Stop holding back!

"Since your name could appear on that recommendation list, it proves that the organization recognizes your ability and qualifications."

"Things haven't settled yet, so you mustn't give up lightly, let alone feel discouraged."

The gloom in Jiang Zhaoyang's heart did not seem to have completely dissipated.

He changed the subject to mask his disappointment: "I saw both Tong Liquan and you sitting in the office, as if you were waiting for something?"

Qiu Hong nodded and explained, "Yes, wasn't the democratic recommendation held today? Everyone is looking forward to the results, but..."

He paused deliberately, observing Jiang Zhaoyang's reaction. "The Organization Department staff have notified us to ask all members of the party and government leadership to wait a moment."

"They still need to have individual talks with everyone to further understand the basic background of the candidates."

At this point, Qiu Hong's gaze suddenly turned subtle, a knowing smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he casually threw out a question: "By the way, Little Jiang, do you actually have someone influential backing you from above?"

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoyang's hand shook slightly, and the tea in his cup almost spilled.

He was clearly taken aback by the sudden question.

After being stunned for a moment, he smiled bitterly and replied, "Me? What kind of backing could I possibly have?"

"Look, Fu Zhengliang was previously thrown into prison—oh no, to be exact, subjected to 'shuanggui'—due to corruption issues."

"How could he possibly still cover for me?"

"Besides, having a corrupt official as your protector, is that a blessing or a curse for me?"

Seeing this, Qiu Hong waved his hand gently. "Little Jiang, don't get me wrong. I'm not referring to Fu Zhengliang."

Qiu Hong paused for a moment before saying, "That's not what I meant."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"I wanted to ask, do you have any very significant connections right here in our county?"

Only then did Jiang Zhaoyang dawn on what Qiu Hong was actually asking.

He shook his head helplessly, his bitter smile deepening: "Director Qiu, you really stump me with that question. How could I possibly have any significant connections in the county?"

"If I really had the powerful backing and connections you speak of, I wouldn't be stuck guarding a reservoir out in the middle of nowhere right now, struggling at every step."

"My father, whom you also know, is currently like a mud bodhisattva crossing a river—deeply troubled and overwhelmed with his own predicament. Where would he find the extra strength and capability to give my career a boost and let me swim like a fish in water?"

Qiu Hong frowned deeply upon hearing this, as if still trying to find a trace of a clue in Jiang Zhaoyang's expression.

"However, Little Jiang, if you don't have any strong background or connections behind you, then look at the criteria on today's recommendation list—that strict educational threshold, the specific age requirements, and the demand for extensive grassroots work experience."

"Why does it all look as though it were tailor-made for you, matching to the slightest detail?"

Jiang Zhaoyang replied, "I'm not clear about that, but it certainly wasn't tailor-made for me."

"If these conditions were truly custom-made for me, how could He Di possibly have a chance?"

"How could he stand on this stage and compete with me for the exact same position?" There was a hint of self-mockery in Jiang Zhaoyang's words, along with a helpless resignation toward reality.

"But looking at it the other way, with a competitor like He Di around, how could I possibly have any chance at all?"

"As I said just now, I am merely a foil in this selection process."

Jiang Zhaoyang's words were filled with self-deprecating irony.

Hearing this, Qiu Hong remained somewhat skeptical. "Little Jiang, stop hiding things from me. If you really have someone above looking out for you, don't keep it from me."

Jiang Zhaoyang gave a bitter laugh and shook his head. "Secretary Qiu, if I really had such solid connections, would I have been banished to that bird-forsaken wilderness to guard a reservoir, marginalized and ignored by everyone?"

"Would I be wasting my time and youth in this dilapidated reservoir every day? Look at my current situation; does it look like anyone is covering for me?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Hong nodded thoughtfully, seemingly unsurprised by Jiang Zhaoyang's answer.

He lowered his head in contemplation for a moment before speaking, "Well, what you say makes sense. That's true too; if you really had connections, you wouldn't have been reduced to this state..."

"I understand your difficulties and I trust your character."

"However, in this circle, having ability and hard work alone is sometimes not enough; you also need some... 'assistance'."

"Of course, I'm not asking you to deliberately try to cozy up to anyone, just reminding you to pay more attention to the people and events around you. You never know when you might cross paths with your 'benefactor'."

"Thank you for the reminder, Secretary Qiu!" Jiang Zhaoyang said insincerely.

He knew that Qiu Hong still somewhat cared about him, and he could not reject his kind intentions.

Yet, was this benefactor who could change his destiny someone he could just befriend whenever he wanted? Wasn't the most influential person around him Lin Weiquan?

He was the one who punished him the most ruthlessly, wishing he could cast him into the eighteenth tier of hell.

A benefactor capable of truly altering one's fate is never easily attained.

Those distant, heavily empowered, and lofty big figures were the focus of everyone's attention; they were the objects of fawning, flattery, and endless sycophancy.

Their surroundings were always swarming with people trying to attach themselves to them.

In such an environment, for an ordinary, exiled cadre like himself to deliberately forge such a connection would be nothing short of wishful thinking.

Could he even get close? It was simply impossible to befriend them.

Of course, sometimes an inadvertent gesture or an unexpected act of assistance could become a major turning point in life's journey.

And these things are often hidden among seemingly inconspicuous people and events.

To actually encounter such a benefactor?

That's a once-in-a-millennium chance.

Abruptly, a figure flashed across Jiang Zhaoyang's mind. Could she possibly be his benefactor?

He dismissed the thought immediately.

Recalling the last time he heard that the county party secretary was a woman, her image had involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

At that moment, an inexplicable sense of anticipation and longing had welled up in Jiang Zhaoyang's heart, but rationality quickly quenched his fantasies like cold water.

Yet this time, that seemingly absurd thought popped up out of control once again, like resilient weeds growing stubbornly in spring, impossible to root out.

He couldn't help feeling puzzled: why did he always find himself thinking of her inadvertently?

Why did he always feel she could be his benefactor?

What made him subconsciously view her as a savior who could lead him out of his predicament?

What puzzled him even more was that this unrealistic idea was now manifesting so clearly in his mind once again.

It was as if an invisible force was pushing him to believe and to anticipate.