Official Career Storm
Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Chapter 61

After hanging up the phone, He Yong cautiously asked, "Director Yang, what’s wrong?"

Yang Yongqiang’s face was dark, and he said nothing, grabbing a cigarette and smoking furiously.

Both of them were somewhat tense.

What could possibly enrage the Cultural Bureau’s second-in-command like this? What major incident had occurred?

He Yong signaled to Tian Xue with his eyes, asking her to inquire.

Tian Xue gently asked, "Director Yang, what’s wrong?"

Yang Yongqiang waved his hand dismissively, still not speaking, and just picked up his phone to watch a video.

The two had no idea what he was watching, and since he wasn’t talking, all they could do was fret.

Yang Yongqiang was watching tonight’s news and the trending searches online.

His face turned pitch black when he saw the video from the private room.

But after watching the video, he actually breathed a sigh of relief.

He did not appear in the video.

He was very clear that this video must have been secretly recorded by Song Guanchao.

However, that clever lad had only released the first half.

He was holding the second half, obviously planning to use it as leverage against him.

Opening the trending searches again, he found the comments online too abhorrent to behold.

"[The concert at Chengda Mall was canceled; it must have been Jiang Qi’s doing!]"

"[Jiang Qi definitely has connections with the Cultural Bureau!]"

"[These departments never do anything useful, screw them!]"

"[I’ve already reported the Cultural Bureau, brothers, let’s do this together!]"

Director Yang watched until his eyelids twitched.

Putting his phone down, he exhaled forcefully and looked at Tian Xue, "Secretary Tian, it seems you won’t be getting credit for this concert."

Tian Xue’s heart sank, "Director Yang, what exactly happened?"

Yang Yongqiang briefly explained the situation, leaving Tian Xue and the others in shock.

"Damn it!" He Yong cursed, "This Song guy is too damned sneaky, playing this trick!"

Yang Yongqiang sighed, got up, and said, "You guys go ahead and eat, I need to handle this."

Tian Xue forced a smile, seeing him to the door, then returned to her seat in a daze.

She knew that her position as secretary was truly in jeopardy.

...

Yang Yongqiang got into his car and dialed Song Guanchao’s number.

"Xiao Song, it’s me, Yang Yongqiang." His tone was familiar, as if greeting an old friend he hadn’t seen in a long time.

"It’s quite an honor, Deputy Director Yang actually calling me."

"Heh, Xiao Song, have you eaten yet? If not, I’ll treat you, let’s have a couple of drinks."

"How can I have an appetite? The concert got canceled, and Jiang Qi, that big star, won’t come either. I’m completely overwhelmed with troubles and have no appetite at all."

"I just wanted to talk to you about the concert."

"Oh, is that so? Alright then."

After agreeing on a location, Director Yang hung up the phone.

He had been mingling in officialdom for so many years, yet he was outsmarted by a mere driver.

He really couldn’t swallow that pride.

But for the moment, he had no choice but to swallow it.

...

Song Guanchao put down his phone and said, "There, our host has arrived."

Wu Yun asked, "Yang Yongqiang?"

"Who else could it be?" Song Guanchao replied with a smile, "Let’s go."

Twenty minutes later, the two arrived at the restaurant and, led by a waiter, entered the private room.

Only Yang Yongqiang was there by himself.

"Brother Song, come on, come on, have a seat!"

Yang Yongqiang warmly shook his hand, his demeanor a stark contrast to the previous night.

After sitting down, Yang Yongqiang poured tea and offered cigarettes, even lighting one for him personally.

The attitude was downright groveling.

"Miss Jiang will be here soon, I’ll have her apologize to you personally, Brother Song!"

"Heh," Song Guanchao chuckled. "Director Yang, can tomorrow’s concert still go on?"

"It must, it must go on!"

"I really was unaware of this matter, don’t worry, I’ll go back to the bureau later to check and see who’s stirring up trouble. I’ll certainly discipline them!"

Yang Yongqiang looked stern, his posture like that of a long-separated brother to Song Guanchao.

"Then, would you trouble Director Yang to have someone from the Cultural Bureau issue a notice?"

"It will be issued right away, just wait."

He made a phone call, and a few minutes later said, "I’ve had the publicity department release a notice."

Song Guanchao nodded and contacted Sun Mingliang, telling him to keep an eye out.

About ten minutes later, Sun Mingliang called back and confirmed that the Cultural Bureau had indeed issued a notice and tomorrow’s concert would proceed as planned.

That’s when the private room door opened.

Jiang Qi and her manager walked in.

Seeing Song Guanchao there as well, both women’s expressions turned cold, looking at him with disgust.

"Jiang is here, please, have a seat," Yang Yongqiang hurried to welcome them.

They walked over, about to sit down, when Song Guanchao said, "Did I say you could sit?"

The two women froze, glaring at him angrily.

A surge of anger shot through Yang Yongqiang’s heart too, but given the circumstances, he had to restrain himself.

He smiled and patted Song Guanchao, "Brother Song, what’s this about? Jiang is here to apologize to you. As men, why bother with such trivialities with a girl, right?"

"Heh," chuckled Song Guanchao. "I’ll certainly give face to Director Yang. But who do these two think they are? They’re just singing actors, that’s all."

Jiang Qi bit her lip, her eyes nearly shooting fire, but still, she held back the impulse.

She said calmly, "I will attend tomorrow’s concert."

Song Guanchao lit a cigarette and blew a puff of smoke in Jiang Qi’s face, taunting, "Come when you say, leave when you say, Miss Jiang, do you think too highly of yourself?"

"What do you want?"

"Ts, Director Yang, this Miss Jiang has quite the temper, doesn’t seem like she’s here to apologize."

Forcing down his anger, Yang Yongqiang said, "Jiang, apologize properly!"

Jiang Qi clenched her fists tightly, took a few deep breaths, and said, "Mr. Song, I’m sorry!"

"Mr. Song, the incident last night was our fault, please be magnanimous and don’t hold it against us."

Miss Xu, the manager, was much more amicable. After all, her main job was interfacing with people.

When the television station exposed their affair tonight, she knew that Song Guanchao held the upper hand in the matter.

And since Song Guanchao had only released the first half of the video, not the part about Yang Yongqiang, she understood Song Guanchao was using the second half to pressure Yang Yongqiang.

Offending Song Guanchao might not be a big deal, but they couldn’t afford to offend Yang Yongqiang.

He was their support, their backer!

Song Guanchao picked at his ear: "Just a ’sorry’?"

Jiang Qi’s chest heaved with rage as she asked, "What would you have me do?"

"To apologize, one must show sincerity." Song Guanchao pointed at the two bottles of Moutai on the table. "I won’t bother with any of that pompous nonsense. One bottle per person, drink up, and we’ll call it even."

Miss Xu’s face turned pale at once. With a strong liquor of 53-percent alcohol, one bottle could send them to the hospital tonight.

Jiang Qi’s eyes reddened with anger, her lips tightly pursed. She didn’t look at Song Guanchao but turned her gaze to Yang Yongqiang.

Yang Yongqiang’s forehead throbbed with veins, his dignity as the second-in-command of the Cultural Bureau thoroughly challenged by Song Guanchao, a mere driver, tonight.

He said coldly with a smile, "Brother Song, that’s enough."

Song Guanchao looked at him with a playful smile, stubbed out his cigarette butt, stood up, and said, "Director Wu, let’s go."

The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel

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