Chapter 77: Billows

  When entering the village secretary's home, Zhao Deli had already come out to greet him. The barking of the dog at the door startled the owner in the house. Zhao Deli obviously did not expect that Xu Shaojie would come to Qinglin Village. Xu Shaojie was not a stationed leader, and at most he would just go to the Qinghua Township Government to take a look and ask about the situation of the cadres. The stationed leader of Qinghua Township was Sun Jianbo, and Zhao Deli had only seen Sun Jianbo once during his time in Qinghua Township.

  "Director Xu, come in and sit down quickly, you must be starving."

  "Seems like you still know what's going on after all, Old Zhao."

  "That's to say, if Secretary Xu went to the township government, he wouldn't have arrived at Qinglin Village so early. Today is Monday, you left your home in the morning and arrived at the district, according to the time calculation, you should have gone directly to Qinglin Village."

  The village secretary was busy asking his family to cook, Xu Shaojie specifically said not to bother with any dishes, if there were noodles at home, boiling two bowls of noodles would be the best, Zhao Deli helped say boil noodles, it seemed that the village secretary's family had noodles.

  "Lao Zhao, you didn't go home on Sunday."

  "It's too far, the traffic is inconvenient, I didn't have much time when I came, and I went back halfway once. The conditions in the village are too poor, work can't be started, and I haven't figured it out yet. Moreover, the support from the district and township is limited. This Qinglin Village, if you say that Huolong Village's conditions are not good, then compared to this Qinglin Village, it's a paradise."

  "Old Zhao, you've suffered."

  "I have nothing, I'm from the countryside, I can endure hardship. Secretary Xu, you must take care of yourself. You're coming to Qinglin Village, Liu Zhihua won't have any objections, will he? The leader stationed here is Secretary Sun, if he finds out, he'll say strange things again."

  "It's nothing, you've suffered so much hardship here, I'll take a look, it doesn't matter."

  Xu Shaojie felt a little guilty. Zhao Deli arrived at Qinghua Township, but he himself had never been to Qinglin Village. Although there were some special circumstances in between, not coming was true.

  After eating noodles, Xu Shaojie felt much more comfortable. He couldn't stay in Qinglin Village any longer, something would happen at the district office soon, and he should be waiting there for things to come.

  "Lao Zhao, I won't be staying overnight, there are some things at the district office that I need to go back and take care of."

  "I know, Secretary Xu, I'm satisfied as long as you've come to see me."

  When he returned to the district office, it was already dark. A large bowl of noodles had not been fully digested, and Xu Shaojie didn't want to eat anything else. Having been in Yudu District for almost a year, Xu Shaojie finally understood why many rural cadres had poor stomachs. When they were hungry, they were almost starving, and when they ate, they gorged themselves. As long as they went to the countryside, their mealtimes were unpredictable. After so many times, it would be strange if their stomachs weren't damaged.

  The district office was still quiet, and after Xu Shaojie got off the car, Huang He hurried over.

  "Secretary Xu, the municipal party committee office called to notify that a meeting of all team members will be held tomorrow at 10:00 am, attendance is mandatory. The municipal party committee leaders will attend the meeting, but I haven't been able to reach Secretary Liu yet."

  "Oh, does Director Zhang know about this situation?"

  "Director Zhang knew, but Director Zhang was also unclear where Secretary Liu went."

  "Has the office reported this situation to the municipal party committee?"

  "I reported before getting off work."

  "What's the matter with the municipal party committee office notifying a meeting?"

  "No discussion, just a request for a meeting tomorrow at 10:00 am."

  Xu Shaojie nodded, it seems that the confidentiality work is not bad, if everything goes well, tomorrow afternoon, everything will be clear. Now, Xu Shaojie doesn't want to say much either. The main leaders of Huai'an Municipal Party Committee and Government must know the ins and outs of the matter. When Sun Zhiqiang and Xu Shaojie chatted, they mentioned Tang Wenyue. The Xilin City Public Security Bureau is participating in a singing competition organized by the city, so Tang Wenyue has gone back. It's estimated that she will come to Huaiyang City after the competition. Xu Shaojie was eager for this period of time, and he was also afraid to return to Huaiyang City.

  After returning to the dormitory, Xu Shaojie felt a bit tired. He had been sitting in the jeep for most of the day. Don't underestimate the fatigue of riding in a car, especially on bumpy rural roads - it's even more tiring than doing things. Xu Shaojie soon fell into a deep sleep, thinking about nothing at all.

