76: Chapter 75: The Spark Class is a mixed bag; the position of class monitor is surrounded by wolves!

In the living room, the fragrance of tea gradually faded.

Regarding the personnel deductions for the Anti-Gang Office, a rough framework was finalized amidst the verbal sparring of the few people present.

Exactly 10:00 PM.

A knock of two long and one short beats rang out.

Butler Wang Jianan pushed the door open and stood by the doorway.

"Old leader, it is time for you to rest."

Li Zhenguo waved his hand, interrupting what Director Qi Shan had yet to finish saying.

"Let's discuss up to here for today.

Minister Xiao Dingyu, Director Qi Shan, the two of you go discuss and finalize the draft for this major Anti-Gang Office initiative, and ensure it is well implemented."

Minister Xiao Dingyu and Director Qi Shan responded in unison.

They knew clearly that once this report was submitted, the political and legal system of Jiangnan Province would face a major reshuffle.

"Let's disperse." The old master stood up.

Everyone stood up one after another.

However, Li Zhenguo reached out and grabbed Zhu Wenhao's wrist.

"Zhu Wenhao, when you are training in the provincial capital in the future, come to the Cadre Retirement Home when you are free to play a few games of chess with this old bag of bones.

My craving for chess has come up, and none of them can beat you even if they add their skills together."

He turned his head and instructed Butler Wang Jianan: "Old Wang, go say hello tomorrow.

Issue a separate pass for Zhu Wenhao."

Liu Ruobing, who was standing to the side, was stunned.

A pass for the Cadre Retirement Home—even for a junior like her who had been watched by the old master as she grew up, she still had to be personally led by her father, Deputy Director Liu Qiang, to enter this gate.

To issue a separate pass; what a shocking favor this was.

Zhu Wenhao understood the weight behind this pass.

He did not decline.

"Thank you, Grandfather."

Subsequently, he turned to Minister Xiao Dingyu, Director Qi Shan, and Deputy Director Liu Qiang, bidding them farewell one by one, his manners impeccable, neither servile nor overbearing.

He turned and walked out the door.

The black Audi started in the night, steadily driving out of the Cadre Retirement Home.

Liu Ruobing watched the receding car, and finally could not help but turn to look at her father beside her.

"Dad, why are you and Minister Xiao so polite to Zhu Wenhao?

Even if he is Li Zhenguo's grandson, this is too grand."

Deputy Director Liu Qiang rubbed his temples and sized up his daughter.

"Daughter, you talk a bit too much.

Listen more and speak less; that is the rule.

Didn't you see that in today's game, the old leader intends to push him to the forefront?"

"You are going to report to the Party School tomorrow," Deputy Director Liu Qiang continued.

"When you get to the Young Cadre Training Class, you must cooperate well with Zhu Wenhao's work."

Surprisingly, Liu Ruobing did not refute this time, but instead nodded obediently.

However, she threw out another thorny reality.

"Dad, my cooperation is useless.

That Class Monitor, who is Liu Xiaolei's cousin, has long since spread the word in the provincial capital's circles that he wants to give Zhu Wenhao a hard time at the Party School."

"And there is also Lei Zhenzi, the son born late in life to Secretary Lei of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

That guy has been chasing after Liu Xiaolei since he was young.

This time, Liu Xiaolei was dealt with so miserably and ended up in prison.

Lei Zhenzi has blamed this whole mess entirely on Zhu Wenhao.

With the two of them together, Zhu Wenhao's days in the class will not be easy."

Deputy Director Liu Qiang said: "That is his tribulation.

It is also a test given to him by the old leader."

"If he wants to sit firmly in the position of a chess player, he must wade through one barrier after another.

Whether he is a dragon or a worm all depends on his own abilities.

In this matter, no one else can help him."

The night had deepened.

Zhu Wenhao drove the car onto Changfeng Street.

Looking up, a lone light was shining from that window on the third floor.

He pushed open the security door.

The floor of the living room was covered with documents.

Su Qinghan was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor, holding a pencil, circling and drawing on an old ledger.

Those were the stubs she had brought out from the Municipal Finance Bureau.

Previously, in the Treasury Division, she had to watch out for others tailing her when investigating these things, but now that she had gone to the Third Office of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, this had become a legitimate duty.

Hearing the sound of the door lock, Su Qinghan looked up and stood up from the floor.

Walking up to him, she sniffed.

"You've been drinking."

Zhu Wenhao changed his shoes.

"Grandfather was happy, so I had two drinks with him.

It was my first time meeting the elders, so I had to offer a few toasts.

The daughter of Director Liu of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission was also there tonight."

Su Qinghan's hand, which was in the middle of taking off his coat, paused ever so slightly in mid-air.

She lowered her eyelids, her fingers pausing on the texture of the coat for a moment, then she draped the coat over the back of the sofa as if nothing had happened and turned to walk toward the kitchen.

