Chapter 73 of 100
Chapter 73
17 min read4,251 words
Chapter Twelve: The Initial Signs
After seeing Fang Ling off, Su Nan sat on the sofa in his office, feeling somewhat exhausted, and silently smoked a cigarette.
During their conversation just now, although Fang Ling maintained her usual tone as an ally, the hierarchical relationship was very clear, and there was no trace of the casualness they used to have!
There was no doubt that the relationship between Fang Ling and him had developed a crack!
Elements of suspicion and distrust had already spread between them!
Su Nan knew that his public support for Yang Zixuan's reforms at the meeting had severely damaged his prestige in the county committee and caused many people to distance themselves from him, such as Huang He and Fang Ling!
Although Huang He still needed to rely on him to expand his influence in personnel matters, and Fang Ling still needed to rely on him to avoid being squeezed out of the county government, it was no longer possible for them to trust him as they did before!
All of this was because of—Yang Zixuan!
Thinking of this young man, who always had a calm face and a straight back, Su Nan gritted his teeth in hatred, his knuckles turning white as he slammed his hand on the table!
Yang Zixuan's move was too ruthless, using his own backing to force him to support his economic reform proposals. Su Nan's face showed a hint of helplessness. After working in the government for over a decade, he had spent a few years in the agency and later became Liu Daoming's secretary, a position of great prominence. He had never been in such a dire situation before.
Grassroots struggles were indeed very challenging, no wonder the organization increasingly valued grassroots experience when promoting officials.
Su Nan sighed, went into the inner room to wash his face, tidied his clothes, and combed his hair, restoring the image of a confident and serious county party secretary in the mirror.
There was still a major issue to handle, so Su Nan had to re-compose himself!
Just as Su Nan sat back down in his chair, his secretary, Xiao Cheng, reported that the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, He Longbin, had come to report on work.
He Longbin was very lean but tall, and despite being close to sixty, he was still full of energy. He walked into Su Nan's office with a steady pace.
"Old He, please sit down!" Su Nan stood up to greet He Longbin. After all, He Longbin was an old cadre in Hongshui County, having worked in the public security front for a long time and led the criminal investigation department, solving many cases. He had a high reputation in the county's political and legal system, and Su Nan had to show him due respect by standing up to welcome him.
"Secretary, I came today to report on the progress of the shoe-throwing incident at the county conference center yesterday." He Longbin's eyes were sharp, and his tone was steady, unlike that of an elderly person.
Su Nan nodded: "The shoe-throwing incident yesterday indeed had a bad impact on the cadres and the public. With important leaders from the city committee present, it also gave the city committee a negative impression of our county committee and government. Even if you hadn't come to report, I would have sought you out to understand the situation."
This morning, a message had spread from somewhere, revealing that the woman who threw the shoe had confessed at the police station and claimed that she was being directed by someone behind the scenes.
This explosive gossip quickly spread throughout the county committee and government offices, and people were cautiously inquiring about who the幕后指使人 (幕后指使人 means "the person behind the scenes") was. However, no one could provide a definitive answer, which only fueled the gossip and speculation, with various versions circulating privately.
Although no one dared to openly discuss this in the county committee and government offices, once they stepped out of the county committee and government gates, people began to discuss it in subtle and vague terms.
Su Nan had heard about this rumor from his secretary, Xiao Cheng, in the morning, and it had made him very anxious!
The shoe-throwing incident was far beyond his expectations. Although he found such a low-tech method of struggle contemptible and was not the one who orchestrated it, the person behind the scenes was closely related to him, causing him a headache.
Just after the New Year, a series of troubles had piled up. This position of county party secretary felt like sitting on a red-hot iron plate, making his buttocks burn. Su Nan felt both physically and mentally exhausted.
"Have you found out which unit the girl who threw the shoe belongs to?" Su Nan asked, already knowing the answer.
"We have found out. She is from the county dance troupe. Deputy Director An is personally handling this case, and I learned the information from him last night." He Longbin answered in a standard manner.
In fact, He Longbin didn't take this county party secretary, Su Nan, very seriously, let alone the young county magistrate. Although An Zai Shan had recently been very assertive and his prestige in the police department was gradually rising, He Longbin didn't care much.
In He Longbin's eyes, An Zai Shan was still very inexperienced. If he wanted to, he could easily suppress An Zai Shan and leave him with no room to speak.
As for Su Nan and Yang Zixuan, He Longbin wasn't particularly afraid of them either. After all, he was close to retirement, and unless someone found a fatal flaw in him, even Su Nan couldn't easily move him. Moreover, the police department, being a powerful department, was always a key area of contention for the party and government leaders, and he, Old He, was still in a favorable position!
"Has the girl really revealed who the person behind the scenes is?" Su Nan asked, a bit nervously, though he tried to maintain a calm expression. He added, "No matter who is behind it, we must strictly punish anyone who damages the image of our county committee!"
"Do you believe the rumors in the office, Secretary?" He Longbin's eyes had an unfathomable glint, making Su Nan feel very uncomfortable.
"Many people are spreading these rumors, so I wanted to find you to understand the real situation! Did the girl really have someone behind her?" Su Nan maintained a calm expression.
He Longbin smiled, his high cheekbones making his face look a bit gaunt, and his smile was rather unpleasant: "Secretary, I can responsibly tell you that the girl has not mentioned any person behind the scenes. She only said that she was very dissatisfied with the county government's work, which is why she threw the shoe at County Magistrate Yang. As for the rumors about someone behind the scenes, I don't know who started them. But I heard that a few young officers in our police department spread them. I have already verbally criticized and warned them!"
"Comrade An is still young. You, Old He, handle things more appropriately. This case should have been handled by you from the beginning. Let me talk to County Magistrate Yang and transfer the case to you. Comrade An can focus on improving the county's public security. This year is a crucial period for our county to make significant progress, and public security is a top priority..." Su Nan felt relieved and a plan formed in his mind.
Leaving this case in the hands of An Zai Shan, Yang Zixuan's confidant, would ultimately be a problem. It would be better to transfer it to Old He. If he gave Old He some incentives, this old fox would likely be willing to take it on!
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