69: Chapter 68 Results Announcement, Disappointing Family Gathering

In the office of the Provincial Party Secretary.

Minister Xiao Dingyu sat upright in the reporting chair, his back straight.

Behind the large mahogany desk, Secretary Lao Liguo was reviewing a newly submitted Cadre Appointment and Removal Approval Form.

Soon, his gaze fell upon the core section of the form.

Proposed for promotion: Secretary Lin Weimin.

Current position: Director of the Provincial Party Committee Office, Deputy Department-level Official.

Proposed position: Member of the Linjiang Municipal Party Committee, Standing Committee Member, and Secretary.

Secretary Lin Weimin was an absolute confidant whom Secretary Lao Liguo had personally promoted when he was parachuted into Jiangnan Province.

Sending him to Linjiang City as the top leader was equivalent to forcibly carving out a breakthrough in the intricate and complex situation of Jiangnan Province.

Secretary Lao Liguo continued to flip through the pages.

This thick stack of recommendation materials had been secretly prepared under Minister Xiao Dingyu's covert instructions to Deputy Minister Qi Tian, bypassing standard procedures.

The approval section on the final page.

The official seal of the Provincial Organization Department was a glaring, vibrant red, and Minister Xiao Dingyu's signature was neat and precise.

However, the signature of Deputy Secretary Yang Jianhua, the full-time Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, was missing.

According to standard personnel procedures, for the transfer of a top leader of a prefecture-level city, once the Organization Department drafts the list, it must first be approved by the Deputy Secretary in charge of Party and mass affairs.

Now, Minister Xiao Dingyu had directly bypassed that threshold and placed it squarely on Secretary Lao Liguo's desk.

This was a statement of allegiance.

Secretary Lao Liguo read the last line, closed the approval form, and placed it flat on his right side.

He did not offer any evaluation of the material, but revealed a meaningful smile.

"Minister Xiao."

Secretary Lao Liguo opened a drawer, took out a report from the Discipline Inspection Commission, and pushed it across the desk.

"Your Organization Department has certainly been in the limelight in the province recently."

Minister Xiao Dingyu received it with both hands; he did not open it, maintaining a posture of attentive listening.

"Secretary Chen of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection came to see me this morning to provide a special report."

"That Deputy Director Zhang Ming has confessed everything."

"The matters he is involved in are no longer as simple as just leaking the exam questions for the Young Cadre Training Class."

"During several important cadre evaluations and promotions over the past two years, this individual seriously violated the spirit of the Eight-point Regulation, privately accepted banquets from grassroots officials, accepted huge amounts of money and gifts, and even set clear prices to tamper with the files of certain unqualified cadres."

"Moreover, judging from Deputy Director Zhang Ming's confession, that Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing of yours is quite something."

"The Discipline Inspection Commission is still digging deep into the specific details of the case. In accordance with confidentiality discipline, I will not disclose too much to you."

These few words were like ice water poured over his head.

Only now did Minister Xiao Dingyu realize how terrifying the magnitude of this storm was.

If he hadn't been sitting here today with this recommendation list, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

At the next routine Standing Committee meeting of the Provincial Party Committee, once this investigation report from the Discipline Inspection Commission was thrown out, what kind of passive, desperate situation would Minister Xiao Dingyu face?

With such a serious corruption scandal involving his most important Executive Deputy Minister, how would he, as the head of the Organization Department, handle it?

The heavy label of 'negligence in supervision' was something he would never be able to shake off.

At that time, the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission would make trouble at the meeting, and Deputy Secretary Yang Jianhua, who was in charge of Party and mass affairs, would follow the trend to hold him accountable. Even if he didn't lose his position as Minister of the Provincial Organization Department, he would be completely sidelined.

But now, because he had proactively handed over the 'cake' of the position of Secretary of the Linjiang Municipal Party Committee, Secretary Lao Liguo had revealed the bottom line to him at a critical moment—this was to protect him!

"Secretary Lao, this is a serious dereliction of duty on my part."

"As the primary person responsible for the Organization Department, I have failed to supervise and manage the team members and cadres in core positions. I will make a profound self-reflection to the Provincial Party Committee and will never shirk my responsibility."

