Chapter 34: Divergent Views

Lu Hao shook his head, his expression firm. "No, I cannot do things that go against the regulations. Don't worry, Township Mayor Wei will only hint at things to us; even if he is angry, he won't give an overt order, as it would be non-compliant."

He had just offended Li Haotian, and now he had offended Wei Bin, but this was a line he could not cross. With so many villagers in Fangshui Township, everyone had some connection to the township government. If everyone used their connections to demand a spot on the poverty relief list, the truly impoverished villagers would be left with nothing to eat.

"I understand. Then no matter who asks, I will stick to that same explanation," Niu Dashan said, nodding. He couldn't help but admire Lu Hao. If it were him, he would never have the courage to secretly defy his superiors like Lu Hao.

...

In the Township Mayor's office, Wei Bin walked in, furious. "Township Mayor, this kid Lu Hao is getting too arrogant. If he keeps acting like this, I don't think our township government will have a shred of human decency left."

"What is it this time?" Li Haotian asked impatiently.

Wei Bin exploded. "The five impoverished households I had spoken for—that kid cut them all from the list this time! When I called him, he flatly told me they didn't meet the requirements. He doesn't hold me in any regard at all, and he even used Secretary Zhao to pressure me. You tell me, if I can't even handle a small matter like this, how am I supposed to get by in Fangshui Township in the future?"

"How much money did you take from them?" Li Haotian asked suddenly.

How could Wei Bin have helped families who didn't qualify for poverty subsidies without taking a cut? Even Wei Bin, the Deputy Township Mayor, had climbed to his position by giving gifts to Li Haotian. There was no way Li Haotian was unaware of these under-the-table dealings.

"Uh, Township Mayor, it's not about the money; it's that Lu Hao doesn't respect us at all," Wei Bin said, his face turning awkward as he tried to drag Li Haotian into the conflict. He had just been venting to Wang Shaojie about Lu Hao, and knowing that Lu Hao's distribution of funds today had also offended Li Haotian, he hoped to use this opportunity to incite Li Haotian's hatred even further.

"If he doesn't respect us, then you deal with him! What am I paying you all for? You all just come to me to complain, but not one of you has offered a solution to handle him..." Li Haotian slammed his hand on the desk and reprimanded them.

What a leader hates most is subordinates who present a pile of problems without any intention of solving them.

...

"Township Mayor, actually, I do have a way to make sure Lu Hao never gets back on his feet," Wei Bin said, his expression turning cold.

Li Haotian paused, the words he was about to use to berate Wei Bin dying on his lips. Wei Bin immediately stepped forward and leaned over the desk, whispering his plan.

...

After work, Lu Hao drove his Jetta back to the county seat. On the way, he stopped to buy some spiced beef and two cold vegetable dishes.

Just as his car entered the county seat, Fang Jing called. As soon as he picked up, her complaints poured out: "Hello, Lu Hao, what is going on with you?"

"What do you mean, what's going on?" Lu Hao asked, stunned.

"Wang Shaojie told me everything! Township Mayor Li personally invited you to dinner to ask for a small favor, and he promised that if you succeeded, he would personally go to County Mayor Li to guarantee you a deputy section-level position. Is this true?" Fang Jing asked angrily.

"That did happen," Lu Hao said, his expression darkening. Although he knew Wang Shaojie had certainly been stirring the pot with Fang Jing, he couldn't deny that the event took place.

"Don't you want to be promoted to a deputy section-level position?" Fang Jing asked, suppressing her rage. She had hoped Wang Shaojie's story was baseless, but it turned out to be true.

"Of course I do!"

"If you want the promotion, why did you deliberately sabotage Township Mayor Li's request? What good does it do you to offend him? Are you out of your mind? A golden opportunity is right in front of you, and you don't know how to treasure it!" Fang Jing was shouting now. The thought of Lu Hao giving up a guaranteed promotion made her blood boil.

"Fang Jing, Li Haotian is just drawing a pie in the sky; he won't actually promote me. Besides, our township is very complex. What he asked me to do was illegal, and if things went wrong, I could end up in jail just like Song Bo. Don't listen to Wang Shaojie's nonsense; he's in cahoots with Li Haotian and is deliberately trying to sow discord between us," Lu Hao explained, trying to be patient.

He knew Fang Jing was anxious for his career advancement, but this wasn't something that could be rushed; it had to be done step by step. If he threw himself into a fire pit just for a deputy section-level title, the cost would be far too high.

"I'll just ask you this: is Township Mayor Li your superior?"

"Yes."

"Then when a leader tells you to do something, you do it—even if it's wrong! A higher rank crushes those below them. You've been in the system for this long, don't you understand this rule yet? Do I have to teach you?"

Fang Jing had grown up in a family of civil servants and had been steeped in this environment since childhood; she had her own set of bureaucratic theories. In the eyes of her family, capability didn't matter in the official world; connections were everything.

Lu Hao felt a sense of repulsion. Their perspectives were fundamentally different. He believed that the system required responsibility. Some things requested by leaders had to be done, but illegal or unethical matters could make him a scapegoat. Besides, a person like Li Haotian wasn't worth his loyalty.

Lu Hao sighed, choosing not to argue with her, and said softly, "Forget it, Fang Jing. One day, when you leave teaching and become a civil servant yourself, you'll realize that many things aren't as simple as you think."

"That's what I'm thinking, too. When I get the chance, I'll move into a government position, and I'm sure I'll do better than you. But right now, I just feel like you don't care about me at all. Don't you realize that if you got that promotion, we could get married sooner?" Fang Jing complained, pouting. She knew she had been harsh, and since men needed to save face, she softened her tone.

"If it weren't for your parents' opposition, I would register for marriage with you right now," Lu Hao said sincerely.

"Don't blame my parents. They want you promoted so we can have a happier life in the future. If you're just a rank-and-file clerk forever, who would ever send you gifts? Once you're a deputy section chief, people will be lining up to give gifts. Ever since my dad became the Deputy Director of the Agriculture Bureau, we've had people bringing gifts every week..." Fang Jing's tone was filled with pride.

"I have something to take care of here, let's talk later," Lu Hao said, not wanting to hear any more, and hung up.

The study in Fang Jing's house was filled with gifts from others—tea, liquor, cigarettes, and various health products. These things were fine as long as the disciplinary committee didn't investigate, but if they did, it would be a major disaster.

"You really need to push for that promotion. They said it would happen within a month, and now there's only half a month left. If you don't work hard, my parents really will call off our engagement," Fang Jing added before hanging up, not forgetting to urge him on.