Chapter 1187

Zheng Tulu had just suffered such a "dog eating dung" fall. He was furious, scrambled up from the ground, pulled up his pants, walked over, and grabbed his phone. Without even looking at who was calling, he pressed the answer button and vented his full rage: "Who is it!"

"Old Zheng, what? You don't have my number?" Li Changping's slightly angry questioning voice came through the receiver.

Zheng Tulu immediately recognized it was Li Changping. To confirm it was him, he hurriedly took the phone away from his ear to check the caller ID. Seeing the words "Deputy Minister Li" on the screen, he confirmed it was indeed him. Zheng Tulu's anger vanished instantly, and he said with a timid smile, "Yes, yes, I didn't notice just now. Deputy Minister Li, what instructions do you have for me?"

Li Changping had been harshly criticized by Su Qing earlier that morning without any regard for his face. He felt that his overstepping of authority to help Zheng Tulu this time was truly inappropriate, and he had been left speechless by Su Qing's scolding. Feeling extremely stifled, he called to complain to him. "No instructions, but there is something I must make clear to you!" Li Changping said, keeping him in suspense.

"What is it? Deputy Minister Li, please speak." Zheng Tulu said with a fawning smile, clearly hearing that Li Changping's mood didn't seem very good.

"I was harshly criticized by Minister Su this morning. If things go wrong, my position as Deputy Minister might not even be secure!" Like most people in officialdom, Li Changping always took a long detour before getting to the point.

Zheng Tulu was confused for a moment, like a monk in a fog, and asked stammeringly, "This... why is that?"

Li Changping said in a serious tone, "It's all because of you, Old Zheng! You wanted to transfer Ma Debang, and I took it upon myself to exercise Minister Su's authority. The news of Ma Debang's transfer reached Minister Su's ears, and she was furious. She scolded me until I was bloody, leaving me no room to explain. To be honest, I really regret helping you with this! If things go wrong, I might even bring disaster upon myself."

Zheng Tulu stammered, "Then... what should we do? Ma Debang has already been transferred; we... we can't transfer him back, can we?" He was still afraid that this dramatic turn might happen, and he felt uneasy.

Li Changping said, "Do you think this is child's play? Transferring him back right after he was transferred—isn't that asking for my life! He's already been transferred; it can't be changed! I called today just to tell you, Old Zheng, that I've been under tremendous pressure helping you transfer Ma Debang!"

Zheng Tulu heard Li Changping's words but didn't know what he was trying to express. Was he trying to tell him he was under great pressure and wanted some compensation, or was he trying to point out other issues? Zheng Tulu was a bit confused, so he could only smile fawningly and stammer, "Deputy Minister Li, that... that really has caused you trouble. Then... what should we do?"

Li Changping sighed and said, "What else can we do! It's already like this! Forget it, find a time another day, call two people, and invite me to play mahjong. We'll talk about it slowly then!"

Once Li Changping said this, Zheng Tulu understood immediately. Wasn't he just asking him to send some benefits to compensate him? So, he smiled knowingly and said, "Definitely, definitely. I will certainly thank you properly in person when the time comes, Deputy Minister Li."

"Alright, I won't disturb you anymore, Old Zheng. We'll talk when we play mahjong." Li Changping hung up the phone after saying this.

"Deputy Minister Li of the Organization Department." Zheng Tulu said, breathing heavily, "I was going to tell you even if you didn't ask. Do you know why Deputy Minister Li called?"

He Liping slightly furrowed her willow brows, shook her head gently, and asked, "Why?"

"It's all about your transfer. When Ma Debang was transferred, the Organization Department decided it based on his own unauthorized action. Minister Su scolded him harshly after she found out." Zheng Tulu said.

"Then... will there be any problems?" Hearing Zheng Tulu say this, He Liping became a bit worried about whether her position as Deputy Minister would be secure.

"There shouldn't be any major problems, but Deputy Minister Li's meaning is that we need to appease him." Zheng Tulu said.

"How do we appease him?" He Liping turned her body slightly and asked, facing him.

"Accompany him to play mahjong." Zheng Tulu cut straight to the point.

He Liping laughed out loud after hearing this and said, "Is accompanying Deputy Minister Li to play mahjong enough to appease him?"

Zheng Tulu then chuckled and said, "Liping, do you think it's just about playing mahjong? He wants us to give him money. He's a very cautious person; if you go directly to give him money, he won't accept it no matter what. But he likes to win money with peace of mind at the mahjong table. Do you think we'd have the nerve to win money when invited by him? We'd just be playing blindly, like a student accompanying a prince in his studies."

He Liping finally had a sudden realization and let out an "oh." At the same time, she was still worried that Ma Debang's transfer might cause a huge uproar in the province. She asked with some concern, "Old Zheng, do you think that Minister Su of the Organization Department will have any thoughts or take action now that she knows Ma Debang was transferred through such backroom dealings?"

Zheng Tulu thought about it with a frown and said, "Probably not. Personnel transfers in the province require the decision of both the Organization Department and the Personnel Department. Besides, Ma Debang has already been transferred, so it's definitely impossible to transfer him again for the time being. Don't worry. You've already been promoted here, and you have rich work experience. The province definitely won't make any rash personnel changes." As he spoke, he patted He Liping's fragrant shoulder lightly.

Hearing him say this, He Liping finally breathed a sigh of relief. This promotion was a triple jump for her. As long as she could sit firmly in the position of Deputy Director of the Provincial Construction Committee, her goal would be set on a higher status. She knew that being promoted by Zheng Tulu to the Provincial Construction Committee to be by his side was just to facilitate his enjoyment. As a Deputy Director, just like at the Xijing City Construction Committee, she had no real power. Therefore, deep down, He Liping wouldn't be content with the status quo; she needed to truly grasp real power. "Then I'm relieved. As long as I can stay by your side, Old Zheng, to assist you, I, He Liping, will be content for the rest of my life." He Liping said with sweet words, reaching out to hook Zheng Tulu's arm, leaning on his shoulder in disarray, looking extremely like a little bird.