Chapter 378: Occupying the magpie's nest

Returning from Suxi, Mr. Liu wanted to rush back to the US headquarters to report. I let Yu Wei drive him to the Central Province Airport, and by the way, let Yu Wei bring a book to He Jiaxiao.

He Jiaxiao worked at the Central Province Cultural Relics Research Institute. After the Spring Festival, I didn't have any news of him. Sending the book was just an excuse; I wanted to see what he was busy with.

The Suxi Hot Spring Resort was basically settled. If there were no other changes, this foreign investment should be considered in the bag.

I had to report these things to Secretary Liu Qimeng.

After Secretary Liu finished listening to my report, the first reaction was to ask me, "County Magistrate Chen, why didn't you go to the United States with him?"

"What am I going for?" I was confused.

"Some things, can that Mr. Liu explain clearly?"

"What can't he explain clearly?"

Secretary Liu sighed and said, "The thinking of foreigners is still different from ours. Things we might understand at a glance, foreigners might not understand even if they die."

"But I..." I didn't know how to explain, and I was so anxious that a layer of fine sweat broke out on my forehead.

Secretary Liu saw me scratching my ears and cheeks, and laughed, "Forget it, doing business with foreigners, you also need a bit of luck. This project, let's see how your luck is."

Secretary Liu's comfort made my heart a mess. If there were a deviation at this time, wouldn't I have wasted his painstaking efforts?

I understood very well that this position of Executive Deputy County Magistrate was hard-won. Besides the pressure from Minister Huang Shan and the factors of my cousin He Zhi, it

Back then, Deng Hanyu and Guo Wei were both eyeing me like tigers, and either one of them could have crushed me so I could never rise again. You must know that Deng Hanyu had a father who was a County Magistrate, and Guo Wei had a father-in-law-to-be who was the Municipal Party Secretary. What did I have?

A distant uncle? Who doesn't know it's just "distant"? "Father-in-law" Minister Huang Shan? Whether he is my "father-in-law" or not, neither the Huang family nor I have ever expressed such a meaning in any public setting.

The key still lay with Liu Qimeng. I happened to be between Deng Hanyu and Guo Wei; as the two tigers fought, I was the one watching from the sidelines. After the Municipal Committee balanced the relationships between all parties, I ended up picking up a pile of dog shit instead. And the most critical person in balancing these relationships was Liu Qimeng. After all, a Deputy County Magistrate has to work under him.

"Should I give Liu Misi a call in two days to urge her?" I asked.

"That would be fine." Liu Qimeng took a sip of tea and said, smoothing his brow: "Matters of investment promotion cannot be rushed. Take your time; no one is urging you, and no one is forcing you. If a thing is done well, it can leave a good name for generations; if done poorly, it leaves a bad name for ten thousand years. Now the whole country is engaged in economic construction; we should not fall behind, but we shouldn't stick our necks out either. There is another problem: we have never dealt with foreigners or done business with them, so it is better to be cautious."

I nodded repeatedly. To tell the truth, I still had somewhat radical ideas. I was itching to achieve something immediately so that all the people in the county would know that I, this Deputy County Magistrate, was not someone who just sat around eating for free.

My cell phone rang. I looked at Liu Qimeng apologetically, not daring to answer.

Liu Qimeng smiled slightly and said: "Answer it."

I took it out and saw it was a call from Bureau Chief Xie Tian of the Personnel Bureau. I was shocked inside, thinking, what kind of act is this old guy trying to pull by calling me at this time?

The call connected, and Xie Tian's long sighs and groans came through: "County Magistrate Chen, you must be blaming me, right?"

"No. You're overthinking it," I said, covering the mouthpiece and walking to the side.

"You can't blame your old brother; I had no choice either. Do you know? The night after I talked with you that day, the glass at my house was smashed by someone."

"Who was it?" I asked, my anger burning, shouting the question.

