Jiang He and his two companions were essentially treating Liu Tiezhu like a beast of burden for their production team. They wanted him to handle matters that benefited them without having to pay any price themselves.
But Liu Tiezhu wasn't a fool; he wouldn't be led around by the nose by these three foxes. In fact, from the moment Yan Wanli mentioned that the higher-ups were recommending a candidate for the assistant to the chief, he had already guessed that Jiang He and the others wouldn't let this lucrative position slip by.
As for how to thwart the three foxes' scheme without offending them, Liu Tiezhu had already figured out a countermeasure. Nodding to Lin Changxing, he asked him to lead the way.
Half an hour later, the two arrived at a hotel called Yanglong. Lin Changxing brought Liu Tiezhu into a private room and then withdrew.
Inside the room, a lavish table of food and wine gave off a rich aroma. Jiang He and the other two sat in the main seats, smoking and chatting cheerfully. Seeing Liu Tiezhu enter, Jiang He pointed to a nearby chair.
"Brother Liu, have a seat. The food and wine just arrived—let's eat while it's hot."
Liu Tiezhu didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly. At that moment, a waiter came in and filled their glasses with wine.
Jiang He raised his glass and said, "Brother Liu, I called you here today mainly to discuss the matter of the lost supplies. Old Zhang has already made arrangements. Just send someone to the civilian house at No. 73 in the southern part of the city tonight to transport the supplies back."
"Alright, I'll follow Brother Jiang's lead," Liu Tiezhu replied, then downed his drink in one gulp.
After they set down their glasses, Jiang He urged Liu Tiezhu to eat without bringing up anything else. This caught Liu Tiezhu off guard.
Given how cunning these three old foxes were, there was no way they'd give up on the assistant chief position. But since they weren't mentioning it now, he decided to play dumb.
An hour later, the four of them were mostly drunk. Then Jiang He shot Liu Zhigao a look. Liu Zhigao understood and took out cigarettes to pass around.
After a few puffs, Liu Zhigao finally broke the silence, asking Liu Tiezhu, "Brother Liu, the higher-ups want to pick an assistant chief. What do you think about that?"
So the three foxes couldn't hold back any longer? Liu Tiezhu sneered inwardly but put on a drunken expression as he replied, "What opinion could I have? It's just finding someone to take over my old spot."
Hearing this, Jiang He and the others exchanged glances. Zhang Zhiliang said, "Brother Liu, thinking like that is a big mistake. Don't underestimate this position—it's crucial for you."
"Old Zhang is right," Jiang He chimed in. "If it's not one of our own in that spot, we'll be in trouble. Once Ming Zhenglong puts someone else there, they'll definitely keep an eye on you. Our cooperation might get exposed soon. So I suggest you recommend one of your own for the assistant chief role."
What a bunch of sly foxes—with just a few words, they blew the risks out of proportion and hinted that Liu Tiezhu should recommend someone from their camp. "One of his own," of course, meant someone they'd arranged.
Liu Tiezhu understood perfectly well what Jiang He and the others were driving at. But he wasn't about to burn bridges with them—that would be too disadvantageous for him. Feigning compliance, he asked Jiang He, "Brother Jiang, who do you think I should recommend?"
"Lin Changxing. He's one of us. If he takes the assistant role, he'll be a big help to you. From now on, no matter what we do, Ming Zhenglong won't find out easily."
Jiang He blurted this out without hesitation, clearly having planned it all along. If Lin Changxing got the assistant position, he'd likely keep a tight watch on Liu Tiezhu, just like anyone Ming Zhenglong appointed. What a well-crafted scheme.
Liu Tiezhu sneered inwardly but nodded without hesitation. "Brother Jiang, you're right. The assistant spot has to be one of our own. I'll go to the Ming residence myself this afternoon and recommend Lin Changxing to Third Master."
Hearing this, Jiang He and the others couldn't help but smile. Once Lin Changxing secured the position, they could not only monitor Liu Tiezhu's every move but also skim off profits freely. If anything went wrong, they could easily abandon Lin Changxing and pin the blame on Liu Tiezhu.
By now, Liu Tiezhu's loyalty didn't matter. What mattered was whether he was still useful. Whether he was paying lip service or had other ideas, as long as he stayed under their control, they'd keep using him. If he slipped out of their grasp, they'd find a way to quietly eliminate him.
"Brother Liu, don't delay—get on this right away. We've got things to do back at the camp, so we'll head off now."
With their goal achieved, Jiang He and the others left. After returning to the barracks, Liu Tiezhu quietly slipped into Zhang Tianlong's tent. The matter of the assistant chief couldn't wait, but he still needed to test whether Zhang Tianlong was trustworthy.
Seeing Liu Tiezhu suddenly enter, Zhang Tianlong was startled at first, then stood up to greet him. "Chief, what brings you here?"
"I came to have a chat with you." Liu Tiezhu waved his hand, signaling Zhang Tianlong to sit down.
Once they were seated, Liu Tiezhu handed Zhang Tianlong a cigarette and cut straight to the chase. "What do you think about the assistant chief candidate?"
Zhang Tianlong didn't stand on ceremony, taking the cigarette and lighting up. After a few puffs, he said slowly, "Chief, don't you already have an idea about this?"
Liu Tiezhu lit his own cigarette, took a few drags, and replied, "I do have an idea, but I want to hear yours too."
"There are plenty of people in the camp who could give you ideas. Why me?" Zhang Tianlong countered.
Liu Tiezhu paused, surprised that this guy was also a fox. Instead of answering directly, he was trying to gauge Liu Tiezhu's stance first. Deciding to drop the act, Liu Tiezhu said bluntly, "I've heard you're a bit of a loner, with a different way of thinking from the others. That's why I came to you."
"It seems you've done your homework on me, Chief. Since you want to hear my thoughts, I won't hold back. Personally, I think ability doesn't matter much for the assistant chief role. What's most important is that it's someone close to you. Besides, a position this lucrative isn't something you'd hand over to an outsider. I understand the principle of keeping good things within the family."
Zhang Tianlong stopped pretending and laid out his honest opinion. After all, he wasn't getting promoted anyway, so he wasn't afraid of Liu Tiezhu making things difficult for him.
"Is that your real opinion?" Liu Tiezhu asked.
Zhang Tianlong nodded. "Yes, that's my real opinion. I'm well aware of the unspoken rules in the camp, but I honestly can't afford to offer more. I hope you understand, Chief."
In his view, Liu Tiezhu's visit was likely about the gift-giving issue, coming to give him trouble. He knew the other squad leaders had given thousands along with high-end cigarettes and liquor, but he couldn't match that. The few hundred he'd scraped together for a gift came from pinching pennies.
Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu realized Zhang Tianlong had misunderstood. "Squad Leader Zhang, I think you've got the wrong idea. I came here not just to hear your thoughts but also to ask: if I recommended you for the assistant chief role, how would you manage the camp's members?"
Zhang Tianlong was stunned, his eyes fixed on Liu Tiezhu in disbelief. He never dreamed that Liu Tiezhu would recommend him for the assistant chief position. It felt like a pie falling from the sky, leaving him momentarily speechless.