Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 260 Gunshots in the Park, Hu Ruoxi is Seen

Wu Zhiyuan felt like he was a prophet!

Last time, when Lin Xue came to Qingshan for research, he revealed in advance that Ai Kun had gotten into trouble, and he also said that Lin Xue was serving as the municipal party secretary.

Lin Xue said at the time that if the organization arranged for her to return to Longcheng, she would definitely obey the organization's arrangements, but she would adhere to one principle: she would not seek official positions through improper means.

Lin Xue's return to Longcheng to serve as the municipal party secretary is a major boon for Wu Zhiyuan.

In officialdom, let alone getting promoted, it's difficult to even settle down and get things done without the support of superiors.

Just like when Wei Guochun came to inspect last time, Zhang Ping, Chen Junqiang and others tried to trip him up and resorted to dirty tricks.

Wu Zhiyuan was not obsessed with officialdom, nor did he ever use his position to seek personal gain. However, as an official, he wanted to benefit the people and do some practical and good things for them.

"Zhiyuan, the province's selection of Comrade Lin Xue as the municipal party secretary is, in my opinion, a signal."

What does it mean that Zhang Xiaotian was taken away shortly after Ai Kun's incident?

This indicates that there is a problem with the political environment in our Longcheng, and it is not a minor one.

The province has made up its mind to perform major surgery and thoroughly investigate the root cause of the problem.

Sending a deputy secretary of the provincial discipline inspection commission to govern a region, and specifically to a place where she had previously worked and was familiar with the situation, clearly indicates that the purpose is to "put out fires" and to rectify the situation.

You know Lin Xue better than I do. She's intolerant of any wrongdoing, extremely principled, and ruthless, only respecting Party discipline and national laws.

Using her sharpest sword to cut open any festering sores in Dragon City is the most appropriate thing to do.

Moreover, Comrade Lin Xue had worked in Longcheng and served as the secretary of the municipal discipline inspection commission, so she was familiar with the cadre team in Longcheng and the intricate relationships there.

She didn't just parachute in completely clueless; she knew how deep the water was and which areas might be rife with intractable problems.

Letting her handle it will avoid accidental injuries and ensure precise strikes, maximizing efficiency.

The province's priority is to stabilize the situation and correct the wrongs as quickly as possible, not to send inexperienced individuals to slowly figure things out.

Wu Zhiyuan tentatively asked, "Is there some reason why Mayor Wen was unable to take over?"

Lang Yuanyuan didn't say it directly, but said tactfully, "Zhiyuan, you are still young. You must remember that issues of lifestyle can be big or small."

Within the system, some things are not weighed on a scale; they are not as weighty as they seem.

But once it's on the scale, it weighs over a thousand pounds.

Lifestyle issues fall into this category.

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Private morality, including lifestyle, is something that people might not care about much in normal times."

However, these problems may be magnified when it comes to critical moments, such as the probationary period before promotion or important appointments.

Some people are capable, have good backgrounds, and seem to be quite successful at work, but they are not careful enough or handle relationships with men properly, leaving themselves vulnerable to being exposed.

Normally, things might go smoothly, and there might even be people helping to cover it up.

But when it comes to crucial moments, such as when the Standing Committee discusses the matter, even if the majority of people support it, as long as one or two people bring it up, the promotion will fall through.

Promoting someone with health issues is a major taboo. If someone knowingly promotes someone with problems, they will be held responsible if something worse happens in the future.

Lang Yuanyuan said a lot, seemingly without mentioning Wen Changcheng at all, but every sentence mentioned Wen Changcheng.

Wu Zhiyuan understood that although Wen Changcheng had a background, powerful connections, and met the requirements in terms of qualifications, his failure to be promoted this time was likely due to his lifestyle.

No wonder he was furious with Chen Ming before boarding the plane; it turns out he already knew that this promotion was hopeless.

Perhaps, before this, he was certain of victory, but in the end, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

Lang Yuanyuan continued, "Zhiyuan, I'm bringing this up not to gossip about the leaders."

It's a reminder that you are still young and have a bright future ahead of you.

Governor Xu and Secretary Lin both have high hopes for you. But the more this is the case, the more you should cherish your reputation.

One must know how to avoid suspicion, like in a melon patch or under a plum tree.

Sometimes, you may be unintentional, and others may not be intentional either, but you can't stop bystanders from being intentional, and you can't stop some people from deliberately distorting and exaggerating.

Especially during crucial periods when you may be making progress, some flaws may be exploited by your opponents and become weapons to attack you.

By then, it's often too late to explain, and you're powerless to do anything about it.

As I walked out of Lang Yuanyuan's room, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure flashing past at the end of the corridor and entering one of the rooms.

It was Li Li. She was wearing a light silk nightgown, her figure was graceful, and her long hair was draped over her shoulders.

When Wu Zhiyuan passed by, he paid special attention to the room number and found that it was Wen Changcheng's room.

Each person's room number was communicated to all members of the expedition team so that they could contact each other in case of emergencies.

