You're Not Qualified to Order Me Out

Gao Yuliang's lips curled up slightly. He naturally knew why Zhong Zhengguo had called, but he didn't point it out. "Comrade Zhong Zhengguo, what brings you here?"

"Comrade Yuliang, I'm doing this for my daughter."

Gao Yuliang continued to feign ignorance, "Comrade Zhong Zhengguo, what does my daughter want? Who is my daughter?"

There was a brief silence on the phone, followed by Zhong Zhengguo's deep voice: "Comrade Yuliang, there's no point in talking like this. You're an elder; if you have any grievances about what happened in Handong, you can take them out on me. It's inappropriate to target a junior!"

"Inappropriate?" Gao Yuliang smiled, tapping his pen on the desk with his right hand, and said coldly, "Comrade Zhong Zhengguo, when your good daughter and good son-in-law were targeting me, betraying their teacher and ancestors, and being ungrateful, did you think it was appropriate?"

"You didn't say it wasn't right then, but now you know it's not right, but it's too late!"

I could hear Zhong Zhengguo's heavy breathing coming through the phone, which took a long time to subside.

Zhong Zhengguo seemed to realize that the relationship between Gao Yuliang and himself was beyond repair, so he didn't bother with any more words. "You sign to let Xiao Ai leave, and I can transfer Hou Liangping from Handong to the capital. My Zhong family will no longer interfere in matters in Handong."

"From now on, let's each live our own lives peacefully and leave each other alone, shall we?"

"Hehe..." Gao Yuliang was amused by Zhong Zhengguo's words. He neither refused nor agreed, but instead asked, "Comrade Zhong Zhengguo, if I slap you twice and then tell you that I forgive you, would you agree?"

Zhong Zhengguo fell silent again, then said in a low voice after a moment, "Gao Yuliang, if you sign this, I can make Qi Tongwei a member of the Standing Committee of the Handong Provincial Party Committee!"

"Should we make Qi Tongwei a member of the Standing Committee of the Handong Provincial Party Committee?"

Gao Yuliang stood up abruptly and said decisively, "Don't even mention making Qi Tongwei a member of the Standing Committee of the Handong Provincial Party Committee. Even if you made him the secretary, I wouldn't sign the document. That's what I, Gao Yuliang, said!"

Originally, Zhong Zhengguo hadn't figured out Gao Yuliang's true intentions and didn't want to break off relations, but Gao Yuliang's repeated provocations completely enraged him!

"Gao Yuliang, do you know who I am? How dare you speak to me like that!" Zhong Zhengguo's voice was full of anger, clearly showing that he was really angry.

"I don't care who you are!" Gao Yuliang didn't mince words with Zhong Zhengguo, saying with unusual arrogance, "I said I can't sign, and that's final. No matter who comes, I can't sign. Do you understand?"

"Fine, fine, fine!" Zhong Zhengguo never expected that a mere deputy director of the Development and Reform Commission would dare to openly challenge him. "Gao Yuliang, I'm your superior. How dare you talk to me like that?"

Next, Zhong Zhengguo stopped being polite and directly ordered, "As the Second Vice President, I order you to sign immediately. Do you understand?"

"Order me?" Gao Yuliang retorted sharply, not to be outdone. "I'm the leader of the new energy project team, and Zhong Xiaoai is a member. We're only responsible to General Manager Li and Deputy General Manager Lü. You're not qualified to order me around!"

"Fine, Gao Yuliang, is that it? I'll remember you. You just wait!"

With two bigwigs, General Manager Li and Vice General Manager Lü, involved, Zhong Zhengguo no longer took a tough stance. He made a harsh remark and then hurriedly hung up the phone.

Zhong Zhengguo hung up the phone, his face devoid of any anger, his eyes flickering as he muttered to himself, "The new energy project team only reports to General Manager Li and General Manager Lü. Could this Gao Yuliang be the important figure in Handong that the old leader mentioned?"

When Zhong Zhengguo heard his daughter on the phone say that Gao Yuliang, who had been brought back to Beijing by the inspection team, had suddenly become the deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, in charge of all the work of the commission, he had a bad feeling.

This premonition is growing stronger now, mainly because he doesn't dare to take direct action without understanding the relationship between Gao Yuliang, General Manager Li, and Vice General Manager Lü!

The most urgent task is to transfer his daughter out of the Development and Reform Commission. Zhong Zhengguo was well aware of Gao Yuliang's little scheme. Although he was called an assistant, he was actually just a scapegoat!

