268: Chapter 268 Du Changhe Takes Office

Secretary Du Changhe's appointment came through faster than expected.

The documents arrived on Friday afternoon, and he arrived bright and early on Monday morning.

He didn't report to the Town Government compound; he parked his car directly in front of the Police Station.

Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang was squatting on the steps smoking. Catching sight of the car with the County Bureau license plate, he stood up and called out:

"Director Zhao, he's here."

Police Chief Zhao Gang came out of the duty room, still holding half of last night's patrol log.

Secretary Du Changhe got out of the car. He wasn't tall, but he had broad shoulders, a sharp-featured face, and firm lines. When his gaze swept over them, it carried a sense of scrutiny.

"Secretary Du."

Police Chief Zhao Gang spoke up, being careful with his address. He didn't call him Director or Captain, but directly used his new title of Political and Legal Affairs Committee Member.

Secretary Du Changhe didn't acknowledge the politeness in the address. He pointed at the Police Station gate: "Shall we go inside?"

Without waiting for Police Chief Zhao Gang to reply, he took the first step.

Seeing this, Police Chief Zhao Gang's heart sank.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan sending him here wasn't for a casual visit.

Secretary Du Changhe walked around the office, looked at the duty roster, flipped through two pages of recent case files, and didn't say a word.

At nine o'clock the next morning, a notice was posted on the bulletin board: All police officers, auxiliary police, and heads of the Comprehensive Management Office and Petitions Office were to meet at ten o'clock in the small conference room on the second floor of the Town Government, to be chaired by the Political and Legal Affairs Committee Member.

The conference room was about half full.

Secretary Du Changhe sat at the head of the table with a notebook in front of him. Before speaking, he set his water cup on the table.

"The first thing I want to do upon arriving in Heishi Town is to clarify a principle."

No one answered from below.

"I heard about that case in Heishui Village while I was still at the county level. It was handled quickly and accurately, which is commendable."

Secretary Du Changhe changed the subject.

"But I heard that for this arrest, you called in SWAT officers from the Linjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau—thirty of them—and even brought riot control vehicles."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. It didn't land on Police Chief Zhao Gang, but everyone understood what he meant.

"In our Heishi Town, as a township Police Station, getting into the habit of calling for reinforcements from the city whenever something happens is not good."

Police Chief Zhao Gang sat in the corner, remaining silent.

"So, starting today, I am setting three rules."

Secretary Du Changhe opened his notebook and read them out one by one.

"First, major arrest operations must be reported to the Political and Legal Affairs Committee Member for approval in advance."

"Second, cross-regional police force deployment must be filed for the record."

"Third, when it comes to disputes between village groups, they shall be coordinated and led by the Political and Legal Affairs Committee Member, with the Police Station assisting in execution."

After reading, he looked up. "These aren't rules set by me, Secretary Du Changhe; they are rules of the Party Committee. Grassroots political power relies on unified command."

The room was silent for two seconds.

Police Chief Zhao Gang stood up; he didn't speak while sitting.

"Secretary Du, the fight against organized crime relies on timing. If I had to wait to file reports and go through the procedures before taking action against Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi's group, they would have long since vanished."

"Then what do you think should be done?" Secretary Du Changhe retorted.

"Catch them when they need to be caught, and file the report afterward when necessary."

"File afterward?" Secretary Du Changhe laughed. "Director Zhao, your approach is to act first and follow procedures later. Are procedures for show, or are they for your own convenience?"

Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang couldn't sit still anymore. "Secretary Du, that's quite a way to put it, as if we only arrest people for our own satisfaction! The common people in Heishui Village have been oppressed for years, and you, on the other hand, want to put a muzzle on us first!"

"Deputy Chief Li." Secretary Du Changhe's voice dropped. "The Police Station is not someone's private army. Credit and prestige are not built on exceeding one's authority in handling cases."

This was blunt. Several people from the Comprehensive Management Office lowered their heads, and no one dared to respond.

Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang's temper flared. He pushed his chair back, ready to stand up, when a soft sound came from the doorway.

Secretary Zhu Wenhao was standing by the door frame, just passing by.

He didn't enter the room, just leaned against the door frame.

"Secretary Du is newly appointed and setting rules quite quickly," Secretary Zhu Wenhao said.

Secretary Du Changhe stood up and reached out his hand. "Secretary Zhu."

The two shook hands without any intention of exchanging pleasantries; everyone knew this wasn't the time for catching up.

Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang hadn't cooled down yet, but Secretary Zhu Wenhao didn't look at him and walked straight to the conference table to sit down.

