Under established practice and the principle of matching ranks, team leader Xiang Chang'an and deputy team leader Lu Yan were responsible for interviewing members of the Jiangnan Provincial Party Committee leadership and the Provincial Government's Party leadership group. Zhou Yi handled other deputy-provincial-level officials and department-level officials such as municipal Party secretaries and mayors. Officials below those ranks were assigned to the other team members.
Of course, this arrangement was not absolute. For instance, among those Zhou Yi had just interviewed was Vice Governor Han Jianguo, a member of the Provincial Government's Party leadership group.
So there was really nothing wrong with Xiang Chang'an asking Zhou Yi to "have a word" with Zhu Changlei, the Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary and secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission. It was simply a question of whether Zhou Yi was willing.
Zhou Yi modestly said he would follow whatever arrangements the team leader made. Personally, he was also quite interested in Deputy Secretary Zhu, whose reputation drew mixed reviews.
So, why not meet him?
That afternoon, Zhou Yi met the Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary, who was said to have such a fiery temper that he had once knocked out a subordinate's teeth.
Zhu Changlei looked much as Zhou Yi had imagined: triangular eyes, a hooked nose, and a pointed mouth, combined with a tall, sturdy build. He certainly gave the impression of someone who would be difficult to deal with.
"Hello, Secretary Zhu." "Hello, Secretary Zhou."
After a polite handshake, the two went straight into the interview.
Zhu Changlei felt no dissatisfaction about Zhou Yi being assigned to interview him. He might be a member of the Provincial Party Committee's standing committee, but Zhou Yi was certainly qualified to do this!
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