Chapter 30

In the office, Lu Zheng was on the phone with Li Xiangyang. After congratulating Lu Zheng on his promotion, Li Xiangyang invited him to dinner that evening to celebrate, and chuckled, "I was just thinking of having a drink with you, but some people in the department heard about it and insisted on joining in. If you have something else, we can reschedule."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "How could I miss out on a dinner hosted by Brother Xiangyang?" Now, he was very close to Li Xiangyang, and if there were no others, he might have declined if he had something else. But with outsiders, it would be embarrassing for Li Xiangyang if he didn't show up.

Li Xiangyang laughed and said, "Then it's settled. Tonight at seven, at Dongmiyuan on the second floor."

Hearing "Dongmiyuan," Lu Zheng couldn't help but smile, recalling the scene where Mrs. Cai caused a commotion at Dongmiyuan. Although it hadn't been long since then, a lot had happened, and thinking about the past felt like a lifetime ago.

Li Xiangyang then asked, "By the way, I just thought of something. Has Tong Susu given you any news?"

Lu Zheng was taken aback and said, "What?" Could he be talking about Tong Susu's parents? But Li Xiangyang wasn't the type to gossip.

Li Xiangyang exclaimed, "You're not very familiar with her? I thought you knew. A while ago, Tong Susu went to Beijing to attend a training class for the 'Dream of the Red Chamber' production. I heard the acting class had already started, but Director Wang came to Guangning Mingstone Mountain to scout locations and saw Tong Susu on the county TV station. He was very impressed and even greeted me, asking me to let her go. Of course, I couldn't refuse. If Tong Susu becomes a big star, it will be a pride for Guangning!"

Lu Zheng said, "Oh, that's why I haven't seen her lately. It must have been very urgent for her to leave without telling me. Or maybe she was worried about not getting the role and being sent back, so she didn't want to tell me in advance to avoid embarrassment."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. See you tonight," Li Xiangyang said and hung up.

Just as Lu Zheng put down the phone, it rang again. He picked it up and heard a gentle and kind voice say, "Xiao Zheng, it's... Mom." Although Lu Zheng had naturally called Han Jing "Mom" the last time he went home, it was clear that she was still hesitant to call herself that.

Lu Zheng knew his every move couldn't be hidden from home, especially something that had alarmed the provincial department. He laughed and said, "Mom, it seems you all know. I guess I'm doing alright, right?"

The term "Mom" with a modern twist made Han Jing a bit uncomfortable. After a moment, she finally spoke, "I'm happy for your progress."

Lu Zheng scratched his head. He knew his mother must be very pleased, but her personality made her express it in a peculiar way, always like a leader talking to a subordinate, cold and calm, which was truly helpless.

Then, Han Jing's voice came through the phone, "But don't be proud. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Your path is just beginning."

Lu Zheng felt a bit deflated. In front of his mother, he felt like a child. Although he was reluctant to call her "Mom" before, deep down, he admired this female general, a goddess-like figure in the military. He had heard that she had learned martial arts from a hermit and had won five consecutive titles as the散打王 (Sanshou King) in the Beijing Military Region, and that was even with holding back; otherwise, her moves would have been lethal.

How much did he want to gain the recognition of this "cold" mother?

"Your Uncle has some eye problems and might go to the U.S. for treatment soon. When the time comes, see if you can take a leave to visit him."

Mother spoke in the military style, and Lu Zheng could only laugh and say, "Sure, sure."

At that moment, there was a gentle knock on the office door. His mother's hearing was sharp; she must have heard it. She said, "You're busy. I'll hang up." The call ended abruptly, as always, without any lingering.

Lu Zheng looked at the phone in his hand with a bitter smile, thinking, "With such a mother, what a fortunate son." He called out, "Come in!"

Wei Xiangxiu walked in, and Lu Zheng had already changed his demeanor, quietly flipping through documents.

Wei Xiangxiu lifted the thermos and found it still full. She walked to the desk, lifted the lid of Lu Zheng's teacup, and refilled it, smiling and saying, "Director Lu, in the future, if you have guests, just call me to serve them, okay?" Her voice was as sweet as honey, her white face smiling, her red lips curling into a gentle arc, revealing her white teeth.

