"Are you serious?" Chen Feng asked excitedly.
On the surface, returning to Mingshan Town from Yongming County as town mayor was a demotion, a relegation. In reality, it was a promotion.
The reason was simple: the Propaganda Department of Yongming County was a nominal position, while being a town mayor was a substantive one. In the Propaganda Department, the possibility of promotion was zero. However, as a town mayor, he held real power and could achieve many things, thus greatly increasing his chances of promotion.
"When have I ever lied to you?" Qin Yan said with a smile.
"Mayor Qin, I don't doubt you. What I mean is, isn't the town mayor position in Mingshan Town arranged by Wang Defu? How can you go back?" Chen Feng asked, full of doubt.
"You, you've been in Wulin Village for too long, your information is too outdated. Let me tell you, Wang Defu is in jail now. Wang Defu was the protégé of the new town mayor of Mingshan Town. With his patron disgraced, do you think he could stay in Mingshan Town for long?" Qin Yan continued, still smiling.
Originally, she thought it would take a long time to deal with Wang Defu and that she would have to proceed slowly. However, as fate would have it, Deputy Mayor Xiao made the move.
"Mayor Qin, the more I listen, the more confused I get. Isn't Deputy Mayor Xiao your opponent? How did he end up helping you put Wang Defu in prison?" Chen Feng grew increasingly perplexed.
Wang Defu, who was fine one moment, suddenly being imprisoned seemed too surreal.
"Let me correct you on two points. Deputy Mayor Xiao was indeed my opponent, an enemy, in the past. However, since I went to Yongming County, the situation changed, and we cooperated. As the saying goes, there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests. As for Deputy Mayor Xiao dealing with Wang Defu, Wang Defu deserved it." Qin Yan explained.
"Deserved it?"
"Yes, deserved it. Wang Defu was messing around with women and happened to mess with Deputy Mayor Xiao's woman. As a man, who can tolerate the damage of being cuckolded?" Qin Yan retorted.
"There is no man in this world who can tolerate being cuckolded, but how did Deputy Mayor Xiao's woman get involved with Wang Defu from Jiangcheng? They have no connection." Chen Feng asked, bewildered.
"Deputy Mayor Xiao's wife is a teacher at Yongming County No. 1 Middle School. To transfer to the city, she hooked up with Wang Defu. As long as people are involved in politics, they will eventually connect."
"To get a transfer, she gave up her body? Isn't that like selling herself? What was Deputy Mayor Xiao's wife thinking?" Chen Feng mused.
"Chen Feng, I wouldn't be surprised if others made such a comment. But for you to say it, I find it quite strange. You are in politics, don't you know that power can make people lose their true nature, lose their dignity? For power, let alone selling one's body, one can even sell their soul." Qin Yan's explanation made Chen Feng understand instantly.
He felt a wave of emotion, realizing this was the reality of the political arena. It wasn't grand and sophisticated, but filled with endless baseness and filth.
"Alright, enough of the idle chat, let's talk about something serious. Tell the person in charge below to quickly prepare the ledger for the fish farm in the adjacent village." Qin Yan said with a serious expression.
"Prepare the ledger for the adjacent village's fish farm? Why?" Chen Feng asked, confused.
"Chen Feng, your crayfish project is quite innovative and on a large scale, and Yongming County has also noticed it. However, the scale is not large enough. For the sake of better publicity, we must annex the fish farm in the adjacent village. This way, outsiders will see your crayfish farm as having a vast scale, which will be impressive. Then, my transfer to Mingshan Town will be a natural progression." Qin Yan explained briefly.
"Mayor Qin, what you said makes a lot of sense. However, annexations of this kind cannot be completed within a few days." Chen Feng replied.
"Chen Feng, Chen Feng, you still haven't quite grasped the essence of politics. A real annexation does take time, but an annexation on paper only requires a mouth and hands. The superiors only care about what they see; they don't care about what they don't see, understand?" Chen Feng understood immediately.
In plain terms, it was a mutual deception, a living in a happy illusion.
"Understood, Mayor Qin, I'll go arrange for someone below to prepare the ledger for the adjacent village's fish farm now."
"Don't arrange for someone below; you do it yourself. Remember, make the ledger look substantial. Publicity is about exaggeration, about creating a sensation." Qin Yan said with a smile.
"Mayor Qin, I can inflate the ledger, but will the superiors believe it?" Chen Feng asked doubtfully.
"Of course not, they aren't fools, they understand basic logic."
"Since the superiors won't believe it, is there still a need to exaggerate the ledger?" Chen Feng probed.
"Of course, there is! Let me put it this way, the superiors are actually well aware of what people below are doing, just like a teacher on the podium is very clear about the various small movements of students below. The issue isn't about clarity, but about whether they want to manage it. If you exaggerate the ledger, not only will you benefit, but the superiors will also benefit, and they will naturally turn a blind eye. Understand?"
"Understood," Chen Feng nodded and replied. Without hesitation, he began preparing the ledger for the adjacent village's fish farm on the desk.
Qin Yan didn't leave and stood behind Chen Feng, watching him work on the ledger.
After half an hour, Qin Yan liked it more and more.
When Chen Feng wrote official documents or reports for the political arena, his ability was no less than that of the chief secretary in Jiangcheng; he wrote them so convincingly.
More importantly, his handwriting was beautiful.
He was a talent, a true talent born to thrive in politics.
"It's done." After forty minutes, Chen Feng said excitedly.
"Chen Feng, your excellent writing skills are truly suited for politics," Qin Yan blurted out involuntarily.
"Just average," Chen Feng replied modestly.
"Alright, let's go eat some late-night street food. Honestly, I'm hungry." Qin Yan said with a smile.
"Mayor Qin, how about this: if you're worried about others seeing us, we can drive to a high-class hotel in the neighboring city to eat. You're my former superior, and it really makes me feel bad to have you eat street food." Chen Feng said softly.
"Drive to a high-class hotel in the neighboring city to eat? That's a good idea. Oh, and don't forget to bring your ID." Qin Yan said with a smile.
"Bring my ID?" Chen Feng was a bit confused. It was just a meal, why bring an ID?
"It will be almost midnight after we finish eating. We can't drive back immediately, so we'll definitely have to stay overnight there. I can't use my ID, so you'll have to bring yours, understand?" Chen Feng said no more and drove Qin Yan to the neighboring city.
Around nine in the evening, they arrived at a private room in the Shangri-La Hotel in the neighboring city.
"I'm in a good mood today, how about we have some drinks?" Qin Yan asked with a smile.
"Sure," Chen Feng replied.
When the leader suggests drinking, the subordinate must cooperate.
So, Chen Feng and Qin Yan ate and drank together.
Unknowingly, two bottles of red wine were finished.
"Ah, having a good alcohol tolerance is indeed beneficial for navigating politics. However, the only downside is that I never get to experience the feeling of being drunk." Qin Yan said, her face slightly flushed.
"Drinking to excess is bad for your health. It's good to just have a taste," Chen Feng comforted Qin Yan.
"You're such a straight arrow, you don't understand a woman's heart at all." Qin Yan feigned anger at Chen Feng and leaned closer to him involuntarily.