Chapter 25

Lu Zheng returned home in the evening and saw Tong Susu standing alone in front of the courtyard gate. The bright moon hung in the sky, and the surrounding trees and houses were draped in silver, making Tong Susu, dressed in white, look like a saint in a game with a glowing effect, noble and dignified, with a thousand charms. However, her slender waist, curvaceous hips, and long, beautiful legs, which created a perfect curve that made people's noses bleed, were not an effect a saint could produce.

Seeing Lu Zheng, her delicate face lit up with a radiant smile, and she stretched out her arms: "Baby, come give me a hug!" After experiencing a period of confusion, humiliation, and fear, seeing Lu Zheng made her feel as if she had seen her closest family member. The rough man in front of her was now her only friend.

Lu Zheng was speechless for a moment, but he could see that her mood had improved significantly, so he felt relieved.

As Du Xiaohu sadly parked two bicycles in the courtyard, Tong Susu pulled Lu Zheng into the inner room like a gust of wind, handed him an envelope, and said, "This is for you, and thank you!" Her tone was very sincere.

Lu Zheng knew it must be money and glanced at her a few times before saying, "If you need it, use it. I'm not in a hurry."

Tong Susu's big eyes fixed on Lu Zheng as she said, "Zengzi, to be honest, where did you get so much money? Don't get involved with Du Xiaohu, or you won't be able to turn back. My father... is a cautionary tale..." Her tone became low again as she spoke.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "I have it under control." He thought to himself that Du Xiaohu, such a simple person, was seen as a villain in her eyes, so her judgment of people was not something he needed to learn from. He then asked, "How is Uncle?"

Tong Susu shook her head, unwilling to talk about it, but from her behavior, Lu Zheng could guess that things had taken a turn for the better. He asked, "What are your plans for the future?"

Tong Susu was silent for a moment before saying, "I still have some money and want to start a small business."

Lu Zheng shook his head and said, "Doing business is not easy, especially for a woman. Did you really lose your job at the city TV station?" From Tong Susu's behavior, it seemed there might be some room for maneuver.

Tong Susu sighed softly and nodded.

There were some things she couldn't tell Lu Zheng. During her time in Wushan, she began to face cold treatment everywhere, and her situation was very bleak. It wasn't until she finally met her father that she found the right people.

Now, she vaguely understood that her father had taken the fall for someone else, and the situation involved complex political struggles that she couldn't comprehend. The person she later met was someone's agent, who told her not to worry about her father's case. Even if he really went to jail, he wouldn't suffer, and there would be arrangements for when he got out. As for Tong Susu, the person told her that things were currently very tense, and she should take some money and go into hiding, preferably back to her hometown in Guangning, where her relatives could take care of her, so her father wouldn't worry.

Although she only got this limited information, it was much better than the helplessness and confusion she had felt during that time. Her father had told her to live well, and her mother still needed her care.

Her mother was expected to be released from the detention center soon. Tong Susu knew that she was now her mother's hope, and she had to live strongly to wait for her father's release and the day when the family would be reunited.

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "If you haven't decided what to do yet, I have an idea. How about the county TV station?" Although he hadn't sought out Tong Susu, he had been concerned about her and had told Li Xiangyang about her situation. Li Xiangyang had taken on the responsibility and said there would be no problem.

Tong Susu smiled bitterly, "It's not a matter of whether I want to go; the county TV station would never want me. Everyone there knows my situation."

Lu Zheng said, "If you want to go, it's settled. I've already talked to Li Xiangyang, and he agreed to help you arrange it."

Tong Susu was stunned, "How is that possible?" She had met Li Xiangyang, the deputy minister of the county propaganda department and the director of the county radio and television bureau, the true boss of the county TV station. But with her family's situation, the city TV station had fired her, and the county TV station would dare to hire her?

Lu Zheng understood her doubts and said, "Everything will be done through normal procedures. The county TV station is short of staff, and if it were before, they would have begged you to come. Don't worry, no one will be watching you closely."

Tong Susu thought about it and nodded lightly. She hadn't realized that Lu Zheng had some influence in Guangning, and even Li Xiangyang would give him face.

"Hey, how do you know Li Xiangyang? You have quite a bit of clout," Tong Susu asked curiously.

Just then, Du Xiaohu came in to move Lu Zheng's bedding and said disdainfully, "Zengzi is doing him a favor, who does Li Xiangyang think he is?"

Tong Susu giggled; men always liked to flatter each other.

Lu Zheng answered her question honestly, "After I was transferred, I worked as a deputy political commissar in the county bureau and helped Li Xiangyang's nephew with a case."

Lu Zheng's words were vague, but Tong Susu misunderstood them. She sighed, "Zengzi, it's best not to get involved in such things."

Lu Zheng was taken aback for a moment but quickly understood what Tong Susu was thinking. She assumed he had helped Li Xiangyang's nephew with something. He smiled but didn't want to explain further.

Tong Susu tilted her head curiously and looked at Lu Zheng, "You really were in the military? To be a deputy section chief after being transferred, you must have been a battalion or company-level officer, right?"

Lu Zheng smiled, "I went to the front lines, and the county treated me... well, I guess."

Tong Susu didn't fully understand the transfer policies and exclaimed, "Oh," but she became even more curious about Lu Zheng. She asked, "Have you... ever killed anyone?"

