Leaving the office building, Qin Mu headed straight for his dormitory.
Before even reaching the top of the stairs, he heard a commotion erupting from upstairs.
"Chen Shuo, you're absolutely unreasonable!"
"Who's unreasonable here? A business trip? Who the hell believes that?!"
"I bet you've been out fooling around with some random guy!"
"He's just a county magistrate, you think? You're so cheap, so eager to please?"
...
After listening for a while, Qin Mu felt increasingly uneasy. Wasn't this a direct reference to himself?
No doubt, it was Xu Lu's husband, Chen Shuo, who had come and, upon learning that Xu Lu had gone to the provincial capital with him for investment promotion, had caused this misunderstanding.
This was going to be difficult to resolve.
Because the noise was so loud, everyone in the county committee dormitory had probably heard it. Chen Shuo had laid all the problems out in the open, making them impossible to solve.
"Chen Shuo, if you don't trust me, then let's get a divorce!"
Sure enough, Qin Mu's guess was spot on. The next second, Xu Lu filed for divorce.
Standing in the corridor, Qin Mu glanced up and saw Chen Shuo standing motionless, clearly shocked by Xu Lu's words.
After all, divorce is no small matter; once it's brought up, it's difficult to back out.
"Everyone, stop watching and go back to your rooms!"
Qin Mu called out to the onlookers.
With his words as the county magistrate, many people went back. After all, he was the county magistrate, not an ordinary person; a leader's words carry weight.
Moreover, this gossip involved the leader.
If they watched too much, and the leader became displeased, they would definitely be criticized and reprimanded later.
After speaking, Qin Mu went upstairs and stood beside Xu Lu and Chen Shuo.
"County Chief Qin, I'm so sorry, I've dragged you into this again."
Xu Lu's eyes were filled with guilt. This matter clearly had nothing to do with County Chief Qin, yet she had been implicated, misunderstood and insulted by her husband, and even made a laughingstock of herself by so many people below. She felt so sorry for him.
County Chief Qin was such a good leader, always helping her and valuing her highly, and what had she done?
She had only caused him trouble!
"Let's not talk about this now!"
Qin Mu waved his hand slightly, looking at the other person, "Chen Shuo, there are many misunderstandings between you and Xu Lu. How about we go inside and talk about it?"
"You two are still husband and wife. Even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness. Even if you're dissatisfied or unhappy, you don't need to make it known throughout the whole town, do you?"
Go inside and talk?
Did I make a mistake?
Chen Shuo already harbored a great deal of resentment towards Qin Mu, and upon hearing this, he immediately became even angrier. "I'm going to make a scene! I'm going to make sure your shameful affair is known throughout the city! I'll ruin your reputations!"
Is that so?
Ruin my reputations?
Qin Mu couldn't help but laugh. "Comrade Chen Shuo, you're not an ordinary person. You've been in the system for so many years, how can you still be so naive?"
"This time we went to the provincial capital for investment promotion, there were more than a dozen of us. Xu Lu and Han Ying, the director of the county government office, stayed together, and I had a separate room. The other comrades all know that I was out promoting investments every night. Comrade Xu Lu and I are completely innocent, there's nothing wrong with us. I can even have the disciplinary committee thoroughly investigate to prove our innocence!"
"As for you, what's the point of making such a scene here? I, Qin Mu..." "I have outstanding achievements in Huaining County, successfully attracting investment. The city leaders all trust my abilities; they can't possibly do anything to me based on just a few words from you!"
"And you, you're just a minor section chief in the Municipal Sanitation Bureau. Do you think you'll ever be able to leave the Sanitation Bureau if this blows up?"
"Comrade Xu Lu said many good things about you to me to get you transferred out of the Sanitation Bureau, but you, instead of being ambitious, are fixated on trivial matters, acting like a woman, indecisive and hesitant. It's truly despicable!"
This taunt made Chen Shuo's face flush red.
"Qin Mu, don't try to fool me. If this blows up, it will definitely affect your promotion. I'm going to fight to the death and make sure you don't have a good life either!"
Chen Shuo stubbornly said loudly.
"Alright, let's talk downstairs then."
Qin Mu pointed downstairs and said seriously, "Call out everyone in the county committee dormitory. Let's hear your suspicions—that you suspect there's something shady going on between me and Comrade Xu Lu. If you have any evidence, I'll resign on the spot and leave immediately, how about that?"
This…
Wow, playing this far?
Chen Shuo hesitated for a moment, looking at Qin Mu's unyielding demeanor.
"But if you can't say anything, I'll report you to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. As a state cadre, you're constantly suspecting your wife and comrades, shouting and causing a scene in the county, damaging my reputation. I can go to the Municipal Committee and find Secretary Li. I want to see if the Municipal Committee will uphold justice for me or just believe your one-sided story!"
Qin Mu said coldly.
This has gone too far…
Chen Shuo knew that if this matter really alarmed the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and the leaders of the Municipal Committee, he would be finished.
One was a rising county head with outstanding achievements; the other was a lowly sanitation bureaucrat, unknown and content with mediocrity. Everyone knew whose side the city leaders would listen to.
He had absolutely no chance!
"What, chickening out again?"
Qin Mu scoffed. "You seem to enjoy displaying your incompetence to others, and I don't mind!"
That one word, "incompetence," completely shattered Chen Shuo's defenses.
The other man's aggressive and imposing manner contrasted sharply with his timid and insecure demeanor.
"You…you just wait…"
Chen Shuo's face flushed crimson. He couldn't utter a word, quickly ran downstairs, and slunk away.
"County Chief Qin, I..."
"Comrade Xu Lu, you still need to sit down and talk to him about this. If you really can't reach an agreement, then I can only advise you to end it as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will only affect your work and your career."
Qin Mu said seriously, "There's an old saying, 'Better to tear down a temple than to break up a marriage,' but you've seen Chen Shuo's situation."
As a leader, Qin Mu didn't want to interfere in his subordinates' marriages, but if this marriage started affecting their work and Xu Lu's well-being, then he would have to intervene.
County government work is heavy and demanding. If Xu Lu is dragged down by her marital situation, then Qin Mu would have to consider replacing her.
He couldn't let the county government's work come to a standstill because of Xu Lu's marriage, could he?
"County Chief, I understand. Please give me three days. I will resolve this issue and will absolutely not cause you any more trouble."
Xu Lu said solemnly.
She wasn't stupid. Chen Shuo had made such a big scene; everyone in the county committee dormitory had heard it. It would definitely be the talk of the entire county committee compound by tomorrow. At a time like this, the fact that County Chief Qin hadn't turned against her was already a testament to his good temper.
This little thing had blown up like this; it was truly shameful. If Xu Lu didn't resolve this, she wouldn't have the face to stay in Huaining County.
Having received so much help from County Chief Qin, and in the end, she'd only caused him trouble—it was truly embarrassing!