Chapter 245

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

Jin Douna didn't know much about China's officialdom, but Liu Xinyu understood the intricacies within. She said quietly, "In the C-character file, there's a report from Vice Minister Qu."

"The former Jiangning Municipal Party Committee Publicity Department Director?"

"That's him. By a fluke, something someone else recorded was seized by the Organization." Liu Xinyu explained in passing, "They don't specially go looking for this kind of incriminating evidence, you know. They believe there's no need for that."

Chen Yi nodded. Under Liu Xinyu's explanation, Jin Douna found the file — three audio recordings and an explanation. The file was actually in a conspicuous spot, but with so many documents, unless you'd personally handled and organized them, memorizing them cold was simply too hard.

Jin Douna copied the recordings out, a bit embarrassed. Chen Yi took the documents with a "tsk tsk" sound, then instructed Liu Xinyu, "Notify me when the weapons are ready. Don't pick them up from too far away. The more ammunition the better."

"Alright. Do you want to go check out the Martial Arts Hall?"

"Won't make it today. Something up?"

"That overseas Chinese girl from Malaysia has tried to see you several times, no success." Liu Xinyu revealed a crafty smile.

Chen Yi couldn't go back on his word, and he was genuinely swamped, so he could only say regretfully, "Next time."

Jin Douna watched them speak in detail, couldn't help biting her lip, and secretly avoided their gazes.

After eating lunch outside, there seemed to be even more people at home.

Chen Yi handed the copied recordings to Fang Zhennan, gave a brief explanation, then asked, "Can you bring him down?"

"Qu Yang is a Deputy Mayor now too."

"Mm."

Fang Zhennan felt a bit aggrieved. As the maternal uncle, he actually had to listen to his nephew's orders to do things. Yet he truly couldn't find a reason to be tough.

"I'll give it a try." He sighed.

"Still, discuss it with Secretary Sun." When Chen Yi said Sun Maoxin's name, there wasn't a shred of respect in his tone.

Fang Zhennan agreed heavily.

Qu Yang was someone He Fuhan had to protect. Sun Maoxin's attitude would likely be very delicate. Besides, Qu Yang ranked higher than him in the government.

However, Chen Yi's attitude was very firm.

Fang Zhennan felt like he was on a roller coaster. Clearly knowing the danger, he still had to rush up, then hand his fate over to someone else to control. If any link went wrong, his political life might end. He was over fifty, couldn't afford to wait.

But, as the Chen family's maternal relative, he found it hard to refuse Chen Yi's request. To put it less rigorously, his position was secured with Chen Yi's help.

Imperceptibly, Chen Yi had advanced by leaps and bounds in the Chen family. Disregarding age, Fang Zhennan couldn't think of any power that could help him withstand Chen Yi — if he really could refuse sternly, his own clout would be enough to topple Qu Yang.

Full of worries, Fang Zhennan went to Secretary Sun's home again.

Sun Maoxin's relationship with him was neither cold nor hot, but there was some foundation; he was a major help in his rise. Aside from the Chen family's power, the city high officials were his most important connection.

However, after becoming Deputy Mayor, he was influenced more deeply by the Chen family, and his relationship with Sun Maoxin had instead faded somewhat.

Aside from Fang Zhennan who had to be the vanguard, everyone else staying at the Chen family was in high spirits. As maternal relatives, the Fang family were the Chen family's natural allies, but not traditional allies. In previous political storms, they'd never contributed strength. Stepping forward today was, in their view, only right and proper — if successful, the Chen Clan would naturally gain many benefits; even if they failed, Fang Zhennan presumably wouldn't be completely ruined...

Chen Yi closed his eyes to rest, half falling asleep.

The Energy Recovery Potion alone still couldn't guarantee full recovery of spirit and stamina.

Seeing her son sleeping soundly, Fang Man Yi sat farther away and smiled at Chen Congyu, "He looks like he could still enter politics."

Fang Man Yi understood these Chen Clan disciples' mindsets, so when Big Brother reluctantly took the field, she didn't raise any objections. In this world, where is there a thing where you only reap benefits without risk? Fang Zhennan got a huge benefit that day, leaping from Xingju Bureau Bureau Bureau Chief to Jiangning City Deputy Mayor in one step — practically ascending to heaven in a single bound. To say there's no jealousy is impossible. Now it's just paying the cost. If successful, it'll still benefit his political career.

"Everyone's happy today." Chen Congyu smiled, but then shook his head, "The starting point is too high; he's no longer suited for politics."

"If it's election politics, I think our family could produce a president." Fang Man Yi had received foreign education and didn't much like China's step-by-step bureaucratic system.

Chen Congyu just chuckled. With Chen Zhongguo around, the Chen family's status couldn't drop.

Also smiling foolishly was Fang Yu. He just stayed in the Chen family's living room, waiting for the allocation of various positions.

Except for two Division-level positions taken by Secretary Sun, all the remaining Section-level and Deputy Section-level posts were left for Chen family members, basically left to Chen Congyu and Chen Rongjie to allocate. Since the positions weren't very ideal — all secondary Xingju Bureau Bureau Bureau departments — although it was lively, it was mostly compensatory in nature. Those whose sons or nephews had been delayed came to claim one. It wasn't like a grand feast, more like a picnic.

