28: Chapter 28 Has Wan Xiaohan gone mad?

When the news reached the Municipal Government, Mayor Lin was holding an executive meeting.

The director of the Finance Bureau was reporting on the fourth-quarter budget adjustment plan, and less than five minutes into the presentation, Secretary-General Jiao Guoding pushed the door open and entered.

He walked over to Mayor Lin, leaned down, and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Mayor Lin, Secretary Wan has taken some people to Changyuan County."

Mayor Lin's pen paused, and he asked, "When?"

"This morning. He should have arrived by now."

Mayor Lin looked at Secretary-General Jiao Guoding without saying a word.

The director of the Finance Bureau was still reciting, "...Based on the execution status of the first three quarters, we suggest adjusting the expenditure for agriculture, forestry, and water affairs..."

"Stop for a moment."

The conference room fell silent, and Mayor Lin stood up.

"Let's pause the meeting here and continue in the afternoon."

Mayor Lin pushed open the door and walked into the small conference room next door.

Secretary-General Jiao Guoding followed him in and closed the door.

Mayor Lin turned around and said, "Changyuan County?"

"Changyuan County."

"Secretary Wan is leading the team personally, accompanied only by his driver and that new secretary, Comrade Weidong."

Mayor Lin's expression changed. He grabbed the teacup on the table, then set it back down.

"Has Secretary Wan Xiaohan lost his mind?!"

"Does he not know what kind of place Changyuan County is?"

"Last year, a deputy director of the Public Security Bureau was blocked in his office and beaten, and the case still hasn't been solved!"

"The mine tyrant in Hukuang Township keeps hundreds of men; even the police from the Public Security Bureau give them a wide berth when they go in!"

"He is taking a twenty-three-year-old kid to a place like that. What is he trying to do?!"

Secretary-General Jiao Guoding remained silent as Mayor Lin paced the room twice.

"Secretary Wan Xiaohan is the Municipal Party Committee Secretary; he can go wherever he wants."

"But what about Xu Weidong?"

"Is that someone he can just take out there casually?!"

"If something happens, what kind of future will we have left?"

Secretary-General Jiao Guoding said softly, "Mayor Lin, please don't be so anxious."

"Since Secretary Wan dared to go, he must be prepared..."

"He's prepared?"

Mayor Lin sneered, "If he were prepared, he shouldn't have taken that kid! How many days has that kid been in Lvjiang City?"

"You know who his father is, but do you know who stands behind his father?"

Damn it, wouldn't the prince throw a tantrum and refuse to go?

This second-generation official is even less tough than a minor mayor like him.

If this were in ancient times, the kid's father could level their entire Lvjiang City!

No... He suddenly felt that the upbringing of these children of officials being too good wasn't necessarily a good thing.

They are too easily used as pawns!

The key is that they still have to desperately hold the gun barrel, fearing that the gun might be aimed wrongly!

"A kid with that kind of background, if placed in our Lvjiang City, is an ancestor!"

"An ancestor that needs to be worshipped!"

"Secretary Wan Xiaohan, on the other hand, is taking the ancestor and jumping into a fire pit!"

Secretary-General Jiao Guoding waited for him to finish venting before speaking, "Mayor Lin, how about I notify the Public Security Bureau and have them send people to Changyuan County?"

Mayor Lin said speechlessly, "Send people to Changyuan County? Send whom? How many? What for?"

"Just say it's to strengthen public security patrols. Since the Crackdown on Organized Crime special operation is currently underway, it's reasonable and justifiable for the City Public Security Bureau to go down and provide supervision."

Mayor Lin didn't speak, so Secretary-General Jiao Guoding added, "Mayor Lin, think about it. What if Secretary Chen Tianci... pulls some tricks..."

"You know what kind of person Secretary Chen Tianci is."

"His favorite tactics are sending money and sending women."

"Where does he get those women from? How many of them are clean?"

"If that woman happens to have some disease and infects Comrade Weidong..."

Mayor Lin's brow twitched violently. Old Jiao, don't scare me!

"If the person above finds out, they might really split Lvjiang City in two."

Mayor Lin's right eye twitched inexplicably, and he felt a sudden, inexplicable panic.

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the phone behind him. If that really happened, he feared his phone would be blown up with calls, right?

By then, the province wouldn't need to play any "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"; they could just start the Battle of Lvjiang City directly...

Mayor Lin sat back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Secretary-General Jiao Guoding stood to the side, waiting.

After a long time, Mayor Lin opened his eyes.

"Secretary Wan's move is truly ruthless."

"He is just trying to force me."

Mayor Lin stood up and said, "I've been covering up that mess in Changyuan County for seven years."

"The previous two secretaries both wanted to act, but neither succeeded."

"Why?"

