Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1010 - Chapter 1010 Chapter 966 Liu Yongs Anger

Chapter 1010: Chapter 966: Liu Yong’s Anger Chapter 1010: Chapter 966: Liu Yong’s Anger Bashu Building, rooms of the Bashu Hotel.

Room 1605 was a business suite of the Bashu Hotel. Aside from the luxurious large bed, there was also a small reception room outside the bedroom. As the governor of a province, it was important for Liu Yong to maintain his status, as it related to the face of Hongjiang Province.

In the reception room, on the sofa, Liu Yong held his phone and dialed a number. In the phone’s contact list, there were only five characters, “Central Org Chen Minister.”

This indicated that the number belonged to Chen Jingtao, the Deputy Minister of the Central Organization Department. As soon as the call connected, Liu Yong began with a smile, “Minister Jingtao, I’m terribly sorry for disturbing you.”

Although Liu Yong was the governor of Hongjiang, and Chen Jingtao was just a deputy minister of the Central Organization Department, one was in Jingcheng, the other in a locality, one close to the center of power, the other on the local level. Their powers were not comparable.

In Hongjiang, Liu Yong was a significant figure, a local magnate, but in Jingcheng, he had to be careful and cautious.

In front of Chen Jingtao, Liu Yong didn’t dare to put on airs.

After a pause on the other end of the line, a deep voice said, “Old Liu.”

“It’s timely, you were calling me, I was just about to call you too. This morning, the department held an executive meeting chaired by our comrade from Suzhou. It was specifically to discuss the current adjustment of the provincial party committees and governments, and there was a lot of discussion about Hongjiang Province.” Chen Jingtao’s words, coming through the handset, left Liu Yong somewhat astonished.

A bad premonition surged in his heart. For Chen Jingtao to speak in such a manner, the issue must be significant. If it had been good news, Chen Jingtao would have certainly taken the initiative to seek credit. Even though he was stepping down, in the system, such favors were always taken if freely given.

After a pause, Liu Yong somewhat comprehended, “Minister Jingtao, has the department already decided on the candidate for Hongjiang?”

“It’s been decided. Comrade Suzhou’s opinion is that we hope Comrade Wen Baogui can act as the interim governor. The department’s executive meeting has already approved it. By now, it should have already been submitted to the higher-ups.” Chen Jingtao’s tone was very certain. After a pause, he continued, “Old Liu, actually, there’s more. From what the meeting indicated, the higher-ups are somewhat dissatisfied with Hongjiang’s team. You should prepare yourself, the adjustments to Hongjiang’s team might not be so simple this time.”

This statement immediately enraged Liu Yong. What damned dissatisfaction with the team? Such things could deceive others, but could they deceive Liu Yong? The so-called dissatisfaction from the higher-ups was probably mainly from Nie Zhenbang, wasn’t it?

Though anger flared in his heart, he still suppressed it and spoke into the phone, “Minister Jingtao, I understand. I’ll invite you out sometime.”

After hanging up the phone, Liu Yong’s expression darkened. Though Chen Jingtao had not explicitly said anything, his meaning was clear.

Without discussing anything else, Liu Yong wasn’t sure how the Hongjiang Provincial Committee team would be adjusted, but what he could be certain of was that Wen Baogui’s chances were definitely better than He Yusheng’s. With this, how Liu Yong should deal with it became a very real problem.

Liu Yong was furious, he stood up and paced back and forth in the room, deep in thought. At this moment, his mood was extremely shaken; Nie Zhenbang’s actions were, in essence, forcing him into a corner.

Everyone knew that as the governor of Hongjiang, Liu Yong had always valued He Yusheng, giving him prominence in everyday work and cultivating him as a successor. Now, Nie Zhenbang, without any notice, directly recommended Wen Baogui to the Central Organization Department. This was a sneak attack, leaving Liu Yong completely unprepared.

If that were the case, from then on, he would have no say in Hongjiang Province. Already set to step down, the power shift was something Liu Yong was not accustomed to and was still adapting to. Now, with Nie Zhenbang’s relentless pursuit, Liu Yong felt as if he was being pushed to the edge of a cliff. Not fighting back was absolutely out of the question.

Stopping in his tracks, Liu Yong took a seat. He took out a phone number and made a call, and soon, a voice came from the other end, “Hello!”

The voice sounded somewhat aged but still strong. At this moment, Liu Yong was like a schoolboy, very respectful, softly and with a smile, “Uncle Mao, I hope I haven’t disturbed your rest so late.”

On the other end of the phone, Fang Maotang chuckled but with a hint of reproach, “You are always so polite in front of me. You must have a matter to discuss. Come over, I’ll instruct the guards to let you in.”

