On the night when Li Dongfang went to Zhao Qigong's house for a light meal, He Jiaguo went to the Binjiang Hot Spring Sanatorium to visit Zhong Mingren. Although he had made an appointment with Zhong Mingren's secretary on the phone in advance, He Jiaguo still waited for a long time in the reception room outside Building No. 2. The secretary revealed that the big boss could not be idle anywhere, and wherever he lived, it was the provincial party committee, and people who came to talk about work were constantly working day and night. When He Jiaguo arrived, Zhong Mingren was talking to Chen Xiutang, secretary of the Xiushan Prefectural Party Committee, about immigration. After Chen Xiutang came out, Director Wang of the Traffic Department, who was in front of the line, went in, and talked for another half an hour. After Director Wang said goodbye, the secretary reminded that He Jiaguo arrived, and Zhong Mingren explained, let this dog baby in, and I will also take a rest.

When He Jiaguo entered the door, Zhong Mingren was twisting his waist and moving his muscles and bones, and when he saw He Jiaguo, he immediately stopped his activities, like a kind father, walked in front of He Jiaguo, stroked He Jiaguo's head with a bruised hand, and said with a smile: "Jiaguo, the comrades below told me that the head of your dog baby is not a human head, that you turn your face and don't recognize people, that you are a flower thief, you tell me, what kind of head is it?" Yes? What's in this head? It's not paste, right? ”

He Jiaguo saw that Zhong Mingren was in a good mood, so he had the courage to joke: "Uncle Zhong, I want to say that my head is full of wisdom and talent, and you want to scold me for being crazy, maybe you will be jealous, I humbly said that it is **, I am now a gun, firing everywhere, arousing official anger." ”

Zhong Mingren smiled, laughed, and asked, "Oh? Whose gun are you? ”

He Jiaguo said: "Uncle Zhong, it's not the gun in your hand anyway, you can't look down on me." ”

Zhong Mingren stopped joking, and patted He Jiaguo on the shoulder: "You are you, don't make anyone's gun, the political struggle is very complicated, not as simple as one plus one equals two." Of course, I have to be sure of your enthusiasm, your sense of justice, and your ambitions, and you are right to fire at Deng Shuanglin and Chen Zhongcheng, but you have to remember: whether you can finally solve the problem is not by your gun, but by the person who uses your gun. If people don't want to fight, you have to put your knife and gun into storage. ”

He Jiaguo was a little stunned, looked at Zhong Mingren in confusion, and waited for Zhong Mingren to explain further.

Zhong Mingren didn't say anything, sat down on the sofa, and asked He Jiaguo to sit down beside him, and after a while, he asked very kindly: "I asked Comrade Dongfang and Fanxing to bring you a message, asking you to sort out and publish your father's "Historical Manuscript of the Ancient Kingdom of Xichuan", have you moved?" Don't come to talk back to me. ”

He Jiaguo didn't know how Shen Xiaoyang had sorted out this manuscript, and he didn't dare to tell Zhong Mingren the true situation of shirking responsibility, so he smiled and said, "Uncle Zhong, I dare not carry out your supreme instructions?" I was taking time to do it, and the progress was not fast, mainly because I didn't have time, and when I became the assistant to the mayor, I was busy and dizzy. ”

Zhong Mingren said unhappily: "No matter how busy you are, don't get dizzy, the ancestor can't be lost!" This manuscript is the work of your father's life, and your father will never forget it until his death. If I hadn't spent most of the year in the cowshed with your father, I wouldn't have known so much about the history of Nishikawa. You give me the time to do it, I will take the time to write a preface in the next few days, and talk about the spirit of Xichuan in combination with history. The spirit of Xichuan is the spirit of Luoyang, the spirit of hard work, and the spirit of hard work. ”

He Jiaguo was not interested at all, but he had to respond respectfully.

