0155 164 The dead grass grows into splendor "Part 2"
In an instant, Zhou Xiye's body tensed up, as if what had happened on the subway was right before his eyes, and the feeling of suffocation passed by in an instant.
"Hello, Secretary Wu, I am Zhou Xiye, Secretary of the Kunming Municipal Party Committee. I'm here to report on the subway case."
“I am familiar with the basic facts of the case. Mayor Ling’s press conference just now attributed the subway crash to terrorists. Secretary Zhou, what do you think?” The last four words, though spoken lightly, carried a heavy weight.
Zhou Xiye understood that this was probably Wu Qiong's doing, a welcoming gift for the new provincial party secretary. Given the current situation, she couldn't afford to offend Wu Qiong. Zhou Xiye smiled, "I will take full responsibility for this accident and will not shirk my duties. However, I still need your guidance, Secretary. I am still young and inexperienced in this area."
Hearing this, Wu Qiong smiled. "I've heard a lot of rumors about you, Zhou Xiye. You're still young, you have a long way to go. It's okay to have made a mistake now, as long as you realize your error. I'm very pleased to see a female official in this position at such a young age." She leaned back. "Regardless of what they say about you, since this matter is related to terrorists and not to you, the most important thing is to handle the aftermath, give the people an explanation, and incidentally, give a warning to the drug lords next door, and those 'lone worms'."
Zhou Xiye nodded after hearing this, "Okay," while waiting for her to continue. He secretly observed and pondered Wu Qiong. This person seemed very easy to deal with, and she didn't show any emotional fluctuations. From the moment Zhou Xiye entered the room to when she "gave guidance," there was no change in her behavior.
But Wu Qiong suddenly changed the subject, saying, "I haven't been in Kunming for long. I also wonder if I brought bad luck to Kunming after this happened... There are many famous Taoist temples here. If you have time, come with me to pray for the people."
Praying for the people?
It seems his real intention wasn't what he seemed to be saying. "Okay, Secretary Wu has time. You can go whenever you want."
"So you're not going to take care of Director Li?" Wu Qiong reminded her. "Handle the aftermath of the subway case and cooperate with Director Li's investigation. Then I'll come find you to go to the Taoist temple."
"Then the provincial party committee meeting..."
“No rush,” Wu Qiong stood up, and Zhou Xiye followed suit. “The people’s affairs are more important than the provincial party committee meeting. Don’t you have plenty of secretaries around you? Just have them write the drafts for you… I’m about to go to the districts and counties for an inspection. You don’t need to see me off; go and solve your problems first.”
The two entered the elevator together. Wu Qiong was a little taller than Zhou Xiye, and the scent of her perfume enveloped Zhou Xiye.
The elevator doors slowly closed in front of me, and the surveillance camera above my head flashed red.
"Does the secretary really like perfume? This scent is so unique, I wonder where I can buy it?" Zhou Xiye asked with a smile.
Wu Qiong tilted her head slightly. "It's not that I particularly like it, but I really love this perfume. My daughter blended it herself; you can't buy it anywhere else." She turned to look at Zhou Xiye. "You like it too?"
The decision was final.
Zhou Xiye no longer doubted the people he had met that day, and followed Wu Qiong's words, "It smells very unique. I don't know much about perfumes... Secretary Wu has a daughter? That's great. If I have children in the future, I hope it will be a girl."
As if remembering something, Wu Qiong asked with concern, "When are you and Xiao Pei going to have a child? But you're both busy and ambitious, one in Hangzhou and the other in Kunming... If you want a child, someone has to make sacrifices. Have you discussed it?"
“Secretary Wu said it’s rare to see a woman in this position in an organization, so naturally I don’t want to give up yet,” Zhou Xiye said with a smile.
Wu Qiong sighed, "You have a good husband and a good family, it's hard to make your own choices." The elevator doors opened, and the two walked out. After a few steps, their bodyguards and the secretary of the provincial party secretary followed behind them.
“It is quite difficult, but there are still options,” Zhou Xiye retorted.
Wu Qiong smiled but didn't respond. "That's enough for now. See you later."
Zhou Xiye stopped, and Pan Yun followed. The two watched as Wu Qiong got into the car and disappeared at the end of the street. The smile on Zhou Xiye's face vanished completely. The municipal party secretary's car then drove up, and a group of people checked the car before Zhou Xiye got in.
After this conversation with Wu Qiong, Zhou Xiye realized that Wu Qiong had come fully prepared and knew a great deal about her background. As for which faction Wu Qiong was backed by, Zhou Xiye didn't know. It was frightening, but not frightening; the subway tragedy was a warning. She couldn't refuse to cooperate, and she couldn't act rashly.
After driving for a while, Zhou Xiye looked out the window; it was the road home.
"Don't go home first, go to the municipal party committee compound."
Back in the municipal party committee compound, Zhou Xiye logged onto the municipal party committee's intranet, opened the foreign news website, and read through the articles one by one. News reports about the internal power struggle within the CCP Central Committee were prominently featured on the mainland news front, with political anchors describing the situation in an entertainment-style manner, using the *PLA Times* and Hong Kong's *Nanyang Daily* to deduce which departments were experiencing problems.
More importantly, they all pointed the finger at the same person in this upheaval. A man who lost in a political struggle, and people began to fabricate unrealistic stories about his experiences.
After reading all the news, Zhou Xiye analyzed her current situation. Among the things Ye Rouxin left her was indeed a list, which was about a growing faction. The leader's background was so deep, and the number of people and their ranks were so wide that it completely exceeded her imagination.
But what is the purpose of this political party? Zhou Xiye couldn't figure it out.
