Chapter 401: Entanglements (Part 1)

Three days later, Guo Lan completed the first draft of the "Scope of Discussion" and "Procedures for Discussion" sections of the Standing Committee’s Rules of Procedure.

Hou Weidong reviewed the draft and was quite satisfied. He dialed Xiao Jin’s number from Conference Room Five. "Xiao Jin, is the draft ready?"

Xiao Jin was currently chatting on the computer in the research office. His chat partner was rumored to be a delicate girl from Jiangnan who carried an oil-paper umbrella. He was enjoying the conversation, so Hou Weidong’s call interrupted his flow, leaving him somewhat distracted.

"Director Hou, I’ve finished most of it. However, since this is an important document, it needs one more round of polishing. Can I submit it the day after tomorrow?"

Hou Weidong did not want to delay matters further. "I need it by tomorrow. Secretary-General Zhou is pressing hard. We cannot afford to miss the deadline."

After hanging up, Xiao Jin muttered to himself in dissatisfaction. "It’s a set of rules, not an elementary school essay. It requires research and symposiums for analysis. How can it be finished just because someone says so?"

Despite his complaints, he pulled the manuscript from his drawer and flipped through it hastily. Since accepting the task, he had written parts of it intermittently. His undergraduate major was law, so party affairs work was a completely new subject for him. Consequently, he had largely followed the existing materials, copying the style without much original thought.

After reviewing the material for a while, he found it incredibly boring. His mind drifted back to the girl from Jiangnan with the oil-paper umbrella. Unable to resist, he turned back to the computer and quickly reconnected with her.

"Where did you go? If you ignore me again, I’m done with you."

Xiao Jin typed back: "Damn it, someone came to bother me. That person is the most annoying."

Back in Conference Room Five, Hou Weidong said to Guo Lan beside him, "Waiting for Xiao Jin’s article is pointless. We might as well write it ourselves; it could even be faster."

Guo Lan sensed his displeasure. "Xiao Jin is young. He just graduated from university and hasn’t fully transitioned into his social role yet. We need to give him some time."

"Xiao Jin only graduated five years after us. When we graduated, we had to figure everything out on our own. If we did things right, we might not get praised. If we did things wrong, we had to bear the responsibility. Who gave us time and opportunity? Ultimately, we must find our own path. If he doesn’t understand this, he will suffer great losses sooner or later."

Guo Lan knew Hou Weidong was right. The reason people added the word "realistic" before "society" was that society was indeed harsh. Anyone who failed to recognize this reality would inevitably be crushed by it.

"Xiao Jin comes from a good family and hasn’t suffered hardships. He views problems too simply." Guo Lan paused, then added, "Xiao Jin’s uncle is Zhang Jiarui."

This aligned with Hou Weidong’s suspicions. He snorted. "No wonder he has that personality. He really is a cadre’s child. But Zhang Jiarui is just his uncle, not his father."

After chatting for a while, they returned to discussing the draft. Deputy Secretary-General Zeng Yong walked past the door. He had already passed by but noticed Hou Weidong and Guo Lan in the meeting room, so he turned back and entered.

"Director Hou, Xiao Guo, you’ve worked hard. Have you finished the Standing Committee’s Rules of Procedure?"

In Zhou Changquan’s mind, the Rules of Procedure were an open strategy. He was promoting this material openly, so most colleagues in the Municipal Party Committee Office knew about it. Of course, only Hong Ang and Hou Weidong understood the true intent.

Hou Weidong handed the completed first draft to Zeng Yong. "Secretary-General, the draft isn’t fully complete. This is the first part, covering the scope and procedures. You are the expert; please help us review it."

Habitually, Hou Weidong offered Zeng Yong a cigarette. As Zeng Yong lit it and sat down to scrutinize the document line by line, Hou Weidong suddenly remembered that Guo Lan disliked smoking. He offered her an apologetic smile.

Guo Lan wrinkled her nose slightly. She smiled at Hou Weidong and shook her head gently. Hou Weidong understood her expression: it meant "it’s fine."

In that mutual smile, there was a surprising sense of tacit understanding. A line of poetry suddenly popped into Guo Lan’s mind: "Hearts linked by a single thread." Thinking of this phrase, she felt a flutter of panic. She hurriedly brushed her hair with her hand.

