Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

At 7:30 p.m., Gao Yuliang had just put down his copy of *Zizhi Tongjian* in his study when the doorbell rang. Wu Huifen went to open the door, and a slightly surprised voice came from inside, "Oh my, Minister Chunlin? What a rare guest!"

Gao Yuliang came out of the study and saw Wu Chunlin standing at the door with a smile, carrying an exquisite wooden box in one hand and a bottle of Moutai in the other.

"Old Gao, did I disturb you?" Wu Chunlin said with a smile. "I was just passing by and remembered that it's been a long time since I had a drink with you, so I came up to check on you."

A knowing glint flashed in Gao Yuliang's eyes, but his face remained warm and welcoming. "Don't say I'm bothering you, please come in! Huifen, Minister Chunlin is here, please bring a bowl and chopsticks."

Wu Huifen was a smart woman. She could tell from the situation that the two had something to talk about. While taking the things Wu Chunlin brought, she smiled and said, "You two chat, I'll go cook some dishes to go with the drinks. Minister Chunlin is in for a treat today, I just made some braised beef yesterday."

"That's wonderful!" Wu Chunlin didn't stand on ceremony and walked to the living room sofa, sitting down with practiced ease. "Old Gao, your home is still so elegant. These calligraphy and paintings... are they new?"

Gao Yuliang brewed him some tea. "It was a gift from an old friend. It's not the work of a famous calligrapher, but the calligraphy is quite good."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wu Huifen quickly served four small dishes: braised beef, cucumber salad, fried peanuts, and a small dish of pickled radish. Quite simple.

"You all enjoy your drinks. I'm going back to my room now." Wu Huifen set out the bowls and chopsticks and tactfully left the living room.

Wu Chunlin opened the Moutai he had brought, and a rich aroma of liquor wafted out. "Old Gao, how long has it been since we sat down for a proper drink like this? I remember the last time was last year on your birthday."

"Yes, it's been almost a year." Gao Yuliang took the wine glass. "You're a very busy person, the Organization Minister, in charge of the positions of hundreds of thousands of cadres in the province. It's hard to even get a drink with you."

"Busy as I am, I can't forget my old friends no matter how busy I am." Wu Chunlin raised his glass. "Come on, let's have a toast."

"Let's have a drink." Gao Yuliang clinked glasses with him, and the two drank it all in one gulp.

After three cups of wine, the atmosphere gradually warmed up. Wu Chunlin picked up a piece of braised beef, chewed a few times, and suddenly sighed.

"Old Gao, how many years have I worked in the Organization Department?" Wu Chunlin said, putting down his chopsticks.

Gao Yuliang's heart skipped a beat; he knew the main topic was coming. "Including the time he spent as a vice minister, it must have been ten years, right?"

"A full eleven years and four months," Wu Chunlin said precisely. "From deputy director, director, deputy minister, to minister, I climbed the ranks step by step. Organizational work is all about procedures and rules. Who should be promoted, who shouldn't be promoted, and when to promote—all of these must be done according to the rules."

Wu Chunlin took a sip of his drink, his voice low and somber, "But ever since Secretary Sha came, my job as the Organization Minister... sigh, it's so frustrating!"

Gao Yuliang remained calm and asked, "What's wrong? Does Secretary Sha have a different opinion on organizational work?"

"It's more than just differing opinions!" Wu Chunlin slapped his thigh.

"Old Gao, you know about the cadre adjustment list our Organization Department submitted a while ago, right? One hundred and twenty people, all investigated, discussed, and brought to a meeting according to procedure. And what happened? They didn't even consult me, just froze it at the Standing Committee meeting, saying a comprehensive new investigation was needed. This is a slap in the face to our Organization Department, implying our work wasn't thorough and the submitted list was problematic!"

Wu Chunlin became increasingly agitated as he spoke, "Frozen it then, he's the Party Secretary, it's normal for him to have different opinions. But you should have consulted me, the Organization Minister, beforehand! Announcing it directly at the Standing Committee meeting without any prior notice, what do you take our Organization Department for? What do you take those cadres who were reassigned for?"

