The Anxious Wing
In July, the anxious mistakes began.
Vice-Mayor Liu's wing — exactly as Lao Wei had predicted — became visibly nervous as the Ji Xiulan article was followed, in mid-July, by a similar article about another retired cadre named Du Yueying. The pattern was — recognizable to anyone watching for it. Two articles in five weeks. Both blandly worded. Both establishing procedural foundations. The people on the named-list-likely-coming knew, by now, what was approaching.
The first mistake was — in mid-July, in a coordination meeting on the Western Industrial Park's phase-two implementation.
A Section Chief named Yan Lihua — who reported to Vice-Mayor Liu's office — proposed an amendment to the unit's tracking authority. The amendment would — require the unit to submit each tracking report to Vice-Mayor Liu's office for "advance review" before transmission to Director Wang.
The proposal was — transparently an attempt to — slow or filter the unit's reports.
Lin was at the meeting. So was Director Wang. So was Sun. So were five other senior cadres from various offices.
Lin observed Yan Lihua's face as she made the proposal. She was — visibly tense. Her hands were — slightly unsteady on her papers. The proposal itself was — drafted in haste; it contained a procedural error in the language that suggested — it had been written that morning rather than over weeks.
Lin understood — immediately — that this was an anxious mistake. Someone in Vice-Mayor Liu's wing had — directed Yan Lihua to bring the proposal. The someone was — operating from anxiety about the autumn findings. The proposal was — meant to establish a procedural foothold that could — later be used to constrain the unit, in case the autumn findings put the wing on the defensive.
Director Wang — read the room in two seconds.
She said: "Section Chief Yan. Thank you for the proposal. The Policy Implementation Unit was established — on the Mayor's specific authority — with — direct reporting to my office. Adding a Vice-Mayor's office to the reporting chain would require — formal modification of the unit's establishing mandate. That modification would require — the Mayor's approval. I am — not in a position to accept the proposal in this meeting. Please submit it formally to — Mayor Cao's office for consideration."
The proposal — died at that moment.
Submitting it to the Mayor's office would mean — exposing the proposal's origin and timing to the Mayor. The Mayor would — recognize it as Vice-Mayor Liu's wing attempting to constrain the unit. The Mayor would — then ask why. Asking why would — surface the wing's anxiety. The anxiety would — make the wing's coming exposure easier for the Mayor to manage.
Yan Lihua — bowed her head. She said: "I — understand, Director Wang. I will — withdraw the proposal."
The meeting moved on.
#
After the meeting, in the corridor, Director Wang stopped Lin.
She said: "They are — getting careless."
"Yes."
"That was — the first."
"There will be — more."
"Yes."
She paused.
She said: "Section Chief Lin. In the next several months, I will — likely be — requesting your help on a few matters that — sit slightly outside the unit's normal mandate. The matters will be — adjacent to the autumn findings. I will — not — explain why I am asking. I will simply — ask. You will — say yes."
"Yes, Director."
"Good."
She walked on.
#
The second anxious mistake was in early August.
A fabrication appeared — in the regional press — about Lin himself.
A small online publication ran a story claiming that Lin's marriage to Su Wanyin had been — "arranged" through Old Su's connections and that Lin's career advancement was — "indebted to family influence."
The story was — straightforwardly false. The chronology disproved it: Lin's first promotion preceded his engagement to Su Wanyin by a month. His second promotion to Section Chief was confirmed by a personnel committee that did not — include any of Old Su's contacts. The Mayor's recruitment of Lin in March of the previous year had occurred when Lin had only — met Old Su once, briefly, at a banquet.
But the fabrication — was — published. It was — designed to — generate confusion. To — create a small but persistent narrative that — over time — could be used as ammunition against Lin.
#
Wen Qiao called him within two hours of the story breaking.
She said: "Lin."
"Yes."
"My paper has been asked to — pick up the fabrication. I have — refused. My editor has — backed me. We will not run it.
"But — three other regional publications have, in the past forty-eight hours, received the same materials from the same source. Two of them have already — declined. One — is — considering."
"Who."
"*Eastern Economic Review.* Smaller paper. Less reputable. They are — willing to run lighter sourcing if it produces — visible content. The materials they have received are — somewhat dressed up. They include — fabricated quotes from a former classmate of yours saying that you — were known in college as a — calculating opportunist."
"That former classmate doesn't exist."
"My research suggests — the same conclusion."
She paused.
"Lin. The *Eastern Economic Review* is currently — leaning toward running the story. They will likely run it — within a week. When they do, the fabrication will — enter a more visible space. Other publications may — pick it up.
"I am telling you this because — I owe you the warning. I cannot — directly intervene with the *Eastern Economic Review.* They are — outside my paper's network. But — you may have — other channels."
Lin thought.
He said: "Thank you, Wen Qiao."
"Yes."
He hung up.
#
He called Lao Wei.
"Vice-Mayor Liu's wing is — running a fabrication about my marriage and my career. *Eastern Economic Review* is considering running it within a week."
Lao Wei said: "Mm."
A pause.
"Lin. This one we handle through Mayor Cao's office. Directly. Not through — informal channels. The fabrication is — not subtle enough to require — informal management. The Mayor's office can — kill the *Eastern Economic Review* story with a single phone call. The cost is — small. The benefit is — establishing publicly that the Mayor's office protects its proteges from this kind of attack."
"How."
"Director Wang will — request an audience with the Mayor tomorrow. She will — present the fabrication and its origins. She will — request that the Mayor's office — quietly inform the *Eastern Economic Review* that running the story would not be — consistent with the Mayor's office's expectations of regional press cooperation. The *Eastern Economic Review* will — get the message. The story will — not run."
"And — Vice-Mayor Liu's wing."
"Will — receive a clear signal that fabrications about you have — costs. The wing will — consider whether further fabrications are — worth the costs. They will — possibly conclude they are not. They may — try other tactics. But — the fabrication tactic will be — closed."
"Yes."
"I will speak with Director Wang tomorrow. The audience will — happen Wednesday."
"Yes, Lao Wei."
#
The audience happened on Wednesday.
The Mayor's office made the call.
The *Eastern Economic Review* did not run the story.
Vice-Mayor Liu's wing — by Friday — had received the signal. They — in the immediate term — stood down on fabrications.
But — Lin understood — they would try something else. Something more careful. The autumn was approaching. The findings were approaching. They — had nothing to lose.
#
That night, in the apartment, Su Wanyin said:
"They tried to — claim I bought your career."
"Yes."
"With my father's connections."
"Yes."
"The chronology disproves it."
"Yes."
"They knew the chronology disproves it."
"Yes."
"They didn't care."
"They wanted — confusion. The story doesn't have to be — true. It only has to — be in print, where it can be — referenced later as if it were true."
She — was silent for a moment.
She said: "I am — angry."
"Yes."
"At them."
"Yes."
"What can I do."
He looked at her.
He said: "Wanyin. Right now — nothing. The Mayor's office has — handled it. The story will not run. The wing will not try the same tactic again."
"And in the future."
"In the future — possibly — your visibility may — increase. Not by my choice. By — circumstance. As your father's findings issue. As my work continues. There may come a time when you are — drawn into something more publicly than — either of us would prefer."
"Yes."
"At that time — we will — handle it together. With Lao Wei. With your father. With the appropriate channels."
She — nodded.
She said: "I will — when the time comes — be ready."
"Yes."
She kissed him.
She said: "Sleep. The week starts tomorrow."
He slept.
---