"Secretary Du, these three rules of yours are quite comprehensive."

Secretary Zhu Wenhao flipped through the notebook Secretary Du Changhe had left on the table.

"I'd like to ask: with the Heishui Village committee re-election, stability is the most urgent matter. Since Secretary Du says that disputes between village groups must be coordinated and led by you, do you dare to take on this burden?"

Secretary Du Changhe hadn't expected the question to be so direct.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's instructions were to control the Police Station and keep an eye on Secretary Zhu Wenhao, not mentioning this hot potato of a task in Heishui Village.

But he had already spoken; he had said that village disputes were under his coordination. With a room full of people watching, if he backed down, those three rules would immediately become useless.

"I dare," Secretary Du Changhe answered decisively. "I will personally oversee the re-election."

Secretary Zhu Wenhao nodded, said nothing more, picked up his documents, stood up, and stopped at the door.

"Meeting adjourned."

He said this and walked out.

People left the conference room one after another, leaving Police Chief Zhao Gang alone in his seat with a grim expression.

Secretary Zhu Wenhao was waiting for him in the corridor.

Police Chief Zhao Gang came out. "Secretary Zhu, he's trying to cut off our hands."

"Can he really cut them off?" Secretary Zhu Wenhao retorted.

Police Chief Zhao Gang was stunned.

"He's the one who said he wanted to take charge of the Heishui Village re-election," Secretary Zhu Wenhao said, walking toward the stairs. "A sword is most intimidating when kept in its scabbard. If the blade is too eager to be drawn, it's easily broken."

Police Chief Zhao Gang followed two steps, still not fully understanding.

Secretary Zhu Wenhao stopped and looked back at him. "He set three rules in that room today and dampened your prestige. But by agreeing to take on the Heishui Village matter, he has stuck his own hand into that pile of mess."

Police Chief Zhao Gang finally grasped some of the meaning, though not the whole picture.

Secretary Zhu Wenhao didn't explain further and turned to go downstairs.

That night, in an inconspicuous small courtyard behind the Heishi Town guesthouse, the lights remained on until very late.

Secretary Du Changhe's car was parked outside the courtyard gate. He went in alone, without any attendants.

Sitting inside was a representative from a collateral branch of Eldest Branch of the Zhang clan. He was elderly, and as soon as he entered, he handed over a cup of hot tea.

"Secretary Du, you've come a long way. Is there something you wanted to say?"

Secretary Du Changhe held the teacup but didn't rush to drink.

"Regarding the re-election, I heard your side still has something to say."

The old man rubbed his hands and leaned in closer.

"Secretary Du, you are perceptive. Since the incident with Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi, Eldest Branch's morale has been very low. If the re-election is held now, the first thing that kid Zhang Yuanhang will do upon taking office is to purge Eldest Branch. We collateral branches are related to Eldest Branch; we won't be able to hide."

"So you want to delay it." Secretary Du Changhe put down the teacup, not beating around the bush.

"It's not delaying, it's just slowing down," the old man said with a flattering smile. "It's to save face for Eldest Branch and to give Secretary Du a way out. If Secretary Du steps forward to propose it, saying it's for the sake of stability, and delays it by a month, no one will be able to say a word."

Secretary Du Changhe didn't respond, his fingers rubbing the edge of the teacup.

When he came down here, Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's instructions were to keep an eye on Secretary Zhu Wenhao; nothing else was specified.

But this opening was a ready-made opportunity to establish his authority—he didn't need to touch the Police Station or confront Police Chief Zhao Gang directly. By just making a move on village affairs, he could both demonstrate the weight of his position as a Political and Legal Affairs Committee Member and do Eldest Branch a favor.

"Stability overrides everything; that is true," Secretary Du Changhe finally spoke. "However, let me say this first: the delay is for the sake of the village's stability, not to leave a way out for anyone. If any tricks are played, I, Secretary Du Changhe, will be the first not to allow it."

The old man kept nodding in agreement, the wariness in his eyes relaxing slightly.

The next morning, at the Town Party Committee meeting, Secretary Du Changhe proposed postponing the Heishui Village committee re-election for one month.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang sat at the head of the table. After hearing the proposal, he first looked at Secretary Zhu Wenhao, not rushing to express his stance.

"What is the reason for the postponement?" Director Xu Jie asked, her tone calm.

"Stability considerations," Secretary Du Changhe replied. "The re-election affects everyone, and Eldest Branch is emotionally unstable. Being too hasty can easily lead to chaos."

Director Xu Jie didn't press further; she just pulled a sheet of paper from her folder and pushed it to the center of the table.