Over the next few days, the delegation visited several cities, toured several companies and a modern large-scale farm, and held several business negotiation meetings with local Chinese chambers of commerce and trade representative organizations.

Travel restrictions in those days were not as strict as they are now; there were few constraints on changing itineraries or going out on one's own.

Wu Zhiyuan had one important purpose for this trip to Australia: to meet Hu Ruoxi.

However, when dialing the phone number Hu Ruoxi had previously left, it was found that the call could no longer be connected.

Is it a bad signal, or did you change your number?

Wu Zhiyuan felt very disappointed. He had originally wanted to give Hu Ruoxi a surprise, but instead, he was disappointed.

If he had known this would happen, he should have contacted them before leaving the country.

If he can't be contacted, he won't even participate in the inspection team.

That afternoon, the delegation visited a famous city park and participated in a cultural exchange carnival held there.

The park is lush with green grass and towering ancient trees. Under the blue sky and white clouds, tourists and locals of different skin colors stroll leisurely. On the stage, there are indigenous people performing traditional dances, as well as artists playing music.

The park was peaceful, and Wu Zhiyuan was watching an indigenous art exhibition with the flow of people.

Bang bang bang.

Suddenly, several gunshots rang out.

At first, nobody cared.

I thought it was just acting.

However, two or three people lay dead in pools of blood.

People realized the danger was imminent and erupted in terrified screams like a landslide and a tsunami!

"Gun! There's a gunman!"

"Run!"

Wu Zhiyuan was shocked.

While gun control in Australia is not as strict as in China, it is still much stricter than in the United States.

Is there a gunman committing murder in the park?

Then, even more intense and violent gunfire followed.

"Rat-a-tat-tat..." "Boom!" The sharp bursts of rifle fire and the muffled roar of shotguns clashed together, instantly shattering the afternoon tranquility.

People cried out, pushed and shoved, and scattered like headless flies.

The music on stage suddenly stopped, and the performers hurriedly jumped off the stage.

The heartwarming carnival instantly turned into hell on earth.

Wu Zhiyuan quickly hid behind a large tree, his eyes searching for the source of the gunshot.

He quickly identified two gunmen: one was about fifty years old with gray hair, holding a semi-automatic rifle, and moving around while firing at the denser areas of the crowd;

Another, younger one, around thirty years old, was carrying a shotgun and occasionally firing at the fleeing crowd and nearby facilities, trying to create greater chaos and panic.

These two gunmen did not appear to be shooting indiscriminately; it was more like a massacre of Asian Americans.

The members of the inspection team were also terrified by the sudden attack.

Wen Changcheng scrambled to hide behind an ice cream cart, trembling with fear.

Lang Yuanyuan lay prone behind a patch of low bushes, her face ashen.

Gan Simiao scrambled to hide behind a trash can, her teeth chattering.

Li Li's face paled, and she lost one of her high heels. She stumbled and fell beside an overturned picnic table, watching in horror as a tourist not far away was shot and fell, blood gushing out. She covered her mouth, too frightened to even scream.

Wu Zhiyuan worked for the National Security Bureau and experienced gunfire, so his mental fortitude is far stronger than that of the average person.

He was observing, judging, and looking for opportunities.

Using the chaos of the crowd and the trees, sculptures, and benches in the park as cover, he quickly maneuvered to the gunman's flank, trying to find an opportunity to subdue him at close range, or at least to attract or distract their attention, buying more time for others to escape.

His pupils suddenly contracted as he moved behind a large flower bed.

Not far ahead, a Chinese woman wearing a light beige trench coat was helping a frightened elderly woman as they stumbled and nearly fell over in the fleeing crowd.

The woman's face was so familiar!

Hu Ruoxi!

Wu Zhiyuan's heart was about to leap out of his chest!

It’s not a waste of time to break through the iron shoes.

We hadn't been able to get in touch before, and I never expected to meet again in this way and on this occasion!

The elderly woman next to her must be her mother, as they look somewhat alike.

While in China, Wu Zhiyuan visited Hu Ruoxi's villa many times, but he never met her mother.

Both of them looked terrified, especially the old woman, who staggered and looked like she might fall at any moment.

"Ruoxi!" Wu Zhiyuan called out in a low voice, disregarding everything else, while quickly gesturing to them and pointing to a giant rock used for landscaping decoration not far away.

That rock was very thick and made an excellent temporary shelter.

Hu Ruoxi turned her head sharply and saw Wu Zhiyuan. Her eyes instantly lit up with unbelievable joy and a glimmer of hope that she had escaped a desperate situation.

"Zhiyuan!" She almost instinctively followed Wu Zhiyuan's instructions, struggling to support her mother as they moved toward the rock.

Just then, the young gunman noticed the figures moving around, especially the relatively slow pace of Hu Ruoxi and her daughter, which caught his attention.

He let out a strange hoarse sound, turned the gun around, and took a few steps forward in their general direction, seemingly preparing for a close-range bombardment!

A close call!