Chapter 176: Betrayal
"Deputy Department Head Li at the provincial department was my classmate at the Provincial Party Committee's Party School. We've been brothers for years, and he has influence over Zhao Lijun, who's currently in office at the provincial department, too. Geng Luoxiang is nothing but an Inspector with no real power... He's been given face and thrown it back at us. Look at his attitude the several times we invited him to dinner. Seems he has no intention of playing along. He's too young, after all. Barely in his thirties, and he really thinks he's somebody? There's no need to take certain things that far... I think I should give Old Li a call. We can't just leave Geng Luoxiang there forever, can we...?"
Xu Changcheng was discussing matters with Executive Vice Mayor Zhou Zhaofeng in his office.
Listening to Xu Changcheng, Zhou Zhaofeng thought of how he had always heard about the Xu family's extraordinary arrogance but had never taken it seriously. Only now, as these incidents erupted one after another, did he see the defiance buried deep in Xu Changcheng's bones. If he was this arrogant even in front of Zhou Zhaofeng, one could imagine how he treated others. Ordinary people faced with that oppressive presence would probably tremble inside.
It was also easy to imagine how Xu Changcheng had originally ranked third in the Municipal Government. Once Mayor Yang Wanli moved on and Zhou Zhaofeng became mayor, Xu would naturally have become executive vice mayor. Then, while still at the height of his career, he could have ascended to the mayor's seat in Huangcheng, perhaps even securing vice-ministerial-level benefits before retirement. It would have been a smooth, perfect trajectory. But Su Licheng had cut in halfway through. One could imagine his fury. Of course, resentment