Let them offer their loyalty!

The high ranks of the Investigation Bureau originally consisted of nine members.

These include the Bureau Chief, Yan Chen,

and three Deputy Directors: Yu Zhengyi, Lai Shun, and Tang Feifei.

Also, there are five senior officials of the core departments: Jia Shu, the Director of the Political Department; Shi Youxin, the Director of the Organizational Department; Lin Ting, the Special Duties Department Director; Guan Weihua, the Public Security Department Director; and Bai Yu, the Director of the Administrative Office.

These nine individuals not only hold high status and power within the Investigation Bureau but are also among the most influential figures in Xinjie City.

Directly beneath these nine notables are the deputy division chiefs of the various departments within the Investigation Bureau.

Among them, the Deputy Director of the Political Department obviously ranks at the forefront of all non-senior officials. Not only does this position hold the greatest power and influence, but it also has the largest room for promotion.

More importantly, this position can be decided upon by several high-ranking officials of the Investigation Bureau—they can choose a candidate on their own and then submit the name to the Municipal Committee for confirmation.

However, according to the tacit understanding of Xinjie City's three major power structures, as long as the candidate is selected by the Investigation Bureau, the Municipal Committee won't hold it up.

Thus, with such a critical position at stake, it's evident that each high-ranking official present has their own ulterior motives....

With such thoughts in mind, Shi Youxin, the savvy Director of the Organizational Department who always knew how to interact with others, first glanced at Yan Chen. He didn't offer his own suggestion but probed Secretary Bai, asking, "Secretary Bai, do you have any recommendations for the Deputy Director position?"

Hearing Shi Youxin's words, Secretary Bai smiled and shook his head, "I'm not very familiar with the Political Department, so I don't have a suitable candidate for the time being. Let's see if anyone else has recommendations."

Secretary Bai is Yan Chen's right-hand man and typically represents Yan Chen's stance in high-level meetings.

So him saying that there is no suitable candidate actually means that Yan Chen hasn't decided on anyone yet, and everyone is open to discussion.

Everyone present was astute and immediately picked up on the hints from Secretary Bai and Yan Chen.

Therefore, Shi Youxin no longer held back. After glancing at Guan Weihua, the Director of the Public Security Department, he cleared his throat and said, "In that case... as the Director of the Organizational Department, I would like to propose a candidate..."

"My proposed candidate is Section Chief Guan from the Intelligence Section of the Political Department."

"She is already a veteran in the Political Department and has made significant contributions during the preparatory work of the Department."

"Moreover, she single-handedly established the intelligence network within the Political Department, a testament to her hard work and achievements."

"If we are to promote someone to Deputy Director of the Political Department, I feel she is the most suitable choice."

Upon hearing Shi Youxin's suggestion, Lin Ting, the Special Duties Department Director, immediately voiced a different opinion. Leaning back in his chair with casual assertiveness, he said, "Actually... I think Section Chief Wang from the Political Department's Intelligence Section is also not bad."

"Although espionage is important, precisely because it's so vital, elevating Section Chief Guan hastily could make it difficult to find someone capable of taking over her duties."

"But it's different with Section Chief Wang. He is involved in intelligence collection and summarization. Not only is he connected with all departments of the Political Department, but he's also well-versed in all its core operations."

"As a result, he could adapt more quickly to the new responsibilities of a Deputy Director, without affecting the original work of the Intelligence Section."

At Lin Ting's remark, Shi Youxin had yet to respond when Guan Weihua, the Director of the Public Security Department, took the initiative to counterargument, "Old Lin, that's not quite right what you're saying...."

"If work is hard to take over, we shouldn't promote?"

"Won't that discourage our subordinates?"

"I think precisely because her work is irreplaceable, it proves she's doing a great job. That's even more reason to promote her."

Earlier, the issue of choosing the Head of the Political Department had sparked an argument between Shi Youxin, the Director of the Organizational Department, and Lin Ting, the Special Duties Department Director.

This time, with Guan Weihua added to the mix for the Deputy Director position, the situation instantly became even more chaotic. Consequently, the conference room became tenser.

While the three of them were locked in heated debate, a few Bureau Chiefs seated in the front row of the meeting room remained unperturbed, keenly observing the entire situation with a detached interest.

Among them, the spirited Tang Feifei sat expressionless in the second seat to the left of Yan Chen, watching the unfolding scene with an insightful gaze.

Having been in the Investigation Bureau for some time, she had long seen through the current power structure of the Bureau.

Aside from herself, all the other eight high-ranking officials were linked to Yan Chen.

Whether it was the other two Deputy Directors or the five division chiefs, they were all former colleagues, protégés, or individuals connected to Yan Chen in various ways.

And among these seven people, they were divided into three factions.

Jia Shu and Secretary Bai were Yan Chen's staunch supporters;

the Deputy Director of the Action Division, Lai Shun, along with Lin Ting, the Special Duties Department Director, and Guan Weihua, the Director of the Public Security Department, represented the interests of the Investigation Bureau's combat departments;

whereas Yu Zhengyi, the Deputy Director of Administration, and Shi Youxin, the Director of the Organizational Department, represented the interests of the Bureau's various administrative departments.

