The doctor was taken aback and immediately asked the Sudanese guest, "He was still speaking English, but the Sudanese man was babbling a lot that he couldn't understand. I'm sure it wasn't English."
Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "He said his wife needs to get checked out as soon as possible, so we can't delay!"
The doctor stopped insisting and waved for Zhou Xuan and Luo Qing to get into the car. The driver in front immediately drove back to the hospital at high speed.
After arriving at the hospital, Zhou Xuan accompanied the Sudanese guests and acted as a translator for the attending physician, while Luo Qing took the opportunity to go to a corner of the alley to make a phone call back to report.
After Zhou Xuan finished translating, the nurse took the Black woman to the equipment room for examination. The equipment examination showed no problems, and the attending physician learned from Zhou Xuan that the patient had simply choked on food and diagnosed that there was nothing seriously wrong. However, the detailed examination and test results would not be available for several days.
After Zhou Xuan finished his examination, the black man comforted his wife. Seeing that there were no other problems, Zhou Xuan checked his watch again. He had been out for almost two hours and had to hurry back, otherwise Secretary Tang would be looking for him no matter what.
Seeing Luo Qing still making a phone call in the corner, I thought I'd better slip away quietly. If I wait for her any longer, there might be more trouble. I haven't met the Icelandic guest yet, have I? The chances of talking to the Sudanese guest again are definitely slim. Of course, it's not that we won't talk, it's just that we can talk another day. I might as well take advantage of this opportunity to slip back quickly.
Once he made up his mind, Zhou Xuan secretly slipped out, took a taxi outside the hospital, and rushed back to the municipal party committee compound. The guards on duty at the gate already recognized Zhou Xuan. They had checked him both when he went in and when he came out. Now that he was coming back alone, they only checked him to see if he was hiding any weapons or anything like that. Then they reported to the municipal party committee office. Tang Jie happened to be the one who received the call, so he quickly told the guards to let him go.
When Tang Jie returned after completing his task, he discovered that Zhou Xuan was missing. "He had said before he left that it was okay to visit the office building." After all, this was just the municipal party committee office building; the mayor's office and the offices of other leaders, such as the municipal party secretary, deputy secretary, mayor, and deputy mayor, were not in the same building, so there wouldn't be any problems.
Tang Jie initially thought Zhou Xuan had gone inside the building for a tour, but upon checking the security monitoring room, he discovered that Zhou Xuan had left two hours earlier. He was immediately shocked. Secretary Wei had specifically instructed him to take good care of Zhou Xuan and bring him to his office as soon as the meeting ended. The leadership meeting was about to end, but Zhou Xuan was nowhere to be found. If the leadership asked, regardless of the reason for Zhou Xuan's departure, it would be considered dereliction of duty on Tang Jie's part!
Which secretary wants to leave this kind of impression on their boss?
Tang Jie quickly watched the video in the monitoring room and felt relieved to find that Zhou Xuan had gone out with Luo Qing from the municipal government. He thought it was good that they had found the person. He planned to call Luo Qing after returning to his office, but then he wondered, what relationship do Zhou Xuan and Luo Qing have? How could they possibly know each other?
"It seems this Zhou Xuan is quite mysterious." He has a mysterious connection with Secretary Wei, and Zhou Xuan came with Fu Yuanshan. Fu Yuanshan is the acting secretary of the Political and Legal Committee and the director of the Municipal Bureau. He is currently the most popular and influential person in the Municipal Party Committee. Judging from his relationship with Zhou An, it is quite unusual. As for Zhou Xuan's position, Tang Jie secretly checked it and found that he is a newly transferred, lowest-ranking police officer in the Criminal Investigation Division of the Municipal Bureau. His previous resume could not be found, which is intriguing.
Tang Jie had just returned to his office when he received a call from the security guard. He was overjoyed to hear that Zhou Fu had returned and immediately went downstairs to meet him.
At the guard post, Tang Jie grabbed Zhou Xuan and pulled him back. The guards already felt that Zhou Xuan was somewhat unusual. He had come in with the newly appointed Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission and Director of the Municipal Bureau, Fu Yuanshan, and left with Director Luo of the Municipal Office. Fu Yuanshan was a powerful figure, and Luo Qing was a close confidant of the leader. Neither of them were simple. It seemed that Zhou Xuan was no simple man either. Now, the secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, Tang Jie, had personally come down to greet him, which made them even more incredulous!
Seeing Tang Jie's anxious and somewhat dissatisfied expression, Zhou Xuan felt apologetic and said, "Secretary Tang, I'm sorry, I saw you were busy just now, so I went out for a walk. I'm sorry to have made you worry!"
Tang Jie's expression immediately changed, and he was secretly surprised. "Who would dare to slip away halfway through a meeting with the secretary in the municipal party committee office? Even going to the toilet would be risky, and Zhou Xuan is probably the only one who would dare to slip away halfway through!"
Since Zhou Xuan dared to have such courage and do such a thing, he must have something to rely on, right?
