Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1162 - Chapter 1162 Chapter 1118 Heavy Responsibility

Chapter 1162: Chapter 1118: Heavy Responsibility Chapter 1162: Chapter 1118: Heavy Responsibility After leaving the provincial committee office building, Nie Zhenbang parted ways with Liu Xiaomin. Her mission was now fully accomplished.

Nie Zhenbang was aware of Liu Xiaomin’s capabilities, and naturally understood that Nie Zhenbang could not fail to see the goodwill she had expressed. That being the case, it was enough. After all, it was only his first day in office. Relationships cannot be solidified in an instant. Trust between both parties needs time to develop. A good start was all that was needed. Liu Xiaomin was well aware of the principle that too much can be as bad as not enough.

Returning to the provincial committee’s guesthouse, it was evident that the Longxi Provincial Public Security Bureau had already enhanced security measures. Nie Zhenbang, however, didn’t feel anything special about that. It was normal. Both he and Wang Suzhou were staying here, so strengthening security was essential.

Speaking of Wang Suzhou, Nie Zhenbang felt very grateful in his heart. After reading out his appointment, Wang Suzhou could have immediately returned to Jingcheng. However, Wang Suzhou chose to stay, rest for the night, and leave tomorrow. This illustrated the extent of Wang Suzhou’s support for him.

It also signaled to others in Longxi Province that Nie Zhenbang, the Secretary, was someone backed by higher authorities. Naturally, Nie Zhenbang also needed to make a personal visit.

Knocking on the door, the entrance to guesthouse number one of the provincial committee opened, and Wang Suzhou’s secretary smiled and nodded upon seeing Nie Zhenbang: “Secretary Nie, please come in.”

As Wang Suzhou’s secretary, he was clearly aware of the relationship between the leader and Nie Zhenbang. Even an announcement was unnecessary as he began speaking directly.

Entering the living room, Wang Suzhou sat on the sofa reading a Longxi newspaper. Upon seeing Nie Zhenbang arrive, he set aside his work and smiled, “Zhenbang has arrived. Please, have a seat.”

The paper was the Longxi Daily. The front-page headline featured a large photograph of Governor Liu Zhentao, with a subtitle underneath, “Governor Liu Zhentao Inspects the Yongzhou City Economic Development Zone.”

As Nie Zhenbang sat down, Wang Suzhou smiled and said, “Zhenbang, do you know why the higher-ups considered bringing you into the game this time?”

Hearing Wang Suzhou bring up this matter, Nie Zhenbang was somewhat taken aback, which was also a point of confusion for him. Historically, the heads of the provincial cities had been chosen from six specific areas, without any exceptions. This time, he had broken the routine, which intrigued Nie Zhenbang. Considering its importance, Longxi Province was hardly significant enough to warrant this.

After pondering for a moment, Nie Zhenbang looked at Wang Suzhou and said, “Minister Suzhou, to be honest, I’m quite puzzled.

“Zhenbang, do you remember what I told you before? The burden is heavy.” Wang Suzhou fell into a thoughtful silence before beginning in this manner.

Seeing the confusion on Nie Zhenbang’s face, Wang Suzhou explained: “Indeed, based on the current significance of Longxi Province, there is no possibility for its head to be involved. However, this is also a consideration and plan from the top.”

Currently, there is an imbalance in the development between the eastern and western regions of the country. The eastern coastal developed areas need not be mentioned, as the earliest regions to open to the outside world, they sustain a crucial part of the national economy. However, since Yuan Kangan’s time, the central government has proposed western development. During Shen Xiuchao’s tenure, the major development of the Western Region thoroughly commenced. Although the economy of the Western Region has somewhat improved over these years compared to before, it is mainly concentrated in several core cities. Overall, the region remains predominantly desolate, which is not what the central authority wishes to see.

All things considered, the central authority has chosen Longxi Province.

The geographical location of Longxi is extremely critical. It’s closely connected with Ganzhou Province, Ninghong Province, and Xibei Autonomous Region, while to the south lies the strategically important Bashu area, and to the north, it borders Caoyuan Province. To the east, it adjoins Jinmei Province. As a former Ancient Capital, it is a central region that cannot be ignored. The central government hopes to use Longxi as the leading force to develop a Western Triangular economic zone, modeled after the Yangtze River Delta and the Eastern Coastal regions, with Longxi as the core hub.

Hearing Wang Suzhou’s explanation, Nie Zhenbang couldn’t help but feel astonished. He had not expected that President Qiao and President Mu would consider this. But after some thought, it seemed quite feasible. The Northwest Region had Lizhou City, a newly promoted sub-provincial level city, which had already shown a significant impact.

