Chapter 6: You Are My Person (Please Favorite and Vote)

Back in the office, Hong Zhiyou brewed a cup of the deer antler powder the Station Chief had gifted him.

Having accompanied the wives' group recently, his body was truly feeling a bit drained.

After finishing it, he pulled a towel blanket from the cabinet nearby, lay down on the sofa, and fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning.

Hong Zhiyou got up, returned to his dormitory to wash and change into a gray Zhongshan suit, ate breakfast in the canteen, and efficiently returned to the office to organize the materials Lu Qiaoshan had requested.

As a mere bystander.

He had no need to bicker with a man whose days were numbered.

Hong Zhiyou had only one principle.

As long as it didn't ruin his own financial path, he didn't care what happened to anyone else.

Eight o'clock.

The Station Chief had barely stepped into his office when Lu Qiaoshan followed right on his heels to find Hong Zhiyou.

"What kind of garbage is this!"

Lu Qiaoshan picked up the documents, took one look, and flung them directly onto Hong Zhiyou's chest.

"Chief Lu, your subordinate was merely handling official business," Hong Zhiyou said, neither humble nor pushy.

"Handling official business?

"I see you've been bewitched by a woman, you bastard!

Lu Qiaoshan launched into a fierce, head-on tirade.

He was truly furious.

As a fellow townsman of Chief Zheng and the second most powerful official at the Jinmen Station.

He hadn't reaped a single benefit from this asset restructuring.

Among them, the Grain Merchants' Association and the operating rights for Liuwei Road were fat pieces of meat that Fourth Master Zhang of the Cao Gang had been coveting for a long time.

The Cao Gang had warehouses and laborers, and connections with the Shipping Bureau; selling grain in peaceful times was a guaranteed profit, and speculating on grain in chaotic times could yield ten thousand times the return.

This fat piece of meat had actually been signed off by Hong Zhiyou with a wave of his hand to Kang Zuowen.

One had to know that Lu Qiaoshan had already given his word to Fourth Master Zhang that he would secure the position of Association President, with the reward being a monthly tribute of two hundred US dollars.

Fourth Master Zhang had also repeatedly boasted to influential people at the dinner table.

Now look at this: the Fourth Master didn't become president, and the Liuwei Road grain market wasn't secured either; he had lost all face.

Last night, he had complained bitterly to him over the phone.

At this moment, Lu Qiaoshan wished he could feed him to the dogs.

"What are you still standing there for? Get to the Station Chief's office!" Lu Qiaoshan slammed the door and stormed out.

Lu Qiaoshan, are you getting too full of yourself?

Hong Zhiyou sneered inwardly and entered the office.

"Qiaoshan, you've come at a good time; we're just about to hold a routine meeting.

"Director Liu, notify the heads of each section to go to the conference room."

Wu Jingzhong raised a hand to stop Lu Qiaoshan and instructed Liu Xiong, who was nearby.

Once everyone had arrived at the conference room.

Wu Jingzhong got straight to the point:

"Recently, our station's staffing has been mostly finalized, and the reconstruction work is initially complete.

"Since the liberation, everyone has put in a lot of effort.

"I am now announcing new personnel assignments: Chief Lu will serve as the Chief of the Intelligence Division.

"Ma Kui will be in charge of the Action Team.

"Yu Zecheng..."

After the list of personnel arrangements was read out, Lu Qiaoshan's face turned black.

The General Affairs Division was handed over to Xue Dongshan.

The Telecommunications Section was handed over to Hou Yunlai.

These had all been under Lu Qiaoshan's direct control in the past; this cut had nearly drained half his blood.

"Qiaoshan, what do you think?" Wu Jingzhong asked.

"You are the Station Chief; your word is final." Lu Qiaoshan's smile was uglier than crying.

It was true that he was a fellow townsman of Chief Zheng.

But now that Boss Dai was in charge, if Wu Jingzhong gave it to him, he had to take it.

If he didn't give it to him, he couldn't even let out a fart.

"Good, then the meeting is adjourned.

"By the way, Director Yu and Yunlai, you must hurry up with bringing your wives over."

Wu Jingzhong stood up and glanced at Yu Zecheng and the other man.

"Yes!" Yu Zecheng and the others nodded.

"Wait, Station Chief," Lu Qiaoshan called out.

