Chapter 23: An Honored Guest

The next day, Liu Yujie insisted on dragging Zhang Jun to a luncheon. Zhang Jun firmly refused, citing that even as a boss, one must work overtime on weekends, and he repeatedly demanded that she return all the red envelopes she had received to the givers. Liu Yujie was furious; the luncheon was held specifically for him, so what would be the point if he didn't attend? Zhang Jun ignored her, went downstairs, and left home. Liu Yujie was left stamping her feet in frustration behind him.

Zhang Jun rode his bike to the Yingbin Hotel. Upon entering the courtyard where Ma Hongqi’s villa was located, he saw his boss was already up and practicing Tai Chi under a tree.

"Good morning, sir," Zhang Jun said, standing respectfully to one side with his hands at his sides.

"It’s your day off; why are you here?" Ma Hongqi asked, performing a slow push-hand movement.

"I didn't have anything else to do, so I came to keep you company," Zhang Jun smiled. "Sir, it’s the weekend; didn't your family come to visit you?"

Seeing him, the expression on Ma Hongqi’s face softened, losing its usual sternness. "Ah, it's only two days; the trip is too far! All the time would be wasted on the road. Don't you need to spend time with your family?"

"My parents live in the countryside, my siblings are working in other provinces, and my wife is working overtime at the hospital today. I was just feeling bored at home," Zhang Jun replied, having learned to weave lies that were half-truth and half-fabrication, making them sound convincing.

"That works out well. Come with me somewhere!" Ma Hongqi finished his stance and exhaled a long breath.

Zhang Jun didn't ask where they were going; he simply followed his boss. After Ma Hongqi washed his face, the two of them headed out.

"Sir, shall I have the motor pool arrange a car?" Zhang Jun asked.

"No need. It’s the weekend; let's not use official vehicles," Ma Hongqi said, setting a strict principle.

Zhang Jun hailed a taxi, opened the back door for Ma Hongqi, and took the passenger seat himself. When the driver asked for their destination, Zhang Jun turned to look at his boss.

"Go to the Sixth Middle School in the North District," Ma Hongqi instructed.

The driver started the meter and headed toward the school. No one spoke during the journey. Zhang Jun suddenly recalled the criticism leveled at Fang Jianwen, the Deputy Director of the Education Department. Now that his boss was heading to the Sixth Middle School, could something have happened there? The problem was, it was the weekend; with no teachers or students on campus, what could he possibly uncover on an unannounced visit?

They remained silent until they reached the gate of the Sixth Middle School. After the car stopped, Zhang Jun paid the fare and kept the receipt, as such travel expenses were reimbursable. The school gate was locked as expected. Zhang Jun looked around and said, "Sir, let me call someone to open the gate."

"No need!" Ma Hongqi waved his hand, standing at the gate and gazing at the teaching building inside.

Zhang Jun was baffled, unable to fathom what was going on. After a long while, Ma Hongqi let out a long sigh. "Xiao Zhang, have you heard about what happened at the Sixth Middle School?"

Zhang Jun suddenly remembered an incident. It had been in the news some time ago; he had found it shocking at the time, but it had since faded from his memory. "You mean the collapse of the teaching building? Fortunately, only two students were injured, and there were no fatalities," Zhang Jun replied.

"No fatalities?" Ma Hongqi turned his head sharply, staring at him with piercing eyes. "Who told you that?"

Zhang Jun dared not meet his boss's gaze. He lowered his head and answered, "That’s how the news reported it."

Ma Hongqi gritted his teeth and said, "Unscrupulous media! They write nonsense without doing any investigation or verification! What’s the point of reading such newspapers? It’s time for a cleanup!"

Zhang Jun’s heart skipped a beat. Had people actually died? How many? The news had been scrubbed clean; the public relations work had been truly thorough.

Ma Hongqi pointed at the building and said, "A mediocre official like Fang Jianwen—don't you think he deserves to be criticized? Criticism is letting him off lightly! He should be dismissed from his post!"

Zhang Jun spoke cautiously. "Sir, from what I understand, Comrade Fang Jianwen only transferred to the Education Department this April. He was previously a doctoral advisor at a university. I learned this while chatting with him yesterday while waiting in the secretary’s office."

Ma Hongqi snorted, "So what?"

Zhang Jun coughed lightly and whispered, "Sir, the collapse of the Sixth Middle School building happened before Comrade Fang Jianwen transferred here."

Ma Hongqi let out a sound of realization. "I misunderstood Comrade Fang Jianwen!"

Zhang Jun kept silent; he could not point out his leader's mistake. Ma Hongqi had only taken up his post in the province this May and had not investigated when Fang Jianwen had been transferred. Since Fang had been the Deputy Director of the Education Department during his tenure and was in charge of infrastructure and finance, it was only natural to hold him accountable and summon him for criticism. The collapse of the Sixth Middle School building was an old affair that had been settled long before Ma Hongqi arrived. Who could have brought it up again to him?

No wonder his boss had been so furious when he summoned Fang Jianwen.

Ma Hongqi grumbled, "Why didn't this Fang Jianwen defend himself?"

Zhang Jun pondered for a moment before saying, "Could it be that someone specifically brought him into the Education Department to be a scapegoat? Logically speaking, it would be difficult for a university doctoral advisor to be put in charge of infrastructure and finance even if he were transferred to the Education Department. Sir, perhaps the province suddenly transferred him there before you arrived because they saw he was honest and easy to bully. Even after being criticized by you, he would only blame himself rather than push the responsibility onto others."

Ma Hongqi nodded slowly, the situation now crystal clear to him. Zhang Jun stopped there, knowing when to hold his tongue. The rest was up to his boss to investigate.

Looking at the dilapidated teaching building, Ma Hongqi remarked with emotion, "The wing that collapsed has been demolished and not yet rebuilt. These other buildings that haven't collapsed are already aging; they should all be demolished and rebuilt, or the danger remains."

Zhang Jun agreed.

When they returned to the guesthouse at noon, it was just in time for lunch. "Xiao Zhang, why don't you have lunch here?" Ma Hongqi asked as he entered, noticing Zhang Jun standing outside.

"Thank you, sir!" Zhang Jun was instantly thrilled, his voice rising an octave. This was the first time his boss had invited him inside. Crossing that threshold meant he had earned his boss's first level of recognition—he was now considered an inner-circle associate.

Meals in the villa area were handled by designated staff and delivered on time. If Ma Hongqi decided not to eat at the guesthouse or if he had guests, he would notify the front desk in advance. Soon, two young waitresses brought the food and set it on the dining table. Ma Hongqi usually ate alone, but he was in a good mood to have company today and asked the waitresses to open a bottle of wine and fill two glasses.

"Xiao Zhang, do you know how to play chess?" Ma Hongqi asked after taking a sip.

"I know a little bit of Xiangqi and Weiqi," Zhang Jun said modestly. In truth, his skills were quite high—especially in Weiqi, where he possessed the level of a professional five-dan player. Were it not for the constraints of his work, he would have continued to test for higher rankings. However, in front of his leader, he remained reserved.

Ma Hongqi smiled, a rare sight. "Then let's have a few games later! I usually don't have an opponent, so I copy the old urchin Zhou Botong and play against myself—left hand versus right! Ha! If you can beat me, I’ll give you a reward!"