Chapter 523: The News Gan Lu Revealed

Gan Lu lived in a high-end residential area. As soon as my car entered the exclusive road of the residential area, I seriously felt that this place was not something ordinary people could live in.

The cars coming and going were not lower than fifty thousand, all with curtains hanging low, walking neither fast nor slow.

Only rich people can stroll in this society. I sighed while calling Gan Lu.

Gan Lu received my call and instructed me to park the car on the side of the road outside the residential area, and she would come out to pick me up directly.

I found an inconspicuous place to park, locked the car door, and leaned against the car body to smoke.

After smoking a few puffs, I

I followed closely behind. The security guard at the gate seemed to notice I was a stranger and wanted to stop me. Before he could, I darkened my face and walked straight in without even sparing him half a glance.

Perhaps my aura suppressed him; he let out a sound of surprise behind me, but seeing I ignored him, he had no choice but to let me in.

Gan Lu walked in front, moving with grace. Her figure was like a willow swaying in the wind.

Along a small path filled with blooming flowers, she stopped in front of a small three-story building, looked back, smiled slightly, and entered the door.

Once again, I sighed at how wealthy provincial cadres truly are. Such a fine villa is something we never see in Chunshan County; even in Hengyue City, a household so full of opulence is hard to find.

Her villa was a detached unit. There were several identical ones nearby, but in the night, only faint lights were visible, and not a single shadow of a person could be seen.

Inside the door, a clean, fluffy carpet was laid out. This was the first time I had seen such a high-class carpet, to the point that I stood by the door for a long time, not daring to step inside.

Gan Lu stood by the door with a smile and handed me a pair of slippers.

I changed my shoes and stepped onto the carpet, feeling a severe sense of being top-heavy.

I paid special attention to the situation inside the house; apart from Gan Lu, there didn't seem to be another living soul.

Gan Lu clearly sensed my confusion and said with a faint smile, "Don't look around, it's just me."

"Where is your family?"

"I'm the only one at home."

I became even more puzzled. She was definitely no longer a young girl; would a young, beautiful high-ranking cadre not be married? Could it be that her position is so lonely that no one dares to pursue her?

My gaze fell on a wedding photo hanging on the living room wall, and I finally understood—she was a married woman.

Gan Lu brought me a cup of tea, sat on the sofa opposite me, looked at me, and asked with a smile, "When did you get back?"

I was still struggling with why her husband wasn't home and hadn't even paid attention to her question.

Gan Lu saw me looking at her wedding photo, smiled, and said, "He is not in the country."

"Abroad?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes," Gan Lu said indifferently. "He went abroad as a visiting scholar and hasn't returned for three years."

"Did he immigrate and settle down?" I asked.

She nodded, sighed, and said, "In his view, the moon abroad is rounder than the one at home."

"Why don't you immigrate there?"

"If I wanted to go, I could go anytime," Gan Lu said with a smile. "This house was bought with the money he gave me."

She stood up and walked to the window, beckoning me to come over. I put down my teacup, walked to the window, and looked at the myriad of lights outside.

"The net worth of anyone in this residential quarter is no less than ten million. Those with less than that have no qualifications to settle here," she said, pointing to the several villas nearby. "These few should be among the top-tier figures in Central Province."

I laughed, "Division Chief Gan, you are also a person with a net worth of ten million."

Gan Lu looked at me and said, "I am not. I am the poorest among them. But I am the highest-ranking state cadre in this residential quarter."

I gave an "oh" and didn't have much interest in understanding these things.

For me, being a tycoon was just a dream of the past. Ever since I went to Suxi Township to engage in social education, I lost the dream of becoming a tycoon. Because I am very clear that as a state cadre, if I want to live a safe and sound life, I must be poor!

Gan Lu returned to the sofa and sat down, asking me, "Chen Feng, you said they formed a small circle, right?"

Upon hearing this, I was immediately intrigued. My purpose in coming was for this; I could vaguely feel that Gan Lu must know the inside story.

Sure enough, Gan Lu smiled and said to me, "It seems you are very interested."

I shook my head and said, "Not really. It's just that I am also a member of this collective, and I can't fall behind."

Gan Lu pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "Hypocrite."

I didn't take her scolding to heart at all. If she wanted to keep things from me, she wouldn't have invited me to her home, especially since she was home alone. A lone man and a lone woman—her daring to take this risk was actually a sign of immense trust in me.

I chuckled and repeated some of the things I had heard from Peng Xiaoyuan.

Gan Lu listened quietly, occasionally knitting her beautiful eyebrows.

When I finished, I picked up my teacup, took a large gulp, and waited for her to share her opinion.

Gan Lu pondered for a long while before sighing and saying, "Chen Feng, do you feel like you should join the small circle, or keep to yourself?"

