Chapter 165 Supervision Group Leader

ung all over the mansion; it should have been a grand celebration with music and wine. But every single person there met an extremely tragic end."Su Cen also got off the water and used the towel he br...Chapter 165: Supervisor Team Leader

In the first row of the venue, Xu Changcheng and Zhou Zhaofeng exchanged glances that were barely noticeable. Both of them had half-lowered eyelids and slightly turned bodies as they sized up the stage from their bulky positions, scanning the entire room with a steady smile but with various thoughts swirling in their minds.

The two of them had already subtly conveyed their stance before the incident occurred.

It's worth noting that prior to such meetings at the municipal level, high-ranking officials would privately communicate and coordinate their speeches. Since everyone talks about frameworks and meeting themes, it ensures that both sides' speech scripts won't overlap in terms of content or angle, avoiding redundancy on certain aspects.

However, Su Licheng was a newcomer who hadn’t yet sorted out his secretarial team assignments; apart from Cheng Ruonian, he had two other secretaries. These secretaries either ended up doing other tasks or were excluded from the preparation of this results conference.

Geng Luoxiang's speech稿實際上與蘇理成的大同小異，根本就是同一份。

When Geng Luoxiang spoke first, by the time Su Licheng took to the stage, he was likely going to be utterly dumbfounded. From their perspective, no matter how high Su Licheng's level or ability might be, it would absolutely be impossible for him to casually handle such a situation, especially considering that he had only just arrived in Huangcheng and didn't fully understand various aspects of the situation. For provincial comprehensive management work, it was basically vague for him; if he were to take the stage, he would inevitably expose numerous flaws. This would severely undermine Su Licheng's governance prestige and could even directly impact his future political career.

However, at this moment, Mayor Guo Huai of the municipal government felt rather conflicted. If Su Licheng were to make a fool of himself in the meeting, the ultimate blame would be placed on Cheng Ruonian, who had little influence and was merely a secretary. At that time, Guo Huai could easily pin the blame on Cheng Ruonian by claiming he had given him the wrong script. Even if this wouldn't frame him, it could still serve as ammunition against Cheng Ruonian, leading to his complete ruin.

This situation should have been quite exhilarating for Guo Huai; ever since smoothly taking office as the Secretary-General of the municipal government, the pain from being sidelined in love by Cheng Ruonian had resurfaced. Over these years, seeing Yang Li, one of the most beautiful women at their former organization, become Cheng's wife had fueled his dark thoughts. He always made sure to target Cheng whenever possible—whether it was sending back his drafts for revision multiple times or repeatedly singling him out in secretarial meetings or assigning him laborious tasks. Yet despite all this, Cheng Ruonian seemed to anticipate these moves and could endure being harassed on the smaller issues.

But after today... everything that had been building up seemed set to reach a conclusion.

This should have been an exhilarating moment for Guo Huai, but there was also a sense of emptiness and loss. It felt as though some things he had been obsessed with for years were suddenly coming to an end, leaving him wondering how Yang Li would fare after Cheng Ruonian's political demise. Would the couple divorce due to their ongoing conflicts over Cheng's career Seeing his once beloved Yang Li end up divorced wasn't what Guo Huai hoped for.

His emotions were thus conflicted and complicated.

Yet in the high-level political struggles within the city, someone like Cheng Ruonian would ultimately be sacrificed.

"A round moon shines before my window; sorrow pierces through my heart like an arrow..." Guo Huai hummed this tune "Wen Zhao Pass" with a slightly off-key and narrow voice under the stage, carrying such thoughts in his mind...

It was Su Licheng's turn to take the stage.

Zhou Zhaofeng fiddled with a Shu Mountain gold-embedded fountain pen with his thumb. Xu Changcheng had both hands pressed under his wrist, fingers interlocked and eyes fixed straight ahead. Under the gaze of Guo Huai and others waiting eagerly below, Su Licheng walked from backstage to the main stage, tidied up his manuscript and read it first before frowning slightly. For Xu and Zhou watching this expression, that was the most exciting part of today's meeting... Secretary General Guo Huai watched with eyes bulging out in surprise; he felt a very stimulating feeling in his heart. Although he had been ruling with high pressure at the Secretariat for these years, he had always bowed to superiors above him. He knew that if he were to defy the leadership here, his good days would be over soon, and over time this almost pathological oppressive mentality was formed, which is why he had been picking on Cheng Rui Nian and others as a superior in various ways, using such pitiful methods to maintain his dignity and high-pressure rule.