It's not okay to be disrespectful to this Uncle Zhong, not because this Uncle Zhong is the secretary of the provincial party committee and the big boss of Xichuan, but because of a fate in "**". In March 1967, his father fell from the second-floor teaching building of the agricultural middle school in Shayang County, and "committed suicide in fear of sin." It was Zhong Mingren, who lived in the same cowshed, that asked his sister Zhong Mingju to take him to the countryside of Qinghu and spent four difficult years. He was only three years old when he was brought to Qinghu by Zhong Mingju, and his mother, who was an orphan of a martyr, was being imprisoned in Xiajiang Prison for the current counter-revolutionary crime because of her careless speech and criticism. If it weren't for Zhong Mingren's brother and sister's kindness, he would have become an outcast in society long ago, and it would be impossible for him to be proud today.

Except for a few old comrades and beloved relatives and friends, almost no one knows about the fate that happened in this turbulent era, Zhong Mingren occasionally talks about his father and the "Historical Manuscript of the Ancient Kingdom of Xichuan", but never mentions him, and He Jiaguo never talks about it to outsiders. Zhao Qigong knows that if it weren't for this relationship, maybe there would not be the grand wedding between him and Zhao Huizhu nine years ago. After returning from studying in the United States and becoming a doctor of economics, Li Dongfang wanted to use him, but Zhao Qigong disagreed, He Jiaguo once mustered up the courage to find Zhong Mingren once, and wanted to rely on Zhong Mingren's strong political influence to ask the organization to have a stage to show his skills. Zhong Mingren waved his hand without listening to him, disapproving of his political entry and asking him to do economic research well. He also said that as long as he was the secretary of the provincial party committee for one day, he would not allow his children to be officials in Xichuan, nor would he be allowed to do business. Later, when he came to Xichuan University to found Huamei International Investment Company, Zhong Mingren did not interfere. When Li Dongfang came to power and asked him to be the mayor's assistant, He Jiaguo didn't say anything, but he was quite worried about Zhong Mingren's attitude. Fortunately, this time Zhong Mingren somehow opened his favor, and finally did not object. Therefore, He Jiaguo's feelings for Zhong Mingren are very complicated, more of a fatherly awe than intimacy. Compared with Zhong Mingren, Li Dongfang can be intimate, even if Li Dongfang is angry, it is not terrible.

Today, it can be perceived from Zhong Mingren's attitude that this big boss of Xichuan, who is full of promises, is obviously dissatisfied with Li Dongfang, and the reason seems to be not on the issue of the international industrial park, which clearly means something else. "People don't want to fight, your knife and gun will be put into storage", what does this mean? When did Li Dongfang not want to fight? If it weren't for Li Dongfang's support, could the case of Hongfeng Mall be overturned? Can he have a showdown with Chen Zhongcheng so quickly? And the international industrial park is obviously a mistake in decision-making, Zhong Mingren just doesn't admit it, which is also very wrong, and what's even more wrong is that no one dares to mention this except for a Li Dongfang. When I came to see Zhong Mingren this time, Qian Fanxing also explained: Bald people hate selling conditioner the most! You He Jiaguo can talk about anything with the big boss, just don't mention the International Industrial Park to me. You mentioned that you are personally responsible, and it has nothing to do with our Xiajiang City**.

The deterrent effect of power and authority is terrible to such a degree!

Just thinking about it like this, a young female nurse came in to deliver medicine to Zhong Mingren, He Jiaguo was stunned for a moment, interrupted his train of thought, walked over and poured a cup of warm boiled water and handed it to Zhong Mingren, waiting for Zhong Mingren to take the medicine.

Zhong Mingren took the medicine, leaned back on the sofa with his thin body, and said again: "- Jiaguo, I don't want you to be in politics, but you have done it hard, you said that you want to serve the country and the people, this idea is very good, I have nothing to say!" However, you have to remember that serving the country and the people is not just talking, it is a price! Tangible and intangible costs. Take me as an example, in the 21 years of reform and opening up, I went from deputy secretary of the Xiajiang Municipal Party Committee to secretary of the Xichuan Provincial Party Committee. It's nothing, watching the buildings of Xiajiang and Xichuan planted one by one, and the lives of the common people are much better than twenty-one years ago, I am very satisfied. Sometimes, however, I get angry. Gas what? It's not that our people are angry, the people can pick up chopsticks to eat meat, put down chopsticks and scold their mothers. You have done a hundred good deeds, as long as you have done one bad deed, the people have the right to scold you! Why? Because you are a public servant, and you are supported by the common people! So I don't get angry at what the people say, the people scold us officials, as kind as Lao Tzu scolds his son. I'm angry with some of our cadres! Some of you cadres in Xiajiang are like this, while selling my road and creating his political achievements, they are still talking about my mistakes! What did I miss? My biggest mistake was to use the wrong cadres! Use the wrong one, and you'll bring out a batch! Like that Chen Zhongcheng, can he manage politics and law? Like that Deng Shuanglin, can he be the president of our people's court? Corruption cases come out one after another, and instead of summarizing or reviewing them, they seem to have grasped the truth and criticized others all over the world! ”