In the office, secretaries and staff had their own responsibilities, but someone had to serve the leaders, pour tea, and so on. Even if the deputy directors didn't need it, the chief director still required service. When Zhang Qingming was in charge, three secretaries took turns serving him in his office, two days a week each, a system they had established themselves, not part of the official job description.

Zhang Qingming had once wanted Wei Xiangxiu to take turns doing this job, but she refused. She knew his ulterior motives and wouldn't let him take advantage of her until her husband's job and new house were secured. She didn't want to risk him going back on his word and leaving her with nothing.

Over the years, Wei Xiangxiu, with her beauty and voluptuous figure, had seen many men use various means, subtle or overt, to get close to her. In her eyes, men were all the same, always looking for more, and none could resist temptation. She knew how to use her advantages to stand out in a male-dominated police system. Even Zhang Qingming was manipulated by her. Despite his deep scheming, he was no match for her, ultimately losing his usual shrewdness in the face of her allure.

However, she hadn't expected Zhang Qingming to leave Guangning before fulfilling his promises, leaving her in an unprecedentedly awkward position. Her former support had become a weakness. The cold reception from Wang Yuguo just now also made her realize how dangerous her current situation was. Not only her house and husband's job, but even her position in the county bureau's office was at risk. She might be demoted to a police station, facing daily sun and rain.

Now, the only person who could make her the flower of the county bureau again was the young director in front of her.

So, Wei Xiangxiu not only volunteered to serve in Lu Zheng's office but also offered her sweetest smile.

Wei Xiangxiu was extremely alluring, with delicate eyebrows, bright eyes, and soft skin. Her smile revealed two dimples, and in her police uniform, she looked both elegant and strong. Despite the loose fit of the uniform, her full breasts, slender waist, and shapely hips were still noticeable, making her a tempting little beauty.

But Lu Zheng didn't even look up, just nodded and said, "Mm-hmm." He had heard from Jiao Lei about Wei Xiangxiu's family situation. Over the past few days, Jiao Lei had told him almost everything he knew about the county bureau's officials and officers, giving Lu Zheng a broader perspective.

However, he didn't take Wei Xiangxiu's situation to heart. Whether she came to serve him tea or not was irrelevant; the office secretaries could handle it.

Now, Lu Zheng was considering the reorganization of the bureau's leadership and some personnel adjustments.

This was his first time exercising his authority as director, and he had to consider all aspects and reactions.

Seeing Lu Zheng nod in agreement to her serving in his office, Wei Xiangxiu should have been happy, but seeing the young director engrossed in his documents, she felt extremely disappointed. Even if he had refused, she wouldn't have felt this way, because a refusal would mean he had noticed her. A refusal might be to avoid rumors or to play hard to get.

But now, what was this? It was as if she didn't exist.

But Wei Xiangxiu knew this young director was different from Zhang Qingming. A 22-year-old county bureau director with a legendary background, even if he was a bit rough, was likely to be very proud, not like the balding middle-aged men.

And as Wei Xiangxiu's eyes scanned Lu Zheng, even if she did lose herself to him, it wouldn't be so repulsive.

Wei Xiangxiu's thoughts raced, but only for a moment. She then smiled lightly and said, "Director, you're busy. I'll go out. Call me if you need anything."

Seeing Lu Zheng nod, Wei Xiangxiu left, gently closing the door behind her.

Lu Zheng thought about calling his mother back for a few more words but decided against it.

Although the Wushan region was rapidly building its communication network, long-distance calls from Beijing to the counties were still difficult due to the high volume of calls.

There were dedicated long-distance dialing services, and Guangning's was "113." After dialing, you had to tell the operator where the call was going and the name of the recipient's organization. If you had the phone number, that was even better.

At this point, you could hang up, and your call would be queued. The operator would dial the recipient's number in the order of the queue. Once the recipient answered, the operator would connect the call. If a unit needed to make a long-distance call in the morning, it might not be connected until the afternoon, especially for calls to Beijing, which could take a day or two.

With the development of the communication network, the difficulty of making long-distance calls was gradually improving.

As for his mother's call, it probably had priority and didn't need to wait in the queue.

Lu Zheng shook his head in frustration. Making long-distance calls was really troublesome.