Chapter 325: Sprinting Toward the Public Selection!

The time for marriage leave passed quietly; Du Xi, dressed in her police uniform, returned to her post at the Criminal Police Team with a spirited and heroic air.

Tang Ye also returned to Secretariat Section Two of the Municipal Government.

Upon stepping into the office area, Tang Ye immediately began distributing wedding candies.

Yet, this sharing of sweetness hid a subtle "differential treatment."

Lin Ru, who had not been invited to the wedding, naturally did not receive any of these candies.

Arriving at the door of Jiang Jing's office, Tang Ye raised his hand to knock lightly, and upon hearing "Come in," he pushed the door open and entered.

Placing the wedding candies gently on the desk, Tang Ye smiled sincerely: "Mayor Jiang, I brought these wedding candies especially for you!"

Jiang Jing unwrapped a chocolate and smiled as she placed it in her mouth.

"Let me share in your joy!"

She then took a document from her drawer and handed it solemnly to Tang Ye.

"This was just issued by the Municipal Organization Department. Secretary Zhou emphasized multiple times at the meeting that Hanzhou must vigorously promote the rejuvenation of the cadre ranks and recruit talented people widely. Study the spirit of this document carefully."

Tang Ye took the document with both hands, his gaze immediately drawn to the title: "Notice Regarding the Work Plan for Hanzhou's Public Selection of Outstanding Cadre Talent Across the City."

After reading it carefully, he learned that this plan intended to select 360 candidates for cultivation, covering multiple levels including County-Division Level, Township-Section Level, and village/community reserve cadres.

Jiang Jing set down her fountain pen and looked at Tang Ye with a gentle yet solemn gaze.

"Xiao Tang, I have been watching your work performance during your time at the Municipal Government. Your professional competence and ability to handle affairs deserve a broader space for development. Rather than following the routine, you should take the initiative to strive for a higher platform."

As a leader, Jiang Jing had a profound understanding of Tang Ye's abilities. He was quick-thinking, thorough in his work, and always kept things in perfect order; he was a rare and capable assistant.

If she were to keep such talent by her side for too long out of selfishness, it would be a waste.

Tang Ye was already twenty-nine; among the cadre ranks in Hanzhou, being promoted to Section Chief at this age was indeed remarkable.

Yet, looking at the bigger stage, the achievements he had attained so far were merely a starting point.

"Mayor Jiang, rest assured, I will definitely study the spirit of the document well!"

He naturally understood that this was Jiang Jing expressing her stance, opening up a path for him.

In the civil service promotion system, following the routine to accumulate seniority and waiting for promotion was the standard path, while Public Selection was an "advanced shortcut" full of opportunities and challenges; there had been Deputy Section Level Officials who used this to achieve a "two-level leap," promoting directly to Deputy Division Level.

Of course, those were extremely rare cases.

Written exams, interviews, assessments... these happened to be the areas where Tang Ye excelled.

With the marriage leave over, a mountain of accumulated tasks awaited attention.

After dropping Jiang Jing off at her residence, Tang Ye took the official car and hurried back to the Municipal Government.

After reporting his schedule to Du Xi, he prepared to enter overtime mode.

On the way to the restroom, Tang Ye ran into Lin Ru unexpectedly.

The Lin Ru before him had a sallow complexion; it was as if her spirit had been drained away, her eyes were hollow and dim, and an inescapable weariness clung to her. Their gazes met briefly; Lin Ru said nothing, dragging her heavy footsteps as she walked slowly toward her office. Alarm bells rang in Tang Ye's heart, and he followed her, knocking on her office door.

"Secretary-General, your complexion is so poor; are you feeling unwell?"

Pushing the door open, a thick, pungent smell of alcohol mixed with tobacco smoke rushed toward him.

Lin Ru tilted her head back and downed the last of the wine in her glass, slamming the bottle onto the desk with a dull "thud" that sounded particularly abrupt in the silent office.

"Drinking a little in the office after work hours—that doesn't violate any regulations, does it?"

Tang Ye sat down opposite her. "Is something troubling you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a glass of amber-colored wine was pushed in front of him.