Tang Jie's initial dissatisfaction gradually disappeared completely. Zhou Xuan seemed too mysterious, so it was better to be humble towards him and leave him a way out for the future.
The Standing Committee meeting of the Municipal Party Committee finally ended, and Tang Jie immediately received a notification from Wei Haihe, instructing him to invite Zhou Xuan to his leadership office building.
To the right of the municipal party committee office building, there is another three-story villa facing south. "It doesn't look very luxurious or high-end," but it looks solemn. This three-story building occupies about 1,000 square meters. The first floor houses the guards and staff of the municipal office, while the second and third floors are the offices of the municipal party committee leaders. The second and third floors are divided into north and south sides. The south side is the office of the municipal party committee, and the north side is the municipal office. This is where the top figures of power in Beijing gather. All major events in Beijing are decided and implemented from here.
Zhou Xuan followed Tang Jie into the building and then took the elevator upstairs. There was no elevator or staircase for the three floors. There were two elevators. After reaching the third floor, they walked south. At the very end of the alley, Tang Jie pushed open the office door. Inside was the secretary's office and reception area, which was very spacious, about 60 square meters. Then, on the right side, there was another door, which led to Wei Haihe's office.
Tang Jie knocked lightly on the door first, then said, "Secretary Wei, Xiao Zhou is here!"
The door was suddenly flung open, and Fu Yuanshan opened it. He first walked towards Tang Jie with a smile and gesture, then reached out and pulled Zhou Xuan into the inner room, laughing as he went, "Brother, you must have been waiting impatiently, huh? Hehe, well, Secretary Wei is also very important today..."
Tang Jie glanced at Wei Haihe, who was sitting on the sofa, and saw him stand up with a smile to greet him. He couldn't help but gasp. It seemed that Zhou Xuan was indeed an extremely mysterious person. However, he was Wei Haihe's secretary. The leader's secrets were naturally not to be pried into, and the leader was most wary of such things. So he slowly closed the door.
The leaders' rooms are specially decorated with extremely strong soundproofing. Once the door is closed, it is impossible to eavesdrop on conversations inside from the outside. Of course, it is also impossible to install eavesdropping devices in the rooms. The security checks and prevention measures in the municipal party committee leaders' building are extremely strict, with checks basically every two days. The most likely and most vulnerable person to be eavesdropped on is the leader's secretary.
However, secretaries are basically the leader's confidants, so naturally they wouldn't do such a thing. A secretary who has reached this level of leadership would at least be a city-level official if they were to be transferred to a subordinate agency. A secretary would never do something so inappropriate, outrageous, and self-destructive.
Tang Jie, of course, wouldn't. He just thought about how much effort he had put in and how much he had done to get to this position. Among all the secretaries in the leadership, he, as the secretary of the municipal party secretary, was the most important. Although they were all secretaries, the higher the rank of the leader, the higher the status of the secretary. Even if they were transferred to subordinate agencies, the secretary of the municipal party secretary would at least be assigned to a deputy secretary position in a second or third-tier city, and some would even become the top leader. The secretaries of other deputy secretaries were of a lower rank.
Then think about Zhou Xuan. The Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission and the Director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau all treat him like a brother, and the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee is also extremely friendly with him. This kind of relationship and treatment makes Tang Jie extremely envious. What kind of ability and connections does this young man have?
Tang Jie was filled with speculation and envy in the outer room. Meanwhile, in the inner room, Wei Haihe personally stood up, stepped forward, patted Zhou Xuan on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Little Zhou, sit down and talk!"
Zhou Xuan naturally didn't stand on ceremony and sat down next to Fu Yuanshan with a smile. Fu Yuanshan also unceremoniously took out Wei Haihe's treasured Longjing tea and brewed it.
Seeing the seamless interaction between Fu Yuanshan and Wei Haihe, Zhou Xuan was quite gratified. To be honest, although he had a deep relationship with the Wei family, among the first and second generations of the Wei family, he only had the most trustworthy and seamless relationship with the old man and Wei Haihong. His relationship with Wei Haihe and Wei Haifeng was somewhat lacking. It was only because of the old man that he regarded Wei Haihe as a trustworthy person to help him.
Zhou Xuan's feelings towards Fu Yuanshan were different. Fu Yuanshan was someone Zhou Xuan had personally cultivated. Now, their relationship had evolved into a genuine brotherhood, rather than the exploitative one they had before. Zhou Xuan would help Fu Yuanshan willingly and without hesitation. As for Wei Haihe, it was only out of respect for the old man and Wei Haihong. Furthermore, Zhou Xuan felt indebted to the Wei Xiaoqing and Wei Xiaoyu sisters.
Fu Yuanshan brewed the Longjing tea. Wei Haihe took a small sip from the small cup, moved his lips, and then smiled slightly, saying, "Yuanshan, you're quite skilled at solving cases, and your fighting skills are excellent, but your tea-brewing ability is rather lacking!"
