official career

Qin Feng was stunned for a long time after hearing the news.

How could Principal Hong Yue just disappear like that? Moreover, she is suspected of serious violations. How could Hong Yue have committed serious violations?

Qin Feng took out a pack of expensive cigarettes from his pocket and handed it to the old man, asking him to explain what was going on in detail.

The old man, who earned 2,500 yuan a month, had never smoked such good cigarettes before. He immediately beamed with joy and politely pulled Qin Feng to sit down in his small security room. Under Qin Feng's "compliments" as he smoked one cigarette after another, he began to give Qin Feng a detailed account of how Principal Hong Yue had died.

Qin Feng couldn't tell how much of what the old man said was true and how much was false, because he could clearly hear many illogical points in the old man's words, but Qin Feng still listened attentively.

The old man was just a security guard who spent most of his day dozing in the guardhouse. How much inside information could he possibly know about the school, especially about the higher-ups? And no one would talk to him about these things. Most of what he knew came from snippets of conversation he overheard while getting food in the cafeteria, combined with his own subjective assumptions, which he then made up for Qin Feng.

The old man hadn't had anyone to talk to in a long time, so how could he let go of the opportunity to chat with someone who had finally come along? Besides, there was a pack of good cigarettes. The old man grabbed Qin Feng, calling him "brother" on one side and "young man" on the other, and began to tell Qin Feng vivid stories.

The old man never imagined that the young man in front of him, whom he called "brother" and "young man" repeatedly, would be the mayor of a city.

Qin Feng sat with the old man for half an hour, smoked half a pack of cigarettes, and then left the school.

Qin Feng heard a lot of information from the old man, the truth of which was unknown, but he still managed to deduce the general truth of the matter from the old man's mostly fabricated stories.

A few months ago, the Discipline Inspection Commission and the Supervisory Commission suddenly launched an investigation into the school for disabled people. Hong Yue and several key school officials were taken away. This month, Hong Yue was suspended from her position as principal. Then, a notice was issued stating that Hong Yue was suspected of violating discipline and was dismissed from her position as principal. A new principal took office.

The old man didn't know whether Hong Yue was alright in the end, but he did know that the principal's sister-in-law had been fired immediately after the new principal took office.

Qin Feng sat back in the car, lit a cigarette, and forced himself to calm down.

After finishing a cigarette, Qin Feng started scrolling through his phone's contacts and making calls.

Qin Feng spent the entire afternoon sitting in his car making and receiving phone calls. Finally, as it was getting dark, he managed to get a complete picture of Hong Yue and the school for the disabled.

Although Qin Feng had long since left Dongyang and had also left the Jiangnan officialdom, he had still been involved in Dongyang politics for many years. Back then, Qin Feng was a real figure in Dongyang politics. How many officials in the entire Dongyang city did not know Qin Feng?

Moreover, Qin Feng was the secretary to the municipal party secretary back then, and he had close ties with the entire power center and influential figures in Dongyang. Even though he's gone now, there are still some connections. People might not give him face to help with big things, but they'll still help with small things. After all, he's now the mayor of a city. Fortune changes, and he might come back sometime.

Qin Feng dialed Hong Yue's number only after he had fully understood the whole story.

The call connected, which finally put Qin Feng's mind at ease. If he hadn't been able to reach Hong Yue by phone, then something serious had really happened. Qin Feng knew this procedure all too well.

"Hello." Hong Yue's voice came from the other end of the line, followed by, "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, where are you now?" Qin Feng asked directly.

"Where else could I be? At school, I'm busy at school 365 days a year," Hong Yue said with a smile.

Qin Feng paused for a moment, then continued, "Is everything alright at school?"

"It's great. The school has been developing better and better in the past two years. Not only is the support from above increasing, but there are also more and more companies sponsoring it. With more money, we can accommodate more disabled children and further improve their living standards." Hong Yue said "seriously." If Qin Feng hadn't been at the school, he would have really believed what Qin Feng said.

"I'm not asking how the school is, I'm asking how you are? How's your job?" Qin Feng asked again.

“A good school means a good job, everything is going well. What’s wrong with you today? Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?” Hong Yue retorted.

"Nothing, just wanted to ask how you're doing. Hongyue, I'm back for the New Year."

"That's a good thing. When you come home for the New Year, no matter how busy you are with work, you should go home for the New Year. Don't forget that you have a wife and children at home. Besides... you don't usually spend much time with Zhou Qian and Qi Qi. You should spend more time with them at home during the New Year."

"Are you free today? I'd like to come see you," Qin Feng said immediately.

"I'm busy." Hong Yue answered firmly, but also nervously, as if she was afraid that Qin Feng would come to see her.

“You are a high-ranking leader, you should understand how busy I am as the person in charge of the school at this time. There are many things to do at the school during the Spring Festival, and I can’t leave. Even if you come, I won’t have time to see you.”

"Qin Feng, as I just said, you are usually very busy with work and have no time to come back and spend time with your wife and children. You finally have a vacation to go home, so you should spend your time with your wife and children. They are the ones who need you the most and love you the most."

“We’re just friends. It’s already very kind of you to think of calling me to say hello. That’s how it should be, isn’t it?” Hong Yue said.

Qin Feng took several puffs of his cigarette while holding his phone: "I didn't mean anything by it. I just haven't seen you in a long time and I don't know how you are doing. I wanted to see if you're doing well."

“I’m doing very well. My work is going smoothly, my life is peaceful, and I’ve fully recovered. Everything is fine, Qin Feng. Don’t worry about me. I’m very happy now, really. If I had to say what my only worry is… it’s that I want to earn enough money to pay you back as soon as possible,” Hong Yue said with a smile.

The background noise on Hong Yue's side was a bit loud.

“Hong Yue, if you don’t want to see me, I won’t see you or disturb your life. But you must promise me that everything you tell me is the truth. I need to know if you’re doing well. If I find out that you’ve encountered something and aren’t telling me or that you’re lying to me, I will be angry.” Qin Feng emphasized.

"What could I possibly lie to you about? I'm really doing great. I have no worries about food and drink, I'm in good health, I'm very busy with work, and everything is going very well for me," Hong Yue replied naturally.

As they were talking, Hong Yue heard another commotion on the other end of the phone, and then she heard someone shouting for a waiter.

"Okay, I have something to do here, I have to go now, I'll talk to you later, goodbye." Hong Yue hung up the phone after saying that.