11: Chapter 11 Late-Night Talk

Upon arriving at the Secretary's office, Secretary Man Chaojian greeted him warmly. With a smile, he reached out and gave Zhang Huaijing a firm handshake. "Calling you over so late, I hope I haven't disturbed your rest?"

"Not at all. I usually don't go to sleep this early."

"Come, come, please sit." Secretary Man Chaojian invited him to take a seat. The Secretary immediately served a white porcelain cup, from which the fragrant aroma of aged Puer tea wafted out.

"This is Bingdao aged tea, a treasure I've kept tucked away. You can't buy this on the market. I'm bringing it out for the first time today because, as they say, a fine sword for a hero and fine tea for a soulmate," Secretary Man Chaojian said with a chuckle.

Zhang Huaijing took a few sips and praised it endlessly. "It is indeed excellent tea! It's sweet, smooth, and clear, without a hint of bitterness. The aftertaste is long-lasting, with a sense of aged fragrance that feels like the sediment of time."

"It seems you're an expert too," Secretary Man Chaojian said. "People say that those who don't understand tea drink Puer, and those who truly understand tea also drink Puer."

"Secretary, you're the true expert here."

The two of them burst into laughter.

After chatting about Puer for a bit, Secretary Man Chaojian still hadn't gotten to the main point, continuing with pleasantries. "Huaijing, your arrival in Haizhou is perfectly timed; you're a lucky star. You see, we were just holding a meeting at noon to deploy wind-proofing measures. I was so worried about whether the super typhoon 'Pearl' would pass through. It was coming on quite fiercely.

Who would have thought that as soon as you arrived, 'Pearl' would quietly slip away? It was a false alarm, and Haizhou is completely unscathed. Everyone has breathed a sigh of relief. You, my friend, are a great figure who can suppress ox-demons and snake-spirits."

Hearing "suppress ox-demons and snake-spirits" was a bit uncomfortable. The Mayor's surname was Niu (Ox), and the Secretary of the Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission was named Secretary She Xionghan (She meaning Snake).

"Not at all. It's because the Secretary is presiding over Haizhou that the typhoons and rainstorms dare not come, and the ox-demons and snake-spirits can't stir up any trouble."

Secretary Man Chaojian grinned. His laugh wasn't loud or particularly hearty, yet he was very fond of putting on an easygoing and happy appearance.

Secretary Man Chaojian pulled out a cigarette and made a gesture to toss it to Zhang Huaijing, but the latter waved his hand. "I don't smoke. I've quit."

If you tell a leader you don't smoke, they might have thoughts about it, but if you say you've "quit," they have nothing to say and won't try to persuade you to pick it up again.

Amidst the swirling smoke, Secretary Man Chaojian asked, "Did Deputy Minister Xue go to bed so early?"

"When I came over, I saw his door was closed. I'm not sure if he's asleep," Zhang Huaijing said, avoiding the crux of the matter.

"You probably don't know, but Deputy Minister Xue and the Mayor were classmates; they're quite close," Secretary Man Chaojian said, lowering his voice. "The Mayor didn't go find him for a second half?"

The question was asked quite artfully, making it difficult for Zhang Huaijing to answer. He lowered his head to take a sip of tea and said calmly, "Oh, I'm not sure. However, I think I heard someone knocking on Deputy Minister Xue's door, and there seemed to be the voices of two men. I don't know them, so I couldn't tell who they were."

Secretary Man Chaojian nodded with a smile on his face.

Speaking of Mayor Niu Panlong, Zhang Huaijing's impression of him was actually quite good. He was tall and robust with fair skin, bright eyes, and a resonant voice. His loud laughter made him seem very bold, possessing a sort of roguish charm that wasn't at all unpleasant.

At the banquet that evening, the two had toasted each other several times, but they had only exchanged a few pleasantries, and the interaction had passed uneventfully.

The Mayor's attention and energy were entirely focused on Deputy Minister Xue Zhongkai, and he hadn't paid much heed to Zhang Huaijing—or perhaps he simply didn't take him seriously.

After chatting for a while longer, Secretary Man Chaojian said, "Haizhou is 400 kilometers from the provincial capital; it's quite far. What are your wife's arrangements? Should she be transferred here as well?"

"That... we'll see later," Zhang Huaijing replied evasively.