However, Lizhou City was clearly not enough. Having the Xibei Autonomous Region as the core is too biased. As for Ganzhou Province and Ninghong Province, they were somewhat lacking. Looking closely, Longxi Province was indeed the most suitable. Centered on Longxi, the entire Western Region could be stimulated. It really was a good strategy. Therefore, bringing the head of Longxi into the game was also to facilitate the central government to provide more policies.

After all, such a strong bias could invite envy. However, once Nie Zhenbang entered the scene, he naturally stood out a level above the other provincial heads. This would reduce a lot of that envy.

After contemplating for a moment, Nie Zhenbang nodded his head and said, “Minister Suzhou, regarding specific development plans, were there any instructions or spirit from the leaders?”

Wang Suzhou, upon hearing Nie Zhenbang’s inquiry, smiled and shook his head, saying, “As for that, there were none. The leaders have a lot of trust in your abilities. It also represents their intention to delegate power to you fully.”

Continuing, Wang Suzhou went on to say, “Aside from that factor, there’s another important issue, which is the environmental protection of the entire Western Region.”

At the mention of this, Nie Zhenbang’s expression became much more solemn. He had a deep understanding of Longxi’s environmental issues.

In this moment, naturally, an image surfaced in his mind of that frail figure, carrying a water bottle, stumbling along.

Furthermore, as someone from Jingcheng, Nie Zhenbang had a personal experience with the sandstorms that plagued Jingcheng. Over the years, as the environment deteriorated and the issue of environmental protection was neglected, soil erosion in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River worsened, droughts became more severe, and desertification intensified. This problem was not only present in Longxi, Xibei, Ganzhou, and Ninghong of the Northwest Provinces. Caoyuan Province and Jinmei Province also faced varying degrees of desertification problems.

Environmental protection is a major issue. It is not only related to the survival of future generations, but also to the major affairs of the nation.

Seeing Nie Zhenbang nodding, Wang Suzhou slightly nodded as well and said, “Zhenbang, you’re thinking correctly. The leaders hope that you can take the initiative. Over these years, the efforts in sand control and environmental protection haven’t been very effective. We are now suffering from the consequences of our own neglect. The leaders’ wish is that, just like with economic development, you can set an example and stimulate comprehensive development across the entire Western Region.”

At this point, Nie Zhenbang had basically figured it out. Why he, in a breaking of precedent, was entering the scene to take on such an important and arduous task. Sometimes, this involved not just Longxi, but also required communication and cooperation with other provinces. Thus, Nie Zhenbang’s unique status was particularly apt.

In addition, Nie Zhenbang also understood why there were so many children of established families in Longxi Province. Liu Zhentao, Wei Haoyang, Ye Dingbang and even the forty-eight-year-old Propaganda Minister Li Hongying and the fifty-year-old Political and Legal Committee Secretary Liu Yueguang.

Among these people, the oldest, Liu Zhentao was fifty-three and held a ministerial level post; the rest were at most fifty years old. In the country, apart from someone of Nie Zhenbang’s own exceptional caliber, they could all be considered young and capable officials. It could be said that the current average age of the Longxi Provincial Committee was definitely the youngest in the nation.

Now it seemed that other families had already begun paying attention to and speculating about Longxi Province and the higher-ups’ movements. Now that he had arrived here, it was as if all was prepared, waiting only for the east wind.

With a wry smile, Nie Zhenbang looked at Wang Suzhou and said, “Minister Suzhou, this really is a tough assignment.”

Wang Suzhou clearly understood what Nie Zhenbang meant. The relationships in Longxi Province were complex, with each background being extraordinary. It was a real test of a person’s skills and ability. Whether one could integrate the Provincial Committee would be key.

Then, Wang Suzhou smiled as well and said, “You do see things clearly. Realizing this means that the leaders have not chosen the wrong person, and Hu Shangzhi has a very good judgment. He was once ambitious and his greatest wish was to make Longxi the regional core and Ancient City the central city of the region. Now, with various aspects of Ancient City being vigorously developed and urban construction making great strides, there’s still a lack of confidence and substance. This task, I’m afraid, is up to you to accomplish. Therefore, after considering various aspects, the leaders have made an exception, suggesting you join the fray. This is also to facilitate your work. You must not disappoint the leaders.”

Wang Suzhou laid his cards on the table, speaking quite frankly, with a sense of outspokenness. Nie Zhenbang also nodded in agreement.

It now appeared that the so-called Zhao Clan Group in Jinan City was nothing but a joke. The main reason they had not acted was that these scions all had their reservations and were merely observing.

Besides, these people probably also harbored an intention to test Nie Zhenbang’s abilities. With this thought, Nie Zhenbang’s mind opened up. While he did not yet have a clear concept for the development direction of Longxi, he did have a preliminary idea for his current work.

Since they wanted to see his capabilities, he had nothing to hide. Under these circumstances, it was entirely necessary to show off his muscle, to let these people see his strong stance and skills. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (NovelFire.net) to cast your vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)