Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 996 - Chapter 996 Chapter 952 Pursuing Victory

Chapter 996: Chapter 952: Pursuing Victory Chapter 996: Chapter 952: Pursuing Victory Nie Zhenbang’s words were tremendously shocking and powerful, striking right at the heart.

Beside him, the expressions of the other provincial standing committee members varied. Wen Baogui’s face registered complete astonishment, fleeting quickly before turning into delight. It really shouldn’t have happened; it was too much of a mistake. He hadn’t expected Liu Yong to make such a basic error, something not befitting a provincial committee leader’s actions.

To put it lightly, even as a deputy leader, no matter how domineering you may be, you still need to observe the proper rules. Upholding the authority of the leader within the party committee is a strict requirement, an absolute must to be implemented to the letter. In secret, you can undermine, you can trip someone up; any method you can think of is fine, as long as it stays hidden. But there are things that should not be brought to light.

And now, Liu Yong had clearly violated this principle, and moreover, after most of the standing committee members had expressed their agreement. This was an unforgivable mistake.

At this moment, He Yusheng’s complexion was also unpredictable. What was Liu Yong trying to do? Even if you wanted to break with convention, this wasn’t the way to go about it. This matter, regardless of whether it was reported up the chain or anywhere else, was useless and could even lead to dissatisfaction from above.

At this moment, Liu Yong also came to his senses, filled with regret. What had gotten into him? A lifetime of caution and strategy, yet as he neared old age, nearing retirement, he had made such a basic mistake.

In fact, what Liu Yong had not considered was that his actions were partly due to Zhang Tianyue’s deteriorating health during his term, which had led to internal conflict in the province. Although it appeared to be a struggle between Wen Baogui and He Yusheng, Liu Yong had encouraged it in part. Consequently, a sense of arrogance had grown within him.

Secondly, Liu Yong himself was facing retirement, so he had begun to relax in various aspects, experiencing greater emotional fluctuations. It was not without reason that many leaders within the system fell from grace during such times.

Thirdly, the impact of Nie Zhenbang’s style since taking office directly influenced Liu Yong’s judgment. With Nie Zhenbang’s consistently harmonious approach and actions operating within normal boundaries, Liu Yong had come to underestimate him, thinking Nie Zhenbang was nothing to worry about.

Combining these reasons, at this very moment, when Nie Zhenbang truly bared his fangs, Liu Yong was unprepared, without any anticipation, which led to his psychological imbalance. Acting impulsively due to his veteran status, Liu Yong made this basic error.

After a pause, Liu Yong managed to calm his emotions and said softly, “Secretary Nie, comrades, I am very sorry. Perhaps due to health reasons, I am not as energetic and focused as I should be. I spoke out of turn earlier, and for that, I offer my apologies first and foremost. Please, may the organization criticize and discipline me as needed.”

Only then did Liu Yong seem to return to a normal state. The governor of a province, with the most seniority by age, was able to apologize publicly, showing that Liu Yong had fully realized his mistake and was attempting to rectify the situation.

With the conversation at this point, Nie Zhenbang felt a sense of wistfulness. Liu Yong truly lived up to his name; despite making a basic error, he quickly came to his senses and admitted his mistake with firm resolve. This decisive and ruthless nature was not something an ordinary person could possess.

If he continued to harp on the matter, instead, it would make him appear petty.

With a wry smile, Nie Zhenbang also began to speak slowly, “Governor Liu needn’t be so hard on himself. As I said earlier, democratic discussions naturally call for democracy, and having debates is normal. However, I personally believe that principles and foundations that ought to be discussed still need to be addressed. Especially this time, judging from the effectiveness of the surprise inspection operation, it turned out quite well. In the whole province, we need to continue to enhance the effects of our actions. The matter concerning Wei Zhongmao is not an isolated incident. Currently, the issue of the quality of our grassroots cadres is definitely not a problem we can overlook. Right now, many of our party members and cadres haven’t positioned themselves rightly, haven’t adjusted their mindsets properly. They tend to assume that everything is to be taken for granted, which is not good; this kind of thought is dangerous. Strengthening ideological education is quite necessary. What do you think, Governor Liu?”

Since it was now impossible to continue focusing on Liu Yong’s personal issues, at this juncture, Nie Zhenbang naturally seized this rare opportunity. He continued to press his advantage against Liu Yong.

The situation was clear: he was now on the winning side, and Nie Zhenbang’s words were a pursuit of victory.

Under these circumstances, Liu Yong’s subsequent stance and apology amounted to him slapping his own face. If he were to raise further questions or objections, Liu Yong’s reputation would be completely swept away.

