Chapter 41: Stirring things up
The atmosphere of anxiety at Xiahai Engineering Division Four, a subsidiary of Darong Construction Group, had recently come to an end. Its former director, Zhao Chengrong, had been removed from office. Following deliberations by the Engineering Group Supervisory Office, Comrade Zhao Chengrong's request for early retirement had been approved, and he had been relieved of his position as director of Engineering Division Four.
After returning from his efforts in Rongcheng, Zhao Chengrong looked much older. Whenever he happened to pass Su Can's father, Su Licheng, on the street, he walked straight past without acknowledging him. Clearly, during his trip to the provincial capital, Rongcheng, he had heard something. Although he still wore an unfriendly expression, his former arrogance was gone. Su Licheng occasionally recalled the days when they had worked together and could not help sighing with emotion.
Zhao Chengrong was an ambitious man, but all his scheming had now come to nothing. With retirement approaching, that sense of disparity could hardly have been easy to bear. Yet Su Can also understood that this was a good thing for him. If events had developed as they had in his previous life, and Zhao Chengrong's problems had only come to light once they became serious, he probably would not have gotten away with simply retiring into idleness. He might well have faced prison.
What everyone in the work unit's circle anticipated most was the choice of the new division director. Mao Nan had the best prospects. Lately, he seemed to bask in a favorable breeze, with more social engagements coming his way. They involved people in charge of small construction projects in Xiahai and construction supervision firms who had heard the rumors. If Mao Nan successfully rose to the position and held real power, building a