I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 327: Chapter 177: Official Banquet

The three of them spent another half hour in the conference room, discussing in detail the methods for the ”fundraising,” the potential resistance they might encounter, and how all parties would coordinate.

Wang Yanzhi had clearly given this matter a great deal of thought. His plan was quite meticulous, considering even the finer details, and he answered Yang Wenqing’s questions smoothly.

Finally, Wang Yanzhi finalized the preliminary action plan and said, ”I’m hosting a banquet tonight. I’ll be inviting Chairman Yang Haishan and the heads of several other Energy Stone processing companies. Director Liao, I’ll trouble you to send out the invitations on behalf of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Director Yang, you must be there as well.”

Yang Wenqing pondered for a moment and did not refuse. He replied, ”Alright. I’ll be there on time.”

Wang Yanzhi seemed to be in a good mood. He joked, ”Speaking of which, this Chairman Yang Haishan also shares your surname, Yang. A few hundred years ago, you two might have even been from the same clan.”

Hearing this, Yang Wenqing showed a polite smile. ”If that’s truly the case, then it would be my honor.”

After the three exchanged a few more words of idle chatter, Yang Wenqing rose to take his leave. ”Supervisor Wang, Director Liao, I still have some official business to attend to back at the bureau, so I’ll be taking my leave. Regarding the fundraising, if you need any coordination or assistance from the bureau, please feel free to contact me at any time.”

”Take care, Director Yang.”

Wang Yanzhi nodded.

Liao Tianming walked Yang Wenqing to the door of the conference room.

As he watched the figures of Yang Wenqing and Liu Qin disappear down the hall, Wang Yanzhi sat back down. He picked up his slightly cooled tea, looked at Liao Tianming, and asked casually, ”Director Liao, is Director Yang an easy person to work with?”

Liao Tianming was taken aback for a moment, but he immediately understood that the supervisor was probing into Yang Wenqing’s background and his way of doing things.

He chose his words carefully and answered cautiously, ”Director Yang is an upright man. At work, he’s very cooperative, as long as everything complies with the rules and regulations. When it comes to minor procedural flaws or favors, he can be reasonably flexible, provided no principles are violated. He’s not a rigid person.”

”In the administration of the New District, he knows when to delegate. He never oversteps his bounds to meddle in affairs that are the Civil Affairs Bureau’s responsibility, and he never shirks the duties that the City Defense Bureau is meant to shoulder. All in all, he’s a pragmatic and low-key person.”

Hearing this, Wang Yanzhi chuckled. ”It sounds like you admire him quite a bit.”

Liao Tianming fell silent for a moment, then replied, ”I am merely stating a fact.”

Wang Yanzhi was noncommittal. He pressed further, ”And what about his character?”

Liao Tianming naturally understood the deeper meaning of the question. He was asking if Yang Wenqing and his family were ’clean’.

He replied even more carefully, ”From my observation, Director Yang’s personal life is extremely simple. His days consist almost entirely of two things: official duties and cultivation. He rarely participates in private banquets, and even when he does, they are mostly public and necessary official functions. As for the Yang family, they do indeed have some businesses in the New District, but they are all legitimate enterprises and not particularly large in scale. They strictly adhere to the law and market regulations in their operations. At least on the surface, I have never heard of any transgressions.”

Wang Yanzhi let out a soft ”Mm.” He asked no further questions, then rose and walked to the window.

Looking down from there, he happened to see Yang Wenqing and Liu Qin walking out of the Civil Affairs Bureau’s main building. They exchanged a few brief pleasantries with some familiar officials from the Civil Affairs Bureau, then walked briskly in the direction of the City Defense Bureau.

His gaze followed Yang Wenqing’s back until he entered the City Defense Bureau’s compound, only then did he look away.

...

Meanwhile, Yang Wenqing wore a smile the entire way back, exchanging a few words with anyone who greeted him. But when he returned to his office at the bureau, the smile immediately vanished from his face. He then activated a secure communication line with his master, Qin Huaiming.

”Master, Wang Yanzhi’s visit has an ulterior motive...” Yang Wenqing gave a concise report on the fundraising matter and Wang Yanzhi’s plan.

On the other end of the communication line, Qin Huaiming was silent for a moment before his steady voice came through. ”I’ve already heard whispers of this matter. The Central Hub is reinforcing the northern front, and there’s a huge deficit in military funding. It was expected that they would impose military levies on the various provinces. It’s Wang Yanzhi’s duty to come down from the Provincial Government to handle it.”

”The City Defense Bureau’s responsibility is to maintain public order and stability. You only need to ensure the fundraising process proceeds without any trouble. As for how much is raised and how they do it, that is the business of the Civil Affairs Bureau and Wang Yanzhi. You just need to do your part and provide the necessary assistance in accordance with the law and regulations. There’s no need to be overly proactive, nor should you be deliberately resistant.”

Qin Huaiming paused, his tone becoming more serious as he reminded him, ”Also, since the higher-ups have sent a supervisor down to take charge of this matter, it would be best for the City Defense Bureau to keep a low profile for a while. In all things, let the Civil Affairs Bureau and this supervisor take the lead. The City Defense Bureau should follow behind and cooperate. It doesn’t matter if you appear a bit passive for the time being.”

”I understand, Master.” Yang Wenqing had already been planning to do so. Now, hearing his master say the same thing, he couldn’t help but feel more at ease.

”Mm. You can go to the banquet tonight. Speak little, observe much. We just arrested Yang Haishan’s brother-in-law over here. You should take this opportunity to observe his reaction and see how he clashes with Wang Yanzhi. You only need to make the City Defense Bureau’s stance on maintaining order clear,” Qin Huaiming added as a final instruction.

”Yes, thank you for your guidance, Master.”

”Alright, that’s all then.”

After ending the communication, Yang Wenqing leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. After composing himself, he activated the Communication Array on his desk and contacted Liu Xin of the Major Case Team.

”Team Liu, is your operation proceeding smoothly?”

”Reporting, Director. Everything is going smoothly. All three strongholds have been secured, and all primary targets have been captured. They are being brought back in batches for interrogation. Screening and preliminary interviews of peripheral personnel have also begun.” Liu Xin’s voice carried a trace of exhaustion, but it was filled more with the exhilaration of having completed the mission.