I didn't understand what she meant and looked at her blankly.

She avoided my gaze and stared at the floor, saying, "I'm asking you."

I scratched my head and said, "Wasn't I waiting for your opinion?"

Gan Lu looked up at me in astonishment, her face full of confusion as she said, "What opinion could I possibly give you!"

I took another sip of water and said, "You in the province are not like us in the county; it's complicated. The water here is deep. If no one leads me in swimming, I wouldn't even know the reason if I drowned."

Gan Lu burst into laughter and said, "Look at you, as if the province is a dragon's den or a tiger's lair. Since you have already reached this level, are you still afraid of deep water?"

I said with difficulty, "Of course I am."

"I'll refill your water." Gan Lu got up to get the kettle. The way she poured water was very beautiful—focused and calm. It was like a painting, and I was almost stunned watching her.

She finished refilling the water and put down the kettle, saying, "Actually, this matter was conceived and sprouted the very night we left. When I was in Hengyue City, I did receive a phone call, and at the time, I was just as surprised as you."

"But I figured it out quickly. Look, our class has thirty people in total; thirteen are from various prefectures and cities, and seventeen are from various departments of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government. Everyone understands that this training is in preparation for the leadership reshuffle a year from now. Whoever can stand out among the thirty will be the leader of the other twenty-nine. Do you understand?"

I nodded blankly, but my heart was churning. I had originally thought there was a position waiting for me upon arriving at the province, but from Gan Lu's words, I caught the meaning: I was already a rootless duckweed. As for where I would drift, it all depended on whether I could adapt to survive in this pool of water.

"The one leading the charge in the province is Meng Xiaoyu from the Provincial Party Committee Office. He has been in the office for eight years. I heard that after this training, the Party Committee Secretaries of four cities are retiring, and they want to select four people from this class to take over. He has long wanted to go down and become a feudal lord. To be honest, such an opportunity is once in a century."

I laughed, "Division Chief Gan, which city are you preparing to go to as Secretary?"

Gan Lu blushed and said, "I'm not like you men, with such big ambitions. I have never thought about being a Secretary. My coming to this training was actually because the competition in our department was too fierce; everyone wanted to come. It just so happened that I was the one who wanted to come the least, and yet I was the one who ended up coming."

She laughed embarrassedly and leaned lazily on the sofa, saying, "For us women, being at peace is enough. I don't want to go into the officialdom and fight to the death; it's too tiring."

I gave an "oh" and asked, "Why does this Meng Xiaoyu want to lead this charge?"

"It's all because of you people; you want to be officials too badly. A small class monitor position isn't even an official cadre post, yet you insist on having a self-recommendation. This is understandable, but why would Duanmu insist on appointing you as class monitor?"

"That's not the case." I felt a bit guilty.

"Meng Xiaoyu told me that you 'mud-legged' folks want to ride on his head the moment you enter the city—it's unbearable." She giggled, her body trembling like a swaying flower, presenting her graceful figure perfectly before my eyes.

"We are also cadres; how did we become 'mud-legged' in your eyes?" I said indignantly. "The division of labor in the revolution is different. Are you in the provincial capital necessarily superior to us? If you were to compare yourselves with Beijing, what would you be?"

"The same 'mud-legged' folks." Gan Lu stopped laughing and said seriously, "So Meng Xiaoyu found the cadres in the class from provincial-level organs and decided to give you a 'show of force' regarding the election of the class monitor."

"A show of force?" I pondered and said, "How did it become like we are class enemies?"

"Right now, you and I are on different fronts." Gan Lu giggled, reached out to tuck a stray hair behind her forehead, and asked me charmingly, "I've told you all this—would you say I'm a traitor?"

I was stunned by her words. I had long anticipated that this matter wasn't simple, but I hadn't expected it to be this complex. I felt fortunate that I hadn't been dragged into it yet; if this were to turn into an incident, it would be a disaster.

"What is Meng Xiaoyu's plan?" I asked slowly.

"Voting."

"How will they vote?"

"One person, one vote." Gan Lu said seriously, "This is the most democratic way; no one can say anything. Even Duanmu wouldn't find a reason to object."

"Our class teacher is Section Chief Mei Hua," I said.

"Mei Hua is the class teacher, that's true. But he's just a small Section Chief; do you think Meng Xiaoyu and the others will care about him? Even the lowest-ranking person among Meng Xiaoyu's group is higher than him!"

I nodded repeatedly in agreement. I admired Gan Lu to the point of prostration. She had spent the same two days in Hengyue City as I had, yet she was able to grasp everything happening in the province. Meanwhile, I was like someone from another world, completely unaware of any of the details.