Chapter 1601: A Cigarette

Zheng Tulu, who had been wondering why he hadn't come up yet, whispered to He Liping, "Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives!" Then, he shouted toward the door in a listless tone, "Come in!"

Receiving permission, Zhao Desan pushed the door open. As he walked in, he put on a fawning smile and said, "Director, you were looking for me?" Then, turning his face to look at He Liping, he feigned surprise and added with a smile, "Deputy Director He, you're here too."

"Comrade Xiao Zhao, sit down first and report your recent work to me! Since Deputy Director He is here, let her get an understanding of it as well!" Zheng Tulu wanted to subtly ask about his recent work priorities, which also served to confirm whether he was doing anything else on the side to claim credit and seek rewards.

He Liping scooted inward. Zhao Desan nodded and bowed with a chuckle, walked up, and sat on one end of the sofa, keeping a distance from He Liping. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and noticed she was doing the same. The moment their gazes met, a chill immediately rose on He Liping's face. Fearing that Zheng Tulu might see the little secrets they shared, she simply turned her head and said to him openly, "Deputy Division Chief Liu, didn't you hear what Director Zheng just said? Report your recent work!"

Damn it, a dog acting on its master's power! Zhao Desan cursed inwardly, but on the surface, he nodded with a fawning smile and said, "Alright, alright." After a brief pause to gather his thoughts, he rambled on, giving a simple report of his recent work. He included everything he could think of related to the planning work of the Chanba Development Zone, except for the optimization of the planning blueprint.

After the report, Zheng Tulu frowned slightly and asked, "Is that all?" It looked as if he were determined to force something out of him.

"Yes, that's all," Zhao Desan said, nodding with a fawning smile.

Zheng Tulu gave a lukewarm 'humph' and asked, "Comrade Xiao Zhao, it seems your recent work has been quite effective. Very well, since you are in charge of the planning work for the Chanba Development Zone, I'll test you with a few questions to see how well you've actually done."

Zhao Desan already had an idea of what was going on; this old guy was just trying to fish for information in a roundabout way. So, Zhao Desan said with a fawning smile, "Director, go ahead and ask."

Zheng Tulu and He Liping exchanged a look, then smiled. Taking a drag of his cigarette, Zheng Tulu leaned back in his chair, stared at him intently, and asked, "Comrade Xiao Zhao, you are in charge of the planning work for the Chanba Development Zone. Let me ask you, how well do you understand the planning blueprint for the Chanba New District? How many zones are divided, and what are the urban functions of each zone?" To show that everything was under his control, Zheng Tulu deliberately asked the question in a very professional manner. This also indirectly put pressure on Zhao Desan to answer. If he couldn't answer clearly, he could use it as an excuse to criticize him. If he answered fluently, he could extend the questioning to force a confession.

Zheng Tulu's scheme was exactly what Zhao Desan was worried about. This old fox's highly targeted question did indeed make Zhao Desan pause for a moment. As the Deputy Division Chief in charge of the Chanba Development Zone planning, if he couldn't answer clearly, wouldn't that be too embarrassing? Embarrassment was one thing, but if this old bald donkey used it as an excuse to make a mountain out of a molehill and berate him, he would truly be like a mute eating coptis—unable to voice his bitterness. If he did answer, the old donkey would inevitably extend the questioning to his ultimate goal.

"What? Is this question hard to answer? Comrade Xiao Zhao, you are the Deputy Division Chief in charge of the Chanba Development Zone planning. You can't even answer this?" the old donkey asked aggressively.

Zhao Desan hardened his heart, thinking, screw it! I'll take it one step at a time! So, he quickly put on a fawning smile and said, "No, no." Then, he proceeded to answer Zheng Tulu's question perfectly and fluently.

Sure enough, as expected, after he finished answering, he saw Zheng Tulu nodding with satisfaction and smiling eerily. Then, he continued unhurriedly, "Since you are so familiar with the planning of the Chanba Development Zone, from your perspective, do you feel there are any unsuitable parts in the planning blueprint? For example, the functional positioning of each zone and its role in urban development, etc. Do you have any thoughts on this?" Zheng Tulu had indeed extended the question to what he ultimately wanted to know.

Damn it! The fox's tail is showing after all! Zhao Desan cursed inwardly. Just as he had guessed, the old guy had finally extended the question to what he was most interested in. It wouldn't matter if he couldn't say anything now and the old guy trusted him even less, but the key was that He Liping would become increasingly suspicious of him. Zhao Desan still didn't want to fight the two of them alone; he had always wanted to form an alliance with He Liping to deal with Zheng Tulu together. Under these extreme conditions, perhaps being direct was better than continuing to play dumb. Maybe being direct could increase He Liping's trust in him. Besides, Zhao Desan had already told Su Qing his thoughts before this, so he could completely bypass the hierarchy and convey his ideas to the leaders of the Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Government, and the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government.

Might as well go all the way! Let's see what you, old man Zheng, can do to me! With this thought, Zhao Desan smiled generously and said, "To be honest with Director Zheng and Deputy Director He, I do indeed have some thoughts of my own regarding the Chanba Development Zone planning blueprint. Recently, I've been combining the knowledge I gained from my last study trip to make some revisions. I was planning to submit them for your review once they were finished!"

Hearing Zhao Desan's honest confession, Zheng Tulu and He Liping looked at each other. The old guy really hadn't expected Zhao Desan to tell the truth. He had intended to make things difficult for him, but now he really didn't know what to say. So, he chuckled and said, "It seems Comrade Xiao Zhao gained quite a lot from his study trip." Zheng Tulu's remark was not simple; it had a double meaning.

Zhao Desan was a smart man and naturally understood the two layers of meaning. The first layer was a superficial compliment, and the second was the subtext: that he had not only gained knowledge but also a charming woman like Jia Wanli. Understanding was one thing, but Zhao Desan still played dumb, smiled sheepishly, and flattered him, saying, "Isn't it because you two leaders wanted to cultivate me that you sent me on the study trip?"

Zheng Tulu chuckled, nodded, and said, "It's good that you understand, it's good that you understand. Both Deputy Director He and I feel that you are young, promising, and have drive. We want to cultivate you well, so you must not let down our painstaking efforts. You must grasp the planning work of the Chanba Development Zone."

"I know, I know. I will definitely devote my all until my heart stops beating, and I will not let down the earnest expectations of Director Zheng and Deputy Director He." Zhao Desan nodded repeatedly, fawning and saying things that were particularly pleasing to the ear. ===== CHAPTER 1602 =====