Chapter 3: Choosing the Path of Opportunity!

Zhou Chengwu entered the hospital room.

Hong Ruilin was playing chess with Tang Ye.

The two were fiercely engaged, neither yielding an inch.

“Hurry up and make your move; my backside is sore from sitting so long,” Hong Ruilin urged impatiently.

“What’s the rush? Both in chess and in life, one must be steady. That’s what you always say,” Tang Ye replied, placing a white piece atop the black stone’s line of play.

“You dare challenge me?” Hong Ruilin furrowed his brow. “Let me see if I can ‘charge’ and crush you!”

The black piece slammed down on the empty intersection in the center of the opponent’s “gate” shape.

Tang Ye had anticipated this and cleverly placed a white stone diagonally in the “sun” pattern on the right side of the board, executing a skillful “rescue by encirclement.”

Hong Ruilin was momentarily at a loss on how to respond to Tang Ye’s maneuver.

He glanced around the room and saw Zhou Chengwu standing there, a faint smile on his lips.

“You’re like a cat—how did you get in without a sound?”

“I saw you two were deep in battle, so I didn’t want to disturb you. Teacher, you’ve worked hard,” Zhou Chengwu said, noticing Hong Ruilin’s head full of white hair and feeling a deep sense of emotion.

Zhou Chengwu was the newly appointed Party Secretary of Hanzhou City. Although his official start date was set for early next month, he had arrived quietly and unnoticed.

“I’m tough; I won’t die anytime soon,” Hong Ruilin said, returning the black stones to the box. He then instructed Tang Ye, “Brew some tea.”

Tang Ye set down his piece, stood up to make the tea, and respectfully handed a cup to Zhou Chengwu.

“Hello, Secretary Zhou.”

“You must be Tang Ye,” Zhou Chengwu nodded toward him.

Zhou Chengwu admired Tang Ye’s heroic act of rescuing people from a fire.

He had formerly been Hong Ruilin’s secretary, and Hong’s strict governance had greatly influenced Zhou’s career path.

Though Hong Ruilin was retired at a deputy department level, he was an old revolutionary with considerable influence in Huainan’s political circles. If Zhou Chengwu wished to succeed as Party Secretary, he could not do so without Hong Ruilin’s support.

Seeing Hong Ruilin in good spirits, Zhou Chengwu felt reassured. “We’ve found the cause of the fire—it was an old kitchen electrical circuit. I suggested last time that you move to the Party Committee’s family compound; we’ve already arranged housing there. The environment is better, with comprehensive facilities.”

Hong Ruilin showed a helpless expression. “The house burned down. I’m not moving anywhere else. What else can I do?”

Zhou Chengwu smiled. “Then I’ll arrange it for you immediately.”

“I’ll consider it after I’m discharged,” Hong Ruilin replied, eyes fixed on the chessboard. He waved a hand, “You have many things to attend to; perhaps you should go first. The game is intense—the next few moves are crucial. If I play well, I will definitely win.”

Tang Ye laughed. “Bring it on openly. Who wins or loses is uncertain!”

“Don’t worry, Xiao Tang, I’ll be the referee!”

After finishing his tea, Zhou Chengwu left the ward.

Several days later.

Accompanied by the deputy minister of the Provincial Organization Department, Zhou Chengwu arrived at the Hanzhou Municipal Party Committee and held a brief but efficient inauguration ceremony.

After the meeting, Yang Yuan handed over a stack of secretary resumes to Zhou Chengwu for selection.

Zhou Chengwu quickly flipped through them and set them aside.

“I heard recently a young man surnamed Tang from the Party Committee office saved Secretary Hong? Bring me his resume.”

Yang Yuan immediately caught on and smiled. “Tang Ye’s position is in the Party Committee office. I’ll go to the archives and get his resume.”

When Yang Yuan returned with Tang Ye’s resume, Zhou Chengwu selected two others from the pile to place alongside his. “These are the three candidates.”

Yang Yuan deliberately placed Shao Jinbo’s resume on top, only to see it dismissed outright.

“Shao Jinbo is actually quite good—diligent and responsible, familiar with the Party Committee’s office procedures…”

The position of the Party Secretary’s secretary was highly coveted, and the decision rested solely with the Secretary.

Zhou Chengwu interrupted Yang Yuan, “Send out the notice.”

Shao Jinbo approached Yang Yuan, wearing a flattering smile. “Director Yang, Secretary Zhou is interviewing secretaries this afternoon. Why didn’t I receive any notice?”

Yang Yuan closed the door behind him. “Xiao Shao, your resume was submitted but rejected by Secretary Zhou.”

