160: Chapter 160 Case Closed

It was past 11:00 AM.

A black Passat with Linjiang Municipal Party Committee license plates drove silently into the Heishi Town Government courtyard.

There was no horn, no fanfare.

Staff members coming and going in the courtyard slowed their pace in unison.

They gathered in small groups, eyeing this unexpected visitor.

The sense of smell in the grassroots officialdom was extremely keen; a municipal-level government vehicle parked in front of the office building signaled a shift in personnel.

Those with sharp minds quietly called their direct superiors: "Someone from the city is down here for an inspection."

The car came to a stop.

The rear door pushed open.

Director Xu Jie stepped onto the dusty concrete ground.

She wore a dark gray professional suit with no redundant embellishments and a pair of narrow-framed half-rim glasses.

Her long hair was simply tied into a ponytail, and there was no jewelry on her body.

In terms of appearance, she was not as stunning as Su Qinghan, but that restrained, calm, and capable demeanor made it hard for people to look away.

She walked to the rear of the car and opened the trunk to retrieve her luggage.

The front door opened, and Wu Dehai, Deputy Director of Division Two of the Municipal Organization Department, got out of the car and walked around the vehicle in two or three steps.

"Director Xu Jie, let me help you," Wu Dehai reached out to unload the luggage.

Director Xu Jie turned slightly to avoid him.

"Director Wu, how can I let you do that?"

"You are the Deputy Director of Division Two of the Municipal Organization Department. It is already very embarrassing to have you bring me here. Letting you carry the suitcase is against the rules."

Wu Dehai's hand hung in mid-air as he explained, "This was specifically requested by Zhu Wenhao. Since I accepted the task, I must carry it out."

Director Xu Jie used strength in her wrist to drag the silver suitcase, which was half her height, out of the trunk.

The universal wheels hit the ground with a crisp sound.

"Director Wu, I am now the newly appointed Director of the Party and Government Office of Heishi Town."

"This is my first appearance. Do you want the whole town to think that the new Director of the Party and Government Office is a delicate little girl?"

Director Xu Jie gripped the handle with one hand.

"Besides, in broad daylight, a deputy section-level cadre carrying a suitcase for a subordinate? It's not just the Organization Department's face that's lost, but also the face of Secretary Zhu, who is backing you."

This analysis hit the nail on the head.

Although Wu Dehai came from a background of writing and had long been tempered in the Organization Department, he knew deeply that every move within the rules was a statement. He wisely withdrew his hand.

Director Xu Jie pulled the suitcase.

The wheels rolled over the rough surface of the courtyard, making a series of dull noises.

Her back was straight, her eyes fixed forward, and she walked straight toward the steps of the office building.

On the second floor, in the Deputy Secretary's office.

Zhu Wenhao stood with his hands behind his back in front of the window, looking down, taking in the scene in the courtyard.

The art of governing people lies first in observing their words and expressions.

Director Xu Jie's refusal downstairs was a well-executed posture.

A newly arrived Director of the Party and Government Office who does not rely on the power of her superiors to bully others, knows how to protect her superior's face, and also knows how to establish her own independence at the grassroots level.

At the same time.

At the end of the corridor, in the Secretary's office, Secretary Qiu Dehai stood behind the blinds with a cigarette in his hand.

Inside the office of Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong, he held a teacup and watched through the glass.

Multiple pairs of eyes, on this morning, witnessed the entry of power into the throat of Heishi Town.

The sound of wheels rubbing against the floor tiles came from the corridor.

Two minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Zhu Wenhao turned around and walked back to the desk.

Wu Dehai pushed the door open and stepped forward to greet him.

"Zhu Wenhao, mission accomplished. Director Xu Jie has been safely delivered."

Zhu Wenhao nodded at him without saying a word.

Director Xu Jie stopped the huge suitcase in the corner and stepped forward, standing in front of the desk.

"Secretary Zhu, hello. Comrade Xu Jie is here to report."

Capable, neat, without redundant words.

Zhu Wenhao walked around the large solid wood desk and extended his right hand.

The two shook hands.

