Chapter 14

Chapter 6: The Mayor's Suicide

"Have a cigarette." An Zai Shan sat in Yang Zixuan's office, handed him a Yuxi cigarette, lit it for him, and lit one for himself.

"Good smoke." Yang Zixuan took a puff, exhaled, and smiled at An Zai Shan.

"Got it from my girlfriend's dad; I can't afford it myself." An Zai Shan laughed.

"So, now you're in a police uniform, must feel pretty powerful, huh?" Yang Zixuan laughed. In the political upheaval in Hongshui County, An Zai Shan, through his father-in-law and Liu Zhen's connections, had gained significant benefits. From Deputy Chief of the County Court to Deputy Chief of the Public Security Bureau, his rank didn't seem to have changed much, but his actual power had increased significantly. Especially with the state emphasizing economic development and social stability, the Public Security Bureau's status had been elevated, making it a key area of contention for party and government leaders.

"Old He is a seasoned police officer with a lot of influence in the bureau. It's not easy to work with him." An Zai Shan took a deep puff, and after their joint efforts, their relationship had rapidly improved. He didn't hide his thoughts.

Yang Zixuan knew he was talking about He Longbin, who had just been promoted from Deputy Chief of Criminal Investigation to Chief of the Public Security Bureau. He laughed, "Don't act like you're at a disadvantage. You're now the Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee and the top-ranking deputy chief of the Public Security Bureau. Even He Longbin has to think twice before going against you. He might play some tricks behind the scenes, but he wouldn't dare to openly oppose you like Chen Ming did. Unless he wants to end his career."

"It's all thanks to you, the great county magistrate. With your protection, I don't fear a single He Longbin." An Zai Shan flicked the ash from his cigarette, subtly flattering Yang Zixuan.

"Get lost. If you can't handle an almost-retired He Longbin, you won't get anywhere." Yang Zixuan laughed and scolded him.

"In terms of theoretical knowledge, I'm better than many, but when it comes to political maneuvering and scheming, I can't match you guys. You're all as shrewd as devils." An Zai Shan laughed. "The county party secretary hasn't been appointed yet. It seems there's a deadlock at the municipal level."

"Right, the municipal party secretary hasn't been decided yet. I heard that Deputy Secretary Mo, who oversees party affairs, has objections. He rose through the ranks in Hongshui County and has a deep connection to it." Yang Zixuan sighed. Deputy Secretary Mo Tianzhang, the third-ranking official in the municipal party committee, is considered neutral, neither aligning with the outsider Lin Pei nor the local officials led by Tang Lu.

So, his opinion can't be ignored by either Tang Lu or Lin Pei.

"Has the county party secretary who oversees party affairs been decided yet?" An Zai Shan only occasionally heard Liu Zhen mention the personnel arrangements, knowing that the county party secretary was in a deadlock, but not the specifics.

"Last night, Secretary Lin called me. It's been decided, and the new secretary will arrive today or tomorrow. She's a young woman, transferred from a state-owned enterprise in the provincial capital." Yang Zixuan's expression was somewhat strange, unsure of Lin Pei's intentions in pairing him with a young woman.

"You'll have good luck with the ladies." An Zai Shan laughed, "Men and women working together makes the job less tiring."

He didn't know if Yang Zixuan had a girlfriend, so he made a harmless joke. As for Yang Zixuan's background, not only in Hongshui County but even in Daming City and Luofu Province, few people knew. Most only knew he was sent from the capital to gain experience in local governance.

"Ring! Ring ring ring!"

At that moment, a sudden, urgent phone call rang in the air.

Yang Zixuan picked up the phone, and his expression changed after half a sentence.

"Understood! I'll be there immediately." Yang Zixuan hung up the phone with a snap.

"What happened?" An Zai Shan also realized the situation was serious.

"The mayor of Qianchi Town committed suicide by jumping from the government building!" Yang Zixuan's expression was grim. "You immediately mobilize police forces from the bureau and the Qianchi police station to maintain order at the scene. The doctors and nurses from the Qianchi Town Health Center are already on their way to provide emergency care."

An Zai Shan responded and quickly went out to make arrangements.

Yang Zixuan then called the county hospital: "Director Sun, it's Yang Zixuan. The mayor of Qianchi Town has jumped from the building. Please immediately send a few doctors to Qianchi to assist the Qianchi Health Center."

"Hey, Xiao Chen, drive to the county government gate immediately. We're heading to the Qianchi Town government."

After making the arrangements, Yang Zixuan sat back in his chair and took a puff of his cigarette.

This was his first battle since taking office, and he couldn't afford to fail!

Before getting in the car, Yang Zixuan took a file from his office about the leadership and economic development of Qianchi Town and read it on the way.

Qianchi Town is a large town at the upper reaches of the Hongshui River, with a large population, most of whom are farmers. Few people work outside or engage in family side businesses.

The town party secretary, Li Zu, is a veteran from Qianchi Town, and the town mayor, Qiu Nan, is a young man dispatched from the county party office, a graduate of Zijin University in the provincial capital. He was originally assigned to a small agency in Zijin, which many young people would have been happy with, but he requested a transfer back to Hongshui County and was assigned to the county party office. Last year, he was sent to Qianchi Town as the town mayor.

The road to Qianchi Town was rugged, and the only small dirt road had been turned into mud by the recent drizzle, making it difficult to drive. Xiao Chen, the driver assigned to Yang Zixuan by the county government, was a few years older than Yang Zixuan and had several years of driving experience, but he still found it challenging.

"Xiao Chen, is the road to Qianchi Town the worst?" Yang Zixuan asked casually.

"Yes, I've driven to almost every town in Hongshui County, and the road to Qianchi Town is the most rugged. Most people wouldn't dare to drive it." Xiao Chen, seeing his leader speak, immediately shared everything he knew. He was one of the younger drivers in the car pool and was excited to be assigned to this promising county magistrate, staying up all night. He hoped that during the county magistrate's term, he could get a permanent position, which would help him in the future, especially when it came to marriage. A permanent position was like a golden bowl.

Yang Zai Shan nodded and silently noted this, staring at the scattered Nanhua plum trees blooming by the roadside.

Upon arriving at the Qianchi Town government, they saw a group of police officers maintaining order at the scene, preventing the crowd from getting too close to the suicide site.

Yang Zixuan got out of the car but didn't go in immediately. He squeezed through the crowd to get a closer look. In the center of the crowd, there was a large pool of blood, clearly where Qiu Nan had landed. He was probably already being treated at the town health center. The town party secretary and An Zai Shan were nowhere to be seen.

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