These words are like a row of cannons, majestic, but it makes it difficult for He Jiaguo to express his position.

Zhong Mingren didn't want He Jiaguo to express any attitude: "What's going on with Tian Zhuangda's case?" Why did two deputy department-level cadres confess here, and then retract their confessions there? How did our anti-corruption bureau come up empty? How did Li Dongfang, the secretary of the municipal party committee, grasp it? What did that Chen Zhong become, and he didn't change it? Why do you still let him run politics and law? ”

He Jiaguo was careful and said: "Uncle Zhong, I know, Secretary Li has difficulties, he and my former father-in-law, Comrade Zhao Qigong, have been in the team for eight years, and the steamed buns are not cooked and cannot be uncovered, and the matter is really not done until a certain extent, in fact, your provincial party committee can order Chen Zhongcheng to be taken down, Secretary Li can't wait for it!" ”

Zhong Mingren waved his hand: "I won't give this order, the provincial party committee won't give it, I want to see how many famous halls there are inside!" After that, he asked again, "Hey, Jiaguo, why did Zhao Qigong become your ex-father-in-law?" You have a new love for this? Did Li Dongfang tell you the matchmaker? ”

He Jiaguo could see that Zhong Mingren had credited this bad account to Li Dongfang, and was anxious to explain it to Li Dongfang, and his own affairs were brought over in a sentence, and then he mustered up the courage to talk about Li Dongfang: "Uncle Zhong, you may be wrong to blame Secretary Li, Secretary Li has been grasping Tian Zhuangda's case very tightly, and it is precisely because he is worried about Chen Zhongcheng that he discussed with Mayor Qian and sent me to ......assist."

Zhong Mingren hugged his arms and looked at He Jiaguo sarcastically: "What result did you help?" Yes? Was Tian Zhuangda's confession retracted after you went? Who do you think you are? Is it someone else's opponent? Jiaguo, let me tell you, don't look at you as a doctor of economics, on the experience of political struggle, you haven't graduated from elementary school yet! ”

He Jiaguo insisted: "Uncle Zhong, no matter what you say, Secretary Li is a good person......

Zhong Mingren sighed and said, "Jiaguo, this is where you are naïve!" I ask you: how many bad people are there in this world? Reform and opening up have been carried out to this day, how many bad people are still who really oppose and undermine reform? I don't think there are many. Our struggle has always been a struggle between good people, but this struggle is no less acute than the struggle against bad people. The background is often very complex, and the difficulty is naturally very great, which requires us to grasp it with superb leadership skills and political wisdom. Of course, Comrade Dongfang is a good person, I don't want to say this, I knew more than 20 years ago, but good people can still make serious mistakes! And your father-in-law,—— Oh, I should say that he is a former father-in-law, and he may not be a bad person, but he may not even be able to do those things that a bad person! ”

For a while, He Jiaguo was emotionally unacceptable, and he didn't understand whether Zhong Mingren was wrong to give him a lesson.

Zhong Mingren took a rare cigarette, slowly exhaled the smoke and said: "Jiaguo, if you hadn't been the mayor's assistant and hadn't been involved in the contradictions and conflicts of the Xiajiang, I wouldn't have said these words - in fact, even if you were the mayor's assistant, according to the organizational principles, I shouldn't have said it." But what if you don't talk about it? There is always a personal feeling in it, and I don't want to watch you dizzy and suffer. So, I'm going to spread it out with you today, and it's kind of blowing the wind! The chairman was very particular about blowing the wind back then, and as soon as the river went north and south, as soon as the wind blew several times, Lin Biao Group exploded itself. You have to think more about yourself. Jiaguo, I can tell you: So far, apart from the reckless sense of justice and the passion to serve the country and the people, I have not found any special political talent in you. Think about it again, is this assistant mayor still doing it? It's not that you have to be an official to serve the country and the people! Engaging in the economy is also serving the country and the people, paying more taxes is serving the country, and providing more employment opportunities for the society is for the people. You can even run welfare nursing homes, orphan villages, and laid-off mothers' vegetable farms, all for the people! ”

