Chapter 60: Forcing a Duck onto a Perch

He smiled and said to Chen Qigong, "Alright! Minister Chen, I have said everything I wanted to say without reservation."

"I believe the organization will make the correct decision. Goodbye!"

With that, Qiu Hong shook hands with Chen Qigong and turned to leave the office.

The person who entered immediately afterward was Dong Xian.

"Commissioner Dong, please take a seat!" Chen Qigong greeted him warmly.

Dong Xian responded timidly and sat down slowly, his hands unconsciously intertwined, looking somewhat restrained.

"Commissioner Dong, you are the Organization Commissioner, and your opinion is crucial when it comes to cadre selection."

"I won't waste words; let's get straight to the point," Chen Qigong said bluntly.

"Between He Di and Jiang Zhaoyang, whom do you recommend?"

"Could you elaborate on their respective strengths and weaknesses?"

Dong Xian pondered for a moment. "Both men have their own strengths and distinct merits. They wouldn't have been included among the candidates by the organization if they weren't exceptional."

Chen Qigong nodded slightly, signaling Dong Xian to continue.

"He Di's strength lies in his ability to coordinate relations at all levels; he is superior to Jiang Zhaoyang in terms of communication."

"Then, based on your observation and understanding, who are you more inclined to recommend?" Chen Qigong's smile carried a hint of playfulness, as if he were anticipating Dong Xian's answer.

Hearing this, a flash of hesitation crossed Dong Xian's face.

He lowered his head, pondered for another moment, and then stammered, "I... I am still inclined to recommend He Di."

A satisfied smile appeared on Chen Qigong's face upon hearing this.

He picked up his pen and diligently noted down Dong Xian's recommendation in his notebook.

Then, raising his head, he looked at Dong Xian and said, "Very well, I've noted it down. Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

Dong Xian shook his head. "No, I've said everything that needed to be said."

"Then you may leave!"

"Yes!" Dong Xian stood up and turned to leave the office.

Next to enter was Tong Liguan, the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission.

"Secretary Tong, please sit!"

Tong Liguan smiled, but did not rush to take a seat.

His gaze inadvertently swept across the coffee table in front of Chen Qigong.

He noticed that the tea in Chen Qigong's delicate teacup had quietly dwindled to half a cup.

Thus, he picked up the teacup lightly and walked slowly over to the water dispenser, carefully topping up Chen Qigong's cup with warm water.

"Minister Chen, please have some water!" Tong Liguan gently placed the teacup back in its original spot, his tone carrying a trace of humility.

Then, he sat down respectfully.

Chen Qigong took the cup and took a light sip. "Secretary Tong, you are certainly well-mannered and understand the art of hospitality."

"Not at all, not at all. Minister Chen is a guest visiting our township, and we have nothing special to entertain you with. Isn't it only right that I pour tea and serve water?"

Chen Qigong gently set down the teacup. "Alright, let's get down to business; time is limited."

"Today, I'd like to hear your opinion. Between comrades He Di and Jiang Zhaoyang, who are you more inclined to recommend?"

"Please elaborate on your reasons in detail."

Hearing this, Tong Liguan furrowed his brow slightly, a look of distress surfacing on his face.

He pondered for a moment, as if weighing the weight of every single word. "Minister Chen, these two comrades indeed each have their own strengths and merits."

"Therefore, choosing one who clearly surpasses the other is truly a difficult task for me."

"I will simply follow the organization's intentions; I have no objections regardless of who is chosen."

Tong Liguan felt a lingering fear as he recalled the previous few days, when he had followed Lin Weiquan's instructions to suppress Jiang Zhaoyang, intending to impose a severe disciplinary penalty on him to demonstrate his execution capabilities and curry favor with Lin Weiquan.

However, that confrontation had far exceeded his expectations.

Jiang Zhaoyang, who usually appeared gentle and refined, actually possessed an unyielding spirit deep down.

Faced with the sudden suppression, not only did he not back down in the slightest, but he also fought back tit for tat with sharp language.

He had directly scolded him until he was utterly disgraced, even labeling him a "running dog."

At that time, Tong Liguan had felt a rush of blood go straight to his head, boiling with rage and driven to fury by embarrassment.

In that exact moment, he truly wished he could have slapped a heavy punishment on him on the spot, ensuring he would never be able to turn his life around.

Yet the subsequent events left him dumbfounded—Jiang Zhaoyang had actually been listed among the recommended candidates for promotion.

This news struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving Tong Liguan frozen in place.

He had truly kicked a solid iron plate this time.

It was an entirely unforeseen development.

Without a powerful background, would Jiang Zhaoyang dare to curse him to the point of utter humiliation?

Viewed in this light, Jiang Zhaoyang was definitely not someone confined to a shallow pond.

He realized that he had genuinely and truly provoked someone he could never afford to cross!

However, He Di was likewise a presence he could not afford to offend.

His father, He Donglai, was currently a favored confidant of the county magistrate, holding real power and serving as the head of the county's largest bureau. His influence was so scorching hot that everyone knew his name.

That He Di could make the shortlist was by no means a coincidence; the forces and planning behind him obviously also far exceeded his imagination. How could He Di be simple?

He Di and Jiang Zhaoyang were currently evenly matched, neck and neck.

Under such circumstances, choosing to take a side undoubtedly became a high-risk game.

Once you placed your bet on the wrong horse, not only might you miss the golden opportunity for promotion, but you could also cast an indelible shadow over your official career, threatening your future prospects.

In this smoke-free war, the wisest course of action was undoubtedly to play the "fence-sitter."

Neither favoring He Di nor leaning toward Jiang Zhaoyang, maintaining a certain distance from both sides, offending neither party while leaving oneself some room to maneuver.

Such a strategy, seemingly mediocre, was actually viable.

A wise person places bets on both ends, or offends neither.

Acting as a fence-sitter was currently the most appropriate approach.

Yet Chen Qigong was somewhat dissatisfied with this approach of his. "Comrade Tong Liguan, at this critical juncture, you must clarify your stance. It has to be one or the other; there is no middle ground."

"Your attitude must be distinct so that I can accurately record it in the files and provide a reference for leadership decision-making."

Chen Qigong's words struck like a heavy hammer against the most sensitive nerve in Tong Liguan's heart.

The moment he heard the four words "recorded in the files,"

Tong Liguan felt as though he had been struck by an electric current, springing up violently from his chair. The expression on his face was a complex mix of shock and helplessness.

"This... Minister Chen, I... I really find it difficult to make a choice between them."

His voice carried a hint of trembling, obviously crushed and finding it hard to breathe under this sudden pressure.

"This is somewhat like forcing a duck onto a perch. You know, I work in discipline inspection, and my duties are solely related to disciplining cadres."

As he reached this point, a slip of the tongue escaped him. "Or rather, I look for bones in an egg! I'm good at that, but recommending cadres is truly not my forte."

Tong Liguan added, "When it comes to matters like recommending cadres, I really feel inadequate and even somewhat at a loss."