The Tempting Road to Becoming an Official

"Chen Little Brother, don't underestimate this fish ball, it's made of bluefin tuna meat, and for the previous 48 hours, this beauty had a special spice in her mouth, so you see, this fish ball is quite valuable."

Hong Qian pointed to the fish ball and said.

Chen Fang quickly waved his hands and said, "No, no, such a precious dish should be enjoyed by Minister Gao."

Gao Jianzhao smiled and replied, "Since President Hong has already offered it to you, there's no need for you to be polite."

That was quite a statement.

Any further refusal from Chen Fang would have been too pretentious.

He had just picked up his chopsticks.

When he was pressed down by Hong Qian, who said, "Chen Little Brother, you can't pick up this fish ball with chopsticks, you have to eat it directly with your mouth to really taste it."

Eat it directly with my mouth?

Doesn't that mean kissing the woman right before me?

These high-and-mighty types really knew how to indulge.

At that moment, both Gao Jianzhao and Hong Qian were staring at him intently.

He began to realize only after swallowing this fish ball would they openly discuss the actual matters at hand; if Chen Fang refused, then naturally the conversation would end there.

It looked like a sumptuous and sensuous dinner.

In reality, they were always testing Chen Fang's attitude.

In the course of events.

If Chen Fang showed the slightest bit of non-cooperation,

They would not be so amiable anymore.

Having understood this,

Chen Fang stood up immediately,

And pressed his lips onto the woman's.

He not only swallowed the fish ball but also stirred it around her red lips for a while, putting on a show of lingering desire and exclaimed, "Delicious, really delicious!"

"Hahaha..."

Both of them burst into laughter following his act.

Especially Gao Jianzhao, who seemed very pleased.

He asked, "Chen Little Brother, are you full?"

Chen Fang wiped his mouth and playfully said, "My stomach is full, but other places are a bit hungry."

Gao Jianzhao, reassured by this response, said, "No rush, let's talk business first. Later, President Hong will arrange everything personally."

After finishing,

He snapped his fingers.

The two waiters from before came in again and cleaned off the dishes from the woman.

That woman also stood up, bowed to the three men, and then left.

Chen Fang's eyes lingered on the woman's figure.

This scene did not escape the others, who appeared quite satisfied.

"Chen Little Brother, we hit it off at first sight. From now on, we call each other by official titles in public and brothers in private, how about that?"

Gao Jianzhao proposed.

Chen Fang responded, clearly flattered, "Minister Gao... no, Brother Gao, whatever you command, your little brother will go through fire and water without any hesitation."

"Hahaha, going through fire and water is a bit much, but indeed, there is something that I need little brother's help with."

"Brother Gao, please tell me."

Chen Fang postured himself to listen attentively.

Gao Jianzhao paused for a moment, then said, "Little brother, since the Tan County Magistrate incident, the position of County Magistrate has been left vacant, and from the current situation, it seems that Sun Shenru's promotion to County Magistrate is almost certain. But once Sun Shenru moves up, the position of Deputy County Magistrate becomes vacant... "

He left his sentence hanging there.

Gao Jianzhao deliberately paused,

Seemingly to give Chen Fang time to think.

Then,

He continued, "Now, there are rumors everywhere in the county that Zhao Shoujiang is very likely to be promoted to the position of Deputy County Magistrate. You've heard about this, haven't you?"

Having said this,

He looked at Chen Fang.

If initially Chen Fang was unaware of Gao Jianzhao's intentions, by now he had mostly figured them out.

He nodded and asked, "Does Brother Gao also have his sights set on the position of Deputy County Magistrate?"

Gao Jianzhao was taken aback.

Then he burst into hearty laughter.

He praised, "Truly a protégé of County Chief Tan, indeed smart. For this matter, I'll need little brother to lend a hand to his elder brother."

Help?

Chen Fang frowned.

He said, "Brother Gao, I'm just a low-ranking deputy county chief, a vice division level at that. How can I possibly be of any help with the municipal arrangements?"

"You're being too modest, Brother Chen,"

Gao Jianzhao said, finishing his thought.

He then looked towards Hong Qian on the other side.

Hong Qian seemed to realize something.

He hastened to say, "Brother Chen, let's not beat around the bush. Everyone in the county knows that Zhao Shoujiang has always been at odds with Tan Yandong, and they've had several conflicts. After Tan Yandong's death, it was Zhao Shoujiang who took the initiative to suggest promoting you to deputy director of the Safety Supervision Bureau. There can only be two possibilities: one, Zhao Shoujiang holds no grudges and wants to help an old friend's family, or two, Brother Chen, you have something in your hands that could be detrimental to Zhao Shoujiang. Knowing Zhao Shoujiang like we do, the latter seems more likely."

Chen Fang's heart skipped a beat.

Tan Yandong had told him more than once that the depths of people's hearts in officialdom are unfathomable.

One must be extremely careful with every word and action.

Every little move could expose one's own weaknesses.

He truly hadn't expected that while the praying mantis was hunting the cicada, the oriole was behind.

The little matter between him and Zhao Shoujiang had actually caught the attention of Gao Jianzhao, who was watching the fire from across the river.

In a flash of lightning.

He realized he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Truthfully, he didn't like Zhao Shoujiang, but it seemed Gao Jianzhao wasn't exactly a nice piece of work either.

If he helped Gao Jianzhao, he couldn't bear the backlash from Zhao Shoujiang.

But if he didn't help, tonight's Jade Maiden Dish could very well be his last supper in the world of officialdom.

After all, Gao Jianzhao was the head of the Organization Department, and the promotion of any county-level official was in his hands.

What's more, Chen Fang didn't want to get involved in their power struggle.

Having made up his mind, Chen Fang said, "Brother Gao, I think there's been a misunderstanding, Deputy County Chief Zhao promoted me simply to express his gratitude."

"Gratitude to you? What do you mean?"

Gao Jianzhao asked calmly.

Chen Fang briefly described the incident between him and Zhao Xixi.

Of course, he only mentioned the part about saving her.

After listening, Gao Jianzhao's brows were tightly knitted; it was clear that he believed it.

He had thought there might be an unexpected gain but instead, it turned out to be a false alarm.

The face of a leader can change in an instant.

Seeing that Chen Fang was no longer of any use,

Gao Jianzhao hesitated for a moment, then stood up and said, "Chen, I just remembered, I have a meeting with Director Hong at the county committee. We won't keep you company anymore."

"Alright, you go ahead with your work, Brother Gao."

Chen Fang understood within his heart.

And naturally, he didn't mind.

As he pushed open the door of the private room, Mo Zifei greeted him.

Gao Jianzhao said to Mo Zifei, "Zifei, please send Brother Chen off for me, we have to leave now."

Before Mo Zifei could even reply,

they hurriedly left.

Coming in haste and leaving just as quickly, utterly heartless.

"Brother Chen, don't take it to heart. Our Brother Gao has always been like that,"

Mo Zifei said, seemingly noticing something, to Chen Fang.

Chen Fang chuckled and said, "Sister-in-law, you've got it wrong. I'm already flattered that Minister Gao invited me for a meal."

Mo Zifei nodded.

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she held back.

She said, "Alright, Brother Chen, let me walk you out."

Side by side, they walked to the center of the garden courtyard.

Chen Fang suddenly stopped and said, "Sister-in-law, a physical ailment can be cured, but heartache is difficult to heal. Otherwise, you might not live for many more years."