Volume 1 Chapter 26: Minister Song

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  The municipal party committee reception office is actually a hotel, but the "landlord" is just the municipal party committee office.

  As the top-rated restaurant in Xin'an City, it is crowded with people every day. Of course, this is mainly because the reception of the municipal party committee and government, as well as various bureaus and offices, are all held here.

  Meng Xiaojun didn't say a word all the way, and after getting off the car, she hastily led Meng Lin and her son to the third floor and into room 302, which had been booked in advance. In the room, Meng Qiang's wife Zhang Meiqi had been waiting for a long time, along with her nephew Zhang Kai.

  Meng Lin entered the room, smiled at Zhang Mei Qi, and she also forced a smile back, standing up to greet her. Her attitude was slightly different from before. Peng Yuanzheng, who followed Meng Lin, secretly sneered in his heart. He saw Zhang Kai's arrogant face at a glance and immediately guessed why Zhang Mei Qi had come to see her mother.

  A few people sat down and during the wait for the dishes, the atmosphere was quite dull and embarrassing.

  It's better for Meng Lin to take the initiative to ask, and Zhang Mei Qi smiled lightly, explaining her intention. The general idea is that she can help Peng Yuan Zheng change jobs, but the condition is to let Peng Yuan Zheng stay away from Cao Ying, don't destroy Zhang Kai and Cao Ying's feelings anymore.

  Zhang Mei Qi spoke with confidence and logic, certain that Meng Lin and Peng Yuan Zheng would compromise for the sake of their future.

  But unexpectedly, her words triggered a strong disgust from Meng Lin. Not to mention that her son's work problem had been solved long ago, even if it hadn't been solved, Meng Lin was a woman who valued emotions and righteousness, and she would never use her son's feelings as a bargaining chip.

  Meng Lin furrowed his brow, "Sister, I don't like hearing you say that. Who Cao Ying likes is her freedom, it's not something our family can control. If Cao Ying doesn't like Little Zhang, then even if we force them together, it won't be sweet. What's the point of that?"

  "As long as Peng Yuanzheng quits, whether Cao Ying likes me or not has nothing to do with him." Zhang Kai suddenly interjected.

  Zhang Mei Qi glanced at her nephew and calmly said, "That's all there is to it. I don't want to drag out unnecessary nonsense either. Let's just consider it a transaction - your son withdraws, and I'll arrange for him to become a reporter at the Daily News or work at the Education Bureau."

  Meng Lin's mouth curled up into a faint smile.

  She proudly turned her head to glance at her son, then turned back to Zhang Mei Qi and said softly, "Young people's affairs - we adults don't need to get involved, do we? As for the work of going on an expedition, there's no need to trouble your aunt."

  Meng Lin neatly rejected Zhang Mei Qi. Zhang Mei Qi was taken aback, somewhat unexpected, while Peng Yuan Zheng secretly applauded. At the critical moment, Mother Meng Lin still showed her elegant demeanor.

  Zhang Mei Qi unhappily lowered her face and casually put the chopsticks in her hand back on the table, making a "pa" sound.

  Zhang Kai was somewhat annoyed and angry, stood up and glared at Peng Yuanzheng with a cold smile, "Peng Yuanzheng, don't be shameless! I've already done my best to be kind and righteous, if you still don't know how to behave, don't blame me for being impolite!"

  Peng Yuanzheng had been somewhat impatient for a while, and it was only out of consideration for his mother that he suppressed his anger.

  He slammed his hand on the table and retorted coldly, "From start to finish, none of us with the surname Peng have ever offended you in the slightest. It's all been you, Zhang, stirring up trouble and bullying others just because you think you can get away with it. Who exactly is being shameless here? What can you do if I'm not polite? Let me tell you something, Zhang: since Cao Ying doesn't like you, why don't you just scram as far away as possible instead of clinging on shamelessly? Have your family's teachings been eaten by dogs or what?"

  Zhang Kai's face turned iron-green with rage, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word. When it came to eloquence, he was far inferior to Peng Yuanzheng.

  Peng Yuanzhen scolded one "Zhang" after another, and undoubtedly included Zhang Meiqi in the scolding.

  Zhang Mei Qi was furious and scolded, "You ill-mannered bear, do you really think no one can control you? If you speak out of turn again, I'll make sure you can't even stay in the county government."

  "If you were really my elder, I would have shown you respect, but unfortunately, you are not." Peng Yuanzheng sneered, "What a great deputy mayor's wife, what a great family member of a leading cadre! The people gave you power, is it to bully others with your authority?"

  "You're so capable that you can't even let me stay in the countryside, it's really a big deal... I'd like to see how you, Deputy Mayor Meng's wife, make me unable to get by!" Peng Yuanzheng's words were full of sarcasm, and he was about to say a few more sentences when his mother, Meng Lin, hastily pulled him away by the arm.

