Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 727 - 683: Fierce Confrontation_1

Chapter 727 -683: Fierce Confrontation_1

Zhou Taian is the deputy secretary and the mayor of Pengcheng City. However, those who have worked in Jiangbei Province for over twenty years know clearly that Zhou Taian’s first job after graduation was at the government office in Pingtai City of Jiangbei Province.

At that time, Ning Shouchang was serving as the deputy mayor in the government of Pingtai City. Very few people in Jiangbei Province know about this connection, but those who do are quite aware of it. It could be said that Zhou Taian is essentially one of Ning Shouchang’s trusted subordinates.

Shen Yanshuo, being a homegrown official of Jiangbei Province, was clearly aware of this, and as Ning Shouchang talked, Shen’s face went pale.

At that moment, Chen Huazhang, the Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee raised his hand, looking at Shen Yanshuo, and said, “Secretary Shen, may I say a few words?”

Then, Chen Huazhang thought for a moment and said, “Secretary Shen, leaders, I think with such a significant incident happening in Pengcheng City, everyone’s thoughts are in flux. It’s not an exaggeration to describe this as unrest. Currently, Comrade Zhou Taian still has to be responsible for all aspects of Pengcheng City’s government work. Although Comrade Zhou Taian is quite suitable, I wonder if letting him oversee all the work of the city committee would be too taxing. I believe this would be somewhat detrimental to the current stability in Pengcheng City. I suggest that Tian Yongbiao, the full-time Deputy Secretary of Pengcheng City’s Party Committee, temporarily act as the head of the city committee.”

As Chen Huazhang’s words fell silent, the room became quiet. Everyone’s eyes turned to Yang Xingan, who was in charge of the organization department of the Provincial Party Committee.

...

Who was Tian Yongbiao? He was a secretary brought over by Yang Xingan when he was transferred to Jiangbei Province. As Yang Xingan rose in rank, Tian Yongbiao’s status also rose with him, now, he has become a key force under Yang Xingan.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Yang Xingan started to curse inwardly. Good for you, Chen Huazhang, for shifting the blame.

Are you trying to ruin the harmony between Ning Shouchang and me, just because you can’t find a suitable person from your faction? Furthermore, the tricky thing was that he couldn’t object to Chen Huazhang’s suggestion. At the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee meeting, though it sounded mysterious, everyone in the system knew that there were no secrets at the Standing Committee.

Perhaps, not even five minutes after the meeting ended, all the officials at the level of the department and bureau throughout the province would already know about the situation of the Standing Committee.

If I express my opposition, it will definitely make Tian Yongbiao uncomfortable. After all, as his superior, if I can’t even pursue the interest that is given to me, then who would follow such a leader in the future? Clearly, that’s impossible.

Shen Yanshuo was quite satisfied, Chen Huazhang’s words were like a sharp needle that immediately broke the deadlock. As he looked around the room, his gaze of approval swept past Chen Huazhang and finally settled on Yang Xingan. He said with a smile, “Comrade Xingan, as the head of the Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee, you are the one in charge of the province’s organization and personnel. Can I say that you are the one who manages official posts? Do you have any thoughts?”

At this point, it was only natural for Shen Yanshuo not to miss this opportunity. He wanted to press on while he had the upper hand and further suppress Ning Shouchang. As long as the Standing Committee passed this, Ning Shouchang wouldn’t be able to stir up any waves. Next, the Nie faction would return to its previous state. This was a ripple effect, and Shen Yanshuo was aware of it.

Forcing me to make a position? Yang Xingan smirked internally, then said, “Both Comrade Zhou Taian and Comrade Tian Yongbiao are excellent.”

“First, Comrade Zhou Taian, since he took office as the mayor of Pengcheng City, the economic construction and development of Pengcheng City have made notable progress. All economic indicators are very good. Apart from maintaining steady growth in heavy industry, substantial progress has been made in the tertiary industry, tourism, and service sector. In the manufacturing industry, the garment industry now occupies an important position in the economy of Pengcheng City. This goes to show Comrade Zhou Taian’s abilities. In addition, within the system, there have been cases where the mayor temporarily oversees all the work of the city committee. The most recent example is Comrade Qiao Yiren. After the secretary of the League of Civil Wealth was transferred to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, he took on the dual roles of secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and governor. This proves that concurrent roles are not an issue.”

Pausing for a moment, Yang Xingan continued: “The other comrade, Tian Yongbiao, the full-time Deputy Secretary of the City Committee of Pengcheng City, also has considerable abilities. During his tenure as the full-time deputy secretary of the city committee, he was in charge of organizational awareness and personnel work, and fully took into consideration Pengcheng City’s actual situation. Nationally, he innovatively proposed hard targets for cadre assessments, which is a pioneering move and fully demonstrates his abilities. The opinion of the Organization Department is that both comrades are excellent, and it is hard for us to choose between them. As for the specific arrangements, I comply with the suggestions of the Standing Committee.”

With these words, Yang Xingan was incredibly smooth. Firstly, he situated the conversation within the framework of the Organization Department’s assessment, thus absolving him of any responsibility because these were just observations from the organization. Moreover, he didn’t clearly express a preference for anyone and deferred to the decision of the Standing Committee. This statement is equivalent to saying nothing. The implication was that he wouldn’t object to the selection of either Tian Yongbiao or Zhou Taian.