"I'll go brew some hangover soup for you."

Zhu Wenhao looked at that plain and stubborn figure and shook his head.

He walked to the desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

He pulled a roster out of his bag.

This was what Minister Xiao Dingyu had stuffed into his hand when he was leaving.

Tomorrow was the day to report to the Party School, and this roster was the battle map for what was to come.

He opened the title page.

This time, the provincial Young Cadre Training Class was divided into two independent classes according to administrative rank.

The Section-level Cadre Class, codenamed "Lingyun Class," had a full capacity of fifty people, mostly solid middle-level department personnel from various cities.

The other was the special recruitment class oriented toward interns or newly graded section members, codenamed "Spark Class."

The number of people was streamlined, with only thirty.

It was composed of one or two key personnel from each municipal level, as well as core candidates from provincial-level organs.

The list given by Minister Xiao Dingyu was extremely interesting.

Behind every name, the complex connections behind them were noted in small, neat regular script.

This was repaying the favor from last time to Zhu Wenhao.

Zhu Wenhao's fingers slid down the roster.

He was accustomed to finding the flaws first, then arranging his troops.

Very quickly, he locked onto two names outlined in red ink.

Class Monitor, Provincial Department of Natural Resources, section member.

Division Chief Liu Haiping's own nephew, Liu Xiaolei's cousin.

Lei Zhenzi, Provincial Youth League Committee section member.

Secretary Lei's son born late in life.

These two people were clearly coming for him.

One was for family shame, the other was for his childhood sweetheart.

These two would inevitably become the vanguard of inciting opposition in the Spark Class.

His finger continued to move down, pointing to three other names.

Zhou Xu, Provincial Party Committee Office Comprehensive Division.

Shen Zhe, Provincial Organization Department Cadre Division 1.

And Liu Ruobing from the Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department.

These three people could be considered potential allies.

As for the remaining twenty-some people, their backgrounds were varied, and most were neutral observers.

The Art of War says, first distinguish between friend and foe, then determine the strategy.

Win over the centrists, suppress the extremists.

Minister Xiao Dingyu had also given him a heads-up when they parted.

The Organization Department had already internally decided to let him, Zhu Wenhao, serve as the Class Monitor of this "Spark Class."

Being the Class Monitor was a thankless job; one had to coordinate relationships between superiors and subordinates while facing the harassment of various troublemakers.

This was undoubtedly another hurdle set by Minister Xiao Dingyu, to see how he would establish his own order in this extremely complex circle.

If he couldn't even control a scene of thirty people, how could he govern a region in the future?

As his thoughts flowed, a steaming bowl of sour plum soup was placed by his side.

Su Qinghan did not leave, but instead went around behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders to massage his tight neck and shoulder muscles.

Zhu Wenhao picked up the bowl and drank a few mouthfuls; it was sweet and sour, relieving the greasiness.

After washing up, he lay on the bed.

He had thought that after a day of running around, he could rest early.

However, Su Qinghan acted contrary to her usual self and actively snuggled up to him.

The night was filled with passion until late.

Su Qinghan leaned against his chest, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on his body.

"My work at the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection has just gotten started, and I can't get away usually," she said softly.

"In the future, I will come to the provincial capital to see you once a week or every half month."

Zhu Wenhao closed his eyes, his palm stroking her long hair.

"There's no need to be so arduous.

Running between two places, you won't be able to handle it."

Su Qinghan stopped her movements and looked up at his jawline.

"I'm afraid that if you stay in the provincial capital alone, you'll be seduced by someone else."

Zhu Wenhao didn't speak, but just moved his palm to the back of her head, his fingertips passing through her soft hair, gently rubbing it.

In the early morning, sunlight spilled into the bedroom through the gaps in the curtains.

Su Qinghan got up very early, tidied up the clothes scattered everywhere, and went to the kitchen to cook two bowls of plain noodles.

At the dining table, the two ate facing each other.

After finishing the meal, it was time to say goodbye.

Su Qinghan straightened the wrinkles in his shirt for him and handed him a luggage bag packed with toiletries.

"Don't be too outstanding at the Party School, but don't let people bully you either," she said, for once giving him a word of advice.

Zhu Wenhao took the luggage bag.

He remembered yesterday evening, when he was standing on the balcony and accidentally heard Su Qinghan hiding in the bathroom answering a call from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Her manner of deliberately lowering her voice and being strictly defensive made him find it very interesting.

"For the Discipline Inspection Commission case, don't stick your neck out.

If you encounter resistance, contact me anytime."

Zhu Wenhao left one sentence and opened the door.

The two parted ways.

One returned to the disciplinary inspection battlefield in Linjiang, and the other drove straight to the Jiangnan Provincial Party School.