“What’s the matter?” Richard Howard asked with interest.

William Harris quickly recounted in detail what had happened that morning, then added, “Township Chief Howard, I seemed to hear Secretary Zhang mention something about the county disciplinary committee, but I didn’t quite catch the specifics.” Of course, he made this up on the spot—he couldn’t possibly sell out Little James.

As he spoke, William Harris observed Richard Howard’s facial expressions, but apart from listening attentively, Richard Howard’s face showed no change at all.

An ordinary person might have been deceived by Richard Howard’s expression, but William Harris was someone who could sense officialdom’s aura, so he certainly wouldn’t be swayed by appearances.

Secretly checking his own official aura, William Harris was secretly delighted—his aura score had just shot up to over a thousand points in an instant. Once again, it was proven that a leader’s trust and appreciation could greatly boost one’s official aura. Coming to Richard Howard’s house this time was definitely the right move.

So Richard Howard already knew about this! William Harris felt that his visit to Richard Howard’s residence was very timely. Judging from the current situation, Richard Howard was probably already working on it, and his own arrival was not too late. It seemed that attitude really determined success or failure. Sitting upright on the sofa, since he had chosen to side with Richard Howard, he had to show it. The more proper his attitude, the more benefits he would gain.

“Xiao Wang, there are quite a few people in the government who like to spread idle gossip. You just need to do your own job well. Your abilities are obvious, and you should trust your superiors. Gold will always shine.” Richard Howard said to William Harris with a smile.

This was as clear as could be—just stick close to him, and sooner or later he’d rise up.

“Don’t worry, Township Chief Howard, I will report any thoughts or situations to you in a timely manner.” William Harris reaffirmed his stance.

“Xiao Wang, you’re the person I value most. The Party and Government Office needs comrades like you to do a good job.” Richard Howard didn’t forget to praise William Harris a bit more, and the meaning was clear: as long as he stuck close to Richard Howard, getting a position wouldn’t be out of reach.

Richard Howard was genuinely pleased that William Harris had come to report the news promptly tonight. In fact, he had already learned about the situation from Deputy Secretary Bennett. What he valued more about William Harris’s report was his attitude, which fully showed that William Harris was determined to side with him.

If he rose to power, this kid could be put to use. That was Richard Howard’s true thought.

He didn’t linger—everything that needed to be done was done. The next step was to wait. After saying goodbye and leaving, William Harris was still reviewing the gains and losses of his actions.

Checking his official aura again, William Harris was in a great mood. The effect was excellent—on top of the previous changes, there was another improvement, and his aura was even stronger. Richard Howard must have taken him to heart!

Main Text Chapter 11: The Calm Before the Storm

For several days, nothing happened. Secretary Ryan Reed still walked down the road with a smile, and Township Chief Edward Clark’s face showed no new changes either. Deputy Secretary George Cooper would occasionally go to the secretary’s office to discuss work, and when he came out, he always looked serious. Even Richard Howard, when facing the secretary and township chief, would speak with a smile.

William Harris had been observing in secret all along. He knew that things were not as they appeared on the surface. From the official aura of several people, he could clearly see the crisis in the situation—their aura was getting weaker and weaker.

After two busy days, David Carter stopped taking action as well. Most of the time, he just sat in his office, going out much less often. William Harris heard that he had declined several dinner invitations.

“Director, have some tea.” Henry White didn’t know what was going on. Seeing David Carter busy every day, he was always on edge and served David Carter even more carefully.

Suddenly, the phone on the desk rang, and the teacup David Carter had just picked up slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.

Henry White was startled and quickly asked if David Carter had burned himself.

Waving his hand, David Carter picked up the phone with a serious face, listened for a while, and then headed to the secretary’s office.

In a fluster, Henry White cleaned up the mess on the floor, then ran out to buy a new cup, made tea, and placed it on David Carter’s desk.

Apparently, some news had leaked out. The people in the Party and Government Office all had their own sources. Lily Scott was the first to get uneasy—maybe because she hadn’t gotten any useful information from the township chief, she was spending noticeably less time in front of the mirror. She glanced at Henry White with disdain and said, “Careful not to cut your hand on the glass.”

Watching David Carter walk out the door, Michael Reed said mysteriously, “There’s a good show coming!”

Already tormented by all the strange happenings, Henry White couldn’t be bothered with Lily Scott’s sarcasm and immediately asked, “What good show? Tell me!”

Giving Henry White a disdainful look, Michael Reed also looked down on him. He took a slow sip of tea and said, “The chairs in the Party and Government Office are about to be changed!”

“What did you say?” Henry White glanced at David Carter’s chair, and, startled, said, “You mean the director will be replaced?”

Michael Reed replied, “Who said the director would be replaced? I never said that, don’t put words in my mouth.”

So there really were connections in the city—looks like Michael Reed had gotten some news! William Harris didn’t join the conversation, but continued to observe the two in secret.