Me! A high-ranking official!

He had already prepared the medicinal ingredients for Zhou Qingyan, and the knife of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection had been sharpened until it bled. The ensuing battle of the titans and the reshuffling of power were beyond the reach of a low-ranking clerk like him.

But he didn't feel much relief at escaping death; instead, he felt a heavy weight in his heart.

Du Yu, and the mysterious boss who hides behind the scenes and uses extraordinary means to create the perfect divorce certificate.

These two people, or rather this force, are like a Damocles' sword hanging over his and Zhou Qingyan's heads. They can forge files that are so realistic that they definitely have the most fatal truth about the whole thing. If they want, they can tear off that fig leaf at any time and give him and Zhou Qingyan an extremely fatal blow at the most critical moment!

Even if Zhou Qingyan rises to a high position in the future, as long as these two loosen their grip, even a provincial or ministerial level official could be shattered to pieces by this bombshell.

"The feeling of having your fate in someone else's hands is fucking awful..."

He rubbed his rough face, his eyes gradually turning sinister. Although the Easy Talisman in the system was ridiculously expensive, he couldn't borrow it now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be able to in the future. Once he had enough leverage, the first thing he would do was to eradicate this hidden danger completely!

He found a secluded corner, called Zhou Qingyan to report the matter, returned to the Yuepeng Hotel, and went to sleep.

Around 4 p.m., my phone suddenly vibrated. It was an unfamiliar landline number, and judging from the area code, it was from the old county government compound.

"Hello, is this Comrade Zhao Jianguo?" The voice on the other end was a slightly languid female voice, with the background noise of a TV drama playing softly.

"Yes, that's me. And who are you?"

"Oh, this is the personnel department of the county's Culture and Tourism Bureau. Xu Ling, we've received your transfer order. Could you come over to report for duty tomorrow?"

finally come!

"Okay, Director Xu, I'll be there on time tomorrow morning!" He breathed a sigh of relief, seamlessly switching his form of address from "comrade" to "director."

After hanging up the phone, he leaned against the headboard, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

He finally had an official identity and no longer had to hang in mid-air like a stray dog. But he immediately remembered something else: today was the 19th, and tomorrow was the 10th, the day of the Black Dog Farm.

If he misses tomorrow, he'll have to wait another five days, and those five days will be the deadline for Jubao Pen to repay the loan! If he doesn't manage to get enough money from the dog farm, the 20 million hole could be enough to drive him to suicide.

"What a fucking tactless choice of day." He flicked his cigarette ash with some annoyance.

On his very first day reporting to the Bureau of Culture and Tourism, he took leave to gamble on dogs? This is clearly against the rules of officialdom, and if word gets out, his reputation will be ruined.

"I'll go report for duty first, and see how deep the water is in the bureau. It's a sinecure at the deputy section chief level. I'll figure out a way to sneak out this afternoon," he secretly plotted.

The next morning, at 7:50.

As was his unwavering habit from before when he worked in the government office, Zhao Jianguo arrived at the entrance of the old county committee compound ten minutes early.

This place can be described as a living fossil in the county town. Built in the 1970s and 1980s, it covers an area of ​​more than 40 acres and contains seven or eight independent courtyards separated by red brick walls. In its heyday, this place was the power center of the entire county. Later, after the new building was built, the important departments moved away, and this place became a retirement home for a group of low-level government offices and the bureau of retired cadres.

"What are you doing?" The security guard at the gate leaned halfway out of the guard booth, holding a tea mug in his hand.

"Sir, I'm newly transferred to the Culture and Tourism Bureau today." He politely offered him a cigarette.

The old man didn't take the cigarette, waving his hand: "Reporting for duty? You're too early. The units in this compound don't clock in until 8:30. The gates aren't even open yet. You can wait at the gate for a while."

He stood there, stunned. In his years working in the county government office, he had seen those who would arrive at the office at 7:30 to mop the floor and wipe the table in order to show off to the leaders. Now, in this clean and honest government office, even clocking in was so lax.

He didn't open his eyes until 8:30.

People entered the courtyard one after another. Some were carrying groceries, some were eating half a bowl of hot dry noodles as they walked, and there was even a woman in a floral dress with a parasol, who walked out with the leisurely pace of a beach vacationer. She didn't seem to be here to work; she seemed to be here to stroll in the park!

At 8:40, he called Xu Ling in the personnel department, but no one answered.

I waited until almost nine o'clock before the second call was finally answered.

He suppressed his temper, politely introduced himself, and handed his phone to the security guard for confirmation before being allowed to pass.

Following the main road of the compound, turning left and right, until you reach the two rows of large bungalows in the far northwest corner, where the walls are peeling and some have been in disrepair for years, you will finally see the faded wooden sign of the Linshui County Culture and Tourism Bureau.

I found the personnel department's address. The door was ajar. I pushed it open and went in. There was a slightly plump woman in her forties with short hair sitting behind a computer. She was eating a big meat bun in her left hand and skillfully scrolling through short videos on her phone with her right hand.

"Hello, are you Director Xu Ling? I'm Zhao Jianguo, here to report for duty today." He put on his signature gentle smile.

"Ouch!" Xu Ling was startled. She quickly put the half-eaten bun on a piece of scrap paper, grabbed a tissue to wipe her mouth, and stood up to greet him warmly.

"Oh, it's Director Zhao! Come in, come in! I received the documents yesterday!"

Xu Ling looked him up and down, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "Our leader called yesterday to give us some instructions. Director Li of our bureau's tourism development section was diagnosed with some health issues recently and has taken long-term sick leave. This area is in dire need of someone to take charge. You're a skilled writer from the county party committee office, with rich grassroots experience. Coming here would be a perfect fit!"

"Director Xu, you're too kind. I'm still a new recruit, and I'll need your guidance." He responded politely, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

"Come on, Director Zhao, let me take you to your room to familiarize yourself with the place!" Xu Ling was a kind-hearted gossip, and she picked up her keychain and headed out.

"Okay, by the way, Director Xu, which office does our bureau chief have? I'm new here, so I need to go and report to the top leader on my first day and get some instructions." Zhao Jianguo knew the proper etiquette.

Upon hearing this, Xu Ling paused in her steps, turned around, and suddenly burst out laughing, a carefree laugh.

"Don't bother looking, the director isn't here." Xu Ling leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "Didn't County Chief Han criticize our bureau by name at the county-wide economic meeting a couple of days ago? He said that while neighboring counties are all developing small-town economies, our Linshui County's cultural tourism is stagnant. The director was criticized and couldn't save face, so yesterday morning, he took Deputy Director Guo, ostensibly to inspect some cucumber town and pear orchard town in the neighboring province, but actually..."

She covered her mouth with her hand, as if sharing some incredible secret: "Actually, I heard from Xiao Liu in the office that he used an inspection trip as an excuse to go fishing and relax at a farmhouse in the next city! He probably won't be back for the next couple of days!"

After hearing this, he couldn't help but smile knowingly.

Got it, this is typical of a powerless government office: people aren't proactive in their work, and they sulk when they get scolded. The bureau chief goes fishing, and everyone else is enjoying the peace and quiet.