Chapter 1052

Hearing him say this, Director Zheng immediately said happily: "Then, Director Zhu, I thank you first. When I have time, I will definitely visit your home to thank you in person."

Director Zhu waved his hand and said: "Old Zheng, let me tell you, I had no choice but to accept the money last time. This time, I'll warn you in advance: first, don't send me money; second, I won't accept any gifts. Other things can be considered, for example, the matter I just told you."

Director Zheng was stunned for a moment, immediately understood, smiled tacitly, and said: "Director Zhu, I understand; I will definitely find an opportunity to match this matter for you." He thought that not wanting money or gifts was fine, saving him from always moving things from his family's small treasury to the outside.

Director Zhu smiled strangely, continued eating breakfast, and while eating, said: "Old Zheng, you don't know, in order to suppress your matter, I have withstood a lot of pressure from Minister Su's side. You must consider carefully in the future whatever you do. You are also an old comrade; you know that the situation in the officialdom is very complex, and if you don't handle it well, you will offend people. This time, Deputy Minister Li and I helped you suppress it; next time, there will be no way. Be careful next time; you can offend anyone but not someone with more power than you. This is common sense for being an official; why did you make this mistake?"

Director Zheng listened humbly, nodded repeatedly, and said: "Yes, Director Zhu is right. I was really confused last time; there definitely won't be a next time. It's really thanks to Director Zhu coming forward that my official hat was saved. I must thank Director Zhu properly."

Director Zhu turned his face and smiled tacitly, saying: "Then I'll wait for your arrangement."

Director Zheng said with a fawning smile: "I will definitely arrange it for you, Director Zhu, as soon as possible. By the way, Director Zhu, you still have to help me keep an eye on the matter of configuring a Deputy Director for our Planning Division."

Director Zhu said: "No problem. Before the document is issued from above, I'll tell you. Once you report the person, we'll just issue the personnel transfer order."

Director Zheng laughed and said: "That's fine. By the way, Director Zhu, after eating, are you going back to the unit or?"

Director Zhu put down his chopsticks, stretched, and said: "Very sleepy, don't want to go to the unit. What about Old Zheng?"

"Me too, a bit sleepy," Director Zheng said with a ghost-like smile.

Director Zhu smiled lecherously and said: "Must have been exhausted last night." After thinking, he continued, "How about this, call Deputy Minister Li, and you find another person here. How about we play mahjong?"

Director Zhu, like Li Changping, usually acted as if he were clean and honest when people sent gifts and money, refusing to accept them no matter what. But not accepting money or gifts didn't mean he was how noble. They were unwilling to accept money and gifts directly, but they had their own set of methods to receive these things through other channels. That was the method most liked by high officials: playing mahjong.

Director Zhu's mahjong addiction was one thing, but Li Changping's mahjong addiction was quite big. Like Director Zheng, he had a long-term suite at the Prince Hotel. Whenever officials below wanted to ask him for help with promotions or transfers, except for some precious calligraphy and paintings and other elegant things, he wouldn't accept money, but he would very actively invite these people to his private room at the Prince Hotel to play mahjong. He would return with a full load at the mahjong table.

Director Zhu called Li Changping. As soon as he heard about playing mahjong, Li Changping asked with great interest: "Director Zhu, where are you? Who's there?"

"Director Zheng of the Construction Committee, he'll find a few more people here," Director Zhu said, leaning on the chair and lighting a cigarette.

Li Changping said: "That's fine, I'll be there right away."

After finishing the call, Director Zhu turned to Director Zheng and said: "Old Zheng, Deputy Minister Li will be here in a bit. You find a few more people here. Be more generous; it's boring if people complain about losing a little money. Play to have fun."

Director Zheng was also an old hand in the world and naturally understood what Director Zhu meant. He nodded tacitly and said: "That's true." Then he thought about it. To find a few people who didn't care about losing a little money, he thought and thought, and could only think of real estate bosses like Zhang Jiayin and Lin Dafa who didn't take tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands in their eyes. So he took out his phone and called Zhang Jiayin first.