If their daughter continues to stay in the new energy project team, any achievements the team makes will be attributed to Gao Yuliang, and if problems arise, their daughter will be held responsible. This is absolutely unacceptable.

Zhong Zhengguo picked up the phone and called Liu Haiyang, the director of the National Development and Reform Commission. Liu Haiyang was the head of the National Development and Reform Commission, and as long as he signed off, it would be done.

"Haiyang, I'm Zhong Zhengguo." Zhong Zhengguo spoke very politely, after all, Liu Haiyang was Vice President Lü's man, so he had to give him face.

Upon receiving Zhong Zhengguo's call, Liu Haiyang, the director of the Development and Reform Commission who was on break, was somewhat puzzled and asked in surprise, "Director Zhong, is there any instruction?"

"It's like this, Xiao Ai was just transferred to the Development and Reform Commission, and she's not used to it yet. I'd like to change her to another department, and I need you to sign off on it." Zhong Zhengguo had his own agenda, but he didn't reveal the conflict between the Zhong family and Gao Yuliang in his words.

Without hesitation, Liu Haiyang said, "Vice President Zhong may not know that I'm on vacation. Director Gao Yuliang is currently in charge of all the work. If Xiao Ai needs anything, just contact him."

Zhong Zhengguo frowned slightly. "Haiyang, didn't Xiao Ai approach Comrade Gao Yuliang, but he didn't agree?"

Liu Haiyang immediately realized that there seemed to be a story between the Zhong family and Director Gao Yuliang. Without hesitation, he replied, "President Zhong, if they don't agree, then you can't change departments. If Director Gao doesn't agree, there's no use coming to me. Even I have to listen to Director Gao."

"Okay, I'll think of another way!"

Having said all that, Zhong Zhengguo was too lazy to waste any more words. He hung up the phone and then called Zhou Lifeng instead. As long as the organization department issued a transfer order, there wouldn't be any major problems.

"Lifeng, I am Zheng Guo."

"Comrade Zhengguo, what a rare visitor! What brings you to call me all of a sudden?"

"Haha..." Zhong Zhengguo laughed. "Lifeng, this isn't in Handong. Did my son-in-law Liangping offend you by being tactless? I'll apologize on his behalf."

Reminded by Zhong Zhengguo, Zhou Lifeng suddenly remembered that there really was such a thing. He said nonchalantly, "Hey, is it because of this? I had forgotten about it. I was just joking with Liangping. I didn't take it to heart."

The matter was put behind them in a lighthearted conversation, a good start. Zhong Zhengguo continued, "Actually, there's one more thing I'd like to ask for your help with."

"Here's the thing, your niece Xiao Ai was transferred from the Discipline Inspection Commission to the Development and Reform Commission. She's having some trouble adapting to the new environment. I'd like to ask the Organization Department to issue a transfer order to transfer your niece Xiao Ai away."

"The Development and Reform Commission?" Zhou Lifeng's eyes flickered, and he politely declined, saying, "Comrade Zheng Guo, it's not that I don't want to help, but Xiao Ai is not a centrally managed cadre. Personnel changes are handled by the Development and Reform Commission. It would be a violation of regulations for me to issue a transfer order."

After hanging up the phone again, Zhong Zhengguo frowned, his heart filled with gloom. He could certainly force Xiao Ai to be transferred away, but that would be a violation of regulations!

Furthermore, given Gao Yuliang's reminder that the new energy project was only accountable to General Manager Li and Deputy General Manager Lü, he dared not violate any regulations, otherwise, a major incident could easily occur!

Helpless, Zhong Zhengguo could only call Gao Yuliang again and say as a compromise, "Director Gao, my daughter Zhong Xiaoai is not feeling well and needs to take three months off. That's all."

Zhong Zhengguo's attitude was very tough this time. He wouldn't sign the transfer order or approve her resignation. Surely Xiao Ai could just take sick leave? You can't come up with a reason for that, can you?

"Taking sick leave is certainly possible, but..."

Gao Yuliang understood Zhong Zhengguo's little scheme and smiled slightly, saying, "But President Zhong, I need to remind you of something. Zhong Xiaoai is a member of the new energy project team. She can take sick leave, but once she recovers, she can only come to work for the new energy project team."

"Of course, if Zhong Xiaoai takes a break for ten or twenty years, and the new energy project team is disbanded by then, it will be up to her to find a job."