While Cheng Jemin was secretly pondering Mo Xinhua's thoughts, Mo Xinhua was actually observing Cheng Jemin as well. As the head of the finance department, Mo Xinhua paid more attention to the changes in the department than the average person.
The one-pen system for finance meant that the head of the finance department had to win the trust of the main leaders; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to hold his position for long. Chen Binnan's sudden transfer surprised Mo Xinhua, but he wasn't overly panicked, as the head of the department was Li Zhonghua.
As someone trusted by Director Li, Mo Xinhua could sit back and watch the power struggle, observing the changes in the department from a distance. Lu Jinzhong's attempts to indirectly curry favor with Zhao Huazhong by pressuring Cheng Jemin were not lost on him, but he took no action. To him, Cheng Jemin was just a lucky recent graduate. Now that Chen Binnan was gone, it was only natural for Cheng Jemin to fall out of favor.
As for Cheng Jemin slapping Lu Jinzhong, Mo Xinhua felt a sense of schadenfreude. Of course, he was glad for Lu Jinzhong, who would likely lose face in the department. As for Cheng Jemin, he didn't even have the time to care.
However, what Mo Xinhua didn't expect was that this young man, who had been Chen Binnan's secretary for only half a year, would receive strong support from Director Li Zhonghua when everyone thought he was about to fall from grace.
Was it due to his own efforts, or Chen Binnan's influence? Although he couldn't figure out the reason, Mo Xinhua decided to change his attitude toward Cheng Jemin. Young people, when given a little face, would shine brightly. During their brief interaction, Cheng Jemin responded warmly to his enthusiasm, which made Mo Xinhua realize that this young man was not to be underestimated.
Could it be that I've underestimated him all along? This thought flashed through Mo Xinhua's mind, and his usual reserve diminished. His expression softened, and his thoughts became more active. After another cup of tea, Mo Xinhua took out a card from his drawer and said, "Brother, a friend of mine runs a liquor store and gave me some discount cards to help him expand his business. I hope you can take care of his business in the future!"
Holding the elegant card, Cheng Jemin understood the implications. When he was Chen Binnan's secretary, he had seen such cards. Although they had only been around for a short time, they were highly sought after in their circle. Everyone knew their purpose: with the card, one could receive a certain amount of cigarettes and alcohol at designated places.
"Thank you, Director Mo. I will definitely visit when I have the chance. But, isn't it putting the cart before the horse for me to accept this?" Cheng Jemin expressed his gratitude as he put the card away.
The two men laughed knowingly. Cheng Jemin then changed the subject, "Director Mo, Director Li is waiting. How about I finish my work and then invite you for a drink?"
"Right, Director Li is busy. We can't keep him waiting." Mo Xinhua called out to the outer office, "Ask Director Lu to come in."
When Lu Jinzhong hesitantly pushed the door open, Mo Xinhua said sternly, "Old Lu, Director Cheng has come to get the receipts that Director Chen didn't sign. He said they are with you. Please find them and send them to Director Li for his signature."
"Director, I... I..." Lu Jinzhong knew that if he handed over those receipts to Li Zhonghua for signature, he would be finished.
But as he stammered, trying to delay, Mo Xinhua coldly said, "The reimbursement process for department leaders is strict. Director Chen had completed all the necessary procedures before he left. I don't understand why you didn't mention this earlier and now suddenly have a pile of unsigned receipts. How do you think the leaders will view our department's work?"
Although Mo Xinhua's voice was not loud, it carried weight, leaving Lu Jinzhong speechless and extremely embarrassed.
"Director, Director Cheng, I... I made a mistake yesterday. Please... please..."
Cheng Jemin understood what Lu Jinzhong was trying to do. However, he couldn't be lenient with such a two-faced person. He didn't know how long he could rely on Li Zhonghua, but he couldn't miss this opportunity to establish his authority.
Mo Xinhua used this as an excuse to deal with Lu Jinzhong, and Cheng Jemin didn't hesitate. He ignored Lu Jinzhong and directly targeted Mo Xinhua, "Director Mo, Director Li asked me to get these from you. If you don't want to give them to me, I'll have to report to Director Li and ask him to come get them himself."
What a perfect match! Mo Xinhua had a deep resentment toward his deputy, Lu Jinzhong, who was always scheming to take his position. Such a shameless person deserved a lesson. "Director Lu, please take this seriously. It's time to stop joking around. Hand over those receipts now, or come with me to see Director Li!"
Seeing Mo Xinhua's firm attitude, Lu Jinzhong's last bit of hope vanished. He couldn't say anything more and walked out of Mo Xinhua's office with heavy steps.
