Li Xiuyuan looked at Ma Tao with a surprised expression and asked, "Committee Member Ma, what are you doing in Meilin Village so late?"
"Mayor Li, please call me Old Ma. I need to speak with you." Ma Tao's tone had become respectful as he spoke.
"Looking for me? What's up?" Li Xiuyuan asked.
Ma Tao opened his mouth, hesitated, and said, "Mayor Li, let's go inside and talk."
"Okay." Li Xiuyuan opened the door and let Ma Tao into the house.
He poured Ma Tao a glass of water, pushed it in front of him, and waited for Ma Tao to speak.
"Mayor Li, I...you..." Ma Tao stammered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Mayor Li, please help me and spare me this time."
As Ma Tao spoke, Li Xiuyuan's face immediately darkened, and he abruptly stood up: "You saw the whistleblower letter?"
Ma Tao nodded: "I'm sorry, Mayor Li, I didn't mean to. You weren't in the office this afternoon, so I wanted to take a look at the bidding materials, but I accidentally saw them. Mayor Li, please be lenient and let me off the hook."
As Ma Tao spoke, he observed Li Xiuyuan's expression, which was constantly shifting between light and dark.
“Committee Member Ma, you’re overthinking it. It’s just a whistleblower letter, an old story. I didn’t even take it seriously,” Li Xiuyuan said, shaking his head.
The more Li Xiuyuan said this, the more panicked Ma Tao became. He subconsciously said, "Mayor Li, please don't lie to me. I know you had dinner with Secretary Song's niece from the County Discipline Inspection Commission tonight. I estimate that the whistleblower letter will be on Secretary Song's desk by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
"Bang!" Li Xiuyuan slammed his hand on the table.
"You were following me?"
"No, no, I just saw it by chance..." Ma Tao waved his hands repeatedly.
Li Xiuyuan's face darkened. Who could believe such a thing, especially since he had seen it by chance?
"Alright, since you saw it, I won't hide it from you. I was indeed having dinner with Secretary Song's niece. To be honest, you're no longer suitable for this position. After you step down, Secretary Song's niece will be appointed as a member of the Discipline Inspection Commission. She's not qualified enough, and Comrade Zhang Xingdong, who is on the vacant position as a member of the town's Party Committee, should also be promoted. If you step down, everyone will be happy..."
Upon hearing this, Ma Tao's face immediately turned pleading. He had guessed some of the plan that afternoon; Li Xiuyuan really did want to get rid of him. And sometimes, going down doesn't just mean going down, it could mean going in!
“Mayor Li, I’m useful. Please let me off the hook. From now on, I’ll follow your lead and obey your every command. Besides, the public bidding meeting is the day after tomorrow. With my vote, you’ll have a much better chance of winning. And I’ve served as a member of the Discipline Inspection Commission for many years; I know a lot of things…”
Ma Tao pleaded desperately, and Li Xiuyuan knew the matter was settled, but he didn't agree immediately, his face full of hesitation.
"Mayor Li, I know something else. Zhang Xingguo has already contacted Hou Peng, and Hou Peng has agreed to support Zhengda Company at the public bidding and selection meeting the day after tomorrow. They want to catch you off guard..."
“Mayor Li, Secretary Song’s niece is here. She’s a member of the Discipline Inspection Commission who’s not part of the town’s Party Committee. She’s not very powerful. Even if Zhang Xingdong were to join the town’s Party Committee, he wouldn’t do a better job than me. Trust me, you’ll definitely find me useful if you keep me here. I won’t let you down.”
As Ma Tao spoke, Li Xiuyuan looked at him with an expression that suggested he was finally moved by Ma Tao's words and asked, "How can I trust you?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Tao's eyes immediately filled with hope. He looked at Li Xiuyuan excitedly and said, "Mayor Li, I swear, I will absolutely listen to you from now on. You can tell me to go east, and I will go west..."
But before Ma Tao could finish speaking, Li Xiuyuan waved his hand to interrupt him, looking at Ma Tao and saying, word by word, "Old Ma, I heard that you knelt down before the old Party Secretary?"
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