Chapter 320: A Tangled Mess (Part 2)

The conversation circled back to the issue of Su Jialin. Hou Weidong muttered, "It really seems like it never ends."

Seeing that Hou Weidong’s teacup was empty, Yang Liu proactively refilled it. "Director Hou, I feel like someone is orchestrating this from behind the scenes. Smashing the mushroom shed in the middle of the night was clearly an attempt to turn a minor incident into a major crisis. Then, someone wrote letters to file complaints everywhere and even brought in reporters. Su Jialin only has a primary school education; does he really know these tactics?"

Hou Weidong did not answer immediately. Habitually, he pulled out a cigarette, picked up the lighter from the desk, and flicked it on with a snap. The ashtray on the desk already held six or seven cigarette butts, two of which were still smoldering, sending up thin wisps of smoke that curled around the table.

Yang Liu reached out and took the cigarette from Hou Weidong’s hand. "Smoke less. Look at your fingers; they’re all stained yellow. That’s the hallmark of a heavy smoker."

Hou Weidong paused. Yang Liu’s gesture felt intimate yet natural. He glanced at her casually and smiled. "I didn’t expect you to be so good at arguing. That day, you left Su Jialin speechless."

"Most girls are naturally good at arguing. Married men know how fierce it can be." Yang Liu rarely cracked a joke, and when she smiled, there was a hint of awkwardness on her face.

Hou Weidong knew Yang Liu was about to get married. He had no intention of becoming a third party. With Duan Ying and Li Jing already causing him to feel guilty toward Xiaojia, yet unable to let go, he quickly shifted his focus back to work. "For now, let’s keep this from the Propaganda Department. Wang Hui is a senior reporter for the Lingxi Daily; he should be familiar with the Shazhou newspaper office. I’ll ask him to put in a good word."

He tried calling Wang Hui’s mobile phone, but the line was busy. He then tried the office number, but no one answered. Just then, Zhang Xiangyu’s phone rang again. He sounded anxious. "Those two reporters from the Evening News are deliberately looking for trouble. They insist on interviewing Su Jialin, and I can’t stop them."

"Keep the reporters occupied for now. I’ll think of a way," Hou Weidong said. He mentally recited Duan Ying’s phone number and told Yang Liu, "I can’t reach Wang Hui. I’ll contact Reporter Duan and see if she has any solutions."

During Duan Ying’s previous visit to the New Management Committee with Wang Hui, Yang Liu had been responsible for reception and had interacted with her. "Reporter Duan used to work in Yiyang, so she likely has some connections there. It’s worth a try."

Hou Weidong rarely initiated calls to Duan Ying, especially during work hours. So, when Duan Ying received his call, she was both surprised and pleased. "The sun must be rising from the west today. What made you think of calling me?"

Hou Weidong briefly explained the situation. Duan Ying replied, "I worked for the Evening News for a while in the past, and I still interact frequently with the Shazhou Daily. This shouldn’t be a big problem. Find out the names of those two reporters and which department they belong to. I’ll find someone to put in a good word for you."

Duan Ying was well-liked at the Lingxi Daily News office and had helped the Shazhou Daily with many matters. She mentioned the issue to the Deputy Editor-in-Chief, who readily agreed. "Since Duan Ying has spoken, I’ll certainly give her face. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to them and ask them to hold off on this for now."

Learning that the matter was resolved, Hou Weidong said, "Reporter Duan, you’re welcome to inspect the New Management Committee. Please write another article for us sometime." Since Yang Liu was present, his words were purely formal pleasantries.

Hearing Hou Weidong speak so seriously, Duan Ying realized he was in an awkward position. She lowered her voice. "I’m just happy to be able to help you with something." Every time after their passionate encounters, Duan Ying felt a deep sense of guilt toward Xiaojia. She had resolved many times to break off completely with Hou Weidong, but meeting him made parting difficult. Her heart was filled with conflict.

Having helped Hou Weidong solve a problem brought her joy. She hummed "Come to Taipei in Winter to See the Rain" while looking at the manuscript in her hands.

