Chapter 787: Yang Sansui Analyzes the Situation

It was half past twelve at noon.

A low-key farmhouse restaurant in the north of Wuzhou.

When Lin Dongfan pushed open the private room door, Yang Qing was already sitting inside, head down over a bowl of boiled fish in chili broth, sweating profusely from the spice, sucking in air with a hiss.

"I say, Yang Sansui..."

Lin Dongfan sat opposite him: "You, this seriously injured amnesiac patient, have quite an appetite. I haven't even arrived yet, and you've already started eating."

"Feigning illness doesn't mean you can't eat, right?"

Yang Qing lifted his head, his lips bright red from the spice, but his eyes flashed with sharpness: "Besides, I've been pretending for three years; I finally can openly go out for a meal, shouldn't I make up for it?"

Saying that, he waved and called the waiter: "Add two more dishes! Braised pork, spicy chicken! And another half-dozen beers!"

After the dishes arrived and the door was closed, the playful expression on Yang Qing's face finally subsided.

He downed a bottle of chilled beer.

He wiped his mouth.

He chatted about Lin Dongfan's predicament from yesterday as if making small talk: "I heard everything about what happened yesterday at the Standing Committee meeting. Wang Qigang that old brat, he can move a thousand pounds with four ounces—he's really good at Tai Chi."

Lin Dongfan picked up a piece of fish: "Your information is pretty well-informed."

"Nonsense, I've only been pretending to have amnesia for three years, I wasn't really lying down for three years." Yang Qing lowered his voice: "These three years, I haven't been idle. I know all the ins and outs of Wuzhou's officialdom better than anyone."

"Go ahead, tell me."

Lin Dongfan wasn't idle either; he picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

Yang Qing spoke slowly and deliberately: "First, let's talk about Wang Qigang. This old brat is fifty-seven this year, has served three years as mayor of Wuzhou, and smoothly rose to the top position. By convention, someone his age and position would likely be transferred to a second-tier post after stepping down, then retire. But he's ambitious and a bit unwilling to accept that."

"He wants to move up one step?" Lin Dongfan asked.

"Nonsense." Yang Qing frankly said: "He wants to shift his seat to the Executive Vice Governor position. The problem is, to take that step he needs solid political achievements. Wuzhou's GDP growth has been decent these past few years, but economic data alone isn't enough; he also needs highlight projects, big initiatives he can showcase."

Yang Qing took a sip of beer to wet his throat.

He continued: "The Zhao Group's Cloud Peak Mountain Villa is one of his achievement projects. It's not just a real estate project; it's Wuzhou's city card for the next ten years, a provincially registered 'industry-city integration demonstration zone'. The total investment exceeds two hundred billion, driving upstream and downstream industries, employment, tax revenue... These are Wang Qigang's political capital."

Lin Dongfan frowned slightly: "So he wants to protect the Zhao Group?"

"It's not about protecting the Zhao Group, it's about protecting his own future." Yang Qing sneered: "What is Zhao Tianyu's grandson? In Wang Qigang's eyes, he's just a dog that can bite and also carry meat. But this dog can't die yet—at least not before Wang Qigang steps down. If you move against the Zhao Group, you're moving against his political cake; if you poke the Zhao Group's sore spot, you're exposing Wuzhou's wound. That amounts to slapping Wang Qigang in the face and cutting off his path upward."

Lin Dongfan laughed and cursed: "Damn, without the Zhao Group, can Wuzhou even function?"

"You've worked in state-owned enterprises, you have connections and resources. In your eyes, the Zhao Group really isn't much. But in Wang Qigang's eyes, the Zhao Group is a solid financial backer." Yang Qing said.

Lin Dongfan couldn't help but roll his eyes in contempt: "What the hell are you getting at? Want to cry injustice for the Wangs?"

"Screw your grievance, I'm just analyzing the root of the problem for you." Yang Qing said: "Wang Qigang's staunch defense of the Zhao Group isn't just about keeping the financial backer; it's also about balancing various interests. He needs to ensure all factions have something to eat under his system, while letting superiors see Wuzhou's 'steady progress' side."

"This situation, I'm afraid isn't something he can just stabilize by wanting to." Lin Dongfan laughed.

Yang Qing laughed: "So, your arrival has given him a headache. You don't play by his rules, you come in and overturn his table—how could he not be anxious with you?"

"What's the situation in the province now?" Lin Dongfan pressed.

Yang Qing said: "Those old leaders you used to know have been transferred or retired. Among the incumbent old faces, there are hardly any left—just Teacher Luo."

"Who is Wang Qigang close to?" Lin Dongfan asked.

Yang Qing replied without hesitation: "Such matters shouldn't be spoken loosely, but since I'm your brother, I'll tell you: Wang Qigang's rise to the top position in Wuzhou couldn't have happened without significant help from Executive Vice Governor Deng Chunning."

Upon hearing that, Lin Dongfan merely smiled and said nothing more.

Deng Chunning!

To Lin Dongfan, this was an unfamiliar name.

Yang Qing suddenly reminded Lin Dongfan: "Your father-in-law Chu Jinsong once governed Wuzhou for many years. Although he's been transferred now, his foundation remains. If you raise a call, Wuzhou won't be left to Wang Qigang's sole domination. In this fight, you fundamentally don't need to rely on your uncle."

Between the lines, Yang Qing was also hinting to Lin Dongfan—try not to bring out Lin Zhenhua to pressure others, lest you give people a handle and damage the Lin family's reputation.

Lin Dongfan nodded in understanding: "The situation in Wuzhou isn't as simple as you imagine. With a new emperor comes a new court; after Wang Qigang seized power, the first thing he did was reshuffle."

"My father-in-law's old subordinates are now either isolated or sidelined."

"Only Shi Liantang of the Discipline Inspection Commission remains in the Standing Committee."

"Shi Liantang is also nervous now; outwardly he seems willing to help me straighten discipline, but inwardly he still has misgivings, not daring to confront the Wangs head-on."

This is also Lin Dongfan's most genuine feeling after taking office in Wuzhou—Wang Qigang as a person is not just overbearing in his conduct; all officials in Wuzhou, big and small, hold him in apprehension.

Wang Qigang as a person doesn't like others defying his will.

Yang Qing also knows this.

As soon as Lin Dongfan arrived in Wuzhou, he confronted Wang Qigang head-on; if his background weren't strong enough, he'd probably have already been isolated by the Wangs and stripped of all his authority.

Yang Qing said: "Wang Qigang surely knows the Zhao Group's mess inside out, he's just pretending ignorance. He needs the Zhao Group's money, its projects, and its publicity. Before having absolute certainty, I suggest you not move against the Zhao Group."

"Liu Guizhi's husband is already dead, the orphan and widow are being bullied—I can't ignore this." On this matter, Lin Dongfan is resolute.

Yang Qing spoke firmly: "Rest easy, now that you've caught Li Chuangen. To keep things from blowing up, regarding Liu Guizhi's issue, they will surely make appropriate compromises, and the compensation due will be fully paid. Believe me, unless it's absolutely unavoidable, the Wangs don't want to tear faces with you, this capital-circle princeling."

"According to your meaning, does Li Chuangen's issue have to be settled just to the point of stopping?" Lin Dongfan glanced at Yang Qing with some disappointment.

Yang Qing replied confidently: "Haven't you heard on TV? Officialdom isn't about fighting and killing. My advice is to first master human relations and worldly affairs, then strike them when they're unprepared."