Speaking of this, Li Tanglu's spirit was uplifted.
His face was stern, with a flavor of iron determination.
His old spine straightened up; leaning back in the chair, his whole presence came forth.
It was a natural and relaxed charisma belonging to veteran leaders, the remnants of their authority still palpable.
"My rival was mediocre and only focused on building connections as his lifeline. In the early stages, his achievements were somewhat decent, but later on, it was all a muddle. After that personnel adjustment, he still won and became the Mayor of Dongguang City, while I remained stuck as the mayor, frustrated for three years."
Liu Zhizhong nodded, "This is a normal situation. The City Committee Secretary and the mayor indeed don't get along; places where they harmonize are very rare." The source of thɪs content is 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝙣𝙚𝙩
"Yes, that's an ironclad rule. The secretary interferes too much with the mayor's powers, making everyone uncomfortable. Three years later, that rival was promoted to the provincial city, and I took his place. It was then that I advocated for the tourism development of Shennong Grand Canyon, and it became uncontrollable. We got a 5A rating for the site 25 years ago."
"Another ten years later, this rival became the Deputy Governor in Yunxi Province, but he chose the wrong side, was abandoned by the Zheng family, and got involved in a not-too-small political struggle, receiving a life sentence. Two years later, he died in prison from late-stage liver cancer. When he died, I was already a faded power in Hu Yang Province."
"Politically speaking, he was weak in his later years, one year older than me, yet still lacking my energy. That's not boasting, of course. Now, being retired, spending one's declining years without mentioning the past might be best."
"My secretary, the second year after the incident, was demoted to serve as deputy County Mayor. Three years later, he was promoted to County Mayor; two years after that, he became County Party Secretary. After all, he had his patron protecting him. However, the patron went to the provincial city and didn't take him along. Thus, during his tenure as secretary, he capsized his career. He thought he could salvage a deputy mayor position! Involving a substantial amount of money and other severe offenses, he promoted nearly a hundred people improperly and even bribed the election efforts to enter the City Committee's Standing Committee, which was hugely detrimental. The City Disciplinary Committee sought my opinion for his handling, and by then I was at the provincial level; my opinion was no opinion—handle it severely and swiftly, effectively a suspended death sentence. He is still in prison now."
"Zhizhong, you must be cautious in officialdom when appointing people! Often, the people who hurt you the most are those closest to you, those you trust the most."
The final words served as a reminder to Liu Zhizhong, as well as a piece of experiential wisdom.
Liu Zhizhong quietly nodded, his face showing he had taken the lesson to heart.
Li Tanglu continued, "When I reached the provincial level, I genuinely wanted to support Chen Xiaoping. But the man, though capable, was a bit of a recluse and had deep prejudices against me."
"Some things he couldn't forget. After all, the bloodline of Chen Yuanyuan is still held against him. When he sees me, he is rude, curses when he's drunk, and I couldn't stand his temperament, so I simply kept him sidelined in remote prefecture-level cities and states. He didn't care, let it be, it didn't matter to him."
"At noon, I was still telling Tian Lin to lift him up, to make him the mayor of Dongguang. His qualifications and capability are there for all to see. Li Tanglu might be nothing in front of Second Miss Xiang, but in the Hu Yang officialdom, I was once the leader of a province, and my brother-in-law's long-term suppression abroad isn't right."
"Over those years, people in officialdom thought I was impartial, favoring the capable over the kin, and I received much praise. But who knew, there were these past conflicts."
"Now, being old, I think of old friends, and some matters have been let go. Especially after opening up to the two of you, I've felt even more relieved, my heart has become much lighter. After all, I still have to thank you both!"
"As for Chen Xiaoping, not arranging things this way, people would talk after my death, saying I was heartless and ruthless!"
After saying this, Li Tanglu laughed ruefully, picked up his tea, and drank it all in one go, the entire gesture filled with more vigor.
Liu Zhizhong quietly nodded and also raised his teacup.
Xiang Wenxin unconsciously followed Liu Zhizhong's lead.
Liu Zhizhong smiled faintly and said, "Second Miss Xiang, why don't you start?"