Zeng Yong looked down, studying the draft seriously. As he read, he touched his chin with his left hand. Having served as Deputy Secretary-General for many years, his eyes were sharp. He quickly grasped the intent and thought to himself: "No wonder they wanted Hou Weidong to write these Rules of Procedure personally. This is clearly a weapon to counter Liu Bing."

Zeng Yong had been thirty-seven when he first became Deputy Secretary-General. Back then, he was ambitious and eager to achieve great things. However, since Zhou Changquan took charge of Shazhou, Zeng Yong had remained stuck in this position, making no progress. Zhou Changquan treated him with indifference—neither suppressing him heavily nor promoting him. In short, Zhou kept him hovering in the Municipal Party Committee Office without clear direction.

For several years, Zeng Yong had harbored a persistent question: "I have been loyal to Zhou Changquan. Why does he keep me suppressed?"

This question was like a venomous snake coiled in his heart. Precisely because of this, after Liu Bing arrived in Shazhou, Zeng Yong had frequently met with the Mayor in private, facilitated by the former Organization Department Minister, Zhang Jiarui.

Hou Weidong asked politely, "Secretary-General, what areas do you think need modification?"

"Overall, it’s good. It conforms to the Party’s democratic centralism and Shazhou’s conventions. I have a few minor suggestions, for your reference only." Zeng Yong had many years of experience in writing and his skills were indeed excellent. The issues he raised for Hou Weidong, while not affecting the big picture, made the text much more refined.

After Zeng Yong left the meeting room, Hou Weidong sighed. "The Municipal Party Committee organs are different. There are hidden talents everywhere. Deputy Secretary-General Zeng has exceptional writing skills. I feel inferior in comparison."

Guo Lan casually brushed her hair. "If we’re talking about writing skills, there are probably many people in this building who are better than you."

Hou Weidong hadn’t expected Guo Lan to be so direct. He didn’t place too much importance on writing materials, so he laughed. "When I was in Qinglin Town, I dealt with trivial matters every day. Even in the County Party Committee Office, I didn’t write many serious articles. Later, I transferred to the New Management Office and the Science and Technology Commission. My current writing level is far behind the experts in the Municipal Party Committee Office."

Guo Lan said seriously, "Writing well just makes you a good secretary. You are material for a County Mayor or City Mayor. Being a secretary is just a transition."

Guo Lan was a quiet and reserved woman. In all the years they had known each other, this was the first time she had praised him. He laughed. "We’ve known each other for so many years, and this is your first time praising me. I’m flattered."

Guo Lan remained serious. "I’m stating facts. The achievements of the Yiyang New Management Committee are inseparable from your hard work. As an outsider, I see things clearly."

Seeing Guo Lan’s sincere attitude, Hou Weidong felt embarrassed to continue joking. "Looking back now, working so hard in Qinglin was to escape the remote mountains. After that, it became inertia. We are all parts of the large gear of society, moving forward with its momentum. If you don’t keep moving forward, you’ll quickly be left behind. The officialdom is like the business world: the most realistic and the coldest."

Guo Lan said, "There is no trouble in the world unless ordinary people worry about it. What’s the point of everyone fighting and competing? Sometimes I want to leave the Organization Department and go teach at a university."

"Crows are black everywhere. Do you really think universities are pure lands?"

"They must be better, right?"

Guo Lan continued, "I spent a few days studying for a master’s degree at the Provincial Party School and found it meaningless. Lately, I’ve been thinking about why not take the graduate entrance exam properly while I’m still young. Like Secretary Zhu’s former secretary, Pingfan, I could hide in the ivory tower, read books in my spare time, play the piano, and live a peaceful life. Seeing so much competition and struggle in the officialdom, I’m really tired of it."

Listening to Guo Lan’s description, Hou Weidong seemed to see the girl walking by the lake at Shazhou College again. The piano music from the music department was the absolute background. Unconsciously, he felt a sense of longing, and his mood became calm. However, looking down at the text in his hand, he chuckled silently. "I’m yearning for pastoral scenery while simultaneously crafting documents to trap people."