Gao Yuliang nodded. "I remember that. It was indeed a bit sudden at the time."

"Suddenly?" Wu Chunlin smiled wryly. "Am I just a figurehead as the organization minister? Such a big matter, and I don't even have the right to know? If the higher-ups find out, they'll think I, the organization minister, messed things up and didn't do a good job of the investigation!"

Wu Chunlin poured himself another glass of wine and downed it in one gulp. "Then I thought, 'Oh well, he's the new Party Secretary, he needs to establish his authority. I'll just have to suffer a little. I still have to do my job, and I have to cooperate.' But what happened? Not long after, he did something even more ruthless!"

"You mean easy to learn?" Gao Yuliang understood immediately.

"Yes! It's Yi Xuexi!" Wu Chunlin put down his wine glass. "A division-level cadre, directly promoted from the secretary of the Luzhou Crescent Lake Scenic Area Party Committee to the secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, which is a full-fledged department-level position! That's too much of a promotion! What's even more outrageous is that at the Standing Committee meeting, Secretary Sha not only recommended Yi Xuexi, but also recommended Mao Ya's tea."

Wu Chunlin leaned forward and lowered his voice, "Old Gao, do you know how much Mao Ya's tea is selling for per pound right now? I had someone check, and it's already been speculated up to nearly 100,000! 100,000! Per pound of tea! Do you believe there's nothing fishy going on here?"

Gao Yuliang seemed thoughtful. "I've heard about this too; the price is a bit outrageous. But tea is all about branding and hype, maybe..."

"Maybe what?" Wu Chunlin interrupted him. "Mao Ya grows her own tea, she copies it herself, what brand hype is there? Is it appropriate for the wife of a municipal discipline inspection commission secretary to sell tea at such high prices? Moreover, Secretary Sha publicly recommended it at the Standing Committee meeting, what does that mean? A disguised GG?"

Wu Chunlin paused, his voice even lower, "Some people are saying that Yi Xuexi's promotion was due to this tea. Of course, I have no evidence, but what kind of impact will this kind of rumor have on the atmosphere among cadres in Handong?"

Gao Yuliang took a sip of his drink but did not respond immediately.

Seeing that Gao Yuliang remained silent, Wu Chunlin continued to pour out his grievances, "I can tolerate all of these things. Organizational work is about obeying the secretary's leadership. But this time, with Chen Hai, I simply can't stand it anymore!"

"A deputy director-general violated organizational procedures by leaking information privately, leading to such serious consequences—seven police officers injured or killed! What kind of behavior is this? This is a serious violation of discipline! And what was the result? What was Secretary Sha's attitude? He downplayed the matter and made it disappear! He even set up a joint investigation team, clearly just trying to stall for time and let it all go!"

"Old Gao, you're the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and you used to be the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission. Tell me, can this kind of mistake be let off lightly?" Wu Chunlin stared at Gao Yuliang. "If Chen Hai isn't dealt with this time, who will take organizational discipline seriously in the future? Who will take work procedures seriously? How can I, as the Organization Minister, manage cadres?"

Gao Yuliang finally spoke, "Chen Hai's actions were indeed excessive. I will not agree to leniency."

"That's right!" Wu Chunlin slammed his hand on the table. "Old Gao, that's what I wanted to talk to you about today. You're the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and you also have personnel power. If we work together, Chen Hai must be dealt with seriously at the next Standing Committee meeting! We can't let some people think that just because they transferred someone, they can get special treatment and break the rules!"

Gao Yuliang did not immediately express his opinion, but slowly chewed on the peanuts, seemingly thinking about something.

Wu Chunlin waited a moment, and seeing that Gao Yuliang remained silent, he grew anxious. "Old Gao, say something! We've known each other for so many years, don't you trust me?"