197: Chapter 197 Applying Eye Drops

Governor Zhou Wenbin's office was on the top floor of the Provincial Government building. When Xu Weidong arrived, the secretary was already waiting at the door.

Governor Zhou Wenbin had just finished a meeting and was waiting for him.

Xu Weidong pushed the door open and entered. Governor Zhou Wenbin was leaning back in his chair, reading a document. Seeing him come in, he put down the materials in his hand, a hint of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth, and he gestured to the chair opposite him.

The secretary spoke up: "Governor, County Magistrate Comrade Weidong is here."

"Comrade Weidong is here? Sit."

The secretary was surprised by Governor Zhou Wenbin's attitude toward Xu Weidong; after all, the other party was only a deputy county magistrate.

By rights, he shouldn't even have the qualifications to enter this door.

Originally, the fact that the Governor had specially instructed him to wait already surprised him, but who would have thought that the Governor would be so polite to this extent!

Xu Weidong formally called out: "Uncle Zhou."

Then he sat down in the chair opposite. As the secretary closed the door, he caught an earful.

This "Uncle Zhou" startled this division chief of the Provincial Government Secretariat so much that he almost started singing on the spot!

Trespassing into the imperial court~

Governor Zhou Wenbin sized up Xu Weidong with a kind of affection and scrutiny unique to an elder looking at a younger generation.

Watching Xu Weidong grow from a naive college student into a deputy county magistrate capable of handling matters independently, it would be a lie to say he wasn't gratified.

The old leader's son was promising, and they, as old subordinates, also had face.

"Didn't you say you wanted to run for projects? Have you contacted the Provincial Department of Agriculture yet?"

Xu Weidong shook his head and said straight to the point: "Not yet. I wanted to report to you first before going to the Department of Agriculture."

"This time, I mainly want to strive for two projects: one is the supporting funds for the construction of high-standard farmland, and the other is a special subsidy for the cold chain logistics of agricultural products."

"The agricultural industrial park in Hukuang Township has already taken initial shape, but cold chain logistics is still a weak point. The county's finances are tight, and there is a significant gap, so I would like to ask for the Provincial Government's support."

Governor Zhou Wenbin nodded, reached out to pick up the phone on the table, and dialed a number. The call was connected quickly.

"Director Zhang, come to my office. A comrade is looking for you to discuss a project."

"Yes, right now."

Hanging up the phone, Governor Zhou Wenbin leaned back in his chair, picked up his teacup and took a sip. His gaze paused on Xu Weidong's face, and the smile at the corners of his mouth deepened.

Seeing Xu Weidong's brows slightly furrowed, with a look of wanting to speak but hesitating, it was clear he hadn't just come to run for projects.

"What's wrong? Something on your mind?"

Xu Weidong hesitated for a moment, then said: "Uncle Zhou, you know about my situation with Ruxue. Because of some avoidance issues, she was arranged to take up a post at the Federation of Literary and Art Circles."

"The Deputy County Magistrate of our county in charge of culture, education, and health, Deputy County Magistrate Liu Changde, went to the event specially. As a result, he touched her inappropriately in front of many people, held her hand and wouldn't let go, and kept staring at her with a particularly disgusting look in his eyes."

"She told me about it after she got back, and the more I think about it, the more uncomfortable I feel."

Governor Zhou Wenbin's expression sank. Mu Qing's momentum was in full swing, having just entered the cabinet, on par with his own old leader...

A mere deputy county magistrate actually dared to be so unscrupulous?

This wasn't just a matter of personal conduct; it might well be an organized and premeditated probe.

Governor Zhou Wenbin picked up the phone on the table. This time, he didn't dial the number for the Provincial Department of Agriculture, but an internal short number instead.

"Minister Ma Fuqiang, come to my office."

Minister Ma Fuqiang arrived very quickly. It had been less than a month since he transferred from Minister of the Provincial Organization Department to Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

His office was still on the original floor, only the sign on the door had been changed.

Long-term work on the political and legal front gave him an aura of unprovoked authority; his gaze was sharp, and his steps were steady.

He pushed the door open and entered. Seeing Xu Weidong sitting on the sofa, he nodded slightly, then sat down in the chair opposite Governor Zhou Wenbin.

"Wenbin, what is it?"

Governor Zhou Wenbin didn't beat around the bush. He had worked with Minister Ma Fuqiang for many years, from Hanzhong Province to Fengtian Province; they didn't need those empty pleasantries between them.