Fu Yuanshan didn't take it seriously and chuckled, "Secretary, I'm a former soldier. After retiring, I worked as a criminal investigator. I'm only good at using my fists and guns. This tea-making and water-making stuff, hehe, I can't do it. It's a woman's job!" Wei Haihe laughed heartily, unperturbed by Fu Yuanshan's rudeness. Subordinates with Fu Yuanshan's personality are actually quite popular with leaders.
Zhou Xuan smiled as well. Although Fu Yuanshan was a retired soldier, he was quite shrewd. In front of Wei Haihe, he deliberately showed his rough and straightforward side. Although Zhou Xuan had helped him rise to such a high position, who could say that he himself was incompetent?!
Volume 1, Chapter 572: Serving a Ruler is Like Serving a Tiger
Wei Haihe smiled and pondered. He had heard from the old man that Zhou Xuan did not really want to develop his career in officialdom. But now it seemed that it would be a real pity if he did not develop his career in officialdom. He had to think of a way to try to find some topics to talk about. To move someone, he first had to understand his thoughts. Only by understanding his thoughts could he prescribe the right medicine!
But Zhou Xuan did indeed act too casually, without a trace of the desires of someone in the system. This was the first time Wei Haihe had seen Zhou Xuan like this. He had seen Zhou Xuan before, but hadn't paid much attention to him then, nor had he intended to recruit him into the officialdom. Every person Wei Haihe met was either a high-ranking official or a low-ranking official; they were all officials, and everyone, to varying degrees, showed a pursuit of fame and fortune. Even if some people hid it well, Wei Haihe could still smell that underlying desire in them.
One official's flavor! Wei Haihe once had a long talk with the old man about his understanding of Zhou Xuan. His comments were: "Special ability", "Loyalty", "Simple". However, in the official system, the latter can be said to be impossible. "The officialdom is indifferent and entangled with interests". Everyone is just a pawn. You can't enter the officialdom without being cunning. This is the motto that Wei Haihe values the most.
The old man sighed and said to him, "That's certainly how it is in officialdom. Xiao Zhou is a talented person, and as you said, his abilities are exceptional. But his personality is also his biggest flaw. However, for you and me, this flaw is also his greatest strength—his ability to make friends is what attracts you the most!"
Therefore, the old man concluded that Zhou Xuan was the most trustworthy and confidant friend, but not suitable for entering officialdom; it was just a pity that he had such great abilities.
But Wei Haihe still harbored a hope, especially after seeing how Zhou Xuan had easily and effortlessly resolved his predicament of more than a year. "If I could bring him under my wing," he would become his most important pawn and his most powerful trump card!
"Xiao Zhou!" Wei Haihe pondered for a long while before slowly speaking, "I see you cooperated extremely well with Yuanshan this time. Have you considered developing your career within the system? If so, you can start as a police station chief under Yuanshan. If you want to work directly in the government, I can transfer you to a grassroots department as a junior cadre. With your abilities," you could reach the level of a department head in less than ten years!
Fu Yuanshan was stunned. Wei Haihe was directly tempting Zhou Xuan. He knew Zhou Xuan had no interest in a career advancement, but the allure Wei Haihe offered was considerable. "Ten years to rise from someone with no connections to a department-level cadre"—that was a huge temptation for anyone. Take Fu Yuanshan himself, for example. If he hadn't met Zhou Xuan, even if he had waited another ten years, or even until retirement, he might not have been able to cross that threshold. How many ten years had it taken him to climb up step by step? More than three decades. The struggles of the first thirty years couldn't compare to this one year. Think about it, interpersonal relationships and background were the most important factors. If Zhou Xuan hadn't helped him, and if Zhou Xuan didn't have powerful figures like the Wei and Li families behind him, how could he have risen to such a position?
However, Wei Haihe's words at this moment clearly had a hint of trying to recruit people, which made him somewhat uncomfortable. "Letting Zhou Xuan enter the government and enter politics means that he, Fu Yuanshan, is completely cut off from him. Of course, Fu Yuanshan was not jealous of Zhou Xuan. After thinking about it carefully, he was relieved. No matter where Zhou Xuan went or whether he entered politics or not, as long as he needed help, how could Zhou Xuan not help him?"
If Zhou Xuan achieves greater success, it will only be better for him. Besides, with Zhou Xuan's abilities, it's not impossible for him to go further and higher in the system. Wei Haihe is only assessing his abilities. If Zhou Xuan really wants to be in politics, how much of a position can he possibly have under him?
But no matter what he thought, or what Wei Haihe thought, Zhou Xuan had not yet expressed his own opinion.
With a smile, Zhou Xuan replied, "Secretary Wei, I appreciate your kindness, but I'm someone who enjoys freedom and leisure. If I were to be locked up by the tedious nine-to-five life of officialdom, I wouldn't be happy. If I were to come here, I would break the rules in three days and only cause you trouble. Besides, I don't like the power struggles in the political arena. I prefer a simple life. I can't pull off those kinds of tactics!"
After saying all that, Zhou Xuan added solemnly, "But one thing is certain: if you ever need my help, I will definitely lend a hand!"