"How could I know? I just thought, if they can smash my house's glass today, maybe tomorrow they'll smash the heads of my family. I'm scared!" Xie Tian lowered his voice and said: "County Magistrate Chen, I'm still lying in the hospital now. I couldn't help it; if I don't give you an explanation, I feel terrible."

I smiled and said: "Bureau Chief Xie, just rest easy and recover from your illness. We can talk again when you're better."

Xie Tian was still sighing on the phone, saying: "I'm afraid I won't be able to walk out of this hospital."

I was speechless. I could catch a hint of meaning in Xie Tian's words. He wasn't talking about his health, but his situation.

"Bureau Chief Xie, you're overthinking it." I hung up the phone.

"Xie Tian from the Personnel Bureau?" Liu Qimeng asked without even raising his head.

"Yes."

"Is he sick?"

"Yes."

"Wasn't he fine a few days ago? What illness?" Liu Qimeng raised his head and looked at me suspiciously.

"A sickness of the heart."

"A sickness of the heart?" Liu Qimeng was even more puzzled: "Tell me about it."

I hesitated for a moment, then repeated the whole matter of the county-wide re-employment that I had discussed with Xie Tian.

"Oh, this matter. I am aware of it." Liu Qimeng paused, pondered for a moment, and asked me: "What is your view?"

"I still listen to the opinions of the County Party Committee," I said, earnestly and firmly.

"The County Party Committee has discussed this issue in the past, but because it involves too many problems, it has always been discussed without a decision." Liu Qimeng kicked the ball back to me.

"The veteran comrades have experience in their work," I said, testing the waters: "It's just that the veteran comrades have worked for a lifetime, and their enthusiasm has long since faded."

Liu Qimeng nodded, his eyes fixed on me, encouraging me to continue.

"If veteran comrades retire but don't step down, they will inevitably interfere with the work of the new comrades. If key work lacks enthusiasm, there is no proactive thinking. In other words, in certain aspects, it will instead act as an obstruction, which is not conducive to carrying out work." I swallowed some saliva and licked my lips.

I was nervous. In the past, I was a small township cadre, and it didn't matter if I said the wrong thing. Now I am a county leader, and my opinion, in certain respects, represents the policy of a government. The slightest impropriety would be a sign of an unstable political stance and immature thinking.

"How to change it?" Liu Qimeng didn't give me any room to think.

"Clear them out," I said, making up my mind.

"What if they can't be cleared out?" He looked at me with a smile, as if he were a monkey trainer and I were a jumping monkey.

"There is nothing that cannot be cleared out," I said righteously: "Issue a red-headed document in the name of the County Party Committee and the County Government, and see who has the guts."

"Some people have very fat guts," Liu Qimeng said, then lowered his head to look at his documents, leaving me hanging on the side.

I was in a dilemma, feeling incredibly awkward.

My craving for a cigarette suddenly flared up, and I yawned.

My action was noticed by Liu Qimeng. He raised his head again and smiled: "Want to smoke?"

I nodded awkwardly.

"Go ahead, go open the window."

As if granted amnesty, I jumped up and rushed to the window, pulled back the curtains, opened the window, took out a cigarette, and lit it, all in one go.

After a few puffs, I asked, unwilling to give up: "Secretary Liu, please instruct me, how should this matter be handled?"

"What matter?"

"The matter of re-employment."

"You handle it as you see fit."

"I don't know how to handle it."

"If you don't know, how would I? Some things, you only know how to handle them after you go and do them." A layer of frost covered his face as he pointed at the desk with his pen: "Young people must have courage when doing things. Don't be afraid of failure. If you fail, you can start over."

I felt as if I had been enlightened; wasn't Secretary Liu Qimeng hinting at me?

"Go. If there are difficulties, we will solve them together."

He issued an order to leave, and I felt too embarrassed to stay any longer. I had to slink out, only to run into Guo Wei and Deng Hanyu coming toward me. I wanted to avoid them, but there was no way to escape, so I had to greet them.

