"Mr. Chen, perhaps you shouldn't ask?" the colleague with the severed hand said anxiously.
"Alright, I won't ask. However, you shouldn't underestimate Cui Yali's intelligence. When such a serious fight occurred in the provincial personnel department, Cui Yali called me to handle it. If I just say, 'It's nothing,' do you think she'll believe me?" Chen Feng countered calmly.
"Alas, that's true. Forget it, since things have reached this point, it can't be kept secret any longer. Actually, it's quite simple. To put it bluntly, the deputy head of the provincial personnel department wants to gradually erode the power of Cui Yali, the head. I stand with Cui Yali, so of course I won't allow such a thing to happen. That's how I got into an argument with that colleague who fainted. The argument escalated, and then we started fighting..." the colleague with the severed hand explained truthfully.
"That's interesting. Tell me, how can the deputy head erode the head's power?" Chen Feng asked with curiosity.
"It's also very simple. The deputy head supports his cronies in large numbers, thus marginalizing the head. No matter how capable the head is, if they are marginalized, they can only sigh in helplessness." the colleague with the severed hand explained.
"To be fair, if the deputy head of the provincial personnel department didn't have a big shot backing him, he wouldn't dare to do this even with ten thousand times the courage," Chen Feng replied.
"Mr. Chen, I agree with what you're saying. But how can a nobody like me know such deep matters? I can only do my best to prevent them from continuously bringing in their cronies," the colleague with the severed hand asked with worry.
"Don't worry, I already know about this, and Cui Yali knows about it too. The deputy head's arrogant days are numbered," Chen Feng comforted the colleague with the severed hand.
"Mr. Chen, Elder Cui is a woman. I'm afraid she can't deal with the big shot behind the deputy head. That's why I wanted to keep it from Elder Cui. My intention was that if it could be handled discreetly, then do so discreetly. There's no need to involve Elder Cui," the colleague with the severed hand said anxiously.
"Your anxiety is not without reason. In power struggles, women are indeed at a disadvantage. However, Cui Yali doesn't just have you as a loyal supporter; she has me too," Chen Feng said calmly and composedly.
The colleague with the severed hand looked closely at the depth and composure in Chen Feng's eyes, and a burden in his heart slightly lifted.
"I believe Elder Cui is quite good at judging people. This time, with the power struggle incident in the provincial personnel department, you will surely be able to turn the tide. By the way, Mr. Chen, do I need to do anything while you deal with the big shot behind the deputy head?" the colleague with the severed hand probed.
"Do what you normally do, and continue to do it. During this period, the reason why the deputy head hasn't been able to quickly install his cronies is largely due to your steadfastness. Continue to maintain this firm obstruction, don't be afraid. You are not standing alone. The reason Cui Yali was able to become the head of the provincial personnel department is definitely not because she fought alone," Chen Feng encouraged the colleague with the severed hand.
The colleague with the severed hand was moved to tears by Chen Feng's few words of comfort and encouragement.
These days, he felt like he was fighting alone, mocked by most of his colleagues, who called him a fool for siding with a woman, predicting he would eventually fall. Just as he was about to give up, Chen Feng suddenly appeared, and from Chen Feng's calm and profound demeanor, he felt completely revived. Although Chen Feng appeared very young, he exuded an extraordinary presence.
Chen Feng did not hesitate and went to find Wang Hai immediately. The big shot behind the provincial deputy head was undoubtedly Wang Hai, the provincial deputy head.
"Chen Feng, why are you in the provincial capital?" Wang Hai asked with a smile.
"Elder Wang, are you trying to get Cui Yali removed from her post?" Chen Feng asked directly.
"This..." Wang Hai did not reply directly, only humming ambiguously. Chen Feng was not foolish; although Wang Hai didn't answer clearly, this hesitant attitude was already an answer.
"Elder Wang, can you tell me why you want to remove Cui Yali from her post?" Chen Feng pressed.
"To be honest with you, this woman Cui Yali is too unappreciative. I invited her for a drink, and she actually refused me in front of so many people..." Seeing that he couldn't keep it a secret any longer, Wang Hai had to tell the truth.
"Elder Wang, I forgot to tell you, Cui Yali is my woman," Chen Feng said, suppressing his anger. Wang Hai was an old hand in the political arena and couldn't possibly not know that Cui Yali was his woman; he was clearly feigning ignorance.
"Ah? How is that possible? Cui Yali is your woman?" Wang Hai feigned surprise.
"Elder Wang, when Cui Yali was the head of the personnel department in Jiangcheng, she was already my woman. My point is, Elder Wang, could you, for my sake, let Cui Yali off the hook?" Chen Feng continued to force himself to endure. To develop in the political arena, one cannot easily express emotions.
"Chen Feng, you are a young man that both I and Xiang Wentian think highly of. I think, there's no need for the sake of a woman..." Wang Hai trailed off.
"Elder Wang, I understand what I need to do," Chen Feng said, not wanting to say another word to Wang Hai. Wang Hai was clearly not taking him seriously and intended to possess his woman without restraint. This was his bottom line, something that could absolutely not be touched. He could be a dog in front of Wang Hai, or a grandson, this was the political arena, one must be able to bend and stretch. However, to possess his woman and cuckold him, that was absolutely not allowed. Since reason could not prevail, then there was no point in discussing it further.
After leaving Wang Hai's office, Chen Feng went to Xiang Wentian's office immediately.
"Elder Xiang, I've fallen out with Elder Wang," Chen Feng said directly.
"What?" Xiang Wentian was stunned. In his impression, Chen Feng was a very astute young man who knew what he should and shouldn't do. Wang Hai was the provincial deputy head; one would try to curry favor with him, not fall out with him.
Seeing Xiang Wentian's disbelief, Chen Feng explained the matter of Wang Hai wanting to possess Cui Yali to him in detail.
"Chen Feng, on this matter, I must criticize you. You are the young man I think most highly of, the most promising candidate to surpass me in the future and enter the higher echelons of Chinese politics. Since that's the case, your vision must be broad. Well, it's just a woman, and you can't bear to part with her. If you can't let go, how can you gain?" Xiang Wentian said word by word.
"Elder Xiang, on other matters, I can listen to you. Only on this matter, I cannot. I can kneel before Elder Wang, I can give Elder Wang a lot of money, I can also be a dog for Elder Wang... but my woman, I cannot give away. This is my last shred of dignity. If I lose even this dignity, then there's no point in being a person," Chen Feng explained earnestly.
"Chen Feng, if I'm not mistaken, you have many women, don't you? Giving away a casually unimportant woman should have nothing to do with dignity. Cui Yali is quite old, why are you so reluctant to let her go?" Xiang Wentian continued to persuade Chen Feng.
"Elder Xiang, I do have many women, but none of them are redundant, and none are unimportant. As long as she is my woman, she is important," Chen Feng replied with firm resolve.
"Chen Feng, you can't be so stubborn. To be frank, Wang Hai, although he has a weakness for women, is very effective as my right-hand man. Do you think I would cut off my right-hand man for a woman?" Xiang Wentian asked with a solemn expression.