Last Wednesday, Zhang Huaijing's appointment had passed through the Provincial Party Standing Committee. By Thursday, Secretary Man Chaojian had someone from the Organization Department get Zhang Huaijing's resume, which listed him as married. Upon looking into it, he found his wife was named Wang Shuting, the niece of Minister Guan Wengao of the Provincial Organization Department.

No wonder he had remained unscathed when his former boss fell from grace and was able to make a comeback in such a short time.

This was a powerful connection.

Secretary Man Chaojian had previously been the Mayor of Dongshan City, but he hadn't succeeded in becoming the Secretary there as he had hoped. Instead, he received a consolation prize: being sent to the economically backward Haizhou to serve as the top leader.

The boss who had promoted him had been transferred to another province, and their relationship had gradually grown distant. His foundation was no longer as solid as before, and he needed a new backer.

Secretary Man Chaojian said, "Is Minister Guan Wengao doing well? Last week I went to the province to attend a meeting he chaired regarding party-building work. He sees through the issues and speaks very practically."

"He should be doing quite well."

"Are you facing some difficulties here? Your wife could come here to develop her career." Secretary Man Chaojian still wanted to steer the conversation toward Minister Guan Wengao.

Zhang Huaijing had no choice but to be honest. "Secretary, Wang Shuting and I are divorced. I'm a bachelor now."

"Divorced? Truly?" Secretary Man Chaojian was greatly shocked, his eyes filled with bewilderment. That was the niece of the Provincial Organization Department Minister, and it was said that Minister Guan Wengao doted on her quite a bit.

Wasn't this like cutting off his own legs? How could he expect to rise in the official world now?

Zhang Huaijing smiled and said, "We just got the certificate yesterday, so there hasn't been time to update my personal resume yet."

After all that, Minister Guan Wengao was no longer Zhang Huaijing's backer.

It was incredibly awkward.

Consequently, the way Secretary Man Chaojian looked at him changed. The previous sense of awe vanished completely because the halo behind him had suddenly disappeared. Of the two great mountains, one had collapsed and the other had been moved away.

What was there left to respect about this man?

He slowly puffed on his cigarette, hiding his expression in the smoke, appearing profound and unpredictable.

Zhang Huaijing added, "We didn't have children either, so in the end, the foundation wasn't stable enough. We couldn't make it work, so we had an amicable split. She's processing her paperwork to go abroad and expects to go to the United States around National Day. Her parents live in the United States and are Chinese-Americans; she's also preparing to emigrate there."

"I see... so that's how it is."

His mood shifted once again.

Zhang Huaijing understood his thoughts; the Secretary likely thought he was pulling the 'naked official' routine—a so-called fake divorce to turn his wife and children into foreigners. Did Zhang Huaijing really have financial issues? To pull off a fake divorce so blatantly at this juncture to transfer assets—did he think no one would dare investigate?

The Discipline Inspection Commission would be tactful when investigating cases; after all, they had to consider the feelings of the Provincial Organization Department Minister and wouldn't go as far as to drive someone to a dead end.

Zhang Huaijing said, "Actually, for my coming to Haizhou, I have to thank Minister Guan Wengao. He still put in a good word for me."

He said this to deliberately provoke Secretary Man Chaojian.

Sure enough, that elusive sense of awe returned to Secretary Man Chaojian's heart.

"Without a wife and children, you have fewer worries and can focus on your career. To be honest, as your elder brother, it makes it easier for me to make arrangements for you."

"Yes, I have no worries about the future and will follow the Secretary to build a great career. Please don't be formal; just assign me whatever work or tasks you have, and I will do my utmost to implement them."

"Good! I am very gratified by this statement! Then let's talk about work!"

As he spoke, he suddenly stood up and walked to an administrative map of Haizhou's urban area hanging on the wall. Gesturing with his hand, he said, "Look, Huaijing, the Chao River divides Haizhou City in two. From north to south, it's split into two large areas. The main urban area and the old city are in the south, closer to the sea. Haizhou Port and the Municipal Party Committee are located here. In the past, investment and development were concentrated in the South District, which is also the old city.

The North District has also developed over these years. The Jiangbei New Area and its High-tech Development Zone have shown rapid development momentum. To strengthen the connection between the two districts and solve the traffic bottleneck problem, the Municipal Party Committee and Government are studying the construction of a new cross-river bridge."

Zhang Huaijing listened quietly, nodding in agreement from time to time, and asked, "Is the current cross-river bridge insufficient?"