Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 988 - Chapter 988 Chapter 944 Dominate and Take Down

Chapter 988: Chapter 944: Dominate and Take Down Chapter 988: Chapter 944: Dominate and Take Down Of course, this does not mean that Yu Lizhen was scared of Nie Zhenbang. This time, Yu Lizhen agreed so readily because, on the one hand, the duo Zhao Chang were acting too recklessly. As the saying goes, if you’re going to put on a show, you need to play the full part. These two, however, treated it as a mere formality and returned.

In such cases, if it were just an ordinary vice-provincial-level official, he might understand that there’s not much that can be done to these people.

However, the issue was that Nie Zhenbang had personally intervened in the affairs of Hongjiang, which changed the nature of the problem. A vice-provincial-level official might not be able to have a direct dialogue with higher-ups, but Nie Zhenbang certainly could. Just based on the fact that Zhao Chang didn’t go to the disaster area was enough to get them in serious trouble.

With this premise, Yu Lizhen’s disposition had already been halved. This was a matter of principle.

Additionally, at the moment, Yu Lizhen had his own considerations and had also seen that Nie Zhenbang was using these two to assert his authority. The effect of such a move was much more potent than dealing with cadres from Hongjiang, and the shock to the leaders of Hongjiang was greater. Just think about it–Secretary Nie could even take down officials from the ministry; how much more so for internal leading cadres of Hongjiang.

Of course, Yu Lizhen’s agreement also stemmed from another consideration. Although Nie Zhenbang was not in a dangerous situation at present, he faced various difficult situations. By agreeing now, Yu Lizhen could naturally form a good relationship with Nie Zhenbang, a favor Nie Zhenbang would surely remember in the future.

After a mix of various factors and a combination of different circumstances, Yu Lizhen was very clear that, at this point, they could only proceed by the book. Moreover, from another perspective, it was all to his own benefit.

Zhao Chang were not his direct confidants. By seizing this opportunity to take them down, he could replace them with his own people and curry favor with Nie Zhenbang at the same time–an action that would benefit him in many ways.

After pausing for a moment, Yu Lizhen also nodded and said, “Secretary Zhenbang, please be patient. The party group of the Civil Affairs Ministry will definitely give you, Secretary Zhenbang, and the people of Hongjiang a satisfactory account. Colleagues from the disciplinary inspection group of the ministry will soon depart for Hongjiang to investigate Zhao Chang. Everything will be based on the facts. Whoever should be dealt with will be dealt with, and whoever should be dismissed will be dismissed. How does that sound?”

Having said that, Nie Zhenbang was also aware that it was no small feat to make Yu Lizhen make such a concession. He responded with a smile, “Minister Yu Lizhen, your word is enough. I’ll be sure to thank you properly the next time we meet.”

Sometimes, a hint is all that’s needed. Everyone is on the same level; it’s enough as long as the message is clear. By saying this, Nie Zhenbang indicated he would remember the favor and the goodwill extended.

…

Civil Affairs Guest House

In a standard room on the fourth floor of the Civil Affairs Guest House, Zhao Chang had already moved out of the luxury suite and voluntarily requested to stay in a standard room.

At this moment, in room 407, Zhao Chang sat with suppressed expressions, silently looking at each other.

On their faces, the earlier arrogance was gone, replaced by regret and fear. Director Chang at this moment felt it even more acutely. As the head of the disaster relief department, Director Chang lacked strong backing in the ministry. Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be toiling away in this position at his age. If he truly had powerful patrons, even if he was undeserving of promotion due to lack of ability, he would likely have been appointed to a term as a local party or government leader.

Looking at Director Zhao, Director Chang said disheartenedly, “Old Zhao, now, is there really no way out?”

At this moment, Director Zhao was also devoid of vitality. One misstep had led to a series of losses. His earlier arrogance had now met with a heavy blow. At this moment, Director Zhao came to a sudden realization. But it was too late.

Looking at the dispirited Old Chang beside him, Director Zhao also felt an intense disgust. If it hadn’t been for this man’s instigation, how could he have ended up at this juncture? That’s how people are–at this point, they still habitually blame others. At this moment, he didn’t consider that if he hadn’t been tempted, could he have been misled?

Somewhat disheartened, he sighed and said, “What to do? What else can we do? It’s your turn, Old Chang, to come up with some solutions. The minister has already spoken: the ministry will not tolerate anyone or any behavior that severely damages the ministry’s image. The ministry has tasked the head of the disciplinary inspection team to form an investigative group, and he is personally leading the team to Hongjiang. This time, I’m afraid it’s inevitable we’ll face our fate.”

Director Zhao had calmed down at this moment, becoming clear-headed after restraining his thoughts. Though the issues they faced were numerous, none were earth-shattering on their own. However, the cumulative effect was enough to cost them their jobs and lead to prison time. As for his position, Director Zhao no longer harbored any hope. Ever since the department decided to send a work group to verify and investigate, he knew his career in public service was utterly hopeless.

