44: Chapter 44 A Dinner Meeting Ninety Minutes Late, the Head of the Education Department Kneels

The phone connected, and Old Sun's voice, tinged with a hint of nervousness, came through the receiver.

"Zhu Wenhao, the place for this evening is set. It's Shangweiju in the south of the city; it's quiet, and the dishes have character."

Zhu Wenhao leaned back in his chair, his tone easygoing.

"Alright, Brother Sun. I'll wrap up the work at hand and head over immediately."

There was a two-second pause on the other end of the line.

Old Sun gave a couple of dry coughs.

"Zhu Wenhao, there's something I'd like to discuss with you. I have a childhood friend who heard we were getting together tonight, and he's insisting on coming over to offer a toast, despite my hesitation."

"Could you do me a favor, for the sake of your old brother?"

In official dinner parties, circles and parity are paramount.

This kind of behavior, where an outsider forces their way in, is a major taboo.

This isn't just eating; it's using a stage set by others to forcibly drag the host and guests into an unknown whirlpool.

Furthermore, Old Sun had just been promoted to Acting Division Chief of the First Division; bringing in private matters at such a critical moment was displeasing.

Zhu Wenhao did not respond.

On the other end, in the 'Di' private room of Shangweiju.

Old Sun placed his phone flat beside the bone china plate; the screen was lit, and the call interface showed the timer running.

Section Chief Li, sitting beside him, was wringing the napkin on his lap tightly with both hands. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples, and he didn't dare to breathe too loudly.

A long silence.

It felt as long as a century.

After enduring a full half-minute, Zhu Wenhao's voice finally came through the speaker, unhurried and calm.

"Since it's Brother Sun's childhood friend, then he is naturally welcome."

Section Chief Li let out a long breath and slumped back into the high-backed chair, feeling that his shirt was soaked through at the back.

Before he could catch his breath, the second half of Zhu Wenhao's sentence came through.

"However, Brother Sun, next time you give me such a sudden surprise, you must let me know in advance, so I don't arrive empty-handed and lose decorum."

"I still have some materials to finish here, so I'll be over later. You all go ahead and order."

Without giving Old Sun any room for negotiation, the call was cut off.

The busy signal echoed in the empty private room.

Agreeing was giving Old Sun face—a favor to a subordinate.

Arriving late was setting the rules.

If an uninvited guest wants to join the table, they must first endure the torment of the cold bench.

In the ming dynasty imperial court, those who entered the side hall without being summoned were, at best, dismissed from office, and at worst, punished with a caning.

In today's dinner table culture, the underlying logic is no different.

Old Sun picked up his teacup and gulped down a mouthful of bitter tea that had long since gone cold.

"Old Li, to get this foot in the door, I've stripped away my old face to serve as a stepping stone for you."

Old Sun set the teacup down heavily on the glass turntable, making a dull thud.

"As for whether you can grasp this lifeline later, it all depends on your own fate."

Section Chief Li wiped the cold sweat from his face and offered Old Sun a cup of tea. "Brother Sun, great kindness needs no thanks. I'll use tea instead of wine—thank you."

He needed this lifeline too badly.

Section Chief Li, Section Chief of the Education Section at the Municipal Education Bureau, held the core lifeline of the city's primary and secondary school admissions and student status allocation.

This position was one he had fought tooth and nail for back in the day, managing to secure it only by pulling strings with Former Mayor Xiao Tianyou.

Once Former Mayor Xiao Tianyou fell from power, the power reshuffle within the Education Bureau began quietly.

The wind had changed direction; Section Chief Li's once-coveted position had turned into a plague that everyone avoided.

It was rumored privately in the bureau that at next week's Party Group meeting, he would be transferred laterally to the Legal Planning Section.

Both were section-level positions, but one managed people, affairs, and quotas, while the other was only responsible for policy gatekeeping and drafting regulations.

A 'clear water' office—powerless.

This was a fall from the clouds straight into the mud.

What was even more fatal was that power transitions were often accompanied by the settling of old scores. He had been in the Education Section for three years; if the gray-area admission quotas he had handled were ever dug up by his successor, he would be doomed.

He was not resigned to this.

Last night, gritting his teeth, he had carried two cartons of Soft 95 cigarettes, two bottles of Moutai, and several heavy gold bars to knock on the door of his direct supervisor, Deputy Director Lin.

Deputy Director Lin was wearing pajamas, sitting on a large mahogany sofa, and hadn't even poured him a glass of water.

Those heavy gifts were placed on the edge of the coffee table, teetering precariously.

"Little Li, what is this? Are you trying to make me commit an error?" Deputy Director Lin leaned back against the sofa cushions, speaking earnestly. "Whenever there is a critical juncture in the turnover of city leadership, there are always various rumors. You are a veteran backbone of the bureau; you must trust the organization and focus on your work."

