51: Chapter 51 Report

The man and woman hid in an inconspicuous corner, swaying slowly while whispering to each other.

"Secretary, you are the one who truly understands dancing. Dancing isn't just about the steps and the moves; it's about feeling and emotion." Minister Meng Zhaodi glanced at the crowd below; several men were drinking and chatting, paying them no mind. "Honestly, only dancing with you gives me that feeling. It's so comfortable, so relaxing."

"I feel so." Zhang Huaijing's simple three-word reply nearly made her lose her composure.

Minister Meng Zhaodi steadied herself, looked up, and smiled at him languidly.

"What are you smiling at? Keep smiling, and even the Dance God will lose his step," Zhang Huaijing said, looking down at her chest.

"I'm just happy."

"I feel so."

Minister Meng Zhaodi burst into a giggle.

"You danced with Deputy Minister Xue Zhongkai three times just now, right? So, does he dance well?" Zhang Huaijing asked with a smile.

"Weren't you watching from down there? You could tell at a glance."

Deputy Minister Xue Zhongkai was the type who didn't dance well but loved to do it anyway. The key was that his body proportions weren't very harmonious; his legs were short, his arms were short, and he lacked both the external conditions and the internal talent.

"That must have been trying for you, Minister Meng Zhaodi," Zhang Huaijing said, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

She smiled, and seizing the moment while dancing on her tiptoes, she leaned toward his ear and whispered in Cantonese, "It was so trying."

"However, if you want to return to the provincial level, what's a little grievance?"

"I mentioned it to him before, and he said he would keep an eye out for me. Just now, his hints were even more obvious than last time."

"What did he hint at?"

"Secretary, you know what I mean." Minister Meng Zhaodi blushed, looking helpless and sorrowful.

"Then you..."

Minister Meng Zhaodi rolled her eyes in thought and said, "If it's a man I like, anything goes. If it's one I don't like, nothing goes. Yes, that's it."

"In that case, I'm afraid you'll have to stay with me in Haizhou for a few more years," Zhang Huaijing said, sounding both regretful and relieved.

Minister Meng Zhaodi deliberately stepped on his foot lightly and chided, "Schadenfreude."

After their steps returned to a normal rhythm, Minister Meng Zhaodi whispered, "I've abandoned the darkness for the light. Whether I can return to the provincial level no longer depends on Deputy Minister Xue Zhongkai. I'm counting on another man. This man is much more handsome, much younger, and much more interesting than him."

"Is it polite to be swooning over someone else while dancing with me? I'd like to ask, who is that lucky man?"

Minister Meng Zhaodi chuckled, amused by him again. This time, she pinched him with the hand resting on his shoulder and said, "Right in front of your eyes."

"Uh, you need to be clear about this; I'm just a noble from the former Qing Dynasty."

"Who knows, maybe your boss will restore the monarchy?" Minister Meng Zhaodi finished and laughed elegantly. "I'm just joking with you. Between men and women, sometimes there's no need to be so utilitarian. I think that if the feeling is right, anything is possible."

"I feel so."

Minister Meng Zhaodi, both angry and shy, hit him lightly and chided, "Secretary, is that the only three-word phrase you know how to say tonight?"

"I can say another three words: Cannot say it."

"Which three words?" Minister Meng Zhaodi's face turned even redder, and her heart rate suddenly accelerated.

"Cannot say it."

"We're both middle-aged now, what could you possibly not be able to say!" Minister Meng Zhaodi looked at him languidly and urged, "Say it, go on, be a little bolder."

She knew that if it were the three words "I love you," he would never say them. They had met years ago, but how many days had they actually been close? Less than a month.

Even though she craved love and sex, it wasn't to the point where she would be flirting with a Municipal Party Committee leader so quickly. It wasn't just a matter of professional conduct; there was also the restraint and rationality of middle age.

Once her thoughts were in disarray, her footwork became clumsy, and her face turned an exaggerated shade of red.

Zhang Huaijing laughed: "It's just those three words: Cannot say it."

Minister Meng Zhaodi suddenly realized that he had been referring to the three words "Cannot say it." You rascal, you tricked me, teasing me until my heart was in a turmoil and my ears were burning, and it turns out...

She said, both angry and amused, "Do you know what I want to say to you right now?"

"What?"

"Cannot say it!"

Zhang Huaijing laughed out loud.

The laughter drew the attention of others, and the dance music ended.

At five o'clock the next afternoon, after finishing his pre-holiday safety inspection, Zhang Huaijing had just returned to his office when he was invited to room 601 by Secretary Man Chaojian's Secretary, Secretary Yang Yifan.

Upon entering, he saw Mayor Niu Panlong sitting next to Secretary Man Chaojian; the two were smoking and chatting, filling the room with smoke.

"Huaijing, please sit."

Zhang Huaijing sat down with a smile: "What instructions do you two big bosses have for me?"

Secretary Man Chaojian smiled and looked at Mayor Niu Panlong.

Mayor Niu Panlong said: "It's like this. This morning, the investigation team posted their entry announcement on the Municipal People's Congress official website. It's only the first day, and someone already ran to the Nanhai Hotel to file a report, spouting nonsense and causing quite a stir. The impact is very bad. So, after hearing the news, I came to report to Secretary Man Chaojian. The Secretary said this matter could be big or small, but if we want to handle it properly, you are the only one for the job."

"What's going on? I'm completely unaware of any report." Zhang Huaijing was completely baffled.

Secretary Man Chaojian placed his hand on his belly, rubbing it slowly in a circle, and said: "The whistleblower is named Gao Qing. He's a character even harder to deal with than Jiao Da from the Rongguo Mansion, and now that he's been transferred to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, he still won't settle down. I heard he's your college classmate, your bunkmate?"

Zhang Huaijing's heart skipped a beat, but he kept his expression calm and said: "He and I are indeed college classmates. What is he reporting?"

Mayor Niu Panlong said with a dark face: "What it is doesn't matter. What matters is that he is a civil servant, a deputy division-level cadre. Making a real-name report like this puts the city in an awkward position and makes it very difficult for the investigation team. The key is that his report has no evidence; it's all conjecture and imagination. Isn't this just creating confusion and causing trouble on purpose?"

"Huaijing, is there something wrong with your classmate's head?" Secretary Man Chaojian pointed to his own toupee-covered head.

Zhang Huaijing sighed and said: "I haven't seen him for many years, so I don't know much about him. When we were in school, he was certainly normal; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to enter the civil service. After he started working, he should have been normal too; otherwise, who would have dared to promote him to Deputy Minister of the Propaganda Department?"

Mayor Niu Panlong said in a commanding tone: "Regardless, Huaijing, you need to step in and soothe him. Don't let him cause any more trouble."

Zhang Huaijing silently lit a cigarette, took a few puffs, and pretended to be deep in thought, saying nothing.

Secretary Man Chaojian looked at Mayor Niu Panlong and said in a gentle tone: "Huaijing, I won't say anything more. Please, do Gao Qing's ideological work tonight, and also probe to see what conditions he wants. The Municipal Party Committee will try its best to satisfy them."

Mayor Niu Panlong also looked at him with expectation, waiting for him to nod in agreement.

Zhang Huaijing thought to himself that it was better for him to handle the work than for Mayor Niu Panlong to use underhanded methods; this would also be a form of protection for Gao Qing. As it stood, no matter how much Gao Qing caused a scene, there would be no results.

Last night, Mayor Niu Panlong had already taken care of the investigation team. After the dancing ended, the Mayor had once again taken Deputy Minister Xue Zhongkai out for some fun.

"Alright, since Secretary Man Chaojian has spoken, I will ask him to dinner tonight and do my best."