"I wasn't aware of Xiao Ming's situation initially, but due to Sister Hui's matters in Jiangcheng, I did a little digging into Xiao Ming. To my surprise, Xiao Ming was stabbing you in the back. Originally, you were slated to be the town mayor in Yongming County, but Xiao Ming ended up taking the position."
Chen Feng replied earnestly.
"I'm not the mayor of Mingshan Town? Then what will I be?"
Qin Yan asked glumly.
"You'll be the mayor of Lianhua Town. After all, you have connections in Jiangcheng, so it's unlikely you'd be left with nothing. It's just that your connections in Jiangcheng seem to be not as strong as Xiao Ming's."
"I still find it hard to believe."
Qin Yan sighed deeply.
Just last week, she and Xiao Ming had been in the office together, envisioning their future win-win collaborations. To suddenly face this betrayal was unbearable.
"Mayor Qin, I only heard this from others. Whether it's true or not, you'll need to make a call to confirm."
Chen Feng replied softly.
Upon hearing Chen Feng's words, Qin Yan didn't waste any more time and directly contacted her contacts in Jiangcheng.
"Old Zhao, I heard that in this personnel reshuffling in Yongming County, I'm being transferred to Lianhua Town as mayor?"
Qin Yan asked directly.
"Xiao Yan, I was just about to tell you about this. Originally, we planned for you to be the mayor of Mingshan Town. The personnel changes in Yongming County had already been approved. However, man proposes, but heaven disposes. Someone in Jiangcheng objected, and after a lot of effort, I managed to secure you the position of mayor of Lianhua Town, albeit with difficulty."
Zhao Fangshan, the top leader of Baiyan District in Jiangcheng, replied calmly.
"So that's how it is. I understand, Old Zhao. Becoming mayor of Lianhua Town isn't bad either; there's more room for development."
Qin Yan replied, suppressing her disappointment.
She could only blame Zhao Fangshan for being the top leader of Baiyan District, not the top leader of Jiangcheng.
After hanging up the phone, Qin Yan looked at Chen Feng with a meaningful gaze.
"Tell me, do you have any good ideas to get rid of Xiao Ming? Even if the position of mayor of Mingshan Town goes to someone else, it shouldn't go to Xiao Ming."
"There are methods, but..."
Chen Feng hesitated.
Xiao Ming had found a rather formidable backer in Jiangcheng. To bring Xiao Ming down would require extraordinary measures.
In plain terms, it meant catching him red-handed accepting bribes or in the act with another woman.
However, catching the sly Xiao Ming doing something wrong on the spot was no ordinary feat.
"Just tell me."
Qin Yan urged.
Chen Feng poured out his thoughts word by word.
"Both of these methods are good, but catching Xiao Ming accepting bribes on the spot is unfeasible. In today's political arena, it's not just Xiao Ming; everyone is like a shrewd monkey. They would never openly accept money. Bribes are given in all sorts of unimaginable ways. Even if you catch them in the act, it would be futile. However, catching him with another woman on the spot, that could work."
Qin Yan's mood gradually improved.
"Mayor Qin, do you have a plan?"
Chen Feng asked tentatively.
"I recall Xiao Ming has a paramour named Su Rui, who is also in Yongming County. We can spend some money to get them together, and then we can catch them in the act."
"Mayor Qin, that sounds like a good plan, but the problem is, Xiao Ming is very cautious. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't let anyone know he's involved with Su Rui."
"That's simple. I'll buy two yacht tour tickets to the provincial capital and have Xiao Ming's subordinate deliver them to him. He'll naturally fall for it."
Qin Yan explained.
"Deputy Mayor Qin, something still feels off. Xiao Ming's subordinate is with him. Would he listen to you and deliver two tickets to Xiao Ming?"
Chen Feng asked, puzzled.
"Chen Feng, there's still a lot you need to learn about the intricacies of the political world. Xiao Ming's subordinate has always wanted to curry favor with Xiao Ming but hasn't had a suitable gift. Two provincial capital yacht tour tickets, valued at over thirty thousand, are definitely a gift that can be presented. Xiao Ming's subordinate absolutely won't refuse."
Chen Feng was impressed by Qin Yan's explanation.
Qin Yan truly lived up to her reputation; she was still sharp and her thinking remained agile.
"By the way, Mayor Qin, if Xiao Ming and Su Rui can't control themselves on the yacht, who will take the photos? If you can't find anyone suitable, I'll do it."
Chen Feng volunteered.
"You're about to become the mayor of Lianhua Town with me. It's not advisable for you to be involved in things that might leave a stain on your record. However, don't worry, we can leave this to a private investigation agency."
Qin Yan said calmly.
Chen Feng found this to be very wise.
By letting a private investigation agency handle it, both he and Qin Yan could remain uninvolved.
What happened next unfolded exactly as imagined.
Dozens of photos of Xiao Ming and Su Rui enjoying themselves on the yacht were sent not only to Yongming County but also to Jiangcheng.
To avoid jail time, Xiao Ming and Su Rui voluntarily resigned from their respective positions.
This is also a small unwritten rule in the political arena. When wrongdoings are exposed, if one wishes to avoid prison, the common practice is to resign voluntarily.
Of course, there's a prerequisite: one must have connections in high places.
With connections, voluntary resignation, in exchange for abandoning a political career, can lead to an exemption from prison.
Without connections, regardless of resignation, wrongdoers will end up in prison.
"Mayor Qin, when can we expect the appointment for Lianhua Town to be finalized?"
After Xiao Ming had disappeared from the scene, Chen Feng proactively sought out Qin Yan in Yongming County to inquire about the situation.
"Soon. The crayfish project was so popular on Douyin that it made both of us quite famous. We'll be taking up our posts in Lianhua Town quickly while the momentum is still strong."
Qin Yan replied with excitement.
"By the way, Mayor Qin, Lianhua Town is quite different from Mingshan Town. Since you have connections in Jiangcheng, why don't we go back to Mingshan Town together? We're familiar with the place, and things would be smoother."
Chen Feng probed.
"I'd like that too, but the appointment for Lianhua Town has already been made, and our files have been received there. It's impossible to go back and change it. However, it's not a big deal. We'll work in Lianhua Town for a while, and once we achieve results, we'll be able to return to Mingshan Town quickly. We can consider it as gaining more experience at the grassroots level, which is quite good."
Qin Yan said calmly.
Qin Yan's words made Chen Feng look at her with newfound respect.
He had previously thought Qin Yan was a power-hungry politician seeking quick gains, but now he realized she was capable of patience.
From this perspective, Qin Yan was destined for great things, and following her would not be a mistake.
"Right, Mayor Qin, what about Cheng Lu?"
Chen Feng asked as an afterthought.
"You really don't need to worry about that. Cheng Lu's connections are far greater than you or I can imagine. Let's just say, below Jiangcheng, she can go wherever she wants without much of the usual complicated procedures. This is called special handling in the political arena."
Chen Feng could only give an awkward smile.
He had overthought things. He had thought Cheng Lu was quite kind to him and wanted to help her if he could, but he hadn't realized Cheng Lu didn't need help from him, a deputy mayor of Lianhua Town.
"Alright, tomorrow I have to teach a class for the Lianhua Town study program. Both you and Cheng Lu will attend. Don't forget to prepare a report on the economic development experience of Wulin Village. For the opening class, you and Cheng Lu will give speeches on stage and make an appearance."
Qin Yan instructed, then returned to her documents...