Soon Zhang Jiayin connected the call and laughed: "Old Zheng, hello, hello."

"Old Zhang, are you busy today?" Director Zheng asked with a smile.

"Not busy, not busy. Old Zheng, just say what you have to say; what's our relationship?" Zhang Jiayin knew that these people wouldn't visit without a reason. If they called, there must be something again.

"It's like this: I'm accompanying Director Zhu of our Provincial Personnel Department to play cards, and we're one short. If you're not busy, come to the Prince Hotel to join in."

"Oh, but Old Zheng, I'm really sorry. I'm not in Xijing today; I just arrived in Jiangnan City. There's a building topping out here, and I'm here to participate in the ribbon-cutting. Director Zheng, I'm really sorry," Zhang Jiayin said apologetically, "Or you can call Old Lin; he should be free."

"That's fine, then I'll ask Old Lin," Director Zheng's tone was a bit unhappy when he heard Zhang Jiayin was in Jiangnan City and couldn't come.

After hanging up, he dialed Lin Dafa directly. Lin Dafa connected quickly and asked with a smile: "Director Zheng, what are your instructions?"

"Old Lin, come over to play mahjong; we're one short," this time Director Zheng said straightforwardly.

When Lin Dafa was in Yuyang, he liked to accompany city leaders to play cards when he had nothing to do. He knew this was nothing more than a Hongmen Banquet where he would lose some money. His Lin's Construction Company had just gained a foothold in Xijing, and if he wanted to develop smoothly, he couldn't do without the support of the Construction Committee. So he agreed readily without hesitation: "Okay, Director Zheng, where are you? I'll be there right away."

"Prince Hotel," Director Zheng said.

"That's fine, I'll be there right away," Lin Dafa said.

After hanging up, Director Zhu asked him: "Old Zheng, is the team complete?"

"Complete," Director Zheng laughed. Fortunately, this Lin Dafa was sensible and didn't let him lose face today.

Director Zhu took a napkin, wiped his mouth, got up, and said: "Let's go, let's go up first."

"Okay," Director Zheng got up and followed Director Zhu into the elevator.

Just as he walked out of the elevator, Director Zheng's phone rang. Taking it out to look, it was a call from Lin Dafa's daughter-in-law, Zhang Hui.

It turned out that just now, after receiving Director Zheng's invitation to play mahjong, Zhang Jiayin couldn't return because he was in another city and was afraid of offending him. So after finishing the call, he hurriedly called his daughter-in-law Zhang Hui, asking her to go accompany Director Zheng to play mahjong if she was free today.

After receiving her father-in-law's arrangement, the young woman Zhang Hui called Director Zheng.

"Xiao Zhang, is something the matter?" Director Zheng pretended to be serious in front of Director Zhu.

"Director Zheng, where are you playing mahjong? My father went to Jiangnan City today to participate in the topping-out ribbon-cutting of a building and asked me to come over to accompany you to play mahjong. Where are you? I'll be there right away."

Only then did Director Zheng understand. It seemed this Old Zhang wasn't not giving him face; he really couldn't come. But that was fine. As the saying goes, men and women working together don't get tired. Xiao Zhang coming was more lively than him. He laughed and said: "Prince Hotel, then come over."

After finishing the call, Director Zheng saw Director Zhu looking at him, so he said with a ghost-like smile: "Director Zhu, I've contacted another person, a young woman, very spirited."

Director Zhu's eyes lit up upon hearing this and said: "Really? What does she do?"

"The daughter of the boss of Beichen Real Estate, and also the daughter-in-law of the Boss Lin I called to play mahjong today."

"Daughter-in-law and father-in-law are both coming?" Director Zhu asked with a ghost-like smile.

Director Zheng nodded: "Their mahjong stakes are very high. Director Zhu, you must be careful today."