Fang Yu felt his clan had contributed significantly, so he prepared to share the spoils with his fox-and-dog friends — Fang Zhennan didn't need it himself, but giving it to his son wasn't wrong either. Everyone could understand that.

This made his whole person happy, feeling his own importance.

"My old man fought for this position!" He repeated this sentence at least three times.

His brothers believed it too, offering flattery one after another.

However, when young people get happy they lose all sense of proportion. The Chen family compound wasn't a conference room after all. A crowd talking, and soon it disturbed the front hall.

Chen Yi, sitting there resting with eyes half-closed, was actually woken by the noise. Without any visible movement, a shoe flew out, straight at the loudest talker, "Young Master Yuan."

With a "pa" sound, the upturned leather shoe heel smashed into Young Master Yuan's big face.

This guy whimpered, his tongue tied, stood up looking around for a target.

"Bring it here." Chen Yi slowly sat up, looking like he'd just woken.

A whole group instantly broke into a cold sweat. Young Master Yuan's father was a former Prosecutor General, sidelined last year, and he was implicated, doing the lowest civil servant work. Outside he could only call himself "Young Master Yuan."

However, Young Master Yuan's temper from back then was still there. In the public security, prosecution, and law system, there were never soft targets. He couldn't bully rich second-gens with millions in assets, but at least he could bully poor second-gens with 100k family wealth. Personality doesn't change.

But Young Master Yuan tilted his head, stunned for a moment, then in everyone's surprised gazes, tremblingly brought the leather shoe to Chen Yi. From the look of him, if there weren't elders present, he'd have put the shoe on Chen Yi's foot.

"Doesn't hurt, right?" Chen Yi asked.

One light greeting instantly swept away the last shadow in his heart.

"Doesn't hurt." Young Master Yuan instantly puffed out his chest, smiling like the big tabby cat in the public security/prosecution/law courtyard.

"It's fine, go on." Chen Yi put on his shoe, naturally reached out to pour tea.

"I'll do it, I'll do it." Young Master Yuan helped him change the tea water without complaint, then returned to Fang Yu's table. His voice was quieter now, but his smile was wider.

Influenced by him, the young people stopped making a ruckus.

The few gentlemen in the front hall exchanged smiles. Among them, Uncle smiled at Chen Yi, "Awake? Just right — take a look, do you have any friends who need a position?"

"No need." Chen Yi shook his head directly, smiling: "Bring out some positions with real authority next time, then we'll talk."

If he had his own disciples and followers, he could now raise a banner within the Chen Family.

Knocking came from outside again; the housekeeper opened the door and welcomed in two gentlemen not very familiar to them.

"Master Fo, Master Ou." Chen Father hurriedly stood up, and Chen Yi stood up as well.

"Sit, sit, sit." Master Fo and Master Ou were not old, in their sixties or seventies, with robust bodies.

Chen Yi remembered that he had seen them at his grandfather's place. Back then he was immature, and now, the two should both be Chen Old's advisors, or roles similar to advisors.

"We're just here to take a look, you all continue sitting." Master Fo insisted on not taking the head seat, only finding a high-back chair, sitting with Master Ou at the other end of the tea table, smiling: "We only listen, we say nothing."

Everyone understood, so the discussion continued, its intensity not decreasing but rising. Political spoils distribution is a very important political ecology, and also a kind of norm; although in non-election-system countries this spoils system is not particularly obvious, it is subject to less control.

Replacing thirty or fifty section-level cadres at once equals replacing one-third of the grassroots officials of the Jiangning Propaganda Department; these are people who handle specific affairs, and plus the Chen Family's upper-class power, the power they can exert is still quite great. In everyone's view, since Chen Old sent someone to attend the meeting, it means there will be new strategies next; thus, a position that was originally just an ordinary section chief, deputy section chief, or deputy director might now mean deputy director and director...

Chen Yi was not very familiar with those names, thinking about his own matters; not long after, he heard Master Fo ask: "Chen Yi, what do you think?"

"Ah?"

Master Fo smiled good-naturedly, repeating the question again: "Qu Yang steps down, Guan Ming takes over, how about it?"

This was the Deputy Mayor's arrangement; amidst Fang Yu's jealous gaze, Chen Yi said indifferently: "You all handle it as you see fit."

"Then it's settled." Master Fo and Master Ou smiled at the same time.

In the time it takes to say a sentence, Chen Yi's status within the Chen Clan rose again, as if he had legal backing.

Chen Yi did not value these much; he is Chen Zhongguo's grandson, and that alone destined him to have enormous power within the Chen Clan, it was only a matter of sooner or later.

Qu Yang stepping down meant more new people would fall from grace; seeing everyone focus their energy on official hats, Chen Yi came to the young crowd at the dining table, smiling and asking: "Do any of you have channels for precious metals?"

... (Unfinished, if you want to know what happens next, please log in www. qidian. com, more chapters, support author, support genuine reading!)