Chapter 48

The cold air from the north suddenly visited Guangning, and on the streets, pedestrians put on thick sweaters as the temperature seemed to drop several notches all at once.

Qiu Dahuo's office was warm, and the county had started heating early from the day before.

Sitting face-to-face with Lu Zheng, Qiu Dahuo chatted cheerfully, as if he hadn't heard the rumors circulating in the county government compound that his backer had lost power.

It was said that several key figures in the county government had already begun to move around, preparing for the "post-Qiu Dahuo era" in Guangning.

However, Qiu Dahuo told Lu Zheng some good news, saying he had recommended Lu Zheng to the Municipal Party Committee to concurrently serve as the vice-county magistrate in charge of public security and justice.

With the deepening of reforms and economic development, the importance of the public security front had been increasing day by day. In the Wushan region, county and district public security chiefs either held deputy county-level positions or enjoyed deputy department-level benefits, and several had already been promoted. As a relatively economically developed coastal county, it was inevitable that the Guangning County Public Security Bureau chief would also be promoted.

However, Qiu Dahuo's sudden proposal at this critical juncture inevitably gave the impression of a desperate struggle, as if he was desperately trying to win over every possible cadre. At least, Hou Jianjun thought so.

Lu Zheng didn't say much, humbly stating that he was "young" and "lacked experience."

Qiu Dahuo smiled and nodded, saying, "Lu Zheng, humility is a good thing, but excessive humility is unnecessary. You are the only first-class hero of the Ministry of Public Security in our province in the past five years."

Lu Zheng smiled but remained silent.

Qiu Dahuo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said casually, "By the way, the case at the Commercial Bureau has been dragging on for too long. Hasn't it been clarified yet?"

The case at the County Commercial Bureau started with the manager of the subordinate food company, Wang Yaoguo. Hou Jianjun, who was in charge of internal security, had called for a thorough investigation. After more than a month of intense efforts, Deputy Director Yao Baoming of the County Commercial Bureau was also implicated. Yao Baoming had received significant benefits from Wang Yaoguo's illegal resale of meat and poultry to other regions, providing him with great convenience.

Yao Baoming was now under investigation by the Economic Crime Investigation Team of the County Public Security Bureau's Internal Security Department.

On the way back to the bureau after leaving Qiu Dahuo's office, Lu Zheng pondered silently.

Du Botao of the Commercial Bureau was promoted by Qiu Dahuo, and even Li Xiangyang belonged to Qiu Dahuo's circle. Was Du Botao involved in the Commercial Bureau case?

Qiu Dahuo hinted that he should conclude the case quickly. Was it because of Du Botao, or for his own sake?

As soon as he entered his office, Hou Jianjun followed in, as if he had been waiting in Wang Yuguo's office.

"Director, Wang Yaoguo's case has reached the pre-trial stage. Should we also send Yao Baoming over?" Hou Jianjun said with a smile, but his eyes were somewhat evasive.

In the public security system, sending a case to the pre-trial department basically meant the case was about to be concluded. The remaining steps were for the pre-trial department to review the evidence and assess the trial situation. If everything was in order, the case would be handed over to the procuratorate for prosecution.

Hearing that Wang Yaoguo's case had reached the pre-trial stage, Lu Zheng nodded. Clearly, someone had reminded Hou Jianjun, prompting him to rush to conclude the case. However, regardless of the circumstances, Hou Jianjun still sought Lu Zheng's opinion, taking his lead.

Seeing Lu Zheng's silence, Hou Jianjun was startled and quickly said, "Why don't you go and listen? Old Zhao and the others are discussing it now."

Old Zhao was the head of the pre-trial department. Following Director Lu Zheng's instructions, the pre-trial department must be well-versed in the law. For important cases, in addition to the principal responsibility system, a collective discussion system for self-inspection and self-correction was also promoted to identify potential issues in the trial process.

Lu Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "I won't go, but Yao Baoming's case isn't urgent. Let's investigate further."

Hou Jianjun was taken aback but nodded silently. He couldn't fathom what Lu Zheng was thinking. Perhaps, Lu Zheng was being cautious, not wanting to openly rush the conclusion of the case and give others a handle. Or perhaps, he genuinely believed it was inappropriate to conclude the case yet and wanted to continue the investigation.

Regardless of Lu Zheng's true intentions, Hou Jianjun felt it was time to step in. In such a situation, he should take the lead and help his leader solve the unspoken problem.

Following Director Lu's instructions, Yao Baoming would not enter the pre-trial stage for the time being but would continue to be investigated. However, there was no need to delve deeper, as it would be detrimental to everyone. In about ten to fifteen days, the case could be concluded in a muddled manner.

"Alright, I know what to do," Hou Jianjun nodded.

Lu Zheng smiled, "Do you really know?" but didn't say more.

...

On the second floor of Dongmiyuan.

Liu Baojun drank cup after cup with Lu Zheng, finishing each drink in one go. It was hard to imagine that this red-faced, neck-swollen man who kept toasting Lu Zheng was the same cautious Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

"Brother, I'm telling you, today we two... we must, must not part until we're drunk!" Liu Baojun's tongue was thick, and he slurred as he hugged Lu Zheng's neck.

