Official Career Storm
Chapter 378

Chapter 378: Chapter 378

"Minister, can Song Guanchao meet with Director Qin?"

In the living room, Zhang Meilin asked.

Minister Zhou said indifferently, "If he can’t even meet with Director Qin, he’s not worth my attention."

Zhang Meilin opened his mouth to speak, wanting to know what Minister Zhou meant by "overturning the table" earlier.

Yet he felt it wasn’t his place to inquire.

Minister Zhou glanced at him, smiling, "Want to know how he’s going to ’overturn the table’?"

"Mhmm," Zhang Meilin said. "I am dull; please enlighten me, Minister."

Often, subordinates feel their superiors’ speech is nebulous—cryptic as if spoken by an enigma person.

But Zhang Meilin was clear; it wasn’t the leader’s enigma, but rather clever people interacting—many things need not be explicitly stated.

Their failure to understand was due to not seeing the full picture of the situation.

There is variability among people; the same piece of information can yield different conclusions depending on who analyzes it.

Without certain experiences, one can’t reach that level of insight.

This was also why Zhang Meilin was friendly towards Song Guanchao.

Because although Song Guanchao was younger, he maneuvered through the officialdom more deftly than Zhang himself, able to see the essence of things.

Such a person would either soar to great heights or fall early.

Therefore, he didn’t mind building relations with Song Guanchao ahead of time.

Minister Zhou said, "On the surface, Song Guanchao is suspended and under investigation, seemingly in decline. Secretary Lu and Mayor Zheng have taken over Dujiang County, holding the advantageous ground."

"But have you considered why Secretary Tu would report to the province at the expense of offending Wu Qiangwei?"

Zhang Meilin knew this; he nodded, "Song Guanchao has impacted Secretary Tu’s career."

Minister Zhou said, "Why is Secretary Tu afraid of being impacted? Because Dujiang County has issues, serious ones at that."

Zhang Meilin said, "Even if there are issues, those are Dujiang County’s issues; the city shouldn’t intervene."

Minister Zhou laughed, "Xiao Zhang, let me ask you, if you were Tu Zhaorui, would you allow the bidding center to be blocked?"

"Absolutely not!" Zhang Meilin was adamant, "After all, the economy is the fundamental reason Dujiang County can be upgraded to a county-level city..."

As he spoke, Zhang Meilin also sensed something amiss.

He frowned, "Strange, with Dujiang County about to become a county-level city, why would Secretary Tu allow such chaos in the county?"

Logically, with the economy in Dujiang booming, corresponding improvements in law and order should follow.

Yet Dujiang County’s public security was abysmal.

Zhang Meilin said, "Was Secretary Tu deceived by his subordinates?"

Minister Zhou shook his head, "His father-in-law is the top man at the provincial Political Consultative Conference, who would dare oppose him in just a county? If he wished, Dujiang County could easily be one of the counties with the best security in the country."

Zhang Meilin opened his mouth, it seemed he guessed something.

Minister Zhou said, "The situation in Dujiang County must have been deliberately left unchecked by Tu Zhaorui. He is aware of the specifics in the county and knows these dark forces have always existed, yet intentionally chooses not to deal with them."

Zhang Meilin asked, "Is it to deal with County Magistrate Hou?"

"Mhmm."

"Isn’t the city concerned?"

"Of course," Minister Zhou said. "That’s why Tu Zhaorui handed over the nominations for County Party Secretary and County Magistrate to the city."

Zhang Meilin’s mouth fell open; so that’s how it was!

Minister Zhou continued, "Therefore, when Song Guanchao stepped up to deal with it and also made the issue known to all, Tu Zhaorui could no longer tolerate it. Even if it meant offending Wu Qiangwei, he had to give Song Guanchao a warning not to meddle in Dujiang County."

"Because the situation in Dujiang County has always been part of Tu Zhaorui’s plan. With Song Guanchao appearing out of nowhere, he could disrupt his plan."

"But Tu Zhaorui overlooked one thing."

"If Song Guanchao has already intervened, that means he’s figured out some serious issues in Dujiang County. And these issues are precisely the cards Song Guanchao holds to ’overturn the table.’"

"As long as he exposes these issues, Tu Zhaorui will have to take responsibility, and his career will be affected too. Even the position of Guangyue City Deputy Mayor will go down the drain."

"That’s why you shouldn’t just look at things on the surface. On the surface, Song Guanchao seems to have no prospects. But in truth, he’s holding the ace of spades."

"Now, the tables have turned, and the initiative has fallen into Song Guanchao’s hands. The one who has to make a choice now, is Tu Zhaorui."

He stood up, patted the stunned Zhang Meilin on the shoulder, and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, the position of County Party Secretary will still be yours. Go back, get some rest. The situation in Dujiang County is very complicated, and you’ve got your work cut out for you once you get there."

...

Outside the university town’s food street, at a table in front of Brother Ming’s Barbecue.

Song Guanchao ordered dozens of skewers, and with a beer in one hand and meat in the other, he ate until his mouth was greasy.

He wasn’t worried that Director Qin wouldn’t come.

If he didn’t show up, he would just go find County Magistrate Hou.

Song Guanchao was very clear that County Magistrate Hou definitely didn’t know yet that his career was on a countdown.

He was even more certain that Secretary Tu must have already found Director Qin, told him about this, and asked him to cooperate in keeping County Magistrate Hou stable.

If Director Qin didn’t show up tonight, he would immediately go find County Magistrate Hou and leak the news to him.

By then, Dujiang County would be thrown into chaos.

Once Dujiang County was in chaos, neither Director Qin nor He Sen and his son would be able to live in peace.

Director Qin might not be smart, but he was certainly clear about what was more important.

A dozen or so minutes later.

A low-key Volkswagen car stopped at the street corner, and Director Qin, now dressed in sportswear, got out of the car and walked over.

He spotted Song Guanchao at a glance, pulled out a chair and sat down.

Song Guanchao lifted his eyes, pushed over some skewers, and said, "Director Qin, have some."

Director Qin, without a word, just started eating.

He bit down hard on the skewers, his cheeks working furiously, as if he were biting into Song Guanchao’s flesh.

After eating and drinking for over ten minutes, Song Guanchao swallowed a cup of ice-cold beer, grabbed a tissue, and wiped the grease from his lips.

He tossed a cigarette to Director Qin, lit one for himself, and comfortably blew out smoke.

Director Qin, smoking, asked, "What do you want?"

Without any preamble, Song Guanchao directly asked, "What’s the beef between Secretary Tu and County Magistrate Hou?"

That’s it?

Director Qin thought he was going to ask about some secret.

Without thinking, he just told him.

"County Magistrate Hou slept with Secretary Tu’s girlfriend. After she was violated, she committed suicide by jumping off a building."

Song Guanchao was taken aback.

The way Director Qin talked was too fucking crude.

Taking a sip of beer to calm down, Song Guanchao asked, "His girlfriend died?"

"Dead. Her head was smashed like a burst watermelon, declared dead on the spot."

"When did this happen?"

"It must’ve been over a decade ago."

"When did Secretary Tu hook up with that daughter of someone from the provincial level?"

"That was later, when he went to the Party School for further studies. Someone introduced them. Don’t ask me who did the introduction, I only know the gist of it; for the details, you’ll have to ask Secretary Tu yourself."

"How did County Magistrate Hou... cough, sleep with her?"

Director Qin looked at him as if he were an idiot: "How else do you sleep with someone? Pulled down her pants and got on with it."

"..."

With this vulgar language, Song Guanchao really felt like walking away on the spot.

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