223: Chapter 223 Departure from Jingjiang Hotel

"I plan to move Secretary Gao Ming to a new position," Zhu Wenhao said.

"Secretary Gao Ming is steady in his work and tight-lipped," Secretary Zhu Tianhe replied, following the thread of the conversation.

"If he is really to be sent down, he cannot go empty-handed," Zhu Wenhao said, tapping his knuckles slowly on his knee. "Since we intend to move him, we must first resolve his rank issue."

He laid out a specific placement strategy: "First, let's handle it internally within the Municipal Party Committee Office. Let him hold the position of Chief of the Second Secretariat Division to secure his section-chief rank. With this official backing, when he is sent down to the districts or counties, he will at the very least be a deputy with real power. When an old subordinate receives tangible benefits, he will naturally be more dedicated to serving you in the future."

On the other end of the line, Secretary Zhu Tianhe acknowledged this and took note of the personnel proposal.

The art of managing subordinates lies in balancing favors and authority; providing a promising future is the greatest favor of all.

"Secretary Gao Ming's matter is easy to handle, but there is still one critical point in the overall situation of Linjiang City that needs to be clarified," Zhu Wenhao said, abruptly shifting the topic.

"Father, regarding the positions of Director of the Municipal Audit Bureau and Secretary of the Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission, if the situation forces us to make a choice, my opinion is to sacrifice the Political and Legal Affairs Commission and fight to keep the Audit Bureau."

As soon as these words were spoken, silence fell over the phone line.

By conventional logic, the status of the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission is far higher than that of a director of a municipal department. Moreover, Standing Committee Member Zhang Zhiqiang is already a member of the Municipal Party Committee; a lateral transfer to the Political and Legal Affairs Commission would be perfectly justified.

"Zhu Wenhao, what do you mean by that?" Secretary Zhu Tianhe's tone was puzzled. "Standing Committee Member Zhang Zhiqiang is already on the Standing Committee. For him to take over as Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission would just be moving his ranking up. Furthermore, once he leaves his current position as Secretary of the Management Committee, the excellent vacancy left behind could serve as substantial bargaining leverage to trade interests with Secretary Lin Weimin. This is a highly profitable deal."

"On the surface, that is indeed the case," Zhu Wenhao said, leaning back into the sofa.

"Secretary Lei Zhen has been overwhelmed and preoccupied lately due to the case of Lei Zhenzi."

Zhu Wenhao began to peel back the layers. "You probably don't know yet that Director Qi Shan has officially transferred elite personnel from the Provincial Public Security Department to form a Special Investigation Team, which has forcefully entered the Jingjiang City Public Security Bureau. Director Hao of the Municipal Bureau is now like an ant on a hot pan every day, unable to even sleep soundly."

"The Jingjiang City Procuratorate had originally prepared the relevant paperwork to release Lei Zhenzi on the grounds of insufficient evidence. However, faced with the swift and decisive entry of the Provincial Public Security Department's Special Investigation Team, coupled with new evidence that was brought forward, the Municipal Procuratorate was forced by pressure from multiple sides to postpone their original plan to release him."

Some things, once a breach is made, can no longer play out according to the predetermined script.

"Not only that, but Director Qi Shan's methods are extremely seasoned," Zhu Wenhao revealed the latest results from the Provincial Public Security Department. "Just last week, the people from the Provincial Department followed the clues and secretly arrested the close friend who drugged Lin Wan back then. They are determined to make the case airtight, leaving no room for any chance of an appeal."

"Director Qi Shan has even let it be known that if the Jingjiang City Procuratorate continues to muddle through and delay handling this matter, he will, in the name of the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, officially request the Provincial Procuratorate to intervene directly. In the worst-case scenario, he will take all the concrete evidence and make a special report to Secretary Lao Liguo, requesting Secretary Chen of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection to step in and put pressure on the Jingjiang City Discipline Inspection Commission."

Zhu Wenhao analyzed this series of lethal moves thoroughly: "By attacking from multiple fronts, at that time, they won't just be investigating the case of Lei Zhenzi, but will be investigating the entire corruption network of the Jingjiang City political and legal system behind this case."

The power struggle had already reached the point of a bayonet charge.

"Two days ago, at a closed-door meeting held by the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Director Qi Shan didn't give Secretary Lei Zhen any face at all. In front of a group of political and legal cadres, he stood up directly to him, displaying a posture of burning his bridges."

"The interesting thing is that this drama is exactly what Secretary Lao Liguo hopes to see."