"Happy wedding." Lin Ru swirled her glass. "You guessed right; I do have things bothering me. I used to make things difficult for you, but you actually helped me quite a bit... It was my own narrow-mindedness."

As she spoke, she suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh, the sound full of bitterness and helplessness.

Tang Ye pushed the glass gently back, his eyes sincere and earnest: "If you are in any difficulty, please feel free to say so; the organization is always our solid backing."

Lin Ru's fingertips gripped the rim of the glass tightly, her knuckles turning white. It was a long time before she spoke: "Some hurdles cannot be crossed just by believing."

She suddenly fell silent, then pulled a sheet of paper from her drawer. "Mayor Jiang's schedule is all here. From now on, you will be fully responsible for these matters."

The moment he took the paper, Tang Ye felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

For years, Lin Ru had held core affairs firmly in her grasp; now that she was suddenly delegating power so abnormally, what kind of turbulent waves were hidden behind it?

After Tang Ye left, the office fell into dead silence.

Lin Ru picked up her phone with trembling hands and dialed an overseas call to South Korea.

From the receiver, deafening music and noisy human voices surged through.

"Mom, I'm busy having fun! If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up!" Her son's impatient voice came through, piercing her heart like a thorn.

"Yongyong, listen to Mom first..." Her voice was full of ingratiation. "Mom just transferred three hundred thousand US dollars to you; don't spend it recklessly, keep it for starting your business."

"Just that much? That's not enough to start a business! Fine, I got it!" Laughter and commotion came from the other side of the phone, and her son's voice drifted further away.

Lin Ru's hand holding the phone trembled uncontrollably: "This is the last bit of money Mom can give you..."

The only response was the cold sound of a busy signal.

She slumped powerlessly onto the sofa, tears streaming down her face.

The darkness outside the window swallowed her like a tide.

The next day, Tang Ye picked up Jiang Jing on time.

As soon as he arrived at the office, he nimbly brewed a cup of fragrant tea for Jiang Jing.

Immediately after, he took out the organized schedule and began reporting the work arrangements earnestly.

"I was on marriage leave, so this schedule was arranged temporarily. Would you please see if there is anything that needs adjusting?" Tang Ye requested.

Jiang Jing's gaze fell on the schedule, and she asked thoughtfully: "Secretary-General Lin didn't hand over the work to you?"

"Secretary-General Lin left the office very late last night; she specifically instructed me that I would be responsible for these tasks from now on," Tang Ye replied.

"What was her mood like at the time?"

"He looks listless and his overall state is very poor," Tang Ye replied, carefully choosing his words.

Jiang Jing nodded slightly, "I understand. In the coming period, you will need to shoulder more responsibilities. Furthermore, you must also familiarize yourself with the coordination work of the various departments as soon as possible."

As the Secretary of the Second Section, Tang Ye's previous scope of work had been limited, with many matters under the jurisdiction of Lin Ru. Now that Jiang Jing wanted to hand over important work for him to take charge of, this sudden change left Tang Ye with mixed feelings.

"Regarding this arrangement, will Secretary-General Lin have any objections?"

"Her thoughts are irrelevant. Focus on doing your job well and don't worry about anything else."

Tang Ye nodded in agreement, and after exiting the office, he sat at his workstation, continuously pondering the current subtle shift in the situation.

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from afar, and a group of people with stern expressions passed by the office door, appearing as if they were heading straight into Jiang Jing's office.

Tang Ye immediately stood up, stepped forward quickly to block them, and asked with a hint of vigilance, "May I ask what business you have?"

The man in the lead displayed his credentials, his voice low and forceful, "We are from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection working group; we are here to speak with Comrade Jiang Jing to understand the situation."

Upon hearing the words "Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection," Tang Ye's heart sank abruptly, and his tone became respectful, "I am Mayor Jiang's Secretary. Please show me your work IDs, and after I verify them, I will lead you all inside."

The other party quickly pulled out their credentials and flashed them before Tang Ye's eyes.

Tang Ye did not dare to delay in the slightest, nor did he announce them, and led the group into Jiang Jing's office...