In officialdom: After she left, I rose rapidly through the ranks!

Without needing Director Gao's reply, just from hearing Director Gao's words, Chen Jingcheng knew that the rumor was completely unfounded.

Li Biao could not possibly be Secretary Zhao's illegitimate son.

"Director Gao, there are indeed many people spreading such rumors, but in the end, they all treat it as a joke. Especially since Secretary Li Biao has a bad temper and Secretary Zhao's power in Linchuan County is growing, fewer and fewer people are talking about it."

"However, some people still speculate about the relationship between Li Biao and Secretary Zhao. After all, if there really wasn't some extremely close relationship, Secretary Zhao probably wouldn't have promoted Li Biao so much."

indeed so.

For Secretary Zhao, no matter how much he doesn't care, he is still the county party secretary, and one who wants to climb higher. Naturally, he will pay a lot of attention to his image and reputation.

However, Li Biao's rapid promotion clearly gave people something to criticize. In particular, if Li Biao were truly capable, it would be one thing, but he is an extremely mediocre person. How long has he been the secretary of Hongkou Town? The economic scale of Hongkou Town has not only failed to improve, but has instead shown a downward trend.

The people of Hongkou Town did not seem to be very satisfied with Secretary Li Biao.

However, even under these circumstances, Secretary Zhao not only protected Li Biao, but also included him in the list of candidates for deputy division-level positions and recommended him to higher authorities.

This is probably how she would treat her own son.

Director Gao glanced out the window, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Li Biao and Secretary Zhao are not related by blood, nor are they relatives."

That's all I can tell you right now. I can't say I know everything about the situation, but it's not the right time for you to know these things. Knowing too much might not be good for you.

"In short, you can't go wrong if you do things the way the county magistrate wants."

"Alright, it's getting late, Jingcheng. There's nothing else for now. You can go back and eat, and then rest for a while. Or you can eat in the cafeteria. It's up to you."

Chen Jingcheng then left Director Gao's office, but instead of going home, he stayed at the government office canteen for a meal.

Along the way, Chen Jingcheng attracted many curious glances. Everyone was looking at Chen Jingcheng, wanting to see what kind of person he was that Li Feitu trusted and valued so much. Of course, after all, this was the county government compound, and the people who worked here knew at least one thing better than others: the ins and outs of officialdom.

Chen Jingcheng, at least until Li Feitu was brought down, was indeed someone they all had to treat with caution.

Chen Jingcheng ignored these opinions. If he couldn't stand these stares, then he shouldn't think about anything else.

Nothing much happened in the afternoon. In the evening, before leaving get off work, Chen Jingcheng went to County Chief Li's office. County Chief Li had something to do that evening and left work on time, without asking Chen Jingcheng to accompany him.

Chen Jingcheng, on the other hand, had nothing to do and could leave work as usual.

When Chen Jingcheng arrived, he rode his bicycle, and when he returned, he naturally rode his bicycle back as well.

However, it would be a lie to say that nothing really happened.

Starting in the afternoon, Chen Jingcheng received more than one invitation to dinner, either in his office or on his phone.

Chen Jingcheng refused everything without offending anyone or saying anything unpleasant. He simply said that he had just become County Magistrate Li's secretary and dared not leave his post easily. He said that things like eating and drinking would have to wait until later.

However, there were two invitations that Chen Jingcheng could not refuse.

Those are his two childhood friends, Guo Hu and Liu Fei. Both of them are Chen Jingcheng's childhood friends, but they are both older than Chen Jingcheng. Guo Hu is five years older than Chen Jingcheng and is already twenty-eight years old. He works at the Nancheng Police Station.

Liu Fei is 25 years old and now works on a construction site with his uncle.

Despite their significant age difference, they have a very close relationship. They were both young and impetuous in the past, fighting, swearing, drinking, and staying up all night together. In short, their bond is extremely strong.

Most importantly, all three of them are very loyal to each other, which is why they can hang out together.

Today, everyone who calls Chen Jingcheng does so because he is the county magistrate's secretary, whether it's out of friendship or something else. Only Guo Hu and Liu Fei, even if they knew Chen Jingcheng's current status, would only think that their brother is awesome and would be genuinely happy for Chen Jingcheng.

The person who called to ask him to drink was none other than Liu Fei.

When the three of them were in Linchuan County, they often drank together, but Chen Jingcheng spent the least money. Out of ten times, it was considered good if Chen Jingcheng could pay twice. It wasn't that Chen Jingcheng was stingy, but Guo Hu and Liu Fei knew that Chen Jingcheng's financial situation wasn't very good, so they would always rush to pay the bill.

Today, it was Liu Fei who made the call. He had finished working on the construction site and was back to rest. Chen Jingcheng didn't have anything else to do, so he agreed without hesitation.

The chosen location wasn't a restaurant or anything like that; it was just in Liu Fei's courtyard.

A dilapidated bungalow courtyard became the base camp for Chen Jingcheng and his two companions.

This is Liu Fei's father's house. As for his mother, Liu Fei naturally knows where she is. However, years of disappointment have left him with no feelings for the woman who abandoned him and his father.

When Chen Jingcheng arrived, a table had already been set up under the eaves of the small courtyard.

A copper pot was placed on the table, and various meats and vegetables were washed and chopped next to it. Liu Fei was in the kitchen next door frying peanuts.

Upon seeing Chen Jingcheng arrive, Liu Fei burst into laughter, overjoyed.

"Jingcheng, let's have hot pot today. Don't worry, it's all your and Tiger's favorite dishes."

"However, I'm quite surprised that you agreed to come to dinner so quickly, and that you actually came."

"If I remember correctly, ever since you went to work in the township, you haven't come back for ten days or half a month at a time. Today, you really gave me a surprise."

Liu Fei was busy in the kitchen. He was about 1.8 meters tall but very thin. Even working on the construction site hadn't made him build any muscle. However, being thin didn't mean he was weak. When Liu Fei was a teenager, he could chase after more than a dozen thugs by himself with a brick in hand. Therefore, Liu Fei was known for his ferocity and had a certain reputation in Linchuan County.

Similarly, Guo Hu, who has not yet arrived, is also the same, and even more famous than Liu Fei.

Standing at 1.9 meters tall, with arms thicker than most people's thighs, that alone gives him an intimidating presence that makes him someone you don't want to mess with.

Of the three, Chen Jingcheng was relatively unknown. It wasn't that Chen Jingcheng was afraid to fight them, but rather that the other two were so famous that sometimes Chen Jingcheng didn't even need to do anything.

Chen Jingcheng walked into the kitchen with a smile, but before he could say anything, he frowned.

"Liu Fei, what happened to your neck? And your arm, what happened?"