Chapter 53 Ill Intentions

"Mom, I know I made you worry this time. I won't be so reckless in the future," Lu Hao quickly comforted Su Hong.

Having raised him all by herself, the hardships Su Hong had endured over the years were unimaginable. Her son was her entire world; if anything had truly happened to him, Su Hong would surely have lost her mind.

Under Lu Hao's soothing words, a smile finally returned to Su Hong's face. After all, her son had been promoted to deputy section rank through his own ability, and as a mother, she was genuinely overjoyed.

After Fang Jing returned, Su Hong chatted with the two of them for a little longer before leaving, mentioning that she would cook something delicious in the evening and bring it over.

At this moment, Fang Jing's mood was beyond wonderful, and she even began discussing with Lu Hao about purchasing a marital home.

At noon, the hospital ward welcomed an uninvited guest.

As soon as Wang Shaojie stepped through the door, the jealousy in his eyes flashed and vanished instantly as he repeatedly smiled, "Lu Hao, congratulations, congratulations! Not only were you not punished this time, but you were even promoted to deputy section rank. This is truly a blessing in disguise, and it wasn't in vain that I made a special trip to County Magistrate Li's home last night to put in a good word for you."

"Shaoal, thank you regardless," Fang Jing said with a smile.

Of course, she didn't genuinely believe him, but it was an undeniable fact that Wang Shaojie lived in the same residential complex as Li Zhen and had the county magistrate as his backer.

Influenced by her family upbringing since childhood, Fang Jing believed that one should always maintain good relationships with people who might prove useful in the future.

Therefore, Fang Jing spoke to Wang Shaojie just as politely as she had in the past.

"Many thanks to Mayor Wang for helping out behind the scenes, otherwise my promotion to deputy section rank wouldn't have gone so smoothly," Lu Hao also said with a chuckle.

Knowing full well that Wang Shaojie, just like Li Haotian, wanted to get him fired, he deliberately used these words to grate on Wang Shaojie's nerves.

Feigning that he didn't catch the sarcasm, Wang Shaojie kept a smiling face and said, "It's only right, only right. You're too modest, Deputy Mayor Lu. I hear the county will soon undergo personnel adjustments, and I'm sure your acting title will be dropped then."

Initially, Fang Jing had rather enjoyed hearing Wang Shaojie address him as Deputy Mayor Lu, but that seemingly casual final remark clearly pointed out that Lu Hao was still only an acting deputy mayor, causing Fang Jing's brows to furrow tightly.

Since it was an acting position, there were still certain variables!

Just like how Li Zhen had once served in an acting capacity as the county party secretary. Just when everyone—and even Li Zhen himself—thought the top post was firmly in his grasp, the provincial authorities changed their minds and sent Secretary Ye instead.

If that could happen to the position of county party secretary, then Lu Hao's deputy section rank might not be entirely secure yet.

At the mere thought of the worst-case scenario, Fang Jing's heart skipped a beat.

"Also, Secretary Zhao might be transferred soon, and our Mayor Li Haotian will likely be promoted to party secretary. Since your relationship with Mayor Li isn't great, you'll need to cultivate a closer relationship with him in the future."

Wang Shaojie dropped another hint laden with deep meaning, causing Fang Jing's brows to knit even closer together.

Given the current situation, even if Lu Hao eventually became a full-fledged deputy mayor, as long as Li Haotian ascended to the top post, Lu Hao's days would not be pleasant.

Seeing that his objective had been achieved, Wang Shaojie fabricated an excuse and slipped away.

His sole purpose in coming here today was to drop those few remarks in order to plant a thorn in Fang Jing's mind.

Knowing Fang Jing's personality, she would undoubtedly start nagging and bossing Lu Hao around, and given Lu Hao's temperament, the two of them would likely end up in another quarrel.

The outcome unfolded precisely as Wang Shaojie had anticipated. The moment he left, Fang Jing began lecturing Lu Hao endlessly, insisting that he needed to mingle more with higher-ups and learn how to give gifts properly.

It was one thing that Lu Hao hadn't known how to give gifts in the past when he had Liu Yuanda shielding him, but continuing to shun those bureaucratic games now meant he was bound to lose out. Fang Jing felt it was imperative to remind him.

Lu Hao had long since seen through Wang Shaojie's true motive for making that special trip—he was simply hoping to drive a wedge between him and Fang Jing.

Naturally, he would not let Wang Shaojie get his way. While Fang Jing voiced her opinions, he simply chose not to talk back, preventing any argument from breaking out between them.