  Xu Shaojie woke up early in the morning, feeling very refreshed. He looked at his watch and saw that it was not yet 8 o'clock. Xu Shaojie thought to himself that at this time, the municipal party committee leaders might have just set off. He didn't know which leader would come, but he knew that whoever came to Yudu District must be related to the adjustment of the main leadership. The matter of Liu Zhihua would definitely be revealed today. Before the results were announced, the main leadership of Yudu District would be quickly adjusted. It seemed that the municipal party committee was still considering things carefully. Of course, Xu Shaojie believed even more that the main credit for this went to Secretary Ding Yuan, and that the Huai'an Municipal Party Committee would definitely carry out the plan without any compromise.

  When having breakfast, it was still the same as before. When Xu Shaojie arrived at the district government office, Huang He's expression was anxious and he was thinking about what to report to Zhang Shiqiu. Zhang Shiqiu saw Xu Shaojie coming in and hurriedly walked over to his side.

  "Secretary Xu, the municipal party committee leaders have come for a meeting, there must be something big going on, but Liu Secretary is nowhere to be seen."

  "Director Zhang, he probably knew when the meeting started."

  Zhang Shi-kui was actually trying to probe Xu Shao-jie. The municipal party committee leaders suddenly came to Yudu District for a meeting, and wondered if it had anything to do with Xu Shao-jie. Recently, Liu Zhi-hua has been very impatient with Xu Shao-jie, and has long had the idea of asking Xu Shao-jie to leave Yudu District. Today's meeting, could it be about this matter? Zhang Shi-kui hasn't seen Liu Zhi-hua all along, and wondered if Liu Zhi-hua was with the municipal party committee leaders together. Zhang Shi-kui kept inquiring about the content of the meeting, but couldn't get any information, which is unusual. Moreover, Liu Zhi-hua hadn't called, and should have notified the team members to make preparations.

  Xu Shaojie went straight upstairs and returned to his office. At this time, no one would come to his office. Song Tao was always in the Yulin Township Government and rarely came to the District Office. The others generally wouldn't go to his office either.

  Around 9:50, a Santana sedan entered the district government compound. Xu Yunfei got out of the car and Zhang Shikui had been waiting in the office and went to greet him immediately.

  "Hello Mayor Xu."

  Xu Yunfei did not see Xu Shaojie, he was somewhat unhappy, it must be that the district committee did not inform Xu Shaojie to wait here, Xu Shaojie would not be so arrogant as to ignore him, the mayor.

  "Is Secretary Xu at home?"

  Huang He hastily ran upstairs to inform Xu Shaojie. After Xu Shaojie came downstairs, Xu Yunfei quickly grasped Xu Shaojie's hand with a warm smile on his face. Zhang Shiqiu and Sun Jianbo saw this and had a bad premonition.

  All the team members were waiting in the conference room, and those who went to greet Xu Yunfei were Zhang Shiqiu and several deputy secretaries of the district committee. After entering the conference room, Xu Yunfei did not ask Zhang Shiqiu, but asked Xu Shaojie beside him.

  "Secretary Xu, is everyone here?"

  "Mayor Xu, everyone is here, we can start the meeting."

  Xu Yunfei nodded, and this scene was seen by all the team members. Liu Zhihua had not arrived yet, so why did Xu Shaojie say that all the team members were present? Zhang Shiqiu on the side had already changed his expression.

  After Xu Yunfei sat down, his secretary took out a document from his briefcase and handed it to him.

  "Comrades, today's meeting is very important, involving the adjustment of major leadership positions in Yudu District. Next, I announce the decision of the Municipal Party Committee: After research and decision by the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee, Comrade Xu Shaojie is appointed as Secretary of the Yudu District Party Committee, and his position as Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee is removed; Comrade Liu Zhihua is removed from his position as Secretary of the District Party Committee."

  The meeting room suddenly became unusually quiet, things were too sudden, the municipal party committee suddenly adjusted its main leadership, and everyone had not thought of it, nor had they made ideological preparations. Why did such a thing happen? Just in the previous period, Xu Shaojie was still another kind of leader among the Yuandu District Party Committee leaders, but he took office as Secretary of the District Party Committee so quickly. What happened to Liu Zhihua and why wasn't it mentioned in the document?