Wu Jingzhong waved his hand.

The others tactfully withdrew.

"This is the list of enterprises approved by the Preparatory Committee; please take a look." Lu Qiaoshan handed over the report.

"Is there a problem?" Wu Jingzhong feigned ignorance.

"Station Chief, Zheng Xingguo and Kang Zuowen are people who had ties to the Japanese in the past. The list of traitors hasn't even been released yet, and they've suddenly become managers for the Party-State.

"It's unreasonable," Lu Qiaoshan complained.

"Qiaoshan, when Boss Dai visited Jinmen to provide guidance, he said that we must treat traitors with special consideration.

"Zheng Xingguo and Kang Zuowen also had merits in the past.

"If you strike all these people down with one blow, who will do the business?

"We can't just take off these uniforms and go sell flour and rice ourselves, can we?"

Wu Jingzhong's smile was amiable, and his tone was as witty as ever.

"But this Kang Zuowen is a die-hard traitor just like Mu Liancheng. We can't just let Secretary Hong sleep with his wife and have it settled with a wave of his hand," Lu Qiaoshan curled his lip and argued.

"Is that so?" Wu Jingzhong turned his head to look at Hong Zhiyou.

"Station Chief, you know the Preparatory Committee was set up at the Falanxi Club; it was decided by Mr. Zhang from the municipal government, where the wives frequent often.

"I did indeed have contact with Mrs. Kang.

"But Mr. Zhang also signed off on the Grain Merchants' Association and the North Latitude Road being granted to Kang Zuowen.

"This was originally the municipal government's work; our Jinmen Station was merely assisting.

"Perhaps Chief Lu should go ask Mr. Zhang."

Hong Zhiyou folded his hands, answering unhurriedly.

"You..." Lu Qiaoshan glared at Hong Zhiyou, so angry he wanted to kill.

Everyone knew that without a nod from the Jinmen Station, that bunch at the municipal government were nothing; let alone a grain merchant, they wouldn't dare approve a wonton stall.

"Kang Zuowen is a die-hard traitor..." Lu Qiaoshan insisted on this point.

"Zhou Fuhai is still a patriot and a guest of honor of Boss Dai."

Wu Jingzhong's face darkened, his voice rose, and a murderous aura emerged.

"Station Chief..."

"Qiaoshan, Kang Zuowen's brother-in-law is Adjutant Pang of the 94th Army, and the 94th Army is the direct line of the Chairman—a heroic force.

"They just transferred to Jinmen, and I go to investigate the Kang family?

"What would Mu Tingfang and Yang Wenquan think? Would they think I'm intentionally looking for trouble and slapping them in the face?

"The chariots, horses, and cannons of Shaanxi and Hebei are all lined up; at a time like this, the military and the people must be of one heart."

Wu Jingzhong suppressed his annoyance and tried to reason with him earnestly.

"I'm afraid that if we set this precedent, people like Mu Liancheng will follow suit, and wouldn't the Party-State's assets be cheapened for them?" Lu Qiaoshan frowned.

This sentence instantly touched Wu Jingzhong's sore spot.

He was just about to fleece Mu Liancheng, and the condition he had set in his heart was to protect Mu Liancheng.

Wasn't Lu Qiaoshan cutting off his financial path?

"How about this: if you really have objections, go to the municipal government and find Zhang Tinge or Du Jianshi, and have them re-approve it."

Wu Jingzhong stiffened his face and slammed the documents onto the table.

Then he buttoned his top button, put his hands behind his back, and walked out gloomily.

"Station Chief..." Lu Qiaoshan was thwarted, grinding his teeth in anger.

Seeing you get rebuffed makes me happy; this gossip is truly sweet and fragrant... Hong Zhiyou felt wonderful inside, though his expression remained as smiling as usual:

"Chief Lu, if there's nothing else, I'll go back to work."

Lu Qiaoshan was a shrewd man.

The Station Chief was usually open to discussion, but today he was determined to oppose him and had even stripped him of his power; how could he not understand that Wu Jingzhong was intentionally stalling to protect Hong Zhiyou.

"You brat... just you wait, we'll see."

He pointed at Hong Zhiyou with resentment and stormed off in a huff.

Little guy, do you think you understand Old Wu better than I do?

Hong Zhiyou smiled.

