Chapter 24

The investigation team from the provincial department was led by a fat official surnamed Chu. On the third day after the provincial investigation team arrived in Guangning, Director Chu reported to the provincial department leaders and then communicated with the Guangning County Committee, conveying the opinions of the provincial department leaders. Zhang Qingming was temporarily suspended, and the county bureau was temporarily overseen by the deputy director who had shot Zhang Zili.

Jiudahuo naturally had no objections. Ma Weiguo could only agree; it was just a temporary suspension. Behind this incident, there were those who wanted to take advantage of the situation to suppress Zhang Qingming, and naturally, there were also those who wanted to help him. Everything would unfold as it would.

In fact, Lu Zheng was only a deputy political commissar. Since he was to temporarily oversee the entire bureau, he was soon appointed as a deputy director.

...

The county committee guesthouse was adjacent to the county committee compound, a short distance from the Qinglong railway station. The main building of the guesthouse consisted of a three-story guest area and a restaurant, with cedars and cypresses, a pond, and a fountain in the courtyard, creating a serene and elegant environment.

After the reform, the guesthouse staff were all dressed in new blue uniforms, which were quite eye-catching. In front of the newly opened gate, the guesthouse posted clear price lists, gradually attracting villagers who had previously avoided the guesthouse. Whether they were coming to take the train or to handle business in the county, if they were late, those with better conditions would stay in the four-person rooms at the county guesthouse. As for travelers arriving from the railway station, private hotels nearby had no real competitiveness and could only compete on price. However, a few cents difference per night didn't matter much to people who could travel on business now.

The guesthouse canteen had been split into two parts: one for the staff of the county committee compound and one for the guests of the guesthouse. The dishes were similar, coming from the same kitchen, but the prices in the county committee canteen were slightly cheaper. Although they were now pursuing efficiency, they still maintained a bit of camaraderie.

Lu Zheng was dining with Director Chu in the canteen of the county committee compound. Lu Zheng, in his crisp olive-green police uniform, looked very impressive and authoritative.

"Director Lu, your Guangning is developing so fast. I think some provincial cities and prefecture-level cities in the province don't even match you," Director Chu said. He was a very serious person, rarely showing his emotions. Even when facing Jiudahuo and Ma Weiguo, he maintained a certain aloofness. Although he and Jiudahuo were both at the county level, he was a special envoy and a powerful director of the provincial department, and the relatively independent vertical management of the public security system meant he didn't have to show much deference to Jiudahuo.

When Director Chu first arrived in Guangning, he called Lu Zheng "Little Lu." Later, he learned that Lu Zheng was a deputy director and soon changed his address to "Director Lu."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "When you have some free time, I'll take you to the sand sliding site. It's a great place, and even foreigners doing business in Wushan often go there."

Director Chu nodded slightly, "When I have time."

Lu Zheng smiled and whispered a few more words to Director Chu.

The canteen wasn't very large, with no buzzing echoes. The tables and chairs were neatly arranged, creating a very pleasant dining environment.

At a table by the window, Liu Baojun was slowly sipping his soup, occasionally glancing at Lu Zheng and Director Chu's table.

Regarding the Zhang Zili incident, although Zhang Qingming was implicated, rumors suggested that Liu Baojun's situation was also not good. Zhang Zili had stayed at the county guesthouse for over ten days. A city committee leader criticized Liu Baojun for focusing too much on economic benefits during the guesthouse reform, neglecting strict registration and inspection, which allowed the fugitive to take advantage.

Liu Baojun sat alone at his table, perhaps reflecting his situation in the county committee compound.

Finally, Lu Zheng and Director Chu got up, smiling. After a few more words, Director Chu left the canteen, and Lu Zheng nodded to the officials who greeted him, then walked over to Liu Baojun's table.

"Zhengzi, sit, sit..." Liu Baojun smiled. If he had previously not taken Lu Zheng seriously, now, with Lu Zheng becoming one of the core power figures in the county bureau, he had to be more cautious. Lu Zheng was not just temporarily overseeing the bureau; after the May 16th incident, the Nan Ying massacre, and the shooting of the top fugitive, his authority in the bureau was extremely high. Moreover, Liu Baojun had some other thoughts.

"Well, you should be getting a second-class merit this time, right? I'm in a bad spot," Liu Baojun said with a bitter smile.