"Yo, Great County Magistrate Chen," Deng Hanyu called out sarcastically first.

"Lord Deng," I replied, also sarcastically, as it is impolite not to return a greeting.

"Did you go to Secretary Liu to snitch?"

"Do you think she really came to pay me a New Year's visit and thank me today?" Huang Weiwei blew a breath into my ear, stirring my heart and mind, "She came to find me to get her man back."

"How could I dare? Brother, I'm currently on your turf; even a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake." Ever since Deng Hanyu failed to become Deputy County Magistrate, he would tease me whenever he saw me.

"You can't be considered a dragon; at most, you're a snake," I retorted sharply: "This turf is a place you've managed for half your life; strictly speaking, it's your territory."

"So, you're a dove occupying a magpie's nest?"

"Not at all! I am following the will of heaven."

After saying this, I laughed and prepared to turn and leave.

Before I could take a step, Deng Hanyu grabbed me and said mysteriously: "Tonight, go to Qilin Villa."

I shook my head.

Deng Hanyu smiled, patted the bag in his hand, looked at Guo Wei, and said: "Team Leader Guo, County Magistrate Chen isn't giving us face. Should we still go and report this funding to Secretary Liu?"

Guo Wei remained silent, smiling without speaking.

I was startled and asked: "What funding?"

"Your Suxi Town, are you not short of money?" Deng Hanyu made a move to turn and walk back.

Now it was my turn to grab him: "Wait, tell me in detail."

"No details. Keep walking, go play somewhere else." Deng Hanyu was relentless now that he had the upper hand.

"You should have said so earlier," I said with a sinister smile: "Lord Deng, if you want to go to Qilin Villa, I, your brother, will accompany you."

Deng Hanyu laughed upon hearing this, shook off my hand, and walked toward Liu Qimeng's office with Guo Wei, swaying with every step.

I stood there blankly for a while; Deng Hanyu was here to deliver money. It seems Guan Peishan did not break his promise!

Returning to my office, I called Li Fulian and invited her to join me for the appointment at Qilin Villa tonight.

I had my own thoughts. Deng Hanyu inviting me to Qilin Villa was nothing more than wanting to take revenge for the "one game decides the winner" incident. No matter what tricks he wanted to pull, with Li Fulian by my side, I would have nothing to fear.

Li Lian, Li Fulian, received my call and immediately laughed until she was trembling, agreeing repeatedly and asking where she should wait for me.

I smiled and said: "You handle your old man Lao Mo first; I'll contact you before I go."

Li Lian said disdainfully: "Lao Mo died in the detention center. You must remember to pick me up."

The word "oh" was filled with endless charm, as if she had the feelings of a young girl, making one unable to bear listening.

Just after hanging up the phone, Zhu Hua Yu came in, notebook in hand, and asked me softly: "Boss, are you free?"

I nodded.

"I'm here to report on the issues with the Personnel Bureau," she said, sitting down opposite me gracefully.

Ever since Zhu Hua Yu became my secretary, she had simply become a different person. Whether in personal cultivation or work ethics, one could not tell she was a novice. It seemed she was born to be a secretary; she handled everything flawlessly and meticulously. She could also make people feel incredibly comfortable and at ease.

"Go ahead," I said, lighting a cigarette.

"The glass at the home of Bureau Chief Xie of the Personnel Bureau was smashed by someone," Zhu Hua Yu said calmly.

"I know."

"The pigeons he kept at home all disappeared last night."

"What does that mean?"

"Bureau Chief Xie has been raising pigeons for thirty years and has never lost a single one."

"What's the problem?"

"There are many problems. It is said that the pigeons were stolen by someone else."

"Who would want to steal a few pigeons?"

"Stealing the pigeons is just a warning."

"A warning about what?"

"Don't touch the re-employment matter."

"Damn it!" I slammed my palm on the desk, startling the pens in the pen holder so they fell all over the floor with a clatter.