Jiang Xiaochuan fell silent on the other end of the phone for a while. The secret call from the deputy secretary of the Provincial Party Committee talked about a seemingly minor murder at the Rong Family Club.

He suddenly fully believed in Xue Yan, yet he couldn’t accept it in his heart.

The old mayor, who once admired, encouraged, and promoted him, now spoke these words.

“Xiao Jiang, listen to me. The water here is too deep. Don’t worry about it for now.” The voice on the other end was deep and hoarse, and Jiang Xiaochuan sensed a hint of sinister undertone.

Qu Zhendong, promoted from Chengzhou’s mayor to deputy secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, displayed unusual career progression. Although not unheard of, this twisted route showcased Qu Zhendong’s capabilities.

While leading Chengzhou, he achieved rapid economic growth and outstanding political success, ultimately ascending to the provincial party committee.

Similar to the city, the municipal party committee wielded central power, and the provincial party committee held influence over the entire province.

Jiang Xiaochuan didn’t know Qu Zhendong well, except for his connection to Jiang Encheng, Jiang Xiaochuan’s father.

Qu Zhendong asserted that the Rong family matter ran deep. Jiang Xiaochuan believed he lacked the current ability to intervene. However, he understood this incident occurred under his watch. Ignoring it would inevitably implicate him in future developments. Moreover, with the complexity of the situation, he couldn’t easily let go.

The watch Rong Shaobai gave him was still in the drawer. Before he handed over his self-examination letter, no decision could be made.

Facing Qu Zhendong’s call, the conflict between human relations and legal principles set off waves in Jiang Xiaochuan’s heart again.

A similar situation had happened before. At that time, due to his teacher-student relationship with Qu Zhendong, and with Yue Qingci by his side, he also called him, asking him to accept money from Huaxin Group first.

Unfortunately, his principles were shaken at that time—he accepted the money, and then he was never able to get out of the quagmire until the day he was double-regulated.

He used to think that Qu Zhendong casually mentioned corruption cases in the officialdom, and Qu Zhendong was not the least of them. In his previous life, he thought that Qu Zhendong refused to agree due to the poor face of Hua Tianfeng, the chairman of Huaxin Group.

In his eyes, Qu Zhendong was still a very upright person, especially after he was reborn. Qu Zhendong should still be a clean official. But this secret phone call overturned all his perceptions.

Jiang Xiaochuan’s silence couldn’t last long. He knew he couldn’t expose himself yet, so he said, “I was confused. Don’t worry; I will handle this matter.” Then, he went over to Qu Zhendong’s side.

Qu Zhendong said, “As long as you understand, you’ve just taken up the position of deputy mayor, and many people are watching you. Pay less attention to these cases, build a good relationship with the military region. The most important thing is, there’s a lot of power over there. You have to go up in the future, and you can’t rely on me alone… In short, pay attention to your work. I am very optimistic about you.”

“It’s because I insist on these useless things too much. I’m really sorry for making you to worry about me.” Jiang Xiaochuan wanted to hang up the phone.

Qu Zhendong, the deputy secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, was very busy, and he did not hesitate. He immediately said, “It’s good that you know. Remember what I just said. I have a meeting now. When will you come to the Provincial Party Committee compound? Come see me. Goodbye.”

“Okay, goodbye, Secretary Qu.”

The phone finally hung up.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at the phone in his hand with a calm expression and gently turned back the phone cover.

Lu Xiu looked at the reports and documents in his hands, seeming very serious.

There was nothing too shocking in Jiang Xiaochuan’s phone call, except that the last three words “Secretary Qu” were a bit scary.

Who said that Jiang Xiaochuan climbed to his current position all by himself without a backer? It was all nonsense! Who else could Secretary Qu be if he wasn’t that immortal-like figure of the Provincial Party Committee?

Lu Xiu suddenly felt that he could not understand the situation in front of him.

He didn’t understand, but Jiang Xiaochuan did.

He smiled at Liu Xiu and finally picked up the topic that had been interrupted between the two people before. “I know that you have great resistance, or I have always known it. You continue to investigate this matter, but don’t make it public. You can write the report as you like; I just want to know what happened. Don’t worry, I don’t have any malicious intentions, and you don’t have to treat me as your superior at this time. Please treat me as your friend.”

Lu Xiu’s heart moved. He asked tentatively: “Mayor Jiang, what do you mean…”

“I know that it is challenging for the government to take action in this situation. Captain Lu is very talented, and I can see it. There is a kind of opportunity called an opportunity. Everything is ready, and all we need is the east wind. I wonder if Captain Lu’s east wind has blown?”

Jiang Xiaochuan’s words were explicit enough. When a sentence with eight meanings was popular in the entire officialdom, his words only contained one meaning. It could be said to be as straightforward as possible: ‘I need you to investigate this case, and I will give you the reward you want.’

Lu Xiu nodded and said goodbye to Jiang Xiaochuan.

Jiang Xiaochuan sat on the leather chair, put his hand on the conference table, pushed it gently, and turned his body.

The current municipal situation was surprisingly complex.

Judging from what Jiang Xiaochuan saw with his own eyes, behind the Rong family, there were at least Fu Peng, the mayor of Chengzhou, and Qu Zhendong, deputy secretary of the Provincial Party Committee. Coupled with the news from Xue Yan, a certain force in the military region was also closely related to the current Rong family. The helmsman Rong Shaobai had connections.

