Chapter 48

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The weather in the sixth month of the lunar calendar is as changeable as a child's face, ready to shift at any moment.

At noon, the sun was shining brightly, but by now, just past four in the afternoon, the sun was completely obscured by thick clouds.

The heavy clouds pressing down from the sky mirrored the gloomy mood of Liao Guojin, devoid of any light.

In the courtyard at No. 9, Fuxian Street, Wuhe County Town.

In the county magistrate's office on the third floor of the county government building.

Zhang Daxian's face was calm, showing no emotion as he sat quietly on the guest sofa, half-closed eyes.

Party Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Guo Xin, sat on Zhang Daxian's left, his face dark, a fierce light occasionally flashing in his eyes. The cigarette in his fingers had accumulated a long ash, but he still hadn't flicked it into the ashtray, letting the ash hang from the cigarette.

Deputy County Magistrate Deng Zixiang hurriedly knocked on the door and entered the office. Seeing the tense atmosphere, with Zhang Daxian and Guo Xin silently sitting on the sofa, he frowned and asked, "What's going on? I just came back from Yishan Town. Has something happened in the county?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Daxian raised his hand to signal Deng Zixiang to sit down, then glanced at his watch, his tone slightly displeased, "What's up with this old Liao? I've been calling him for so long, and he still hasn't arrived!"

As he spoke, Liao Guojin arrived at the office door. Seeing the three people sitting in the office, his eyes finally regained some of their usual luster, "Magistrate, I'm sorry for keeping everyone waiting!"

"Liao, you're usually so steady, but now that your child is in trouble, you've lost your composure. The more critical the moment, the more you need to remain calm and composed, understand?" Zhang Daxian's eyes flashed with a hint of gloom upon seeing Liao Guojin.

At yesterday's standing committee meeting, Zhang Daxian had lost a key ally, and the Public Security Bureau had thus fallen under the control of the Party Secretary. He hadn't expected that just one day later, Standing Committee Member and Deputy Party Secretary Liao Guojin, his right-hand man, would also be caught by the Party Secretary's faction.

Zhou Dalong's fierce counterattack made Zhang Daxian deeply realize the strength and prestige Zhou Dalong had accumulated over the years in Wuhe County, which he could not match at the moment. Unfortunately, Zhang Daxian had realized this too late, and now that the initiative was lost, he needed to take action from other angles to turn the tide.

"Magistrate, my unworthy son has caused a huge mess. It's all due to my lax discipline, which allowed the Party Secretary's people to seize the opportunity. At such a sensitive time, I've caused everyone trouble!" Liao Guojin was a staunch supporter of Zhang Daxian and knew that Zhang Daxian had called him here for Liao Kai's sake.

Guo Xin and Liao Guojin were both part of the local faction in Wuhe County, with deep roots and considerable influence. For this reason, when Zhang Daxian came to Wuhe County, he had gone to great lengths to bring them under his wing, making them his trusted assistants. Now that Liao Guojin's son was in trouble, it could potentially implicate Liao Guojin and affect Zhang Daxian's position in Wuhe County.

For this reason, Zhang Daxian had no choice but to intervene in Liao Kai's messy affair, "Liao, the situation has already occurred, and it's no use talking about it now. We need to focus on how to minimize the impact of this incident."

After making Liao Guojin sit down, Zhang Daxian looked at the three people gathered around him, his face solemn as he thought for a moment before speaking frankly, "The only way now is to prevent the things Liao Kai did in the past from being discovered by Yang Hua and his team. Only then will there be a chance to turn the situation around."

Guo Xin, as the Party Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission and Liao Kai's godfather, had helped Liao Kai clean up his mess many times over the years. Hearing Zhang Daxian's words, he nodded solemnly, "Rest assured, Magistrate. Luo Song has taken care of the aftermath of Liao Kai's past. It won't be easy for Yang Hua to find out."

"We can't be complacent! The young man who was detained with Liao Kai is said to be very close to him. He might know about Liao Kai's past. Now that he's in Yang Hua's hands, Yang Hua might use him as a breakthrough!" Although Zhang Daxian lacked a broad strategic vision, he was not a mediocre person. He considered the details very carefully.

"Secretary Guo, although Luo Song is under investigation, he has many loyal subordinates in the county bureau. Can we use someone inside the bureau to pass a message to the young man, warning him?" Although Deng Zixiang disapproved of Liao Guojin's indulgence of his son, now that the situation had occurred, he had to help come up with a plan.

Guo Xin, as the Party Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, naturally had his own people in the police force. Hearing Deng Zixiang's suggestion, he nodded and stood up, walking directly to the desk and picking up the phone, "Xiao Huang, this is Guo Xin. Find a way to pass a message to Liao Kai's friend, telling him to keep his mouth shut. Understand? Report any developments to me promptly."

"What? The other person was also arrested! Just pass the message to them, telling them to keep quiet and not to talk!" Guo Xin hung up the phone after speaking.

