"Elder Miao, you don't mean that Wu Luozhong's son-in-law is the Vice Mayor of Mingshan City, do you?" Chen Feng probed.
A city has one mayor and over a dozen vice mayors.
"That's precisely what I mean. Wu Luozhong's intentions are clear: if you guys leave Mingshan City, his son-in-law, Jiang Hao, can dominate Mingshan City," Miao Qifeng explained.
"Elder Miao, if I may say something I shouldn't, since Wu Luozhong is looking out for his son-in-law like this, shouldn't you consider me as well? You know my capabilities; I can be your right-hand man," Chen Feng said directly, getting straight to the point.
"Chen Feng, I'm not an idiot. How could I not understand the intricacies of this situation? To be honest, if I didn't want to deal with this, why would I have called you to the provincial capital? It's just that Wu Luozhong has leverage over me, so it's inconvenient for me to directly intervene." Miao Qifeng explained with a dejected look.
"Wu Luozhong is only the second-in-command. How could he possibly have leverage over you, the first-in-command?" Chen Feng was taken aback.
"Chen Feng, you're a veteran in the political arena. You should know that superiors and subordinates in politics are usually in a cooperative relationship. To be frank, the reason I was able to become the top official in the provincial capital, besides your help, was also due to Wu Luozhong's significant assistance. To manage Sanshui Province effectively, I had no choice but to cooperate with Wu Luozhong. As our relationship became closer, he naturally gained leverage over me. If I were to intervene to help you, what do you think Wu Luozhong would do?" Miao Qifeng sighed deeply.
"Elder Miao, now I understand what you mean." Chen Feng didn't explicitly say it, but he understood perfectly.
In simple terms, Miao Qifeng was prepared to sacrifice Chen Feng's interests for his own.
"Since you understand, you and those three women should first agree to the temporary transfer to another region. Later, I'll find a way to get you transferred back," Miao Qifeng advised Chen Feng.
Chen Feng felt a chill in his heart. He had long known that the political arena in China was fickle and unfeeling, but he hadn't expected it to be so callous, with no attempt to conceal it. With Wu Luozhong in the picture, if the four of them were transferred, could they ever return to Mingshan City? This was like trying to fool a child.
"Elder Miao, I'm sorry, but we will not agree to the temporary transfer. We've been targeted several times already, and this time, I have no intention of compromising further," Chen Feng replied neither subserviently nor arrogantly.
"Chen Feng, are you sure you want to confront Wu Luozhong head-on?" Miao Qifeng asked, his expression darkening.
"Yes."
"Chen Feng, I advise you not to do this. If you confront Wu Luozhong directly, I will inevitably be implicated." Miao Qifeng dropped the pretense.
"Elder Miao, are you very afraid of the leverage Wu Luozhong holds over you?" Chen Feng continued to speak neither subserviently nor arrogantly.
"Isn't that obvious?"
"Alright then, since things have come to this, I won't play along anymore. I also have leverage over you." Chen Feng said calmly.
"You... what do you mean?"
"My meaning is very simple. I'm not an idiot. When you want to use me, I'm your right-hand man; when you don't, you toss me aside. After dealing with you for so many years, I know many of your weaknesses. If I didn't have this capability, how could I have developed Mingshan City so well?" Chen Feng also dropped his pretense.
"Haha, trying to scare me? I've been wary of you all these years. What leverage do you have to threaten me?" Miao Qifeng laughed heartily.
"For example, a few years ago, nearly ten billion in special funds from the provincial capital was diverted by you for other uses. Although you didn't directly embezzle it, using special funds to develop the provincial capital is a major taboo in politics. You're a seasoned politician; you should know the weight of the words 'special funds must be used for their designated purpose.'" Chen Feng said with a calm expression.
"How could you possibly know about this? I've signed confidentiality agreements with them. For the sake of developing the provincial capital's economy, I temporarily diverted those billions in special funds, intending to return them once the provincial capital's economy improved. In fact, I returned that sum long ago." Miao Qifeng was completely stunned. The diversion of special funds years ago was seamless, and he hadn't embezzled a single cent. Logically, it shouldn't have been leaked. How did Chen Feng find out?
"Elder Miao, there are no secrets that don't get out. If you do something, someone will eventually know. As for how I know, I can only say that in the provincial capital, I don't just know you; I know many other people. Moreover, I have good relationships with them. A casual conversation was enough to uncover that matter." Chen Feng continued with a calm expression.
"Chen Feng, your plan is likely to fail. I did divert special funds, but I didn't embezzle them; I used them to develop the provincial capital's economy. My intentions were good. Practice has proven that my diversion of special funds back then was correct; the provincial capital's economy developed rapidly. Furthermore, I returned the money immediately afterward. Trying to blackmail me with this matter is probably futile," Miao Qifeng sneered.
"Elder Miao, you're a seasoned politician. Do you believe those self-deceiving words yourself? The biggest characteristic of the Chinese political arena is that regardless of your ability, the primary requirement is obedience. Whoever the higher-ups tell you to be, you must be. Special funds must be used for their designated purpose; this is an ironclad rule. Violating this ironclad rule constitutes leverage. For example, China's health code can only be used for medical purposes. If you use the health code to restrict individuals with bad credit, it becomes leverage. Once reported, your career is ruined," Chen Feng explained patiently.
"What do you want?" Miao Qifeng relented. With his leverage firmly grasped by Chen Feng, what else could he do but concede?
"As I said before, I don't want to leave Mingshan City. Elder Miao, you're not an outsider, and I won't lie to you. I don't want to leave Mingshan City not because I'm greedy for power. It's because Mingshan City is something I developed from scratch, and I truly don't want to make wedding clothes for others. If others make the wedding clothes well, I have nothing to say. But I fear they might mess things up and hinder Mingshan City's promising future, which I cannot tolerate. Therefore, this time, I will absolutely not leave Mingshan City. As for how you manage to keep me in Mingshan City, that's your problem to solve," Chen Feng said calmly.
"Chen Feng, aren't you asking the impossible? Didn't I just explain clearly? Wu Luozhong has leverage over me, so how can I turn against him?" Miao Qifeng was almost in tears.
"Elder Miao, the political arena is like this. Sometimes it's a dilemma, and you have to choose the lesser of two evils. Wu Luozhong indeed has leverage over you, but you have time to deal with him. I have leverage over you, and you don't have time to deal with me. You're a smart person; you should know what to do," Chen Feng replied unhurriedly.
"Are you threatening me?" Miao Qifeng stared intently at Chen Feng.
"I don't want to be like this either, but Wu Luozhong is trying to eliminate me completely. I can only resort to this strategy," Chen Feng replied truthfully.
"Chen Feng, I agree to your request; I can make a move against Wu Luozhong. However, I need to borrow your brain. You're a rising star in politics, with exceptional talent. Tell me, Wu Luozhong and I rise and fall together. How can I ensure that by making a move against Wu Luozhong, I don't harm myself?" Miao Qifeng retorted.
"That's not difficult. Whoever wants to take Wu Luozhong's position, you can let them deal with Wu Luozhong, and the problem will be solved," Chen Feng said calmly.