There were three people in Duan Ying’s office. One was an older female colleague who was kind-hearted but lacked professional skill. She loved matchmaking for her colleagues. After Duan Ying transferred there, she immediately made Duan Ying’s marriage her main project, enthusiastically arranging several blind dates.

At the same time, she had mercilessly exposed the improper intentions of a divorced male colleague in the office.

This male colleague had been a poet of the "Misty Poetry" school in the 1980s. At that time, his ex-wife was still a college student. The crown of "Misty Poet" had a strong appeal to her, so she married him without hesitation. Ten years later, poetry died out, and their marriage naturally ended. Her ex-wife later married a taxi driver, and it was said they lived a sweet life.

Since Duan Ying transferred to their office, this male colleague had set his sights on her for remarriage. He seemed to have experienced a second spring, writing over ten Misty Poems and secretly leaving them on Duan Ying’s desk. Duan Ying quietly threw them all into the trash bin. She was not interested in this colleague. Besides his older age, there was another important reason: his temperament and appearance were somewhat similar to Liu Kun’s, belonging to the more effeminate type, which she strongly disliked.

When Duan Ying rarely hummed a tune, the male colleague thought sourly, "I wonder which smelly man called her. Look how happy she is."

Duan Ying ignored the male colleague’s thoughts. She hummed as she went to the restroom and called Hou Weidong again. "Weidong, how is the situation?"

"Thank you. The two reporters have changed their attitude. I’ve arranged for Director Zhang to have dinner with them, and I’ve prepared two small red envelopes."

"That should be enough. The Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Evening News has put in a word, so they won’t cause trouble."

Having resolved the issue with the Evening News reporters, Hou Weidong felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. Seeing that it was nearly lunchtime, he called Ji Haiyang.

Ji Haiyang said, "I’m waiting for Huang Zidi. We’ll have lunch at the reservoir. Make sure there are river delicacies. In the afternoon, depending on the situation, Secretary-General Huang likes playing mahjong, so let’s find a quiet place."

"Rest assured, I’ve already arranged everything."

Ji Haiyang instructed, "Huang Zidi is close to Secretary Changquan. His words carry weight. The fact that he has time to come to Yiyang today is a rare opportunity. You must attach great importance to this."

After accepting the task, Hou Weidong headed straight for Zhangjia Reservoir.

He had become a regular at Zhangjia Reservoir. As soon as he got out of the car, the boss warmly welcomed him. "Director Hou, following your suggestion, I built two large platforms by the water. They’re quite nice."

It was a simple pavilion extending about five meters into the reservoir. Sitting in the pavilion, one could drink tea, fish, and eat. Such pavilions were common in the suburbs of Lingxi, but this was the first one in Yiyang.

The boss led Hou Weidong into the kitchen. He scooped up a large yellow eel with a net. "This is a green eel, eighty yuan per jin. It’s very popular in the big restaurants in Shazhou." He stirred the water tank with the net for a while and scooped out several lively small fish. "These are water rice fish, authentic Yangtze River fish."

Hou Weidong said, "The ingredients look good. I just wonder about your cooking skills." The boss patted his chest loudly. "Director Hou, you can rest a million hearts. I’ve specifically learned to cook these dishes."

After chatting with the boss for a while, Hou Weidong heard a few honks from the road. He walked quickly and, before reaching the road, saw Ji Haiyang accompanying Huang Zidi walking over.

Ji Haiyang and Hou Weidong flanked Huang Zidi as they arrived at the platform. The boss had already prepared the fishing rods, with wriggling earthworms on the hooks. Huang Zidi laughed. "You’ve even put the earthworms on. This is for catching old gentleman fish; it won’t show my skill." Nevertheless, he took the rod, cast it skillfully, and the fishing line drew a beautiful arc in the air before landing in the water, creating a ripple.

In the kitchen, the boss quickly began preparing the green eels and water rice fish. Soon, a faint aroma drifted through the air.

