Chapter 641: I believe in you

Before Vice Provincial Governor Lin even arrived in Hengyue City, the front page of the Hengyue Daily had already published Chen Meng's article about him.

In the presidential suite of the Hengyue Hotel, Vice Provincial Governor Lin threw the newspaper in front of me and asked with a frosty face: "Little Chen, what kind of play are you all preparing to put on?"

What play could I put on? The director of this play was the Mayor. But the Mayor was late, so I had to call Chen Meng for help, hoping she could give Vice Provincial Governor Lin an explanation in person.

When a Vice Provincial Governor travels, security measures must be high-grade. Chen Meng was blocked on the perimeter and called me: "Chen Feng, you figure it out, I can't get in."

I spoke quietly into my phone, asking her to give the phone to the person blocking her; I wanted to talk to them.

Chen Meng seemed not to hear and hung up the phone angrily. I held the phone and apologetically asked Vice Provincial Governor Lin for instructions, saying the newspaper reporter was downstairs at the hotel and I wanted to invite her up.

Vice Provincial Governor Lin was noncommittal; this attitude was a tacit approval of my request. Just then, Lin Xiaoxi came out from the inner room, and hearing that I was going downstairs, she also clamored to go with me.

Vice Provincial Governor Lin snorted through his nose; his majestic appearance made us all shudder. Ever since he left the provincial capital, he had changed his face. Now, Vice Provincial Governor Lin displayed his authority from head to toe. In the past, when we spoke to him, our volume could be high or low, and our wording didn't need much care. But now, it wouldn't do; if our voices were a little too loud or our wording a bit too reckless, he would cast a sword-like gaze at us.

Vice Provincial Governor Lin's snort expressed that he would not allow Lin Xiaoxi to go downstairs with me. I whispered to her: "You stay with the Provincial Governor, I'll be right back."

We came with three cars this time. One was Vice Provincial Governor Lin's official car, with only him and his secretary inside. Another car was from the Provincial Public Security Department, responsible for security personnel on the road. Lin Xiaoxi came in my car, singing many pop songs along the way, to the point that my car stereo lost its function, making me joke that she was an all-functional jukebox.

When I got downstairs, I didn't see Lin Xiaoxi at the entrance.

The security at the entrance was handled by people from the Hengyue City Public Security Bureau; one was in police uniform, and the others were in plain clothes. They nodded and greeted me when they saw me.

Municipal Public Security Bureau Director Wan Xiao was still under investigation, and the current acting head was the First Deputy Director.

My gaze fell on a short, fat man; he was a Deputy Director of the Hengyue City Public Security Bureau, said to be from a criminal investigation background and very good at solving cases.

As soon as the short, fat man's gaze met mine, he immediately greeted me with a beaming smile.

"Director Chen, you've worked hard." He exchanged pleasantries and reached out to shake my hand.

I wasn't very familiar with him, having only met him once or twice, and didn't have much of an impression of him.

"Didn't Reporter Chen come just now? Where is she?" I asked, my eyes still scanning around.

"She left." The short, fat Deputy Director said: "We didn't receive notice, so we couldn't just let her go up."

"She is a reporter, and I called her. The city arranged for her to report on Vice Provincial Governor Lin's inspection throughout." I was a bit angry, but couldn't find a reason to flare up; these people were ordered to protect the leader's safety, and there was no way to fault them in reason or emotion. Moreover, Vice Provincial Governor Lin upstairs was also the head of the Provincial Department, the direct superior of these people.

"How about this, Director Chen, why don't you call her now and ask her to come?" He asked for my opinion, then turned and roared at the plainclothes officers beside him: "Don't you recognize a reporter?"

The plainclothes officers were submissive and didn't argue. But I saw a flash of obvious displeasure on her face.

I had no heart to play a duet with them and took out my phone to call Chen Meng.

Chen Meng said on the phone: "I'm not going. Isn't he just a Vice Provincial Governor? Is there something wrong with writing a report? Have you even looked at the content?"

I hadn't actually looked at Chen Meng's report. Yesterday, when I returned to Hengyue City, the Secretary and the Mayor welcomed Vice Provincial Governor Lin together. During the time the high officials met, I was a redundant person. Taking advantage of the free time, I went home.

I was sitting at the table preparing to eat with my wife, child, and mother when a call from the Municipal Government Office summoned me to the Hengyue Hotel.

It turned out Vice Provincial Governor Lin had specifically named me to attend the banquet hosted by the Municipal Committee that evening.

When I rushed to the hotel banquet hall, the banquet hadn't started yet. But I had already seen that the leading figures of Hengyue City were basically gathered in the banquet hall. Among them, of course, was my Petition Bureau Director, Comrade Lilian.

When I appeared in the banquet hall, I was almost covered in sweat. The Mayor waved for me to come over and called a waiter to bring me a fan.

I was flattered and indicated it wasn't necessary, waiting by the Mayor's side for Vice Provincial Governor Lin to come down from his room.

The banquet lasted for nearly three hours, which included Secretary Chen's speech, the Mayor's welcome address, and Vice Provincial Governor Lin's on-site directive speech.

I didn't say a word during the entire banquet; it wasn't that I didn't want to, but there was simply no opportunity. Secretary Chen and the Mayor accompanied Vice Provincial Governor Lin on the left and right, and lined up below them were the Deputy Secretary-Generals of the Provincial Party Committee Office; people like my cousin-in-law He Zhi and father-in-law Huang Shan could only sit at the end of the table.

I wasn't at their table; my table was full of people from the Municipal Committee and Municipal Government. Many of them knew me, and during the meal, they tried to get close to me in various ways, as if I were the second most important person in the entire banquet hall, aside from Vice Provincial Governor Lin.

