Chapter Thirteen: Brewing (Part Six)

Watching Zhang Maolin’s unusual expression, Tao Shouli did not rush to reply. Instead, he turned and went to the kitchen, soon returning with a large plate of frozen autumn pears.

“Here, old friend! This is a refreshing chill in the cold winter, perfect for cooling down your inner fire!”

Zhang Maolin’s eyes lit up. Although he dared not indulge in cold foods at this time of year, frozen autumn pears were undoubtedly his lifelong favorite.

Seeing Zhang Maolin’s somewhat exaggerated way of eating, Tao Shouli chuckled and continued:

“I think it’s fair to say you simply don’t recognize the true face of Mount Lu! If I were to be blunt, I’d say you’re deliberately feigning ignorance—just a little slow-witted!”

“What do you mean by that?!” Zhang Maolin asked, his mouth full of frozen pear, his words muffled.

“You just focus on eating the pear and listen carefully. Actually, Bian Zecheng’s viewpoint shouldn’t be hard to understand. It boils down to three reasons: first, Yin Sen’s arrogant and overbearing personality; second, Wang Weixin’s weakness and yielding attitude; third, the provincial bank’s supervisory leadership’s compromise, tacit approval, or even covert encouragement. Over the years, as we’ve gone along, tell me honestly—are there any unbreakable principles or bottom lines in internal management at Xing Commercial Bank? During your years as Discipline Secretary, tell me clearly: which disciplinary or regulatory violations were handled strictly according to the rules? Since the provincial bank approves of the Songyang leadership’s composition, it means there are considered reasons behind it. Ultimately, it’s because Yin Sen wields immense power!”

“You old fox, you’re almost becoming a spirit of cunning! Your line of reasoning hardly sounds like the thoughts of a retired outsider. Why don’t you just go back to the city bank and serve as an inspector...” Zhang Maolin gave Tao Shouli a thumbs-up and added:

“I’m not flattering you, but your analysis is truly reasonable. That’s exactly how things are. Otherwise, those provincial leaders wouldn’t have turned a blind eye to such obvious flaws. After so long, since even President Wang’s iron hand couldn’t change the status quo, those of us in deputy positions can’t really speak out against the mainstream. After all, everyone needs to preserve harmony within the leadership team. For me, it’s even more so—if you’re selling meat, don’t bother yourself with seafood prices; it’s better not to meddle and just stay at ease!”

Tao Shouli took the cue and said:

“As a deputy, you can afford to go with the flow, adding a bit of flourish to pass the time, even harboring a bias of indifference and detachment to get by. But once you step into the top position, there’s absolutely no reason to avoid any problems or conflicts, especially issues within your own city bank leadership. I’ve long known that your relationship with Yin Sen has never been good, and that many of your views are fundamentally opposed. This will be your foremost challenge to manage going forward. In the past, you and he worked under President Wang Weixin as equals, parallel in rank and position. If neither side deliberately provoked a rift, perhaps the contradictions could be resolved. But now that you hold a new, higher role, regardless of any disappointment Yin Sen might feel deep down and how that might affect his work attitude, you must seriously consider how to resolve the ingrained distrust between you two. Otherwise, just one troublemaker like Yin Sen can completely spoil the pot at Songyang Xing Commercial Bank. As for the other two deputy presidents, I think you don’t need to expend special effort on them for now.

“Bian Zecheng is always smooth and tactful, never sharp-edged; on the surface, he never seems to give you trouble. The union chairman, Liu Wanyi, is an even easier character—an old good-natured fellow. Although he may not produce groundbreaking results at work, he certainly won’t cause chaos out of nowhere. So, you just need to make sure that when the year-end bonuses are distributed, these two have no less than in previous years. See? That’s the reality you’ll face once you ‘ascend the throne’...”

Zhang Maolin listened quietly to Tao Shouli’s thoughtful and reasonable analysis. He didn’t find any of the ideas new, as they aligned closely with his own thoughts. What he truly wanted was to see how Tao Shouli’s cunning insights might differ from his own.

What Zhang Maolin particularly appreciated was Tao Shouli’s analysis and advice regarding his relationship with Yin Sen. Zhang’s mind was clear: if he indeed succeeded Wang Weixin, navigating the working relationship with Yin Sen as a deputy would be an unavoidable hurdle.

“Empathy and sincerity. Concede on minor matters, but never be muddled on major ones!” The thought surged within Zhang Maolin’s heart.

He took the plate of nuts Tao Shouli offered and began cracking walnuts and hazelnuts with a crunch...

“Eat more nuts to nourish your brain; don’t let my big brother get too bogged down in thoughts and tire himself into confusion. Heh heh...” Tao Shouli joked, then continued:

“I’m the type who likes to fret over things unnecessarily! Since the provincial bank has promoted you, shouldn’t you worry a little more about how the all-powerful Deputy President Yin would feel?”

Zhang Maolin remained silent, still savoring the fragrant hazelnuts.

In truth, Zhang Maolin had already given this question much thought: among the provincial bank’s leadership, aside from the top leader Tan Yiwu, Deputy President Teng Deming understood the intricate relationships within the Songyang city bank’s leadership the best. Since the provincial bank chose him for promotion, it likely had already considered Yin Sen’s future placement.

Everyone knew Yin Sen was a close protégé of Teng Deming! For that reason alone, the provincial bank would never overlook how to utilize such a figure.

Privately, Zhang Maolin fully acknowledged that although Yin Sen had served as deputy longer, in terms of connections and commanding marketing power, Yin Sen’s skills and influence were far superior. Therefore, the provincial bank’s personnel adjustments probably involved not just the Songyang branch but a reshuffling of department-level leaders across the jurisdiction. Following this line of thought, the likelihood of Yin Sen leaving Songyang was quite high.

If so, Zhang Maolin’s future work would no longer involve managing his relationship with Yin Sen. What seemed like a tangled web of complications might actually open wide like doors and windows—no trouble in the world, only needless worries.

But as he pondered, a large question mark suddenly floated into Zhang Maolin’s mind: How did the capable Liu Dong gain access to such sensitive information within the provincial bank’s decision-making circle? What exactly was this young man’s connection to the city of Songyang and the provincial Xing Commercial Bank system? Behind Liu Dong’s vigorous efforts to help Zhang Maolin rise, what motives lay hidden?