Chapter 835 - 803: Interlocked Schemes
Zhao Feiyang finished speaking and swaggered off, leaving Gao Xinhua so furious that he almost cursed. Since Pei Lin’s death, this guy has become arrogant and domineering after a brief bout of depression. It’s really hard to tell whether he has become fearless after seeing through life or whether he’s psychologically shocked into abnormal behavior. But he wasn’t wrong about one thing; damn it, I don’t have to consult you. If Xu Chunliang is willing to come, I can make the decision.
Xu Chunliang ultimately decided to head to the Dongzhou Infectious Disease Hospital. He was also following the news, and on the third day after the collapse accident, the fifth trapped person was finally rescued. This means that the collapse resulted in one death, two serious injuries, and two minor injuries. Consequently, the accident was classified as a significant incident.
The reason it was classified as a significant incident was mainly due to the economic loss exceeding ten million yuan. In fact, the Dongzhou side wanted to classify it as an ordinary accident, but unfortunately, the collapse created such a large hole that anyone would conclude it resulted in more than ten million.
At this point in the development, it was fortunate enough; apart from a few comrades, most people were satisfied with this outcome.
Xu Chunliang received numerous condolence calls, including calls from Zhang Hengyang, Ding Si, and Zhang Haitao. These people knew about it due to their relatively close relationship with the Bureau of Culture and Tourism. In fact, the whereabouts of a small deputy section-level cadre wasn’t something many people cared about.
Qin Zhengyang’s call came a bit later this time, but Xu Chunliang understood. People in the system are usually more cautious than those in society; they need to assess the situation, understand the circumstances, and determine the level of development before making decisions.
If Xu Chunliang made a big mistake this time, people would definitely avoid him; who would want to contact him voluntarily? Qin Zhengyang calling at a moment like this, though not a lifesaver, was at least not kicking him while he’s down.
Due to the impact of this incident, Xu Chunliang’s secondment period ended, and Hu Shan Town couldn’t keep the deputy mayor position for him any longer.
Qin Zhengyang first extended his condolences, privately believing that Xu Chunliang hadn’t made any major errors. Any disciplinary action against him might just be a formality. Qin Zhengyang was still puzzled; with Mei Ru Xue behind Xu Chunliang, could it really be that Mei Ru Xue didn’t come forward to protect him this time?
After exchanging pleasantries, Qin Zhengyang asked about Xu Chunliang’s next steps.
Xu Chunliang replied, "The authorities decided to send me back to my original place."
Qin Zhengyang understood that this meant he was going back to Changxing, silently lamenting. Xu Chunliang going back is unwelcome since he had confronted Changxing Hospital head-on while stationed in Hu Shan Town, leaving no room for leniency, including Zhao Feiyang from the Huannian System, who likely harbored resentment towards him.
With Xu Chunliang in this position, Qin Zhengyang couldn’t further criticize him, so he encouraged, "Going back isn’t bad. You did excellent work at Changxing Hospital previously; plus, they are old colleagues, so you won’t need to adapt."
Xu Chunliang said, "We’ll see." He didn’t mention his decision to go to the Infectious Disease Hospital, as things weren’t finalized, and it’s best not to reveal too early to avoid causing trouble for Yan Huaiyi. According to what he knew, Yan Huaiyi always had a tough time in the Infectious Disease Hospital, with several presidents coming together against him. Yan Huaiyi was eager for Xu Chunliang to assist him, hoping Xu could help him breakthrough.
Qin Zhengyang said, "Chunliang, I’m returning to Dongzhou the day after tomorrow. Do you have time? Bring Director Mei along to my place for dinner."
Xu Chunliang detected the underlying meaning in his words. The key phrase being, "bring Director Mei along," indicating Qin Zhengyang’s confusion about the disciplinary action against him, possibly doubting if there were issues between Xu Chunliang and Mei Ru Xue.
Xu Chunliang replied, "I don’t have time, and my situation is rather sensitive now; you should avoid meeting me."
Qin Zhengyang wasn’t upset at the refusal; instead, he appreciated Xu Chunliang’s tactfulness and thoughtfulness towards friends.
