"Let's not talk about it for now." Ji Zhangqiu waved his hand and then hinted: "Putting aside the issue of experience, I would like to know what Zhang Hao's character is like? Are there any character flaws that others don't know about?"
"According to my observation, he has a fairly gentle personality, is not very keen on socializing, is usually very family-oriented, and has no bad habits or extreme ideas. He is a very normal person," He Yong wrote lightly.
Regardless of whether it is true or not, he is unwilling to slander Zhang Hao. In addition to the friendship between the two, it is also driven by interests.
To be fair, although he was very jealous of the other party.
But now that the matter is over, as a mature politician, maximizing interests is what he should do.
It is undeniable that if Zhang Hao can ascend to power, the relationship between the two will definitely be beneficial to him without any harm, and he has no reason to interfere with it.
Ji Zhangqiu nodded and continued to ask: "What about his political leanings?"
"Well, how should I put it, their generation is a little different from ours."
He Yong paused and continued:
"As we all know, because of the new textbooks, the outlook on life of the younger generation has inevitably been affected. This is mainly reflected in two points. One is the high admiration for the federation, and the other is the deep-rooted idea of unification."
"It's normal. This is also the result of decades of hard work by the Federation. There is nothing to be shy about."
Ji Zhangqiu didn't take it seriously.
If it were in the past, they would definitely be wary of this trend of thought in order to fight against the peaceful evolution on the other side.
But now the situation is different. If they were in charge of the center, in order to consolidate their own interests, they would inevitably continue to strengthen centralization and continue to promote the idea of unification.
He Yong immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "Apart from this, there is nothing else. Zhang Hao himself is not very interested in politics and has not shown any special tendency."
"That's right! Then who does he usually get close to?"
Ji Zhangqiu then changed the question.
"As far as I know, the people he usually interacts with are basically business people.
As for politics, apart from his third sister who is the director of the Department of Health, there are only me, Minister Yin of the Ministry of Energy, Minister Li of the Ministry of Transportation, and Mayor Jiao of Minde, who may be relatively familiar with each other, and most of the others are relatively familiar.
It’s just a casual acquaintance.”
“Why is there no Director Yu of the WFP?”
Ji Zhangqiu's face was full of doubts.
He Yong quickly explained: "Speaking of this, Consul, you may not know something. The relationship between the two of them is actually not harmonious. It mainly involves some interest disputes..."
"You don't need to explain, I understand."
Ji Zhangqiu quickly understood.
The WFP has great power, and Zhang Hao's Haotian Group happens to be within the jurisdiction of the WFP. It is normal for the two parties to have conflicts.
What's more, both parties still have a bad debt from ten years ago that has not been resolved yet!
Next, the two chatted for more than two hours. With Governor He's detailed explanation, Ji Zhangqiu had a deeper understanding of Zhang Hao.
At the end of the meeting, He Yong saw that Archon Ji was in a good mood, so he bit the bullet and asked:
"Archon, may I ask a question?"
"Just ask!" Ji Zhangqiu smiled and nodded.
"Apart from Zhang Hao, who are the other candidates? Or to put it another way, who is his biggest competitor?"
He Yong said impatiently.
Ji Zhangqiu touched his chin and did not avoid the question: "Since you want to know, it's okay to tell you. Zhang Hao's biggest competitor is Ma Fu."
"Alibaba's horse?"
"Yes, that's him."
"Why did you choose him?" He Yong asked in surprise.
You know, Ma Fu is a famous talker, and he often speaks out without shame. Especially his famous saying "I am not interested in money" and the famous "good fortune" theory have spread throughout the federation and become a hot topic among everyone.
Big shit.
Ji Zhangqiu explained casually: "The reason why I chose him was mainly because of his status in the circle and his reputation in Europa."
"Can Zhang Hao compete?"
"One of them is a rising star, and the other is Taishan Beidou. At present, they are evenly matched. As for who will be chosen in the end, there will be another meeting to discuss."
He Yong carefully probed: "Consul, who do you prefer?"
"I haven't thought about it yet." Ji Zhangqiu shook his head, and then warned: "You just need to know this matter yourself, and don't tell anyone else about it for the time being."
"I see."
He Yong nodded solemnly.
…
At 10:30 in the evening, Ji Zhangqiu saw off the last visitor. If Minister Li and Governor He were included, he met a total of nine people today.
The effect was still very obvious, and he finally made up his mind.
