Once Zhou Jianqi voiced his agreement, Liang Chaobin turned to Wang Xingmin.

“Shall I go talk to Xiao Liang now?”

“I’ll speak with Mayor Fan first—if he has no objections, we’ll need Secretary Zhou to draft the document,” Wang Xingmin said, rising to shake Zhou Jianqi’s hand. He had no intention of calling Fan Chunjiang in front of him.

Before 1994, village self-governance hadn’t yet been fully implemented across Jiang Province.

Village cadres were still largely appointed directly by township authorities, and it was common for townships to assign resident cadres to assist with village affairs. Some even established administrative zones overseeing multiple villages.

But as the 1990s progressed and telephone networks spread into rural areas, resident cadres no longer stayed in the villages full-time. Most preferred working out of the more comfortable township offices, handling matters remotely over the phone.

Since village liaison work came with its share of influence and benefits, much of it ended up in the hands of the township’s key leaders.

Yunshe Town in 1994 sat right in the middle of this messy transition—old and new systems overlapping, everything in flux.

With Du Xuebing suspended pending investigation, he was no longer suitable to oversee Nanting Village affairs. The Party Committee’s decision—to transfer Xiao Liang’s personnel file back to the Party and Government Office, then assign him as a resident cadre in Nanting Village, focusing on assisting with the management of Nanting Lake Juice Factory and reporting to Liang Chaobin—was entirely within the rules.

It also neatly sidestepped several pressing headaches.

As for whether Xiao Liang should later be promoted to a more important role—or even given a mid-level post outright—Wang Xingmin remained undecided. There was no need to rush that decision.

In the current delicate situation, even Fan Chunjiang—who was now avoiding Xiao Liang like a lit fuse—had no reason to object. The arrangement passed smoothly.

Zhou Jianqi, for his part, had no interest in dealing with Xiao Liang in his current volatile state. After drafting the document and getting it co-signed by Wang Xingmin and Fan Chunjiang, he handed everything off to Liang Chaobin.

The speed at which Xiao Liang’s reassignment was processed was unusually efficient by Yunshe standards.

—

Just past ten, Liang Chaobin called Xiao Liang into his office.

He sat down first, lit a cigarette, and set the pack on the corner of his desk, gesturing for Xiao Liang to sit.

“Smoke?” he offered. “This morning, I tried to save time and sent Wu Yun to talk to you. If I’d known she’d been gossiping behind your back, I wouldn’t have bothered. But don’t take that kind of petty nonsense to heart—no one believes her anyway.”

“I happened to overhear her talking behind my back when I came in to return Captain Yuan’s call yesterday,” Xiao Liang replied evenly. “Couldn’t help getting a little annoyed.”

He knew Wang Xingmin’s nature well—cautious, calculating. Making a scene with Wu Yun earlier had been deliberate. It was a reminder: he wasn’t someone who could be placated with scraps. And it sent a message to everyone in the township—right now, keeping him satisfied was the priority.

Still, he also understood that for the time being, he needed to align himself with Wang Xingmin and Liang Chaobin.

So he took the offered cigarette, lit it, and sat upright.

“Of course,” he added calmly, “when you’re unlucky enough to choke on cold water, it’s only natural for people to gossip. I’ll keep a better handle on my temper going forward.”

Liang Chaobin nodded, satisfied with the measured response.

“Secretary Wang has been very concerned about your situation,” he said. “He’s glad you’re willing to keep working. With Du Xuebing suspended, I’m temporarily overseeing the Economic Management Station, and also handling liaison work with Nanting Village. But things there are complicated right now.

“The accounts have been sealed and taken by the county police. The County Township Enterprise Bureau will handle the follow-up audit and coordinate directly with the police, but they may still send people down at any time to investigate further.

“Meanwhile, Nanting Village’s committee and Party branch are leaderless. Gu Peijun is only acting in charge for now—it remains to be seen whether he has the authority and capability to stabilize things.

“The juice factory has seventy or eighty workers, all anxious. Whether it can continue operating is uncertain, and Gu Peijun may not be able to manage it alone. The township can’t just stand by and do nothing.

“After some consideration, Secretary Wang has decided to assign a resident cadre to Nanting Village, focusing on assisting with production management and restructuring at the juice factory. Given your familiarity with the situation, you’re the natural choice. If you have no objections, I’ll notify Gu Peijun and the others to come to the township. We’ll announce it, have a simple lunch—no drinking.”

“My case was cleared so quickly thanks to Secretary Wang’s decisive push to investigate the factory,” Xiao Liang said. “Entrusting me with this responsibility now shows his confidence in me. I’ll do my best not to let him down.”

Then, as if seeking advice, he added, “Should I personally thank Secretary Wang?”

“Secretary Wang acted in an official capacity,” Liang Chaobin replied. “It’s enough that you understand that. I’ll mention it to him. For now, let’s focus on the work.”

He knew full well that Wang Xingmin still regarded Xiao Liang as a potential risk. Assigning him to Nanting Village was as much about containing the situation as it was about putting him to use.

Since the decision had been made, Liang Chaobin didn’t want any unnecessary complications.

—

Once Xiao Liang agreed, Liang Chaobin picked up the phone and contacted Gu Peijun at the Nanting Village Committee, asking him and three other members of the village leadership—both Party branch and village committee—to come to the township.

With Village Party Secretary and Committee Director Xiao Yujun, along with committee member He Hong, both arrested on serious charges, Gu Peijun, as deputy Party secretary, had stepped in as acting head.

As the village-run enterprise, Nanting Lake Juice Factory naturally fell under the village leadership’s control. For now, Gu Peijun was also acting as factory director.

These arrangements had all been made hastily the day before.

When Gu Peijun and the others arrived, Liang Chaobin also invited Zhou Jianqi—who appeared somewhat reluctant—to attend. The new decision was formally announced.

Zhou Jianqi left immediately afterward, clearly uninterested in staying for lunch.

Sitting in Liang Chaobin’s office, Gu Peijun asked directly, “So when Cadre Xiao goes to the factory, will he serve as deputy director?”

“In principle, yes,” Liang Chaobin replied. “But the final decision will be made by your village committee. The township won’t interfere.”

Since Xiao Liang would be stationed in Nanting Village and focusing on the factory’s restructuring and investigation, holding an additional title—and receiving corresponding compensation—was only fair.

Otherwise, it would be little more than working him like a mule.

In truth, it was common practice: township leaders overseeing village or township enterprises often held concurrent positions and drew extra pay. Even simple liaison roles came with benefits during holidays.

Still, with Liang Chaobin already overseeing Nanting Village and Xiao Liang being directly assigned there, Gu Peijun needed to clarify matters openly.

With Liang Chaobin’s explanation, Gu Peijun asked no further questions. The other three committee members raised no objections either—they could all more or less guess the reasoning behind the arrangement.

—

At noon, they had a simple meal at the township guesthouse.

When Liang Chaobin tried to pay, Gu Peijun and the others firmly stopped him and covered the bill themselves.

That afternoon, Xiao Liang set off with Gu Peijun and the others for Nanting Village.