Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1047 - Chapter 1047 Chapter 1003 Chunan Hu Yanbo

Chapter 1047: Chapter 1003: Chunan Hu Yanbo Chapter 1047: Chapter 1003: Chunan Hu Yanbo “`

At the end of April, Chunan is undeniably at its most beautiful. It’s the eve of the May Day Golden Week and also the opening time of the fourth Huaxia Tourism Expo. At this moment, the capital of Chunan Province, Changxing City, is dressed anew, with blossoms and brocades along the roadsides. Various flower and bonsai displays, making up different patterns, are scattered appropriately along the main thoroughfares of Changxing City as well as in each square.

Changxing City’s Huahuang International Airport, here, serves as the aviation hub for both Changxing City and Chunan Province. The China Southern flight 76×5 from Hongcheng to Changxing landed punctually at Huahuang Airport.

As passengers disembarked, they were greeted in the terminal by banners and propaganda posters, all of which naturally pertained to the fourth Tourism Expo.

Just outside the terminal, at the domestic arrivals side, someone was holding up a sign high above the crowd, and it bore five particularly eye-catching words–Red River Delegation.

Seeing this, Wen Baogui, the head of the Red River Delegation, said to Nie Zhenbang on his right, “Secretary Nie, it looks like those up ahead must be workers from Chunan Province.”

Nie Zhenbang nodded. As the host, Chunan Province had to arrange these matters. Welcoming and sending off the various brother provinces’ delegations, as well as organizing for travel agencies, tourism websites, and media reporters from across the nation–not to mention internationally renowned tourism companies–these details required the host to coordinate and arrange, no matter how trivial. While the costs were borne by each visiting unit, such meticulous planning was a responsibility of the host.

“Comrade Baogui, Chunan Province’s preparation work is quite good,” said Nie Zhenbang with a smile, giving Chunan Province’s preparatory work a favorable review.

To the layman, it’s just lively, but to the insider, it’s all about the knack. Nie Zhenbang and Wen Baogui were by no means country bumpkins who had never seen the world; after all, Hongcheng had hosted the City Games. So much work was not something a few people or a small team could handle alone. These past few days, seeing the orderly airport without any hindrances to the flow of arrivals and departures, spoke volumes about Chunan Province’s work efficiency.

Wen Baogui, walking half a step behind Nie Zhenbang, kept an eye on such details all the time. Hearing Nie Zhenbang’s words, he nodded and said, “Secretary Nie, Chunan’s Hu Yanbo is quite famous in certain circles.”

At that, Nie Zhenbang smiled faintly. The “circle” Wen Baogui referred to was the ministerial level, more specifically the circle of actual ministers, including the heads of central ministries, state-owned enterprises, as well as the party and government leadership of all brother provinces.

Hu Yanbo of Chunan, this reference wasn’t something Hu himself claimed; it represented the recognition from the circle of actual ministers towards Hu, just as now, everyone refers to Nie Zhenbang as Hongjiang’s Nie Zhenbang.

As the number one figure in Chunan Province, as the Secretary of the Chunan Provincial Committee, Hu Yanbo indeed had the authority to speak this way.

Meanwhile, the deputy head of the Red River Delegation, Vice Governor Zhou Chuanjia, who was in charge of tourism and attracting investments, along with others, stepped forward to greet.

After a few words of handover with the Chunan Province workers, a man around his fifties approached, smiling as he said, “Secretary Nie, Governor Wen, welcome, welcome.”

At the ministerial level, although not from the same province, there were still exchanges, and they had met several times at the National Two Sessions.

This man, Nie Zhenbang and Wen Baogui were quite familiar with, was Chunan Provincial Committee standing committee member, Executive Vice Governor Li Laibao. This showed that Chunan Province gave a considerable amount of respect.

In this situation, Nie Zhenbang was well aware that it would be impossible for Chunan Provincial Committee Secretary Hu Yanbo to come out to greet them personally. It wasn’t that Hu Yanbo was too important, but as the host, Hu was probably too busy. There were too many matters to attend to, such as visiting each arriving delegation and receiving leaders from the national tourism bureau and central government. That a Provincial Committee standing committee member came in person was already quite exceptional. This courtesy was granted considering that both the Secretary and Governor of Hongjiang Province had come; otherwise, even Li Laibao might not have appeared.

As an Executive Vice Governor, Li Laibao had a significant chance of succeeding the current Governor of Chunan, Qu JianTuan, and becoming the new provincial governor. This was Qu’s last term, and Li Laibao was only in his fifties; four years later, he would be just fifty-four, still with a promising political future. Such a person, Nie Zhenbang naturally would not offend.

With a smile, stretching out his hand, he shook hands with Li Laibao, then said, “Governor Li, this is too courteous. Chunan has been incredibly busy in every way, and yet you’ve spared the time to welcome us personally. Hongjiang Province is truly flattered. Please convey my regards to Comrade Yanbo and Governor Qu.”

Subsequently, Wen Baogui was very polite too, shaking hands and thanking Li Laibao.

A large group boarded the bus arranged by Chunan Province. At this point, Li Laibao, as the host, naturally sat beside Nie Zhenbang.

