I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 238: Chapter 136: Director Yang (Part 2)

"Distribute these. Put the others on my desk in order of priority. I’ll look at them when I get back." He handed the signed documents to Liu Qin, stood up, straightened his collar, and walked toward Director Gao’s office.

Gao Zhen’s office was on the same floor but on the quieter side of the building. His secretary was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing Yang Wenqing, he immediately bowed and pulled the door open. "Director Yang, Director Gao and Director Zhu are waiting for you."

Yang Wenqing nodded and walked in as the secretary pushed the door open.

In the office’s reception area, Gao Zhen sat in the main seat. There was an additional silver star on his epaulets, and he looked a bit leaner than he had six years ago. The Spiritual Qi around him was harmonious and contained, a clear sign that he had reached a critical stage in his Foundation Establishment and the nurturing of his Five Elements Spiritual Vein. As a result, he rarely involved himself in specific matters anymore, leaving many decisions to Yang Wenqing’s sole discretion.

The other deputy director, Zhu Yunchuan, sat on a sofa to the side. He looked to be under forty, his face bearing the distinct, sharp features of the Southwest Mountain People. He had come from the city-level bureau’s Internal Affairs Inspection system and was in charge of the New District’s Internal Affairs Inspection and some special cases. His style was low-key yet sharp, and he operated within his own system inside the bureau.

Seeing Yang Wenqing enter, a smile appeared on Gao Zhen’s face. "Wenqing, you’re here. Sit."

Zhu Yunchuan stood up and nodded politely. "Director Yang."

Yang Wenqing returned the nod and sat down on the other sofa. Secretary Chen slipped out silently, closing the door behind him.

"Has something happened?" Yang Wenqing asked.

"Something has happened in Mingbei City," Gao Zhen said, his tone grave.

"Another Sea Race riot?"

"More than just a riot."

Zhu Yunchuan took over. "According to intelligence obtained by Internal Affairs Inspection through special channels, a Third Realm master cultivator from Mingbei City personally took action but was stopped by the Jade Whale Sect. I expect an internal alert will be issued soon, requiring all border and newly developed coastal areas to raise their alert level."

Gao Zhen looked at Yang Wenqing and said in a heavy voice, "Wenqing, the situation in Lingshan New District is unique. The population is diverse, and interests are intertwined. It’s already a place prone to problems. At a critical time like this, we absolutely cannot afford any chaos."

He paused, then continued giving orders. "You are to begin two things immediately. First, conduct a full inspection and reinforcement of all internal and external monitoring points, especially critical locations like the mining areas, the Energy Stone Factory, the port, and the warehouse districts. The monitoring Arrays must be guaranteed to be effective around the clock, and the personnel on duty must be reliable!"

"Second, under the pretext of responding to a sudden security incident, organize a full-scale, practical combat drill for the entire bureau as soon as possible. No flashy theatrics. It must simulate a worst-case scenario and test the reaction speed, coordination, and response capabilities of every precinct."

"You must personally oversee these two matters. Yunchuan will cooperate with you, and Internal Affairs Inspection will also step up its screening of internal personnel and monitoring of sensitive areas."

Zhu Yunchuan also looked at Yang Wenqing and added, "Director Yang, give me a copy of the drill plan when it’s ready. Also, please arrange for someone to send me a daily copy of all recent anomaly reports from the monitoring points and patrol teams."

Yang Wenqing met their gazes and nodded. "I will personally inspect the monitoring points. The drill plan will be submitted by tomorrow morning at the latest."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a convincing, steady strength. In this office, Gao Zhen was the stabilizing pillar and final arbiter, Zhu Yunchuan was the hidden blade and inspector, and the one responsible for daily operations, ensuring the entire vast machine ran effectively, was undoubtedly Yang Wenqing.

Leaving Gao Zhen’s office, the smile on Yang Wenqing’s face turned to a serious expression. The turmoil in the north was far away, but there was no guarantee that some people wouldn’t smuggle themselves over. And smugglers loved emerging places like Lingshan New District, where the good and the bad mingled freely.

However, the current situation in Lingshan Town was not suited for high-pressure tactics, as that would hinder development. The current stability was thanks to the harmonious atmosphere among the three directors.

Director Gao could have personally handled the two matters just discussed. The reasons he didn’t were, one, he was worried about disrupting the tacit understanding among the three of them, and two, his cultivation had indeed reached a critical point. Whether or not he could advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage depended on these next few years of cultivation. The trust they placed in Yang Wenqing was not just power, but also a heavy responsibility.

Back in his own office, Yang Wenqing didn’t sit down immediately. Instead, he stood by the window, watching the figures and Flying Shuttles already starting to bustle across the plaza below as he quickly organized his thoughts.

