Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 359 Boiling Frog in Slow Water

Yuan Jin sat up and lit a cigarette: "Xiao Hua, you're a smart person. Wu Zhiyuan is young, single, and unfamiliar with Qingyan County. A single man will always feel lonely sometimes."

Jiang Xiaohua pouted: "Brother Yuan, are you tired of me? Are you going to give me to Wu Zhiyuan?"

Yuan Jin put her arm around Jiang Xiaohua: "How could that be? You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. How could I possibly be attached to you?"

"But, Brother Yuan, I only want to be your lover."

Yuan Jin scoffed inwardly. "It's just a public restroom, and you only want to be my lover? Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"

But he said, "Xiaohua, I'm doing this for your own good."

For example, I have a say in who to recommend as deputy county head, and Wu Zhiyuan, as county head, also has a say.

If you win him over, won't his recommendation votes naturally go to you?

If both the county party secretary and the county head recommend you, then you have a head start.

Although we don't have the final say, if we recommend you, the city will have to think it over.

Jiang Xiaohua knew, of course, that Yuan Jin was right.

Although the final decision on the selection of deputy county heads rests with the city, the joint recommendation by the county party secretary and the county head carries considerable weight.

If we can bring Wu Zhiyuan to our side, our chances of winning will indeed be much greater.

Even disregarding the fact that she was the deputy county head, she was willing to sleep with Wu Zhiyuan.

Wu Zhiyuan is young, handsome, and full of masculinity. As a young county magistrate with a promising future, he is very attractive to a woman like her.

She said she would only be Yuan Jin's lover, but that was pure deception.

Of course, she also knew that Yuan Jin knew she was lying to him.

Sometimes, even when people know that others are lying to them, they still find it comforting.

For example, most people enjoy being complimented, or rather, praised.

"But Brother Yuan, I'm quite a bit older than Wu Zhiyuan, would he even be interested in me?"

Yuan Jin smiled and said, "Xiao Hua, don't you have confidence in yourself?"

In Qingyan County, there are plenty of women younger and prettier than you, but very few with more charm than you.

Besides, sometimes what men want isn't youth, but the feeling of knowing how to please someone.

"But Brother Yuan, would Wu Zhiyuan really be interested in me?"

"That depends on how you use your charm."

"Okay, I'll give it a try. If he's not interested in me, I'll send Liao Shanshan. If Liao Shanshan doesn't work out, I'll try someone else. There's bound to be one that suits him."

"You decide what to do."

Jiang Xiaohua giggled and said, "You bad man, you're tired of playing with me and now you want to push me to someone else."

"Let me tell you, if I really take down County Chief Wu, you'd better not regret it."

Yuan Jin exhaled a smoke ring, his hands roaming over her body: "What do I have to regret? If you can win him over, he'll listen to me in Qingyan, and you'll still be mine, right? That's killing two birds with one stone."

Besides, he's young and strong; he might give you more pleasure than an old man like me.

"Ugh!" Jiang Xiaohua pretended to be angry, but in her heart she was already plotting something.

Wu Zhiyuan is young, handsome, and capable; she's long wanted to experience the taste of a man like him.

I had wanted to get in touch with her before, but I was afraid that Yuan Jin would say I was looking for someone else.

Now that Yuan Jin has taken the initiative to propose it, it's exactly what she wanted.

It satisfies personal desires, helps Yuan Jin, and increases one's chances of becoming deputy county head—a win-win-win situation. Why not?

Jiang Xiaohua thought for a moment and said, "However, this matter needs to be considered carefully and cannot be rushed."

Rushing in directly is too low-class and easily arouses resentment.

I need to find a pretext to approach him in a natural and legitimate way.

Yuan Jin reminded her, "Xiao Hua, you are the director of the Government Affairs Management Center. Aren't you in charge of the county magistrate's personal affairs?"

Find an opportunity to inquire about the leader's life; it's perfectly legitimate.

"That's true. He's staying in temporary housing. What are the conditions like there?"

Do you need to buy anything? Are you experiencing any difficulties in your daily life?

As someone in charge of logistics, it's perfectly reasonable for me to check on things.

Tomorrow evening I will pay a visit to County Chief Wu, ostensibly to report on my work, but also to see if he has any needs in his personal life.

"Be careful not to scare people away from the start. Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, you know?"

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Yuan."

Jiang Xiaohua thought to herself: Boiling a frog in lukewarm water? I've boiled plenty of frogs. However, some men don't like a slow pace, like Yuan Jin, who slept with her after only two times.

……

Wu Zhiyuan was in the temporary housing, having just finished a long phone conversation with Xu Yunxi, when someone knocked on the door.

Through the peephole, it was Jiang Xiaohua, the director of the County Government Affairs Management Center, who had arrived.

Wu Zhiyuan had already learned about the various rumors surrounding this woman from Lü Xinghua, the deputy director of the county archives bureau.

This woman is a well-known mistress in Qingyan.

But he wasn't worried at all that Jiang Xiaohua would pull any tricks or schemes.

Because of past mistakes and professional inertia, he installs hidden cameras wherever he goes, whether it's his office or his residence.

The officialdom is like a battlefield, where villains cause trouble from time to time. It's never a bad thing to be more careful.

As a former member of the National Security Bureau, installing and detecting hidden cameras was a basic skill, just like understanding the debit and credit relationships in accounting is a basic skill.

