Lu Tao took out his mobile phone and dialed Xia Bingbing's number, and it was quickly connected, but after Lu Tao greeted her, Xia Bingbing did not respond, and only a soft sobbing sound came from the microphone.

Lu Tao waited quietly for more than a minute, and when he heard her sobbing stop, he said softly: "Chief Xia, just now Brother Ze told me all the grievances and wrongs you have suffered in the past two days. In fact, you don't have to take those false accusations and rumors to heart. Your character and work ability are well-known in the Finance Bureau, and I have seen it myself. Those who slander you and attack you can only show their meanness and shamelessness, but you can sit firmly and have no need to be afraid of them. ”

Xia Bingbing was silent for a moment, and said in a slightly hoarse tone: "Lu Tao, thank you." I would like to ask you one thing: I would like to ask you privately what happened at the five-member group meeting on Monday with Minister Fu of the Organization Department or Secretary Xie of the Commission for Discipline Inspection? Last night, I asked Deputy Director Zhou Youliang to ask Minister Fu, but Minister Fu was unwilling to tell him the details of the meeting. ”

Lu Tao's head was hot, and he rushed out: "Otherwise, I will make an appointment with Minister Fu and Secretary Xie tonight, and you can ask them face to face——"

Xia Bingbing immediately interrupted him and said, "This must not be! Lu Tao, although you are smart, you have never been involved in officialdom, so you don't know much about the rules and routines here." Now is the most sensitive time, if I have dinner with Minister Fu and Secretary Xie, if it is known, I will definitely be put on the line, saying that I have taken improper means to obtain a position for myself, and then Minister Fu and Secretary Xie will be implicated. Moreover, if you go to ask two leaders to come out to dinner with me, not only will they not agree, but they will think that you are naïve and simple-minded, which will make them have a bad impression of you. ”

Lu Tao patted his head and said a little ashamedly: "Chief Xia, I'm right, I think it's too simple, asking Minister Fu and Secretary Xie to have dinner with you at this time may indeed cause adverse effects." In this case, I will call Minister Fu and Secretary Xie respectively and ask about the situation at the meeting of the five-person group. However, I don't think they will reveal much to me, anyway, they can know as much as they can!"

Xia Bingbing said "um", thought about it and said: "Minister Fu is a person who is relatively deep and principled, and he is the head of the organization after all, and the concept of confidentiality must be stronger, so I suggest that you don't call him, I guess you can't ask him anything, so let's go directly to Secretary Xie! I also know that Secretary Xie is upright, he has no scheming and city government, and he treats his friends sincerely and warmly. ”

Lu Tao responded with a hello and said, "I'll call Secretary Xie right now." By the way, can you come out for a meal together later? It just so happens that Brother Ze is also here, and the three of us will have a meal together, and I will relay the situation that Secretary Xie told me to you when the time comes. ”

Xia Bingbing hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, you set a place and wait for me to come over." ”

Lu Tao said: "Just go to the '*' next to our local taxation bureau, which is far away from the county government and the finance bureau, and it is not easy to meet your acquaintances." ”

"Okay, you and Ozawa go first, I'll be there at six o'clock. ”

After hanging up Xia Bingbing's phone, Lu Tao immediately dialed Xie Benzhu's mobile phone number, and after connecting, he only heard Xie Benzhu say in a low voice: "Brother, I have a meeting with the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and it will take more than ten minutes to finish, wait for me to call you back!"

Lu Tao hurriedly hung up the phone and made a call to Du Xiaoyu, who was at home with his mother and sister, telling her that he had made an appointment with a friend for dinner, and that he would not go home for dinner, and asked her to talk to his mother and sister.

Subsequently, Lu Tao and Xia Yuze walked to the "*" restaurant together, and when they were about to walk to the door of the restaurant, Xie Benzhu called back and asked Lu Tao very enthusiastically if there was something wrong?

Lu Tao said: "Secretary Xie, this morning someone from your county discipline inspection commission called Xia Section Chief of the Budget Unit of the Finance Bureau to the office and asked her to explain some issues related to life style and clean government.

Xie Benzhu was taken aback, and shouted, "No one told me about this, what the hell is going on?"

Lu Tao told him about Xia Bingbing's reprimand by Du Shangwu, deputy secretary of the county party committee, yesterday and this morning, when he was investigated and questioned by the county discipline inspection commission.

After Xie Benzhu waited for him to finish, he said angrily: "Brother, this is a planned, organized, and premeditated act of intimidation and retaliation, the purpose is to threaten Xia Bingbing and make her take the initiative to withdraw from the competition with Zhang Yaling, and at the same time, I also want to hit me, County Magistrate Su, and Minister Fu, so that we can obey the 'authority' of some people, and no longer oppose his intention to promote Zhang Yaling, which is really despicable!"

Next, he didn't let Lu Tao ask again, so he told him in detail about the conflict process and results of the five-person group meeting on Monday, and finally advised: "Brother, the brewing and discussion process of the five-person group meeting is top secret, and according to the regulations, the participants are not allowed to disclose the meeting to anyone, but your brother has done me a great favor and is a humble gentleman, so I told you about the meeting." I know that you have a good relationship with Xia Bingbing, and you can selectively reveal some of the things I said to her, but please keep her secret, and never talk about these situations to anyone else. ”

Lu Tao responded with a hello, thanked him again, and after he hung up the phone, he walked into "*" with Xia Yuze, asked the waiter to arrange a private room, and sat in it and waited for Xia Bingbing to come over.

After six o'clock, Xia Bingbing walked into the box, Lu Tao looked up, and saw that her eyes were red and swollen, her brows were furrowed, and although she wore some light makeup, she still couldn't hide the humiliation and pain on her face.

After sitting down opposite Lu Tao, Xia Bingbing suddenly said to Xia Yuze: "Xiao Ze, you go to the bar outside to sit down first, I didn't tell you not to come in." ”

Xia Yuze knew that Xia Bingbing was going to ask Lu Tao about the five-person group meeting, and he didn't listen well to him, so he obediently walked out of the box and told the waiters outside not to go in for the time being.

Lu Tao knew that Xia Bingbing was in a hurry, so he went straight to the point and relayed the conflict that occurred in the five-person group meeting to her.

Xia Bingbing listened to him silently, tears flowed down unconsciously, and said in a choked voice: "Lu Tao, believe it or not, I wasn't going to trouble you, Minister Fu and Secretary Xie at the beginning, Zhang Yaling wants to be the deputy director, so let her be the deputy director." But my brother and Deputy Director Zhou Youliang both strongly persuaded me, saying that this opportunity is rare, and I can't be better than Zhang Yaling in any aspect, it's a pity if I don't fight for it, so I acquiesced to Xiao Ze to ask you for help, but I didn't expect it to end up like this, I was framed and humiliated, not to mention, but also caused Minister Fu and Secretary Xie to turn their faces with Luo Qiulin, I knew it would be like this, I insisted on my own idea at the beginning, and I didn't allow Xiao Ze to come to you!"

At this, she covered her face and sobbed again.