In name only: I will break the chess game in Handong

Chapter 173 Bar Chaos, Falling into the Abyss

Li Dakang had heard about Cheng Du's situation; he had definitely done a lot of illegal and disorderly things, but he had cleaned up the mess relatively well and without attracting public attention. Cheng Du was not the only cadre like this.

Li Dakang took out his phone and called Zhao Donglai.

"Hey, Donglai, aren't you busy right now?"

"No rush, no rush, Secretary Dakang, please speak!"

"Here's the thing, a guest just came to my place. He specifically asked for the promotion of Cheng Du, the deputy director of the Guangming District Municipal Bureau. You're the director, so what do you think? Is Comrade Cheng Du suitable?"

"Secretary Dakang! Please don't agree!"

I remember mentioning Cheng Du's situation to you before. His ability is already at its limit as the branch director. I'm not trying to belittle Cheng Du, but his personality isn't suited for higher positions. If he were to become deputy director, all his relatives and friends would probably be assigned to the unit's cafeteria.

Li Dakang smiled when he heard this.

"I didn't agree to this, but Donglai, I heard that Secretary Chen went to your municipal bureau to inspect the work yesterday?"

When this matter was suddenly brought up, Zhao Donglai's heart started pounding.

“Secretary Dakang is true. Yesterday afternoon, Secretary Chen came to our municipal bureau to inspect our work for a while and said that our Jingzhou Municipal Bureau has a good work style and does its work seriously.”

"I understand, Donglai. You've done a really good job these past few years. Would you like to take on more responsibilities?"

In other regions, bureau chiefs also serve as deputy mayors. You've accumulated enough experience and your abilities have been recognized. I think it's perfectly acceptable to give you this responsibility.

Zhao Donglai was not pleased; instead, his face froze.

"Secretary Dakang...I..."

"You don't need to belittle yourself. It's settled then. I'll bring it up for discussion at the Standing Committee meeting next week."

Li Dakang hung up the phone before Zhao Donglai could refuse.

Seeing this, Zhao Donglai was also helpless.

After thinking for a while, Zhao Donglai still called Chen Luo to report the matter.

Chen Luo's meaning was simple: let Zhao Donglai choose for himself whether to serve as deputy mayor or be transferred to the Public Security Bureau as deputy director (with the rank of director-general).

The two options were essentially two paths, and in the end, Zhao Donglai gritted his teeth and chose Chen Luo's recommendation.

After all, he's not stupid.

Knowing that Li Dakang was only extending an olive branch because of his close relationship with Secretary Chen, he realized that if he really chose the former, he would probably never have a chance to rise in the future!

After doing all this, Zhao Donglai channeled all his frustration into a phone call to Cheng Du.

"Hey, Du Cheng!"

Hearing that Zhao Donglai's tone was off, Cheng Du couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Director Zhao, who called?"

"I heard someone wants to recommend you for the position of deputy director of the municipal bureau. Secretary Dakang just told me that he thinks you still need to gain more experience. I'm calling to tell you that if you work diligently and follow the rules and regulations, your promotion will not be a problem."

On the contrary, those who take crooked and unethical paths will never have the opportunity to shoulder important responsibilities!

Do you understand?

Cheng Du was stunned after being reprimanded by Zhao Donglai; he was completely bewildered.

"Director Zhao, I didn't...I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Donglai hung up the phone, leaving Cheng Du slumped in his chair with a vacant look in his eyes.

After failing to get a promotion and instead being reprimanded by his direct supervisor, Cheng Du knew that his chances were slim.

But who is the root cause of all this?

Zhong Xiaoai!

She patted her chest and guaranteed that she could improve herself, but now it has developed into this situation. It's a case of losing more than she gained!

"Damn it, if you can't do it, don't talk big. What am I supposed to do now?"

If you keep cursing and swearing, you'll only have to swallow the bitter pill yourself.

Zhong Xiaoai was equally furious when she returned home.

Wherever Zhong Xiaoai goes, she's fawned over by everyone.

But it stopped working after we came to Handong.

I was feeling incredibly depressed.

"Honey, don't be angry. Li Dakang was never a good person. What normal person would let their wife accept bribes? He's not worth getting angry over."

Hearing Hou Liangping's words of persuasion, Zhong Xiaoai calmed down a bit. Hou Liangping then continued, "Wife, how about we don't go out for dinner tonight, but go out and have some fun to relax?"

"Row!"