"Go find the Organization Committee Member Liu Tao and hand in your cadre transfer introduction letter," Zhu Wenhao let go of his hand and issued the first instruction.

"Go report to Secretary Qiu, and then go and handle the handover procedures with Director Zhou Mei."

Zhu Wenhao pointed to the suitcase in the corner.

"Leave the luggage with me for now. Director Zhou Mei will arrange your accommodation."

The whole process was explained clearly, without any personal pleasantries.

"Alright, Secretary Zhu, I will go now."

Director Xu Jie did not drag her feet, put down her luggage, and turned to go to the door to handle the procedures.

The door opened and closed, and the corridor returned to silence.

Wu Dehai looked at the closed solid wood door, a little surprised.

"Zhu Wenhao, you just let her go like that?" Wu Dehai asked.

"Otherwise?"

Zhu Wenhao picked up the white porcelain teacup.

"Those who govern, when entrusting people with positions, must examine their abilities. Since she has come here, she must learn to face things herself."

"Heishi Town is not a greenhouse, and I don't keep vases by my side."

Zhu Wenhao took a sip of tea and set the cup down steadily.

"Eat after a while before you leave. At noon, I will take you to taste some of Heishi Town's specialty dishes."

Wu Dehai agreed and sat down on the guest sofa.

The phone on the table vibrated.

Su Qinghan's name flashed on the screen.

Zhu Wenhao picked up the phone and pressed the answer button.

"Qinghan, is there something wrong?"

"Zhu Wenhao, let me tell you something," Su Qinghan's clear voice came from the other end of the line. "The internal executive meeting of the Discipline Inspection Commission has passed, and I am now the liaison for the Supervision Team and the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection."

"Good thing." Zhu Wenhao was calm.

Secretary Li Li was a sensible person; she could tell who had helped her in this storm.

Reciprocating kindness is an unchanging truth. Secretary Li Li promoting Su Qinghan was an expression of goodwill toward the Zhu family.

Su Qinghan's call was not focused on this.

"Also, Secretary Guo of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection proposed, and the executive meeting of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection passed, that the internal notification document regarding Zheng Jianguo's case has come down."

There was a hint of indescribable complexity in Su Qinghan's tone.

"The case... is closed."

"How did it end?"

"A result no one expected," Su Qinghan's voice was very soft. "The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection suggested giving Mayor Su Changming a serious warning, and he cannot be promoted within a year and a half. Your father, a party warning, standing still for a year."

There was a brief silence on the phone.

Zhu Wenhao moved the phone away from his ear and quietly watched the screen go dark.

Compromise.

The death of Secretary Li Changgeng cut off the vines. Mayor Su Changming gave up an arm in exchange for a safe landing.

The explanation actively submitted by his father, confessing to the higher authorities, resulted in a lighter punishment.

Both sides played all their cards; neither could kill the other with one blow, and in the end, they could only retreat one step under the direction of the forces behind them.

"I know." Zhu Wenhao put the phone back to his ear, his voice calm, revealing no emotion.

On the other end of the line, Su Qinghan was silent for a moment.

"In the next two days, I will come to find you," Su Qinghan said.

"Okay, drive slowly on the road."

The call was disconnected.

Wu Dehai sat on the sofa and, seeing Zhu Wenhao deep in thought, spoke at the right time.

"Zhu Wenhao, has something changed in the city?"

"The dust has just settled."

Zhu Wenhao placed the phone face down on the table.

"After a big fire, there must be some ashes left. The situation in Linjiang is temporarily stable. It's time to stir up some mud from this pond in Heishi Town."

He stood up and took the dark jacket from the coat rack.

"Let's go, Director Wu. Today, let's taste the local atmosphere."

The two walked out of the office one after the other.

In the corridor, the sound of personnel handover came from the direction of the Party and Government Office.

Director Xu Jie had already begun to exercise her authority.

The sky over Heishi Town, with the injection of fresh blood, gradually changed color.

The incense of the ancestral hall, the dust raised by the mining tyrant's fleet, the old accounts of the township finance.

Each and every one of them was waiting for a sharp knife to cut them open completely.

Zhu Wenhao walked down the stairs, the cold wind blowing in his face.