Chapter 286 - 284 High Officials Take Charge_1

During these days when Bekri has been attending various functions and meetings with great prominence, inside the office of Liu Wenqing, the Secretary of Bazhou Municipal Committee, situated in the governing building of Bazhou Municipal Committee. At this moment, Liu Wenqing was holding a phone handset, his face ashen, nodding incessantly.

From the handset, Chairman Tieli’s furious roar and yelling came through: “Liu Wenqing, what are you doing? Can’t you control the people below you? You should know that I already know about the situation. Go and check out the reports on the recent leaders’ activities from Xinli City Television Station and Xinli Daily. See for yourself, ask Nie Zhenbang what he intends to do. Does he want to overturn superior resolutions? How audacious! Ask him if he still wants his position, if he doesn’t want it, he’d better get out of here.”

Liu Wenqing unconsciously moved the handset a little away, pressing it against his ear, listening to Chairman Tieli’s roar – it was quite unbearable. After Tieli had vented his anger, Liu Wenqing quickly said, “Rest assured, leader. I will go to Xinli City immediately and personally preside over it to ensure the successful convening of the People’s Congress Conference.”

After Tieli hung up, he sat down and was irritated by the situation in Xinli City. In particular, this matter had been communicated down from the top, making Tieli feel prickly all over. It was a clear display of his incompetence. How would his superiors assess him in the future? Although Tieli knew that given his own status, he could only be a retired vice-national level, he, like anyone else, aspired to that rank.

In deep thought, Tieli gave instructions to his secretary: “Adil, make a note for the 26th of February. The People’s Political Consultative Conference of Xinli City will be held then. We will go to Xinli City on the 25th.”

Meanwhile, in Xinli City, after receiving Tieli’s call, Liu Wenqing had Secretary-General Li Qingde of the Municipal Party Committee Office notify the Xinli City Municipal Committee and Government that Secretary Liu would arrive in Xinli City the following day.

This notification immediately kept all the leaders of the Xinli City Party Committee busy. Today was already February 24th and in just two days, the People’s Political Consultative Conference of Xinli City would be convened. At this point, Liu Wenqing’s arrival indicated an unusual turn of events.

In the area that multiples Xinli with Ku City.

After the towns of Dafeng, Red Flag, and Chetai were incorporated into Xinli City, the distance between Xinli City and Bazhou had been reduced by nearly 20 kilometers.

Underneath the completely new entrance gate of Xinli City’s Development Zone, Nie Zhenbang, along with the leadership of Xinli City’s four teams, stood there. Party Secretary Nie Zhenbang was at the forefront, with Zhou Chen, the acting mayor of Xinli City, at his left, and Huang Wei, chairman of the Xinli City CPPCC, on his right. Nie Zhenbang himself held the title of director of the Standing Committee of Xinli City People’s Congress.

On the side, Xie Yi, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee; Chen Le, Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee; Bekri, Standing Deputy Mayor, and others were already standing behind. Beside them, a Toyota Prado off-road vehicle, available for them, was parked, its police lights flashing.

At this moment, all the leaders were silent. Nie Zhenbang looked serious. He glanced at Zhou Chen, whose face couldn’t hide his smugness. Nie Zhenbang felt a bit disgusted.

Zhou Chen attached too much importance to the role of relationship backgrounds. This had inadvertently put him at a disadvantage. Apart from the vendettas between the two, Zhou Chen, though not necessarily an able worker, was not a corrupt official who pocketed money either. Zhou Chen, just like most descendants of influential families, wouldn’t do such a thing. If at most, he was guilty of using public funds for personal entertainment.

However, at the same time, Zhou Chen, being a man with extensive connections, was good at attracting companies. Without considering the environment and resources, he would make the right choice.

Unfortunately, it was a mistake for Zhou Chen to have a vendetta with him, and it was a mistake that he came to Xinli City with impure motives. Moreover, Zhou Chen, being from a prestigious family himself, held different views from Nie Zhenbang. It was unrealistic to expect Zhou Chen to agree with his views and Nie Zhenbang didn’t think too much about it. Therefore, sending Zhou Chen away was something Nie Zhenbang had to do.

Ahead, a convoy led by police cars came slowly. Liu Wenqing’s official car also stopped at the place. Nie Zhenbang and the rest of the Xinli City leaders walked towards them.

At this point, since they had not yet completely fallen out, Nie Zhenbang still had to go and greet Liu Wenqing. As the car window was lowered, Liu Wenqing looked cold, fully demonstrating the authority and dignity of a prefecture-level city’s Party Secretary. He nodded slightly and then said, “Everyone is here; go back. Comrade Zhou Chen, get in the car.”

Watching Zhou Chen getting into Liu Wenqing’s car with a smug expression on his face, Nie Zhenbang gave a cold laugh. Tieli had really gone to great lengths over Zhou Chen’s matters. Today, Liu Wenqing came to take command personally, putting on such an act. It was to make clear to the leadership of the Xinli City Party Committee that acting Mayor Zhou Chen was highly esteemed by the city.

Seeing the complex expression on Bekri’s face next to him, Nie Zhenbang immediately said, “Old White, let’s go together.”

“Secretary, this time…” Bekri began as soon as he entered the car.

