Chapter 20: The Hidden Card (Part Two)

When receiving the phone call from Teng Deming, Zhang Maolin’s physical condition had recovered slightly. The dizziness in his head was no longer as severe, but the indescribable gloom and suffocating tightness in his chest grew increasingly intense.

The door of Room 818 stood wide open, and the hot air current from the floor-standing air conditioner poured into the hallway like a school of fish.

"Brother Maolin, why doesn't your complexion look too good? Did you suffer from insomnia last night?!" Teng Deming asked with concern.

"Not bad, my sleep hasn't been very good lately. Oh right, where is Liu Dong?" Zhang Maolin asked abruptly.

"Hehe, don't mention that brat. Last night, he got us all completely drunk. Well, the kick of this imported foreign beer is just like a foreigner's physique—fierce and robust. Throughout last night, it felt like the entire set of internal organs in my stomach was about to be vomited out! I'm old and useless now! I can't even hold down a few cups of liquor. Once I catch my breath after a while, you and I, as older brothers, will team up and fix him good! To avenge this, haha..."

Teng Deming's breath still reeked heavily of alcohol, causing Zhang Maolin to quickly turn his head aside.

Zhang Maolin persisted in asking: "Where is Liu Dong? Where did he go?"

"Him? Early this morning, he rushed in a panic back to the provincial branch office to handle some business, seemingly because of some urgent matter. He said he originally wanted to greet you but was afraid of waking you up. Look, before leaving, he left these two gadgets for the two of us." Teng Deming pointed at two rosewood boxes on the coffee table and said.

"What is it?" Zhang Maolin asked immediately.

"Hehe, just open it and see for yourself." Teng Deming smiled with a mysterious expression.

***

Zhang Maolin hesitated slightly. He glanced at Teng Deming and casually opened the wooden box.

Inside both wooden boxes lay an ivory-white object, about twenty centimeters long and slightly tapered. It looked like jade, yet also like hard plastic. Their shapes were largely identical, and both were engraved with the same line of characters: The green mountains remain unchanged, and friendship lasts forever!

Zhang Maolin took one piece out, weighed it in his hand, and found it very heavy.

—What on earth is this item?

"Ivory carving, genuine African elephant ivory. Take a careful look at the back." Teng Deming said casually, seemingly trying to keep him in suspense.

There was a line of vigorous cursive script: Respectfully presented to President Zhang Maolin!

"What does this mean?! What is there about me worth presenting gifts to?!"

"Hehe, I am not clear about that. I was merely entrusted by someone. When Liu Dong left, he handed this small item over to me, and both of us have our own share. Actually, it's not a particularly valuable gift, just a gadget we don't usually see." Teng Deming still maintained an indifferent expression.

"Oh, I appreciate the sentiment, but I cannot accept the gift. I don't know the value of such things, nor am I interested in them!" Zhang Maolin gently pushed the wooden box back.

"Hey? Is that appropriate? It would make him lose so much face. Besides, even if you don't accept it, you ought to return the item directly to the owner yourself. Surely you wouldn't expect me to do it for you, right? Hehe."

"This—very well, then I shall keep it for the time being, treating it as keeping it on behalf of Little Liu for a while. When we meet another day, I will return it to him." Zhang Maolin stopped insisting.

"That's right! Your position has changed, and your role has changed. Therefore, your perspective on issues, your methods of doing things, and your attitude toward socializing should all be adjusted accordingly. This is not only necessary but mandatory. Otherwise, the impact will not just affect you personally; it directly involves the team of over two thousand people at your Songyang Branch. This is a major matter. Of course, my meaning is by no means that becoming the 'number one leader' implies that a person's fundamental nature has changed. I have never appreciated that petty-minded style of getting puffed up with arrogance just because one receives a promotion! A leader at any level must never place personal face above institutional and organizational discipline. My view is—"

***

Zhang Maolin suddenly interrupted the other party: "President Teng, please say no more. I understand your painstaking efforts on my behalf! To speak from the bottom of my heart, the fact that I, Zhang Maolin, have been able to reach this position is thanks to the a great deal of thought you have already put into it. I am well aware of this, not to mention that President Tan also mentioned this the last time he spoke with me. For this, I am endlessly grateful!"

The reason Zhang Maolin cut into Teng Deming's topic was because he felt that now was not like last night; he worried that Teng Deming might leave at any moment, causing his own views to remain unexpressed in time.

Zhang Maolin continued: "Over the years, as a leader at the provincial branch level, your profound affection for your hometown and for me personally is something Maolin understands clearly. I only blame myself for not being eloquent, and even less willing to easily express the unspoken bond we both share! I've always felt that certain words are worth something only when kept hidden in the heart; if expressed directly, they become worthless scraps of paper with no meaning at all! Don't you agree?"

Teng Deming immediately gave a thumbs-up: "That's right, exactly right. Fellow townsmen, sharing the same roots and the same system, what is the mention of contributing a meager effort? What is regrettable is that we Songyang people fundamentally lack this kind of compatible, mutually supportive, and complementary tribal bloodline, and are always obsessed with engaging in underhanded 'in-fighting'. This deformed habit of jealousy often results in excessive internal friction, to the extent that just to cope with this meaningless 'internal friction', everyone ends up squandering one rare opportunity after another!

Actually, it is not that our Songyang soil lacks talent, but the moment a certain figure shows the slightest sign of rising upward, countless pairs of bloodshot eyes in the dark will immediately glare at them! This extremely poor cultural environment cannot cultivate talent. Even if a few unusually resilient 'saplings' manage to stagger forward a few steps under pressure, they ultimately fall into the countless 'traps' meticulously set by those around them! You have worked in the post of Discipline Inspection Secretary for these years; I'm afraid you have an even deeper appreciation of this point than I do!"

Zhang Maolin remained silent, still maintaining a posture of leaning forward to listen.

Teng Deming went on to say: "I forgot to tell you, I have to rush to a gathering at an elder relative's home at noon today. Since I'm back in Songyang, I have to go and make an appearance. Now, let's seize the time to discuss two main issues. You can understand them as my personal attitude, or you can consider them as the views of the provincial branch leadership. Because before I came over this time, I already greeted President Tan, and regarding several specific matters, the two of us have also communicated unilaterally. With things having reached this point, I suppose you can understand what I mean, right?"

Teng Deming's round eyeballs rolled rapidly in their sockets.

"Oh, oh, do I need to take on-site notes, or should I summon the other vice presidents to participate?" Zhang Maolin looked into Teng Deming's leopard-like eyes.