"These are all strategies that Director Qi Shan and I deduced before coming to Jingjiang," Zhu Wenhao said, revealing the secret. "In this grand game of chess in Jiangnan Province, Director Qi Shan only needs to be responsible for stirring up trouble and inciting the conflict. As for how it ends, the big players behind the scenes will naturally intervene to clean up the mess at the most appropriate time."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe finally sorted out the logic of the coordination between the provincial and municipal levels and let out a long sigh of relief.

"I understand the situation at the provincial level now. However, what does this have to do with Linjiang City fighting to keep the Audit Bureau?"

"Because of Mayor Su Changming," Zhu Wenhao said, frost gathering in his eyes.

"Regarding the matter with Political Commissar Wang Haitao earlier, Mayor Su Changming used that Deputy Team Leader Liu Hao to catch us off guard. We suffered a solid and heavy loss at his hands."

Zhu Wenhao said firmly, "A real man stands in the world; he must repay favors and settle grudges. If you swallow this insult, what will you rely on to maintain your prestige in the Linjiang Municipal Party Committee? The people below who follow the Zhu family will feel disheartened."

He pointed directly to the crux of the matter: "Mayor Su Changming is the mayor; he manages the government's affairs and holds the power over the economy. What could be more satisfying than driving an irremovable nail right into the area under Mayor Su Changming's direct supervision?"

"The Audit Bureau is the gatekeeper of the Municipal Government's purse. Pushing up Comrade Chairwoman Lin Yulan, who has always been impartial and has a past grudge with Mayor Su Changming, is equivalent to hanging a sword right beside Mayor Su Changming's bed."

"From now on, all large-scale fund transfers and major project approvals of the Municipal Government will have to pass under Chairwoman Lin Yulan's nose. As long as Mayor Su Changming dares to reach out, this sword can chop off his claws at any time."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe suddenly saw the light.

This was not just a personnel arrangement; it was a way to exert reverse control over the mayor of a city.

"I understand completely, Zhu Wenhao," Secretary Zhu Tianhe's tone became steady. "Tomorrow morning, I will go to find Secretary Lin Weimin. I will test his attitude. Secretary Lin Weimin has just arrived in Linjiang and doesn't have many trusted aides in his hands; I will see what the conditions are."

"Then let's settle it like that for now," Zhu Wenhao advised. "You should also rest early; the burden in Linjiang is not light."

He hung up the phone and placed it face down on the coffee table.

The room was quiet, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner running.

Only at this moment did the sound of rushing water, which had been continuous in the bathroom, stop abruptly.

The bathroom door pushed open, releasing a cloud of warm, steamy mist.

Su Qinghan was wearing a slightly oversized bathrobe, holding a dry towel, and wiping her long, jet-black hair.

In fact, her hair was already dry, and that casual wiping motion was merely to cover up the awkwardness she had deliberately avoided just now.

She walked over to the sofa and gently handed the neatly folded change of clothes to Zhu Wenhao's side.

Zhu Wenhao took the clothes, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment.

She was becoming more and more sensible of the rules.

Zhu Wenhao did not expose this tacit pretense. He stood up, took the dry towel from her hand, and gently wiped the last bit of dampness from the tips of her hair.

Late at night, the two fell asleep in each other's arms, their breathing intertwined in the quiet night.

There were no thrilling calculations, only this moment of peace on the small bed.

The next morning.

Su Qinghan got up early.

She did not choose those overly luxurious or attention-grabbing outfits, but instead picked out a well-tailored, understated dark sapphire blue gown from her suitcase.

Today, she was attending the engagement banquet of Liu Ruobing and Wang Lei. As Zhu Wenhao's female companion, what she needed to do was to uphold his reputation, not to steal the spotlight of this power transaction.

Once ready, she sat in front of the dressing table and styled her hair into a neat bun.

Zhu Wenhao was dressed neatly; a well-tailored dark suit made the air of authority he carried from his long-term position in high office appear even more profound.

The two walked out of the suite side by side and took the elevator directly to the hotel lobby.

Outside the hotel, the cold wind was howling.

Outside the revolving glass door, Director Xu Jie, wearing a sharp trench coat, had already been waiting for a long time.

Beside her were two black sedans, their engines emitting a low roar, and their exhaust pipes puffing out white mist.

"Secretary Zhu Wenhao, the cars are ready," Director Xu Jie said, opening the car door.

Zhu Wenhao nodded slightly and protected Su Qinghan as she sat in the back row.

Director Xu Jie walked towards the driver's seat of the other car.

The car door closed heavily, completely isolating the cold wind outside.

The two black sedans slowly drove out of the hotel driveway and merged into the congested traffic of Jingjiang City.

The destination ahead was the Jingjiang Hotel.