Chapter 108: The Tenth Team Has Completed Their Work

“Leader, I have complete trust in Li Chen’s character.”
“His abilities are also beyond question.”
“Perhaps he’s a bit cautious by nature, but caution is no fault. He can serve as the mayor’s secretary without any problem.”
“To be honest, he’s actually more suitable than I am—he’s more careful and less likely to make mistakes.”

Yang Dong knew himself well. If he were to serve as the mayor’s secretary for a few years in a proper, disciplined way, his temperament would feel stifled beyond endurance. So, he was quite satisfied continuing his secondment at the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission.

“You sure know how to curry favor.”
“I promote him, and he thanks you, right?”

Yin Tiejun shot Yang Dong a glare, half annoyed but no longer as angry as before.

“Leader, Li Chen really admires you. He’s told me many times privately. He’s actually the happiest about your appointment.”

Yang Dong would never just agree with Yin Tiejun’s words.
Favors might be given by himself, but the credit had to go to the leader. No matter how close he was with Yin Tiejun, this principle was unchangeable. Otherwise, why should the leader lay the groundwork for favors? The leader does the hard work, and you enjoy the achievements?

Yin Tiejun lounged in his chair, rocking back and forth.
In recent times, this moment was one of the few peaceful ones he had.
He would never again face the fate of being subjected to ‘shuanggui’ (double designation for investigation), detention, and interrogation in his lifetime.
This time was a warning, a lesson to be cautious in all future dealings to avoid stepping into others’ traps.

“If we want Li Chen to be the mayor’s secretary, we first have to resolve his deputy section-level rank. That’s not easy.”

Yin Tiejun seriously began to consider Yang Dong’s proposal.

Hearing this, Yang Dong immediately felt relieved.
Once the leader kept it in mind, the matter was already halfway settled; the rest would fall into place without his further effort.

“Leader, it’s getting late. I have to get back to work at the Discipline Inspection Commission.”

Yang Dong glanced at the clock on Yin Tiejun’s office wall; it was already 8:30 a.m. If he didn’t return soon, he’d be late.

“You’re quite diligent, running around for the Discipline Inspection Commission, but your salary and bonuses still come from the Municipal Government!”

“Secretary Guan has a clever plan. Our government pays, and their Commission gets to use the manpower for free.”

Yin Tiejun couldn’t help but laugh, then waved his hand at Yang Dong: “Go back to work.”

“Yes, leader.”

Yang Dong nodded and turned to leave.

As he reached the door, Yin Tiejun spoke again:
“When investigating cadres in the future, think twice, consider whose people they are, and then investigate!”

Yang Dong shuddered, looked back at Yin Tiejun, who had already bent over his desk to resume work.

Without a word, Yang Dong quietly pushed open the office door and walked out.

---

Outside the door of the Municipal Administration Office’s General Section, Yang Dong saw about a dozen colleagues bustling about, printing and drafting documents—the atmosphere just as it always was.

With Secretary Yin’s return, whether in the General Section or other departments, the work style reverted to what it had been: no pretense, no laziness, no formalism.

“Team leader!”

A colleague looked up, saw Yang Dong standing at the door, and quickly stood to greet him.

Other colleagues stopped their tasks as well upon seeing Yang Dong.

“Carry on with your work, don’t let me hold you up.”

“Li Chen, come out here!”

Yang Dong gestured for them to continue, then waved at Li Chen in the corner, calling him out.

Li Chen was finishing a draft for an investment promotion speech, which needed to be rushed to the Municipal Secretarial Section One. They were pressing hard for it.

But when Yang Dong called, no matter how busy, he had to come out.

Amid envious and jealous gazes, Li Chen trotted out.

At this moment, Lin Yaodong sat quietly at his desk, no longer as frivolous as before, no longer constantly running to Tian Guanghan’s office.

Tian Guanghan had already fallen; no deputy secretary would dare to favor him again.

Even if his father was the section chief in the Municipal Party Organization Department, it wouldn’t matter.

At least no one in the Municipal Administration Office would take him seriously.

Lin Yaodong kept his head lowered; no one could see his face clearly.

But his expression was twisted and grim, his eyes cold, his fists clenched tightly under the desk.

“Yang Dong, just wait and see!”

Yang Dong led Li Chen down the stairs, heading out of the government office building.

“Li Chen, you and I joined the Municipal Administration Office the same year, right?”

Yang Dong asked casually, as if making small talk.

Li Chen was a bit puzzled—had Yang Dong been so busy lately he’d forgotten this?

Still, he nodded and replied, “Yes, team leader. We entered the office the same year, same batch. You ranked first in the double exam, I was second in the written test, third in the interview.”

“Have you ever thought about resolving your deputy section-level rank?”

Yang Dong stepped down the last stair and asked before continuing outside the building.

“No, I haven’t.”

Li Chen shook his head. Deputy section rank was beyond his reach.

The General Section had four or five senior clerks with over ten years of service who hadn’t been promoted yet. How could someone with just four years’ experience move up?

Such promotions were like beads on an abacus—one move at a time, in order of seniority and length of service.

“Then start thinking about it. Well, I’m off.”

Yang Dong smiled, patted Li Chen on the shoulder, and headed toward the Discipline Inspection Commission’s vehicles.

---

Lu Yike and a few team members were still waiting inside the vehicles; they hadn’t left yet.

Li Chen stared blankly at the three Discipline Inspection Commission vehicles leaving the government compound.

“Start thinking?”

Li Chen repeated Yang Dong’s words and couldn’t help but smile.

“Team leader, thank you!”

“Team leader, I really appreciate you, for arranging such a good job for me last night.”

Inside the car, Hou Donglai, looking glum and smelling himself sourly, complained to Yang Dong.

His sarcastic tone was worthy of a seasoned deputy section cadre.

“Enough. What’s done is done. Just wash your clothes a couple more times.”

Yang Dong waved Hou Donglai off. The previous night, he had assigned Hou to deal with Gu Santong’s urinary incontinence problem.

Now Hou was still grumbling about it.

Since last night, Hou hadn’t even changed his clothes, and he felt a persistent smell of urine clinging to them.

Even after changing once, the odor lingered—mostly psychological, though.

“Come on, Donglai, stop acting like a woman.”

Lu Yike glared at Hou Donglai, then reported to Yang Dong: “Team leader, we only have one deputy section-level case left—a case involving embezzlement and illicit relationships. We expect to close it within three days.”

“Our Tenth Special Task Force will finish a month early if nothing unexpected happens.”

Lu Yike updated on the team’s progress.

Although there was no deputy leader officially, Lu Yike effectively served as Yang Dong’s second-in-command.

“Finishing early? That soon?”

Yang Dong hadn’t thought about that, but hearing Lu Yike’s report, it was true...

All assigned cases had been closed: Yin Tiejun’s fabricated charges, Gu Santong’s ‘perfect resolution.’

The additional Tian Guanghan case had been transferred to the Ninth Special Task Force, effectively closed as well.

Only one deputy section-level case remained—embezzlement and inappropriate relationships.

This case posed no real challenge.

So, before April 1st, the work could be concluded.

But the Discipline Inspection Commission’s investigation period was two months.

What would they do after?

Just drink plain tea for a month and wait until everyone else finishes?