But now seeing Su Licheng struggling, this was the city's No. 1 vice mayor; in the past, other vice mayors would behave like superiors before him. Now thinking about how awkward and embarrassed Su, who was soon to take office as the city's vice mayor, must be feeling, his wrist shook out of some darkly stimulating psychology.

"Haha, this Su Licheng, how much longer is he going to wait Judging from that look, he’s quite steady."

“This guy was said to have relied on powerful figures in Rongcheng before coming to Huang City. Now it seems clear that not only does he excel at sucking up, but also at giving empty speeches,” Zhou Zhaofeng watched Su Licheng遲遲不念報告，但又不像發現稿件與之前省督導組領導重合後驚慌失措的樣子，頗感驚訝。不過轉念一想，蘇理成能爬到這一步，哪會冇有些保命的本領？平日裡一定在各種講話中放了不少空炮，纔會有眼前臨危不亂的局麵。

Indeed, he was a seasoned politician who had survived through numerous political meetings and speeches. But no matter how skilled, you were still Sun Wukong and couldn't leap over the five fingers of Sakyamuni.

Zhou Zhaofeng compared himself to Sakyamuni and became very confident and composed, speaking slowly and steadily.

That's why when the situation suddenly changed later on, he almost twisted his waist in shock.

Su Licheng finally finished posing, relaxed his brows, pressed his manuscript onto the lectern, looked up at everyone present, and started off with: "In the year dedicated to comprehensive social governance infrastructure construction, we will maintain economic growth, ensure livelihood security, safeguard traffic safety, guarantee stability, and more."

The opening was expansive and unrestrained, completely free of any trace of Geng Luoxiang's previous speech. His voice, amplified by the microphone, reverberated through the quiet hall.

Xu Changcheng and Zhou Zhaofeng’s expressions gradually froze. Guo Huai, who had been trembling from dark psychological stimulation earlier, now trembled out of sheer anxiety. It was as if he saw a figure of authority floundering in water, only to find that the person might not be able to rise again, but then as a rat, his inner darkness exploded as he twisted his face and trampled on the fallen figure to vent, only to see the other party stand up with imposing dignity right before him… That was Guo Huai's absurdly panicked inner world.

The speech lasted for over twenty minutes. Towards the end, Su Licheng said, "As a newcomer in Huang City, I am still quite new to things here; please help me and support me so that we can jointly build a better future for our city."

There were many officials who spoke hollowly, but this official with a technical background had an unusual sincerity. Even some seasoned politicos were touched during his speech.

The hall erupted in applause after the speech concluded.

The two-hour conference was conducted as usual, with everyone attending like it was any other meeting—listening to reports, seeing the leadership, some lazy and others dull. Occasionally, someone would become serious when a speech touched on sensitive topics, but none of them seemed aware that this seemingly ordinary conference harbored sinister intentions.

When the conference concluded, Xu Changcheng and Zhou Zhaofeng pretended to remain calm while leaving. As they passed by Su Licheng and his group, there was a slight evasion between them. Despite this, their expressions remained composed as if nothing had happened. Zhou Zhaofeng even raised his thumb in praise: "Mayor Su, you really showed your mettle."

Su Cun smiled aside, greatly impressed by the two’s composure.

After leaving the auditorium, Xu and Zhou’s faces immediately darkened. Xu Changcheng glanced deeply at Guo Huai and said, "Old Guo, you didn’t handle this matter well..."

A chill ran down Guo Huai's spine. Before he could speak, he saw Zhou Zhaofeng coldly snort and leave in his car. Xu Changcheng followed suit into another vehicle, swiftly departing the scene. Guo Huai was left standing alone, panic-stricken with a mournful expression, wondering how everything had gone wrong if all arrangements were in place and a deputy mayor carefully planned as a sacrificial lamb. Could it be that Su Licheng’s miraculous escape and his second speech稿件導致的？

His thoughts drifted to Guo Ruiyuan's face, then he looked up at the sky over Huacheng where massive lead-colored clouds rolled in like dragons, foretelling an impending storm.

The broadcast of Su Licheng’s speech on Huacheng TV's "Huacheng News" program at 8 PM instantly projected his public image into every household across the city.

"The Huacheng dam breach is a serious issue. This newcomer, Su Licheng—can he handle it Probably not; after all, while he speaks eloquently on stage, offstage he’s cozying up with Xu Changcheng and other officials. Is Su Licheng bold enough to offend the local power of the Xu family" A nightclub owner commented to his friends about the current situation in the city's higher echelons.