After saying these pretty words, the door was closed, and the gifts were returned unopened.

This morning, during a smoke break, the Personnel Section Chief tipped him off at the corner of the stairwell.

The proposal to adjust his position had been drafted by Deputy Director Lin himself.

He wanted to make room for his own confidant.

At his wit's end, a phone call from Old Sun in the afternoon became his lifeline.

Old Sun had asked him which private kitchen restaurant was authentic and suitable for young people's tastes.

He mentioned in passing that he had been promoted and was hosting a dinner that evening for Zhu Wenhao of the Second Division of the Organization Department.

Section Chief Li's mind roared, blasting open a path to survival.

Who was Zhu Wenhao? The only son of Secretary Zhu Tianhe!

For the past two days, rumors had been flying in the government offices: Wang Haitao, the one who had been completely marginalized at the Development and Reform Commission, had been forcibly promoted by Secretary Zhu Tianhe to be the Political Commissar at the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

With such heaven-reaching capabilities, saving a mere Education Section Chief like him would be as easy as turning over one's hand.

He pestered Old Sun shamelessly.

Old Sun originally didn't want to wade into this muddy water.

However, back when his daughter was transitioning from elementary to middle school, her school district assignment wouldn't allow her into the Municipal No. 1 Middle School.

Old Sun had been so anxious he developed blisters in his mouth and went to find Section Chief Li with gifts.

Section Chief Li had made a stroke of his pen and, under the guise of an "auditing student," forced her into the school.

Decades of friendship, plus a debt of gratitude—the hardest to repay.

Unable to refuse, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and organize this dinner.

The wall clock in the private room ticked away. Each sound was like a small hammer striking Section Chief Li's heart.

He was enduring, waiting for a mercy that he didn't know would come.

A full ninety minutes.

The agarwood incense of Shangweiju lingered in the room, but it could not soothe Section Chief Li's frayed nerves.

He watched Old Sun peeling peanuts slowly and methodically, several times wanting to speak but stopping himself.

He began to suspect that Zhu Wenhao wouldn't come at all.

Meanwhile, inside the Municipal Organization Department building.

Zhu Wenhao was in no rush to leave.

After hanging up the phone, he opened the internal cadre resume system on his computer and typed "Section Chief Li" into the search box.

The screen displayed detailed information. Zhu Wenhao scanned it line by line, imprinting the past trajectory of this person into his mind bit by bit.

Former Mayor Xiao Tianyou's former subordinate. A powerful figure in the Education Bureau.

Since he wanted to build his own team, relying solely on Wu Dehai and Old Sun was far from enough.

Idle pieces and cold pawns from all walks of life all have their uses.

Holding such a chess piece in his hand, there would always be a use for it in the future.

The hour hand pointed to eight o'clock.

Zhu Wenhao closed his computer, picked up his jacket, and walked slowly out of the building.

Inside the Shangweiju private room, the screen of the phone Old Sun had placed on the table suddenly lit up.

Zhu Wenhao sent two words: "Arrived."

Old Sun muttered, "He's here."

Section Chief Li, as if electrocuted, sprang up from his chair like a spring. He didn't even bother to steady the high-backed chair he had knocked askew, but grabbed Old Sun and ran downstairs.

At the entrance of Shangweiju, the night breeze was slightly cool.

A black Volkswagen Lavida was parked steadily in a parking space. The car door opened, and Zhu Wenhao stepped out.

"Zhu Wenhao, over here!" Old Sun greeted him, his face full of familiar smiles. "I'm really sorry to make you run all the way here late at night."

"Brother Sun, you're too polite. I had a lot of files on hand, so I was delayed."

Zhu Wenhao's tone was level. His gaze passed over Old Sun and landed on the man behind him, who was clearly reserved.

Section Chief Li quickly stepped forward and extended both hands.

"Zhu Wenhao, hello. I am Section Chief Li from the Education Section of the Education Bureau. I apologize for the abrupt intrusion; I am truly sorry."

Zhu Wenhao shook Section Chief Li's hand with one hand. It was dry, warm, and had no extra force. It touched and immediately pulled away.

"Section Chief Li, I've heard much about you."

Five words, neither cold nor warm, yet they instantly made a layer of cold sweat break out on Section Chief Li's back.

The other party had accurately pointed out his position. Before arriving, they had already thoroughly investigated his background.

From the very beginning of this dinner, the initiative was firmly held in the hands of Zhu Wenhao.

"It's windy outside; let's go inside to talk."

Zhu Wenhao took the lead, stepping toward the entrance. Old Sun and Section Chief Li followed half a step behind, trailing closely.

Walking along the corridor, the lamplight cast long shadows on the bluestone slabs. Section Chief Li stared at the straight back in front of him. He knew that tonight, there was no turning back for him.