He recounted what Xu Weidong had just said. Although his tone was calm, the coldness between the lines caused the temperature in the office to drop by several degrees.

"Minister Ma Fuqiang, you have just taken over the work of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. The issue of cadre conduct at the grassroots level is one of your current key areas of focus."

"Changyuan County is a window county of our province. The development momentum has been good in recent years, but the various problems existing in the cadre team cannot be ignored."

"Deputy County Magistrate Liu Changde, as the deputy county magistrate in charge, publicly committed improper behavior highly inconsistent with the status of a leading cadre on the first day of the new Federation of Literary and Art Circles chairwoman's tenure. This is a serious conduct issue and must be dealt with strictly to warn others."

After listening, Minister Ma Fuqiang's brows furrowed slightly.

He had worked on the political and legal front for most of his life and had handled all kinds of cases, but this was truly the first time he had seen someone like Deputy County Magistrate Liu Changde who dared to make frivolous moves toward Xu Weidong's wife in a public setting.

He didn't know if Deputy County Magistrate Liu Changde was ignorant and fearless, or just lustfully bold, but he knew this matter had to be handled properly.

He glanced at Xu Weidong, his gaze carrying a kind of comfort and promise from an elder to a younger generation.

"Comrade Weidong, go back and work with peace of mind. The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection will follow up on this matter, and I will communicate with your Uncle Zhou in time once there is a result."

Xu Weidong stood up, nodded to Governor Zhou Wenbin and Minister Ma Fuqiang respectively, and said with a sincere and solemn tone: "Thank you, Uncle Zhou. Thank you, Uncle Ma."

By the time the Director of the Department of Agriculture arrived, Xu Weidong had already finished his second cup of tea.

The Director's surname was Zhang, in his early fifties, with graying hair and a slightly chubby figure. When he entered, there was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, showing how urgently he had rushed over.

He shook hands with Governor Zhou Wenbin, then shook hands with Xu Weidong, his attitude very polite.

Governor Zhou Wenbin pointed to Xu Weidong, his tone as flat as if he were introducing an ordinary subordinate cadre, but Director Zhang hadn't reached the department level by luck; having a sharp eye was a basic skill.

"Old Zhang, this is Comrade Xu Weidong from Changyuan County. He has a few projects over there; you should coordinate with him, and support him as much as you can."

Director Zhang nodded repeatedly, smiling and saying it was only right, and took the initiative to say: "Comrade Weidong is doing very well in Changyuan County, and the Department of Agriculture has always been paying attention."

He took a notebook out of his briefcase, earnestly wrote down the project names and funding requirements mentioned by Xu Weidong, and said he would arrange for the relevant divisions to follow up after he returned, striving to get the funds in place as soon as possible.

Governor Zhou Wenbin nodded with satisfaction and picked up his teacup; this was a sign to see the guests out.

Xu Weidong and Director Zhang stood up at the same time and walked out of the office one after the other.

Xu Weidong in the hallway chatted a few more sentences with Director Zhang, exchanged contact information, and agreed to bring comrades from the county to the Department of Agriculture for a detailed report next week, then took the elevator downstairs and left the Provincial Government building.

Meanwhile, in Governor Zhou Wenbin's office, Minister Ma Fuqiang had not yet left.

The two sat across from the coffee table, neither speaking.

Governor Zhou Wenbin held the teacup in his hand, his gaze falling on the open document on the table, and he remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Minister Ma Fuqiang, you personally keep an eye on this matter regarding Deputy County Magistrate Liu Changde. The old leader's daughter-in-law is not someone anyone can bully."

"If this kind of thing spreads, it's not Xu Weidong's face that's lost, it's the old leader's face, and even more so, the face of our Hanzhong."

"You have just taken over the work of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and you need to establish prestige."

"If this case is handled well, you will have an answer for both above and below."

"Besides, Old Ye in Hanzhong is nearing his time. If you can't stand tall, the old leader won't be able to help you even if he wants to."

Minister Ma Fuqiang nodded, stood up and straightened his collar, his tone steady: "Don't worry, I know what to do."

"The old tradition of the political and legal front: do not wrong a good person, but do not let a bad person go either."

"If Deputy County Magistrate Liu Changde only has conduct issues, punish him or adjust him as appropriate."

"If there are other problems, investigate to the end."

"I know the gravity of the situation."