Seeing that the meeting was over, Chief of Staff Xia Congwen immediately came over with a small bowl of ginseng soup and said with concern: "Consul, this is the ginseng soup sent by my wife. You'd better drink it quickly!"
"When did she come here?"
Ji Zhangqiu took the bowl casually. The temperature of the soup was just right, so he raised his head and drank it in one gulp.
"An hour ago, I saw you were busy, so I left the ginseng soup and went back." Xia Congwen replied.
Ji Zhangqiu put down the bowl, motioned for the other party to sit down, and said without hesitation: "Lao Xia, I have already made a decision."
"Consul, what are you talking about?"
Xia Congwen couldn't help being surprised.
For such an important matter, I didn’t expect that only one day had passed before the results came to light.
Are you a little too anxious?
"I'm a little unsure about Ma Fu, so let's let Zhang Hao take over! What do you think?"
"Zhang Hao is indeed more suitable than Ma Fu!"
Xia Congwen quickly agreed.
Even if he has an opinion, he doesn't dare to object!
Ji Zhangqiu couldn't help but sigh: "Compared to old foxes in shopping malls like Ma Fu, Zhang Hao is still a young man after all. The city's capital is limited, so he can use it more confidently."
Xia Congwen didn't speak again, but his head was spinning rapidly, thinking about the pros and cons of this matter.
Ji Zhangqiu sighed with emotion, and then talked about future arrangements: "I chatted with He Yong at noon, and he gave me a suggestion, which I think makes some sense."
"What advice?"
Xia Congwen asked in cooperation.
"He suggested helping Zhang Hao find an experienced deputy consul as his partner."
Hearing this, Xia Congwen nodded repeatedly: "This is a good suggestion, very thoughtful."
"Who do you think is suitable?"
"How about Fan Zhenxiang? If it weren't for God's will, this position would have belonged to him. Let him take over as deputy consul, which is considered as compensation for him."
Xia Congwen said without hesitation.
The most important thing is that Fan Zhenxiang is the successor personally trained by the big leader. He is the best candidate in terms of personal ability and prestige.
Ji Zhangqiu smiled and nodded: "Gentlemen think alike, and I think so too. If Lao Fan can sideline Zhang Hao, it won't be a bad thing for us."
This was said very implicitly. In fact, in his expectation, the consul was going to be sidelined. It just depended on whether the other party recognized his interest.
"Consul, what about the other cabinet members? Do they need to be replaced?" Xia Congwen followed closely and asked.
If he chooses not to change, he might be able to stay on as chief of staff. He is only in his early 70s and can definitely work for more than ten years.
Ji Zhangqiu waved his hand. In fact, he had already made a decision in his heart: "There is no need to change, it is better to keep it stable. Zhang Hao has a weak foundation. Once a new person is replaced, there will inevitably be another overt and covert fight, which is not good for the political situation."
This move is a bit cruel.
As the saying goes, there is one emperor and one courtier.
Without a self-appointed cabinet, the consul is simply a decoration. If there is no emergency, there is almost no possibility of turning over.
"Well, that's good, it will save the other party from thinking wildly." Xia Congwen showed a smile.
Ji Zhangqiu immediately ordered: "Lao Xia, you don't have to retreat with me. I will propose to Zhang Hao that you continue to be the chief of staff. After all, he is a political amateur with no experience and is prone to making jokes.
"
"This...we agreed to retire together?"
Xia Congwen pretended to be embarrassed.
To be honest, at his age, his official career is basically over. Instead of changing to a retirement job, he might as well stay and continue to be the chief of staff!
Although the chief of staff has no real power, his status is high. In ancient times, he could even be compared with the emperor's master. He is respected everywhere. If he has a choice, he really doesn't want to retire.
"Lao Xia, I can't find a suitable candidate for a while, so just do me a favor!"
Ji Zhangqiu advised.
Xia Congwen was a little reserved, and then nodded: "Okay! I'll just listen to you. I'll try to last a few more years with my old bones."
"Just promise, thank you."
Ji Zhangqiu did not expose the other party's little thoughts.
…
In the blink of an eye, the next day came. Minister Li finished the work at hand and immediately rushed to Huicheng.
When he arrived in Huicheng, he did not go to the state capital, but went directly to Shawei Village. The purpose was self-evident.
Zhang Hao received the call and immediately came to the village entrance to greet him: "Minister Li, why are you here?"
Minister Li stood beside the car, smiled and joked:
"I'm here to see an old friend, can't I?"
"Okay, I hope you come here often!"
Zhang Hao said politely, but at the same time a huge question arose in his heart.
