Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 431 Wang Shengli, the scapegoat

I'm not afraid of my boss losing his temper, I'm afraid of his sudden silence.

Upon hearing He Yuanchao's words, Zhao Shenglin nodded as if granted a pardon, saying, "Yes, it's Wang Shengli. It was that kid Jiefang who pestered me for several days before I finally agreed to transfer Wang Shengli to the Public Security Section."

He Yuanchao knew about this. He had signed the document that transferred Wang Shengli to the Public Security Section. Similarly, he had also been nagged by Li Jiefang quite a bit.

Zhao Shenglin brought this up simply to show that, "Director, we're on the same side. You'd better be careful when you strike, and don't accidentally hurt our own people."

There should be a limit to criticism; you can't really alienate your subordinates.

After giving Zhao Shenglin a light tap, He Yuanchao didn't make things difficult for him any further, and nodded with a smile:
“I know Wang Shengli. He’s a very steady comrade. His words are generally credible. Since he told you, Lao Zhao, you should take it seriously and investigate this matter thoroughly.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shengli knew that the matter was over for today, so he quickly stood up, saluted, and replied, "Yes, Director, I guarantee to complete the mission."

After saying that, he glanced at He Yuanchao's expression, hesitated for a moment, and asked in a low voice.

"There's no concrete evidence yet regarding the director's matter. Should our security department launch a large-scale investigation, or should we conduct a covert investigation and gather evidence first?"

Having just been reprimanded, Zhao Shenglin learned his lesson and no longer dared to speculate about He Yuanchao's thoughts in private.

He Yuanchao picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and pondered for a moment before saying:

"This matter involves several women. If the facts are not true, it will definitely affect their reputation. I think we should investigate it privately first. Remember, the matter must be kept confidential, and not too many people should be involved. Try to find comrades who can keep their mouths shut."

"Yes, Director. I understand. If there's nothing else, I'll go back and make the arrangements right away."

After Zhao Shenglin finished speaking, seeing that He Yuanchao nodded, he didn't say anything more, saluted, and then turned and walked out of the office.

Only after closing the office door did Zhao Shenglin finally breathe a sigh of relief. Thinking about He Yuanchao's attitude earlier, he still felt a chill run down his spine.

He's only forty-five this year, and he still has room for advancement. He absolutely cannot afford to offend his superior because of this slight oversight. He must handle Wu Mengsheng's matter promptly, and not only promptly, but also skillfully. As for whether this will offend Wu Mengsheng...

"Section Chief Zhao, what are you thinking about here?"

Zhao Shenglin was pondering Wu Mengsheng's matter when he was startled to hear someone greet him from behind. He turned around and saw that it was Li Fugang, the head of the fire department. His tense face immediately broke into a smile.

"I wasn't thinking about anything. I just finished reporting to the director and was about to go back."

Li Fugang had been waiting at the door for a while. He knew that Zhao Shenglin wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't expose him. He asked with a smile, "How are you feeling right now, Director?"

"It's alright, it should be just right for Section Chief Li to go in now."

After saying that, Zhao Shenglin didn't wait for Li Fugang's response and started walking towards the Public Security Section.

Li Fugang hesitated for a moment as he watched Zhao Shenglin walk away in a hurry. After thinking for a while, he straightened his clothes and knocked on the door of He Yuanchao's office.

Zhao Shenglin returned to the Public Security Section, but instead of going to his own office, he went straight to the office shared by the staff.

Reaching the door, Zhao Shenglin opened it and glanced inside. Seeing that all the staff members were looking at him, Zhao Shenglin didn't pay them any mind. He waved to Wang Shengli, who had already stood up, and said:

"Shengli, come with me for a moment."

After saying that, he ignored everyone else, put his hands behind his back, turned around and strolled into his office next door. Wang Shengli heard the section chief's greeting, and although he was a little confused, he didn't dare to be negligent and jogged after Zhao Shenglin into the room.

Zhao Shenglin looked at Wang Shengli standing in front of the desk and, without beating around the bush, went straight to the point:

Do you remember what you told me about Wu Mengsheng a couple of days ago?

Wang Shengli didn't know why Zhao Shenglin suddenly asked about this, and nodded in confusion:
"remember."

"How did you find out about this? Is the information accurate?"

Seeing Zhao Shenglin's serious expression, Wang Shengli dared not lie and truthfully said, "I heard about this from one of Wu Mengsheng's bodyguards, and I reckon it's pretty accurate."

Zhao Shenglin's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he couldn't wait to find Wu Mengsheng's bodyguards to interrogate him, but he changed his mind when he was about to say it.

"Since you're the one who discovered this, I'm giving you a task. Find two people in the department who are good at keeping their mouths shut and quietly investigate Wu Mengsheng's illicit affairs. Once you have the evidence, don't report to me, just arrest him."

After saying that, seeing that Wang Shengli seemed somewhat reluctant, Zhao Shenglin added:
“Shengli, let me tell you, put your heart into this and do a good job. If you succeed, I’ll definitely apply for a position for you. Look at Li Jiefang, I remember you two joined the security department together, right…”

……

When Wang Shengli walked out of Zhao Shenglin's office, his mind was still buzzing. He was somewhat reluctant to investigate Wu Mengsheng's matter, because no matter what the final result was, he would offend people. But he really couldn't bear to give up that position.

Back in his office, he pondered for a long time but couldn't make up his mind. Finally, he gritted his teeth, got up, and walked out of the office, intending to discuss the matter with Li Jiefang.

He rode his bicycle to the guard room at the gate of the steel rolling mill. Upon entering, he found that Li Jiefang was not there. After inquiring, he learned that Li Jiefang had been called away by He Yuanchao. Hearing this news, Wang Shengli felt both depressed and somewhat envious.

Li Jiefang had no idea that Wang Shengli was looking for him; he was currently smoking idly outside He Yuanchao's office.

He Yuanchao was quite busy this morning. Li Fugang had just finished reporting his work and left when Hao Xuebin, formerly an internal affairs officer in the security section and now a liaison officer in the security office, came over to join in the fun.

After dismissing Hao Xuebin, He Yuanchao finally found time to meet with Li Jiefang.

Upon seeing Li Jiefang enter the room, He Yuanchao didn't beat around the bush and directly instructed, "Jiefang, according to Zhao Shenglin, Wu Mengsheng seems to be having affairs with women in the factory. Keep an eye on him for the next few days, and remember not to make too much of a fuss."

Li Jiefang was a little confused and subconsciously said, "Director, since Section Chief Zhao said so, why don't we just have the Public Security Section investigate?"

"Just keep an eye on it, stop with all the nonsense."

Before Li Jiefang could finish speaking, He Yuanchao interrupted with a frown, saying, "If you're not willing to do it, I'll find someone else?"

Seeing He Yuanchao's displeasure, Li Jiefang immediately put on a grin and said, "I'm willing to do it, I'm willing to do it. Besides, who in our department can compare to me when it comes to investigation? Leave this to me, Director, you can handle it!"

He Yuanchao knew Li Jiefang's character and didn't want to waste time arguing with him, so he waved his hand and said, "Alright, that's all. Go ahead and do your thing!"

Li Jiefang, who was kicked out of the office by He Yuanchao, was not unhappy at all. He even joked with Zhou Hongjun, who was waiting at the door, as he left.

He Yuanchao originally thought that most of the people had arrived, and was about to go to Mo Dacheng's and Liang Weimin's offices to say hello. Just as he got up, he heard Li Jiefang talking to someone at the door. Knowing that more people had arrived, he could only shake his head and sit back down in his chair.

(End of this chapter)