"How can that be? The Zhang Zili incident can't be blamed on you," Lu Zheng said, but he was also pondering Liu Baojun's intentions. Liu Baojun was a shrewd person who wouldn't show his frustration even in the most difficult situations and wouldn't complain.

Moreover, the guesthouse incident couldn't be blamed on Liu Baojun. Wushan had long implemented an ID card system, and in the city, ID cards were gradually replacing letters of introduction as valid documents for accommodation. The guesthouse reform followed the city's lead. Wushan, as a coastal open city and one of the most developed cities in the north, had a large floating population. Guangning, known for its scenic spots and leisure areas, had long outgrown the old rules.

Recognizing ID cards for accommodation was not wrong; in fact, if only ID cards were accepted, it would be harder for fugitives like Zhang Zili to slip through. After all, forging an ID card was much harder than forging a letter of introduction.

Liu Baojun sighed deeply, "Even if I'm not held responsible, it still gives people something to talk about." He added, "Well, you've been busy lately, so you don't have to keep me company."

He lowered his head to drink his soup, as if the tomato and egg soup with oil floating on top was particularly appealing.

Lu Zheng didn't know what else to say and got up to leave the canteen.

As he stepped out of the canteen, he saw Hou Jianjun hurrying along the stone path among the cedars and cypresses. Seeing Lu Zheng, Hou Jianjun's face lit up, and he said, "Director Lu, I finally found you."

Now, Hou Jianjun deeply regretted his momentary lapse in judgment, regretting that he had tried to get close to Gao Zhikai and had unintentionally distanced himself from Director Lu. Now, he could only try to make amends.

"Director Lu, it's almost certain that Old Zhang will be replaced, right? Even if he's not dismissed, he'll definitely leave," Hou Jianjun said with a wink.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Who knows?"

Hou Jianjun leaned closer to Lu Zheng and whispered, "Director Lu, I heard that Liu Baojun is eyeing Old Zhang's position. Some leaders in the city bureau have mentioned his name. You should make plans early. But, you and Liu Secretary have a good relationship, so that's a good thing." The county bureau would definitely undergo a major overhaul, and it was reasonable for the political and legal affairs secretary to temporarily take over as director. Moreover, Lu Zheng had shown foresight; if Liu Baojun became the director, Lu Zheng would be the second-in-command and likely the actual day-to-day leader.

Lu Zheng smiled, "Liu Secretary has that in mind?"

Hou Jianjun suddenly felt something was off. Why did it seem like Director Lu was hinting at something? He looked up at Lu Zheng, wondering if Director Lu also had ambitions for the position.

Given Director Lu's demonstrated abilities and authority in the bureau, he was the natural successor to Old Zhang. However, he was too young. Although it wasn't uncommon to promote young officials, this was not in a ministry or provincial department but in the grassroots of Wushan. A 22-year-old county bureau director was unheard of, especially in a public security bureau responsible for maintaining local safety.

Hou Jianjun's mind raced, and he said with a smile, "Yes, but in my opinion, Liu Secretary has no practical experience. If an outsider leads our public security system, it could be dangerous." He made a quick decision; he had already made one mistake and couldn't afford another. Given Director Lu's age and demonstrated abilities, even if he wasn't promoted this time, his future was boundless, far surpassing Liu Baojun.

Lu Zheng just smiled, patted Hou Jianjun on the shoulder, and said, "I have some business. Let's get together tomorrow night."

Hou Jianjun nodded hastily, watching Lu Zheng's back as he left. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, unsure if his performance had met Director Lu's expectations. In the past, he hadn't been so cautious around Director Lu, but now, every word and action required careful consideration. This was the pressure of authority. If it were a subordinate, being temperamental would be seen as a troublemaker, but if it were a leader, it was seen as assertive and authoritative, a stark difference.

...

In the afternoon, in Lu Zheng and Ma Yuewu's office, Lu Zheng held his first leadership meeting since taking over the bureau's daily operations.

Besides Lu Zheng, Ma Yuewu, and Gao Zhikai, the meeting was attended by Deputy Director Wei Qingxian, the head of the disciplinary inspection group, Deputy Director He Liansheng, the head of the bureau's trade union, and Deputy Director Wang Yi, making a total of six people. There was another deputy director from the city bureau on a temporary assignment, who also served as the head of a local station and spent most of his time in the field writing reports.

Originally, Lu Zheng's rank in the bureau leadership was just before the temporary assignment. Now, he had jumped to overseeing the bureau's daily operations, and although no one said anything at this first meeting, the atmosphere was subtly different.

