Official Career Storm
Chapter 251

Chapter 251: Chapter 251

Song Guanchao’s words were harsh, and Minister Cheng’s expression grew a bit stiff, but he still managed a strained smile.

Song Guanchao continued, "If you don’t want to offend anyone, why not just apply for a different position and let someone more capable take over as the head of the organization department?"

"How bad things have gotten in Dujiang County, you, as a local, know better than I. As a member of the County Committee, you’re not thinking about solving problems proactively or reporting them upwards. Instead, you want to keep out of it and save yourself."

"True, I know Minister Cheng always plays by the rules, neither fawning over superiors nor bullying subordinates. Perhaps you think you are the only clean official in Dujiang County."

"But when corruption becomes the norm, being clean is also a crime!"

"You had the chance to set things right, but you chose not to. You just thought about getting by until you could retire early."

At this point, Song Guanchao slammed his white wine glass down on the table and coldly chuckled without expression, "Does Minister Cheng still remember his oath when he joined the party? Do you remember standing under the solemn national flag, declaring your dedication to serving the people?"

"Ha, I see Minister Cheng has been an official for too long, probably turning into a cold-blooded creature."

Song Guanchao sneered, drank his last cup of wine, and stood up to leave, "Take your time eating, Minister Cheng. County Magistrate Fu, let’s go."

Fu Ying watched, her mouth agape, observing Song Guanchao’s stern face and sharp words.

Then she turned to look at Minister Cheng, seated at the table, seemingly struck where it hurt, his face flushed red, on the verge of anger and shame.

She had never imagined that tonight’s meeting would escalate like this.

She hesitated for a moment, then stood up and followed.

"Sigh~"

Minister Cheng suddenly exhaled forcefully as if trying to expel all the foul air from his chest.

He grabbed the wine glass, downed it in a burst of release, and, with his back to Song Guanchao, said, "Secretary Song doesn’t need to provoke me with such words."

"Provoke you?"

Song Guanchao stood in the doorway, coldly chuckled without turning back, "Do I need to provoke you? What do you think I invited you for tonight?"

"I just wanted you to transfer County Magistrate Hou’s file to me!"

"But you think, without you, I couldn’t get County Magistrate Hou’s file?"

"I’m just heartbroken, heartbroken that a cadre who clearly has conviction and wants to do real work has degenerated to laziness, idleness, and just waiting to eat."

"I haven’t been lazy!" Minister Cheng responded as if struck.

Song Guanchao sneered, "Dujiang County is ridden with criminal forces, its business environment is terrible, and Secretary Tu only cares about GDP, not about issues that matter to the people."

"Right now, as the local county is about to upgrade to a city, what should be beneficial policies have become a channel for some to make money. Minister Cheng, you know this all too well, yet you do nothing, just laugh it off. Minister Cheng, where has your initial resolution gone? Where have your beliefs and principles gone? How can you face me and claim you haven’t been neglectful?"

Minister Cheng opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t retort.

He grabbed the bottle, continuously drinking one glass after another, as if trying to drown his cowardice.

But the more he drank, the clearer his mind became, and Song Guanchao’s words lashed him like a whip, leaving clear marks on him.

One bottle of wine was gone.

Minister Cheng stared blankly, then suddenly said, "The power in the county lies in the hands of Secretary Tu and County Magistrate Hou. My authority is limited, but I have not been lazy or indifferent. I just refuse to be corrupted."

"If Secretary Song wants me to do something, just say it straight. If I can help, I won’t refuse."

Fu Ying’s eyes widened, somewhat incredulously looking at Minister Cheng’s silhouette.

Whether it was an illusion or not, the silhouette of the over-fifty-year-old organization department head seemed to have become more upright at this moment.

Song Guanchao sat back down at the table, picked up the wine bottle, only to realize it was empty.

He grabbed some tea, poured it, and said, "I want to see County Magistrate Hou’s records."

Minister Cheng pointed to his head, "His records are all here, no need to look elsewhere."

"County Magistrate Hou was initially a street office clerk, and he was very capable, having mediated several disputes."

"That year when the county was acquiring land, residents were dissatisfied with the policy, and it was County Magistrate Hou who resolved the issue. After that incident, the county leaders took notice of him and transferred him to the City Committee to serve as a secretary."

"After joining the City Committee, County Magistrate Hou wrote several reports and research materials that greatly satisfied the county leaders, who valued him highly and intensified his training."

"Under the guidance of the county leaders, County Magistrate Hou went down to the local level as a deputy town mayor and later entered the county office to serve as the director of the office and deputy county magistrate."

"Not even half a year after he had taken up the post of deputy county magistrate, the county magistrate and the head of the organization department were reported for style issues. He stepped in to serve as acting county magistrate and also as acting head of the organization department."

"One year later, during the City Committee’s standing committee meeting and after a vote, he was elected as the county magistrate and stepped down as the acting head of the organization department."

Listening to County Magistrate Hou’s resume, Song Guanchao was astounded.

Such a bright and promising resume!

Simultaneously acting as the county magistrate and head of the organization department was extremely rare.

Logically speaking, even if two standing committee members fell from power at the same time, it wouldn’t require one person to act in both positions.

This indicated that, at that time, the leadership in Dujiang County exceptionally valued County Magistrate Hou and had overcome all objections to grant him this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Song Guanchao asked, "How old is County Magistrate Hou?"

"48 years old."

"Why hasn’t he taken a post in the city?"

With his golden resume, entering the city’s standing committee seemed a certainty.

Logically speaking, after Li Fuhai was ousted, if he wanted to advance, it would have been very easy.

However, Song Guanchao remembered that this County Magistrate Hou didn’t seem to have come to the city to make connections at that time.

Upon hearing this, Minister Cheng merely smiled lightly and said, "In Dujiang County, he is the unrivaled leader. Going to the city, he would have to start all over again."

"County Magistrate Hou is already 48 years old. Does Secretary Song think that he previously had no opportunities to transfer to the city?"

"On the contrary, he had many opportunities, and his starting positions would have been actual power department heads or deputy mayor, but he gave those opportunities to others."

Song Guanchao’s mind stirred, and he asked, "Which leaders in the city is County Magistrate Hou particularly close to?"

Minister Cheng hesitated for a few seconds before responding, "Director Qin from the city bureau, who in his early years was the captain of the Dujiang County criminal police team."

"Director Qin?"

Song Guanchao’s pupils narrowed slightly, an unexpected piece of information.

He suddenly realized that he had perhaps never looked at Director Qin’s file.

But, his file was not something that just anyone could see.

To look at his file, one would need to go to Minister Zhou.

Even Wu Qiangwei would need to go through Minister Zhou to check it.

Minister Cheng said, "During the period when County Magistrate Hou acted as head of the City Committee Organization Department, he recommended Director Qin. Director Qin first served as the head of a bureau in the city before gradually climbing to his current position as the city bureau director."

The string of information somewhat overwhelmed Song Guanchao.

He sipped his tea, quickly organized his thoughts, and soon found a critical point.

Even if Director Qin was recommended to the city by County Magistrate Hou, Hou was, after all, just a county magistrate.

For Director Qin to advance in the city without help would be difficult.

Who helped him?

Song Guanchao thought of someone—He Kang!

To be precise, it was He Kang’s father, the former mayor of Lingjiang City, He Sen!

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