Chapter 41

Jiu Secretary's office perhaps felt even more solemn and authoritative due to the addition of a beige sofa and a black marble coffee table, and the replacement of the bookshelf with a more impressive one.

"Really? You said you detained Ma Weiguo's son?" Jiu Dahe paused in the act of lifting his teacup.

Sitting across the coffee table, Lu Zheng nodded and said, "Yes, he was harassing a female publicist from our bureau in a public place and was about to gather a crowd to beat up the victim. However, it didn't result in serious consequences, and since it was his first offense, I thought it would be inappropriate to charge him with hooliganism. Instead, I decided to detain him for public security reasons, to serve as a warning."

Hooliganism? Jiu Dahe's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything, only nodding slightly.

Lu Zheng could see the change in Jiu Dahe's expression. He knew that at this moment, Jiu Dahe might be tempted, as this was a great opportunity to undermine Ma Weiguo's reputation. But he probably quickly abandoned the idea, as their relationship hadn't deteriorated to that point yet.

If Ma Weiguo's son were really charged with hooliganism and sentenced to several years in prison, it would create an irreconcilable enmity.

What was Jiu Dahe thinking now? Was he pondering whether this Lu Zheng, who was so bold, could be a valuable asset if used well?

Lu Zheng hoped that Jiu Dahe saw him as such, but who knew what these old foxes really thought?

As a pawn, one must always be prepared for the possibility of being abandoned. The fate of a pawn is to survive in the cracks, especially when the game becomes more intense and heated. Both the players and the pawns hope for stability, because the players themselves are also pawns on a larger board.

...

While Lu Zheng was reporting to Secretary Jiu, Wang Yuguo also called Wei Xiangxiu to his office and found a pretext to send the two deputy directors and the director of the policy research office out.

Then, he mysteriously took out the list of housing assignments from the drawer and handed it to Wei Xiangxiu, smiling, "Xiao Wei, take a look. This is going to be posted this afternoon. I'm breaking the rules by showing it to you early, but I was worried you might be anxious. After all, you are the most in need in the bureau!"

On the way back from Gold Coast to Guangning in the jeep, Wang Yuguo had keenly sensed a subtle change in the relationship between Director Lu and Wei Xiangxiu. Half a month ago, Director Lu had instructed that Wei Xiangxiu should be included in the housing assignment and specifically requested a three-bedroom apartment.

This time, the police housing complex offered two types of apartments: two-bedroom and three-bedroom, both around 70 square meters. The three-bedroom could also be considered a two-bedroom, but it had a narrow corridor upon entry that could be used as a dining room. The kitchen and bathroom were on the shady side of the corridor, while the sunny side had a large room that could serve as a living room or bedroom. Further inside, there were two bedrooms, one on the sunny side and one on the shady side, facing north and south.

Not only had Director Lu considered the apartment type for Wei Xiangxiu, but he had also called the head of the Commercial Bureau, Du Botao, to help with her husband's retirement and job placement. Wang Yuguo knew all of this.

Therefore, Wang Yuguo felt that he should mend his relationship with Wei Xiangxiu, which was why he revealed the housing list to her early.

Although she thought it was likely to happen, when she saw the printed list in front of her, Wei Xiangxiu couldn't help but feel her eyes well up. Her hands trembled as she read the words "Building 2, Unit 3, Room 302, Wei Xiangxiu" over and over, as if she couldn't get enough of them.

Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. The委屈 and bitterness of recent days had finally been rewarded with the result she had long awaited. But was it really worth it?

Wang Yuguo cleared his throat and said, "Xiao Wei, I've always known about your difficulties and kept them in mind. You should also thank Director Lu. He has been very concerned about your life and instructed me to carefully consider your situation half a month ago."

Wei Xiangxiu suddenly raised her beautiful face, her eyes blinking in disbelief. "Half a month ago?"

Wang Yuguo nodded, "Yes, didn't you know? Your husband's job was also arranged by Director Lu and the Commercial Bureau." He gave her a strange look, thinking she must have known.

Wei Xiangxiu was completely stunned. She had suspected someone was helping her husband behind the scenes but couldn't figure out who. She didn't think she was lucky enough to have a benefactor.

But it turned out to be him.

Wei Xiangxiu tightly bit her red lips, her mind blank, not knowing what to think.

Sitting in the jeep on the way back to the county bureau, Lu Zheng slowly lit a cigarette.

This time, he had seriously offended Ma Weiguo. In Ma Weiguo's office, it was clear that Ma Weiguo was barely holding back his anger.

But his cold smile and repeated "good, good, good" certainly didn't mean he approved of the detention of his son.

It seemed that some things he had been planning for a long time needed to be accelerated.

"Xiao Jiao, let's go to Dongmiyuan," Lu Zheng said, looking at his watch. It was already lunchtime.

...

