Chapter 62 Everything Is Subject to Change

"Come, please have some tea!"

"You should sit down, too!"

"Yes!" He Di carefully sat down in the chair opposite Lin Weiquan.

"Chief Lin, I shouldn't have any problems this time, right?"

"Do you think there are still problems?" Lin Weiquan offered a gentle smile.

He slowly set down the teacup in his hand and fixed his gaze directly on He Di, as if trying to pierce straight through his heart.

"With Jiang Zhaoyang that fierce demon around, I just can't feel at ease!" He Di finally poured out what was truly on his mind.

His words carried a trace of helplessness and a measure of fear.

The name Jiang Zhaoyang was like an invisible shadow looming over his heart, one he found impossible to shake off.

"Don't worry, the one backing you is not only the county magistrate, but also the Party secretary. With both heavyweights supporting you, what are you afraid of?" Lin Weiquan shook his head dismissively.

His words acted like a shot of adrenaline, instantly dissolving the greater part of the fear in He Di's heart.

"What?" Hearing this, a wave of wild joy surged within He Di.

He could hardly believe his ears. The female Party secretary of the county committee was actually supporting him?

He had never even met her, having completely zero connection with her! How could this possibly be?

It was simply a blessing falling straight out of the sky!

"Chief Lin, you aren't joking with me, are you?"

"Of course I'm not joking." Lin Weiquan nodded once more to confirm.

Seeing a flash of astonishment cross He Di's face as his brows furrowed slightly, a playful smile curved the corners of Lin Weiquan's mouth.

He said, "It's very likely that detailed and profound research report acted like a window, allowing her to catch a glimpse of your talent and potential between the lines, and thus developing an initial appreciation for you."

"She came to know you through your writing!"

He Di smiled knowingly.

"Next, you need to prepare yourself for the interview. Minister Chen is going to conduct interviews and evaluations for the candidates, so make sure you don't mess it up."

"Details determine success or failure, don't drop the ball at this crucial moment."

"Then, what kind of specific questions will Minister Chen ask? What do I need to prepare in advance?"

"He will definitely center his questions around how to be a good deputy township head, such as your workflow, your insights into local development, your ability to solve problems for the masses, and even your strategies for handling emergencies," Lin Weiquan explained patiently.

"I—how should I answer?" He Di asked, somewhat anxiously.

"Although this is just going through the motions, you still need to handle it properly," Lin Weiquan said.

"Don't rush, don't rush." Lin Weiquan gently patted He Di's shoulder in reassurance. "Just answer by outlining the responsibilities of a deputy township head. Keep it standard and by the book, and he won't be able to find any faults."

With that, Lin Weiquan pushed a work booklet toward him. "It's all in here. Just commit it to memory with a little effort."

He Di took the pamphlet and began reading through it with strained concentration.

"Stay right in your office and wait for the interview. Don't go anywhere else!"

"Yes!" He Di replied.

Lin Weiquan stepped outside.

He Di took a deep breath, trying to calm the turbulent waves within his heart.

After a moment of thought, he decided to call his father, He Donglai, to share this sudden joy and lingering unease.

"Dad, I heard that Secretary Wei thinks quite favorably of me regarding this promotion recommendation in the township?"

A trace of excitement was hard to mask in his voice.

"Yes."

"Doesn't that mean I have double insurance now?" He Di asked smugly.

However, He Donglai's reply poured a bucket of cold water straight over him: "Even so, you still need to keep a low profile and restrain yourself. Impatience breeds arrogance."

"Don't forget, the political arena is like a battlefield, and variables can occur at any moment."

"You must not be arrogant, boisterous, or overly pleased with yourself right now."

"Remember, careful navigation steers a ship for ten thousand years. That way, even if some unexpected accident happens, you can handle it with composure."

No one knows a son better than his father, and He Donglai knew He Di's impatient and self-satisfied personality like the back of his hand.

He knew all too well that without a reminder, He Di would likely lose his head over a moment of smooth sailing, ultimately leading to a total defeat.

Therefore, he cautioned once more, "This is the exact reason why I didn't tell you earlier."

"Until the official appointment comes down, everything is subject to change. Something you haven't truly secured can never be considered your own possession."

"Bear this in mind!"

"Could a cooked duck really fly away?" He Di muttered dismissively in his heart.

Carried away by his own arrogance, He Di stepped outside.

Since securing the position of deputy township head was now as certain as catching a turtle in a jar, he wanted to go find Jiang Zhaoyang. He needed to humiliate him thoroughly to vent the hatred in his chest.

According to procedure, Chen Qigong was next scheduled to conduct in-depth and meticulous recommendation interviews with five ordinary cadres, serving as representatives of the masses.

Before the formal interviews began, Chen Qigong was well aware of the various misgivings and anxieties that might linger in the hearts of these cadres.

To ensure the smooth progress of the interviews, he specifically arranged a warm preparatory meeting.

During the meeting, Chen Qigong assured them with a sincere tone, "I, Chen Qigong, solemnly promise here today that everything we discuss will be kept strictly confidential, serving solely as a basis for me to provide rational references to the leadership."

"No matter the outcome, I guarantee that not a single word will leak to the outside world."

After delivering these remarks, they indeed had the desired effect.

The brows that had been tightly knitted gradually smoothed out, and the doubt and unease in their eyes slowly dissipated.

These cadres began to choose to trust Chen Qigong.

Thus, he called them into his office one by one to begin the in-depth one-on-one interviews.

He knew deeply that although these ordinary cadres held low positions, their voices were often closer to the grassroots and better able to reflect the most authentic public sentiment.

After all, they were just ordinary cadres who had not yet experienced much of the world, appearing far greener compared to those seasoned leading members.

Those leading members were indeed more sophisticated, but they were also much more slick.

Like office veterans, they were always accustomed to remaining neutral in specific situations, neither easily revealing their own views nor readily offending others.

Such an attitude, while seemingly safe, actually made it difficult to extract any heartfelt words, let alone unearth valuable opinions and suggestions.

Yet these ordinary cadres before him, though green, possessed a rare purity and courage.

After Chen Qigong's steady and powerful words fell, these cadres chose to believe.

In their hearts, Chen Qigong's words were not just personal insights, but the will of the organization—a trustworthy guiding beacon.

Having experienced initial hesitation, their hearts inevitably fluttered with trepidation.

After all, speaking bluntly often carried risks, and they worried about incurring retaliation from Lin Weiquan's clique.

Yet in the end, they decided to speak their minds completely, laying out their true thoughts without reservation.

Every single word they uttered seemed to be pulled straight from the bottom of their hearts—authentic and powerful.

However, when Chen Qigong finished listening to their accounts, an expression of sheer disbelief surfaced on his face.

He was struck by an invisible force, leaving him frozen in place.

As it turned out, these cadres had all unanimously recommended Jiang Zhaoyang.

Not a single person mentioned He Di's name.