After the door closed, Cheng Jemin and Mo Xinhua exchanged a quick glance and smiled knowingly, as if everything was understood without words.
Two minutes later, Cheng Jemin strode out of the finance department's office with the receipts he had slapped on Lu Jinzhong's face the previous day. Mo Xinhua and his staff saw him off warmly.
In the same finance department, for the same few pieces of paper, he received vastly different treatment. Reflecting on his experience, Cheng Jemin felt a mix of emotions.
Director Li Zhonghua's office was not far away. When Cheng Jemin reached the secretary's office, the secretary, who had some connection with him, was not there. After a moment's hesitation, Cheng Jemin knocked on Director Li's door.
A voice filled with authority came from inside. Cheng Jemin gently pushed the door open and found that he was not alone with Director Li; Deputy Director Zhao Huazhong was also there.
"Good day, Director Li, Deputy Director Zhao." Cheng Jemin stood respectfully and greeted the two leaders.
Zhao Huazhong smiled lightly, as if conveying a kind gesture. Li Zhonghua, however, grunted, "What is it?"
"Director, these are the receipts for Director Chen's last business trip, totaling 246 yuan." Cheng Jemin approached Li Zhonghua and handed over the receipts.
Li Zhonghua glanced at the receipts and quickly signed them. After signing, he suddenly said, "Comrade Lu Jinzhong is very meticulous!"
Cheng Jemin was taken aback but quickly realized that Li Zhonghua was speaking with a hidden meaning. Since taking office, Li Zhonghua rarely commented on subordinates, but when he did, it always caused a stir. Some praised him, some were relieved, some were worried, and some cursed him. Some called him a political assassin, others a strong leader, and still others a cold political strategist. But everyone had to admit: Li Zhonghua was a formidable leader.
While Cheng Jemin was pondering Li Zhonghua's words, Zhao Huazhong interjected, "Yes, Comrade Lu Jinzhong is very diligent and responsible. He is a promising young talent. Director Li, I think we should give him more responsibilities. Last month, Old Chen from the union mentioned that he was struggling to manage the union's work alone. Given his age, we should provide him with a capable assistant. Transferring Comrade Lu Jinzhong to the union would be a good use of his talents."
Cheng Jemin knew exactly what the union was. In the Water Resources Department, the union's main responsibility was to distribute apples and fish during holidays. They had no control over the procurement of these items.
This place was essentially a dead-end job. As the deputy head of the finance department, Lu Jinzhong had more power than many department heads. Transferring him to the union, while not changing his rank, would significantly reduce his influence.
Cheng Jemin was not surprised by Li Zhonghua's move to suppress Lu Jinzhong, but he was puzzled by Zhao Huazhong's harsh treatment of Lu Jinzhong, especially since Lu Jinzhong had used him as a stepping stone to curry favor with Zhao Huazhong.
"Right, for such a meticulous comrade, we should give him more responsibilities. Let's discuss this at the office meeting this afternoon," Li Zhonghua smiled and agreed with Zhao Huazhong's suggestion.
Seeing Li Zhonghua's smile, Cheng Jemin suddenly understood: Zhao Huazhong was sacrificing a pawn to protect the king, making a solemn statement to Li Zhonghua that he had no intention of forming his own faction or challenging the authority of the top leader.
Cheng Jemin's gaze swept over the two men, and he adopted a respectful demeanor. Li Zhonghua ignored him and didn't return the receipts. Instead, he and Zhao Huazhong discussed some work matters, after which Zhao Huazhong left.
As Zhao Huazhong passed by Cheng Jemin, he patted his shoulder and smiled warmly, "Little Cheng, you have great potential. Enduring humiliation will lead to great success."
Zhao Huazhong's smile was warm, but Cheng Jemin, who had memorized the contents of the diary, knew that this man was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Despite his friendly demeanor, he might already hate Cheng Jemin to the core.
Thinking of this, Cheng Jemin recalled the experiences of the diary's author. Although Zhao Huazhong was not among those who had oppressed him, his shadow seemed to loom over every event. In the diary, this man seemed to be moving further away from the Water Resources Department, but his influence remained. If he hated Cheng Jemin so much when he was just Chen Binnan's secretary, how much more would he hate him now? A leader who couldn't protect his allies would lose face, and Zhao Huazhong must hate him even more.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Cheng Jemin's expression became more composed, though his mind was in turmoil.
"Thank you, Deputy Director Zhao. I still have much to learn."
PS: I call on all my brothers to click, recommend, and collect with even more enthusiasm!