Chapter 41

Chapter 33: An Unexpected Situation

"Minister Wang, your statement is incorrect. If I remember correctly, when Wu Xiong was promoted to the Party Secretary of Tianma Township, it was also you who led the team to conduct the evaluation and interview. What was the assessment given by the Organization Department at that time? Should I find it and read it to the comrades present?" Lin Ruoshui's voice was clear as she rebutted, but the sarcasm and ridicule in her words made almost everyone present secretly laugh.

Lin Ruoshui, of course, was not making baseless accusations. She would not have mocked an old-standing member of the Standing Committee without reason. All of this stemmed from a few days ago when she and Yang Zixuan were strolling and talking by the Hongshui River, and they were just so happened to be seen by Wang Dongming.

For several days, the government compound had been buzzing with rumors about the ambiguous relationship between her and Yang Zixuan. So Lin Ruoshui immediately thought that it was Wang Dongming who had spread the rumors!

Thus, the blame was squarely placed on Wang Dongming's head by Lin Ruoshui.

A woman's thoughts are the hardest to fathom, especially a beautiful woman like Lin Ruoshui, whose thoughts were even more inscrutable.

Wang Dongming's old face immediately turned red, but he could not refute her, standing there speechless. He did not know how he had offended this Deputy Secretary in charge of party affairs.

At this moment, Yang Zixuan glanced at Huang He, who was sitting upright, and saw that his face was also somewhat grim. His eyes darted around, and he immediately said with a smile, "Deputy Secretary Lin, you can't generalize and criticize everyone. Our Party Committee still recognizes the work of the Organization Department. Especially now, under Minister Huang's leadership, I believe the work of the Organization Department and the Party building will be even better!"

Lin Ruoshui, upon hearing this, was secretly delighted. This slippery county magistrate was not indirectly criticizing the former head of the Organization Department, Wang Dongming, for not doing as well as Huang He?

Lin Ruoshui secretly smiled, but her words were serious, "Yes, County Magistrate Yang is right. Minister Huang has been very responsible since he took office. He has changed the lax work style of the Organization Department, and the work efficiency is extremely high!"

The two of them, one singing and the other responding, thoroughly ridiculed Wang Dongming.

As for Wang Dongming and Huang He, although both were close to Su Nan, their relationship was rather ordinary.

At this moment, Yang Zixuan and Lin Ruoshui both praised Huang He to belittle Wang Dongming, which made Wang Dongming feel as if a thorn had grown in his heart. He could not help but feel a bit of disgust towards Huang He, who had taken his position as head of the Organization Department.

In fact, Wang Dongming knew that his transfer from the position of head of the Organization Department had nothing to do with Huang He; it was entirely due to his involvement in the Xu Li case, which led to his adjustment by the city. However, he still had some lingering resentment towards Huang He. In the past, when he was the head of the county's Organization Department, his words carried great weight, both in the Standing Committee and in the government compound. Now, he had become a marginal figure. Although he was still a member of the Standing Committee, his home was no longer bustling with visitors as it used to be.

Wang Dongming had his own thoughts, but from Su Nan's perspective, the situation was different. Just now, when Yang Zixuan said something, Lin Ruoshui immediately echoed it. Could there be some kind of cooperative relationship between them? Recently, many people in the county government compound had seen Yang Zixuan and Lin Ruoshui walking intimately by the Hongshui River, and some even whispered that they were in a romantic relationship.

Of course, these rumors were somewhat absurd, and Su Nan was not naive enough to believe them. However, these rumors did suggest some issues. Although Yang Zixuan and Lin Ruoshui had some disagreements at the first Standing Committee meeting over the selection of the Party Secretary of the Hongshui District, it seemed that their relationship was not strained, and there was even a hint of intimacy!

Su Nan glanced at Yang Zixuan out of the corner of his eye. He knew that Yang Zixuan had been frequently bypassing the mayor, Tang Lu, and directly reporting to Lin Pei. He was also speculating on the true relationship between Yang Zixuan and Lin Pei!

Was it a temporary mutual benefit, a simple superior-subordinate relationship, or had Yang Zixuan completely thrown himself into Lin Pei's arms?

Su Nan felt a headache. These relationships were truly complicated!

