Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 987 - Chapter 987 Chapter 943 No Compromise

Chapter 987: Chapter 943: No Compromise Chapter 987: Chapter 943: No Compromise Nie Zhenbang’s words had rendered both Director Zhao and Director Chang speechless, standing rooted to the spot for a long while before they could speak. Other leaders from Hongjiang Province had already left with Nie Zhenbang.

At this point, even a fool would know how to choose. The work group from the Civil Affairs Ministry might sound impressive, as if it were the ministry’s leaders descending to the local level to inspect and guide work, but in reality, it was just two bureau-level officials stirring up trouble. Generally, the local authorities would endure as much as they could, out of deference to the ministry’s support. That was an unavoidable situation.

However, now that the big boss of the provincial committee had exploded in anger, anyone who didn’t know which way to turn might as well bash their heads in. It was plainly obvious that offending the ministry would at worst mean some projects being held up a bit and future inspections being stricter, but it would not be insurmountable. “Heaven is high and the emperor is far away”; they do their thing without any relevance to my position.

But it was different with Secretary Nie. He was their direct superior, and if Secretary Nie had an opinion on the matter, how could their work continue? How could they protect their hats? They couldn’t.

At this moment, Guo Nansheng was the most embarrassed. On one side was his direct superior, and on the other, a leader in name. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Guo Nansheng sighed, shook his head, and followed the others out. This time, the work group had indeed crossed the line.

At this very moment, Director Zhao was regretting his actions, having underestimated Nie Zhenbang’s stubbornness and perseverance. The provincial party secretary, a local lord, was squabbling with someone as minor as himself–wasn’t this demeaning? Moreover, with such task forces, at most they reported to the vice governor in charge. Usually, the vice governor personally handled such matters, and there was room for things to be turned around. But, miscalculating every aspect, he hadn’t figured that the vice governor in charge of this particular aspect would be so extraordinary as to actually go and report it. Didn’t he fear leaving an impression of incompetence in the leaders’ minds?

Director Zhao had no interest in other people’s affairs at the moment. He was deliberating how to deal with the situation at hand. It was also his own fault for being too careless and overconfident, not having his act fully together. If he’d visited all the disaster-hit cities with his team, he wouldn’t hesitate to walk out right then and there.

But the presence of this glaring oversight made it impossible for Director Zhao to move. Nie Zhenbang’s blunt and merciless words indicated to Director Zhao that Nie was serious this time, and now Director Zhao was considering how to remedy the situation.

Beside him, Director Chang was also getting tense. In a low voice, he said, “Old Zhao…”

Before Director Chang could finish, Director Zhao gestured dismissively and said, “Old Chang, at this juncture, I think there’s no point in hiding. My suggestion is to report to the ministry now. Let them be prepared.”

His intention was quite clear with that statement; being prepared inevitably meant making calls to well-connected leaders or backers within the ministry.

…

In the car, Xu Hongzhuan turned to look at Nie Zhenbang, whose face was somber, and slowly stated, “Secretary, if we do this, won’t Minister Yu have some thoughts about it?”

Xu Hongzhuan’s words were considerate, which pleased Nie Zhenbang greatly. As a chief of staff, one ought to think ahead for his leader. Yet, on this issue, Nie Zhenbang also had his own considerations.

In officialdom, within the system, the struggle was really about one’s turf, connections, and credibility.

Alone, he had come to Hongjiang, and given the unpredictably mercurial state of affairs there, with the Provincial Standing Committee members each harboring their own agendas and scheming their little schemes. Previously, that had been but a minor victory, and one that was achieved through leveraging his own power and the might of others, which might have seemed dazzling at the moment. But upon reflection, it wasn’t much to write home about.

Before, the issue on Jianshe Road could be considered his formal unsheathing of the sword in the Hongjiang officialdom. What followed, the Standing Committee meetings, were merely a demonstration of his political prowess to all leaders across the province. Now, this incident with the Civil Affairs Ministry prompted Nie Zhenbang to think more deeply.

There’s a common saying that monks from afar know how to chant better. This has always been the case in Huaxia; the deterrence exerted toward the outside has always been stronger and more shocking than that within. Coincidentally, these two individuals from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, ill-fated as they were, bumped into the situation themselves, just as one is drowsy, here they came, eagerly bringing their pillows. Nie Zhenbang had no reason not to gladly accept.

It is said that a new official likes to light three fires upon taking office so that people take notice. Now, this first fire was targeted at an external department. This impact and shock were far more stimulating than starting a fire inside the province. Just imagine, from now on, the leaders throughout the province will undergo a drastic change in their views of him. Secretary Nie is truly someone with great capabilities, a strong background, and enormous energy. The ministries are arrogant, aren’t they? Their noses are turned up to the sky, but they were handled by Secretary Nie. This is influence; this is sensation.

