129: Chapter 129 Shocking Speech

When Luan Ping called Director Bai Jie to his office, the sky was already turning dark.

"Xiao Bai, sit."

Luan Ping pointed to the chair opposite him, closed the document in his hand, and leaned back in his chair.

He never used empty pleasantries when speaking with Director Bai Jie. From her time as a political and legal officer to her current role as director of the Comprehensive Management Office, he had witnessed everything she had accomplished over the past few years.

She was an advanced worker year after year and an expert at handling mass incidents. In a place like Hukuang Township, where conflicts and disputes were as numerous as ox hairs, being able to hold the Comprehensive Management Office together was something not just anyone could do.

Director Bai Jie sat down opposite him, her back straight.

She was wearing a dark blue jacket today, her hair tied in a ponytail, and her face was devoid of makeup.

Every time Luan Ping saw her like this, he felt that this young woman shouldn't be cooped up in a small place like Hukuang Township.

"You know the situation in the township recently."

Luan Ping lit a cigarette, took a puff, and slowly exhaled.

"After Secretary Xu arrived, the leadership team underwent a round of adjustments."

"Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming is now in charge of organization, personnel, and political and legal affairs. Our line of work falls under his jurisdiction."

Director Bai Jie nodded without speaking. She knew Luan Ping hadn't called her here just to talk about these obvious matters.

Luan Ping flicked the ash from his cigarette and lowered his voice by half a notch.

"You know what kind of person Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming is. He has worked in the organization system for many years and is an expert at handling paperwork and finding faults in others."

"You've heard about what happened to Committee Member Chen Ruo, right?"

"Because the date of the Southern Tour speech was written incorrectly on an application for Party membership, he made a public scene at the leadership meeting and scolded Committee Member Chen Ruo like a child."

"If Secretary Xu hadn't smoothed things over at the end, it's hard to say whether Committee Member Chen Ruo would have been able to save face as the Organization Committee Member."

Of course, Director Bai Jie had heard about it.

This matter had been circulating in the township for several days with various versions, but the core was the same.

That was that Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming was establishing his authority, while the people under Township Head Jiang Tiansheng were being suppressed.

She was one of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission member's people, so naturally, she had to be more cautious.

"Committee Member Luan, do you mean we need to be careful too?"

Luan Ping stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, looked at her, and sighed softly, "You are a smart person; some things don't need to be spelled out."

"Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming is now in charge of political and legal affairs. He can question your work as director of the Comprehensive Management Office at any time."

"Account books, case files, petition records—these things look inconspicuous usually, but if someone really wants to find fault, they can pick apart any of them."

Director Bai Jie nodded; she understood what Luan Ping meant.

"Committee Member Luan, rest assured, my work can stand up to inspection."

Her voice was not loud, but very firm.

Luan Ping glanced at her, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, which counted as a smile.

He believed Director Bai Jie had the confidence. From political and legal officer to director of the Comprehensive Management Office, she had earned every step herself.

Handling mining conflicts, mediating land acquisition disputes, resolving long-standing petition cases—which one of these wasn't a hard-fought battle?

The title of advanced worker year after year wasn't given for free. Otherwise, did you really think it was just given because Director Bai Jie was pretty?

"Alright, go back."

Luan Ping waved his hand, "Pay more attention to work matters recently, and don't let anyone find faults with you."

"The struggle in the township has already begun. We won't look for trouble, but we can't let others push us around either."

Director Bai Jie acknowledged this and got up to walk out.

When she reached the door, Luan Ping called her back.

"Xiao Bai, is your boyfriend still in the township?"

Director Bai Jie's footsteps paused, and she turned around, her face expressionless.

"Yes."

Luan Ping nodded and said nothing more.

It was a fifteen-minute walk from the Township Government to the house Director Bai Jie rented.

She had walked this path for several years and could find her way back even with her eyes closed.

In March, Hukuang Township was still a bit chilly at night. She wrapped her jacket tighter and walked quickly.

The house was in an old building behind the township health center, with two bedrooms and a living room, and the monthly rent was reasonable.

When she first rented this place, Gao Dawei had looked at it with her, saying that although the place was remote, it was quiet and suitable for him to prepare for his exams.

When she took out her key to open the door, she heard someone talking inside.

It wasn't the sound of a television; it was real human voices.

Director Bai Jie paused, inserted the key into the lock, turned it twice, and pushed the door open.

The living room light was on. Several items of clothing were scattered on the sofa: a men's shirt, a woman's skirt, and a piece of underwear she had never seen before.

A pair of high heels was tilted next to the shoe cabinet; they were not hers.

Director Bai Jie stood at the door, her gaze shifting from the sofa to the shoe cabinet, from the shoe cabinet to the hallway, and from the hallway to the bedroom.

The bedroom door was half-open, and rustling sounds came from inside.

Director Bai Jie put down her bag, changed into slippers, and walked over unhurriedly.

When she pushed open the bedroom door, Gao Dawei was sitting on the edge of the bed putting on his socks, shirtless, his pants not yet buttoned.

A woman was lying on the bed, wrapped in a quilt, revealing a patch of pale shoulder and a head of dyed yellow hair.

Gao Dawei looked up and saw her. His movements paused for a moment before he continued putting on his socks, as if it weren't him who had been caught.

"You're back?"

Director Bai Jie leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest, looking at the woman on the bed.

The woman looked back at her, a trace of panic in her eyes, which was quickly replaced by a deliberate sense of indifference.

The two stared at each other for two seconds. Director Bai Jie shifted her gaze from the woman's face and landed on Gao Dawei.

"Get dressed and come out. I have something to say to you."

She turned and walked back to the living room, sat down on the sofa, and pushed those scattered clothes aside, her movements unhurried.

Gao Dawei dawdled for a while before coming out. His shirt button was misaligned, his hair was messy, and his face wore the indignant anger of someone caught in the act.

He sat down opposite Director Bai Jie, crossed his legs, and dared not look her in the eyes.

The woman on the bed also came out, wrapped in Director Bai Jie's bathrobe, her hair wet, standing in the hallway with an expression of watching a show.

Director Bai Jie glanced at her, then looked at Gao Dawei, her voice very calm.

"Explain yourself?"

Gao Dawei coughed drily. The expression on his face changed several times, from embarrassment to indifference, from indifference to righteous indignation.

He straightened his back, as if to bolster his courage.

"Director Bai Jie, we've been together for so many years, so I won't hide some things from you anymore."

"This is Xiao Man, my ex-girlfriend."

"She came to Hukuang Township to see me, and we..."

"And you what?"

Director Bai Jie's voice was neither high nor low, as if she were asking about something that had nothing to do with her.

Gao Dawei was choked up by this attitude and simply hardened his heart.

"This is how it was when we were together before."

"Although we broke up, we were used to sleeping together, so we didn't separate beds after breaking up."

"What's the big deal? It's the 21st century; people's thinking shouldn't be so conservative."

Director Bai Jie looked at him and suddenly laughed.

"Gao Dawei, you are also a student from the Fengtian University Law School. Let me ask you, who rented this house?"

Gao Dawei's expression changed slightly, and he said, "You rented it, so what?"

"So what?"

Director Bai Jie stood up and looked down at him.

"I rented this house, I paid the rent, and I paid the utilities."

"Four years ago, you came to Hukuang Township and said you had nowhere to stay. I said fine and let you stay."