Zhong Xiaoai also wanted to go out and vent her anger. At 4:30 pm, Hou Liangping took Zhong Xiaoai to a bar. Two glasses of rum were served. Zhong Xiaoai used the alcohol to relieve her depression. And Hou Liangping?

After finishing one drink, Hou Liangping ordered two more.

Liangping only suggested when Zhong Xiaoai's face was flushed red: "Wife, how about we go clubbing? It's been years since we've had this much fun."

Some of Zhong Xiaoai, still somewhat infatuated, did not refuse.

"Row!"

Half an hour later, in a large disco, Hou Liangping was already leading Zhong Xiaoai in swaying to the rhythm of the music. At this time, Zhong Xiaoai's alcohol levels were also kicking in, and she was releasing her emotions in a daze.

Amidst the crowded throng, Zhong Xiaoai didn't notice that Hou Liangping, who had been holding her hand, was gone, replaced by a completely unfamiliar man.

After leaving the hotel, Zhong Xiaoai, still half-asleep, leaned against the man before getting into the car and leaving.

As for Hou Liangping... he was hiding alone in the disco's restroom, clenching his fists tightly. Only he knew the feeling of being cheated on.

But there was nothing he could do; he had no choice!

The night was enchanting, and Zhong Xiaoai's experience in the hotel was more intense than ever before. The thrill and the blissful feeling captivated her.

The next morning, when Zhong Xiaoai opened her eyes, she found herself not at home. She then turned to look at herself, and there was a loud bang!

Zhong Xiaoai's mind went blank. This person wasn't her husband; he was a complete stranger. She tried to get up and leave as soon as she lifted the covers, but her legs wouldn't obey her.

At this moment, the man also woke up.

"What are you doing? Weren't you enjoying it last night and telling me not to stop? Why are you so startled now?"

The man was very calm, handsome, and, importantly, had a youthful physique with well-defined muscles.

"Who are you! What have you done to me!"

Zhong Xiaoai took the initiative.

The man smiled and pulled out a video from his phone, handing it to Zhong Xiaoai.

“You pounced on me last night.”

As for what happened, you can see for yourself.

With just one glance, Zhong Xiaoai's face turned deathly pale. She... had cheated on him?

For a moment, Zhong Xiaoai felt a ringing in her ears and couldn't hear any sounds around her. She didn't even realize that she was completely naked.

Half an hour later, Zhong Xiaoai left the hotel with a limp. She took out her phone and saw 99 missed calls.

All of these calls were from Hou Liangping. From last night until an hour ago, he made over a hundred missed calls.

Chapter 174 Zhong Xiaoai, Sinking Deeper and Deeper

Taking a deep breath, Zhong Xiaoai forced herself to calm down.

Only then did I muster the courage to make the call.

"Hey, Ryohei."

"Xiao Ai, where are you? You disappeared while you were dancing last night, are you okay?"

Zhong Xiaoai shook her head, trembling all over.

"It's nothing. My phone died last night and I couldn't reach you, so I booked a room at the hotel next door."

Hou Liangping paused for a moment.

"Okay, Xiao Ai, I'll come pick you up now."

"No need, no need, I'll go home by myself."

"Okay, then I'll wait for you to come back."

Hou Liangping had very mixed feelings after hanging up the phone.

A vast green grassland lies above my head, and the grass was planted by my own hands.

Upon dialing Zhao Ruilong's number, Hou Liangping went straight to the point: "Zhao Ruilong, this matter is over. I hope you will never show your face again!"

Zhao Ruilong simply smiled faintly.

"Don't worry, Director Hou. I'm a man of my word. I'll hang up now if there's nothing else."

"屮!"

After hanging up the phone, Hou Liangping slammed his fist against the wall, unable to shake off the frustration in his heart.

At 11:30 a.m., Zhong Xiaoai pushed open the door and looked at Hou Liangping sitting on the sofa. She was extremely worried.

He forced himself to walk normally, but the more Hou Liangping saw Zhong Xiaoai trying to hide her emotions, the more overwhelming they became.

"Xiao Ai, you're back?"

Hou Liangping's smile was somewhat bitter, and Zhong Xiaoai had no interest in paying attention to these details.

"Ah."

After uttering only a single "hmm," Zhong Xiaoai went into the bathroom, while Hou Liangping got up and went to the balcony, sighing repeatedly.

A once happy family has now deteriorated to the point where both members are burdened with worries and have even forgotten the purpose of their trip to Handong.

However, while the couple forgot about others, they didn't.