41: Chapter 41 Wang Haitao's Thanks

"Is Zhu Wenhao here?"

Old Sun's voice wasn't loud, but it echoed through the office area.

Wu Dehai stood up from his seat with a whoosh.

"Brother Sun, Brother Hao is here!"

Old Sun didn't even raise his eyelids, only chinning in the direction of Zhu Wenhao. "Zhu Wenhao, Division Chief Zhao wants you to go over."

Zhu Wenhao nodded. Without saying another word, he stood up and walked straight to the division chief's office at the end of the corridor, knocking on the door.

Division Chief Zhao Desheng was staring blankly at the computer screen. Hearing the knock, he quickly stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette between his fingers.

He stood up and came out from behind the desk, his round face piled with a sincere smile.

"Zhu Wenhao, please sit."

"Have you read the documents from the Standing Committee? As for Political Commissar Wang Haitao, I've already had the office coordinate the transfer of his files."

Division Chief Zhao Desheng was an absolutely smart man.

He knew all too well what it meant for Secretary Zhu Tianhe to be able to wrench these two teeth from the Public Security Bureau under the pincer attack of the two giants, Tian and Su.

This newly appointed Deputy Secretary Zhu had already bared his sharpest blade.

"Division Chief Zhao, I heard Old Sun is being transferred. Does the department have any new ideas?"

Zhu Wenhao sat opposite him and spoke directly, seizing the initiative of the conversation with a single sentence.

The smile on Division Chief Zhao Desheng's face froze for a moment.

How did this kid know?

Or had he already begun to use Deputy Secretary Zhu's influence to weave his own small web within the vast network of the Organization Department?

"This... the department hasn't made a final decision yet."

Division Chief Zhao Desheng asked tentatively, "However, according to convention, the deputy division chief position must be selected from the senior comrades in our division. Zhu Wenhao, are you interested in this position?"

"Wu Dehai has worked in Division Two for five years and is a strong writer. His contribution to the inspection of the Development and Reform Commission this time was not small."

"I think his name can be submitted for this deputy section chief level promotion draft."

"Senior comrades need care, but we must not disappoint the young people who are willing and able to get things done."

Division Chief Zhao Desheng felt his breath hitch for half a second.

He was asking for an appointment.

A deputy section chief level position was indeed nothing in the grand temple of the Organization Department.

But this was the first time Zhu Wenhao had explicitly asked for a position for someone close to him.

This was a signal.

He, Zhu Wenhao, wanted to build his own team.

Division Chief Zhao Desheng only hesitated for less than three seconds before weighing the pros and cons clearly in his mind.

"Dehai has indeed worked hard. Half of the materials for Division Two over the past few years were written by him staying up late."

Division Chief Zhao Desheng immediately put on an expression of appreciating talent. "Alright! I'll draft a preliminary proposal in a moment and personally deliver it to Minister Zhou!"

"Then I'll trouble you, Division Chief Zhao."

Zhu Wenhao stood up. Having achieved his goal, he turned and walked out of the office.

Outside the door.

Wu Dehai was walking past, holding a stack of freshly printed newspapers.

Although he didn't hear the conversation inside, when Zhu Wenhao walked past him, that unfathomably deep gaze lingered on him for a brief moment.

Wu Dehai's heart skipped a beat without any warning.

It was some kind of strong premonition about his future destiny.

...

Evening.

Inside Linjiang Restaurant, in an inconspicuous and hidden private room.

The main lights in the room weren't on, only a bamboo floor lamp emitting a warm orange light.

A few extremely delicate Shunde dishes were laid out on the table, with a bottle of unlabeled internally-supplied Baijiu warming in the middle.

Political Commissar Wang Haitao sat alone at the table.

That face, which used to always carry a bit of gloominess, was now torn between the extreme emotions of excitement and anxiety, making his expression look somewhat strange.

As soon as the Standing Committee meeting ended yesterday, he received a call from an old classmate at the Municipal Party Committee Office.

Saying he was going to the Public Security Bureau to serve as the political commissar!

At first, he thought the other party was making fun of him.

It wasn't until this morning, when the official call from the Organization Department came to his phone and the red-headed document was posted on the unit's bulletin board, that he confirmed he had truly crawled out of the mire and soared to the heavens in a single bound.

The door was pushed open.

Zhu Wenhao walked in alone.

Political Commissar Wang Haitao quickly met him at the door, his hands already enthusiastically stretched out.

"Zhu Wenhao, you're finally here! Although this place is a bit remote, it's absolutely quiet. Let's have some private chat as brothers."

Zhu Wenhao's body shifted slightly, avoiding his overly enthusiastic hands, and walked straight to the main seat to sit down.

