Chapter 2447

Su Xinghui hung up the phone, but it rang again immediately; when he answered, it was Yan Xianhua calling, which surprised him.

But he quickly regained his composure—wasn't it normal for Yan Xianhua to call him now? Officially, Yan Xianhua was his direct superior; with such rumors circulating, they tarnished the image of the Economic Reform Division, so it was only natural for the director to call and inquire.

Su Xinghui said, "Director Yan, hello!"

Yan Xianhua's tone remained relaxed: "Xinghui, where are you now?"

Su Xinghui said, "I'm at Yanfang Group."

Yan Xianhua said, "Today Director Wu spoke with me—he mentioned rumors that you had some kind of conflict on Shengli Street in Yanzhong City, and the cause didn't sound very good."

Su Xinghui knew perfectly well who Director Wu was—deputy director of the Development Planning Commission; though titled deputy, he held the rank of a full-ministerial official, wielding real power, not a leader to be taken lightly.

Su Xinghui smiled: "Director Yan, I already heard about it—people are saying I got into a fight at a karaoke bar over a singing girl, jealous and violent?"

Yan Xianhua said, "You already know? Then how do you explain it?"

Su Xinghui said, "If I say this is outright slander, do you believe me?"

Yan Xianhua said, "Of course I believe you—you're not that kind of person. But it's no longer about whether I believe you; it's about whether the higher-ups believe you. Director Wu asked me to investigate, saying it's damaging the Commission's image—I had no choice but to call you."

Su Xinghui said, "Director Yan, I understand your dilemma. Let me explain everything to you now."

Su Xinghui recounted the entire incident with Lu Guojun to Yan Xianhua; Yan Xianhua, of course, had basic judgment—he immediately knew Su Xinghui was telling the truth when he heard Yu Ruizhi and Yu Ruoqiu were both present.

Yan Xianhua had no intention of getting involved in this mess—it involved the Yu family, the Chu family, the Han family, all red families; if he meddled, he'd be foolish—it didn't serve the Yan family's interests at all.

Still, he couldn't ignore Director Wu's words—he told Su Xinghui: "Alright, I'll report your account truthfully to Director Wu, but you should also prepare yourself."

Su Xinghui said, "Understood, thank you, Director Yan."

After hanging up, Su Xinghui called Yu Ruizhi and informed him of what Yan Xianhua had said.

When Yu Ruizhi heard Director Wu was already involved, he immediately realized the other side might be plotting something through the Commission—after all, Su Xinghui's organizational affiliation still rested with the Commission.

Yu Ruizhi said he understood and hung up.

Su Xinghui realized this was likely an attempt by the other side to pressure him, to unsettle his composure and create an opening for them—so the more this happened, the more he needed to stay calm.

So Su Xinghui calmed down, sat back at his desk, and began reviewing Yanfang Group's documents—the more he understood about Yanfang Group, the better he could resolve its problems.

That afternoon, Gu Shanmin met with Premier Nan—summoned by the Premier himself; by now, Gu Shanmin had a rough idea of what the Premier wanted to discuss, and he felt no anxiety as he walked steadily toward the Premier's office.

Gu Shanmin entered the Premier's office; the Premier was reviewing a document, looked up, and said: "Comrade Shanmin, wait a moment."

Gu Shanmin said nothing, only nodded calmly.

The Premier's staff member poured Gu Shanmin a cup of tea, then left.

The Premier read for several minutes, made annotations on the document, called the staff back in, and handed the document out.

The Premier raised his head, removed his glasses, rubbed his face with both hands, then massaged his temples.

Gu Shanmin said with concern: "Premier, please take care of your health!"

Gu Shanmin knew how immense the Premier's pressures were—draining his energy—and the Premier was already a man in his seventies; this made Gu Shanmin deeply worried about his health.

The Premier chuckled: "Nothing serious, Comrade Shanmin. You know why I called you today, don't you?"

Gu Shanmin nodded: "I have a rough idea—it's about the north Yan region, right?"

The Premier sighed deeply: "Ah, some people just never rest."

Gu Shanmin smiled: "The more they stir up trouble, the more it proves their weaknesses have been found."