In saying this, he also gave Tian Yongbiao an explanation. At least on the issue of acting as the head of the city committee, Yang Xingan did not just step aside. He didn’t exaggerate or belittle Tian Yongbiao, using an entirely realistic attitude. If Tian Yongbiao doesn’t get this position, he would only have himself to blame for his lack of ability.

Moreover, Yang Xingan already had a clear idea. He would let Ning Shouchang have the position of city party secretary, and grasp the position of the mayor. The Nie faction had been silent for too long. Now, with Nie Zhenbang here to cooperate, many leaders in the Provincial Party Committee had to give Nie Zhenbang some face. For instance, the secretary of the Provincial Disciplinary Committee, Sun Daliang. Back when Zhuang Aiguo was the secretary of the Central Disciplinary Committee, Sun Daliang and Nie Zhenbang had quite a few exchanges.

For instance, Long Dianqin, the commander of the provincial military district, considers the Nie family as leading figures in the military. As a representative of the military, he had to show some respect to Nie Zhenbang and the military’s second-in-command, Nie Guodong.

Again, let’s take the executive vice governor, Huang Yuesheng. He is the brother-in-law of Nie Guodong, as his wife is Huang Yuesheng’s sister, Huang Yuerong. With the links between the Nie and Huang families, he naturally supports Nie Zhenbang. When Nie Zhenbang is not in Jiangbei Province, these seemingly unrelated individuals scatter like grains of rice. However, with the presence of Nie Zhenbang, they are drawn together like a tightly knotted rope. This bonding force is something even Shen Yanshuo feels wary of. Silly would be the only way to describe him if he were to forsake this alliance.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the Executive Vice Governor Huang Yuesheng raised his hand and said, “May I say a few words?”

Huang Yuesheng, as a scion of a prominent family, was the youngest son of Vice Premier Huang. Despite the Huang family’s diminished stature, Huang Yuesheng still carried himself with grace and composure.

From Huang Yuesheng’s tone and demeanor, it was evident that he didn’t care much for minutiae. As he raised his hand to speak, he didn’t even bother to ask for permission from Shen Yanshuo, which visibly ruffled Shen Yanshuo’s feathers. Shen awkwardly grinned, “Vice Governor Huang, please feel free to share your insights.”

Huang Yuesheng glanced at Shen Yanshuo nonchalantly before saying, “I believe that Comrade Zhou Taian is the most suitable candidate. Pengcheng City is currently in a tough situation and needs strong leadership. Only then can the unsettled sentiments be swiftly pacified. Clearly, Comrade Zhou Taian as the mayor should temporarily take charge of the municipal party committee. Thus, I support the idea of letting Zhou Taian oversee all work of the Pengcheng City Committee.”

With the conversation having progressed to this point, any further discussion would be unproductive. Shen Yanshuo recognized this and immediately initiated the voting process. The final results…

Unsurprisingly, Zhou Taian secured seven votes and won by a narrow margin. With affirmative votes from Ning Shouchang, Huang Yuesheng, and Li Yong — three standing members of the provincial government — as well as Sun Daliang and Long Dianqin, Zhou Taian already had five votes. Unexpectedly, Wang Daan, the full-time deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, and Wang Chenglong, the municipal party secretary of Jiangzhou, also voted in his favor.

Seeing the results, Shen Yanshuo felt dispirited. Even if he disregarded Yang Xingan, who abstained, his side had only six votes. If he exercised his veto power over this matter, it would make him seem incompetent as the provincial party secretary resorting to such special privileges to suppress opposition. Besides, taking such action would only upset the other standing committee members of the provincial party committee. The losses would definitely outweigh the gains.

“Alright, since it’s come to this, Secretary Daan, why don’t you consult with Comrade Xingan and issue a formal document assigning Zhou Taian to temporarily oversee all work of the Pengcheng City Committee. Meeting adjourned.” Shen Yanshuo got up to leave after he had said this, picking up his teacup and notebook and walking out in measured strides.

The investigation of Pengcheng City by the Three-Public Office was in its final stages. Just like what happened in Jiangzhou City, any infractions committed in Pengcheng City would inevitably be publicized in the media.

At the Ping’an Hotel in Pengcheng City

Employees from the Three-Public Office had already packed their bags. The group walked out of the Ping’an Hotel, where the leaders of Pengcheng City had been waiting at the door.

After bidding farewell to the Pengcheng officials, Nie Zhenbang and his party finally got into their cars and slowly departed from the city.

As the car was driving through the streets of Pengcheng City, a call came in on Li Jupeng’s phone. After a brief conversation, Li Jupeng’s expression turned grave as he quietly reported, “Director Nie, Deputy Director Li’s side has encountered a problem.”

Hearing this, Nie Zhenbang straightened up, his face unreadable. In a calm tone, he asked, “Where are Li Guobing and his team now?”

“They’re in Bashu Province now, Director.”

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

PS: It’s my uncle’s birthday tomorrow. The house is crowded with guests. There’s no place to write, and it’s too noisy. I can only write after I return home from dinner in the evening. I’ll try my best not to owe an update. (