Chapter Twenty-Six: Braking

  The two of them walked around the school for a while, then ate something in the cafeteria. Afterwards, Ding Hui returned to her room to pack some clothes, made a big bundle and asked Liu Siyuan to carry it on his back, and obediently followed him home.

  Not yet out of the school gate, he happened to meet Qiuhanshan and several classmates. Seeing Liu Siyuan carrying a bag, while Ding Hui had a sweet smile on her face as she hooked his arm, he couldn't help but have some unhealthy associations about what the two would do that night. The more he thought about it, the more indignant he became. Qiuhanshan was also a notable figure at Hanjiang University, and with Zhang Jun's face, he had talked to many girls in school before, all sorts of them, including several who looked pretty good, no worse than Ding Hui, and several were rich heiresses. Originally, pursuing Ding Hui seemed like an easy catch, after all, he thought Ding Hui came from a county town, with no background, this kind of girl was the easiest to pursue. But unexpectedly, it became his Waterloo.

  People are strange, the more they can't get, the more they want. He stared at Liu Sanyuan with a vicious gaze, secretly vowing to snatch Ding Hui back.

  Liu Siyuan also noticed his gaze, after more than a year of struggling in the officialdom, he didn't really put this student in his heart. On the contrary, it made him feel quite accomplished.

  Back home, Liu Siyuan put down his things and laughed, saying he's been busy lately, running around everywhere, getting all sweaty. He suggested taking a bath first. Ding Hui suddenly blushed and proposed, "Why don't we take one together?"

  Liu Siyuan was also stunned. It's really true that you can't judge a person by their appearance. Ding Hui looked like he was always shy, but in reality, he was much more open-minded than Liu had imagined...

  Seeing him hesitating, Ding Hui gritted her teeth and said: "Siyuan Ge, if you want me, I'll give myself to you..."

  It's impossible for Liu Siyuan to be unmoved, but when it comes down to it, he suddenly thought of something - can he and Ding Hui really have a future together? In the end, he still shook his head slightly and let go of Ding Hui, who had already made up her mind. This one foot on the brake was actually not easy to do, but afterwards Liu Siyuan didn't regret it either.

  The next day, the Environmental Protection Bureau officially issued a document to Xinyuan Chemical Plant, with very strong wording, even explicitly mentioning that it would be rectified within one month, otherwise it would be immediately shut down for rectification.

  In the first few days, the chemical plant chose to remain silent or ignore it, with no rectification actions taken, nor did they try to pull strings like in previous years by finding connections at the environmental protection bureau and supervision office. Liu Siyuan even heard that two years ago, they had invited a certain important provincial leader to put pressure on the environmental protection bureau.

  However, he also learned from Zhang Jinsong's unintentional words during a meal that the chemical plant was actually secretly working hard to deal with the situation. They specifically found Qian Yongjin, the vice mayor of Hanjiang City in charge of industry, who is a member of the municipal party committee and ranks highest among the many vice mayors. He is the third most important person in the city government, second only to the mayor and the executive vice mayor. Most importantly, Vice Mayor Qian has always been supportive of Xinyuan Chemical Plant over the years.

  However, it seems that the wind direction has changed this time. Zhang Jinsong revealed that the chemical plant side had been rejected by Mayor Qian! He also revealed that Mayor Qian's reason was that the Environmental Protection Bureau and the Supervision Office were not under his jurisdiction, so he couldn't manage them.

  Liu Siyuan believed that Zhang Jinsong said were all real, the city government's courtyard often had some rumors, although not 100% reliable, but he could still distinguish which ones were absolutely reliable.

  The mayor's words carried some hidden meaning, and it wasn't hard to understand that what he actually meant was that you guys have found the wrong direction this time. There is someone he can't afford to offend who wants to take you down! He loves but cannot help.

  After a few more days, Ouyang Qian took action. An article occupying the entire page was published on the fourth edition of the provincial newspaper. It first revealed the severity of pollution at Xinyuan Chemical Plant and then pointed out that the government of Hanjiang City and the Environmental Protection Bureau were doing practical things for the people, willing to sacrifice certain economic development to restore a piece of clean land to Hanjiang. Even the Environmental Protection Bureau's severely worded rectification notice was excerpted and published.

  It soon became a hot topic in Hankou City, with major media outlets competing to follow up on the story. The ordinary people were also discussing it in the streets and alleys, just as Ouyang Xinghua had expected. Soon, some voices emerged saying that the city government should have taken action earlier. However, the mainstream view was still one of condemnation for the Hanyang Chemical Plant's disregard for the entire population of Hankou, with positive comments on the actions of the city government and the Environmental Protection Bureau occupying the overwhelming majority. The vast majority of ordinary people supported this move.

  The power of public opinion is indeed great. When Liu Sih-yuan received a call from a woman claiming to be the PR manager of Xin Yuan Chemical Plant in the afternoon, he knew that the other side could no longer hold back. The woman on the phone asked him out for dinner that night, and after some hesitation, Liu agreed, as he also wanted to see what cards Xin Yuan had up its sleeve.

  However, he had to postpone it until the next day because something big happened. The position of Director of the Supervision Room was finally settled, and Chen Jun's prediction came true. Yao Yuan successfully took office.

  Although it has become a fact, Liu Siyuan still feels some shock, because he knows that Zhang Jinsong and the municipal party committee secretary have a deep relationship. After all, the inspection room is only a subordinate unit of the municipal government office, and a municipal party committee member can't even take down the director position, which shows how fierce the behind-the-scenes struggle is. At the same time, he is very curious about who Yao Yuan's backer is, and specially finds Xing Jun to discuss it together. In the end, neither of them can come to a conclusion.

  Originally, the Organization Department intended to transfer Zhang Jinsong to the Municipal Party Committee's Policy Research Office as a deputy director. The position in the Policy Research Office is not bad, and it allows for direct communication with the municipal party committee leaders, with good prospects for advancement. It was likely that the Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee had made an effort. However, unexpectedly, Zhang Jinsong refused this proposal, saying that he was unfamiliar with the work there and could better serve the people in the familiar environment of the Supervision Office. He also expressed his willingness to fully cooperate with Director Yao, under whose correct leadership, he would do a good job of uniting with his comrades.

  At the same time, the Municipal Supervision Office also introduced two new people. The first is Liu Jianguo, who is over 50 years old and used to work in the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission. He came to the Supervision Office as a deputy director, but this person seems to have an ordinary relationship with Secretary Zhang. According to Xing Jun, he was originally a deputy department-level official in the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission, and this time he was promoted half a level to become a full department-level official. However, his position in the Supervision Office is somewhat embarrassing, because as a deputy director, he has less actual power than Zhang Jinsong, who still serves as the head of the First Inspection Division. The other new person is a young girl named Chen Ruifang, who works in the Comprehensive Division. Deputy Director Zhang Jinping, who had been sitting on the cold bench for many years, can be said to have ended his history as a lone commander, and he is somehow stronger than Liu Jianguo.

  What is most worth pondering is that the other two deputy directors have taken on the role of department head in addition to their current position, while Liu Jianguo has not taken on the role of Department Head of Supervision II, and this position continues to be temporarily held by a small deputy department-level cadre named Liu Siyuan. This cannot help but lead to everyone's wild speculation.