“`

Nie Zhenbang saw the promising future of Li Laibao’s career and extended a gesture to forge a good relationship. Naturally, Li Laibao wouldn’t want to offend Nie Zhenbang, the shining new star on the political stage.

If one would say that his own future as a fifty-year-old executive vice governor was bright, then what about the forty-year-old provincial party secretary sitting beside him, with his composed demeanor and elegant conversation?

Li Laibao wasn’t a fool and naturally understood this principle. As the Buddhist saying goes, “form ties, form good karma.” Now, although they were from different provinces, considering the mobility and unpredictability of their positions at the provincial and ministerial level, who knew when he might become a subordinate to Nie Zhenbang without realizing it.

“Secretary Nie, this time, the hotel arranged for the Red River Delegation in Jingcheng is the Jingquan International Hotel, on the twelfth and thirteenth floors, all reserved for the Red River Delegation. The Jingquan Hotel is very close to the Chunan International Convention and Exhibition Center, only about a three-minute walk, which is very convenient,” Li Laibao said with a smile.

This was also a gesture of goodwill. Sometimes, at this level, the benefits provided had to be displayed so that the other party knew they were being taken care of and favored.

Li Laibao’s words meant exactly that. Arranging for the Red River Delegation to stay so close to the main venue, sparing them the travel hassle, was in itself a form of care. Moreover, in Changxing City, where hotel rooms were in short supply, to vacate two entire floors for the Red River was an enormous favor.

Nie Zhenbang was clearly aware of Li Laibao’s intention and said with a smile, “Governor Li, your arrangements are very thoughtful. On behalf of the Hongjiang Provincial Committee, and with Comrade Bao Gui here, we are thankful for such thorough and warm hospitality from our hosts. You must visit us in Hongjiang when you have the chance.”

Nie Zhenbang did not mention the Chunan Provincial Committee or the provincial government nor Hu Yanbo, focusing only on Li Laibao. His message was clear: Your good intentions have been fully understood.

Under Li Laibao’s guidance, everything was smoothly taken care of without the Red River side needing to worry, and the delegation was settled in seamlessly, with specialized staff accompanying and attending to them. Nie Zhenbang’s room was on the thirteenth floor, room number 1317, a business suite.

The suite had an inner and outer room: the inner being the bedroom and the outer a sitting room. Nie Zhenbang and Li Laibao took their seats as host and guest. Nie Zhenbang gestured slightly, and understanding the cue, Hong Feng promptly took out a gift set from the luggage. Nie Zhenbang said with a smile, “Governor Li, this is a set of porcelain from JingShan City, a gift I’m presenting to you as a keepsake.”

Nie Zhenbang and the Red River Delegation brought many such porcelain sets, given that it was a signature of Red River. Porcelain from Cidu, with its fame passed down through ages, was far from common gifts like cigarettes and alcohol. Offering such porcelain served both as a promotion of Red River’s heritage and as a gesture of customary exchange of gifts.

Li Laibao happily accepted the porcelain and, after praising it for a few sentences, set it aside before saying with a smile, “Secretary Nie, before coming here, Secretary Hu instructed me to be sure to convey his greetings to you. Later tonight, Secretary Hu Yanbo would like to invite you to a casual dinner.”

At this, Nie Zhenbang hesitated briefly. The fact that Hu Yanbo had Li Laibao convey the message indicated that Li Laibao was closely following Hu Yanbo’s lead and belonged to Hu Yanbo’s faction.

Yet, the relationship between himself and Hu Yanbo wasn’t deep. In Jingcheng, Hu Yanbo should be aligned with the Li family. Despite the decline in the Li family’s fortunes, it still carried weight in Jingcheng. To even mention the fall of Li Guohua was enough to make the Li family loathe him to the bone.

With Hu Yanbo showing such enthusiasm and taking the initiative to invite him, did he not fear the Li family would object, or did Hu Yanbo have other thoughts in mind?

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Nie Zhenbang found himself unable to understand Hu Yanbo’s intentions. After musing for a moment, he nodded with a smile, “Comrade Hu Yanbo is too kind. Since it is an invitation from Comrade Hu Yanbo, Zhenbang wouldn’t dare to decline. Tonight, I shall be at the host’s disposal.”

Without considering for too long, Nie Zhenbang accepted the invitation. Refusing was not the best option; unable to fathom Hu Yanbo’s motives at the moment, he opted for a strategy of staying unchanged to respond to any change, waiting to see what Hu Yanbo was truly thinking. After all, one should meet the enemy head-on when faced with conflict. In this regard, Nie Zhenbang was confident.

Hearing Nie Zhenbang’s response, Li Laibao let out a sigh of relief, having genuinely been worried that Nie Zhenbang might refuse — certainly not an outright rejection. At this level, numerous subtle methods of refusal existed, and Nie Zhenbang surely could have found an unobjectionable excuse to satisfy both Li Laibao and Secretary Hu.

If that had been the case, then Secretary Hu would definitely have felt that Li Laibao had not handled the situation well. Now that Nie Zhenbang had accepted the invitation, Li Laibao felt a considerable weight lifted off his shoulders.

Then, standing up and extending his hand, Li Laibao shook hands with Nie Zhenbang and said with a smile, “Secretary Nie, after your long journey, I won’t disturb your rest for now. At seven o’clock this evening, I’ll come to pick you up.” (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)