Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1081 - Chapter 1081 Chapter 1037 Serious Handling

Chapter 1081: Chapter 1037: Serious Handling Chapter 1081: Chapter 1037: Serious Handling One must understand that before this incident, there had already been a dispute between Fang Yuanshan and Nie Zhenbang over the direction and concept of economic development within the province. Although the matter had fizzled out without a conclusion, Fang Yuanshan’s subsequent actions had created a fait accompli. The arrival of the Ou Ke Group had suddenly improved Fang Yuanshan’s situation within the province. This alone was enough to explain everything.

However, it just so happened that Meiping City was now facing a geological disaster. If this disaster were to be linked to the coal mine in any way… the consequences would be dire.

Looking at Zhou Liren beside him, Fang Yuanshan said in a deep voice, “Xiao Zhou, what’s the status? Has Jiang Zhengyi reported anything?”

Zhou Liren, the newly appointed secretary to the provincial governor, had been on the job for almost two months. With his sincere work style, shrewd methods, and solid attitude, he had won Fang Yuanshan’s approval and had firmly established himself in his position as the governor’s secretary.

He nodded and replied, “After the Golden Week holiday, it happened just last night. Within the mining area of the Meiping Coal Mine, land subsidence occurred in five townships. The largest sinkhole has a diameter of more than sixty meters, and the estimated depth is over one hundred meters. Currently, Meiping City is organizing local leaders to relocate residents from the affected townships. There are no reports of casualties so far.”

Hearing Zhou Liren’s report, Fang Yuanshan’s heart, which had been in suspense, was somewhat relieved– only half relieved, since there were no casualties yet. A situation with casualties would have been a much graver matter, a completely different concept. The other half of his concerns remained because the disaster had taken place in the mining area. Now, the Ou Ke Group was in a messy situation regardless.

After pondering for a moment, Fang Yuanshan turned to Old He beside him and asked, “Old He, what’s your take on this?”

He Yusheng paused for a moment. This situation was a headache, and even though Fang Yuanshan seemed to be placing full trust in him by seeking his opinion, He Yusheng understood all too well that Fang Yuanshan was roping him in. Should anything go wrong, this would become a collective decision, implicating everyone involved.

From this perspective, Fang Yuanshan fell short of Nie Zhenbang by more than just a little. At the very least, Nie Zhenbang’s sense of responsibility was far more substantial than Fang Yuanshan’s. In such matters, Secretary Nie would show more decisiveness and would never let others share in the responsibility.

But now, regrets were too late. There is no cure for regret in this world, and Nie Zhenbang’s economic philosophy was completely at odds with his own. Even if this were not the case, the rupture between the two men was inevitable and unavoidable.

He Yusheng deliberated for a moment before saying, “Governor, in my view, the most important thing now is to suppress the news of this event as soon as possible. A geological disaster, after all, is quite common. We can have the Bureau of Land and Resources send an expert team to Meiping City to investigate and sample, to analyze and draw conclusions.”

As He Yusheng finished speaking, Fang Yuanshan nodded and added, “Of course, in addition, I think you should personally take charge of the situation and make sure to keep it under control, limiting the impact within the scope of Meiping City.”

He Yusheng was once again shocked, this time by being asked to take the lead. After a moment of silence, he looked at Fang Yuanshan and said, “Governor, such a big issue… do you think we should report it to Secretary Nie?”

Upon hearing this suggestion, Fang Yuanshan dismissed it without any consideration, waving his hand and saying, “I don’t think that’s necessary. You said it yourself, it’s just an ordinary geological disaster. There’s no need to trouble Secretary Nie with this; he has too much on his plate already.”

…

What Fang Yuanshan didn’t realize, however, was that his lack of reporting did not mean Nie Zhenbang was unaware of the situation. Soon after the geological disaster occurred, as Meiping City’s Jiang Zhengyi was reporting to the provincial authorities, Nie Zhenbang had also received news through the Secretary-General Xu Hongzhuan.

Xu Hongzhuan’s nickname as the godfather of Hongjiang Province’s officialdom wasn’t for nothing. Everyone knew that the term “godfather” originated from the Western Christian and Catholic traditions, where it is customary for the children of noble families to have godfathers in the church. And these godfathers are usually influential figures in the church hierarchy.

Applied domestically, the term “godfather” similarly denotes someone with extensive influence. In the context of officialdom, it suggests that he would have many followers and former subordinates.

Thus, it wasn’t at all surprising that Nie Zhenbang was informed about the incident.

On this side, just as He Yusheng’s car left the provincial government complex, on the other hand, Nie Zhenbang had already received the news. Standing by the office window and looking into the distance at the stream of vehicles coming and going on the road, Xu Hongzhuan and Chen Le stood beside him.

Xu Hongzhuan and Chen Le exchanged a glance; considering the current situation, only Chen Le was in a position to speak.

