Chapter 12: A Clash of Wills

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Wu Li spoke with firm certainty, “I’ve been working here these past few days, and I was the one who answered the phone. I distinctly remember that the pickup time was set for 10 a.m. this morning. Could there be a mistake on the itinerary? Let me have a look.”

Zhang Jun handed the itinerary over to Wu Li, pointing to the scheduled time, “Brother Wu, it clearly says 10:30 here. Which one should we trust? If this is truly an error, it’s a major issue.”

The inspection team from the Ministry was scheduled to arrive at the airport at 10 a.m. If Ma Hongqi only went to pick them up at 10:30, then the pickup time would be missed!

What consequences might this bring?

Even those outside the system could foresee how serious this was.

Moreover, it was Zhang Jun who had informed Ma Hongqi of the itinerary!

What would Ma Hongqi think of Zhang Jun then? He might even dismiss him outright, never to employ him again.

Zhang Jun had just taken office, and such a grave incident could end his political career before it even began.

He felt a dry mouth and parched throat, lifted his cup and took a sip of water, forcing himself to calm down.

In moments of crisis, composure is essential; only with calm and steadiness can one handle emergencies properly.

Now was not the time to seek out the boss, especially since the exact correct time had yet to be confirmed.

Zhang Jun took the itinerary and went to find Zhou Kang.

Zhou Kang was in the middle of a conversation with someone.

But the matter was urgent, so Zhang Jun ignored many considerations.

Normally, it takes 40 minutes to drive from the provincial government compound to the airport; any unexpected delays would throw off the schedule.

If the pickup was at 10 a.m., they must leave by 9:20 at the latest!

Zhang Jun knocked on Zhou Kang’s office door.

Inside, Zhou Kang asked irritably, “Who is it?”

Zhang Jun cleared his throat and said, “Secretary Zhou, this is Zhang Jun. Governor Ma has an urgent matter!”

In urgent times, one must act decisively; he could only use his boss’s name as leverage.

Feigning authority was his only option.

Zhou Kang replied in a low voice, “Hold on.”

Five long minutes passed before the conversation inside ended.

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Zhang Jun entered, placing the itinerary on Zhou Kang’s desk. “Secretary Zhou, I need to verify: what time is the Ministry’s inspection team arriving at the provincial airport today, and when should we pick them up?”

Zhou Kang looked up sharply, scrutinizing Zhang Jun with a piercing gaze. “How are you on duty? Can’t even handle this simple task? Isn’t the itinerary clear?”

Zhang Jun didn’t want to argue—it was pointless. Winning would only make the leader resent him; losing would be humiliating. He simply wanted to stick to the facts and spoke calmly, “Secretary Zhou, you see, this itinerary says 10:30 in the morning. Governor Ma asked me to confirm because he recalls it as 10 a.m. Maybe Governor Ma is mistaken, or perhaps the itinerary has an error?”

Zhou Kang raised his thick eyebrows, irritated, “Of course it’s 10 a.m.! Don’t you know that?”

Zhang Jun thought to himself: It’s clearly your fault, yet you blame me? I won’t take the fall for this black mark!

“Secretary Zhou, are you sure it’s 10 a.m.? Because if so, then the itinerary must be incorrect.”

Zhou Kang grabbed the itinerary and reached for a pen to amend it.

But Zhang Jun snatched it away, saying, “As long as I have your confirmation, I’m relieved. I’m going to report to Governor Ma now that the pickup is at 10.”

If Zhou Kang altered the itinerary, and Ma Hongqi blamed the mistake on Zhang Jun’s confusion, Zhang Jun would be the one held responsible.

As long as the original itinerary remained in Zhang Jun’s possession, he could explain to Ma Hongqi and clear his name.

Zhou Kang stared at Zhang Jun in shock, not expecting him to snatch the itinerary from his hands.

Zhang Jun gave no time for a response and turned to leave.

Back in his office, Zhang Jun gently knocked on Ma Hongqi’s door. “Boss, I have a report.”

Ma Hongqi’s deep voice came from inside, “Come in!”

Zhang Jun quietly opened the door and entered. “Boss, there was a mistake with the pickup time. It’s my fault for not confirming it beforehand before reporting to you. This is my first time here, and I assumed the itinerary prepared by the General Office wouldn’t be wrong.”

He took the initiative to admit fault first, then explained the details, hoping for the boss’s understanding.

Ma Hongqi slowly looked up and asked, “What happened?”

Zhang Jun respectfully placed the itinerary before him. “The General Office gave me this itinerary, which says 10:30 a.m. for the pickup. But I just confirmed with Comrade Wu Li, and he told me it’s 10 a.m. Then I went back to the General Office and asked Secretary Zhou, who also said 10 a.m.”

Ma Hongqi glanced at the itinerary, a barely perceptible flash of anger crossing his eyes.

Zhang Jun didn’t explicitly say it, but Zhou Kang was clearly behind the mischief. The itinerary came from the General Office, and Zhou Kang served Ma Hongqi personally.

Ma Hongqi naturally understood the implication.

But instead of flying into a rage, he calmly said, “Alright, I understand. The pickup will be at 10.”

Zhang Jun thought to himself: As expected of the boss—his composure is truly first-rate!

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“Boss, I’ll arrange it now. We’ll depart at 9:15.”

Ma Hongqi nodded, his gaze softening. “Comrade Zhang, you’re doing well.”

Zhang Jun straightened his posture, feeling invigorated, then stepped out.

Soon after, Zhou Kang arrived and went in to explain to Ma Hongqi why the itinerary was incorrect.

Naturally, he shifted all blame onto the staff in the General Office, claiming it was whoever’s fault for drafting it. He said he never expected that person to be so unreliable. He also took some blame himself for trusting his subordinates too much, which led to the mistake.

Ma Hongqi’s face darkened sharply. In a stern voice, he said, “The General Office needs reform! Last time, Gao Hai had an accident because the vehicle wasn’t properly maintained—the brake pads failed. Luckily, I wasn’t in that car. And now you’ve made such a basic error again! Are you trying to get me into trouble?”

This time, Ma Hongqi showed no tolerance toward Zhou Kang. He asserted his authority as a superior and reprimanded him severely.

No one knew whether these strange incidents were mere oversights or deliberate acts.

Ma Hongqi was an outsider parachuted in with a crucial mission: to clean up the health system.

The Ministry had received countless complaints and reports, prompting Ma Hongqi’s assignment.

But since taking office, he faced constant obstruction and was unable to launch investigations.

Moreover, strange events kept happening in succession.

Former Secretary Gao Hai died in a mysterious car accident, seemingly a warning directed at Ma Hongqi.

Now, this embarrassing blunder had occurred.

Ma Hongqi’s anger was reaching a boiling point.

Zhou Kang offered a self-criticism, promising to be more careful and never make such mistakes again.

After leaving Ma Hongqi’s office, Zhou Kang glared at Zhang Jun with a ruthless, harsh look.

Zhang Jun stood up calmly and said, “Secretary Zhou, do you have any instructions?”

Zhou Kang responded in a bureaucratic tone, “Comrade Zhang, you can’t just keep your head down and work. You have to look up and see the path ahead! Do you think that by entering the General Office, you’ll rise step by step? Who manages the General Office? Whose man are you? You better figure it out! You work for the leadership, but the leadership is not working for you! Once the leadership leaves, what are you then?”

Zhang Jun answered firmly, “I don’t belong to anyone. I am a Party member, a cadre, and I serve the people! Secretary Zhou, do you agree?”