Wu Jingzhong was a leader with a lot of human touch, especially when it came to protecting his own.

In the original story, he basically treated his two top lieutenants, one civil and one military—Yu Zecheng and Li Ya—like his own sons.

Not to mention Yu, he even gave the warehouse keys for the confiscated goods from the Dahe Maru to Yu Zecheng.

When the entire station was mobilized to capture Ji Weimin, he could blow Yu's credit up to the heavens, almost putting him on par with Di Renjie.

Li Ya was even more exaggerated.

To cooperate with the capture of Zuo Lan, Wu Jingzhong obediently followed orders like a lackey, staying up with him for most of the night.

When Li Ya messed it up, he was not only not angry, but instead turned around to guide and comfort Li Ya.

When Yuan Peilin was killed, he took the massive heat directly upon himself, not even afraid of it blowing up.

It was simply doting to the point of absurdity.

As long as Hong Zhiyou hugged his thigh tightly, could Old Wu not acknowledge him?

Upon arriving at the office, Hong Zhiyou put on a look of apprehension and anxiety:

"Station Master, Department Chief Lu seems to have an opinion of me. He is a fellow townsman of Director Zheng; I wouldn't be causing you any trouble, would I?"

"What are you afraid of!"

"Zheng Jiemin has plenty of fellow townsmen; who does he think he is?"

"Those who follow the Dao receive much support, those who lose it receive little. The higher Lu Qiaoshan jumps, the more miserably he will fall. You just watch."

Wu Jingzhong said with a calm and relaxed smile.

Hong Zhiyou suddenly understood why, during the early days of the station's establishment, the Station Master had let Lu Qiaoshan take on everything, only to start cutting him down today while everyone else looked on coldly.

To lure him in, he first let him go.

"With those words from you, Station Master, I can rest easy." Hong Zhiyou smiled.

"It hasn't been easy for you either!"

"I went back to look last night; the things Lu Qinzhai put up for sale are truly good."

"Things like that, even if you had a hundred or ten thousand of them, one would never tire of looking at them."

"You've worked hard."

Wu Jingzhong sighed with emotion before continuing to "encourage" him.

"To be loyal to the Party and the State, one must first be loyal to one's superior."

"This student dares not speak of hardship."

Hong Zhiyou's eyes reddened, and he immediately straightened his posture to salute.

"I remember I never taught you that." Wu Jingzhong's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he smiled.

"When I was at the Sino-American Training Class, the intelligence textbooks I used contained your writings, Station Master."

"Any soldier on the intelligence front is worthy of calling you teacher."

Hong Zhiyou replied respectfully.

This flattery had hit the mark in Wu Jingzhong's heart.

What he was most proud of was the intelligence textbook he had compiled back then; even old veterans like Yu Lexing and Shen Zui had nothing but praise for it, and it was said that even the Generalissimo had read it.

"Do your job well, I see it all."

"Zhiyou, you are my man. Go ahead and do it, understand?"

Wu Jingzhong leaned forward, tapped his chest, and said in a low voice.

Dad!

"Yes!"

"This student will surely die for..."

Before Hong Zhiyou could finish his slogan, Wu Jingzhong cut him off:

"I've already spoken to Director Xue of the Internal Affairs Section; I've arranged a dedicated car for you."

"Also, take this and go order a few nice suits. Women are snobbish; don't lose the prestige of our Jinhai Station in front of those ladies."

Wu Jingzhong pulled open a drawer and gave him a roll of US banknotes.

They were 10-dollar bills, and he estimated there must be over a hundred dollars.

"Thank you, Station Master." Hong Zhiyou happily accepted the money, which radiated a thick, fatherly scent.

"Go on, have a good talk."

Wu Jingzhong picked up a list and circled a name on it.

Mu Liancheng!

"Call Director Yu to come over," he ordered.

Hong Zhiyou sighed inwardly.

The Security Section had already discovered that Yu Zecheng had a connection with Zuo Lan, yet the errand for Mu Liancheng still fell to Old Yu.

One could only call him a favorite son.

No matter how wildly he played or how much he squandered, he was still closer than his own adopted son.

He couldn't steal Old Yu's thunder.

He was likely going to Mu Liancheng's house.

Once he "smooched" with Wanqiu, wouldn't it all be too late?

He couldn't wait any longer to pursue Wanqiu.

(End of chapter)