He Jiaguo never thought that the topic of the conversation would finally fall on the question of his whereabouts and stays, so he cautiously asked: "Uncle Zhong, you know, I haven't been in office for a long time, and I haven't done what I want to do, what if...... What if I want to keep going? ”

Zhong Mingren seemed to have expected He Jiaguo's attitude, and he didn't feel much surprise, and said calmly: "I won't stop you if you want to do it, and I can't stop you!" However, the reason why this wind is blowing you is because I have a promise to your father! Home and country, I won't blow this wind anymore. In the future, you should neither use me as a backer, nor engage in my investigation, nor come to me for work. Well done, for the people of Xiajiang, I praise; If I don't do it well and make a mess, I'll do business. If you are deceived one day and break the law, I will not spare you! ”

He Jiaguo nodded again and again as if he had received amnesty: "Okay, good, Uncle Zhong ......"

Zhong Mingren's face pulled and he stood up: "It's not Uncle Zhong, it's Secretary Zhong!" ”

He Jiaguo was reluctant for a while, and immediately simply changed his name to "Secretary Zhong". and reported to Secretary Zhong that he wanted to marry Xiao Ke.

At this time, Wang Peisong, deputy secretary of the provincial party committee and secretary of the provincial discipline inspection commission, came to report on his work.

He Jiaguo hurriedly took the opportunity to leave, secretly happy in his heart, he knew that if he stayed any longer, not only would he not be able to find anything new, but he would find guilt.

Zhong Mingren's last tone was cold: "Mayor He, you go back and ask Comrade Dongfang for me, I asked him to read the "Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" three times, did he read it?" If there is another mess in the international industrial park, I can't spare him! ”

He Jiaguo opened his mouth, wanting to say some of his thoughts on the International Industrial Park, and then recommended Zhong Mingren to read a few books on environmental protection, and even wanted to tell Zhong Mingren a batch of books such as "Silent Spring" and "Shaxiang Yearbook", but when he saw that Zhong Mingren had taken a copy of the materials handed by Wang Peisong, he immediately put on reading glasses and looked at it, and he didn't care about his own meaning anymore, so he had to leave quite boringly.

Walking outside the door, I overheard Wang Peisong's words: "In the past few days, they have been active very frequently!" ”

"Either the fish dies or the net breaks, they know very well about this!" The latter sentence was said by Zhong Mingren.

He Jiaguo wanted to stop and listen to a few more sentences, but he didn't have the guts. In the corridor stood the head of the security department of the Public Security Department and several plainclothes officers. Therefore, He Jiaguo not only did not stop, but subconsciously walked faster.

The political struggle was really thrilling, and when he got in the car and drove all the way back, He Jiaguo asked himself in his heart: Who is this talking about? If it is Li Dongfang, is Li Dongfang a fish or a net in this political contest? The big boss Zhong Mingren asked not without reason: Why is Chen Zhongcheng still the secretary of the Political and Legal Committee? Can't you let Chen Zhongcheng take care of something else? Did Li Dongfang talk about Zhao Qigong's struggle strategy and carry out vigilant maneuvers, or did he go along with it? These thoughts only flashed in my mind, and I immediately denied myself, if even a decent municipal party secretary like Li Dongfang can't be relied on, who else in this world can be relied on?

Zhong Mingren's domineering is really worthy of his reputation, as the mayor's assistant, He Jiaguo can be regarded as a teacher, so he understands the difficulties of Li Dongfang and Lu Chengwei, the female secretary of the Qinghu Municipal Party Committee. In such a political environment that lacks democracy, it is actually difficult to tell the truth and adhere to principles, just as Zhong Mingren himself said, which reflects the complexity of political struggle, and good people will fight to the death. For example, on the issue of international industrial parks, Zhong Mingren, a good person, and Li Dongfang, a good person, are-for-tat, and he He Jiaguo is also-for-tat. According to Zhong Mingren's attitude today, he can imagine how Zhong Mingren will deal with him when he really closes the international industrial park, no wonder Qian Fanxing told him not to talk about this topic!