This time, Nie Zhenbang was driving himself. Bekri sat in the passenger seat while their driver Xiao Wang and Yi Jun were sent off to Bekri’s car. It was best that fewer people knew about what was happening.

Listening to Bekri, Nie Zhenbang knew that Bekri was a bit nervous now. After all, they were going against a city party secretary of the prefecture level and a departmental-level leader who might even become a deputy ministerial-level leader soon. Meanwhile, one of them was only at the division level, only reaching that because of Xinli City’s elevation to sub-departmental city. One could say one was in the skies while the other on the ground. It would be strange not to be afraid.

With that said, Nie Zhenbang reassured him with a smile, “Old White, you need not worry. I believe that the public’s judgment is unclouded. We shouldn’t try to overthink what the higher-ups want. Since Secretary Liu called Vice Mayor Zhou over there, we’ll just let them be. We strive to be upright in our ways and earnest in our deeds. Surely they can’t dismiss us? Old White, I believe that Secretary Jiang of the Autonomous Region and Mayor Ding of the city would still trust us.”

Nie Zhenbang’s words did soothe Bekri. Nie Zhenbang subtly expressed that no matter what Liu Wenqing does, didn’t Nie Zhenbang still have the support of the first one in command at the Autonomous Regional Party Committee?

In reality, Nie Zhenbang was putting on a facade. However, people like Bekri believed him. If Secretary Jiang didn’t have a connection with Nie Zhenbang, why would he meet with him twice?

With these thoughts, Bekri also smiled in reassurance. “Secretary Nie, hearing you say that, reassures me. I trust the organization, and I trust you, Secretary Nie. Moreover, I firmly believe that the people will elect a true people’s mayor for Xinli City.”

The car drove directly into Xinli City Party Committee office building, the originally decrepit Li County Party Committee office building had only two months left marking the end of its historical significance. The new City Committee and Government office buildings had already been established. Now, most of the building’s interior decorations were also nearly done; the installation and layout phase for the office desks, chairs, and telephones had begun—all managed by Secretary Generals Qu Feng and Mi Fugui, the ‘stewards’ of the city committee and government. Almost all their time was occupied at the new city committee and government building.

In the small meeting room of the Xinli City Party Committee.

Usually, this would be the location for Xinli City Standing Committee meetings. At the moment, it felt as if they were holding an enlarged meeting of the Xinli City Party Committee.

The secretary of the Bazhou City Party Committee, Liu Wenqing, sat in the central seat, with the secretary of the Xinli City Party Committee, Nie Zhenbang, to his left, and acting Mayor Zhou Chen to his right. Following them, the Standing Committee members including Xie Yi, took their respective seats. After them, the members of Xinli City Committee, other deputy leaders of the municipal government, and heads of various municipal agencies sat towards the back. Some had merely pulled over a stool to secure a spot at the edge.

There was no choice; the large meeting room of Xinli City Party Committee was not suitable. The City Committee auditorium would be too vast. Moreover, Nie Zhenbang and the others believed that Liu Wenqing would only summon the leading cadres from Xinli City Committee and the municipal government for a small-scale meeting. Who knew that Liu Wenqing would turn it into an enlarged City Committee meeting.

After surveying those present, Liu Wenqing spoke up, “Comrades, the reason for my visit to Xinli City this time is specifically for Xinli City’s People’s Congress political consultation meeting.”

Liu Wenqing was straightforward and did not mask his purpose of coming to Xinli City. He directly stated that he came to facilitate the election in Xinli City, which left the leading cadres of Xinli City taken aback and a bit surprised.

“Comrades, Xinli City is the first sub-department-level city in the history of our Xibei Autonomous Region, and it is also the youngest city. The Central Party, the State Council, Secretary General Yuan and Premier Yun all attach great importance to the construction and development of Xinli City. This time, it’s a critical period for Xinli City to elect the first mayor of Xinli. I hope, and I believe, that the leading cadres of Xinli City and the deputies of Xinli City’s People’s Congress are thoughtful, politically aware, and consider the overall situation,” Liu Wenqing continued, highlighting the importance of Xinli City at the central level.

Moreover, Liu Wenqing made it clear that they should be politically aware and consider the overall situation. It implied that the deputies to Xinli City’s People’s Congress, if they did not vote according to the wishes of the higher-ups, would be people who disregarded the overall situation. This caused Nie Zhenbang to furrow his brows.

After a brief pause, Liu Wenqing spoke again, “Comrades, the first Xinli City People’s Congress is about to convene. It has received great attention from the Autonomous Region’s leaders. Before my departure, I received a call from the Autonomous Region government. Chairman of the Autonomous Region, Comrade Tieli ? Mehmet, will arrive in Xinli City tomorrow and will attend the first session of Xinli city People’s Congress taking place the following morning at nine.”

Hearing Liu Wenqing’s words, Nie Zhenbang’s eyebrows furrowed even further. It seemed that Li Guohua was adamant about getting Zhou Chen elected. For a sub-department-level city’s election, having the Minister of Organization or the Deputy Secretary of the City Committee to preside it is almost considered risky. Now, even the City Party Secretary showed up which was already a big deal, however having a provincial ministerial-level official preside over it was taking Nie Zhenbang off guard completely. (To be continued. If you like this novel, please visit to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)