Chapter 551: 508 Secretary Li Taishi (First update, request for monthly ticket)_1

“Zhenbang, I think, you don’t need to wait for the regular flight. Do you remember that suggestion Anna mentioned once?” Before he went, Li Lixue smiled and brought it up.

This sentence made Nie Zhenbang pause, but he soon understood, looking somewhat astonished, “What? Have you already purchased the plane?”

Li Lixue nodded. In front of her family, Li Lixue lacked her usual cold bearing, appearing wonderfully gentle. She said: “Hmm, it’s currently parked at Jingcheng City Airport. It’s a Bombardier CRJ-200LR type. Considering our increasing family members, we chose this 50-seat feeder plane. This is the extended-range model and its maximum range can reach over 3700 kilometers.”

Only upon hearing Li Lixue’s explanation did Nie Zhenbang discover that, after expressing interest in purchasing a private jet, the women had finally chosen Bombardier over Gulfstream. Originally, they had been considering a small business jet, but its capacity of eight to ten passengers had left Anna, that girl, unsatisfied. Coincidentally, at this time, French Bret Air wanted to replace their existing CRJ-200LR with a CRJ-700 model. Hence, the women were able to get the plane so quickly.

The entire aircraft had undergone an extremely luxurious transformation. The original 50-passenger seating and cargo hold had undergone a radical conversion. Without compromising the safety of the flight, they transformed the foresection of the plane into a first-class cabin with eight seats. This was followed by a guest lounge, a living room capable of accommodating a dozen people, with sofas, an entertainment system, everything. At the rear, they had renovated a large and two small bedrooms along with a bathroom and kitchen. One could say that, as long as everyone was willing, they could fly all over the world without having to disembark from the aircraft.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Now that they had a private jet, Nie Zhenbang wasn’t so anxious. After dining with the three women around eight in the evening, Nie Zhenbang then departed, with only Li Lixue seeing him off. Both Anna and Dong Wan were observing the confinement period after childbirth. Although foreigners don’t observe this period, Chinese people take postnatal confinement very seriously.

At Jingcheng City Airport, the crew had already made all the preparations for takeoff. Accompanied by Li Lixue, Nie Zhenbang boarded the plane. The four professional flight attendants stood by the cabin door and slightly bowed, “Welcome aboard, Mr. Nie!”

Around eleven in the evening, the plane slowly landed at Wanghai Airport. As for subsequent issues, naturally, he didn’t need to concern himself. Supporting a private jet was hardly a problem given Li Lixue’s financial resources. More importantly, Li Lixue’s superb business acumen would definitely ensure every inch of the plane’s value was utilized.

Upon stepping out of the airport, Li Jupeng was standing outside, with car number five still at hand. Seeing Nie Zhenbang emerge, Li Jupeng went up to meet him, took the luggage from Nie’s hands, and stowed it in the trunk before briskly walking to the car door, opening it, and placing his left hand on the door frame.

Once they were in the car, the driver, Guo Sanbao, turned around and asked, “Mr. Mayor, shall we head to the small reception of the Municipal Party Committee?”

Nie Zhenbang nodded, “Alright, let’s go to Hong Yan Lou.”

As the car slowly started and picked up speed, heading on the airport expressway, Li Jupeng turned back and said, “Mr. Mayor, the new secretary took office the day before yesterday.”

After a moment’s pause, Li Jupeng continued, “Yesterday, Secretary Li held a cadre meeting at the municipal party committee, studying the essence of the two sessions and Secretary Yuan’s speech, emphasizing stability in overall situation and carrying out economic construction in Wanghai City.”

This was quite conventional, without much overreach. But just because the Municipal Party Secretary is the top leader of the entire city, one shouldn’t think that the whole city falls within his jurisdiction. In fact, there could be overstepping boundaries by the Party Secretary, and the most typical example is the Secretary interfering in governmental work. Typically, a top leader would interfere in some way, which is often the cause of disharmony within most party and government teams.

The state has stipulated that the Secretary manages personnel, and the Mayor manages affairs. If the Secretary manages personnel and then turns around to meddle with affairs, then what is the Mayor needed for? Having a chunk of one’s power taken away, anyone would be unhappy. This is the root of the conflict.

Li Taishi, as a person, during the Two Sessions, both of them were part of the Minan Province People’s Congress Delegation. Although they were not very familiar with each other, they had met.

Nie Zhenbang had a very good impression of Li Taishi. At this moment, the central government’s consideration to let Li Taishi take over must have deeper reasons. Since Prime Minister Yun approved of him serving as the mayor of Wanghai City, and knowing his character, Yun would definitely not plan any stumbling blocks in his way. He could affirm that there were prerequisites for a harmonious working relationship with Li Taishi.