"Let me share my thoughts first." Liu Xiao looked at Yang Zixuan's expression and spoke in a somewhat sharp voice.

Upon hearing Liu Xiao speak, all the members of the Standing Committee immediately perked up, sitting straight and listening intently.

In the matter of Liu Jian, apart from Su Nan and Yang Zixuan, the two top leaders of the Party and government, the most authoritative voice was that of Liu Xiao, the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission. Therefore, her attitude was crucial.

Su Nan looked at Liu Xiao's serious face and sighed. If Liu Xiao were his direct subordinate, he would not be in such a passive position, and he would not be so embarrassed by a mere county magistrate. Alas...

"The misuse of public funds in the Tianma Township government is undeniable. Many of the retained funds were used for extravagance and public dining. As the township head, Liu Jian cannot shirk his leadership responsibility, regardless of the reasons." Liu Xiao's voice was devoid of emotion. As the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, she knew that her stance must first be fair; otherwise, she could not establish authority in the commission or gain the trust of higher-ups.

In her view, as the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, she must first uphold fairness, which is a matter of principle, before considering personal feelings.

"Moreover, in the Tianma conflict, Liu Jian, as the main leader on the scene, did not handle the situation effectively, leading to a loss of control and causing a very negative impact. This is also undeniable!" Liu Xiao's two sentences defined the nature of Liu Jian's issues. Regardless of how the Party Committee ultimately dealt with Liu Jian, these two responsibilities could not be avoided. Even if no other responsibilities were pursued, these two issues alone would be enough to cause Liu Jian significant trouble!

As Liu Xiao finished speaking, Su Nan felt a chill run down his spine. It seemed that he could not protect Liu Jian... Why did he listen to Wang Dongming and insist on protecting such a corrupt individual in the Standing Committee, making it difficult for him to back down now? Ah, Wang Dongming is no good either. One wrong step, and everything goes wrong...

"Liu Secretary is right. Liu Jian's failure to handle the Tianma incident and the misuse of public funds are undeniable responsibilities," Yang Zixuan began, his eyes scanning the members of the Standing Committee, slowly revealing his cards. "According to the feedback from the audit and finance department staff who were stationed in Tianma Township, Liu Jian is indeed suspected of extravagance. He should also bear some responsibility for the collection of the per capita tax and the construction of the luxurious township government building..."

"Secretary Su, what do you think?" Yang Zixuan turned to look at Su Nan, finally passing the hot potato to Su Nan, who was in a state of turmoil.

Su Nan looked at the investigation report in his hand, paused for a moment, gritted his teeth, and finally decided to cut off his own arm to save himself. Since he could not protect Liu Jian anyway, there was no need to struggle further.

Putting down the sweat-soaked stone in his hand, Su Nan sighed, his voice somewhat heavy, "From the report, it is clear that Comrade Liu Jian has certain issues. It is not just because of Comrade Wu Xiong's domineering style; Comrade Liu Jian himself did not strictly adhere to party discipline..."

Just as everyone thought the matter was settled and Liu Jian would inevitably be dismissed, Yang Zixuan said something that made everyone's eyes widen in surprise!

"Although that is true, Secretary Su, I believe Comrade Liu Jian's work still has some aspects worth recognizing. In fact, I reviewed the economic development of Tianma Township over the past few years yesterday. Although it is not satisfactory, there are still some commendable points. The targets set by the county Party Committee and government for Tianma Township are basically met every year..." Yang Zixuan's voice, though not loud, sounded like thunder to the members of the Standing Committee.

What is this county magistrate up to? Just a moment ago, he seemed to want to completely destroy Liu Jian, but now he is defending him...

This sudden change in attitude was too fast, even for the shrewd Su Nan, Huang He, and Wang Dongming, who were all stunned, unsure of what Yang Zixuan was trying to do.

Su Nan's mind was racing, but he could not figure out what Yang Zixuan was up to...

Only Liu Xiao, frowning, began to vaguely guess Yang Zixuan's intentions!

"Therefore, although Comrade Liu Jian lacks innovation and reform in economic measures, he is still capable of maintaining the status quo." Yang Zixuan ignored the stunned expressions of the others and continued his shocking statement.