Secretary Lao Liguo waved his hand.

"Minister Xiao, when the team gets large, it is inevitable that a few black sheep will mix in. If you find problems, just scrape the bone to heal the poison. The organization sees your awareness. Go and get busy; do not have any mental burden."

Walking out of the office, Minister Xiao Dingyu's brain raced.

He deeply reflected on his conduct over the past few years.

Had he spent too long in peaceful days, causing his sense of crisis to drop too low?

When Secretary Zhu Tianhe told him on the phone that Team Leader Qiu Rui had returned to the provincial capital overnight, he had privately thought that the Discipline Inspection Commission was making a mountain out of a molehill.

It was just a cheating case orchestrated by a division-level cadre for his daughter's future; was it necessary to make such a big fuss?

Now it seemed that he had thought of this game too simply.

Compared to the case of selling official positions that Deputy Director Zhang Ming had confessed to, the matter of Division Chief Liu Haiping leaking questions for his daughter could be considered a trivial issue.

Minister Xiao Dingyu stopped in his tracks.

Taking a small mistake and magnifying it infinitely, using a grand and spectacular storm to cover up another mistake.

This tactic was all too familiar.

If he didn't believe that Elder Liu from Liu Family was fueling the flames and setting up the scheme behind this, he would be dead wrong.

Elder Liu was sacrificing the chariot to save the general; he was using the corruption case of Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing and Deputy Director Zhang Ming to divert the attention of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and pull Division Chief Liu Haiping out of the mire of the exam leak!

And the one who had truly saved him from being crushed to pieces in this storm was actually that young man in his early twenties from Linjiang City.

Zhu Wenhao.

If it hadn't been for Zhu Wenhao, who had let Secretary Zhu Tianhe persuade him to take this risky move, he would probably have already become a sacrificial lamb in this power struggle.

"In the future, when you have time, report your work to the organization more often."

Secretary Lao Liguo's final, meaningful words echoed in his ears.

Minister Xiao Dingyu understood that from today on, he had officially been branded as belonging to the Provincial Party Committee's number one.

A few days later.

The results for the provincial open selection for the Young Cadre Training Class were released uniformly, without any surprises.

Zhu Wenhao's scores were excellent in all areas.

His written exam score was two points ahead of the second place, and his interview score was one point higher than the second place.

With the absolute advantage of the highest total score, he quietly secured the special recruitment quota.

There was no crushing gap, nor was there any exaggerated dominance.

In fact, during the provincial grading process, Zhu Wenhao's essay, which hit the pain point of local debt directly, had originally been given an extremely rare, ultra-high score by the grading team.

It was Zhu Wenhao who had proactively contacted Secretary Zhu Tianhe, asking him to use his connections in the province to forcibly require his essay score to be pressed down.

The tree that stands taller than the forest will be destroyed by the wind.

By controlling the score within an 'excellent but reasonable' range, he had secured the quota while leaving others with dignity.

However, the young cadres who ranked second and third in this selection had not worked in vain.

The Municipal Organization Department recorded their scores as excellent performances, specifically entering them into their personal personnel files as an important reference for future cadre promotion and employment.

This was a win-win situation and the most brilliant art of power balance.

That evening, at Villa No. 4 in the Linjiang Municipal Party Committee residential compound.

The dining room was brightly lit, and a table of extremely sumptuous dishes covered the rotating tray.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe had rarely opened a bottle of ten-year-old Moutai.

Li Juan was also in high spirits, personally arranging the bowls and chopsticks.

The family ate and chatted, with the topic mostly revolving around the fully enclosed training that Zhu Wenhao was about to attend in the provincial capital.

"When you go to the provincial capital this time, you should move around more," Secretary Zhu Tianhe said, holding his wine glass. "The classmates you meet in the Young Cadre Training Class will all be the backbone of various cities and prefectures in the province in the future. Once this network is spread, the path ahead will be easier to walk."

Zhu Wenhao took a sip of green tea, responding to the elder's instructions.

Just as the atmosphere was harmonious, the mobile phone Zhu Wenhao had placed on the table vibrated.

The caller ID showed Wu Dehai.

