Official Career Storm
Chapter 381

Chapter 381: Chapter 381

Evening.

Song Guanchao arrived at the County Party Committee Family Courtyard.

The complex was old, but well-maintained on a daily basis.

Song Guanchao came to a small two-story building and knocked lightly on the door.

"Is that Secretary Song?"

The door was opened by a man in his sixties or seventies who invited Song Guanchao inside.

The house’s decor was dated, yet it was very cozy.

Secretary Tu had already changed into loose homewear. Seeing Song Guanchao, he smiled and came forward to shake his hand, "Secretary Song."

"Hello, Secretary Tu."

Song Guanchao set down the fruits and nutritional supplements he was carrying, and the old man said, "There was no need to bring anything, just coming is enough."

The old man took the items to put them away and then went into the kitchen to cook with an old lady.

The two sat on the sofa, making sporadic conversation.

There were other family members in the house, so some topics were not convenient to discuss.

Secretary Tu was actually quite curious about Song Guanchao’s visit, wondering what it was about.

He had a guess.

Perhaps, he was coming to him to plead for leniency.

Soon, dishes were brought to the table, and Secretary Tu’s parents called for them to wash their hands.

They sat down at the table, and Song Guanchao didn’t hold back, eating the food heartily.

The old man brought out a bottle of white liquor, "Secretary Song, would you like some?"

"Sure, I’ll have some."

The three men finished the bottle of liquor.

The food was nearly gone, too.

Song Guanchao glanced at his parents and suggested, "Secretary Tu, shall we go for a walk?"

"Alright."

He knew, Song Guanchao had something he wanted to discuss privately.

Leaving the building, the two walked along the residential complex’s stone path towards the outside.

Song Guanchao offered a cigarette.

With no one around, it was a suitable moment for a talk.

He didn’t beat around the bush and directly said, "Secretary Tu, I have a request."

A request?

Secretary Tu chuckled silently and hummed in response, "Please speak, Secretary Song."

Song Guanchao said, "Before you take up your post in Guangyue City, I want you to write a recommendation suggesting that Zhang Meilin, the secretary-general of the Lingjiang City Political Consultative Conference, takes the position of County Party Secretary of Dujiang County."

Secretary Tu flicked the ash from his cigarette, gave a soft laugh, and said, "Are you looking to go down together with me, Secretary Song?"

As soon as he uttered those words, Secretary Tu knew that he was planning to use the messy affairs of Dujiang County as leverage in their negotiation.

Song Guanchao didn’t deny it, and asked, "Do you think it’s significant enough, Secretary Tu?"

Secretary Tu nodded then shook his head, "It is, and it isn’t."

"You probably think that if these affairs were exposed, it would affect my career."

"Since you’ve come tonight, let me make things clear."

"No matter how much you stir up, it won’t affect me in the least."

"At most, County Magistrate Hou will be arrested a bit sooner."

"But you should be clear, County Magistrate Hou is a sign of performance, not a burden."

"Having County Magistrate Hou arrested at this stage is neither good nor bad for me. If you want to use this to threaten me, I can only say, you’re seeing things too narrowly."

"Is that so?"

Song Guanchao asked, "Well, Secretary Tu, care to wager? Bet that if I blow this wide open, it really won’t affect you?"

He could indeed push all the blame onto County Magistrate Hou.

But to say it wouldn’t affect him at all, Song Guanchao didn’t believe that.

His words were just part of a psychological game with him.

Whichever of them showed weakness first would lose.

Secretary Tu spoke casually, "You can give it a try. It doesn’t bother me."

"But, is it worth it?"

"Secretary Song, I hope you can understand, I have no personal issue with you."

"The punishment from the province is because you were in the wrong first. In the officialdom, the rules that need to be followed are there for a reason."

"If you break the rules, you should be prepared to be punished."

"Do you agree with me, Secretary Song?"

Song Guanchao nodded, "I agree."

"But agreeing doesn’t mean I accept it."

Secretary Tu frowned, "What do you mean, Secretary Song?"

He considered himself to have been sufficiently merciful to Song Guanchao.

Otherwise, it would not have been just a warning punishment.

Yet Song Guanchao clung to it and would not let go.

As if he had suffered a great injustice.

He even came over to threaten him, to negotiate terms with him.

Song Guanchao said, "Secretary Tu might not be aware of some incidents that have happened in the city recently?"

"The day after the province delivered its punishment decision, someone reported me, and the Disciplinary Committee found three million in cash and two kilograms of gold in the trunk of my car."

Secretary Tu’s footsteps halted, "This has nothing to do with me."

"Heh," Song Guanchao was noncommittal.

He had actually determined that Secretary Tu wasn’t behind it.

But he didn’t care.

He was intent on pinning the blame on Secretary Tu’s head.

Without sticking this label on him, his visit today would not be justified.

Song Guanchao continued, "The day after I was reported, Vice Mayor Liang Hao was also reported. The whistleblower claimed that the cash and gold in the trunk were bribes from Vice Mayor Liang to me."

"Oh, I forgot to tell Secretary Tu, this Vice Mayor Liang, he is also one of Secretary Wu’s people."

He tossed away his cigarette and lit another, "What a coincidence, right? Just as the province delivered its punishment decision, reports followed one after another, first it was me, then Vice Mayor Liang."

"Secretary Tu, you say it wasn’t you, I believe you, but do you think Secretary Wu will?"

Secretary Tu asked, "Did Secretary Wu send you?"

Song Guanchao shook his head, "It has nothing to do with Secretary Wu. This report is quite serious, and unless something unexpected happens, I suspect I’ll have to say goodbye to my career. Secretary Wu has looked after me a lot these last few months. Before leaving, I wanted to give her a gift."

A slight flicker crossed Secretary Tu’s gaze.

What Song Guanchao had said was too severe.

If what he said were true, then it explained why he had come over tonight.

After all, if he was about to lose his position anyway, why would he care about propriety?

"I’ll make a phone call."

"Go ahead."

Secretary Tu stepped about ten meters away to contact Director Qin.

He needed to verify the truthfulness of Song Guanchao’s statements.

A few minutes later, he had his confirmation.

Song Guanchao had indeed been reported, and so had Vice Mayor Liang Hao.

And indeed, Liang Hao was one of Wu Qiangwei’s people.

What he had said was true.

His career was indeed at its end.

The person who reported Song Guanchao was certainly not him.

But clearly, it was because of the provincial punishment that someone had taken the opportunity to report him, hoping to take down Song Guanchao in one fell swoop.

He walked over and said, "Secretary Song, I deeply sympathize with your plight."

"But even without this punishment, those who are scheming against you would still scheme against you. So if you wish to pin this blame on me, hoping that I would feel guilty and make a compromise, I can only say, you are an idealist."

"I don’t care about Secretary Wu’s attitude towards me, I only need to be at peace with myself."

"The quota for the county has been handed over to the city, if Secretary Wu is capable, let her take it. If she can’t, that’s her problem."

"If you want to fight for Secretary Wu, I admire your actions, but I regret to say I am powerless."

Secretary Tu said indifferently, "Do you know what is most important in politics?"

Song Guanchao looked at him, "Please enlighten me, Secretary Tu."

Secretary Tu said only four words, "You have to accept the outcome of your own gambles."

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.