The Municipal Party Secretary Matthew Warren and Deputy Secretary Andrew Ford were not, as they appeared on the surface, comrades-in-arms in the same trench. Within the structure of power, it is impossible for one faction to occupy all the key leadership positions in a given region. This is an unbreakable truth of officialdom, a personnel appointment rule that has held true throughout history.

Power struggles are ever-present; otherwise, there wouldn’t be the saying that “there is endless joy in contending with others.” It’s just that such struggles must be kept within limits—limits that do not disrupt the overall environment of stability and unity. Otherwise, no matter how powerful you are for the moment, you will be pulled down by the majority.

Matthew Warren had mastered the knack of this to perfection. He knew exactly what to say and when, and where to take a stand. In short, to put it simply: when it’s time to act, act! And when you act, leave your political enemies with no way out!

At the instruction of the Municipal Party Secretary Matthew Warren, the Director of the Municipal Bureau of Culture and Education, John Turner, suddenly spoke up at the regular municipal committee meeting, questioning why one of his teachers had been detained for over half a month without cause.

Andrew Ford was in charge of political and legal affairs, and he was the one who initiated this matter. In hindsight, it was clearly a mistake. But by normal logic, an ordinary teacher would not have the courage to question a decision made by superiors. In his imagination, the matter would be quietly handled, with some random excuse found to detain Zhang Mei for a few days, then offer her some condition to smooth things over, turning a big issue into a small one, and a small one into nothing. That would be the end of it.

Who could have expected that the Director of the Bureau of Culture and Education would actually bring up the matter at the municipal committee meeting? Andrew Ford instinctively sensed that this was no simple issue, and couldn’t help but glance at the Municipal Party Secretary Matthew Warren, only to see him sitting there with his eyes half-closed, looking inscrutable. Andrew Ford couldn’t help but secretly despise him.

But who do you think you are, John Turner, to have the right to challenge me at a municipal committee meeting?

Andrew Ford glared at John Turner and said bluntly, “What’s all this fuss about! Your people have caused such a big mess, seriously affecting the city’s great situation of stability and unity. I haven’t even held you accountable for your leadership, and now you have the nerve to turn the tables on me! Do you mean to say you also disagree with the municipal committee’s decision?”

There was another thought Andrew Ford didn’t voice: the school in question belonged to an enterprise, not directly under your Bureau of Culture and Education. Are you so idle that you have nothing better to do than stick your neck out for others? What kind of logic is that?

Normally, after being scolded by the Deputy Secretary, the Director of the Bureau of Culture and Education would slink away and get back to work. But today was different. John Turner, facing Andrew Ford’s anger, ignored his intimidation, slammed the table, and loudly demanded, “When did the municipal committee meet and decide this? Was it voted on by the standing committee? Why do I know nothing about it? Does my party membership still count for anything? Since when did our city’s municipal committee become a one-man show for you, Andrew Ford?”

John Turner fired off this barrage of questions like a machine gun, leaving Andrew Ford at a loss for how to respond. He had never imagined that John Turner would choose this moment to challenge him, and do so at a municipal committee meeting, in front of all the standing committee members and the secretary. Suddenly, he realized the situation was slipping out of his control.

“If you have something to say, say it. Don’t go slamming the table at every turn.” At this point, the Municipal Party Secretary Matthew Warren finally spoke up.

In handling the May 15th incident, Andrew Ford had acted arbitrarily. For such a major case, the person in charge would gain credit. Since he was in charge of political and legal affairs, he naturally wouldn’t let the Municipal Party Secretary Matthew Warren get involved and take a share of the credit. But as it turned out, this approach had its drawbacks. Now that the political winds had shifted, he, the instigator, had instantly become the target of everyone’s criticism.

Looking at the grim-faced Matthew Warren, the other standing committee members watching coldly, and the aggressive Director of the Bureau of Culture and Sports John Turner pressing his advantage, Andrew Ford realized he had been isolated. There was no way this matter would end well for him!

Looking at the standing committee members present, and the furious Andrew Ford, the Municipal Party Secretary Matthew Warren spoke slowly, “Political and legal affairs have always been under the charge of Comrade Andrew. We, the standing committee, have always trusted him to handle these matters properly. Therefore, as secretary, I generally do not interfere in the areas managed by other leaders. However, now that a problem has arisen, and it has become a political incident with serious impact on society and the masses, I can no longer avoid getting personally involved. I believe this is also our duty as public servants—to be responsible for the interests of the people.”

“The secretary is right. This is no longer an ordinary criminal case,” the standing committee members all voiced their support.

“As a veteran party member, we cannot allow certain comrades to monopolize power. That is irresponsible to both our colleagues and the people!” The Director of the Municipal Bureau of Culture and Education, John Turner, also firmly stated his view.

In the time that followed, Andrew Ford was already numb from the barrage. He knew that after this incident, his political career was likely over. The main issue from now on would not be the May 15th incident itself, but how the city’s power would be redistributed after he left his post.

Chapter Thirteen: The Conditions for Going Home