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

"Zhu Wenhao, I'm sorry to disturb your rest," Wu Dehai's voice was very low. "Just now, the Municipal Government Office sent the personnel exchange and adjustment list for the directly affiliated organs of the Municipal Government to our Division Two."

"Get to the point."

"Su Qinghan has been transferred out of the Finance Bureau." Wu Dehai swallowed his saliva. "The adjustment destination is... the Municipal Women's Federation, Rights and Interests Protection Department."

The Women's Federation.

A mass organization, a typical 'clear water yamen', and a place for retirement.

This was an undisguised exile.

After Mayor Su Changming had firmly secured his position in the Municipal Government, he had finally freed up his hands to clean up the house.

Since his eldest daughter could not be used by him and had become a spy planted by others next to his money bag, he would simply remove her.

"Understood."

Hanging up the phone, he put it back in its original place.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe keenly sensed something amiss and put down his wine glass. "What happened?"

Zhu Wenhao was just about to open his mouth to tell him about Su Qinghan's transfer.

Li Juan, who was sitting next to him, suddenly put down the soup bowl in her hand.

She reached into the handbag next to her, took out a photo, and pushed it in front of Zhu Wenhao.

On the photo was a young girl with a sweet appearance and a gentle temperament.

"Zhu Wenhao."

"This is the daughter of Deputy Director Liu Qiang of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission. She has always worked in the provincial government organs."

"She also successfully passed the selection for the provincial organs this time, and like you, she is going to participate in this term of the Young Cadre Training Class of the Provincial Organization Department."

"You will be in the same class and see each other every day. When you get to the provincial capital, communicate more."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe held his wine glass, looked at Li Juan, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

The stakes involved were too clear.

Deputy Director Liu Qiang was Elder Li's most proud student and a powerful deputy department-level official in the Provincial Development and Reform Commission. If this marriage could be facilitated, Zhu Wenhao's foundation in the province would be as solid as a rock.

As for Su Qinghan?

A section member of the Women's Federation who had been stripped of real power and abandoned like a worn-out shoe by her own biological father had already lost all bargaining chips.

Zhu Wenhao looked quietly at the photo on the table, neither getting angry nor slamming the table to defend his love.

He just stood up and pushed the chair in front of him back to its original position.

"I am full from this meal."

Zhu Wenhao adjusted his collar and turned to walk toward the main door.

While changing his shoes, he stopped and said, "Auntie, do you really have to do this?"

"I am very grateful for everything you have done for me before."

"However, your hand has reached a bit too far."

Auntie.

And not Mother.

The boundary was redefined.

Li Juan's face instantly became extremely ugly.

Zhu Wenhao pushed open the door and merged into the late autumn night without looking back.

The night wind was bleak.

The Volkswagen Lavida drove on the empty main road of Linjiang City.

Zhu Wenhao held the steering wheel with one hand.

In the car's audio system, the song 'Missing You Sadly' from the soundtrack of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils played on a loop.

The string music sobbed, like weeping and complaining.

The speed of the car gradually increased in the night, heading straight for Donghuwan Apartment.

Inside Villa No. 4.

Secretary Zhu Tianhe walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and watched the taillights of the Volkswagen disappear at the end of his vision.

He turned around, looked at Li Juan, who was sulking at the dining table, and sighed.

"Juanzi, you handled this too hastily. That child has a mind of his own. Are you sure he can understand your painstaking efforts?"

Li Juan snorted coldly and put the photo back into her bag.

"He has to understand whether he wants to or not!"

"Secretary Zhu, haven't you understood yet? Su Qinghan has been exiled to the Women's Federation, and her heartless father doesn't care if she lives or dies. Her maternal family can no longer exert any strength!"

"Marriage is a second reincarnation for a woman, and for a man, it is also an opportunity to change his fate a second time!"

"Zhu Wenhao's future path is to go to the provincial level, to go to higher places. What he needs is a wife who can provide absolute assistance in his career, not a burden abandoned by her family!"

"As elders, we must give them a push when they are confused. Long-term pain is worse than short-term pain. When he gains a firm foothold in the provincial capital, he will sooner or later understand that everything I did today was for his own good."

Secretary Zhu Tianhe was speechless and sat back at the table. Affection and love were always the most expensive luxuries.