Speaking of which, the two have known each other for thirteen years, and this is the first time that the other party came to visit. If there is nothing fishy here, even a fool would not believe it.
Minister Li reached out and opened the car door: "Get in the car! I've wanted to go to your house for a long time, but I just haven't had the time. Today I finally have the chance."
"You get in the car first, I'll just sit outside."
Zhang Hao felt increasingly uneasy.
The other party actually opened the door for him personally.
This is obviously a courtesy to others, and you must ask for something!
In recent years, except for Shuguang Company, he has rarely cooperated with the authorities. He doesn't know what happened this time. I hope it is not an excessive request.
Minister Li smiled and did not bother with such trivial details, turned around and got into the car.
Zhang Hao followed and sat in.
Five minutes later, the car drove into the large manor.
When Zhang Chongxin heard that Minister Li was coming to his home as a guest, he already stood at the door of the villa with a cane, while Li Dajuan and Yang Huaqing were busy serving tea and pouring water.
After getting off the car, Zhang Hao quickly introduced: "Minister Li, this is my dad."
"Old man, long time no see. How are you?" Minister Li greeted.
The two had met once before.
Zhang Chongxin suddenly smiled: "Thanks to God, I can live for a few more years."
"You must take care of your health! Director Zhang is young and promising, just wait and enjoy the blessings!"
Minister Li said politely.
"I'm kidding, his little ability is just a little better than ordinary people, but he's far behind compared to you."
Zhang Chongxin replied.
Minister Li smiled and waved his hands, making a pun:
"You are so humble. In my opinion, Director Zhang's achievements are more than this. He will reach a higher level in the future. If you don't believe me, let's wait and see."
Zhang Hao saw that the two of them couldn't finish talking, so he quickly interrupted: "Minister Li, Dad, it's cold outside, let's go in and talk."
Minister Li heard this and supported Zhang Chongxin: "Old man, Director Zhang is right, let me help you in!"
"Okay, let's go inside and chat!"
This was a high-ranking ministerial official, and Zhang Chongxin's vanity was greatly satisfied.
After entering the house, Zhang Hao introduced his mother and daughter-in-law to Minister Li, and then went to the bedroom to see his little daughter.
After some pleasantries.
Minister Li suddenly changed the topic: "Director Zhang, can you show me your study room?"
"Okay, please come this way!"
Zhang Hao immediately understood what the other party meant.
Minister Li stood up and nodded towards Zhang Chongxin: "Old man, we will come as soon as we go."
"Go on, go on, you don't have to worry about me, I just went to the bedroom to relax for a while."
Zhang Chongxin waved his hands repeatedly.
After entering the study, Minister Li instantly put away his smile and closed the door with his own hands.
Zhang Hao couldn't help being stunned: "Minister Li, what are you doing?"
"Director Zhang, I have something to tell you. Because the matter is so important, it's better for us to be cautious."
"Stop pretending, I don't know who you are yet?" Minister Li said angrily.
"Ahem, let's sit down and talk!"
Zhang Hao pointed to the sofa.
Minister Li sat down on the sofa and pursed his lips: "Director Zhang, I went to the Consul's residence yesterday, and Consul Ji personally told me some news."
"Does it have anything to do with me?"
Zhang Hao's reaction was not slow.
"That's right, it does have something to do with you." Minister Li nodded solemnly, "I won't hold anything against you. You've heard about the election, right? Consul Ji intends to make you his successor."
"What? Are you kidding me?"
Zhang Hao was stunned and almost jumped up from the sofa.
Minister Li stared into the other person's eyes: "Do you think I'm joking?"
"How is that possible? I am a businessman and have no political experience at all. No matter what happens, it will not be my turn, right?"
Zhang Hao breathed rapidly.
"You are right to say that, but you are so lucky. You were chosen by chance."
Minister Li sighed and then explained the relevant situation.
After listening to this, Zhang Hao murmured to himself: "This is simply too magical."
"Don't be too eager to be happy. You are only one of the candidates now. Whether you can sit on the throne of the consul depends on your luck." Minister Li quickly reminded him.
"If you can be a candidate, you will have spent eight lifetimes burning incense." Zhang Hao was very open-minded.
Think about it, this is the federal governor, in charge of billions of people in the entire Blue Star, and he is more awesome than the ancient feudal emperors.
In a sense, this is the true meaning of "Everything in the world is the king's land; on the shore of the land, is it the king's ministers", which is enough to leave a name in history.