Official Career Storm-Chapter 1232 1232

Noticing his expression, Jiang Yuan couldn't help but glance at his phone.
Before he could see, Zheng Bihui had already picked up his phone and hung up the call.
"Mayor Zheng, if there's anything you need help with, just let me know. Whether it's spending money or making an effort, I will fully support you."
He did not stay any longer. Leaving these words, he then left the office.
Zheng Bihui looked at Lu Zhizhong's number, hesitated for a moment, and called back.
He wanted to see what Lu Zhizhong suddenly wanted to say by calling him.
"Mayor Zheng, are you done with your work?"
The voice of Lu Zhizhong, which seemed indifferent to any situation, sounded from the phone.
Zheng Bihui, though constantly restraining himself, couldn't help but feel anger boiling when he heard that voice.
"What's going on?" he asked coldly.
Lu Zhizhong chuckled lightly, "About the previous matter, I offer you an apology."
"Apology?"
Zheng Bihui sneered, wanting to curse but then found it pointless.
Though he didn't have much chance to climb higher, he still had a sliver of hope.
In contrast, Lu Zhizhong would be stuck in Tongzhou, a backward place where even birds wouldn't visit, for a lifetime.
Lu Zhizhong sighed lightly, not explaining further, "I heard Secretary Wu is going to the Provincial City to serve as Mayor."
Zheng Bihui impatiently said, "If you want to congratulate Secretary Wu, call him directly; I'm very busy."
"Mayor Zheng, be patient. This call concerns your political future."
Zheng Bihui narrowed his eyes, though instinct told him not to trust any of Lu Zhizhong's words and to hang up immediately.
But those words precisely hit what he cared about most, making him hesitate to hang up.
He wanted to hear what exactly Lu Zhizhong intended to say.
"After Secretary Wu moves to the Provincial City, Secretary Qu will shortly return to the province as well; both City Secretary positions will be vacated, but the candidates may not be promoted from Lingjiang locally."
"However, you still have hope."
Zheng Bihui felt puzzled; he didn't understand why Lu Zhizhong would discuss this with him.
"Secretary Lu is far away in Tongzhou, yet still has time to concern himself with me, huh, it's truly surprising."
Ignoring the sarcasm, Lu Zhizhong continued his analysis, "The City Secretary position, the province may not heavily interfere; if you want to secure it, I suggest you meet Secretary Wu and Secretary Qu. If you gain their approval, you still have hope."
Zheng Bihui no longer sneered but seriously pondered over Lu Zhizhong's words.
Lu Zhizhong said, "Who becomes the City Secretary isn't important; what matters is that the person must be approved by Secretary Wu and Secretary Qu."
"If you want to gain their approval, you must present a token of allegiance."
"A token of allegiance?"
"Yes," Lu Zhizhong said, "Why did Secretary Qu come to Lingjiang? Obviously, it's at the behest of Secretary Gao and several leaders, mainly to support Secretary Wu."
"Standing with Secretary Wu and Secretary Qu is equivalent to standing with Secretary Gao."
"My suggestion is to use the Mayor's position as a token of allegiance."
Zheng Bihui suddenly found himself unable to understand.
"What do you mean?"
"It means, if you become the City Secretary, then transfer the Mayor's position to Secretary Wu and Secretary Qu, letting one of their people take the role."
Zheng Bihui had an ugly expression, "Don't you know whose territory the City Government is? If I hand the Mayor over to them, do you think Jiang Yuan would accept it?"
He felt Lu Zhizhong was trying to trap him!
Facing his skepticism, Lu Zhizhong simply said, "Jiang Yuan is in an adversarial position with them."
"Handing the Mayor's role to them means drawing a line with Jiang Yuan; this is your token of allegiance."
Zheng Bihui's heart skipped a beat, suddenly enlightened; he understood what Lu Zhizhong meant.
Wu Qiangwei originally came to Lingjiang to consolidate scattered power back to the City Committee.
Now that the mission is accomplished, although they are leaving, they certainly will not let the power disperse again, much less let Jiang Yuan, a local faction, take charge.
Just as Lu Zhizhong said, they would surely select a mutual benefit group to manage Lingjiang.
Hence, to be elected City Secretary, it's essential to sever ties with Jiang Yuan.
This isn't a multiple-choice question; it's a single choice, and a mandatory one.
No matter how much he resented Lu Zhizhong, he had to admit, on this matter, Lu saw more clearly than himself.
A brief silence let Lu Zhizhong know he had listened to his words.
"Why would Secretary Lu discuss such things with me?"
Suddenly, Zheng Bihui said, "Do you want me to speak highly of you before Secretary Qu?"
Facing his skepticism, Lu Zhizhong merely chuckled, "No need for praise; I just hope Mayor Zheng ascends higher, maybe to assist me one day."
"Hah." Coldly laughing, Zheng Bihui said, "Assist you? Secretary Lu, you've dug such a pit for me, wanting my help—pay what you owe me first."
"Of course, but let's not rush it for now. Wait until you become City Secretary."
After hanging up, Zheng Bihui hummed lightly.
He's not interested in Lu Zhizhong's fate; now he has a target and feels motivated.
Checking the time, he called the City Government to confirm Wu Qiangwei is in the office, and he headed straight there.
Entering Wu Qiangwei's office, he took the tea offered by Zeng Li and politely thanked her.
When she left, without waiting for Wu Qiangwei to inquire, he spoke up, "Secretary Wu, with your departure, do you have a recommendation for the Deputy Secretary position?"
Wu Qiangwei pondered; was he trying to arrange someone to rise?
"No decision has been made yet."
"No decision yet..." Zheng Bihui mused, "In my opinion, the Deputy Secretary ought to be someone Secretary Wu is familiar with; if there's no suitable candidate from Lingjiang locally, then fetch someone from elsewhere."
Wu Qiangwei showed a peculiar expression.
Zheng Bihui continued, "This person must be approved by both Secretary Wu and Secretary Qu. On the Standing Committee side, I'm certainly standing with the two Secretaries."
"Oh, and Secretary Qu will return to the Provincial City soon, right?"
"The City Secretary also needs a trustworthy recommendation."
Zheng Bihui directly said, "If Secretary Wu trusts me, then let me take on the role of City Secretary."
"Regarding the Mayor's candidate, Secretary Wu can decide. But I think we ought to exclude Mayor Jiang; what does Secretary Wu think of my suggestion?"
His overly direct words left Wu Qiangwei more surprised, but she quickly understood the purpose behind Zheng Bihui's sudden visit.
Wu Qiangwei, contemplating, nodded, "I'll discuss it with Secretary Qu."
"Okay, I'll wait for your response, Secretary Wu."
Zheng Bihui didn't linger; he stood up and left.
At another time, he might have been more indirect, but with Wu Qiangwei set to leave soon, there's little time to waste.
Directly stating his intentions—succeed or fail, give a straightforward answer.
After he left, Wu Qiangwei also stood up and went to Qu Xiangru's office.