70: Chapter 70 Random Playing of the Qin

At the end of December, the cold wind in Shengjing was biting.

In the office of the Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Minister Ma Fuqiang sat behind his desk, holding a document in his hand, his brows tightly furrowed.

On the sofa opposite, Governor Zhou Wenbin sat with his legs crossed, also holding a copy of the same document, his expression equally grim.

That document had been submitted by Lvjiang City, titled "Report on Comrade Xu Weidong Personally Handling Cases Involving Underworld and Criminal Activities".

The content was very detailed: On a certain day in a certain month of a certain year, Comrade Weidong, the Executive Deputy Director of the County Public Security Bureau, received a tip-off that two underworld gangs were preparing to fight at the Huangcheng KTV.

Comrade Weidong took the lead, personally led the team to scout the location, and even went undercover to infiltrate the Huangcheng KTV, ultimately succeeding in rounding up both underworld gangs.

The writing was excellent, the deeds were moving, and the spirit was commendable.

But as Minister Ma Fuqiang read on, his face grew darker and darker.

By the end, he could finally no longer restrain himself and slapped the document onto the desk with a loud "pa".

"Nonsense! This is absolute nonsense!"

Governor Zhou Wenbin looked up at him, saying nothing.

Minister Ma Fuqiang stood up and paced back and forth in the office, his anger impossible to conceal.

"Governor Zhou Wenbin, look at this, look at this!"

"Personally handling it on the front line? Going undercover? Infiltrating the Huangcheng KTV?"

"What is this? Is this making a movie or writing a novel? Is this what a Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau should be doing?"

The more Minister Ma Fuqiang spoke, the angrier he became, his voice rising by an octave.

"A person of high status should not take unnecessary risks! Do those people in Lvjiang City really not understand this principle, or are they pretending not to?"

"How could they let Comrade Weidong rush to the front line? If something were to happen, who could bear that responsibility?!"

Governor Zhou Wenbin put down the document in his hand and sighed.

"Old Ma, don't get excited, sit down and let's talk."

Minister Ma Fuqiang did not sit, continuing to pace back and forth.

"How can I not be excited? Comrade Weidong grew up right before our eyes!"

"When he was little, he would run around in the courtyard, calling us Uncle Ma and Uncle Zhou. I still remember that voice!"

"Now that he has grown up and is training at the grassroots level, that is a good thing, and it is as it should be."

"But is this how those people in Lvjiang City protect him? By letting him face the underworld head-on?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang stopped and looked at Governor Zhou Wenbin.

"What on earth are they doing in Lvjiang City?!"

Governor Zhou Wenbin was silent for a few seconds, then said: "Old Ma, have you ever thought that maybe it was Comrade Weidong himself who wanted to go?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang was stunned. Governor Zhou Wenbin stood up and walked to the window, his back to him.

"You know what that child's temperament is like."

"He has had his own ideas since he was a child, and once he sets his mind on something, nine bulls couldn't pull him back."

"Back when he graduated from college, the old leader wanted him to return to Hanzhong, but he refused; he insisted on taking the entrance exam for the selection of cadres to go to Lvjiang City."

"When he arrived in Lvjiang City, Secretary Wan Xiaohan told him to go to Hukuang Township, and he went."

"When he arrived in Hukuang Township, someone pushed him to investigate Qili Village, and he investigated."

Governor Zhou Wenbin turned around and looked at Minister Ma Fuqiang.

Xu Weidong, that child, has been like that since he was little.

He looks quiet and gentle, but in his bones, he is more stubborn than anyone else.

Once he sets his mind on something, it is useless for anyone to try to talk him out of it.

"But that still shouldn't..."

"If something were to happen... how would the two of us face the old leader?"

Governor Zhou Wenbin walked back to the sofa, sat down, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"Old Ma, I want to ask you a question."

"Go ahead."

"Do you think we should transfer Comrade Weidong to the provincial level?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang was stunned for a moment, then fell into deep thought.

That's right, rather than letting him take risks down below, it would be better to transfer him to the provincial level.

Keeping him under our own eyes would be safer.

The Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the Provincial Public Security Department—which place couldn't accommodate him?

Given his rank, even a section-chief level position could be arranged directly without any procedural issues.

Minister Ma Fuqiang thought for a moment, then said: "That's a good idea."

"Transferring him to the provincial level, where we can keep an eye on him, is safer."

Governor Zhou Wenbin shook his head and gave a wry smile.

"Oh, Old Ma, you still haven't figured it out."

Minister Ma Fuqiang looked at him and said: "What do you mean?"

Governor Zhou Wenbin put down his teacup, his tone becoming serious: "Why didn't the old leader let him return to Hanzhong in the first place? Think of how many old subordinates are in Hanzhong."