Everyone knew that with the incident, Director Zhang was likely to leave, and this wasn't something Zhang Qingming alone could take the blame for. There would likely be significant personnel changes during the style rectification.

Therefore, the deputy directors were all calculating their own positions and didn't find it awkward that Lu Zheng was chairing the meeting.

Lu Zheng put down his teacup and cleared his throat, "Everyone, I won't say much. Director Zhang is not here, but our work must continue. Before the provincial investigation team leaves Guangning, let's work together. We need to show them a new face and not let one mistake negate all our previous work. The key word now is 'stability.' There must be no mistakes in our work during this period. All stations should be notified." He turned to Ma Yuewu, "Director Ma, notify all station chiefs and political commissars to attend a mid-level cadre meeting tomorrow afternoon."

Ma Yuewu nodded, but it was hard to read his thoughts.

Rumors in the bureau suggested that Ma Yuewu was favored by Secretary Yuan but had been suppressed by Director Zhang. Now that Director Zhang was leaving, it was his turn to take over. In recent days, several mid-level cadres had visited Ma Yuewu in the evening.

"Is there anything else you want to add?" Lu Zheng asked.

Everyone was taken aback, not expecting the meeting to end so quickly. They had expected hours of empty talk and long speeches, but they realized that the bureau's business would continue as usual, and the key points were indeed what Lu Zheng had said.

Of course, some thought that Lu Zheng was being measured. He knew the provincial department was still feeling their way around the county bureau's situation and had called him to take over temporarily. Once the investigation team left, the director would still be the director. If he acted like the official director now, it would only make people dislike him. However, his ranking would definitely rise in the next personnel adjustments, and he might become the second-in-command.

Just as Lu Zheng was about to adjourn the meeting, Ma Yuewu cleared his throat, "I have a few more words." Lu Zheng nodded slightly, gesturing for him to continue.

Ma Yuewu's voice was low and somber, "Comrades, this is a profound lesson. The top fugitive was hiding in our Guangning for over ten days, and we were completely unaware. Even when he was accidentally caught by the criminal investigation team, we still didn't realize it until two comrades made the ultimate sacrifice! If it weren't for Comrade Lu Zheng, he would have slipped away right under our noses. Comrades, I've been in law enforcement for thirty years, and I've never felt so humiliated. What does this indicate?"

Ma Yuewu paused, emphasizing, "It indicates that our bureau has been bloated and inefficient! The problems are serious! We need to self-examine and correct our work style, and deeply reflect on ourselves..."

He was about to continue when Gao Zhikai lightly clapped.

Ma Yuewu's face turned sour, but he had to stop. At this point, his speech could be considered finished, and continuing would be awkward.

Lu Zheng said, "Alright, let's adjourn. Zhikai, stay a moment."

The deputy directors all noticed Lu Zheng's brief address to Gao Zhikai but didn't show any reaction, except for Ma Yuewu, who got up and left.

Since being slapped by Lu Zheng, especially after the incident with Director Zhang, Gao Zhikai had become more reserved, no longer as domineering as before, and his demeanor was more ominous.

Lu Zheng called him to stay, and he did, asking indifferently, "What's up?" as if there were no hard feelings between them.

Lu Zheng smiled and handed him a red-headed document, saying, "I thought you might be interested. Take a look."

Gao Zhikai took it without much interest, glanced through it, and his eyes slowly narrowed.

It was a joint document from the city committee, city government, and city industry and commerce bureau, emphasizing economic construction and dissolving the "Wushan City Anti-Smuggling and Speculation Control Work Group" to form the "Wushan City Anti-Smuggling Work Group," focusing on combating illegal smuggling.

"What's the point of showing me this? I'm not in the industry and commerce bureau," Gao Zhikai threw the document back on Lu Zheng's desk, his face expressionless.

Lu Zheng smiled, "I thought you might be interested. If it's not useful, consider it a wasted effort."

Gao Zhikai left with a sullen face. Across the desk, Ma Yuewu took off his reading glasses and said to Lu Zheng, "Let me see." He was curious about what Lu Zheng had shown Gao Zhikai.

Lu Zheng smiled and handed it over. Seeing it was an industry and commerce document, Ma Yuewu was puzzled but said, "He doesn't understand economics. He hasn't even mastered his own business."

Lu Zheng just smiled.