Wu Zhiyuan opened the door.

Jiang Xiaohua had clearly dressed up carefully.

She wore a beige fitted cashmere sweater that perfectly accentuated her full bust and slender waist, layered with a light gray long cardigan that reached her knees.

Although the signs of aging are visible, with some fine lines around her eyes, she is well-maintained overall, with firm skin that exudes the unique charm of a mature woman.

In her left hand she carried an exquisite fruit basket filled with strawberries, blueberries, and other fruits.

Wu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Director Jiang? It's so late, is there something you need?"

Jiang Xiaohua smiled gently, concealing her usual charm: "County Chief Wu, I'm sorry to disturb your rest."

Today I went to the countryside for research and passed by a strawberry and blueberry farm. I tried some, and they tasted especially good.

Thinking that you might be here alone and wouldn't have time to buy fruit, I brought some over to you.

Wu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Director Jiang, you're so kind. Thank you."

Jiang Xiaohua smiled and said, "County Chief Wu is the local official in Qingyan. Taking good care of your life is my job."

These strawberries don't keep well; they'll taste worse tomorrow, so I need to send them over quickly.

Wu Zhiyuan was not a saint detached from worldly affairs; he refused all valuable gifts and money.

However, refusing to accept a small amount of fruit would seem like making a mountain out of a molehill and being unreasonable.

"Director Jiang, please come in and have a seat," Wu Zhiyuan greeted warmly.

Jiang Xiaohua walked in.

Wu Zhiyuan invited her to sit down and personally brewed her a cup of tea.

All who come are guests.

Jiang Xiaohua circled the customer hall and said with a smile, "County Chief Wu, your room is very tidy and clean."

I thought you leaders wouldn't have time for such trivial matters.

Wu Zhiyuan would never say: "If you can't sweep one room, how can you sweep the world?"

That's too domineering. Besides, Jiang Xiaohua might not even understand it.

Wu Zhiyuan sat down on the chair opposite the sofa and smiled, "Living alone is simple."

"The house is clean and tidy, and it looks nice and refreshing. I don't like having a messy house."

"County Chief Wu, your house, just like you, looks clean and tidy."

Jiang Xiaohua's words were a little ambiguous, but not excessive.

Wu Zhiyuan smiled but did not reply.

Jiang Xiaohua asked softly, "County Chief Wu, please let me know if there's anything you need to add to the house."

"Conditions in Qingyan are limited, so please let me know if you encounter any inconveniences in your daily life."

Wu Zhiyuan maintained a smile throughout: "Everything is fine. Director Jiang has made very thoughtful arrangements."

I'm adaptable and not fussy.

"That's good. If you don't like the food in the cafeteria, or if you want to try something different, the small kitchen at Qingyan Hotel can cook for you anytime. It's clean, hygienic, and convenient."

As Jiang Xiaohua spoke, she leaned forward, opening the collar of her cashmere sweater slightly to reveal her delicate collarbone and fair skin.

A faint fragrance wafted over.

Wu Zhiyuan waved his hand: "Really, no need. The cafeteria is fine and convenient."

Jiang Xiaohua didn't insist, and said with a smile, "County Chief Wu, you're too kind. You are the leader, and we are here to provide service and support. It is our bounden duty to provide you with the best service and support."

Jiang Xiaohua's words were impeccable, expressing both concern and official business.

Wu Zhiyuan nodded: "Director Jiang is very kind."

Jiang Xiaohua has been around men all her life; what kind of men hasn't she seen?

She noticed that Wu Zhiyuan was polite but not overly enthusiastic, maintaining a proper distance, and knew she couldn't rush things.

She stood up, walked to the window, and looked outside: "County Chief Wu, this house has a good orientation; it should get plenty of natural light during the day."

"Not bad." Wu Zhiyuan also stood up.

Jiang Xiaohua turned around, her gaze falling on him and lingering for a moment.

Up close, this man is indeed captivating.

Twenty-nine years old, tall and handsome.

It's not the kind of "pretty boy" beauty, but rather a kind of heroic spirit and composure.

This kind of man has a fatal attraction for women; he possesses both youthful vitality and a maturity and strength beyond his years.

The main leaders of the Qingyan County Party Committee and County Government have all been either middle-aged people over forty with deep thoughts, or shrewd and worldly-wise old hands with big bellies.

I've never seen someone as young and charismatic as Wu Zhiyuan in recent years.

Jiang Xiaohua's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained expressionless: "County Chief Wu, you are usually busy with work, do you have any hobbies on weekends?"

Although Qingyan can't compare to Qingshan, it still has several nice spots with beautiful scenery; it's worth a visit.

Wu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Thank you for the recommendation, Director Jiang. However, I'm new here and have a lot of work to do, so I rarely have a free weekend."

When I go to grassroots areas for research in the future, I can take a look at the beautiful mountains and rivers of Qingyan along the way.

"County Chief Wu, you are young and have a bright future, but health is the foundation of everything."

No matter how busy you are at work, remember to take a break.

How about this, I'll have someone deliver a few potted plants this weekend to put in the house. It'll be more pleasant to look at and will purify the air.

Wu Zhiyuan waved his hand: "Director Jiang, really, there's no need. I'm a simple person and don't like things to be too complicated."

Jiang Xiaohua scoffed inwardly: she'd seen plenty of men this wary. The tougher the nut to crack, the more satisfying it was to crack it.