"Liu Qin," he called out.

"Director Yang." Liu Qin entered at his call.

"Two things. First, contact Director Liao from the Civil Affairs Bureau office and ask him to come over as soon as possible. I have an impromptu meeting here that I need him to attend," Yang Wenqing said, his speech steady.

Although Lingshan New District’s Town Hall had been upgraded to the Civil Affairs Bureau, its rank was still half a level lower than the City Defense Bureau. This was standard practice after the establishment of a new city. If Lingshan New District were to be upgraded to a county in the future, the higher-ups would then consider raising the Civil Affairs Bureau’s rank. This was why Yang Wenqing could lead Liao Tianming in Director Gao’s name.

"Understood." Liu Qin quickly jotted it down.

"Also..." Yang Wenqing turned around. "Notify Section Chief Xia, Liu Min, Wei Cheng, and Section Chief Liu to attend this meeting as well. The meeting will start at ten o’clock."

Six years ago, Xia Meng, Liu Min, and Liu Xin were transferred to the New District’s City Defense Bureau on the merits of the Lingshan Town case. They performed exceptionally during the subsequent preparatory phase, so the city bureau promoted them unconventionally. They were appointed as the Operations Section Chief, General Affairs Section Chief, and Major Case Team Leader, respectively, for the still-forming City Defense Bureau. The following year, Xia Meng and Liu Xin were successfully promoted to police commissioners, while Liu Min’s promotion went through a special channel arranged by Director Gao.

As for Wei Cheng, he was the Public Security Section Chief "parachuted in" from the city bureau. He had been diligent in his duties over the years and had never made any major mistakes.

Liu Qin glanced at Yang Wenqing. "I’ll notify them right away."

"And the second thing..." Yang Wenqing’s speech quickened. "Send a notice to all the precincts, the security departments of key factory areas, and the port authority. I’ll be going down for an inspection this afternoon. Tell them to be ready."

"Yes, sir!"

Liu Qin waited for two seconds, and only after confirming that Yang Wenqing had no further orders did she turn and leave.

Yang Wenqing walked back to his desk, composed himself, and processed the necessary paperwork at top speed, as well as meeting with some people he had to see that morning. In the blink of an eye, it was ten o’clock.

Liu Qin pushed the door open right on time to remind Yang Wenqing of the hour.

While telling Liu Qin to postpone his later appointments, Yang Wenqing got up and walked toward the small conference room next door.

When he pushed the door open, the five people mentioned earlier were already waiting. Seeing Yang Wenqing enter, they all rose to greet him. Waving his hand and saying, "No need for formalities," Yang Wenqing walked to the head of the table and sat down.

Yang Wenqing got straight to the point. "I’ve just received instructions from Director Gao and Director Zhu. The northern border is unstable. The official notification should be coming down soon. Our Lingshan New District is a coastal area with a diverse population and sensitive industries. We must prepare for a rainy day."

He concisely relayed the resolution from the directors’ meeting, then said:

"We are planning to organize a high-level practical combat drill." Yang Wenqing’s gaze swept over the five of them. "This exercise will cover all areas of Lingshan New District and is intended to keep all our colleagues in a state of high alert. The purpose of this meeting is to come up with a concrete plan. You can discuss it amongst yourselves. Just get it to me before tomorrow morning."

After speaking, he emphasized, "This is not just for show. The General Affairs Section must keep records at all times and immediately report anyone found to be derelict or negligent in their duties. If I discover any of you covering for someone, I will handle it personally."

Liu Min immediately stood up at attention and replied, "Yes, sir!"

She had risen through the ranks via clerical work, and her authority came from Director Gao, as well as from the directors’ meetings. Yang Wenqing trusted her greatly.

As he gestured for Liu Min to sit down, Yang Wenqing added, "Also, the Operations Section’s dedicated communication channel can be put into use for this. The patrol teams from all the precincts below must also be included in the drill."

After giving these instructions, his gaze fell on Liao Tianming. "Director Liao, you will preside over this meeting. Tomorrow morning, I need to see a viable plan submitted."

Liao Tianming was taken aback for a moment. Meeting the gazes of the four chief officers of the City Defense Bureau, he nodded and said, "Alright, I will do my best to complete it."

Yang Wenqing gave a slight nod, then stood up. The other five immediately rose as well. He paid them no further mind and decisively exited the conference room.

Liu Qin, who was sitting by the conference room door, saw this and immediately followed him out.

As they walked out of the conference room, Yang Wenqing instructed Liu Qin, "Send another notice. The inspection time has been moved up. I’ll be heading down to inspect in half an hour. Let’s make the first stop the mining area."