Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1058 - Chapter 1058 Chapter 1014 Macro-control

Chapter 1058: Chapter 1014: Macro-control Chapter 1058: Chapter 1014: Macro-control Nie Zhenbang nodded, flipped through the documents, and read them very carefully. Gong Zheng’s report was indeed focused on the real estate sector, where, according to prior accusations, there had been numerous issues in both the property development and the construction of affordable housing.

The main problems were concentrated in four areas: first, local governments providing land to real estate companies at below-market prices during the land acquisition process. Second, real estate companies maliciously driving up housing prices and causing sudden price surges during the sales phase of their properties. Third, there was evidence of cutting corners and using substandard materials in the construction of affordable housing. Fourth, there were suspicions of fraud in the allocation and sale of affordable housing.

At this point, Nie Zhenbang felt a headache coming on. These issues were very common across the country, occurring more or less everywhere.

Moreover, it wasn’t an organized or large-scale issue. Take the construction of affordable housing for example: cutting corners and using substandard materials didn’t mean the buildings were utterly shoddy, but rather that some builders were skirting the edges. They made certain reductions within the allowable scope of the existing standards and regulations, which was a hard issue to address.

Additionally, there were difficulties in defining income levels and obtaining proof for the sale of affordable housing. It was a troublesome matter. Ignoring it was surely not an option, but the key issue now was how to manage and regulate it.

The car traveled smoothly all the way to the provincial party compound. As soon as Nie Zhenbang got out, he instructed Hong Feng, who was beside him: “Hong, give Comrade Gong Zheng a call and ask him to come to my office.”

Hong Feng immediately nodded and took out his phone.

After climbing up a couple of steps, Nie Zhenbang turned around again and said, “Let me make the call myself.”

After some thought, Nie Zhenbang decided to make the call personally. Although sending a message through Hong could work, it somehow lacked a layer of consideration and could seem disrespectful, which wasn’t good for the unity of the team. It could unnecessarily upset Gong Zheng, but a personal call from Nie himself would be different.

Taking the cell phone handed over by Hong Feng, Nie Zhenbang began to speak as he walked: “Secretary Gong, this is Nie Zhenbang.”

This remark made the person on the other end pause for a moment, but soon Gong Zheng’s voice came through, “Is the Secretary back?”

“Yes, I’m back. Secretary Gong, I’ve glanced through the files you sent over. If it’s convenient, come to my office now so we can discuss them,” Nie Zhenbang said, getting straight to the point.

The devil is in the details, and sometimes that’s how it is within the system. Small details can have a great impact. It might just be a phone call, but the effect was entirely different. A personal call from Nie Zhenbang showed the provincial party leader’s respect for his team members.

Gong Zheng responded quickly, arriving almost as soon as Nie Zhenbang entered the door. The latter settled Gong Zheng into a seat in the guest area and then sat down himself, looking at Gong Zheng and saying, “Secretary Gong, I’ve looked over the materials carefully, and they’re difficult to verify.”

This statement hit the nail on the head, and Gong Zheng nodded in agreement, saying, “You hit the mark, Secretary. I too feel it’s a tough situation. The difficulty lies right here.”

After a moment of silence, Gong Zheng spoke in a softer tone, “These issues lie between breaching discipline and not breaching discipline; it’s hard to define the truth in these cases. Moreover, it’s ambiguous who should be responsible for investigating. It’s a tough issue.”

Gong Zheng’s analysis resonated with Nie Zhenbang, who nodded. This was a major problem, but it affected the system as a whole rather than pinpointing a specific leader or official. That’s where the discipline inspection commission found it challenging.

If it were about a certain company or individual, the commission would find it easier to handle the situation: they could just send a working group, discuss it in a standing committee meeting, establish an investigative team, and the truth would quickly surface. In-system matters were always such; the only fear was in not investigating.

But the issue was that, with a vague subject, the commission seemed to lose its target, changing the nature of the problem. The issues mainly lied on the government side, relating to administrative governance. This left the commission somewhat powerless.

After pondering for a moment, Nie Zhenbang looked at Gong Zheng and said, “Secretary Gong, what are your thoughts? Feel free to speak your mind here.”

Gong Zheng nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, “Secretary Nie, my opinion is that for now, it’s not convenient for the discipline inspection commission to intervene. The best way, I believe, is to proceed with administrative measures.”

As a seasoned member of the Discipline Inspection Committee, Gong Zheng’s opinions were very pertinent. Nie Zhenbang couldn’t help but nod in agreement, acknowledging the validity of the advice. Nie Zhenbang was never a proponent of autocracy; he understood that an individual’s capabilities were limited, and that the purpose of having a Party Committee and a governmental administrative system was chiefly to rely on the collective strength of the group.