  "Comrades, the municipal party committee's adjustment of the main leadership in Yudou District is a decision made after careful consideration and serious study. Comrade Xu Shaojie has outstanding work ability, and during his tenure as deputy secretary of the district party committee for less than a year, he has accomplished many things and received good feedback from the masses. The municipal party committee believes that Comrade Xu Shaojie is excellent and fully capable of leading the district party committee to do a good job in all aspects of work in Yudou District. I hope everyone will support Comrade Xu Shaojie in their future work, cooperate with him, and work together to do a good job in all aspects of work in Yudou District. Next, I would like to raise a few specific requirements..."

  Xu Shaojie's statement was simple, thanking the municipal party committee and government for their trust, he will do his best to do a good job in all aspects of Yudou District, while learning from and seeking advice from veteran comrades.

  After the meeting, Xu Yunfei asked Xu Shaojie to stay behind for a moment, wanting to have a private conversation.

  "Secretary Xu, congratulations! You've been appointed as the Secretary of Yudu District Committee. Secretaries Zhao and I both have high expectations for you, we believe you'll definitely achieve great results."

  "Thank you Secretary Zhao and Mayor Xu for your trust in me. I am young, if there are mistakes in my work or immaturity in my performance, please point out the criticism."

  "Haha, I fully trust you. In the past, I also worked in the district committee office. At that time, the lower levels were still communes, and the district committee was newly established. I came down soon after. The Liu Zhihua incident is very distressing to me. As a party member and leading cadre, his moral decay is really... actually, I knew Liu Zhihua a long time ago, and at that time, his character was not bad. After becoming the main leader, he changed too much, which is also self-inflicted. The municipal committee will soon conduct a special study and come up with a treatment plan. The emergence of such an incident involving Liu Zhihua must have caused some shock in the district. You are taking office at this time, and the burden is heavy. In the future, if you encounter any difficulties or problems in your work, feel free to come find me."

  "Mayor Zhao, your arrival in Yudu District today to announce my appointment is the greatest support for me. I will definitely not disappoint the expectations of the Municipal Party Committee and yours."

  "Alright, I'll be leaving this afternoon. I will talk to Comrade Zhang Shiqiu and others about it. You just focus on your work and don't worry about anything. Secretary Zhao and I are your backing."

  Xu Yunfei and Xu Shaojie each had different ideas, but their conversation was very harmonious.

  Xu Yunfei felt that Xu Shaojie was mature and stable, not mentioning Liu Zhihua's matter at all. Xu Yunfei believed that Xu Shaojie must be very clear about the whole process. When he mentioned Liu Zhihua's matter, Xu Shaojie skillfully avoided it. Such a young man is not simple. At his age, he didn't have such deep thoughts. If Xu Shaojie has strong backing, he will definitely have a bright future. It's best to befriend or even accept such a young man.

  Xu Shaojie had a different idea, he felt Xu Yunfei's enthusiasm. In the officialdom, there are no eternal friends or enemies, everything depends on the changing situation and is intertwined with interests. Xu Shaojie once analyzed that Xu Yunfei was Liu Zhihua's backstage supporter, but did not expect Xu Yunfei to take the initiative today. Xu Yunfei had no need to do so, as he was the mayor and his position was far superior to Xu Shaojie's. This could only mean one thing: he hoped that Xu Shaojie would understand his good intentions and support his work in the future.

  The words spoken in the officialdom are all meaningful and profound, no one will directly state their intention. If you can't understand the leader's meaning, it means that you are not qualified yet, don't know how to observe the situation and wait for the opportunity to suffer losses.

  Xu Yunfei then exchanged views with the deputy secretary of the Yu Du District Committee and other leaders, after which the truth about Liu Zhihua's situation was finally revealed. Within half an hour, all the cadres and staff at the district government office knew about the incident, but some were still trying to process it. First, Xu Shaojie had taken over as secretary of the district committee, then Liu Zhihua had been administratively detained by the Huaiyang Municipal Public Security Bureau, and next he would face disciplinary action from the Huainan Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. It was only then that someone noticed that the head of the Women's Federation had not shown up to work.

  After dinner, Xu Yunfei left the Jade District. During the meal, Zhang Shikui and others showed rare respect and courtesy to Xu Shaojie, indicating that they had already understood the current situation. Xu Shaojie's dominance over the Jade District had become inevitable, and there was no need to make things difficult for him anymore.