Xu Chunliang apologized again, mentioning that many things at Hu Shan Town remained unresolved, needing Qin Zhengyang’s help to manage the aftermath.
Qin Zhengyang was waiting for him to say that. Xu Chunliang had an office at the town hall; if he didn’t bring this up himself, it would seem heartless for Qin Zhengyang to get rid of it. Xu Chunliang mentioning it voluntarily showed his wisdom.
Just after ending the conversation with Qin Zhengyang, Xu Chunliang’s grandfather called, telling him to return home early tonight as Gao Xinhua and Tong Guangsheng would be visiting.
Xu Chunliang guessed Gao Xinhua was coming regarding his situation; every time he faced an issue, Gao Xinhua would step up, even though he and Gao Xiaobai lacked chemistry, Gao Xinhua’s care never waned.
Xu Chunliang thought that it wasn’t hidden from his grandfather now, and considered how his grandfather was never keen on his job at the Bureau of Culture and Tourism, feeling it was not serious work. In his grandfather’s view, the right path in life is healing people, and nothing compares to it.
Due to Qin Zhengyang’s call, he pondered again about Mei Ru Xue. He didn’t want Mei Ru Xue to know about this incident. Despite claiming to rely on Mei Ru Xue for protection, men have their pride and often wish to show the best side of themselves to their loved ones, not wanting their down-and-out state to be seen.
But Mei Ru Xue’s behavior was a bit unusual this time; even when busy with intense learning, she could’ve found time to call. Coincidentally, since the incident at the Bureau, Mei Ru Xue hadn’t reached out, and Xu Chunliang hadn’t contacted her either, deciding to wait until the matter settled.
Just as Xu Chunliang walked through the gate of Hidden Lake Villa, Fan Lidada called with unexpected news: Fu Guomin hadn’t returned to Capital City. When about to leave, he was detained, reportedly for unclear accounts during his tenure at the Beijing Office, implicating Dongzhou Hotel’s Li Xiumei.
Fan Lidada sounded tense, despite having no direct ties to the Beijing Office, fearing Fu Guomin wouldn’t have a chance to recover this time. In the bureaucratic system, there are two mistakes one mustn’t make: financial issues and lifestyle misconduct; the former is more severe. Both seemed to concern Fu Guomin this time.
Fan Lidada kept the call brief, just updating Xu Chunliang on developments, cautioning him not to assume everything would settle once disciplinary actions were issued. He predicted Dongzhou Barbecue was merely an appetizer, and more events would follow.
The news affected Xu Chunliang, although Fu Guomin’s economic issues at the Beijing Office were unrelated to him, some people would face trouble.
As Fan Lidada suggested, Dongzhou Barbecue being pushed forward is just a taste; with Fu Guomin’s ever-increasing issues, Dongzhou’s atmosphere is now clouded.
Secretary Zhou sat in his office exceptionally calm; the phone rang twice, but he didn’t answer, allowing direct calls from very few people. He ignored them because the sudden subway collapse incident disrupted his plans, even drove him to make an erroneous decision.
If he had anticipated the current outcome at the time of the accident, he wouldn’t have agreed to divert attention. But then, no one could assure the extent the collapse would develop into, with his intense focus on the subway Line 2 project, integral to Dongzhou’s public welfare.
When Dongzhou’s subway Phase 2 was approved, domestic dissent emerged, arguing Dongzhou was merely a prefecture-level city undeserving of multiple subway lines. Critics even questioned Dongzhou’s city status and raised GDP concerns. Yet, enduring the pressure, he accomplished it; Dongzhou’s urban construction had just begun, following lines three and four, there would also be five, six, seven, and eight; the subway is a long-term plan with Phase 2 as merely the start, not the end.
Secretary Zhou valued the hard-won subway projects, repeatedly stressing safety concerns. Yet what he feared appeared; post-incident he scrambled to remedy, suppressing exposure, to prevent negative impact from broadening.
Now it seems this incident was overstated; nonetheless, no one sees the future.
With the final trapped person rescued, the subway collapse incident settled, and Secretary Zhou considered compensating Fu Guomin, only for Fu to be probed on economic issues.
Secretary Zhou glanced at his empty teacup, an indication it’s time for a refill.
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