Liu Yong’s face grew unsightly. Nie Zhenbang’s relentless pressure made him quite uncomfortable. Just as he was about to speak, He Yusheng suddenly interjected, “I also agree with Secretary Nie’s opinion. The education on the advanced nature of party members and ideological work is a fine tradition of our party and must be upheld. I think it’s indeed necessary to continue this.”

He Yusheng seemed to be switching sides, but in reality, he rescued Liu Yong’s face at the most appropriate moment.

The situation was clear. If Liu Yong clearly expressed his support, his standing in Hongjiang Province would be wiped clean afterward, a severe blow to both Liu Yong and his faction. “When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the wall falls, everyone pushes,” these common sayings were not without merit. Observing this, those below would undoubtedly be stirred.

And now, although He Yusheng had expressed this sentiment, Liu Yong’s pitiful dignity was preserved.

After a pause, Nie Zhenbang smiled and said, “Since everyone agrees with this plan, I see no need to go through the formality of a standing committee. My opinion is, let’s make a decision today and create an official document. Starting tomorrow, we will carry out ideological education and training for party members and cadres across the entire province. In addition, the departments of petition and discipline inspection must also take concrete action. We must open the floor to public opinion and let the voices of the people, the masses, be heard.”

Speaking of which, Nie Zhenbang turned his head to look at Wen Baogui next to him and said, “Comrade Baogui, you have always been in charge of the work at the Party School of the Provincial Committee. The Party School needs to be well-prepared to select and rotate cadres for training in batches.”

“Furthermore, Comrade Gong Zheng and Comrade Xu Hongzhuan, the work of the Discipline Inspection Commission and the petition bureau must also kick into action. Regarding the violations of discipline, regulations, and law among the provincial party and government leaders, there must be a strict implementation of checks and corrections where errors are found. We need to do a solid job of discipline inspection and petition work.”

At this point in the conversation, basically, everyone in the standing committee already understood that this time, in all likelihood, many people in Hongjiang would be out of luck.

From the current perspective, Secretary Nie probably had this plan in mind for some time. Otherwise, how could he arrange everything so properly?

First, there’s the strengthening of ideological education for the provincial party and government leading cadres, followed by the Discipline Inspection Commission and the petition departments gearing up for action. It’s predictable that someone will inevitably fall through this.

However, at this moment, no one in the standing committee opposed it any longer.

…

Provincial Committee Office Building

Inside Nie Zhenbang’s office, although it was already past one o’clock in the morning, the room was still brightly lit. In the guest area, Xu Hongzhuan and Chen Le were sitting on the sofa.

Nie Zhenbang took two boxes of Panda cigarettes out of his desk drawer, placed them on the table, and lit one for himself from the round tin on the coffee table, smiling and saying, “At this time, everyone is low on energy, so have a cigarette to perk up.”

Chen Le was well accustomed to this; he’d often mooched cigarettes from Nie Zhenbang back in Lixian.

Right now, Chen Le showed none of the seriousness expected of a political and legal committee secretary, grinning broadly as he smoothly pocketed a pack of Panda cigarettes.

Meanwhile, Xu Hongzhuan was somewhat surprised. As the secretary-general of the Provincial Committee, Xu Hongzhuan was somewhat knowledgeable. The cigarettes before him, produced by Caiyun Cigarette Factory, were a special supply for central leaders. The so-called central leaders mainly referred to both the retired and currently serving core members of the highest echelon; others might qualify for the supply if they were part of the politburo but with strict limits on quantity.

For someone at the level of the provincial party boss, getting hold of such cigarettes was possible, but not as easily as Secretary Nie seemed to do.

Xu Hongzhuan felt fortunate that he had firmly taken his stand from the beginning, otherwise… just thinking about it made him break out in a cold sweat. If he had harbored any other motives, he probably wouldn’t be sitting comfortably as secretary-general of the Provincial Committee.

After a pause, Xu Hongzhuan also smiled and said, “Secretary, concerning the affairs of Hongjiang, should we report it upwards…?”

No sooner had Xu Hongzhuan finished speaking than Nie Zhenbang waved his hand directly and said, “No report. The affairs of Hongjiang must be resolved within Hongjiang.”

Nie Zhenbang was well aware of Xu Hongzhuan’s concerns, which were undoubtedly about Liu Yong’s reaction– from Liu Yong’s demeanor, he would surely not let the matter rest. But reporting it upwards was out of the question. Some matters could only be completed within the province. The leaders had sent him to Hongjiang likely for this reason. If reported, what would President Qiao think if he couldn’t handle even this? Hence, Hongjiang’s issues must be settled internally. As for any other messy characters, Nie Zhenbang chose to completely ignore them.(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote and support at Qidian (NovelFire.net). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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