Shao Jinbo opened his mouth in disbelief. “You promised me…”

Yang Yuan patted his shoulder encouragingly. “I did my best. Don’t be discouraged, young man. There will be many opportunities. If you miss this one, wait for the next.”

Though Shao Jinbo held a graduate degree, he had only worked for a year and was not competitive for the secretary position.

It was Zhou Chengwu’s bold approach to hiring newcomers that prompted Yang Yuan to submit Shao’s resume.

Yang Yuan decided not to tell Shao Jinbo that the new Secretary had granted Tang Ye an interview.

That afternoon.

Tang Ye was the last to enter the office.

Behind the seat hung a deeply evocative traditional Chinese painting.

The inscription read: “Swiftly the light boat goes—already at the realm of cloud and forest.”

Tang Ye thought to himself that the artist must have drawn inspiration from Li Bai’s poem “Entering Qingxi to Wander the Mountains.”

Zhou Chengwu looked at Tang Ye again with a different kind of appreciation.

Tang Ye’s features were sharp and well-defined; tall and robust, with thick brows and bright eyes.

A secretary was the face of the leader, so appearance mattered greatly.

The only flaw was a fresh scar near Tang Ye’s eye—a mark left from rescuing old Secretary Hong during the fire.

“Xiao Tang, you have two choices now: first, serve as my full-time secretary; second, proceed with the prior plan to undertake a temporary post in a township for experience. Tell me your thoughts.”

“I choose to go to the township,” Tang Ye answered with unusual firmness.

“Oh? Why is that?” Zhou Chengwu smiled enigmatically.

Sitting upright, Tang Ye said, “Being your secretary is very tempting. That you offer this option shows your recognition of me, but I should remain humble and encourage myself to keep striving. ‘Do not neglect small good deeds.’ Going to Pinghu Township will give me a chance to develop at the grassroots. Moreover, with your support now, I can work with greater confidence.”

Zhou Chengwu smiled knowingly and asked, “What’s your plan for Pinghu?”

Tang Ye scratched his head, grinning. “Actions speak louder than words. I have many ideas, but I’m afraid if I talk too much, you might think I’m just boasting.”

Zhou Chengwu encouraged him, “Then it depends on whether your ideas are feasible.”

Tang Ye composed himself and spoke earnestly:

“Pinghu once had several garment factories mainly producing men’s suits and shirts with limited variety, focused on exports. Domestic female purchasing power is rising, and in major malls, women’s wear occupies the largest sales area, often subdivided into professional, youthful, elegant, and middle-aged sections. Pinghu’s garment factories should follow the trend and transition to producing women’s clothing.”

“Women’s wear…” Zhou Chengwu touched his nose thoughtfully, “That’s a good idea. Anything else?”

Tang Ye continued, “Secretary Hong often says Pinghu’s crayfish and hairy crabs are exceptionally fresh. Pinghu has abundant water resources suitable for aquaculture — fish, shrimp, crab — all can be branded ‘Pinghu.’ When people think of hairy crabs, they’ll think of Pinghu; when they think of crayfish, they’ll think of Pinghu.”

Zhou Chengwu’s appetite was subtly awakened as he smiled and nodded. “‘Clothing’ and ‘food’ are covered. What about ‘housing’ and ‘transport’?”

Tang Ye sensed Zhou Chengwu’s goodwill and spoke more quickly.

“For ‘housing,’ lakeside living: Pinghu boasts beautiful natural scenery, laying a foundation to build lakeside resorts. As for ‘transport,’ Pinghu’s geographic advantage is remarkable. It’s a hub for the Qiongjin, Runjiang, and Hanzhou urban clusters. In the future, transportation will be highly convenient, making it the central warehouse and logistics base for the three cities. In the long term, Pinghu is truly a treasure trove.”

Though Tang Ye appeared relaxed, he was inwardly tense.

A conversation with the Party Secretary was both an opportunity and a risk, like crossing a narrow wooden bridge.

Step forward, and the path is smooth.

Fall, and one fades into obscurity.

Every word had to be weighed carefully.

Zhou Chengwu suddenly fell into thought.

His transfer from the Provincial Development and Reform Commission to Hanzhou was primarily to promote the integration and implementation of the Qiongjin, Hanzhou, and Runjiang metropolitan cluster.

Pinghu Township’s strategic significance was still confidential.

“You know a lot about the Qiongjin metropolitan area! Many of your views align with those of Dean Jiang from the Qiongjin University School of Political Science.”

“Dean Jiang was my master’s advisor. My thesis was related to the Qiongjin metropolitan area.”

Zhou Chengwu clasped his hands under his chin.

Tang Ye’s presentation was detailed, strategic, and highly practical.

Moreover, Zhou admired the calmness Tang Ye displayed in conversation.

“All right, I understand your thoughts. Go back and wait for further notice.”