A Bumpy Road to Power

"Glad you're adjusting well. I had planned to hold a welcome banquet for you last night, but some things got in the way. Let's reschedule it for another day when I'm less occupied and have the City Council's office prepare something."

"No worries, Secretary Thorne. Work should come first, and as for dining and drinking, we'll have plenty of time for that."

Dirk Carter replied politely.

Hadley Thorne nodded.

"Yes, there's plenty of time for that in the future..."

The rest of his words were interrupted.

The office door was suddenly pushed open with a click.

A voice said, "Secretary Thorne, what's the deal with Lane Quincy saying my political mindset isn't up to the mark? Isn't this just making it difficult for me on purpose?"

Just as the words were spoken,

the person who entered just happened to spot Dirk Carter.

His expression froze immediately.

He stared at Dirk Carter in confusion for a moment.

Then, in a change of tone, he said, "Hello, Secretary General Carter."

The man appeared to be in his forties.

He wore an administrative jacket and had noticeably distinct features.

He was quite charismatic.

Especially with that hair, slicked back and perfectly groomed.

Hadley Thorne's face wore a somber look.

Yet he still introduced Dirk Carter, "Comrade Dirk Carter, this is Joachim Young, Deputy Secretary of the Riverwood District."

"Ah, good day, Secretary Young."

Dirk Carter gave a slight nod.

"Leader, I'll wait outside while you chat with Secretary General Carter."

Joachim Young said to Hadley Thorne after realizing the situation.

Dirk Carter could tell that Joachim Young's relationship with Hadley Thorne was unusual.

After all, one can't just casually meet with the City Secretary, especially since he entered Hadley Thorne's room without even knocking. This indicated a considerable level of trust between the two.

Just as he was about to leave.

Hadley Thorne called out, "Comrade Tatum, I don't have anything urgent with Secretary General Carter, so it's perfect timing for you to meet him."

The top leader had spoken.

Joachim Young naturally wouldn't defy him.

He obediently sat down beside them.

However, Dirk Carter noticed that from his sitting posture, there wasn't the slightest hint of restraint. On the contrary, there was a relaxed feeling, indicating that Hadley Thorne's office was a place he frequented.

"Comrade Dirk Carter, Comrade Tatum has performed well over the years in Riverwood District, handling party matters efficiently. He's a talent. Originally, the city planned to give him an opportunity for growth by appointing him as mayor of Greshire County. But somehow, he offended Comrade Quincy, who refused to sign off on it. We just had an argument over it."

Hadley Thorne sighed and said.

So, this was the issue.

Bringing it up in front of Dirk Carter and Joachim Young served two purposes for Hadley Thorne.

First, to earn Dirk Carter's sympathy and rally his support for Joachim Young.

Second, to tell Joachim Young, "I've exerted significant effort for you," as an explanation for the earlier confrontation.

Having understood Hadley Thorne's intentions,

responding was unavoidable.

Dirk Carter hesitated and asked, "Does Secretary Quincy have a different idea?"

The implication of this question was to inquire whether Lane Quincy had his own preferred candidate.

The mayoral position of Greshire County was indeed significant.

Clearly, this was a struggle between two factions.

Hadley Thorne smiled slightly and said, "Comrade Quincy doesn't have his own plans. It's mainly Mayor Hall who has another candidate in mind."

This sentence revealed more information.

Hadley Thorne had essentially informed Dirk Carter.

This was his power struggle with Colter Hall.

And Lane Quincy was Hall's front-runner, taking charge on his behalf.

Originally believing that Silverwood City's political landscape was solid, the internal disagreements turned out to be substantial. But this was not surprising. In the political arena, self-interest prevails, and conflicts between top leaders are natural. No second-in-command is content to be just a supporting role, and no first-in-command will tolerate being challenged by a vice leader.

Politics is about balance.

Even at the upper levels, it won't allow subordinate factions to grow too dominant.

In a split second, Dirk Carter reached his own conclusion.

He saw this as a chance—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If seized correctly, subsequent matters would be much easier to handle.

With this in mind, Dirk Carter asked, "Do you know whom Mayor Hall is proposing as his candidate?"

Before Hadley Thorne could reply,

Joachim Young complained, "Who else? Reginald Goodman from the City's office. That guy is no gem. I think he's..."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Mid-sentence,

Hadley Thorne started coughing.

This was a signal to stop.

Despite his grievances, Joachim Young stopped talking.

"Reginald Goodman is the Deputy Secretary General of our city's office. To be fair, he has done a fairly good job these past few years, no worse than Comrade Tatum. It's not that I don't acknowledge Comrade Goodman. The main issue is that I've heard some rumors that he has some problems regarding conduct in his personal life. That's what's held me back from making a decision."

A masterful leader indeed.

Speaking skillfully without leaving any gaps.

Praise followed by critique.

The initial compliment was to inform Dirk Carter that choosing Joachim Young wasn't favoritism.

The subsequent hint targeted Dirk Carter, suggesting that Reginald Goodman's ethics were questionable, implying it fell within his jurisdiction as Secretary of the Discipline Commission and he might want to handle the matter.

Clearly,

Hadley Thorne was using this opportunity to probe Dirk Carter.

Such subtle intentions were naturally clear to Dirk Carter.

He smiled.

He tapped his chest and said, "Secretary Thorne, why don't you let me handle this? I'll investigate secretly. If Comrade Goodman has no issues, we can discuss assigning the mayoral role at the standing committee meeting. If there are issues, the Discipline Commission won't be lenient. How do you feel about that?"

This response.

Was already a positive reply.

Hadley Thorne's face lit up with a smile.

He said to the stunned Joachim Young, "Comrade Tatum, quickly thank Secretary General Carter. This shows that Secretary General Carter recognizes your work."

With belated realization, Joachim Young came to his senses.

He immediately stood up.

Bending down, he extended his hand to Dirk Carter.

He said excitedly, "Secretary General Carter, I am truly grateful..."

"It's nothing. This has nothing to do with you. It's simply part of the Discipline Commission's work."

Dirk Carter said.

After taking on this task,

the group exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Dirk Carter then made an excuse to leave.

Once he left.

Joachim Young said joyfully, "Leader, you're incredible. With just a few words, you won over Dirk Carter. Now, Reginald Goodman is going to be in trouble."

Yet Hadley Thorne wasn't as optimistic.

His expression turned silent.

He murmured, "Hmm, strange. I expected Dirk Carter would ask something of me, but in the end, he didn't. This guy—I'm finding him hard to read..."

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