  Even if Zhang Mei Qi was not good enough, she was still her sister-in-law, Peng Yuanzheng's wife, and her son wouldn't listen to her. Moreover, although her son's work problem had been solved, the Meng family still had a lot of influence in Xin'an, and if they really fell out with Zhang Mei Qi, it would affect her son's political future.

  "Never mind, let's go, let's go, we're going." Meng Lin helplessly pulled up his son's arm and dragged Peng Yuanzheng out the door.

  Peng Yuanzheng smiled indifferently and didn't insist anymore.

  Meng Lin and her mother left, Zhang Mei Qi also took her daughter Meng Xiao Juan and nephew Zhang Kai out of the package room, ready to go home.

  In the hall, she ran into Song Bingnan, a member of the Standing Committee and Minister of Organization, and his entourage. Although her husband Meng Qiang was also a vice mayor and a municipal-level leader, he was still far inferior to Director Song in terms of status. One was a standing committee member, while the other was an ordinary vice mayor with a lower ranking in the municipal government, and their power and status were not comparable.

  "Hello, Minister Song! There's an event tonight!" Zhang Meiqi smiled respectfully and greeted Song Bingnan proactively.

  "Oh, it's Comrade Meiqi. Hello, hello!" Song Bingnan smiled faintly and shook hands with Zhang Meiqi, exchanged a brief courtesy, and then let her stand aside.

  Five deputy county-level cadres of the municipal organs in Xin'an City are going to be sent to districts and counties for poverty alleviation and tempering, and they will set out tomorrow. The Organization Department held a farewell dinner for them. As one of the bigger tasks of the Municipal Party Committee's Organization Department this year, Song Bingnan attended the dinner in person to show his importance.

  Song Bingnan and several deputy ministers had just walked into the hall accompanied by Zhou Dayong, director of the Cadre Division, when they ran into Zhang Meiqi and two others coming down the stairs, followed immediately by Meng Lin and her son.

  Zhou Dayong's eyebrows rose slightly, and he was somewhat curious about how Peng Yuanzheng ended up here, but he immediately waved his hand and greeted Peng Yuanzheng with a "Comrade Xiao Peng!"

  "Zhou Ke? Hello." Peng Yuanzheng replied.

  Song Bingnan, who was standing aside, stopped in his tracks upon hearing this. He waited until Zhou Dayong had shaken hands with Peng Yuanzhen, then stood still on the spot, smiling as he scrutinized Peng Yuanzhen deeply.

  The leader's attitude is a kind of implication.

  Zhou Dayong quickly brought Peng Yuanzheng over, and Peng Yuanzheng had already guessed that this was Song Bingnan, the head of the Organization Department of the Municipal Committee.

  He was about to smile and greet, Song Bingnan had already smiled and actively extended his hand, "Comrade Xiao Peng from Beijing University, a top-notch university graduate, returned to the city to work, contributing to the development of his hometown, good, not bad, not bad!"

  Peng Yuanzheng didn't dare to be slow, and respectfully smiled as he greeted Song Bingnan, "Hello, Minister Song!"

  Song Bingnan burst out laughing, "As it happens, we're still alumni, I studied at Jinghua University for two years... Old Li, Comrade Peng and this batch of reserve cadres have many student party members with high comprehensive quality, the personnel department must focus on cultivating them!"

  Song Bingnan said this sentence with his head turned to Li Huannan, the deputy director of the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department. Li Huannan also laughed loudly and exchanged smiles with the other two deputy directors, but a hint of strange color flashed between their eyebrows.

  Song Bingnan was a leader with a very strict style, introverted and reserved, never careless in his words. But today, seeing him warmly shaking hands with a newly assigned college student, even though he was approachable and close to the grassroots masses, it seemed somewhat unusual.

  Song Bingnan smiled and grasped Peng Yuanzheng's hand, unexpectedly standing still to encourage him for a while, which made Zhang Meiqi, who was standing on the side, stare with her mouth agape, her face looking so bad that it could squeeze out water.

  "Comrade Little Peng..."

  "Comrade Little Peng is young and promising..."

  Zhang Mei Qi's ears were filled with the organization department's leaders of all sizes following Director Song's words, praising and advising Peng Yuan Zheng, her standing body becoming increasingly stiff and numb.

  Her mind went blank for an instant, a complete whiteout.

  Song Bingnan nodded slightly towards Peng Yuanzheng and then went upstairs, followed closely by a group of people behind him.

  Zhou Dayong patted Peng Yuanzheng's shoulder hastily and said in a low voice, "Today is not convenient, I have to attend to the leader. Another day when I'm free, I'll invite you for a couple of drinks."