Chapter 1421: Chapter 220: The Son Repays the Father’s Debt! (Part 2)
"All right, if you hadn’t mentioned it I really would’ve forgotten he’s right there in Beihu."
As Chen Zikun was speaking, Xiao Yu laughed and said, "No need to call him. When you get to the Party School, he’ll come looking for you."
Han Yu asked instinctively, "He knows we’re going to Hanwu for training?"
"Even Li Shousong knows—how could President Hao not know?" Xiao Yu shot back, then said casually, "Yang Jianbo and President Sun called and told him. Yang Jianbo and President Sun have always kept in touch with him. He’s just taken on another big project recently, didn’t have enough workers, and it was President Sun who helped him find people."
"Water conservancy project?"
"Seems so. He’s always been doing projects with the Water Resources Commission’s water conservancy engineering company."
The Linghai Reserve Camp is nominally a reserve camp jointly built by Linghai and the Changhang system, but in reality it’s several Changhang system units in Binjiang jointly building it with Linghai.
The Waterway Section and Communications Department are both co-construction units of the Linghai Reserve Camp. Director Li and Director Wang both knew Hao Qiusheng; they couldn’t help asking about how he was doing, and they were even more curious about that close female friend of his.
Just as they were gossiping, Han Yu’s phone rang.
It was his senior calling. On the expressway she couldn’t find a public phone, so she could only use her mobile.
He thought she was going to ask where he’d gotten to, but as soon as the call connected she started complaining about Binjiang Development Zone Management Committee Director Luo Hongxin.
"Instead of going out to attract investment, he’s busy poaching my people! Tell me, who does that? I actually used to respect him so much!" The more Han Xiangning thought about it the angrier she got, then she gritted her teeth and said, "This is on me too. I didn’t put a gag order on our industrial park people and the news leaked. He grabbed the opening."
Since she took up her post on secondment, senior had worked her tail off to negotiate two big projects. One had already been snatched by Luo Hongxin, and the other was about to be snatched. Anyone would be furious.
Han Yu couldn’t believe Luo Hongxin would pull something like that, and asked quietly, "The leak came from people in your industrial park?"
"Xiao Liu from the Management Committee’s Party and Government Office. Her husband works in the Binjiang Development Zone."
"You dealt with her?"
"What can you ’deal with’ in a situation like this? At most criticize and educate."
"So what now? Can you still grab the project back?"
"No way. That old guy’s a piece of work. Back when the Linghai Reserve Camp went to Beihu for flood control, Secretary Ye screwed him over once and I actually felt sorry for him. Looking back, that time he drew water with a bamboo basket and came up empty—serves him right!"
Luo Hongxin is the Development Zone Management Committee Director, the de facto number one in the Binjiang Development Zone, the guy who’s been duking it out with the two city leaders from Linghai.
Before, they only watched the show, even hoping for more drama. After all, no matter how openly or covertly those people fought, it was gods clashing in the heavens; it had nothing to do with small fry like them.
Who could’ve imagined that senior would go to Changzhou as a Deputy Mayor on temporary assignment, turning from a spectator in the audience into a player on stage.
To Han Yu the whole thing felt unreal. He dazed out for a while before pretending to be righteously indignant: "He’s a standard department level leader and an elder, so it’s not convenient for me to go demand an explanation for you. But don’t worry, there’s still a way to vent this anger. Luo Wenjiang’s coming back to the Water Police Station on secondment; I’ll make him pay the son’s dues for the father’s debt. I’ll go have a word with Luo Wenjiang for you."
"Fine, ask him for me what exactly his old man means by this!"
"I’ll call Luo Wenjiang right now. If he doesn’t give me an explanation, I won’t let it go!"
Senior was really angry, and it was a serious problem.
Seeing everyone around him struggling not to laugh, Han Yu quickly dug out Luo Wenjiang’s mobile number and dialed.
Luo Wenjiang had just returned to Binjiang today and was at the Water Police Station getting familiar with his new environment. The secondment document wouldn’t be officially announced until tomorrow.
He was chatting with his old leaders, Wang Wenhong and Political Commissioner Ma, when he saw a call from Salted Fish and immediately felt a headache coming on.
"Wen Jiang, who is it?"
"Secretary Han."
"Salted Fish?"
"Yeah."
"Pick up!"
"I don’t dare."
"What’s there not to dare when it’s a call from Salted Fish?" Wang Wenhong was completely confused, his face blank.
Back when Luo Wenjiang was Water Police Third Team Captain he’d worked in Sanhe for ages and knew several people in the Linghai Maritime Bureau very well. Whenever Han Xiangning had something going on, she liked to talk to people like Sister Ling from the Linghai Maritime Bureau. At noon today Sister Ling had already called to talk about the old man poaching that ’Boss Lady’ of Han Xiangning’s.
The old man had gone too far. If you’re going to steal someone’s project, fine, but why pick the ’Boss Lady’s’?
Not knowing how to explain, Luo Wenjiang could only bite the bullet and answer, forcing a relaxed laugh: "Secretary Han, I was just about to call and report to you—didn’t expect you to call first. Where have you and Captain Chen gotten to? How long are you going to be in training this time..."
"We’ll talk about my business later. First explain what your old man’s been up to."
"What about my dad?"
"Your sister-in-law went to Changzhou as a Vice Mayor on secondment and finally managed to secure two projects. One of them was even something your dad previously turned down. In the end he snatched both from her! Tell me, what kind of stunt is your dad pulling!"
"Secretary Han, you’re my old leader, you know my situation best. I’m me, my dad is my dad. He can’t control me, and I don’t get involved in his affairs. We’re like well water not mixing with river water—we’re this close to severing father-son ties."
Han Yu knew full well his old subordinate was in a tight spot, but he still had to raise a fuss; otherwise there’d be no way to face senior when he got home. He deliberately sounded angry: "’This close’ to severing relations is still not actually severing them. As the saying goes, the son pays the father’s debts. I’m giving you face by not going to your dad, but you have to give me an explanation!"
Wang Wenhong and Political Commissioner Ma more or less figured out what was going on and couldn’t help laughing.
With a bitter face, Luo Wenjiang said, "Secretary Han, how about I apologize to sister-in-law on my dad’s behalf and go to Changzhou first thing tomorrow morning to ’offer my head on the chopping block’?"
