Chapter 2 First Impression

  On Monday morning, Lu Zhong, who was attending a party school class, received a call from the Municipal Organization Department's Cadre Office and asked his instructor Wang Qingfeng for leave, driving his "Fiat" straight to the municipal party committee compound.

  This sedan, which cost over 5,000 yuan, was purchased after coming to Wushan. It is much cheaper than the original van, but more convenient and comfortable to drive. The van was sent to my sister's company in Beijing.

  Wushi City Committee Compound and Municipal Government Compound are separated by Xishan Road, with rows of green cypresses and quiet solemnity inside the two compounds.

  In the second floor of the municipal party committee office building, in the first room of the organization department, a deputy director surnamed Zeng received Lu Zhong. Deputy Director Zeng's name was Zeng Jiang, with a round head and a short stature, but when speaking and handling matters, he had a strong and powerful tone, probably due to being in the organizational system for many years.

  Knocking on the table, Zeng Jiang had an air of superiority: "You, your organizational relationship is attached to the Municipal Consultative Committee Office, but, the Consultative Committee Office doesn't have a dedicated department for filing, personnel files are kept in the Municipal Party Committee's Personnel Department. Hmm, take this introduction letter and these...". Zeng Jiang knocked on several documents on the table, "Go to the Municipal Party Committee's Personnel Department to handle organizational procedures, then, this is an introduction proof letter from our office, you bring it with you, go to the Consultative Committee to find Director Pei of the Office..."

  The Organizational Department of the CPC Wuxi Municipal Committee has a heavy responsibility, responsible for investigating the organs of the Wuxi Municipal Committee, the municipal government, mass organizations and leading groups, leading cadres, and putting forward suggestions on team adjustment and deployment, cadre appointment and removal, and exchange; undertake specific matters related to the appointment and removal of members of the municipal leadership team, participate in the work related to the election of the new session of the Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal People's Congress, the Municipal Government, the CPPCC, and the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission.

  The head of the study room was concurrently held by Zhu Hong, the permanent deputy minister of the Organization Department, so he was also a deputy department-level cadre. Zeng Jiang apparently didn't care much about this young man who had just been ousted.

  Lu Zhong nodded slightly, handling these procedures had become second nature to him, after all, they were all in the same compound.

  ……

  When Lu Zhong returned to the office at around 12:00, Zeng Jiang was locking the door to go out. Lu Zhong smiled and said, "Director Zeng, let's have lunch together? Let's eat outside."

  Zeng Jiang waved his hand, "No need, I have meal tickets."

  Lu Zhong smiled and said: "That's right, I don't know much about Gu Wei's house, after dinner, can you show me the way?"

  Lu Zhong is telling the truth, Wushan is at the forefront of reform, and the division of party and government agencies is becoming more and more detailed, with more and more departments. With the separation of the municipal government and the municipal party committee, the Municipal Consultative Committee also moved out of the municipal party committee compound last year. Lu Zhong only knows that it is still on Xishan Road, but he is not quite sure where exactly.

  Zeng Jiang furrowed his brow and said, "94 Xishan Road."

  Lu Zhong spread his hands: "I know that, but you're not unclear, the door sign on Xishan Road is inconspicuous, and I'm driving a car, so I couldn't see it clearly. Director Zeng, help me out?"

  In Zeng Jiang's view, this young man naturally wanted to find a way to invite himself to dinner, and he was very thoughtful in finding an excuse. He was also at the same level as his colleagues and was young, which is quite rare.

  It seems that this Lu Zhong is not as messy as rumored.

  Lu Zhong was appointed as a standing committee member of Guangning County last year, which caused a stir in the municipal party committee's organization department. How could Zeng Jiang not know him? It is said that when Zeng Jiang and his two close friends were drinking together, they even discussed who was behind Lu Zhong.

  It's just that in less than a year, this political star has become a shooting star, falling at a speed that leaves people speechless. The various speculations before now seem absurd and unbridled, it seems that it was just good luck, and the red men who rose during the Cultural Revolution were similar.

  Although I don't know how to arrange going to the Gu Wei office now, a roughneck with only an elementary school diploma is already more and more out of place in the ranks of cadres. It's likely that future prospects won't be high either.

  Although that's the case, after all, he was once a young cadre in Wushan area who was red to purple, and with such sincerity inviting him, Zeng Jiang thought for a moment and said: "Alright then, let's just say it's simple food, don't make it a habit."

  Lu Zhong smiled and nodded.

  Following Lu Zhong downstairs, they arrived at a parking lot in front of a row of lush cypress trees. Among the dozen or so neatly arranged bicycles, Lu Zhong used his key to open the door of a yellow sedan. Zeng Jiang couldn't help but pause for a moment.

  "Director Zeng, get on the bus." Lu Zhong smiled and waved his hand.

  "Is this your car? A private one?" To be honest, Zeng Jiang had never really sat in a sedan before, and as he got into the passenger seat, he felt inexplicably constrained. After all, it was only last year that the municipal party committee's main leaders had switched to new sedans.

  "Uh-huh." Lu Zhong smiled and said, "My sister bought it for me." He started the car and asked, "Director Zeng smokes, right?"

  Zeng Jiang nodded, and Lu Zhong immediately took out a pack of Hongtashan from the storage box and handed it to him, smiling: "I'm also like this, my nicotine addiction is getting bigger and bigger, I'm addicted to this."

  Looking at the cigarette in his hand, Zeng Jiang was silent. He occasionally received some good cigarettes and wine during holidays, but a few Red Pagoda Mountains were like treasures, how could they be given out like Lu Zhong did?

  "Quande has opened a branch here at the beginning of the month, right? Where is it? You show me the way and I'll go eat roast duck." As the car was about to leave the municipal party committee compound, Lu Zhong said with a smile, "It's great to come to the city, you can eat anything."

