Chapter 101: The Head of the Provincial Machinery Committee

Standing before the office door, Zhao Guoyang sensed that Zhou Taishan, standing beside him, had become noticeably more reserved. It was clear that the person inside exerted quite a bit of pressure on him.

Zhao Guoyang, however, felt no such unease. In his past, he had encountered high-ranking officials of all levels and had cultivated relationships with numerous domestic and international titans; stage fright was simply not something that could happen to him.

Zhou Taishan knocked gently twice, and the familiar voice of Liu Yaohong drifted from within.

"Is that you, Taishan? Come on in!"

Following Zhou Taishan into the room, Zhao Guoyang saw Liu Yaohong, the Director of the Guangling Municipal Machinery Industry Commission, rising from his chair with a genial smile. After shaking hands with Zhou, Liu turned his gaze toward Zhao.

"Hello, young Zhao, we meet again!" Liu said with a smile, reaching out to shake Zhao's hand.

Zhao Guoyang offered a polite "Director Liu" and stood to the side, listening to their conversation. Moments later, their discussion drew to a close.

"Taishan, thank you for making the trip yourself to bring young Zhao over," Liu said courteously.

Zhou Taishan offered a few modest replies before taking his leave. Before departing, he did not forget to shake Zhao's hand, offering words of encouragement: "Young Zhao, spend these next few days learning from Director Liu. When you return to the Hongda Machinery Factory, I will make sure to recommend you for a commendation!"

"A commendation?" Zhao Guoyang was left puzzled by Zhou's final remark.

Liu Yaohong noticed the confusion on Zhao’s face. He patted Zhao on the shoulder with a chuckle and said, "I know you have many questions, young Zhao. Don't worry, we have plenty of time; we can chat slowly. Let's go, let's grab a bite to eat first. After that, we have to head to Jinling."

"Going to Jinling as well?" Hearing this, Zhao Guoyang was completely at a loss as to where he had been "sold off" to.

...

By the time they reached Jinling via the long-distance bus with Liu Yaohong, it was nearing dusk. Throughout the journey, Liu had shared what little he knew.

In truth, Liu Yaohong himself was somewhat in the dark, knowing only that Director Wang of the Provincial Machinery Industry Commission had issued a strict order to bring Zhao Guoyang, a technician from the Hongda Machinery Factory, along. As for how Director Wang had learned of Zhao’s name, Liu had no idea.

Since Liu's answer offered no real insight, Zhao Guoyang had no choice but to accept the reality of the situation. This was his second visit to Jinling in recent times. Standing outside the Jinling Railway Station, amidst the flickering lights and the bustling city, Zhao fell into a deep contemplation.

They were waiting at the station entrance because Liu had explained that the Provincial Machinery Industry Commission delegation would assemble there to take the eight o'clock train to Songjiang City that evening. Originally, Liu had intended to report to the Provincial Commission office first, but the bus had been delayed by nearly an hour due to frequent stops to pick up extra passengers—a common occurrence in these times. Liu, despite his potential annoyance, could hardly complain.

In fact, Zhao Guoyang held some respect for Liu Yaohong. Although he was a legitimate department-level cadre—a rare, powerful, and substantive official in a prefecture-level city—he had chosen to travel by public bus rather than demanding a chauffeured car. This alone won Zhao's admiration.

On the bus, the two had chatted quite pleasantly. Liu had mentioned his connection to Zhao’s teacher, Mao Tiansheng. It turned out that when Liu was serving in the military in the Northeast, Mao had been an educated youth sent down to the same region. Despite their age difference, they hit it off and became close friends. Later, Mao returned to Jinling, rising from a lecturer to a professor and eventually Dean at the Jinling Institute of Technology’s School of Mechanical Engineering. Liu, after twenty years of drifting through military service, was transferred to Jiangnan Province, specifically to Guangling. Though they rarely met, they remained close, lifelong friends.

It was through this connection that Liu had heard of Zhao Guoyang long ago. Because of this, Liu naturally took special care of Zhao, viewing him as a junior. Zhao felt a bit awkward remembering how Liu had enthusiastically offered to play matchmaker for him on the bus; the Director meant well, but he was getting ahead of himself—Zhao was only in his early twenties and far from ready to settle down.

As Zhao was lost in thought, Liu suddenly tugged at his sleeve. "Hey, Guoyang, they're here! Let's go, let's head over."

Zhao looked in the direction Liu was pointing and saw a car slowly pulling up near the main entrance of the station. Three people stepped out. The man in the center was in his early fifties, his hair neatly combed, exuding an air of scholarly refinement. The two men beside him, in their early forties and similar in age to Liu, appeared to be his assistants.

Seeing them, Liu Yaohong’s expression turned respectful and eager. He signaled for Zhao to follow closely as he hurried toward the group.

"Director Wang! Division Chief Liu! Division Chief Jiang!" Liu greeted them warmly, shaking each of their hands in turn before introducing Zhao.

"Director Wang, this is young Zhao, Zhao Guoyang!"

Director Wang was none other than Wang Ziqing, the head of the Provincial Machinery Industry Commission. Zhao had heard this name back in university. His teachers had described him as a high-caliber cadre with profound expertise in automotive engines, reaching the level of a national-grade technical talent. In a university setting, he would have been at the level of a president or dean.

After the introduction, Wang Ziqing and his two subordinates turned their curious gazes toward Zhao. Zhao Guoyang stood his ground, meeting their eyes with steady composure, showing no signs of nervousness.

Seeing Zhao act so "audaciously," Liu Yaohong felt a shiver of anxiety. He quickly coughed to break the tension and introduced the others to Zhao: "Young Zhao, this is Director Wang of our Provincial Machinery Industry Commission, this is Division Chief Liu of the Equipment Industry Division, and this is Division Chief Jiang of the Comprehensive Management Division..."