An old adage goes, “A fine bird chooses a tree to nest in”; this ‘tree’ represents energy and power. If you have sufficient energy and strength, naturally, people will flock to you and surrender. Only in this way can the situation in Hongjiang Province truly be opened up. Then and only then will Nie Zhenbang be in a position to integrate Hongjiang and form a unified voice.

Waving his hand, Nie Zhenbang said solemnly, “Comrade Hongzhuan, I am well aware of your worries, but a man should stand firm for some things and not for others. In the face of such matters, as a party member, we must resolutely fight against this unhealthy tendency. I have made up my mind. I will call Comrade Yu Lizhen personally to brief him. In the end, the Ministry of Civil Affairs must resolve this issue. It’s inevitable.”

Although these words sounded assertive, Nie Zhenbang would not be excessively unreasonable. If he were to make too much of a fuss, Yu Lizhen would certainly hold a grudge against him. It would not be worth it. As it stands, showing face to Yu Lizhen, Nie Zhenbang believed he would know what to do. Should Yu Lizhen truly anger him, then Nie Zhenbang would not mind making a big deal out of the situation.

Once he returned to his office, Nie Zhenbang took out the directory of central leading cadres from his briefcase and looked up Yu Lizhen’s mobile number. He dialed it.

However, Nie Zhenbang did not expect that at this moment, he would encounter a busy tone. After waiting for about ten minutes, Nie Zhenbang dialed the number again, and this time, it was quickly connected. On the other end, he heard Yu Lizhen’s voice, “Secretary Nie Zhenbang, you are quite the rare caller. Last time I heard, Secretary Nie Zhenbang visited eight ministries in one day. I am sorry for that. If I were in Jingcheng, it should have been nine ministries instead.”

Yu Lizhen’s words conveyed goodwill, and Nie Zhenbang had a moment of realization. It seemed that the two directors were also aware that they had done something wrong and had reported it to their superiors. The busy tone on Yu Lizhen’s phone earlier was probably due to some people briefing him.

Indeed, after a pause, Yu Lizhen took the initiative to say, “Secretary Nie Zhenbang, I am truly sorry for this instance. I apologize to you for our lax oversight in the selection of personnel. Some comrades in our department have made errors. Regarding this, several related leaders from our department held an urgent consultation. This kind of behavior has severely damaged the class feelings of the people in the old revolutionary base areas. The party group of our ministry has decided to give the people of Hongjiang a satisfactory explanation.”

Yu Lizhen’s words seemed to be avoiding the main issue, but actually, Nie Zhenbang had already expected this. As someone born into an old family, Nie Zhenbang’s understanding of the ministries far exceeded that of the average person. The reason ministries are so high and mighty isn’t simply because they are located in Jingcheng and are thus inherently superior.

The primary reason for the ministries’ arrogance lies in the intricate relationships within them. A number of Jingcheng’s bureaucrats and scions are employed in these ministries. These are all individuals who consider themselves above others, and naturally, the ministries’ reputation for arrogance has spread from these attitudes.

Looking at these two people, undoubtedly, neither are high-level figures. However, one must presume they must have their own backers to be so arrogant. Nie Zhenbang had already considered this aspect before making his decision.

Therefore, at this moment, Nie Zhenbang had an understanding of Yu Lizhen’s approach of avoiding the important issues and only talking about compensation without addressing punishment.

“Minister Yu Lizhen, by saying so, you are putting me in a difficult position. Just now, I made a statement in the presence of all provincial party and government leaders. I must clarify to Comrade Yu Lizhen that for such individuals, I am confident that the Ministry of Civil Affairs will provide a fair and satisfactory response,” Nie Zhenbang calmly began.

This statement troubled Yu Lizhen, who was in his office. Nie Zhenbang’s position was utterly uncompromising. What “in front of all provincial party and government leaders”? Could it be that Nie Zhenbang would hold a meeting of all provincial leaders just for this matter?

This only meant that Nie Zhenbang was telling Yu Lizhen in no uncertain terms that Nie Zhenbang had thrown down the gauntlet. If Yu Lizhen did not act, Nie Zhenbang would lose face and what should be done then? Nie Zhenbang did not spell it out, but Yu Lizhen could guess that this secretary was directly appointed by higher authority, a thoroughly vetted figure, with direct access to the highest levels. Perhaps the involvement of the Disciplinary Committee was a completely possible course of action.

After a moment of silence, Yu Lizhen could only compromise, acknowledging that making a big deal out of the situation would not benefit him and besides, the conduct of the two bureaucrats was utterly unacceptable. As mere department-level officials, why would they confront the top leader of Hongjiang? Wasn’t that akin to seeking their own demise?

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to NovelFire.net to vote and support the author. Your support is my greatest motivation.)