  Zeng Jiang was so calm, this guy's mood is quite good, it turns out he's a foodie?

  ……

  Wushan Quande Hotel is located on the east side of Liberation Square, a majestic red building with a grand architectural style. Lu Zhong parked his car along the edge of the square next to it, and now there are no urban management and parking spaces, making parking very convenient.

  Zeng Jiang got off the bus, muttering to himself wanting to say a sentence: "Just eat something simple", but he muttered for a while and couldn't say it out loud.

  Sitting by the window seat, Lu Zhong ordered a roasted duck and some small dishes like duck tongue and duck treasure. Zeng Jiang repeatedly said: "Enough, can't finish eating."

  The hall window is bright and clean, with luxurious decoration, red carved flower screens, and blue and white porcelain-style hand-painted murals on the hall pillars, everywhere exuding an ancient charm.

  The guests seem to be either wealthy or noble, all dressed in the latest fashion. The most eye-catching is a table near the bar with fair-skinned and deep-eyed foreigners.

  "Lu Chu, your family conditions are quite good, right?" Zeng Jiang looked at the crispy yellow and fragrant duck meat slices on the table next to him, only then did he know what it meant to be hungry, and suddenly felt very hungry.

  He also suddenly became polite when referring to Lu Zhong.

  Lu Zhong smiled and said: "You can just call me Zhongzi, I'm muddled through the days, but I've also figured it out. If all else fails, I'll just do business."

  Zeng Jiang smiled and said with some envy, "You have the conditions to not go, but I've always wanted to, it's just that I don't know what to do." In fact, now many public servants are going into business, in Wushan, there have even been cases of deputy department-level officials leading the way in going into business.

  Those who have a way out really want to make more money, which units can pay several salaries?

  After a meal, Zeng Jiang changed his tone and started calling Lu Zhong "Zhongzi". As for Lu Zhong not knowing the way to the Municipal Commission of Commerce, Zeng Jiang didn't think much about it. He had already forgotten that at first he thought Lu Zhong was making an excuse to invite him out for a meal. Or rather, he wasn't forgetting, but just didn't want to think more, so as not to feel embarrassed in his own heart.

  Zeng Jiang pointed out the way, and Lu Zhong sent Zeng Jiang back to the municipal party committee compound before returning to the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office.

  The courtyard of the Municipal Commission is not large, with only a two-story white building in the middle. The gatekeeper was an old man who heard that Lu Zhong had come to report and looked at the small sedan car driven by Lu Zhong with suspicion, sizing him up for several eyes before letting him pass, allowing Lu Zhong to drive into the courtyard.

  In traditional Chinese thinking, one should respect the robe before respecting the person, and a night watchman cannot be an exception.

  Several weeping willows in the courtyard, their branches swaying gently in the breeze, with tender green buds displaying vigorous vitality. Every day, the leaves seem to have increased a bit more and become greener.

  Lu Zhong entered the office building and found the Municipal Consumer Committee Office according to the signs hanging in front of each door. The Consumer Committee Office was on the first floor, next to it was a "Retired Cadres' Chess and Card Activity Center". Lu Zhong looked inside through the glass window, it was a very large room with many small tables, which should be various chess tables, Go tables, mahjong tables and so on.

  The door of the room with the sign "Gu Wei's Office" was slightly ajar, suggesting that someone was on duty. Lu Zhong knocked twice, but no one responded, and the door creaked open lightly.

  Through the door crack, he saw a middle-aged female cadre with a slightly plump figure leaning against the window on her desk, snoring away with her head resting on her arm. Lu Zhong was taken aback for a moment and thought of quietly closing the door after all, it wasn't very decent.

  Who knew that the female cadre suddenly sat up, just like a student who fell asleep in class was suddenly awakened, sitting upright and vigilantly looking around, and then saw Lu Zhong outside the door.

  "Who are you?" The plump female cadre stood up, staring at Lu Zhong with some displeasure.

  Lu Zhong only knocked on the door and pushed it open, "Sister, I'm here to report for duty. My name is Lu Zhong. Director Pei isn't in, is he?"

  The female cadre looked up and down at Lu Zhong, her eyes filled with suspicion, and said: "Are you Lu Zhong? The newly arrived deputy director of the research office?" Apparently, although the municipal CPPCC committee was ranked only after the municipal party committee in news reports, and before the People's Congress, government, and CPPCC, it was still just a participating and consulting institution.

  "Yes, it's me." Seeing the female cadre who seemed to be in charge, that might be Director Pei. Zeng Jiang had mentioned that Director Pei was a middle-aged woman comrade. Lu Zhong hurriedly took out the materials and his ID from his briefcase and placed them on the female cadre's desk.

  The female cadre flipped through it and exclaimed, "You're only 23?!" with a very surprised look.

  "Yes." Lu Zhong smiled wryly. Women in government agencies, especially middle-aged women, were absolutely not to be trifled with; each and every one of them was ruthless.

  "I am Pei Aihong." The female cadre revealed her identity, and indeed, she was the director of the office.

  "Ah, Director Pei, hello. " Lu Zhong made a look of sudden realization and respectfully extended his hand. Actually, he had already guessed it was her before coming, as Lu Zhong had inquired about the situation at the Customer Service Department with Zeng Jiang beforehand.

  After confirming Lu Zhong's identity, Pei Aihong also stood up and shook hands with him with a slight reserve: "Comrade Lu Zhong, welcome."

  Looking at her watch, Pei Aihong said: "It's almost time to go to work. Let's talk about other things later. I'll take you to meet Old Huang now. Your job in the office is to assist Old Huang with his work." Sighing again, "We've always been short-handed, I've made many reports, the municipal committee office has so many idle people, why can't they transfer a few over?"