An official from a government agency, addressing his clan during a gathering, made an ambiguous remark: "Mayor Su is hard to fathom. Who does he think he is Although I work in the city and occasionally see him in person, it’s not often. He will touch many people with his actions in urban construction and economy, but even if someone at the provincial level advised him to fear nothing, let me tell you, every man for himself—Huacheng has been around for years, how many slogans have we heard without change"

Another person dismissed it: "Politicians are all the same; they say one thing and do another."

A few others agreed that perhaps he had genuine talent and was a technical official who transitioned from business to politics. Thus, this new deputy mayor Su Licheng quickly became a hot topic in Huacheng.

What could have been an uproar over his father turned out to be resolved without incident.

However, the internal conflicts and interests within Huacheng remained intense.

Su Licheng personally requested information about Guo Ruiyuan from the secretary's office after the event.

Guo Huai agreed without even daring to think twice.

What shocked Guo Huai even more was that after Su Licheng's speech at the Comprehensive Governance Work Results Conference, he had always greeted Guo Huai with a smile.

The next day, when they met outside the office, Guo Huai nodded and called him "Old Gu", as if they were old friends. This made Guo Huai even more anxious; he couldn't sleep all night, worrying that Su Licheng was unpredictable and terrifying. The most important thing was that Su Licheng hadn’t secretly set any obstacles for him or given him a cold shoulder. From start to finish, it seemed like nothing had happened at all. This is what political terror looks like—it’s truly terrifying. Such intimidation left Guo Huai tossing and turning at night, feeling his good days might be coming to an end.

…………

A few days after the provincial supervision group conducted their investigation in Huangcheng, the head of the group, Geng Luoxiang, sat in Su Cang’s family compound living room.

When he entered, Geng Luoxiang carried a few bottles of Maotai and salted duck from his car. After putting down the items, he specially instructed: "This is something Director Zhao particularly told me to bring. Even if it means being called corrupt, I will still deliver these things to you, Mr. Su!"

Geng Luoxiang came from a distinguished family; his grandfather was a proletarian revolutionary and famous martyr, Geng Hua. His father had a legendary life, serving as the Political Department Deputy Director of the East China Field Army’s First Division in 1948, then as the Political Commissar of a garrison district and Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee member, before becoming a member of the Central Committee. There was a close connection between his family and Wang Bo's family. Of course, Geng Luoxiang's deep background was not widely known in the provincial public security system; he kept a low profile.

He himself was an iron triangle with Zhao Lijun at the provincial level, being among the first to align closely with Zhao in the province’s public security system.

Although the position of inspector is generally considered non-leadership and seems powerless on the surface. In reality, this position is used not only for the retirement benefits of those nearing the end of their political careers but also as a transitional role for individuals like Geng Luoxiang who are rapidly rising, have great potential, yet lack corresponding qualifications.

Just from looking at his age—slightly younger than Zhao Lijun and in his thirties or forties—and his position as an inspector, it was clear that he was someone extraordinary.

As for the so-called inside information circulating within the municipal government compound, people there were particularly sensitive to car license plates. Even without seeing Geng Luoxiang himself, they could guess who Su Licheng was visiting based on the provincial comprehensive governance supervision group’s license plate parked downstairs at Su Licheng's home.

Regardless of Geng Luoxiang's true personality, it seemed he knew how to get along with the Su family, almost like Zhao Lijun. After entering, Geng Luoxiang didn't beat around the bush and started chatting about Zhao Lijun with the Su family, which made Su Licheng nostalgic: "I first got to know Old Zhao in Xia Hai, drinking with him; I'd need half a catty of liquor before we could talk smoothly." Su Licheng waved his hand, “That was when Su Cang had just finished junior high. It feels like so many years have passed..."

Su Licheng probably felt that in these fleeting years, the lives and trajectories of people around him seemed to have undergone dramatic changes.

Wang Bo took up the post of Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Committee at a party conference after Spring Festival, concurrently serving as the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee. Zhao Lijun became the Director of Public Security Hall, sitting in the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee. After Su Licheng stepped down, Xu Jianjun from Dafeng Construction retained his position and title as Vice President, and the transition at Dafeng Construction went smoothly without causing internal turmoil. People in the construction compound still viewed the growth journey of the Su family as a legend, relishing it as an example right next door.lors and scattered sunlit glass houses in the lawn below.Of course, through the large glass walls, Su Cen could also see various Audi and Mercedes cars parked below, as well as Jaguar models. There wa...