Lu Zheng smiled, "Secretary Liu, you're high."

"Don't call me Secretary Liu, call me Brother Liu, or Liu Baojun!" Liu Baojun patted Lu Zheng's shoulder forcefully, then sighed deeply, put down his glass, and looked at Lu Zheng seriously. "Brother, your Brother Liu isn't a fool. I will always remember your kindness!"

Lu Zheng smiled, "Brother Liu, let's not talk about this..."

Liu Baojun slapped the table, "That's a good call, Brother! For that, I'll punish myself with three cups!" At this moment, he was full of spirit, a far cry from his usual dejected state.

Lu Zheng said helplessly, "What kind of rule is this, calling you Brother and you punish yourself with three cups? I'll drink with you." He raised his glass and lightly clinked it with Liu Baojun's.

Liu Baojun drank three cups in quick succession, his face even redder, his forehead glistening. He patted Lu Zheng's hand and said, "Brother, I heard Qiu Dahuo is going to nominate you for the position of vice-county magistrate? I'm telling you, don't go. When I leave, the position of Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission will be yours, and this time, the Secretary will definitely enter the Standing Committee."

Lu Zheng was surprised, "Brother is leaving?" He hadn't heard this news, as he perhaps had fewer connections and sources of information in the Wushan political circle than Hou Jianjun.

Liu Baojun was quite pleased, "Yes, Deputy Director of the Municipal Party Committee Research Office, it's been approved."

Lu Zheng raised his glass and smiled, "Congratulations, Brother! It should be a promotion to the full department level, right?" Lu Zheng knew that the Municipal Party Committee Research Office was similar to the later Policy Research Office. However, the current party structure placed great importance on theoretical research, and the Research Office held a very important position. In Wushan, the Director of the Municipal Party Committee Research Office was concurrently held by a member of the Standing Committee.

Liu Baojun smiled and nodded, clinking glasses with Lu Zheng and finishing the drink in one go.

"Brother, tomorrow, you come with me to Wushan. I'll introduce you to someone who really wants to meet you," Liu Baojun said in a low, mysterious voice.

Lu Zheng smiled, "Thank you, Brother." He knew that perhaps from this moment, he had truly entered the Wushan political circle, gradually coming into contact with various small cliques. However, he didn't feel particularly excited.

Liu Baojun sighed deeply, "But, Brother, sometimes, interpersonal relationships are just what they are. Remember, you have to be strong yourself. Only when you stand firm will others respect you." This was his heartfelt advice, based on his own experiences. There was another thing he didn't say: he himself was a living example. For years, he had tried hard to leave Wushan, but his old leader couldn't or didn't want to help. Now, after his article was published in the Central Party Newspaper, one good thing after another had happened, and he had become a favorite in his old leader's eyes, leading to a smooth promotion.

All of this, he knew, was due to Lu Zheng. From the reform of the reception center to becoming a model figure in the Wushan region, Liu Baojun sometimes even suspected that Lu Zheng had orchestrated these events behind the scenes. However, he still had his wits about him and didn't think Lu Zheng had that much power. Regardless, Lu Zheng was his lucky star, even his benefactor in his career.

When Liu Baojun was thoroughly drunk, the curtain of the private room was lifted, and a few young men entered, followed closely by Boss Wang, who kept saying, "No more seats, no more seats." He didn't know if Lu Zheng and Liu Baojun wanted their identities known, so he didn't greet them.

"What the hell, no seats? Two people, do you need such a big table? Hurry up, we have seven or eight people. They're almost done eating, we'll wait here!" The young men were quite aggressive, clearly street toughs.

Before Lu Zheng could speak, Liu Baojun had already slapped the table, staggered to his feet, and pointed at them, cursing, "Damn brats, get out, or I'll kill you all!"

He swayed as he spoke, almost falling backward. Lu Zheng quickly supported him, inwardly sighing. Alcohol was truly a poison that could make even the most cautious person lose control. However, it was clear that Liu Baojun had truly let his guard down today.

The young men were already shouting back, and some were ready to fight. Seeing the situation, Boss Wang quickly whispered to them.

The young men's anger and aggression vanished instantly, and they all hurriedly slunk out.

Liu Baojun, slumped in Lu Zheng's arms, was already slurring his words, "Who do I fear? Who do I fear? I fear no one! Brother, Brother, I'm telling you, there's not a single good one, not even Zhang XX! They're all old foxes, old scoundrels! When I was squeezed like a孙子, where were they? Where were they? ... Not a single good one..."

Lu Zheng helped Liu Baojun sit down, watched him lean on the table, his voice growing weaker but still cursing. He felt a bit of pity for him.

Perhaps, this was the raw reality of the political world. No matter how glorious it seemed from the outside, there was always a bitter side.

Zhang XX, Lu Zheng knew, was Liu Baojun's old leader, and perhaps the person he would meet tomorrow.