"This is the public notice record for the re-election plan. It was posted on the village affairs board last week, and everyone in Heishui Village knows the specific date. If we say it's postponed now, Second Branch, Third Branch, and the non-clan villagers will be able to block the Town Government gate by this afternoon."

Secretary Du Changhe gave a forced smile. "Director Xu, mass work is meant to be done, not feared."

"I'm not saying it shouldn't be done," Director Xu Jie looked at him. "I'm saying the plan has already been made public. If we change our minds now, who will bear the consequences?"

The conference room fell silent.

Secretary Zhu Wenhao didn't respond, taking a sip from his teacup and letting the two clash.

He wasn't in a hurry to make a move in this round.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang held his thermos, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two, remaining silent.

He was currently the acting secretary; for matters that offend people, he would avoid them as much as he could.

Seeing the atmosphere tense, Secretary Du Changhe said, "I understand Director Xu's point. The plan has been publicized, and the masses are looking forward to it. I don't mean to cancel it, but I want to leave room for digestion so that chaos doesn't occur on the day of the election."

"Can't digest it, or don't want to?" Director Xu Jie retorted. Her tone wasn't heavy, but it shut down his argument.

The smile on Secretary Du Changhe's face faded a little. He hadn't expected this female cadre from the Party and Government Office to be so sharp-tongued.

Secretary Zhu Wenhao put down his teacup and then spoke.

"Secretary Du's concerns are not without merit."

Upon hearing this, Secretary Du Changhe thought he had found an ally and was just about to follow up.

"But the problem Director Xu mentioned is also a fact."

Secretary Zhu Wenhao changed the subject.

"The plan was publicized and then withdrawn; what will the masses think? They will think the Town Party Committee doesn't keep its word. Once this precedent is set, any future notice we post will make the common people question whether they can trust it."

He looked at Secretary Du Changhe.

"Since Secretary Du has taken on this burden, why not do this: the re-election date remains unchanged, but you personally go to Heishui Village to understand the villagers' concerns and do the necessary ideological work in advance. If something goes wrong, you bear the responsibility; if it goes smoothly, you will have made your first major contribution."

Secretary Du Changhe's throat moved.

This was beautifully put. It handed the hot potato right back to him, wrapped in the sugar coating of "giving you an opportunity to make a contribution." If he refused on the spot, he would be the one showing cowardice.

"Fine," Secretary Du Changhe gritted his teeth and agreed. "I'll handle it."

Seeing that the matter was settled, Town Mayor Luo Xingbang quickly made the final decision: "Then it's settled. The re-election date remains unchanged, and Secretary Du will take the lead on the stability work in Heishui Village."

After the meeting, Secretary Zhu Wenhao didn't rush back to his office, but walked downstairs, with Director Xu Jie following beside him.

"You were quite fired up today," Secretary Zhu Wenhao said.

"He's trying to use village affairs as his own stage to establish authority," Director Xu Jie said, her tone still carrying some residual heat. "The re-election plan has been set for so long, and he wants to push it back with one word. Where does that leave the public representatives?"

"That's why I shoved this bone right back to him."

Secretary Zhu Wenhao pushed open the corridor door, and the cold wind blew in.

"Doesn't he want to delay it in the name of stability? Then let him actually go and stabilize it. If he can't stabilize it, it's because he's incompetent; if he can, it just proves that Eldest Branch's little tricks can't withstand close scrutiny."

Director Xu Jie followed him out and suddenly realized: "You want him to dive into that mess of Eldest Branch himself."

"If he wants to take on this task, he has to deal with the people of Eldest Branch," Secretary Zhu Wenhao stood on the steps, looking at the gray sky. "The more he deals with them, the more likely he is to show some flaws. As for Zhang Yuanhang, I've told him to keep a close watch on how close Secretary Du Changhe really gets to Eldest Branch."

Director Xu Jie didn't say anything more; she already understood Secretary Zhu Wenhao's entire scheme.

In this round, Secretary Zhu Wenhao had never intended to directly undermine Secretary Du Changhe; instead, he pushed him into the fire, letting him burn his own hands.

That afternoon, Zhang Yuanhang received a call from Police Chief Zhao Gang.

"Secretary Zhu Wenhao's instruction is that you don't need to be proactive, but you don't need to hide either," Police Chief Zhao Gang said over the phone. "If Secretary Du Changhe wants to run to your village, you just do what you need to do, and keep a close eye on whatever you should be watching."

Zhang Yuanhang held his phone, standing in his own courtyard, looking toward the ancestral hall in the distance, and didn't speak for a long while.