Chapter 975

Zhao De said with a wicked smile: "Next time, next time I will definitely satisfy you, Director Lan." As he said this, he opened the car door, got out, and waved to signal her to go first.

Lan Mei looked at him with reluctance for a while before starting the car and leaving.

Zhao De hailed a taxi on the side of the road and headed toward Sister Su's house.

It turned out that after Zheng Tulu finished visiting Li Changping in the afternoon, he got his guidance, returned home, took 100,000 yuan, and went straight to the Personnel Department to find Director Zhu.

But because Zheng Tulu and Director Zhu didn't have much contact on weekdays, after arriving at the Personnel Department, Director Zhu happened to be busy, and he had been standing outside the office for an hour. Director Zhu always made excuses that he was still busy and didn't have time to receive him. Unable to wait any longer, Zheng Tulu called Li Changping again and explained the situation. Li Changping called Director Zhu and said a few words. Only then did Director Zhu open the office door and say with some impatience: "Director Zheng, come in."

Zheng Tulu followed him into the office with a fawning smile. Director Zhu turned around and asked him: "Deputy Minister Li of the Organization Department said you have something to find me for. What is it?"

"Director Zhu, I… I am really embarrassed to tell you." The matter involved Su Qing, and knowing that Su Qing and Director Zhu were old acquaintances, Zheng Tulu was really embarrassed to speak.

Director Zhu appeared somewhat impatient and said: "Whatever it is, Director Zheng, just say it directly. Don't dawdle. I have other things to do, don't waste time."

Zheng Tulu knew it wasn't easy to see him, so he steeled his heart, bit the bullet, and stammered: "It's like this, Director Zhu. A while ago, the Provincial Party Committee asked our Construction Bureau to send someone to the Party School for training. Many people in the unit were fighting for this opportunity. A cousin of Minister Su of the Organization Department also works in our unit, and Minister Su intended for me to give this opportunity to her cousin. But Minister Su's cousin only joined the Construction Bureau in the second half of this year, and his total working time is less than half a year. At the unit meeting, other leaders all disagreed with him going, and the opposition was relatively loud. I couldn't decide this matter alone. Finally, under the unanimous recommendation of other leaders, another comrade who started working a few years earlier was sent to the Party School for training. It was because of this matter that I might have unintentionally offended Minister Su, and she wants to… wants to get rid of me."

Director Zhu raised his thick black eyebrows, looked at him with strange eyes, and asked: "So you came to find me? Afraid of a personnel transfer?"

Zheng Tulu smiled with an extremely awkward expression, nodded low and submissively.

Once there is any movement in the decision-making layer, the leaders of relevant departments will receive news. Director Zhu naturally heard the rumor that Minister Su wanted to remove Zheng Tulu from the position of the head of the Construction Bureau. But there was no news from the Personnel Department, and Minister Su hadn't spoken to him directly about this matter. It was only when Li Changping called just now and mentioned this matter that Director Zhu believed it was true. "The Organization Department hasn't sent any notice to the Personnel Department, and I haven't received any news. How do you know Minister Su wants to take action against you, Director Zheng?" Director Zhu walked to his chair with his hands behind his back and sat down to ask.

Zheng Tulu said with a fawning smile: "It was Deputy Minister Li of the Organization Department who told me."

Director Zhu said "Oh," thinking that if the news came from Li Changping, it shouldn't be fake. So Director Zhu straightened his body and asked Zheng Tulu: "Then what do you mean, Director Zheng?"

"I'm afraid that in case the Personnel Department receives a notice to transfer me, I want to see if Director Zhu can… can help me suppress it?" Zheng Tulu looked at him with pleading eyes, his face piled with fawning smiles, appearing extremely low and submissive.

Director Zhu casually took a cigarette from the cigarette case on the table, didn't offer one to Zheng Tulu, and lit it directly. He took a puff, thought for a while, and said: "Director Zheng, if Minister Su really has this intention, it's not easy for me to handle it here."

Taking money and eliminating disasters for others is the underground rule of official circles. Zheng Tulu could see that Director Zhu seemed to be dissatisfied that he had no expression. So, without anyone noticing, he took out the 100,000 yuan from his leather bag, bowed, walked forward, and placed it gently on his desk, smiling fawningly: "Director Zhu, I know that if you want to help me with this matter, you will be under pressure. This is a little token of my appreciation, it's just a small gesture, and I hope you can accept it, Director Zhu."

Seeing money and opening eyes is a weakness of human nature, but Director Zhu glanced at this thick stack of "Mao Zedongs" and deliberately appeared to have no great interest. He took a puff of his cigarette and said: "Director Zheng, what do you mean by this? Aren't you forcing me to violate rules and discipline?"

Zheng Tulu smiled and said: "Director Zhu, this is a little token of my appreciation, there is no other meaning."

Director Zhu leaned back in his chair, tilted his head, but appeared somewhat angry: "Director Zheng, you are also a leader. Don't you know that the province is investigating this kind of violation of organizational regulations very strictly this year? How can such a mistake be made so blatantly?"

Zheng Tulu was extremely embarrassed by Director Zhu's words, standing there at a loss for a moment. He was always the one saying such things to others, but today he was humiliated by Director Zhu, truly feeling ashamed of himself.

Just at this time, Director Zhu's office door was knocked: "Director Zhu, are you in?"

"Yes, come in," Director Zhu replied, his expression slightly panicked. He casually picked up the money on the table, stuffed it into the drawer, and sat upright.

Seeing Director Zhu accept the 100,000 yuan in a hurry, Zheng Tulu knew that the matter should be handled. After all, he was also an old hand in official circles for over twenty years. He understood one principle: once a leader really can't handle something, they will absolutely not accept the money of the person asking for help. This phenomenon is an unwritten rule in official circles. Whether willing or not, since Director Zhu accepted his money, Zheng Tulu felt that he had taken on the matter for him, so he relaxed a little.

As soon as the office door was pushed open, Director Zhu's female secretary walked up with a document and said: "Director Zhu, this is a personnel transfer order, please sign it."

Director Zhu took the document, picked up a signature pen from the pen holder, looked at it, and frowned slightly. Seeing the change in Director Zhu's facial expression, Zheng Tulu immediately became nervous again, thinking with his heart hanging in the air, *This wouldn't be my transfer order, would it? * Just as he was feeling uneasy, he saw Director Zhu wave his pen, sign it, and hand it to the secretary. Only then did Zheng Tulu feel relieved; it wasn't his transfer order.

After the secretary walked out of the office, Director Zhu said to Zheng Tulu: "Director Zheng, you are forcing me to violate rules and discipline. Since I have already put your heart into the drawer, it's a bit unreasonable to take it out again. Then let's do it this way, you arrange a dinner party tonight, invite Deputy Minister Li as well, and it's best to find two girls who can drink to help liven things up. I will help you figure out this matter with Deputy Minister Li. What do you think?"

As soon as Zheng Tulu heard Director Zhu loosen his mouth, he was overjoyed, his face full of smiles, and he nodded repeatedly: "Good, good."

Director Zhu took a puff of his cigarette and said: "That's fine, then you go first. After you arrange it, call me and I'll come over. I have something to do and can't leave for now."

"That's fine, Director Zhu, then I won't disturb your work," Zheng Tulu said with a chuckle, and retreated respectfully from Director Zhu's office. Coming out of the office, Zheng Tulu felt a sense of enlightenment in his heart. Now that Deputy Minister Li of the Organization Department and Director Zhu of the Personnel Department had both agreed to help him suppress this matter, even if Su Qing wanted to get rid of him, it probably wouldn't be so easy. ===== CHAPTER 976 =====