Before long, a full table was set with green eels, water rice fish, local grass carp, and crucian carp. Ji Haiyang’s driver brought two bottles of Moutai liquor from the car.

Huang Zidi chuckled. "I’m afraid these green eels aren’t a local specialty of the reservoir, are they?" Ji Haiyang said, "With Secretary-General Huang visiting Yiyang, we would feel guilty just serving grass carp. The green eels and water rice fish were specially delivered by car." Huang Zidi was a free-spirited person. He said, "Fine food and wine are also great enjoyments in life. Old Ji, I’m not an old-fashioned person. When life is satisfying, one must enjoy it to the fullest; do not let the golden cup stand empty against the moon."

After tasting the tender green eels and delicious water rice fish, Huang Zidi commented, "The green eels are just okay, but the soup of the water rice fish is truly fresh."

Ji Haiyang said, "Xiao Hou has also prepared several jin for the Secretary-General to take in the trunk later." Huang Zidi said, "Xiao Hou is good. The New Management Committee has achieved a lot. Secretary Changquan even praised Old Zhu for knowing how to use people." Mentioning Zhu Yan, he sighed, "Old Zhu didn’t become Vice Mayor, but became Deputy Secretary of the Maoyun Prefecture. Perhaps in another year or two, he will become the Prefect of Maoyun. Truly, a blessing in disguise."

Ji Haiyang had been the Director of the County Party Committee Office for many years, and Huang Zidi was the Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee. They had worked together for years and had a good relationship. Ji Haiyang asked a sensitive question. "Secretary-General, what is the future layout for Yiyang? Will the County Party Secretary be Old Yang or Old Ma?"

"Well, Secretary Changquan hasn’t made up his mind yet. Both are qualified to be County Party Secretary. Each has their strengths and weaknesses." Huang Zidi was vague on this issue.

Ji Haiyang was the Deputy Secretary of the Yiyang County Party Committee. Theoretically, he could also be a candidate, but his seniority was less than Ma Youcai’s, and he ranked after Yang Senlin. Therefore, he did not participate in the competition for County Party Secretary this time. Instead, following Zhu Yan’s path, he was gradually getting closer to Municipal Party Secretary Zhou Changquan through Huang Zidi’s connections.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Huang Zidi was slightly tipsy. He said, "The Municipal Party Committee is very cautious about the choice for Yiyang County Party Secretary, especially regarding the controversy over Yang Senlin. Some leaders are very dissatisfied with him."

Hou Weidong thought to himself, "The leaders mentioned by the Secretary-General are likely the Municipal Party Secretary, the Mayor, and the Deputy Secretaries of the Municipal Party Committee. Ma Youcai has a good relationship with Mayor Liu Bing. It’s probably Liu Bing who has objections to Yang Senlin."

Ji Haiyang, as Deputy Secretary of the County Party Committee, held a high position and spoke more casually with Huang Zidi. "I heard that the city and province have received many complaint letters targeting Ma Youcai. What’s going on? The rumors are spreading wildly in the county."

"The city has already reached a conclusion. That complaint letter is purely a false accusation. It’s not true. The person who wrote it must have lost their mind. The more critical the period, the more people dislike using such methods to compete. This person is truly blinded by greed."

When Yang Senlin first arrived at the Municipal Party Committee General Office, Huang Zidi was still Deputy Secretary-General. They had argued many times due to work reasons. After Huang Zidi became Secretary-General, he once tried to push Yang Senlin out. He tried twice, but Yang Senlin remained unmoved and was even promoted to Deputy Director of the Comprehensive Division. Huang Zidi then realized there were big figures behind him. The two then coexisted peacefully, but the knot in Huang Zidi’s heart never untied.

Hearing Huang Zidi’s words, Hou Weidong was startled. He thought, "Yang Senlin is too aggressive. It seems he offended Huang Zidi in the past. His confirmation might be in danger." "What should I do if Ma Youcai becomes the County Party Secretary?"