Qi Tongwei: Sign-in relationship started during student days

Chapter 995 Tian Fengyi's Little Thoughts

Tian Fengyi casually placed the painting tube on the dining table, walked into the kitchen, skillfully took out a fish and began to prepare it, while chatting with the Yu family mother and daughter in the living room.

"Sister-in-law, I heard Tongwei is back. Is he coming over for dinner today? If he is, I'd like to make some preparations."

Tian Fengyi knew Yu Huabei's habit: whenever these important subordinates came to the provincial capital, Yu Huabei would invite them to dinner, firstly to show his closeness, and secondly to learn about the situation below.

As Yu Huabei's new favorite subordinate and capable assistant, upon returning from abroad, he was inevitably invited to her home for drinks and conversation, where they discussed people and events overseas.

He had made ample preparations for this day long ago.

Madam Yu nodded. "That's right, Feng Yi, I'll have to trouble you to cook a couple more dishes."

"Sister-in-law, don't mention it. It's all my duty. Don't worry, I'll definitely show off my skills and make sure everyone has a good meal."

Having said that, Tian Fengyi scaled the fish even faster.

After gutting the fish, Tian Fengyi asked Xiaoxiao, "By the way, Xiaoxiao, what's the situation in the city now? Are the comrades all doing well?"

Yu Xiaoxiao replied indifferently, "It's fine. Everyone is doing their job and doing what they're supposed to do."

Tian Fengyi heard the sarcasm in Yu Xiaoxiao's words, but he wasn't annoyed. He had been in officialdom for so many years, how could he be so easily fooled by a mere girl?

"That's good. I was really worried that my sudden resignation would make my comrades uncomfortable."

"…hehe."

People really laugh when they are speechless.

Yu Xiaoxiao hadn't expected Tian Fengyi to be so shameless.

She really didn't want to talk to such a shameless person anymore, so she sneered twice and then used the excuse of being tired from catching the train to go upstairs to rest.

Watching her daughter's retreating figure, Madam Yu felt a little embarrassed and offered Tian Fengyi a way out, "Fengyi, don't be angry with Xiaoxiao. She's young, and a little..."

Tian Fengyi sighed and said, "I watched Xiaoxiao grow up, how could I be angry with her?"

This time I failed to uphold my principles and embarrassed the cadres in Wenshan. It's understandable that she's unhappy; if anyone's angry, it's at me.

Madam Yu comforted him, "Hey, it's all in the past, Feng Yi, let's not talk about it anymore, okay? From now on, we have to look forward and do our current work well, that's more important than anything else."

"Yes, yes, sister-in-law, you're right. I won't say anymore." Tian Fengyi waved his hand and focused on the ingredients.

In the living room, Mrs. Yu looked at the painting tube on the dining table and asked curiously, "Feng Yi, what kind of ingredients are you holding? The packaging is quite unique."

Tian Fengyi's voice came from the kitchen, "Oh, this isn't food, it's a calligraphy and painting passed down from my ancestors. My father said it was by Zheng Banqiao."

I don't know if it's true or not, but I thought my former boss had some knowledge of calligraphy and painting, so I thought I'd ask him to take a look.

"I see." Mrs. Yu nodded, then stopped paying attention, poured herself a cup of tea, sat back down on the sofa, and turned on the TV.

As soon as Tian Fengyi mentioned Zheng Banqiao's calligraphy and paintings, Madam Yu understood.

She was trying to bribe her husband.

Mrs. Yu was difficult to deal with, and even more difficult to respond to, so she could only turn a deaf ear.

But Tian Fengyi had no intention of letting Madam Yu off the hook. He sent the nanny to the kitchen to prepare ingredients, washed his hands, and then sat down in the living room.

"Sister-in-law, there's something I'm afraid I have to tell you."

"what's up."

"It's about Erlong."

Zhang Erlong is Madam Yu's younger brother. Because of their age difference of more than ten years, Madam Yu is very protective of her brother. When she heard that it was about her brother, she couldn't help but show concern.

"What's up with him?"

Tian Fengyi said, "Didn't you ask me to find some work for Erlong before? In the first half of this year, I approved a few projects for him."

Everything was going smoothly until this happened to me.

After I was transferred, the people below me stopped recognizing me and shut down my construction site. Erlong had no choice but to ask me to talk to my old subordinates.

But as you know, I'm currently just a powerless, empty-handed chairman of the Writers' Association, holding only the title but not yet in office. Those bastards certainly won't listen to me. So, I was thinking, could you perhaps put in a good word for me?"

"If I make this request, people will immediately associate it with Lao Yu. No way, no way." Madam Yu waved her hand and refused without even thinking.

Although Madam Yu cared about her younger brother, she also knew that such a request could not be made casually in official circles.

If you fight, and something goes wrong, you'll have to take responsibility.

The reason she sought out Tian Fengyi was simply to have him cover for her.

If she gives this heads-up, and something goes wrong that implicates her husband, he'll probably tear her apart.

“Feng Yi, don’t lie to me. You’ve been in Wenshan for so many years and promoted so many people. It’s impossible that they’re all ungrateful, right? Besides, even if you’re no longer the mayor of Wenshan, you’re still Lao Yu’s most valued right-hand man. Even if they don’t care about the monk, they’ll still care about the Buddha.”

Tian Fengyi said, "Sister-in-law, things are different now. I got into the Writers Association while I was sick. Anyone with eyes can see that I can never achieve anything in this life."

Moreover, even if the old leaders valued him highly, it would be difficult for him to achieve anything significant once he joined the Writers' Association.

To put it bluntly, forget about power; even if you wanted to spend some money and achieve something, it would be difficult.

The financial resources available to a provincial writers' association are less than those of a township. In such a context, who can turn the tide?

If you can't turn things around, then you'll be forgotten.

After thinking about it, Mrs. Yu felt that what Tian Fengyi said made some sense. If she went to the Writers Association, what kind of leading cadre would she be? Just a title.

"You try it. I don't believe that so many leaders and cadres in Wenshan are ungrateful people."

"Hey, sister-in-law, there's no need to try. That's how it is in officialdom. It's very realistic. If you don't believe me, go and visit a veterans' retirement home. If you have no use to them, you're nothing but trash."

Madam Yu frowned and sighed, "Is there really no other way?"

"It's not that there's none at all, unless...."

"Unless what?"

Tian Fengyi said, "Unless I resign as chairman of the Writers' Association, I mean I'll switch to a department with a little more power, like a provincial department."

Even some low-level government offices would be fine.

At least they need to know that although I, Tian Fengyi, have fallen, the Provincial Party Committee has not completely given up on me, and I still have a chance to be reinstated.

That way, they'll have some reservations and give me some face.

Actually, this wasn't a difficult task for the old leader. The Writers' Association was a low-level, unproductive department, and so were other low-level, unproductive departments in the provincial government; there wasn't much difference.

Madam Yu realized that Tian Fengyi wanted her to act as an intermediary.

The difference between the chairman of the Writers' Association and a provincial department is huge.

The provincial government is a legitimate government system, but what is the Writers' Association? It's a people's organization, and politically, it's even more marginalized than the margins.