No wonder Rong Shaobai always behaves so confidently. As the saying goes, leaning against a big tree was a good way to enjoy the shade. The big tree behind him had almost become a forest. ‘What else is there to be afraid of?’

Jiang Xiaochuan sorted out the current municipal situation, then asked Wei Lai to come in and pack his things, and then walked back to his office.

.

It was close to noon. Jiang Xiaochuan took over the meeting information recorded by Wei Lai and made a copy of the meeting before leaving the office.

Probably due to the change in weather these days, Jiang Encheng’s health was not very good. He had injuries on his legs and was limping. It rained a few days ago, and he got rheumatism, which was quite serious. He was going to go back and take a look, in case it got worse. If appropriate, he would take Jiang Encheng to see a doctor so that he could get well.

Jiang Xiaochuan couldn’t remember what his mother looked like. There seemed to be a vague shadow in his memory when he was very young, but as time went by, the impression became more and more blurred. He only remembered that he was a motherless person. It was Jiang Encheng who raised him up, so he naturally respected and loved his father.

After leaving the city hall gate, Jiang Xiaochuan felt relaxed all over. He walked to the row of thick banyan trees on the roadside of the city hall and stood under it, which was very shady.

The bus stop was right here. If you took the subway, you had to walk a few hundred meters further. Jiang Xiaochuan sometimes was too lazy, so he just stood under this stop sign.

But while waiting for the bus, a car stopped in front of him.

Jiang Xiaochuan’s eyes flashed, and he looked at the young man sitting in the back seat of the car.

“Deputy Mayor Jiang, are you waiting for the bus?” Lian Cheng came to inspect. He was worthy of having his own entourage. His position was probably not very low. After all, he came to inspect on behalf of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Jiang Xiaochuan was a little wary but then forced himself to relax.

He harbored no grudge against Lian Cheng, but Lian Cheng’s behavior seemed highly suspicious.

This marked the first encounter between him and Lian Cheng in this life. In his previous life, he and Lian Cheng had never met before he faced disciplinary action, and it was even less likely in this life. They were complete strangers now.

Wouldn’t it be normal for anyone to be surprised when a stranger greets them?

He almost opened his mouth to call out “Deputy Director” but stopped in time. During the meeting, he only introduced his name without disclosing his official position. Jiang Xiaochuan didn’t know how to address him.

Should he just call him “Lian Cheng”? Although his official position was higher than Lian Cheng’s, he was from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection after all.

Moreover, Lian Cheng might not necessarily hold the position of deputy director now.

“Lian…”

This was Jiang Xiaochuan’s intention, indicating that he knew Lian Cheng’s name, but addressing him posed a dilemma.

Lian Cheng appeared to have anticipated this issue. He bent over, opened the car door for Jiang Xiaochuan, and then stated, “Deputy Director of the Inspection Division.”

Jiang Xiaochuan followed suit and called out, “Deputy Director Lian” even though he was uncertain about the proper title. Yet, Lian Cheng opened the door for him. Was this intentional?

Lian Cheng remained seated with legs crossed, appearing relaxed even in the car. His gaze focused on Jiang Xiaochuan, who remained as calm as the deep sea, without a hint of disturbance.

“I heard that Mayor Jiang has a challenging case on his hands, and this Lian is very interested,” Lian Cheng mentioned.

Jiang Xiaochuan’s fingers shook slightly on his leg.

Then, he raised his hand, pressed his forehead to conceal any inadvertent expression, and replied with a smile, “The deputy director is indeed well-informed.”

“Mayor Jiang, let’s get in the car. There will be many people around here shortly.” Lian Cheng displayed his awareness of the situation, understanding the need for discretion, especially considering the challenging nature of the task he came to inspect.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection had been facing significant internal challenges recently. Secretary Zhang was grappling with mounting internal issues, feeling unsure where to begin.

The news from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in Chengzhou was concerning, indicating severe polarization and inconsistency in some matters. This signaled a worrisome situation to veteran members with extensive experience in disciplinary inspection work. They had noticed signs, and Lian Cheng’s arrival to inspect likely aimed to confirm their suspicions.

Therefore, Lian Cheng was undoubtedly not a fool. Someone sent down by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection at this time must possess substantial information about Chengzhou and the entire Shudu Province.

Lian Cheng was well-prepared for today’s visit. He wasn’t here for mere discussions; he was here to address business, and he wouldn’t have much say in the meeting.

In Lian Cheng’s composed eyes, Jiang Xiaochuan perceived the fluctuations in the situation. However, when he blinked, Lian Cheng’s eyes remained unchanged, showing no signs of alteration.

Being able to thrive in an environment like the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection at such a young age and being chosen for inspections by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection made Lian Cheng truly exceptional.

Jiang Xiaochuan, prepared to clear his name, couldn’t refuse Lian Cheng. It was akin to acknowledging that he could no longer reject his own convictions.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally went inside the car and closed the door.

The world seemed to fall silent, followed by the hum of the engine. He glanced sideways at the young man beside him, sensing a sudden feeling of life’s vicissitudes.

He knew about Lian Cheng, even about certain future events, but nobody was aware of his knowledge.

It turned out that knowing too much could become a burden.

“The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is indeed very powerful,” Jiang Xiaochuan remarked, turning his head to look out the window, avoiding direct eye contact with Lian Cheng.