiang City, no one dared not to give face to the Executive Vice Mayor.

During the interview, the questions asked by the examiners were standard and moderate; there was no making things difficult, and they even skipped the follow-up questions.

Su Qinghan answered fluently and passed the test smoothly.

The day after the total scores were announced.

Office of the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee.

Mayor Su Changming sat behind the wide desk, the office filled with smoke.

The list of proposed hires sent by the Civil Servant Division of the Municipal Organization Department was placed on his desk.

Opening the page for the Treasury Division of the Finance Bureau, the name Su Qinghan was clearly listed.

Mayor Su Changming picked up the red pen on the table.

As long as he drew an 'X' over this name, the people below had plenty of ways to cross her out on the grounds of "unqualified political review" or "lack of comprehensive quality."

A daughter who betrayed the family did not deserve to share in his political dividends.

The tip of the pen hovered in mid-air.

Attached next to the name was the candidate's ID photo.

In the photo, Su Qinghan had cold, clear brows and eyes, revealing a stubbornness.

These brows and eyes were too similar.

His late wife, who had suffered with him at the grassroots level and ruined her health, was just as stubborn.

Mayor Su Changming's hand holding the pen paused.

Officialdom is a place of fame and fortune, where people leave and tea goes cold.

But at this second, looking at that photo, a corner of his heart, sealed away by power, was gently touched.

"Compassion does not command troops," he whispered to himself.

The red pen ultimately did not fall.

Mayor Su Changming turned the page and signed his name in the approval section at the bottom.

Let it be considered paying off the debt to his late wife.

He would not have expected that this daughter, whom he had let into the Finance Bureau out of a moment of soft-heartedness, would later become the most fatal chain around his throat.

A week later.

Office building of the Linjiang Municipal Party Committee.

Zhu Yuntong wore a well-fitting dark formal suit, carrying a briefcase, and walked up the steps.

In the sixtieth year of the Great Ming, he had walked the white marble steps of the Fengtian Hall countless times.

Today, these few concrete steps felt quite different to walk on.

Just as he reached the lobby porch, a familiar figure walked towards him.

Liu Xiaolei.

She was wearing a well-tailored professional suit, holding a stack of documents in her hands, about to go downstairs.

The two met on the steps.

A few days ago, Liu Xiaolei would have definitely made sarcastic remarks and shown off her power.

Today, she stopped.

There was no mockery, no arrogance.

"Zhu Yuntong." Liu Xiaolei initiated the conversation, her tone even bordering on polite.

"Here to report?"

The repeated instructions from her elders had taken effect.

Division Chief Liu Haiping had transferred Zhu Yuntong to the Organization Department just to quell the anger of the Zhu family.

Liu Xiaolei was not stupid; she knew that provoking him now would only bring trouble to her family.

Moreover, Secretary Zhu Tianhe was about to take over as Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, which would be her future direct superior.

Zhu Yuntong stopped.

He looked at the woman in front of him, who had been disciplined into submission by power.

"Yes." He spat out only one word.

There was no extra small talk.

Liu Xiaolei moved to the side, yielding the path.

"The Organization Department is on the sixth floor."

Zhu Yuntong nodded slightly, strode with his long legs, passed her, and walked straight to the elevator.

Power is always the best sobering agent.

Sixth floor, Municipal Organization Department.

Office area of Cadre Division 2.

Division Chief Zhao Desheng sat in his independent office, holding a thermal mug in his hand, blowing on the goji berries on top.

The door was knocked.

"Come in."

Zhu Yuntong pushed the door and entered.

Division Chief Zhao Desheng raised his eyes to size up the young man in front of him.

Was this the famous playboy son of the Executive Vice Mayor?

He didn't look like it.

His posture was straight, his eyes calm, without the slightest impatience of a second-generation rich kid.

"Division Chief Zhao, the newcomer, Zhu Yuntong, is here to report." Zhu Yuntong handed over his reporting certificate.

Division Chief Zhao Desheng put down the thermal mug, a warm smile piling up on his face.

"Oh, Little Zhu is here! Sit, sit quickly." He stood up, walked around the desk, and personally pulled out a chair.

"Your father, Mayor Zhu, is the pillar of our Linjiang."

"A tiger father has no dog son; you were admitted with the first place in the city's written exam this year. Our Division Two has truly gained a tiger's wings."

Zhu Yuntong sat down, his hands flat on his knees.

"Division Chief, you flatter me. As a newcomer, I still have much to learn from you."

"Easy to say, easy to say." Division Chief Zhao Desheng returned to his seat.

"Our Division Two is responsible for the assessment, appointment, and removal of cadres in municipal agencies. The work is heavy and cannot tolerate the slightest carelessness."

"Since you just arrived, get familiar with the environment first."

He pressed the internal phone on the desk.

"Old Sun, come over here."

Before long, a middle-aged man with sparse hair and thick-rimmed glasses walked in.

"Division Chief, did you look for me?"

"Old Sun, this is the new arrival, Little Zhu." Division Chief Zhao Desheng pointed at Zhu Yuntong.

"You show him the ropes. First, arrange a workstation for him and explain our rules, regulations, and business processes to him."

Old Sun nodded in agreement and led Zhu Yuntong out of the office.

The office door closed.

The smile on Division Chief Zhao Desheng's face disappeared.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping on the desk.

The night before last, Secretary Li Changgeng, the secretary of Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, Mayor Su Changming, had privately invited him to a meal.

At the dining table, Secretary Li Changgeng had mysteriously revealed the bottom line.

"Division Chief Zhao, Secretary Su is very concerned about the newly recruited young cadres."

"Especially Comrade Zhu Yuntong, who is famous, so he needs to be polished well."

"Put some pressure on him and make him sweat a bit more."

"Young people, you know, they only learn a lesson after stumbling and making a fool of themselves."

The meaning in his words could not be clearer.

Mayor Su Changming wanted to fix Zhu Yuntong.

Division Chief Zhao Desheng could sit firmly in the powerful position of Cadre Division 2 because he was adept at navigating all sides.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe was the Executive Vice Mayor and could not be offended.

Mayor Su Changming was the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, his own master.

When immortals fight, the little ghosts suffer.

But Secretary Li Changgeng gave a bottom line: make him stumble, make him look ugly, dampen his spirit, but don't go too far.

Division Chief Zhao Desheng was adept at these small tricks for fixing newcomers within the system.

Arrange a pile of complicated, trivial, and error-prone rotten work.

If he does it well, it's part of the job; if he does it poorly, it's a lack of ability.

When the time comes, write a few sentences like "work attitude is impetuous" or "business ability needs improvement" on the assessment form, and even if Secretary Zhu Tianhe asks, he won't be able to pick any faults.

A green recruit, unable to bear it, will apply for a transfer on his own.

Division Chief Zhao Desheng picked up the thermal mug and took a sip of water.

He calculated that the pile of messy, old files regarding the legacy benefits of old cadres that had been backlogged for ten years in the section was just an excellent "practice" material.

That was a hot potato; whoever touched it would be unlucky.

Let him adapt for a period of time first, and then hand the materials to him; no one would be able to pick any faults.

It's just that Division Chief Zhao Desheng miscalculated one thing.

The political landscape of Linjiang City was being restructured.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe was about to be appointed as Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, in charge of party groups and organizational personnel.

That was his direct superior.

What he miscalculated even more was that the young man he wanted to fix had the soul of a Great Ming emperor who had ruled the world for sixty years.

Playing politics?

That was nothing but showing off before an expert.