"How could that be possible? He's just some country—"
Zhang Zhenting stopped mid-sentence, not wanting the man in front of him, Section Chief Wang, to know too much.
Wang's earlier words had reminded him of something: under normal circumstances, the police department would never proactively come to the Organization Department to request a candidate—especially not one whose qualifications had already been revoked.
Could it be that Liu Fusheng had latched onto some powerful backer? Was that why he'd dared to act so arrogantly at my home yesterday?
An old fox in the political world, Zhang didn't act rashly. "You don't need to attend today's interview. I'll handle it as the chief examiner myself."
"You… will replace me?" Chief Wang's expression twisted as if he'd just bitten into something foul.
Zhang cast him a cold glance. "What? Is this going to interfere with your… earnings?"
"N-no! Of course not!" Wang shook his head furiously, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
The truth was, this would ruin his payday. Plenty of people had already approached him before the interviews, and if he messed this up, not only would he have to return the money, but he'd also offend all those people.
Zhang knew all of this, of course—but he had disliked Wang for a long time. The recruitment office was a gold mine, yet this man only ever gave him a token "gift" each year. Now was the perfect opportunity to push him out and replace him with someone more… cooperative.
Meanwhile, retired provincial Political and Legal Affairs Secretary Li Hongliang was playing chess with his son, Li Wenbo.
"Your chess skills are lacking. Nowhere near that Liu Fusheng kid's level," Li Hongliang said leisurely, sipping his tea.
Wenbo heard the implication and looked up. "Dad, is that young man really as good as you say? I can't shake the feeling he's deliberately getting close to you to win your favor."
Li Hongliang smiled faintly. "Look at all of Liaonan City—no, the whole Fengliao Province. How many people know I'm here? You've checked his background, haven't you? Could he really have the ability to track me down?"
"Almost impossible," Wenbo said firmly.
"Exactly."
Li Hongliang continued, "And even if he did have that ability, it would only mean two things. First, his roots run deep—so deep that even you can't trace them. Second, he knows how to handle matters so naturally, so seamlessly, without leaving a trace. Tell me, isn't someone like that a talent worth cultivating?"
Wenbo nodded lightly. "And there's also that reverse-thinking approach you told me about yesterday. That's one of the things that impressed me about him."
Li Hongliang chuckled. "Exactly. From any angle, Liu Fusheng is someone worth using. The political waters in Liaonan are far deeper than you think. That's why when you were parachuted in, I immediately came here to anchor things. Even so, if you don't have someone truly reliable by your side, I can't be at ease."
"But even if he enters the bureau, his rank will still be too low…" Wenbo hesitated.
"That's perfect. You can observe his skills and true character from the shadows. Once you're satisfied, we'll meet him together. By then, he'll know exactly who to be grateful to."
"Dad, so all of this was part of your plan from the start! That puts me at ease. My only concern now is that the Organization Department might still make things difficult for him."
"Under normal circumstances, those cunning old foxes won't push things any further," Li Hongliang said. "But to be safe, I've asked your Uncle Gao to come to Liaonan today. I haven't seen him in a long time—good chance to catch up, and he can help keep an eye on things."
Provincial Exam Interview Venue
Zhang Zhenting's car had barely reached the gates when he spotted Liu Fusheng stepping off a bus nearby.
"Stop for a moment, I have something to do," Zhang ordered coldly before stepping out and positioning himself at the entrance.
Fusheng hadn't expected to run into Zhang here. In his previous life's provincial exam, Zhang hadn't been a judge—so clearly, the man was here because of him.
"So, you managed to get a special police recruitment slot. No wonder you had the guts to mouth off at me yesterday," Zhang sneered. "But don't think your little connection at the police department means I can't deal with you."
On the matter of his interview eligibility, Zhang had already been publicly slapped in the face. But now he had to find out exactly what strings Liu had pulled. His words sounded like a taunt, but they were really a probe.
Fusheng understood instantly and smiled pleasantly. "What's Zhang Deputy Minister talking about? I don't understand. If you want to apologize for yesterday, just say so—I've got a soft heart."
"You—!" Zhang's face flushed crimson.
He hadn't expected the young man's words to be so sharp—revealing nothing about his connections while striking back with full force.
"If you've got nothing else, could you move aside?" Fusheng said calmly, stepping toward the gate.
Zhang took a deep breath and growled, "Don't get cocky, Liu Fusheng! I'm the chief examiner today. I don't care who you've called in—there's no way you'll pass under me."
"Then go ahead and try," Fusheng replied, meeting his eyes.
He had already prepared for any dirty tricks during the interview. In his pocket was a brand-new voice recorder, already running.
At this time, provincial exams didn't have full video surveillance, and while recording inside the interview room was against the rules, it wasn't illegal.
Fusheng was confident in his performance—but if Zhang tried to tank his score on purpose, he would make sure the man paid for it.
For some reason, meeting Fusheng's gaze made Zhang feel a sudden flicker of unease.
At that moment, a car with a Fengliao Province capital license plate rolled slowly through the gates.
When Zhang caught sight of the plate, his eyelids twitched hard. It was a car from the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department!
In politics, it's easy to overthink—where every word could have a dozen hidden meanings.
Right now, Zhang couldn't help connecting the dots between Liu Fusheng and that car. Could it be that Liu's backer was actually in the Provincial Organization Department? Was that why he was so fearless?
"Hmph! We'll see," Zhang muttered, striding quickly into the venue. First priority—find out exactly who had arrived from the provincial level.
Fusheng also glanced at the car, and when he saw the man getting out from a distance, a faint smile tugged at his lips. Looks like the old secretary Li Hongliang had really delivered—he'd even brought this figure into play.
With that thought, Fusheng casually put his recorder back into his bag. He wouldn't be needing it anymore.
By this time, Zhang had already recognized the man stepping out of the car. His face twitched and he hurried forward. "Minister Gao—you… you came in person?"
The elderly man with graying hair was none other than Gao Lingyue, Executive Deputy Minister of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department.
Gao smiled. "Little Zhang, how did you know I'd be here?"
Zhang bent low. "Minister Gao, you're joking. How could I have known? I'm just one of the examiners today. Are you here to inspect the recruitment process?"
"That's right," Gao nodded. "The civil service exam is about selecting talent for the nation. We must take it seriously. Especially here in Liaonan—this year you've got quite a crop of talent. I hear your city even produced this year's written exam champion, a young man named Liu Fusheng."
Liu Fusheng—again.
Hearing that name from Gao Lingyue's own mouth made Zhang's scalp tingle.