When he rushed to Li Dongfang's house to report the situation to Li Dongfang, Li Dongfang had already gone to bed. Li Dongfang's wife, Ai Hongyan, quietly told He Jiaguo that Zhao Qigong didn't know what to talk about with Li Dongfang, and Li Dongfang drank too much at Zhao Qigong's place, and when he came back, he was in a very bad mood and fell asleep. He Jiaguo was about to leave, but Li Dongfang heard the movement in the living room, and called He Jiaguo a few times before He Jiaguo walked into the bedroom and told him about the situation of visiting Zhong Mingren, including Zhong Mingren's questioning.

Li Dongfang was silent for a long time after hearing this, and after a long time, he said: "We are now under attack on all sides!" ”

He Jiaguo sighed and said: "If it is really the enemy, it would be easy to do, just open fire, but there are comrades on all sides!" ”

Li Dongfang said: "Jiaguo, if you can't do it, you can withdraw according to the big boss's wishes, don't follow me to suffer!" ”

He Jiaguo shook his head: "No! Chief, I'll fight with you and fight a war between comrades. ”

Li Dongfang sighed and asked, "First start a war against Comrade Qigong, and then start a war against our big boss?" Really hit? ”

He Jiaguo smiled: "Is it a fake fight?" In fact, this war has been going on since the day your chief took office! Don't fight, we're sorry for the people! ”

At this time, He Jiaguo's mobile phone rang, and Ji Fushun, secretary of the party committee of Taiping Town, called to report on the audition work in Hetang Village, saying that the candidate for village director had come out tonight, and tomorrow was the day of the official election, and asked him if he was coming. He Jiaguo said without thinking about it that he would not only go to Hetang Village tomorrow, but also take reporters to report on the audition. Ji Fushun said hesitantly on the phone, it's better not to send reporters yet, it's not good to make jokes. He Jiaguo knew that Ji Fushun was resistant to the work of the audition village committee, either complaining or reporting the funeral, and wanted to criticize Ji Fushun for a few words, but it was difficult to speak in front of Li Dongfang, so he said strategically, Old Ji, don't call you yet, I'll call you again when I get back.

Li Dongfang noticed He Jiaguo's ambiguity and asked, "Jiaguo, what's the matter?" ”

He Jiaguo said: "It's not a big deal, there is a village committee at the contact point in Taiping Town that wants to be re-elected, and it is a sea election." ”

Li Dongfang reminded: "The audition must be well controlled, in case a ruffian is chosen, the people will have to suffer." ”

He Jiaguo didn't take it seriously, and blamed: "Chief, look at you, you have always emphasized democracy, and even did not hesitate to fight a war between comrades, how can you be so afraid of democracy when you are facing your subordinates!" ”

Li Dongfang said: "These are two different things, democracy is not achieved overnight, it must be done step by step, there must be a process, and where conditions permit, of course, full democracy can be carried out, and sea elections can be carried out. I have worked in Taiping Town in the past, and I know a little bit about the situation in Hetang Village, where there are many clan contradictions, and the concept of the masses is relatively backward, and it is not easy to grasp it. ”

He Jiaguo said optimistically: "Don't worry, my chief, what I have done in Taiping Town today is to lay the foundation of democracy and the legal system. Let the serious consequences that have already happened above not talk about democracy and only talk about the rule of man will never happen again in the future! Besides, this is not my ingenuity, our country has the "Organic Law of Village Committees", I do things according to the law, other provinces and cities have successful experience, CCTV has done a lot of reports. ”

After that, he waved his hand and said goodbye to Li Dongfang.

When he went downstairs and got into his car, He Jiaguo immediately couldn't wait to use his mobile phone to talk to Ji Fushun to learn about the progress of the audition in Hetang Village, continue to educate Ji Fushun on the legal system and democracy, and encourage Ji Fushun to strengthen his confidence......