To her surprise, she saw many familiar faces on the list, and even saw a "bribery list" that included the Ling family. Zhou Xiye completely understood why Ling Qingyun wanted this information, and she was certain that Ye Rouxin's death was related to this group of people.
Those drawn to this list are primarily the individuals listed as "bribers." After all, the emperor is deeply suspicious; he famously declared at the Beidaihe meeting, in front of all the second-generation elites, "You all want me dead," and systematically eliminated his trusted confidants one by one. His suspicion is extraordinary. If, at this point, he is exposed for accepting bribes from another organization, he will be doomed.
On the other hand, it must be someone on the list. Zhou Xiye felt that these kinds of people might not necessarily be capable of taking action. After all, their organizational background already made up half the picture, so they shouldn't be afraid of being exposed. There was no need to make a big fuss about blocking the release of information; it would only dirty their hands.
But it's not impossible.
The only third party who could secretly obtain this list would be an enemy of their faction, or one of the Emperor's subordinates. He wants to know everyone who has betrayed him, and eliminate them without alerting them. Of the three parties wanting this list, which one is most likely to target her?
Zhou Xiye still believed that the person on the bribery list was the one the Ling family wanted to cooperate with. The Emperor's group wouldn't harm her; in fact, they wanted her to hand over the list in exchange for even better benefits.
The people who should remain unmoved are those on the list.
Amidst the turmoil of events, the root cause of this internal strife lies in power itself. Power is a powerful force, yet it can also corrupt the human spirit. It instills fear and dread, as seen in the power struggles among the princes and the fratricidal conflict in the Northern Wei dynasty—all stemming from the curse inherent in power itself.
No one has been able to solve this problem since ancient times.
Power is so alluring, like the Lord of the Rings, giving people endless power, but also bewitching their minds.
Zhou Xiye picked up the teacup beside her, took a sip, and felt the cool liquid slowly flow down her face, calming her down considerably. Of the two sudden incidents, the latter was definitely the work of the new provincial party secretary—she had confirmed that today. As for the former… Zhou Xiye recalled the events of that night; she had initially thought both Li Ling and Ling Xingzhi were suspects, but tonight, after watching the news, she was certain of the person responsible.
As darkness fell, winter was approaching.
The car with the last four digits 01 stopped downstairs. Zhou Xiye got out of the car, wearing gray sheepskin gloves. After taking a few steps, he saw a person leaning against the car in the distance, and Zhou Xiye slowed down.
She hadn't seen Pei Zhiyu for a long time.
Pei Zhiyu leaned against the car and turned his head to see Zhou Xiye, who was wearing a trench coat, walking towards him. A smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded slightly. Thin wisps of smoke flowed from between his fingers and swayed in the wind.
Zhou Xiye walked to Pei Zhiyu's side and leaned against the car. While taking off his gloves, he glanced at the cigarette in Pei Zhiyu's hand, put his gloves in his pocket, reached out and snatched the cigarette from him, put it to his lips, touched his upper and lower lips together, took a deep breath.
Then spit it out forcefully.
"Long time no see, how have you been lately?"
Zhou Xiye asked.
Pei Zhiyu moved closer to Zhou Xiye, touching her shoulder, the willow branches swaying. "I was busy with things in Hangzhou, so I couldn't come to see you."
Hearing this, Zhou Xiye chuckled, "I saw it, the Asian Games, well done. Are there any awards?"
Pei Zhiyu shook her head, "I heard you were in a car accident, and then..."
"I have Ye Rouxin's things, and they're all so suspicious. Didn't the Pei family give you any instructions?"
Pei Zhiyu was stunned for a moment. Zhou Xiye turned to meet his gaze, his expression relaxed, and shrugged. "We're husband and wife, there's no need to beat around the bush. I know you've done a great service in Hangzhou and even persuaded Lingyin Temple to open its main gate. Lingyin Temple hasn't opened its main gate in two hundred years. This time, the Emperor is truly being treated like royalty. Only the Emperor can use the main gate, right? As for me, I'm surrounded by enemies. It's unrealistic for me to abandon everything in Hangzhou to come and help me at this time."
“Zhou Xiye…” Pei Zhiyu frowned.
Zhou Xiye waved his hand and continued, "I understand, I know. Maybe the Pei family is blocking you... or maybe you wouldn't be able to protect me if you didn't have your current achievements. Pei Zhiyu, I don't need you to protect me. I've come this far, to this situation, every step of the way is my own choice, and every step counts."
“Zhou Xiye, I can be your support. If you feel it’s difficult to move forward now, you might as well look back at me, rest in my harbor, and then set sail again.”
Pei Zhiyu spoke with utmost sincerity. During the recent turmoil in Zhou Xiye's territory, she had displayed an invincible side, making everyone believe she was fearless. Yet, hearing Pei Zhiyu's words, her heart softened, and her nose tingled with emotion—a powerful backer, a safe haven.
Zhou Xiye blinked, turned around, grabbed Pei Zhiyu's collar, and kissed her fiercely.
The couple kissed in public, seemingly oblivious to what was happening around them.
Ling Xingzhi watched their intimacy with a blank expression. Pei Zhiyu's hand reached into her hair, and Ling Xingzhi knew how hard that hair felt to the touch, yet it emitted a captivating fragrance.
“Mayor…” Li Qingshan turned to look at Ling Xingzhi.
Ling Xingzhi closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Let's go home," he said calmly, but the movement of his Adam's apple and the rise and fall of his chest betrayed the turmoil within him.
He came to Zhou Xiye to comfort her. As a psychologist with basic professional ethics, regarding Zhou Xiye's situation, he only said, "After all, she's gone through so many 'accidents,' she needs someone to be with her right now."
Her dear husband traveled a long way to be with her, and what about her? Ling Xingzhi gave a self-deprecating smile. Well, she was being pathetic again.
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