The recent discussion over the position of Director of the Political Department might have seemed like a clash between Lin Ting of the Special Service Department and Shi Youxin of the Organizational Department, but it was actually a collision between the two powerful factions they supported.

And the dispute over the Deputy Director position was no different.

Only... that "Section Chief Guan" was obviously related to Guan Weihua.

Guan Weihua, not having received support from his own side, thus chose to back the other party.

Politics is that complex and yet that simple: everything is driven by interests....

One second they might be friends, the next, enemies.

At this moment, Guan Weihua's sudden "betrayal" obviously caught Lin Ting off guard. Therefore, he hesitated for a moment before looking towards Lai Shun, the Deputy Director of the Action Division, as if seeking his opinion.

Lai Shun was a middle-aged man of extensive experience and strategic depth. This much could be deduced from his hair, which styled in a way reminiscent of a rural area encircling a city.

Thus, seeing Guan Weihua stab him in the back so unexpectedly, his expression did not change. He simply pondered quietly for a moment and then made up his mind.

He slowly began to speak, tossing out a third candidate, "Actually... I think Deputy Director Qi from the Public Security Bureau isn't a bad choice either."

"He's already a very senior and experienced director. Transferring him laterally to the Political Department to take over as deputy head should yield good results," he added. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

"What's more, the work of the Public Security Bureau is obviously easier to hand over compared to the Political Department, less likely to cause issues... "

This plan was clearly Lai Shun's way of using a bargaining chip to win back Guan Weihua:

Transferring a Deputy Division Chief from Guan Weihua's team to the Political Department would not only extend Guan Weihua's reach of power but also allow him to promote another Deputy Division Chief.

This shrewd move immediately caused Guan Weihua to waver and also changed the atmosphere in the room.

Section Chief Wang from the Organizational Department and Deputy Director of Administration Yu Zhengyi exchanged glances, both seeing gravity in the other's eyes.

Just as they were about to speak and further muddy the waters, Tang Feifei spoke up.

She clapped her hands lightly, which sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet office.

Hearing the clap, everyone instinctively looked towards her. Waiting until she had attracted everyone's attention, Tang Feifei also began to speak slowly, "Actually, I have a candidate in mind as well."

When Tang Feifei spoke, the high-ranking officials present were visibly taken aback.

As the "outsider" among them, Tang Feifei was the only high-ranking official not belonging to Yan Chen's faction.

Therefore, although she held the title of Deputy Director... she actually had very little say in personnel matters.

And since Tang Feifei was of a proud and arrogant nature, she was reluctant to put herself in a position where she could be humiliated. Therefore, when it came to personnel decisions, she typically kept a low profile and never voiced her opinions.

Now that she suddenly spoke up, and about such an important position no less, it was quite unexpected for everyone.

Thinking about who she might have the authority to recommend, it didn't take much for the officials to guess who Tang Feifei would suggest...

As expected, Tang Feifei spoke with an air of aloofness, "The person I recommend is Qiu Tu, the Deputy Division Chief of the Action Division in the Political Department."

"Ever since Qiu Tu joined the Investigation Bureau, he has made notable achievements, and it was also he who discovered the issues with Jia Shu."

"Therefore, I believe he can also handle the job in the Political Department."

Upon hearing Tang Feifei's nominee, the atmosphere among the high-ranking officials present became muted for a moment.

After all... compared to the other candidates, Qiu Tu obviously lacked both seniority and achievements, and what's more, Qiu Tu was a "traitor" who had betrayed Yan Chen.

Even if his qualifications and achievements were up to par, Yan Chen wouldn't agree.

So when Tang Feifei had just made her suggestion, before Yan Chen could even respond, several senior officials began to speak all at once, ready to refute Tang Feifei's proposal.

Then at that moment, Tang Feifei suddenly added, "Besides, this is not just my opinion. It's also the view of the Disciplinary Department."

"The Disciplinary Department?!" Hearing the name of this sensitive department, the officials who were about to speak shut their mouths again.

Tang Feifei then looked around imperiously and continued to explain, "The Political Department has the power to oversee the City Hall, the military, and the Investigation Bureau."

"This authority was originally delegated by the Disciplinary Department."

"Their recent work in Xinjie City has found significant deficiencies in this area."

"Therefore, they have requested that Xinjie City place higher importance on this aspect of its work."

"And after their investigation, they proposed Qiu Tu as the person in charge."

"In accordance with practice, the official responsible for this business area should hold the position of deputy head."

Having said that, Tang Feifei swept her gaze across the room with authority, "So, I propose Qiu Tu as the new Deputy Head of the Political Department. Who supports and who opposes?"

Upon hearing Tang Feifei's words, the conference room fell dead silent.

All of Tang Feifei's reasons for the recommendation were logical and compliant with the regulations.

When the higher-level department demanded focus on this area of work and even provided a recommended candidate, in order to avoid being 'remembered' unfavorably by the superiors, it was indeed right for the subordinate departments to comply.

But... that candidate was Qiu Tu.

With this in mind, the high-ranking officials couldn't help but turn their eyes to Yan Chen, who was seated at the head of the table....

-----

Today is still three chapters of ten thousand words each. The third chapter will probably be updated around 23-24 o'clock. Asking for Monthly Tickets during the double period!