After Guo Lan left, Hou Weidong sniffed the air. A faint fragrance seemed to linger. "Scent reveals the woman." Indeed, every woman had a unique scent.

The next day, Hou Weidong called Xiao Jin again. Since Secretary Zhou Changquan was in his office reviewing documents, he spoke in a low voice. "Xiao Jin, bring the draft to my office."

Xiao Jin had enjoyed his chat with the girl with the oil-paper umbrella the previous day. At the end of the workday, he still couldn’t bear to leave. It wasn’t until eight o’clock that he left the Municipal Party Committee compound with an empty stomach. He had no habit of working overtime. The next morning, after starting work, he finally got down to business, pulling out the materials he had prepared over the past few days.

Upon receiving Hou Weidong’s call, he made up his mind. "There are layers of leaders to check this anyway. My draft is barely usable." He reorganized the material on the computer, added serial numbers, printed it, and took it up to Hou Weidong.

When Xiao Jin entered Hou Weidong’s office, he immediately spotted Zhou Changquan in the adjacent office. Zhou Changquan was wearing glasses, head bowed, writing something. Hou Weidong said nothing, gestured for Xiao Jin to sit, and began to carefully review the material.

Zhou Changquan’s office seemed to have a thick magnetic field that made Xiao Jin feel suffocated. The Hou Weidong before him, silent as he reviewed the material, appeared more authoritative than the one in Conference Room Five. Rarely, Xiao Jin sat upright, his expression solemn. Secretly, he regretted it: "I was possessed by demons yesterday, neglecting my work to chat for half the day."

After finishing the review, Hou Weidong took out the materials he had collected from his drawer and compared them. He looked up at the somewhat constrained Xiao Jin. "Your draft is just a combination of these materials. How did you fail to integrate the key points we discussed?"

Xiao Jin already regretted it but still tried to defend himself in a low voice. "Time was really too tight. If I had more time to polish it, the effect would have been better."

Hou Weidong didn’t want to waste more time on Xiao Jin. "Let it be. Your task is done."

Xiao Jin walked out of the office dejectedly. He let out a long sigh. "Finally, it’s over."

That evening, Zhang Jiarui, the former Standing Committee Member and Organization Department Minister of Shazhou Municipal Party Committee, returned to Shazhou for private matters.

Mayor Liu Bing had a good relationship with Zhang Jiarui, which was one of the reasons Zhang Jiarui was transferred away from Shazhou. Since Zhang Jiarui was handling private business, he didn’t make a big fuss. He only invited Mayor Liu Bing and a few old friends. Zeng Yong, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee, had once been Zhang Jiarui’s subordinate, so he was also invited to the dinner as usual.

Zhang Jiarui was Xiao Jin’s biological uncle, so Xiao Jin also attended the family banquet.

During the meal, Zeng Yong intentionally or unintentionally said to Xiao Jin, "Secretary-General Hong asked Director Hou and Guo Lan from the Organization Department to review the discussion draft tonight. Why weren’t you invited? You are also part of the team."

Xiao Jin, young and impulsive, felt uncomfortable inside but said, "I didn’t want to participate anyway."

Zhang Jiarui always treated his sister’s son, Xiao Jin, like a half-son. He smiled and said, "Xiao Jin just started working. What big articles can he write?"

Taking the opportunity of discussing articles, Zeng Yong revealed the main spirit of the draft.

Mayor Liu Bing understood clearly. He said to Zhang Jiarui without hiding his thoughts, "Creating a Rules of Procedure for the Standing Committee is truly painstaking. Sima Zhao’s intentions are known to all passersby."

Zhang Jiarui said, "Zhou Changquan has the strongest desire for revenge. Anyone who doesn’t suit his taste is not promoted or used. When I was Organization Department Minister, I was purely a puppet." He looked at Zeng Yong’s expression and added, "Secretary-General Zeng is capable in both writing and action. His work ability is strong, and he is solid in handling affairs. Yet Zhou Changquan turns a blind eye."

Zeng Yong said grievance, "I still don’t know when I offended Zhou Changquan. After so many years, even if I have no merit, I have at least suffered hardships. The Huang Zidi he favors is not very capable. He is also greedy and often gathers people to gamble."