Fang Maotang’s words made Liu Yong feel somewhat embarrassed. He really didn’t dare to play any tricks in front of the old leader, chuckled lightly, and then nodded, “Uncle Mao, please wait, I’ll come over to visit you soon.”

Fang Maotang’s cohort, despite having long been retired, still enjoyed all the privileges due to their former status as one of the Nine Tripods.

However, since they had retired many years ago, including President Yuan, they had all moved out of the Inland Sea area. After leaving the Inland Sea, Fang Maotang’s residence had always been arranged in the Xishan area.

The famous Central Xishan Sanatorium is what they speak of here. Although it was no longer the center of power, the covert influence of those who lived there was not to be underestimated.

In Xishan, a lax external yet strict internal defense strategy was adopted. The relaxed outer defense ensured that the Xishan area did not attract too much attention from the public, both domestically and abroad, which embodied the concept of “hiding in plain sight.”

The stringent internal defense, on the other hand, fully ensured that the personal safety and living environment of each leader residing there were under the strictest protection.

About half an hour later, when Liu Yong walked out of the gate of the Bashu Building alone, a young man greeted him at the entrance, saying, “Excuse me, you must be Governor Liu. The chief asked me to come pick you up.”

At that moment, Liu Yong was very amicable and did not show any disdain for the young man’s youth. The fact that the old chief sent him was proof enough that the man was trusted by the old chief as if he were a relative or someone as close as one.

Nodding in acknowledgment, Liu Yong said with a smile, “The chief is being too polite, it’s a trouble for you to come all this way.”

The young man acted properly, opening the car door for Liu Yong and, after he got in, drove straight out of the gates of the Bashu Building, then said with a smile, “Governor Liu, you’re being too modest. The defense in Xishan is very strict; it would be quite a hassle if no one came to meet you.”

The car traveled unimpeded all the way to Xishan, and upon crossing the outer perimeter of the Xishan Sanatorium area, the surroundings suddenly became much more heavily guarded, with an armed military police checkpoint in the middle of the road ahead.

After inspecting the pass and presenting a visitor’s card, the military police saluted and let them through.

Fang Maotang’s house was located in the core area of the Xishan Sanatorium, with a three-story Chinese courtyard style backing onto the mountains, and a meandering stream flowing in front of it, conveying a sense of pastoral retreat.

Along the creek, a winding path laid with white pebbles. Sheltered by green trees, which, even in winter, revealed numerous evergreen trees. Every once in a while, a pavilion or tower stood, completing the perfection.

Above the trail, with about a meter of elevation, lay the black asphalt road, accommodating two lanes of traffic in both directions. However, in front of each house, there were about four parking spaces, a detail that revealed the thoughtful consideration of the designers.

The car slowed to a stop, and Liu Yong got out. As he entered, at the entrance to the main hall, an octogenarian with a smile on his face and white hair, but appearing vigorous, watched Liu Yong with a tender gaze that occasionally flashed sharpness, conveying a majestic aura.

“Xiao Yong, how is everything at home? Are your grandfather’s and your parents’ graves well?” As soon as they sat down on the rosewood antique furniture in the living room, Fang Maotang began to inquire.

Liu Yong felt joyful and grateful in his heart. Uncle Mao had grown up in his family’s house, and his first question upon meeting was about his grandfather and parents’ graves, showing how much he still valued these relationships.

In front of Fang Maotang, Liu Yong was like a primary school student, nodding in agreement, “They are fine. Last year during Qingming, I specially went back to my hometown to visit. The local government also often maintains them. This time, after I retire, I plan to live back in my hometown, fulfilling a son’s duty.”

These words made Fang Maotang also feel somewhat emotional. He then said, “After so many years, I really want to go see the mountains and rivers of Hongjiang again. In the future, such opportunities will be fewer and fewer.”

Hearing Fang Maotang’s words, Liu Yong smiled and said, “Uncle Mao, you are still full of vigor and I’m sure you’ll have the chance. It’s just a pity that the Lushan Sanatorium project couldn’t get approval from the province. Otherwise, we could have invited you to stay for a while.”

As they talked, Liu Yong turned to Fang Maotang and said, “Uncle Mao, I’ve come to share my grievances with you. Regarding the recent leadership changes in Hongjiang Province, I personally fully support the decisions from above, but Nie Zhenbang has really gone too far. This time, he even recommended candidates without consulting me at all. Isn’t this disregarding me completely?”

Listening to Liu Yong’s frank words, Fang Maotang remained silent, his gaze on Liu Yong tinged with a sigh. This nephew, indeed, lacked a lot in terms of abilities. From his words, he clearly lacked the qualities and cunning expected of a governor, which explained why, despite Fang Maotang’s support, he had only reached a certain level in his career.

After a moment of silence, Fang Maotang said slowly, “Xiao Yong, some things, sometimes, you really need to take a step back.”

(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (NovelFire.net) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)