Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1062 - Chapter 1062 Chapter 1018 The Fury of Nie Zhenbang

Chapter 1062: Chapter 1018: The Fury of Nie Zhenbang Chapter 1062: Chapter 1018: The Fury of Nie Zhenbang Hearing Nie Zhenbang say this, Wen Baogui also stood up and naturally picked up the newspaper on the table. Upon seeing the headline, Wen Baogui’s brow furrowed.

“Hongjiang Housing Price Control? A Step Backward or Forward?” Although Wen Baogui did not read the content, he could guess that the writer must have used ambiguous language to blur the concepts. However, the underlying intention of the article was clear to everyone–it was an attack on the upcoming housing policy in Hongjiang Province, questioning the decision of the Hongjiang Provincial Committee.

Even though the criticism and the questioning were indirect, their nature was the same, whether veiled or overt.

No wonder Secretary Nie was furious. Generally, affairs like newspaper and television news propaganda are managed by the Propaganda Department. Just as before coming to Hongjiang, Wei Lin, the Minister of the Provincial Committee’s Propaganda Department, served as the chief news censor at the Central Propaganda Department. Now that such an incident had occurred, wasn’t it Wei Lin’s responsibility?

Wen Baogui had a thought and spoke up, “Secretary Nie, do you think this could be someone with ulterior motives? Also, Minister Wei is still new to his position; some oversights are inevitable…”

Nie Zhenbang waved his hand, stopping Wen Baogui from continuing, but he looked at Wen Baogui meaningfully. Wen Baogui knew how to play his cards, using this situation to make excuses for Wei Lin, who would naturally owe him a favor.

After pondering for a moment, Nie Zhenbang picked up the telephone. As soon as the call connected, Nie Zhenbang spoke with stern seriousness, “Comrade Wei Lin? This is Nie Zhenbang. Have you seen today’s ‘Hongjiang Metropolitan Daily’ and ‘Hongjiang Evening News’?”

At this moment, Wei Lin was also thundering in his own office, his eyes gloomy as he glared at the several deputy leaders in front of him. Just before Nie Zhenbang’s phone call, Wei Lin had already given these people a dressing-down. No matter how the oversight happened, one thing was certain–the incident reflected issues with the work style of the Propaganda Department of the Provincial Committee.

Gathering his thoughts, Wei Lin thought carefully about his words and spoke sincerely, “Secretary Nie, I request disciplinary action from the organization. Our Propaganda Department has not done our job well, failing to properly suppress this negative trend and to stay aligned with the Provincial Committee. I request the organization to criticize me.”

As his words fell, Nie Zhenbang spoke up, “Let’s not talk about criticisms or disciplinary actions for now; this is not the time to pursue responsibility. Preventing people from speaking out is more difficult than damming a river, and I believe, Minister Wei, you understand this better than I do. Come to my office right away.”

Slap!

Nie Zhenbang hung up the phone succinctly. At times like this, less is more. Talking too much could lead to mistakes and might make others think that the head of the Provincial Committee lacked composure and was afraid.

After hanging up the phone, Wei Lin’s face was also very grim. Although Secretary Nie’s words weren’t harsh, his attitude had said it all.

Looking around at everyone, Wei Lin spoke in a grave tone, “This kind of behavior is extremely vile; its nature is a challenge to the Provincial Committee, a serious disregard for higher authority. It cannot be tolerated.”

“Deputy Minister Shi, in the department, you are in charge of disciplinary work. I think it’s necessary for the Propaganda Department to conduct a serious internal investigation. Additionally, the chief editors of the two newspapers involved should be held responsible. I propose to immediately suspend their positions. For the author involved, dismiss as a disciplinary measure.” Wei Lin instructed Vice Minister of Propaganda Shi Ximao.

These steps were also part of Wei Lin’s cautious thinking. As the saying goes, it’s never too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost. Having made such a big blunder, the Propaganda Department needed to take firm action; it was a critical time, and only strong measures could deter the petty.

After making the arrangements, Wei Lin didn’t dare dawdle and immediately left his office to take the elevator to Nie Zhenbang’s office.

Upon entering and seeing Wen Baogui there, Wei Lin was taken aback and then approached him, “Secretary, I request to be disciplined. With such a big blunder coming from the Propaganda Department, I, as the Minister, must bear significant responsibility. My work has not been adequate; I request the organization to criticize and discipline me.”

Nie Zhenbang waved his hand, speaking indifferently, “Minister Wei, there’s no need for those words. Just now, Comrade Bao Gui also mentioned that you have just taken office and it’s inevitable that there are things you have not covered yet. As a Minister, it’s not possible to be everywhere at once. This time, it was a plot by those with ulterior motives; it was simply unavoidable. Don’t take it to heart.”

This was the magnanimity of Nie Zhenbang. Didn’t you, Wen Baogui, want to owe a favor in front of Wei Lin? I won’t cover it up for you; instead, I will tell Wei Lin in front of you, letting him owe you this favor. That was the confidence of Nie Zhenbang.

