Chapter 9

Calling all brothers to collect!!!

——————————

"Go ahead and ask anything you want. There's no need to keep staring at me. Even if you're not hungry, I just had a big fight and need to replenish myself a bit," Su Mu broke the awkward atmosphere with a smile.

Slap!

Li Letian slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Are you serious about what you said just now? Is this seal genuine? If I were to buy it, it would cost more than a few thousand, not just a few hundred?"

"Why would you buy it if you don't believe me?" Su Mu raised an eyebrow.

"Ha ha, this time I really got a good deal. Spending a few hundred yuan to get a genuine item, if I take it back to my grandfather, I'm sure he'll love it," Li Letian said excitedly.

"Rest assured, it's definitely genuine! But this seal should come in pairs. If you have time, I'll find the other one for you," Su Mu said casually.

"You're a true brother!" Li Letian laughed loudly. "I never thought that coming to Xingtang County, I would meet a brother like you. Come on, let's not talk about anything else. I'll treat you, and we won't stop until we're drunk!"

"I have an event this afternoon, so I'll just have a few drinks with you."

"Really no fun!"

Su Mu smiled indifferently, and Li Letian didn't insist. The two of them chatted and drank casually. After the meal, Li Letian got up and said, "Brother, I really have something to do and need to leave for Beijing immediately. Here's my phone number, and remember this number too. If that idiot really causes you trouble, call this number, and I'll make sure he's dealt with properly! I'll come back in a few days, and we'll definitely have a good drink!"

"Sure thing!" Su Mu smiled and wrote it down.

"See you!"

Xingtang County Education Bureau Small Auditorium.

Such meetings have always been attended by the county party secretary, as there was no need for him to come. In the past few meetings, apart from the first one where the vice-county magistrate in charge of education and culture attended, the meetings were always chaired by the education bureau director, Gao Ping. Facing the deputy mayors of over a dozen townships in Xingtang County, Gao Ping always found a sense of superiority.

Su Mu arrived early at the small auditorium and found a seat. Although this was his first time attending as a deputy mayor, he was not unfamiliar with the setting. He was very familiar with Gao Ping. During his six months in the government office, Su Mu had done a lot of such work.

"Deputy Mayor Su, why are you so late?"

Just as Su Mu sat down, a middle-aged man in a gray short-sleeved shirt sat next to him, smiling and offering a cigarette.

"Deputy Mayor Zhou, how can I accept this!" Su Mu quickly took the cigarette and then took out a lighter to light it for the man. The two of them started smoking and chatting.

Among all the deputy mayors, Su Mu was only familiar with this one, Zhou Zheng, the deputy mayor of Longjing Town. They were familiar because Su Mu's hometown was Longjing Town. After being introduced, they had a few contacts. Over time, they developed some rapport.

Zhou Zheng was a straightforward person. He wouldn't look down on Su Mu just because he was young. He judged people based on whether they got along. If they got along, he would be very friendly. If he didn't like someone, he would feel insulted by even a single word from them.

Su Mu had always known that Zhou Zheng and he had a good relationship, but he wasn't entirely sure. When they touched just now, he deliberately tested it, and the test confirmed his guess.

Intimacy: 60!

Such a high level of intimacy was absolutely the highest among the people Su Mu had met. If you are sincere with me, I won't be insincere with you. Su Mu, who always valued feelings, began to chat with Zhou Zheng.

"Su Mu, is this your first time attending the meeting?" Zhou Zheng asked with a smile.

"Yes, it's my first time. As you know, I've only been in Heishan Town for less than half a year, so how could I have attended many times? But when I was in the county government office, I helped out twice, so I'm not completely unfamiliar," Su Mu said calmly.

"Right, I thought you didn't look nervous at all."

"What to be nervous about? Even if I'm nervous, will Director Gao let me off?"

"Don't worry, the situation in Heishan Town is clear, and it's not your fault."

"I'm not worried, but I'm concerned about the children in the ten villages in Heishan Town. You know, if we don't find a way to improve the education situation there, there will be big problems."

...

The two of them chatted casually. Suddenly, Zhou Zheng narrowed his eyes and asked, "Su Mu, don't blame me for not warning you. Haven't you noticed that the atmosphere here is a bit off since you came in?"

Off? Reminded by Zhou Zheng, Su Mu looked around and noticed the expressions and seating arrangements of the other deputy mayors. He realized that something was indeed off.

At first, Su Mu thought these people were just being old and condescending because he was young. But now, hearing Zhou Zheng's words, it was clear that it wasn't that. The expressions on their faces, besides disdain, also had a hint of schadenfreude.

Damn!

What did I do to deserve this? If it weren't for Zhou Zheng's warning, I would have been fooled by you.

"Old Brother Zhou, tell me quickly, what's going on?" Su Mu guessed something but wasn't sure. Could it be because of that incident?

"Since you call me Old Brother, I'll give you a heads-up. Little Brother Su, I've been a deputy mayor for a while, and overseeing so-called education, culture, and health work has no future. But you are different. You are young and have a lot of time to seek advancement. Unfortunately, you shouldn't have provoked Xie Minghao.

What happened on the antique street yesterday spread in the afternoon. Not only did you take away the head of the county's comprehensive public security department, but you also severely embarrassed Xie Minghao. Who is Xie Minghao? He is the only son of our Secretary Xie. If you offend him, do you think you'll have an easy time?"

Zhou Zheng paused, looking at Su Mu's thoughtful expression, and shook his head helplessly, "In the political arena, when the wall falls, everyone pushes. Do you know who our Director Gao is? You don't even need Secretary Xie to step in; you'll probably be in trouble at today's meeting. In such a situation, do you think they will still try to build a relationship with you? Little Brother Su, you are still too young and not steady enough!"

It's indeed because of that incident!

If Su Mu didn't have a bit of regret yesterday, it would be a lie. After all, he offended someone with significant power, the county party secretary. But after a night of reflection, he understood. What's done is done, and there's no need to hesitate.

If fear could solve problems, there would be no need to do anything else.

Su Mu smiled and said, "Old Brother Zhou, aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?"

"Afraid? How can I not be afraid!" Zhou Zheng laughed heartily. "But so what? I'm just a lonely person in Longjing Town, with no one to care for me. Can it get any worse? Since that's the case, I might as well chat with Little Brother Su and see how you managed to take down several hooligans all by yourself. Tsk tsk, not bad, are you a martial artist?"

"Ha ha!"

Su Mu laughed comfortably, "What martial artist, just some fancy moves, not worth much. Old Brother, I'll remember this favor."

"Don't be so formal, it's fine. Time is almost up, our Director Gao is about to arrive. You should be mentally prepared and control your emotions, don't cause any more trouble," Zhou Zheng advised.

"Understood!" Su Mu nodded. After all, he had the wisdom of five thousand years of Chinese political history in his mind and knew the basic principles.

In the political arena, even if you are in the right, you must adhere to the rules. Some rules can be broken, but some must never be touched. Otherwise, if you are labeled with a crime, it will be hard to advance.

Thump thump!

Just as Su Mu threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stepped on it, he heard the sound of high heels. There was no need to guess; at this moment, the only person who could appear so assertively was Gao Ping, the director of the Xingtang County Education Bureau.

As Gao Ping entered the small auditorium, the other deputy mayors all had the same thought: the show is about to begin!