Thinking of this, Nie Zhenbang also nodded, “Jupeng, adjust my schedule for tomorrow morning. I’ll go pay a visit to Secretary Li Taishi.”

…

The following morning at eight o’clock, just after starting work.

Nie Zhenbang had already entered the Municipal Party Committee Municipal Government office building, and headed straight to the elevator on the Party Committee’s side, taking the elevator straight to the top floor.

All along the way, numerous staff members paused to greet Nie Zhenbang. The office door to the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee was ajar, not fully closed–an institutional rule. An ajar door signified no pressing matters within, it is acceptable to push the door and enter directly. If the door was closed, the situation would be different.

Visiting Li Taishi was a decision he made after meticulous consideration. Although Li Taishi was new to Wanghai City, he was a standing member of the Provincial Committee. His status meant that no officials in Wanghai City dared to act rashly in front of him. However, attitude was required. Whether they could get along peacefully was another matter but it was imperative to express his intentions.

After knocking on the door and hearing invitation to enter, he walked into the office; there was no secretary outside. Apparently, Li Taishi did not bring a secretary along when he transferred here. He then proceeded to the room inside, opened the door, and stood at the entrance with a smile: “Secretary Li, are you busy?”

On seeing Nie Zhenbang, Li Taishi also revealed a smile, standing up with what appeared as great warmth: “Mayor Nie is here, please have a seat.”

Then, Li Taishi got up and personally poured a cup of hot tea for Nie Zhenbang, placed it on the coffee table, and subsequently settled on the couch, smiling: “Mayor Nie, I am truly sorry. I have just taken office and many things are not yet in order. I haven’t appointed a secretary yet. I apologize for the lack of reception.”

Continuing, Li Taishi said: “Mayor Nie, your proposal at this session left me refreshed. They say Mayor Nie is adept at economic construction, and if this proposal succeeds, Wanghai City will take wing. I did not anticipate arriving at Wanghai City immediately after my return. We will need to support each other in our future work.”

From Li Taishi’s tone, there seemed to carry hints of regret, but it didn’t seem artificial. This reassured Nie Zhenbang somewhat that, regardless, Li Taishi appeared to be someone easy to work with. Furthermore, his conversation implied his approach towards economic matters, which would be devoid of undue interference. He also hoped to maintain unity within the team.

Then, Nie Zhenbang pondered for a moment, formulated his words and responded with a smile: “Secretary Li, you are too courteous. During your years in Minzhou City, the local economy has blossomed thanks to your work. In the aftermath of the Yuhai case, Wanghai City is in dire need of revitalization. The city’s economy has suffered a heavy blow, but that is not the main problem. The main issue is that many people have lost confidence in Wanghai. This time, the central government’s decision to send you here reflects their confidence in you. You will be the one controlling the overall situation in Wanghai in the future while I will handle the minor affairs.”

Nie Zhenbang’s words satisfied Li Taishi; even with his steady disposition, a smile graced his face. In his words, Nie Zhenbang clarified his stance. As the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, Li Taishi would be in charge of the overall situation, and he would handle minor affairs. In other words, he defined the division of labor between the Secretary and the Mayor.

Now, Li Taishi was also obligated to return the favor. Given Wanghai City’s current state, there was no room to vie for power or profits. Moreover, Li Taishi was well aware of Nie Zhenbang’s strong background and the respect he commanded from higher-ups. Nevertheless, his credentials alone as a Deputy Departmental level official would suffice.

Consequently, Li Taishi chuckled and responded: “Mayor Nie, you probably don’t fully understand my character yet. I’m the type to prioritize matters over people. As we work together in the future, I would appreciate your understanding on any unorthodox actions I might take.”

These words were, in fact, an attempt at modesty. This did not imply any actual unorthodox behavior. With Li Taishi’s experience and stability, it was unlikely that he would act inappropriately. This statement intended to express his goodwill towards Nie Zhenbang.

Having said that, Li Taishi switched the topic and addressed Nie Zhenbang: “Mayor Nie, this time, there have been great changes in the Standing Committee of Wanghai Municipal Party Committee. Concerning the positions of Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Deputy Mayor, I wonder if Mayor Nie has any opinions.”

The situation in Wanghai City was unique. As a sub-provincial city and a centrally planned municipality, the first and second leaders of Wanghai City, along with the four major leadership groups were all sub-provincial level officials. This was approved by the central government and fell under the jurisdiction of the Central Organization Department. All other deputy leadership of Wanghai City would need to be decided by the Standing Committee of the Provincial Committee of Minnan Province. However, as a standing member of the Provincial Committee and Secretary of Wanghai Municipal Party Committee, Li Taishi could likely influence their decision to a large extent.

Nie Zhenbang was not expecting Li Taishi, at this moment, to bring up the crucial positions of Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Deputy Mayor. (.)