The saying, “A lone mind has its limitations, while a group can see further,” encapsulates this idea. No one is infallible, not even a sage, so regular people are even more likely to make mistakes. Autocracy might reduce a lot of trouble, but conversely, once an erroneous concept is adopted, the harm it can cause to a locality is tremendous. Nie Zhenbang had always been amenable to good advice.

Listening to Gong Zheng’s words, Nie Zhenbang pondered for a moment and then nodded, saying, “For the time being, this situation can only be handled in this fashion. However, my opinion is that the Discipline Inspection Committee should not relax its efforts. We need to aim at the target and investigate certain sensitive issues to have a clear understanding. If there is a significant breakthrough or conclusive evidence obtained, the Discipline Inspection Departments will definitely be needed in the end.”

Actioning these thoughts, Nie Zhenbang paused before adding, “Comrade Bao Gui is currently on official business in Chunan and the Travel Expo will end in three days. I think this matter can wait. After Governor Wen returns, we should hold a Standing Committee meeting to discuss it. It’s also a good opportunity to reflect on the spirit of the central documents.”

…

After seeing off Gong Zheng, Nie Zhenbang remained seated on the sofa in the reception area, motionless. Although it wasn’t suitable to involve the Discipline Inspection Department in this matter, it couldn’t be completely ignored either. When higher authorities’ attitudes are vague, it could lead to misleading signals to those below, and the situation could only worsen. The Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government must adopt a clear stance.

After contemplating for a while, Nie Zhenbang suddenly stood up, picked up his phone, and dialed He Yusheng’s number. After a couple of beeps, the call was answered, and He Yusheng’s voice came through promptly, respectful and polite, “Secretary, hello.”

He Yusheng’s transformation was not surprising within the province. He Yusheng needed to win Nie Zhenbang’s support if he wanted to counterbalance Wen Baogui, and similarly, Wen Baogui needed to secure Nie Zhenbang’s endorsement to suppress He Yusheng and unify the Provincial Government team. This was the balancing strategy Nie Zhenbang had learned from Director Shen–a political maneuver that now allowed Nie Zhenbang to navigate unhindered in Hongjiang.

“Comrade Yusheng, do you have some time? If it’s convenient, come over to my place. There are some issues I’d like to discuss with you,” Nie Zhenbang said amiably.

Without any hesitation, He Yusheng replied over the phone, “OK, I’ll be right there.”

He Yusheng was quick; the distance from the Provincial Government to the Provincial Committee was not short–more than five or six hundred meters, which is quite a long way–and yet he took less than three minutes, including the time to take the elevator.

Nie Zhenbang was somewhat surprised by how quickly He Yusheng arrived. He stood up to greet him, inviting him to sit down with a smile, “Old He, did you fly over here?”

This banter pleased He Yusheng greatly as it showed that Secretary Nie’s attitude toward him was gradually changing, and he was increasingly earning Nie Zhenbang’s trust.

He replied jokingly, “When the Secretary calls, I waste no time and rush over immediately. I wouldn’t want to keep the Secretary waiting.”

Pouring a cup of tea for He Yusheng and placing it on the coffee table, Nie Zhenbang took a seat himself. He contemplated for a moment before looking at He Yusheng and saying, “Old He, I’ve called you over this time mainly to discuss the issue of macro-control of real estate.”

The macro-control of real estate has been a problem explicitly raised by Comrade Mu Dingjian during the executive meeting of the State Council following the recent two sessions. Addressing the persistently high property prices, Comrade Mu Dingjian clearly expressed the central government’s stance: property prices must be controlled. Every province and city in the country must take measures in line with their situation and adjust their strategies to lower property prices.

Furthermore, for some first-tier and mega-cities in the country, the State Council has even expressly proposed strong measures such as price caps, purchase restrictions, and limits on land supply.

He Yusheng’s brain was working fast at this moment. This was the bigger picture of the macro-control of real estate. What did Secretary Nie mean by bringing it up now? Did this imply that Hongjiang Province was also planning to make adjustments in this regard?

After a moment of contemplation, He Yusheng was somewhat cautious, replying slowly, “Secretary, I think the central government’s directives are very correct. At present, property prices are continuously rising in various places, and ordinary people cannot afford to buy homes. The high vacancy rate of housing units is creating a lot of popular discontent, and this is an unfavorable trend. I think it’s necessary for Hongjiang Province to respond to the call of the central government and take measures to curb this rising momentum.”

His response was standard, essentially echoing the spirit of the central government’s speech and documents without any hint of originality.

Such an answer, of course, did not satisfy Nie Zhenbang. Looking at He Yusheng, Nie Zhenbang smiled and said, “Comrade Yusheng, you are aware of the conditions in Hongjiang, our economy is relatively backward, and even the property prices in the provincial capital are relatively low compared to other provinces’ capitals. Under these circumstances, what do you think we should do specifically in Hongjiang? Do you have any thoughts on that?” (To be continued. If you like this work, your support on NovelFire.net by giving recommendation tickets and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.