Lu Zheng's mind buzzed, and for a moment, he felt as if he was back on the blood-soaked hillside, surrounded by the crimson blood and the grotesque corpses under his bayonet.

"Let's not talk about this. Go to sleep," Lu Zheng waved his hand and got up to leave.

Tong Susu was startled by Lu Zheng's expression and watched his back, gradually falling into deep thought.

...

The sky was filled with dark, heavy clouds, as if pressing down on people's heads, making it hard to breathe. Lightning split the sky, followed by a deafening thunder that shook the earth. Then, a torrential downpour began. It was the hot and humid thunderstorm season in Guangning in August.

In the meeting room on the third floor of the county bureau, smoke filled the air. Party Secretary and Deputy County Magistrate Liu Baojun was "listening in" on the bureau's party committee meeting, which was chaired by Ma Yuewu to arrange the next phase of work.

This was a time of great change, and the county bureau had a lot of work to do in various areas. First, with the economic development of Wushan, the number of migrant workers in the surrounding counties had increased exponentially, especially in Guangning, a popular tourist destination. The county's economy was developing rapidly, but the pressure from the influx of migrants was also increasing.

The city bureau had issued a notice requiring all county and district bureaus to launch a "anti-pickpocketing" special campaign to crack down on all types of enemies who were undermining the socialist economy, aiming to maintain good social order. Guangning was a hotspot for pickpockets and one of the main battlefields for this special campaign.

In addition to the "anti-pickpocketing" special campaign, another major task for the county bureau was to establish a fire department (a full-section-level unit) responsible for fire prevention and supervision, and to set up a traffic police team (also a full-section-level unit) after taking over the county traffic management station. These were all necessary for the economic development of Guangning.

The meeting room was small, and there were too many heavy smokers, making the air stifling. Even Lu Zheng, who occasionally smoked a couple of cigarettes, couldn't help but frown.

Ma Yuewu had a loud and powerful voice, quite different from the slow and deliberate manner of the previous bureau chief, giving a different impression.

Liu Baojun was very cooperative, often smiling and interjecting to agree with Ma Yuewu's opinions.

Gao Zhikai remained expressionless, sipping his tea.

All the officials present knew that these three were the most likely candidates for the new bureau chief. Privately, they were all very humble and never admitted to anything, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor, making it hard to tell who would come out on top in this competition.

Ma Yuewu's background was the clearest. He was backed by the county party secretary, Qiu Dahe. Even though the county party committee did not have the final say in the appointment of the bureau chief, their opinion was still very important. If Qiu Dahe put in a strong effort, Ma Yuewu's chances were good.

Especially since, recently, almost all the bureau's meetings had been chaired by him.

Liu Baojun, as the county party secretary for political and legal affairs, might be seen by higher-ups as a good choice to straighten out the Guangning county bureau, given his high-level deputy county position.

Chu Chuzhang's investigation team had left Guangning the day before. Before leaving, Chu Chuzhang had been inseparable from Liu Baojun. It was said that Chu Chuzhang was a powerful section chief in the provincial department who had a lot of influence. If he really put in the effort, the appointment of a county-level cadre in the provincial public security system would not be difficult, especially since he was the head of the investigation into the police killing case in Guangning, making his words even more weighty.

Therefore, if the provincial department suggested that Liu Baojun take on the role of county bureau chief, it would not be surprising.

Only Gao Zhikai, who was said to have connections reaching high up, had an unclear background. No one knew what kind of relationships he had, but no one could deny that he was also a strong candidate for the bureau chief, perhaps even the strongest.

The more mysterious a person was, the more frightening they often were.

The three top candidates for bureau chief had always been very cooperative with each other, but this harmony was finally broken today.

When Liu Baojun suddenly suggested that Du Xiaohu be appointed as the head of the newly established fire department, Ma Yuewu clearly opposed it.

He interrupted Liu Baojun's rambling and said loudly, "Secretary Baojun, Du Xiaohu is still too young, and he has only been in a deputy section position for a little over a year. Although we are now promoting people based on merit, I think Comrade Xiaohu still needs more training. How about starting as a deputy head first?" Ma Yuewu's loud and powerful voice left Liu Baojun with no way to back down.

As Ma Yuewu spoke, he glanced at Lu Zheng.

Although Lu Zheng was being overlooked in the competition for bureau chief, whoever became the chief would inevitably need to rely on him. Lu Zheng had been mythologized to a certain extent among the ordinary police officers in the county bureau. It was no wonder, given his achievements in solving the June 15th case, easily cracking the murder case at the crime scene, and killing the country's top criminal, Zhang Zili. These were all legendary stories.

Therefore, whoever became the bureau chief would want to rely on him, especially Ma Yuewu, who needed Lu Zheng to counter Gao Zhikai.

Ma Yuewu's glance at Lu Zheng was likely to tell him, "I have no issue with Du Xiaohu."

Liu Baojun smiled generously and nodded, saying, "Comrade Yuewu's suggestion is good. I am an outsider and not familiar with the bureau's business. I was just expressing my personal opinion and welcome criticism and suggestions from my comrades." His words, though polite and humble, subtly displayed his leadership. He reminded Ma Yuewu that he was the county party secretary for political and legal affairs, a deputy county-level official, while Ma Yuewu was just a high-level section chief.