"Because if you touch it, it involves too much. Once you touch it, the lid is lifted, and nobody knows how many maggots are underneath."

"Secretary Wan Xiaohan taking that kid to Changyuan County now is just telling me..."

"If I don't act with him, and something happens to that kid, I'll have to bear the consequences myself."

Secretary-General Jiao Guoding said, "That's why he chose this time and this person."

"Correct."

"He knows what I'm afraid of."

"He succeeded."

Secretary-General Jiao Guoding didn't speak. Mayor Lin walked back to his desk and picked up the phone.

"Connect me to the Public Security Bureau, get me Police Chief Zheng Xilin."

Ten minutes later, Police Chief Zheng Xilin stood before Mayor Lin.

He was hand-picked by Mayor Lin and only listens to Mayor Lin.

"Mayor Lin."

Mayor Lin signaled for him to sit, but Police Chief Zheng Xilin didn't sit, and Mayor Lin didn't force him.

"Old Zheng, are you familiar with Changyuan County?"

Police Chief Zheng Xilin paused, then said, "I am."

"How familiar?"

Police Chief Zheng Xilin was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Does Mayor Lin want the truth?"

"Don't talk nonsense."

Police Chief Zheng Xilin said, "The problems in Changyuan County didn't happen overnight."

"That group of mine tyrants in Hukuang Township wears the same pants as some people in the county."

"They also have their people in the public security system."

"A few years ago, I sent two special investigation teams, but they all ended up with nothing in the end."

"Because there are people in the county protecting them, cooperating to destroy evidence."

Mayor Lin nodded and said, "I know."

"There are also old fossils in the city speaking for them; otherwise, could they have been jumping around until now?"

"But the situation is different now. I want you to send people to Changyuan County."

Police Chief Zheng Xilin was stunned, then said, "Mayor Lin, you mean..."

"Supervision for the Crackdown on Organized Crime special operation. The City Public Security Bureau will send a working group down there, leaving tomorrow."

Police Chief Zheng Xilin looked at him and said, "Mayor Lin, if the county doesn't cooperate..."

"Whether they cooperate or not is their business. You going there is to show our stance."

"Also, there is a city leader inspecting Changyuan County right now."

"When you go down there, you have another task: to ensure the leader's safety."

Police Chief Zheng Xilin's eyes flickered, and he said, "Mayor Lin is referring to..."

"Secretary Wan."

Police Chief Zheng Xilin didn't ask any further and stood straight.

"I will lead the team personally."

Mayor Lin looked at him and immediately laughed, "You?"

"In a place like Changyuan County, an ordinary person wouldn't be able to hold the line."

"If I go personally, whoever wants to make a move will have to weigh the consequences first."

Mayor Lin was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Good."

"Old Zheng."

"That kid, Xu Weidong, must not lose a single hair."

"His safety priority is above Secretary Wan."

Police Chief Zheng Xilin nodded and said, "Understood."

Secretary-General Jiao Guoding stood to the side the whole time, not saying a word.

After the door closed, he spoke.

"Mayor Lin, with Old Zheng going personally, won't the commotion be too big?"

Mayor Lin shook his head and said, "We need the commotion to be big."

"Secretary Chen Tianci and his people are not pushovers."

"The reason they have been entrenched in Changyuan County for so many years is because they are bold and ruthless."

"Only when Police Chief Zheng Xilin goes will they know fear."

"Once they are afraid, that kid will be safe."

Secretary-General Jiao Guoding nodded and said, "Mayor Lin is still the most thoughtful."

Mayor Lin smiled bitterly and said, "Thoughtful? I'm being forced into this."

"I have to accept this move from Secretary Wan Xiaohan, whether I like it or not."

"He is betting that I won't dare to refuse."

"Alright, you go back first. We'll talk about tomorrow's matters tomorrow."

To put it bluntly, Mayor Lin really didn't want to clash with those old fossils in the city.

When it comes down to it, he doesn't control the majority of the Standing Committee, and neither does Secretary Wan Xiaohan, so they can't take down Secretary Chen Tianci directly.

Lvjiang City is truly bizarre; the top two leaders in the city don't even control the majority of votes...

Letting a bunch of old things strut around and throw their weight around!

That group might not be able to help him take the position of Secretary, but they can certainly hold him back.

Aren't the previous two secretaries a warning?

Secretary Wan Xiaohan is truly a piece of work!

It would have been better if that kid had come to his Municipal Government; he could have guaranteed him a deputy section-level position in a year, a full section-level position in three years, and a town Party Committee secretary position in the fourth year.

Once this four-year route was arranged, he, Mayor Lin, could have gone directly to the provincial level...

But what did that bastard Secretary Wan Xiaohan do?

He took the prince to visit a bandit's den!

If that's not being a bastard, what is?