Official excuse: I've put you on patrol in Handong, and the whole province is in a panic.

Liu Ziming paused, turned to look at Su Zhe, and still smiled: "Team Leader Su, is there something you need?"

Su Zhe said calmly, "May I ask why you are late? Why didn't you ask me or Li Wei for leave beforehand?"

Liu Ziming's smile froze for a moment.

He didn't expect Su Zhe to ask so directly in public, and in such a serious tone.

All eyes in the conference room turned to him.

Yang Hong shook his head slightly.

Young people are just so hot-tempered!

Such a small matter...

Is that so?

Judging from Liu Ziming's attitude, he was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Why did you bump into him like that?

What if they get angry? Will you still be able to keep your job?

Liu Ziming quickly regained his nonchalant expression, even with a hint of a playful grin: "Team Leader Su, it's not that serious, is it? It's just a work meeting. You're the team leader, and I'm just the deputy team leader. Whether I'm there or not, the meeting will still go on, won't it? I was just a little late, it won't affect anything!"

Su Zhe looked at him, his face expressionless, but his eyes were cold.

"Work discipline is work discipline. Our work group has a special task and strict requirements; we can't just coast along or get by like this."

Su Zhe said calmly, "Comrade Liu Ziming, please answer my questions. Why didn't you ask for leave? Why were you late? Was it because our meeting notice wasn't delivered properly, or was it due to your personal reasons? If it's your fault, please make a self-criticism to all your comrades right now, and promise to strictly abide by work discipline in the future and never do it again."

Liu Ziming's expression changed.

He is 39 years old this year and has become a section chief in the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. Relying on his family's connections, he usually does a slacking job, often arriving late or leaving early, and he will push off work or try to get by.

This time, the old man in the family went to great lengths to use his connections to get him into this seemingly important "Special Governance Work Leading Group," and even gave him the position of deputy group leader. He just wanted him to go down there to gain some "grassroots work experience" and "participation in major tasks" qualifications so that he could be promoted to deputy director level when he returned.

After all, a 39-year-old division chief, while not the worst in a ministry, is certainly not good either, especially for someone with such connections; it's a bit unreasonable.

The company has been keeping quiet about it because he's just too disappointing.

Liu Ziming was extremely unwilling to come out this time.

Where in Handong is it more comfortable than Yanjing?

I heard the work is quite busy!

So he was harboring a lot of resentment, and today he deliberately dawdled and was late for the meeting—it was all because of that lingering dissatisfaction...

He thought that since he was a deputy group leader and came from a powerful ministry like the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, this young group leader should at least give him some face and turn a blind eye.

Unexpectedly, Su Zhe showed no mercy and made him apologize in public!

The meeting room was completely silent.

Everyone looked at Liu Ziming, then at Su Zhe.

Liu Ziming felt his face burning; he was utterly humiliated in front of everyone.

A surge of anger suddenly rose up.

He dropped his playful grin and raised his voice: "Su Zhe, is this such a small matter that you have to make such a big deal out of it? A self-criticism? Who do you think you are? Do you think I wanted to be in this lousy work group? If you're so capable, kick me out! I don't want to work here anymore!"

As soon as he said that, several gasps of surprise rippled through the conference room.

That's outrageous!

Su Zhe looked at Liu Ziming and suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, even a little cold.

"Okay." Su Zhe nodded, his tone flat. "Since Comrade Liu Ziming himself made this request, then I agree. Please leave the meeting room and the working group now. You have been removed from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's special task force for combating corruption in Handong."

"What?!" Liu Ziming was stunned, he could hardly believe his ears.

The conference room was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned.

The previously relaxed state of everyone instantly tensed up, and everyone sat up straight, staring wide-eyed at Su Zhe.

They never expected this young team leader to be so ruthless and merciless! He kicked out a deputy team leader with just a single sentence?

This...this is even more arrogant than Liu Ziming!

Even those who were originally reluctant to take notes started scribbling in their notebooks... No matter what they wrote, the important thing was to take it seriously.

Yang Hong couldn't sit still any longer.

He was, after all, the deputy team leader, and his age and seniority spoke for themselves. The meeting hadn't even started, and internal conflict had already erupted, escalating to the point of considering dismissing the deputy team leader. What kind of talk would that make? The working group hadn't even gone out yet, and they were already throwing themselves into disarray?

"Team Leader Su," Yang Hong advised, "Director Liu's lateness was inappropriate, and his attitude was also problematic. However, our team is about to begin its work, and internal unity is crucial. Perhaps... we should postpone it for now?"

Yang Hong's words, from the perspective of the overall work situation, also gave both sides a way out.

When Liu Ziming heard Yang Hong speak up for him, he seemed to straighten up a bit. Although he didn't say anything more, the "what can you do to me?" expression reappeared on his face.

Su Zhe glanced at Yang Hong and smiled.

"Team Leader Yang, if we don't do a good job of ideological work and discipline, how can we carry out our work effectively and complete the tasks assigned by the organization with such a disorganized and undisciplined team? If they can be late without reason and talk back to the team leader today, won't they leak secrets and interfere with the investigation tomorrow? One bad apple spoils the whole bunch. We can't let this set a precedent."

After speaking, Su Zhe stopped looking at Chen Bin and turned his gaze back to Liu Ziming's face. His voice turned cold: "Comrade Liu Ziming, please leave now. Our meeting must continue."

Liu Ziming was completely enraged.

He was always a spoiled brat, and at work, his superiors always gave him a wide berth. He had never been treated like this before.

What's more, being publicly kicked out by someone so much younger than yourself...

Where do I put my face now?!

"I'm not leaving!"

Liu Ziming, his neck stiff and his voice filled with anger, said, "What can you do to me? You think you're so great just because you're a team leader? Do you know who my dad is? My dad is Liu Mingchuan from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism! A vice-ministerial level official! You, a mere working group, really think you can act like you have a throne? You're just a deputy director-general level official! Who do you think you are?"

In this capital city of Yanjing, one brick could take down three deputy directors! Who do you think you are?

He practically shouted these words, and his voice echoed throughout the conference room.

The son of the Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism.

Many people felt a chill run down their spines.

This background is certainly not simple. No wonder he's so arrogant.

Su Zhe shook his head, a cold smile flashing across his mind.

Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism? A vice-ministerial level official, who is a powerful regional official in local areas and a senior leader in the ministry.

But... so what?