"Please sit, Political Commissar Wang."

This title of 'Political Commissar Wang' made Political Commissar Wang Haitao feel as light as a feather.

He carefully sat back in the side seat, picked up the wine bottle, and bent over to pour a full glass for Zhu Wenhao.

Zhu Wenhao raised his hand and gently pressed the rim of the glass with two fingers.

"I won't drink the wine."

"Once the public notice period is over, you will report to the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Police Chief Li Jianguo is an old colleague of my father's. He has a straightforward temper and cannot tolerate any wrongdoing."

Zhu Wenhao looked at him, "You are going there to handle ideological work. You'd better rot those tricks of approving slips and trading favors from the Development and Reform Commission in your stomach."

"The public security system is about absolute execution and orders, not your messy exchanges of interests."

The wine bottle in Political Commissar Wang Haitao's hand wobbled, and he quickly declared his stance.

"Zhu Wenhao, rest assured! Secretary Zhu pulled me out of the mire, so my life belongs to Secretary Zhu! In the future, I will go wherever Director Li points. I guarantee I will do the political commissar's job steadily and properly!"

With that, he fished out a dark red, high-grade velvet box from his briefcase.

It contained two extremely heavy custom gold bars that he had ordered from a jewelry store overnight.

This kind of hard currency was the most direct stepping stone in the arena of power.

"Zhu Wenhao, I know you don't lack these things, but this... this is just a token of my respect."

Political Commissar Wang Haitao pushed the box in front of Zhu Wenhao, his voice lowered to a whisper.

"As for the Development and Reform Commission, although I have left, I still have a few confidants there. If there is any movement over there, I promise to report to you at the first opportunity."

Zhu Wenhao's gaze didn't even linger on the box for a single second.

He thought of those censors in the ming dynasty who dared to remonstrate with death for just a few taels of silver, and then looked at the petty official in front of him whose mind was filled with nothing but gold and silver.

"Take it back."

His voice turned cold.

"If you think your future can be bought with this kind of thing..."

"...then you don't need to report for duty."

Political Commissar Wang Haitao's hand shook with fear, and the heavy box almost dropped to the floor.

"Political Commissar Wang Haitao, you must remember that Secretary Zhu values your ability, your courage back then to publicly fight back against Zheng Jianguo's one-man show, and your public-spirited heart that hasn't completely rotted yet."

Zhu Wenhao stood up and tidied his sleeves.

"If you dare to stretch out such dirty hands in the Municipal Public Security Bureau, the detention notice from Secretary Li of the Discipline Inspection Commission will be delivered to your hands first."

"I don't lack money, and the Zhu family lacks it even less."

Political Commissar Wang Haitao hurriedly put the box back into his bag, cold sweat instantly soaking the white shirt on his back.

Zhu Wenhao walked to the door, stopped, and left him with a cold figure from behind.

"Secure your position in the Municipal Public Security Bureau."

"Those who are waiting and watching are all looking to see how far you, this 'traitor,' can go."

"The higher you climb, the more useful you will be to us."

The door closed gently.

Political Commissar Wang Haitao slumped in his chair.

...

Late at night.

Donghuwan Apartment.

Su Qinghan sat in front of the desk, her fingertips rapidly dancing across the database of the financial system.

Zhu Wenhao pushed the door open and walked in, bringing in a faint smell of alcohol and cigarettes.

"Did you meet Political Commissar Wang Haitao?"

Su Qinghan turned her head and poured him a glass of warm water.

"I did." Zhu Wenhao loosened his tie and sat down on the sofa. "This man is quite bold but has too narrow a vision. He wanted to buy peace of mind with gold bars."

Su Qinghan snorted coldly.

"People who have stayed in places like the Development and Reform Commission for too long always feel that everything has a price."

"Is there any new movement from the Discipline Inspection Commission?" Zhu Yuntong asked.

"This afternoon, the people from the Discipline Inspection Commission withdrew from the Development and Reform Commission, and all accounts were sealed and taken away."

Zhu Wenhao said in a firm tone, "This is the Inspection Team... drawing the snake out of its hole. Don't panic, hold your ground."

Su Qinghan said, "I understand."

"By the way."

Su Qinghan seemed to suddenly remember something. "Su Xiaoxiao is coming tomorrow. She said it was Mayor Su Changming's idea for us sisters to have a meal together."

"Su Xiaoxiao?"

In Zhu Yuntong's mind, the image of the girl who had handed him the lethal juice in the hotel emerged.

"Let her come."

"I happen to have some words to pass on to our Mayor Su through her mouth as well."