The cadres of Hengyue City all knew that I was the one who invited Vice Provincial Governor Lin to inspect, and the main target of the inspection was the Industrial Park, which had been in a state of alarm recently. As for why I invited Vice Provincial Governor Lin and not other leaders, they could only guess, and no one would understand the mystery behind it.

I avoided the short, fat Deputy Director and walked to the side to talk to Chen Meng. I said: "Mengmeng, just explain why the report was released early."

"I won't explain. What's there to explain? Are they going to cause trouble for me?" Chen Meng questioned me aggressively.

I accompanied her with a smile and said: "The leader is unhappy!"

"I'm unhappy too!" Chen Meng said contemptuously on the phone: "Chen Feng, how do you look like a pug now!"

I said helplessly: "Mengmeng, when you're in the world, you understand!"

"Get lost!" She scolded me: "You go back and report to your master; if he doesn't want it reported, tomorrow's news won't be published."

My heart skipped a beat, thinking: whether it's reported or not isn't up to you. You are just a small reporter; how could you understand that the Mayor is playing a very big game of chess?

I knew Chen Meng's personality; if she said she wouldn't come, she definitely wouldn't. But now the Mayor hadn't arrived yet, and if I went up alone and was scolded by Vice Provincial Governor Lin again, it would be complete nonsense.

After hanging up, I walked to the short, fat Deputy Director and said: "Ask, has the Mayor left yet?"

The short, fat Deputy Director said with a smile: "He's out. The walkie-talkie just said so; he should be here within ten minutes."

The Mayor arriving in ten minutes gave my heart temporary peace. As long as the Mayor arrived, any major event would have nothing to do with me.

I smiled and said: "I'll wait for the Mayor."

The short, fat Director leaned over and asked: "Director Chen, what is the main goal of Vice Provincial Governor Lin's inspection this time?"

He wants to probe for some news from me, I thought.

I could fully understand the short, fat Deputy Director probing for news. Wan Xiao was under investigation, and no one knew what the result would be. Although he was presiding over the work of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, it was ultimately a group without a leader. A Deputy Director presiding over the work could only be considered a mission in a crisis. No one knew if he would get the hat of Director to wear.

I couldn't tell him Vice Provincial Governor Lin's itinerary; this was confidential.

Organizational procedures have regulations; it is very clear what level of documents are communicated to what level. Vice Provincial Governor Lin inspecting Hengyue City had long been arranged by the Municipal Committee and Municipal Government. If the short, fat Deputy Director didn't know the content, it meant his level hadn't reached the height requiring notification.

"I'm the same as you, just temporarily responsible for reception." I said with a smile, took out a pack of cigarettes, and handed him one.

He smiled and waved his hand to refuse, and urged me that it was better to smoke less. He said he used to smoke three packs a day, but later his lungs had problems, and the doctor gave him an ultimatum, so he quit.

I smiled and said: "Some people don't smoke or drink their whole lives and don't live to be thirty. Some people smoke their whole lives and drink their whole lives and live to be ninety-nine. So, cigarettes and alcohol are not the main factors determining health."

The short, fat man laughed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with my statement.

Just as we were about to continue discussing the issue of cigarettes and alcohol, a plainclothes officer ran over nervously and whispered a few words in the short, fat Deputy Director's ear.

The short, fat Director waved his hand and said: "He's here!"

As soon as the words fell, I saw the Mayor's car slide into the gate of the Hengyue Hotel.

I ran over, and the short, fat Deputy Director followed me running.

I saw him rolling his body like a meatball out of the corner of my eye and wanted to laugh, but in the end, I didn't.

The Mayor saw me as soon as he got out of the car and asked in surprise: "Hey, why did you come down?"

I whispered: "Provincial Governor Lin saw the newspaper from the day before yesterday, the news about his visit to Hengyue City, and is losing his temper."

The Mayor looked at me and said: "Why lose your temper over a piece of news?"

He waved his hand, letting the group of people around him disperse, and said loudly: "I don't need your protection. Old Qin, you just keep two cars and a few people. Everyone else go do your own work."

Only then did I know the short, fat Deputy Director's surname was Qin.

Director Qin heard the Mayor say this, leaned over and whispered: "Mayor, I didn't make any special arrangements, just the regular security level."

The Mayor laughed: "This is regular? It's like facing a great enemy."

He pointed to the few plainclothes police officers wandering in the distance and said: "These people, you can tell they are police at a glance."

Deputy Director Qin hurriedly went to arrange according to the Mayor's instructions, and I followed behind the Mayor's butt as he walked upstairs.

The Mayor suddenly stopped and said: "Chen Feng, when we get to the Industrial Park later, you are responsible for introducing the situation."

"Me?" I was shocked.

"Why? Can't you?" The Mayor stared at me, his gaze seemingly wanting to pierce through my body.

What was the situation in the Industrial Park? I had only been there once, and that was because of Qian Youyu's matter when I went to find Guo Wei. Suddenly asking me to introduce it, how could I introduce it?

I was still hesitating when the Mayor handed me a small booklet and said: "I'll give you ten minutes to familiarize yourself with the situation. The content is all in the booklet. Remember, your introduction will determine Provincial Governor Lin's opinion."

The Mayor's meaning was already very clear: if I didn't introduce it well and couldn't get the funds from the province, the responsibility would be entirely mine.

I became terrified, and my palms started to sweat from nervousness.

"I believe in you!" The Mayor comforted me with a smile.

Just then the elevator arrived, and as soon as the door opened, the Mayor walked out with his head held high.

I clutched the small booklet, and my heart suddenly felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead. ===== CHAPTER 642 =====