The leadership role of the Social Relief Department was neither big nor small, but those waiting and hoping to take over this position were many. Now that such a big incident had occurred, these individuals, especially those hoping to fill the role, would certainly be working up and down, stirring the waters.

That’s how officialdom worked–when you were in power, those below vied to align with you. However, the moment any anomaly appeared, these same people would be the first to stand up, because you had become an obstacle in the path of others.

With a sigh, Director Zhao, having lost his edge, said solemnly, “What else can be done? We just have to wait for the investigation results and decision from the department.”

The Ministry of Civil Affairs acted quickly and the very next day a team of ten people arrived in Hongjiang on the earliest flight. This time, the ministry did not notify Hongjiang in advance, but only informed the Hongjiang Provincial Government after reaching the accommodation at the Hongjiang Civil Affairs Guesthouse.

At the Civil Affairs Guesthouse, the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ disciplinary inspection team announced the department’s decision to suspend Zhao Chang from their duties, awaiting a written report on their research trip to Hongjiang. Meanwhile, a part of the team went deep into Hongjiang to visit the Hongjiang Provincial Government Office and the Hongjiang Civil Affairs Hall to gain a detailed understanding of the work group’s route and arrangements in Hongjiang.

As for the entire investigation, the team worked swiftly, and in fact, there wasn’t much to look into–all the facts were indeed real, requiring no great effort to uncover. Skipping this phase accelerated the pace and speed of the investigation remarkably.

After the investigation findings were compiled, the team reported back in detail to Jingcheng immediately. The party group of the Ministry of Civil Affairs also convened an emergency meeting and decided to relieve Zhao Chang of their administrative positions and to issue an internal party reprimand. The team was then instructed to re-investigate the disaster and social relief conditions in Hongjiang, reassess the amount of disaster relief funds, and re-verify the release of aid money. More importantly, on behalf of Minister Yu Lizhen, the team submitted a sincere letter of apology to the Hongjiang Provincial Committee and Provincial Government.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs’ conspicuous investigation naturally attracted the attention of the entire provincial leadership.

Hongjiang Provincial Government compound

Inside the provincial government’s office building.

Liu Yong stood near the window of his office, overlooking the bustling square below in the Hongjiang Provincial Government compound, where the streets were busy with traffic. His expression was somber.

On the sofa in the adjacent reception area, Executive Vice Governor He Yusheng sat with a cigarette between his fingers. The cigarette was half-burned, yet the ash still clung to it, which suggested that He Yusheng, after lighting it, had barely taken a few puffs, or maybe hadn’t even touched it at all.

Turning to face He Yusheng, Liu Yong spoke, “This time, Comrade Zhenbang is using others’ strengths against themselves. This fire has exceeded everyone’s expectations, creating severe shockwaves. The provincial work that follows is likely to be rather troublesome.”

At this juncture, Liu Yong was truly fretting. It might sound mysterious–how could someone of such high rank have any troubles? But indeed, that was the reality.

In the system, it is a battle of people and territories. Now that Nie Zhenbang had stepped into Hongjiang and revealed his fangs, using the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ crisis effectively, it was foreseeable that the leading cadres of cities throughout the province would be affected. As someone who had worked his way up from the grassroots, Liu Yong was acutely aware that one should never underestimate the political savvy of these grassroots cadres. They are exceptionally perceptive in terms of detecting political climates and judgment.

This was the very reason Liu Yong mentioned that work was going to be difficult. What’s more, the dilemma for Liu Yong lay in selecting his successor; though he had the power to recommend someone to the higher-ups, a significant factor would depend on Nie Zhenbang, the top leader who would surely have his preferences considered by those above.

However, Liu Yong found himself with no choice but to fully support He Yusheng, as he had been the one to promote him through the ranks. In Hongjiang, everyone knew that He Yusheng was his most trusted associate. For a leading cadre, especially one about to step down, having successors was essential. Without a continuous line of former subordinates rising up the ranks, a leader would be considered incompetent. Upon retirement, one would be utterly without support.

Among the old comrades in Hongjiang, Yan Cangsheng was considered a successful example, with Zhang Tianyue being his man. This was the fundamental reason why Yan Cangsheng retained considerable influence in Hongjiang even after many years of retirement. As the saying goes, “When you have connections in high places, officialdom becomes easier,” and likewise, old comrades remain respected if they still have people in powerful positions. Thus, Liu Yong was in a difficult situation, compelled to persist even if he didn’t wish to.

At this moment, He Yusheng was quite shocked. Nie Zhenbang’s assertiveness gave him a sense of crisis, not from Nie Zhenbang himself, but from Wen Baogui.

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets or monthly passes on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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