"Arranging a random position there would be a hundred times better than Lvjiang City, wouldn't it? But the old leader didn't let him. Why?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang was silent.

"Because he wants to temper him."

Governor Zhou Wenbin continued: "If he were placed in Hanzhong, he would be a crown prince; everyone would fawn over him, everyone would yield to him. What could he learn? How could he grow?"

"That child has been smart since he was little, but he is also stubborn and has a childish streak."

"If he isn't allowed to suffer a little, this spirit will never come out."

Minister Ma Fuqiang said nothing more; he knew Governor Zhou Wenbin was right.

Who is Xu Tianhua?

He is someone who climbed up step by step from the grassroots level; he knows the importance of the grassroots better than anyone.

He placed his son in Lvjiang City, in Hukuang Township, precisely to make him start from the very bottom, to let him know what the lives of ordinary people are like, and to let him understand the complexity and difficulty of the grassroots level.

This is true cultivation!

"Then what do you mean..."

Governor Zhou Wenbin sighed and said: "My meaning is that we watch over him, we protect him, but we cannot walk the path for him."

"The hardships he is meant to endure, he must endure. The suffering he is meant to bear, he must bear."

"This is the price of growth, and no one can take his place."

Minister Ma Fuqiang was silent for a long time. He walked back to his desk, sat down, and picked up the document to read it again.

"But things like personally handling it on the front line..."

"If something were to really happen..."

Governor Zhou Wenbin laughed: "Old Ma, let me ask you, did Comrade Weidong have an accident?"

"No."

"Then that settles it."

"That child is not a reckless person; if he dared to go, it means he knew what he was doing."

"Think about it, when he was in Hukuang Township, he dared to go to a place like Qili Village, and didn't he end up safe and sound?"

"This time is the same: going undercover, scouting and setting an ambush, and finally successfully closing the net."

"What does this prove? It proves he has the capability."

Minister Ma Fuqiang said nothing more. Governor Zhou Wenbin stood up, walked over to him, and patted his shoulder.

"Old Ma, we both watched him grow up, so feeling distressed for him is a given."

"But we must trust him, and we must trust the old leader's judgment. Since the old leader dared to let him go down there, there is a reason for it."

Minister Ma Fuqiang looked up at him and suddenly smiled.

"Governor Zhou Wenbin, you are quite open-minded."

Governor Zhou Wenbin also laughed: "It's not being open-minded, it's that there's no other way."

"What can we do? Transfer him up? The old leader would certainly not agree."

"Create opportunities for him? Let him gain merit? Wouldn't that be falsification? If the child found out, what would he think?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang rubbed his chin and suddenly said: "How about... we create some opportunities for him?"

Governor Zhou Wenbin was stunned: "What kind of opportunities?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang's eyes brightened: "The kind that... can train a person, but aren't dangerous."

"For instance, intentionally or unintentionally leaking clues about some major cases to him, and letting him investigate."

"He could gain merit, improve his skills, and it would be safe."

Governor Zhou Wenbin looked at him as if he were looking at an idiot.

"Old Ma, are you really willing?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang was stunned: "What do you mean?"

Governor Zhou Wenbin rolled his eyes: "You just said you were afraid of him having an accident, and now you want to create opportunities for him."

"Do you think investigating major cases isn't dangerous? Are those criminals vegetarians?"

"If a slip-up happens in any link, can you bear that responsibility?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Governor Zhou Wenbin sighed, his tone softening: "Old Ma, I know you have good intentions."

"But think about it, what we can think of, can't the old leader think of it too?"

"He has already thought about it long ago."

"Since he lets Comrade Weidong stay down there, it shows he believes Comrade Weidong can handle it well."

"What we need to do is not pave the way for him, but give him support when he needs it."

Minister Ma Fuqiang was silent. After a long while, he gave a wry smile.

"You are right."

"I just... can't bear it."

Governor Zhou Wenbin patted his shoulder: "Who could bear it? I can't either."

"But even if you can't bear it, you must."

"This child will be taking over in the future."

"Without suffering, without enduring hardship, without experiencing the storms, how can he carry that burden?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang nodded and said no more.

He picked up the document and read it again.

"This kid, he really has a lot of guts."

Governor Zhou Wenbin leaned over: "What?"

Minister Ma Fuqiang pointed to a section on the document: "Look here, Xu Weidong went undercover, infiltrated the Huangcheng KTV alone, and dealt with the criminal suspects."

"This kid, alone, infiltrating the Huangcheng KTV, dealing with those people—who would you say he is like?"

Governor Zhou Wenbin thought for a moment and also laughed.

"He is like the old leader."

Minister Ma Fuqiang nodded and sighed with emotion: "A tiger father has no dog sons."

The two looked at each other and smiled, and the heavy atmosphere in the office finally eased.