In October, during the 35th anniversary of the founding of the country, the Guangning County Public Security Bureau began to implement the responsibility zone police system, deploying police forces to communities and rural areas to strengthen ties with the public and enhance public security management. In fact, this was to elevate the function of crime prevention to a very important position while strengthening crime fighting. In the city-level police internal publication, Lu Zheng also published a signed article reflecting on the relationship between crime fighting and prevention, emphasizing that in the new economic development situation, the police force must not be detached from the people and must always be the guardian of the people.

It was reported that provincial leaders were very appreciative of Guangning's responsibility zone police system, calling it the "Guangning Experience."

Not long ago, Deputy Secretary Ma Weiguo had criticized the economic crime investigation work of the Guangning County Public Security Bureau, arguing that it disrupted normal economic development and was too harsh on enterprise reform leaders. He even said that some comrades lacked the broad-mindedness of leaders, had a rough style, and were practically living bandits.

Generally, people believed that the "living bandit" label was a veiled reference to County Public Security Bureau Director Lu Zheng.

Although Secretary Ma had many complaints about the bureau's work, the county leaders could see that Lu Zheng, the "living bandit," was becoming more and more firmly established in his position and was gradually becoming a respected figure in Guangning.

Lu Zheng had been very busy lately. Although he had unknowingly upgraded from "Lu Gangtou" to "living bandit," life must go on, and work still needed to be done.

On Sunday afternoon, Du Xiaohu rushed into Lu Zheng's office, his face full of excitement. "Brother Zheng, we've moved everything to the new house. Let's have a pot-bottom feast tonight?"

Wang Yuguo had managed to secure a house for Lu Zheng and included it in the public list. With the deed done, Lu Zheng couldn't refuse, and Wang Yuguo was right; if he insisted on not accepting the housing, it would create imbalance and dissatisfaction among the officers and mid-level cadres.

Moreover, this time, Wang Yuguo knew that the new director wouldn't want to cause disputes, so he handled the housing allocation fairly, ensuring that the most needy were taken care of. There weren't many truly needy cases, and everyone just wanted more spacious living conditions. This was one of the advantages of a small county over a big city, where the average living space was much larger.

"Everything is moved?" Lu Zheng hadn't expected Du Xiaohu to act so quickly. He had entrusted the renovation and furniture purchase to Du Xiaohu.

Du Xiaohu chuckled and nodded, "Brother Zheng, you always talk about efficiency. How's mine?"

Actually, there wasn't much renovation needed. Du Xiaohu just had the floor tiled and bought some furniture. Today, he had moved all the bedding and luggage over.

Lu Zheng smiled, "Pretty efficient!" He stood up, "Let's go home and take a look." Finally having a place of his own, Lu Zheng felt a bit excited. The concept of home is very attractive to everyone.

As Lu Zheng and Du Xiaohu went down the stairs, they heard faint cries from the end of the corridor on the second floor. Lu Zheng frowned slightly.

Du Xiaohu chuckled, "It's the Public Security Section. They caught a thief from the market."

Lu Zheng nodded slightly and didn't intervene.

At the entrance of the office building, a blue Changhe minivan was parked. It was a gift from his sister, Lu Jiaju, who had bought it for him from Wushan a few days ago. She had said that if it weren't for the fear of drawing attention, she would have given him a more luxurious car.

Although the state had allowed private car ownership starting this year, cars were still under a planned economy, and the usual procedure was to get approval from the local material bureau and register the car under a unit's name.

In Wushan, the attitude towards private car ownership was more encouraging, and a special car driver service company was established to facilitate private car owners.

Lu Zheng's minivan was registered under the Wushan Car Service Company.

When Lu Jiaju said she wanted to give him a more luxurious car, it was a sincere offer. When Lu Zheng occasionally discussed business with his brother-in-law, Hu Deli, even a few casual words from Lu Zheng had enlightened Hu Deli. As a result, Hu Deli's business was thriving.

Lu Jiaju, who doted on her younger brother, was even more pleased now that he had become a source of good fortune for her family. A minivan was nothing to her.

Du Xiaohu liked the minivan a lot. The spacious cabin was very convenient for carrying people and goods, better than a jeep or a small car.

In the driver's seat of the minivan sat Jiao Lei, who had clearly put in a lot of effort today. His green military uniform was unbuttoned, and his blue striped tank top was soaked with sweat.

"Xiao Jiao, you're here too?" Lu Zheng nodded in greeting and got into the back.

Jiao Lei quickly smiled, "Yes, take your time." Looking at this young director, Jiao Lei felt a deep sense of respect. How many people could afford a private car these days?

And Director Lu had only been at the county bureau for less than two years. His actions were well-known to everyone, and this car certainly wasn't bought with ill-gotten gains.

It was said that Director Lu had lost his mother at a young age and was raised by ordinary workers. So where did this car come from?

Yesterday, Du Xiaohu had completed the registration under a city unit. Today, Jiao Lei saw the minivan for the first time and was also driving it for the first time. Although he was curious, he didn't dare to ask Du Xiaohu about it.

With the car, Jiao Lei wasn't surprised by the new furniture in Director Lu's home, like the color TV. Color TVs weren't rare in Guangning, even in the countryside, there were a few.

...