Chen Le nodded perceptively and said, “Secretary, since He Yusheng has gone to Meiping City, do you think we should also send someone over? I always feel that this geological disaster in Meiping City is not as simple as it seems. Why would it happen at any time but precisely after the Ou Ke Group got involved? In my opinion, there may be suspicions of reckless mining and excavation involved.”

In light of the relationship between Chen Le and Nie Zhenbang, at the moment, Chen Le was the appropriate one to speak. The implication of his words was simple: use this opportunity to strike against Fang Yuanshan’s governance policies.

Nie Zhenbang was deep in thought, or rather, hesitating. Attacking opponents, eliminating dissent–such matters were something Nie Zhenbang always scorned.

Fabricating issues was not his style; over the years, the reason for his unimpeded success lay in his integrity. He conducted his affairs and lived with uprightness, keeping the people in his heart and development in his thoughts. Thus, he encountered no resistance.

As the saying goes, one lie requires a myriad more to cover it up. Once you step on this path, there’s no turning back; one then becomes corrupt. Having differences isn’t frightening; facts will prove everything. With him in Hongjiang Province, it would be impossible for Fang Yuanshan to create any significant upheaval. Nie Zhenbang would never allow Fang Yuanshan to sacrifice the environment in exchange for GDP growth.

When it came to attacking political enemies, Nie Zhenbang believed in doing so openly and aboveboard, leaving no room for criticism. Flies don’t land on a seamless egg, and Nie Zhenbang thought of himself as such a fly–if Fang Yuanshan had faults, he would be caught. However, it was clear that there were no faults to speak of yet.

After pondering for a moment, Nie Zhenbang turned around and said to Chen Le and Xu Hongzhuan, “Old Chen, have your people follow them in, ostensibly to assist in the evacuation of the populace, and take no other action. Just monitor the situation from the side. Geological disasters, nowadays, are not only in Hongjiang but also happen from time to time around the country–it’s quite normal. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Everything depends on the findings of the investigation by the Bureau of Land and Resources’ expert team. If there’s nothing wrong, it’s an accident; if there’s a problem, it must be dealt with seriously.”

When talking about dealing with it seriously, a flicker of ruthlessness crossed Nie Zhenbang’s face. Holding high office, Nie Zhenbang now had a strong presence, which even made Xu Hongzhuan feel a bit anxious. From Xu Hongzhuan’s instinct, Secretary Nie’s words were not empty threats. If this led back to the coal mine or to the Ou Ke Group, he believed that Secretary Nie’s methods would directly topple Fang Yuanshan.

When He Yusheng arrived at Meiping City, it was already past four in the afternoon. At the toll station in Meiping City, the city’s committee and government officials were all waiting. As He Yusheng’s motorcade appeared, they all came forward to greet him.

Jiang Zhengyi walked at the forefront, looking somewhat upset, and greeted him, “Governor He.”

Beside him, Mayor Li Henghui also came forward, “Governor He, hello.”

Proceeding by the book, He Yusheng nodded, shook hands with both, and then got straight to the point, his gaze finally landing on Jiang Zhengyi, “Comrade Zhengyi, how is the situation?”

Jiang Zhengyi inwardly sighed, nodded, and reported, “The preliminary statistics are in. The disaster affects the towns of Meishan, Qingping, Hongqiao, Shijiang, and Zhao family collective. We’ve discovered forty-one collapse areas. Since it occurred during the day, for now, there are no reports of casualties. Among these, Meishan and Zhao family collective, which are closest to the mining area, are the most severely affected, with five residential buildings damaged. In addition, there are thirty-five houses in these five towns that have been damaged to varying degrees.”

At this, He Yusheng’s heart skipped a beat; there was property damage, but fortunately, there were no casualties, or else the situation would have escalated.

After a moment of contemplation, He Yusheng said, “How is the evacuation of the population going? Also, make sure to pacify the people with proper ideological work. I won’t go to the city committee. Let’s head directly to the mining area.”

He Yusheng’s concerns were not unfounded. On the spot, Jiang Zhengyi followed He Yusheng onto the Coaster business van, then relayed, “Governor He, currently, there’s a strong reaction from the people of the five towns, and there’s a lot of discussion centered on the mine’s extraction work. Many believe that cross-boundary mining led to the ground collapses. Now, public opinion is agitated. The city has done a lot of work, but I’m afraid we can’t keep it under control.”

Jiang Zhengyi’s words caused He Yusheng’s brows to furrow, and he said sternly, “You have to keep it under control no matter what. The city needs to support the grassroots comrades, as this concerns the overall development of Hongjiang’s economy, which is no laughing matter. Moreover, it’s about the reputation of the mining area. Such rumors must be stopped promptly, and if necessary, stringent measures should be employed, with serious consequences. Meiping Coal Mine is one of our province’s earliest developed mines; it’s been operating for decades without issues–how come there are problems now and it’s the coal mine’s fault? That’s unscientific. The Bureau of Land and Resources’ experts will provide a scientific conclusion.” (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (NovelFire.net) to vote for it with your recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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