Just as he returned to the sofa, the red phone on the desk suddenly rang.

At a certain level of position, offices generally have two to three phones. The black or white phones are for general use, while the red phone is for confidential calls. Important matters or calls from higher-ups are usually made on this phone.

The red phone rang, and Zhang Daxian, not daring to be negligent, quickly stood up and answered, "This is Zhang Daxian!"

"Daxian, I hear that your relationship with Zhou Dalong has become very tense recently?" Li Wujiang's familiar voice came through the receiver. Zhang Daxian respected his brother-in-law greatly and straightened his back upon hearing it was him.

"There's no major issue. It's just some disagreements over work that led to a bit of conflict. Who has been complaining to you?"

"Don't worry about who complained. I'm telling you, Deputy Mayor Jia of the city has been diagnosed with lung cancer and has applied for retirement. At the city standing committee meeting this afternoon, it was decided to recommend Zhou Dalong for the position of deputy mayor. If everything goes as planned, the organization department will soon talk to Zhou Dalong.

Regarding the selection of the new Party Secretary of Wuhe County, the city committee will, as a matter of course, first consider Zhou Dalong's opinion. At this critical juncture, it's not in your best interest to have a tense relationship with him, understand?" Li Wujiang's words shocked Zhang Daxian. He hadn't expected that Zhou Dalong would be promoted to deputy mayor so soon.

"Brother-in-law, why didn't I hear any news about this beforehand? It's too sudden." Zhang Daxian frowned, thinking about the current situation in Wuhe County and who might take over as Party Secretary after Zhou Dalong left.

"Wuhe County's recent achievements in attracting investment have been recognized by a senior official in the province, and Zhou Dalong's performance since taking office has been outstanding. Under his leadership, Wuhe County's GDP growth over the past three years has far outpaced that of other counties in Changyang City. His work ability has been widely recognized by higher-level leaders.

Therefore, when Deputy Mayor Jia applied for retirement, Secretary Li directly proposed at the standing committee meeting to recommend Zhou Dalong for the deputy mayor position. For a non-standing committee deputy mayor, the provincial government generally respects the city's opinion. Thus, Zhou Dalong's promotion to deputy mayor is a done deal." After explaining the main reasons for Zhou Dalong's promotion, Li Wujiang continued, "You were only transferred to Wuhe County as county magistrate last year, and it might be a bit premature to be promoted to Party Secretary. However, I will do my best to support you."

Zhou Dalong served as county magistrate in Chaoxin County for three years and has been Party Secretary of Wuhe County for nearly four years. His qualifications for promotion to deputy mayor are certainly sufficient.

Zhang Daxian has only been county magistrate in Wuhe County for about a year, and it might be a bit premature to take over as Party Secretary. However, with Li Wujiang's support, it's not impossible for Zhang Daxian to become the next Party Secretary.

For this reason, Li Wujiang called to remind Zhang Daxian that during this special period, it's not in his best interest to have a tense relationship with Zhou Dalong, as it would not be beneficial for his future work in Wuhe County, especially for his chances of becoming Party Secretary.

After all, Zhou Dalong is being promoted, not stepping down, and the organization department will certainly respect and consider his opinion as Party Secretary. Although the final selection of the Party Secretary will not be solely based on Zhou Dalong's preference, his evaluation and recommendation will still influence the organization department's assessment and recommendation.

If Zhang Daxian cannot even get a nomination from the organization department, how can Li Wujiang fight for him at the city standing committee meeting? Although he is the deputy secretary in charge of party affairs, the city organization minister is a close associate of Party Secretary Li Jun.

"Brother-in-law, there's been a bit of a situation in the county today..."

Zhang Daxian smiled bitterly and told Li Wujiang about Liao Guojin's son's situation. Liao Guojin had accompanied Zhang Daxian to the city to meet Li Wujiang, and Li Wujiang knew that Liao Guojin was Zhang Daxian's trusted assistant in Wuhe County. However, after hearing Zhang Daxian's account, Li Wujiang fell silent for a moment.

"Daxian, with Zhou Dalong's promotion, the leadership of Wuhe County will inevitably undergo a reshuffle. Regardless of who becomes the new Party Secretary, it will affect the current political landscape of Wuhe County. For now, it's best to maintain the status quo and remain calm. If Liao Guojin is implicated in this matter, it might not necessarily be a bad thing for you, understand?" After saying this, Li Wujiang hung up the phone directly.

Li Wujiang's words were very clear. With Zhou Dalong's promotion, the leadership of Wuhe County will undergo a chain reaction. This is the best time to plant loyalists and form alliances.

Although Liao Guojin has aligned with Zhang Daxian, he and Guo Xin are closely tied together. This is not beneficial for Zhang Daxian's control. If Liao Guojin is implicated in Liao Kai's matter, the vacant standing committee position can be filled by someone else, as arranged by Li Wujiang.

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