After a moment of contemplation, Nie Zhenbang said in a deep voice, “Now that it has come to this, it’s not easy to pull back, and turning back could be even worse. Since there is debate, in my view, we still need to go with the flow and express the Provincial Committee’s stance, and the stance from above. The regulation of housing prices and the macro-control policies for real estate development are the result of Central Government’s foresight and hard-learned lessons. We cannot wait until housing prices skyrocket before we regulate; by then, what’s the point if ordinary people can’t afford homes? If we are to control, we should do so early. This is not just my stance, it’s also the stance from above. Since it started with public opinion, we must also address it through public opinion. You need to make arrangements to convey the spirit of the Provincial Committee, to let the people analyze seriously, to let them think for themselves. I believe justice resides in the hearts of people. Wrong trends can ultimately never overcome the truth.”

Although Nie Zhenbang’s words were calm, one could sense the anger in them. Secretary Nie had been maintaining a low profile since taking office in Hongjiang, slowly boiling the frog in warm water, gently and imperceptibly influencing. This is Secretary Nie’s proud capital and attitude.

Now, although Secretary Nie’s words were calm, it was evident that he was genuinely angry.

Wen Baogui’s eyes lit up, Secretary Nie’s maneuver was brilliant. Wasn’t the intention to stop the regulation through public opinion? However, Secretary Nie turned the tables using their own tactics against them. The media and public opinion were ultimately still under the control of the Party Committee, and moreover, macro-control was a good thing for the nation and the people. Claims that Hongjiang’s economic development had not yet reached the standard for regulation were sophistry, and with this, the direction of public sentiment would completely change. If the ordinary people could benefit, they would undoubtedly support and back it wholeheartedly.

Pausing for a moment, Nie Zhenbang said in a stern voice, “Minister Wei, as the head of the Propaganda Department, you’re the top person in charge of the propaganda front. Sometimes, you need to bring out the spirit and courage of a leader. You also need to be precise with personnel matters within your department. In all work matters, everything should be predicated on the overall situation. If there are any issues, you can discuss them with Comrade Wei Ran. On the one hand, he has rich experience as the former head of the Propaganda Department, and on the other hand, he is the current head of the Organization Department. He can give you some advice on personnel matters.”

As the words ended, both Wei Lin and Wen Baogui were deeply shaken. As the saying goes, when a sage becomes angry, the land for miles around is desolate. Although Secretary Nie could not be regarded as a sage, he was still a powerful regional official with significant authority. His words seemed calm, but they were filled with lethal intent. It appeared that a storm was about to break out within the Propaganda Department. In this forthcoming storm, it remains to be seen how many would fall and who would rise. That was not for them to worry about.

At this moment, Wei Lin was filled with joy. It was clear that Secretary Nie intended to reorganize the Propaganda Department. Although constrained by Li Wei, this was also the best opportunity for Wei Lin to establish his authority.

…

The next day

On Red River Provincial TV Station’s news broadcast, there was a news story about the Hongjiang Provincial Committee’s propaganda work conference held in Hongcheng. Provincial leaders Wen Baogui, Li Wei, and Wei Lin attended the meeting, where Wen Baogui emphasized the importance of propaganda work and reiterated the principle that the Party commands everything.

Next, the head of the Propaganda Department, Wei Lin, also made an important speech, where he gave a serious critique of some of the problems that had arisen in the propaganda department.

This news marked the beginning of the reorganization of propaganda work across Hongjiang Province. Subsequently, a signed commentator’s article appeared on the front page of the Red River Daily on the second day, calling for the firm implementation of the Central Government’s document and the correct handling of Hongjiang’s macro-control situation. The article provided an in-depth analysis of the fundamentals of housing price macro-control, elucidated the disadvantages of not regulating, and clarified the practical benefits and necessity of housing price control for the ordinary people. It could be said that whether from the standpoint of policy, reason, or practical interest, the article provided a thorough analysis. Once the article was published, it completely overshadowed the opposition’s narrative, which no longer received attention.

Following that, newspapers from every city and major newspapers within the province reprinted the article fully. Suddenly, this was the only voice remaining across Hongjiang Province.

As for the appointment and dismissal notice in a small corner on the bottom left of the Red River Daily, which announced the dismissal of the president and chief editor of both “Hongjiang Metropolitan Daily” and “Hongjiang Evening News,” it went largely unnoticed.

These developments might represent a shake-up for those below, but for Nie Zhenbang, they were merely a warm-up to Hongjiang Province’s housing price regulation.

After carefully reviewing the newspapers of the past few days, it was nearly time for the preliminaries of the housing price regulation. Now, it was time to discuss the specific measures for Hongjiang’s housing price control.

With that thought in mind, Nie Zhenbang picked up the phone and dialed the number of Xu Hongzhuan, the Secretary-General of the Provincial Committee.

At that moment, Xu Hongzhuan was in his office, receiving Li Youquan, the Secretary of the Wenchun City Party Committee. Seeing the caller ID, he hurriedly picked up the phone and said, “Secretary, you were looking for me.”

“Secretary-General, please notify all the standing committee members who are in town to meet in the Provincial Committee’s small conference room at two o’clock in the afternoon for an impromptu meeting.” (To be continued. If you like this work, I welcome you to come to Qidian (NovelFire.net) to cast your recommendations, monthly tickets, and support, which is my greatest motivation.)