Chapter 379 The Other Side (Part 2)

Chapter 379 The Other Side (Part 2)

Old Zheng, the deputy general manager of the cigarette factory, accompanied Secretary-General Hong Ang and Hou Weidong to the small canteen for a meal. They opened a bottle of Wuliangye, and the dishes served were much the same as what Liang Xiaopeng had enjoyed.

Hong Ang shook his head and remarked, "Your chairman certainly carries himself with quite an air of importance."

Old Zheng chuckled, "He does have a bit of an ego, but he has the ability to back it up. Back in the day, there were several small cigarette factories in Lingxi, but now Maodong Cigarette Factory stands alone as the only one thriving. The chairman has the capital and the capability. Moreover, he is a man of honor and enjoys a good reputation in Maodong. He rarely invites people to dine in his office, so the fact that he did suggests this deal has a real chance."

Thinking of Secretary Zhou Changquan’s two visits to the factory, Old Zheng added, "Many regional leaders have visited the cigarette factory, but Secretary Zhou is the most sincere. If he comes again, it will have the flavor of 'three visits to the thatched cottage.' The chairman invited Secretary Zhou to his office specifically because of that sincerity."

Hou Weidong listened to Old Zheng speak so matter-of-factly and thought to himself, Rich people really are arrogant. Liang Xiaopeng is just the head of a cigarette factory. Does he expect Secretary Zhou Changquan, a full-hall-level official with real power, to be tearfully grateful just for having a meal in his office?

Until now, Zhou Changquan had always appeared before the people of Shazhou with the demeanor of a leader. His image inspecting the grassroots had long been fixed in Hou Weidong’s mind. To see Zhou Changquan lower his posture so much just to establish a cigarette factory in Shazhou came as a great surprise. Hou Weidong couldn’t help but sigh, "Only those who can bend and stretch are true men of substance."

Zhou Changquan got into the car with a relaxed expression. "Let’s relax tonight. Let’s invite the Secretary-General and play Double Knock."

When Hou Weidong had worked in Qinglin Town, he often played Double Knock and was quite skilled. Seeing Zhou Changquan in high spirits, he said, "Secretary Zhou, tonight I’ll team up with Master Ma to play against you two leaders. I’d like to learn a few tricks from you."

"From the sound of it, Xiao Hou’s skills must be quite good."

Hou Weidong joked, "Average, average. Third in the nation."

Zhou Changquan laughed, "Xiao Hou, I didn’t think you knew how to joke. In my impression, this is the first time you’ve used witty remarks in front of me. That’s right. People can’t always be on edge. The Party has always advocated being united, tense, serious, yet lively. In reality, it’s about the balance of tension and relaxation. You are my dedicated secretary; you must be steady when necessary, but you must also know how to relax when appropriate."

"I’ve noted that," Hou Weidong said.

Seeing Hou Weidong return to a serious expression, Zhou Changquan smiled. "Look at you. You get serious as soon as we start talking."

Zhou Changquan was usually quite serious, but today he had had a very pleasant conversation with Liang Xiaopeng. With the prospect of introducing the cigarette factory now seventy percent likely, he was genuinely excited. After chatting for a bit, he turned his thoughts back to work. "The young Zhou in the cigarette factory’s president’s office is the spouse of your classmate. This connection is extremely beneficial for our follow-up work. You need to maintain long-term contact with him."

At the hotel, Zhou Changquan, Hong Ang, Hou Weidong, and Ma Bo played Double Knock with great enthusiasm. At Zhou Changquan’s request, everyone played seriously. Because their skill levels were similar, the matches dragged on endlessly, finally ending at two in the morning.

The next day, Hou Weidong woke up at seven o’clock as usual. He went to the door of Zhou Changquan’s room, listened for a moment, and hearing no movement, returned to his own room. Driver Ma Bo was also accustomed to waking early. He sat on the bed watching TV. Seeing Hou Weidong enter, he tossed a cigarette over to him and said, "Section Chief Hou, I really envy you. Work by Secretary Zhou’s side for a few years, and when you leave, you’ll be a leader in your own right. Us drivers? We just drive, drive, and drive. It’s boring."

"How many years have you been back from the army?" Hou Weidong asked.

Ma Bo sat cross-legged on the bed, smoking. "I’ve been back seven years. I joined the driver’s pool four years ago and have been driving for Secretary Zhou ever since. My skills are good; that’s recognized by everyone in the pool. But having good skills doesn’t matter much; in the end, I’m still just a driver."

Hou Weidong sensed Ma Bo’s desire to change careers and asked, "What is your educational background?"

"I was an urban soldier. I have a high school diploma."

"Master Ma, if you want to change careers, you need a diploma. It’s easy to get one nowadays. Why not take advantage of your youth to get a degree? Then, when the right opportunity arises, you can switch tracks." Hou Weidong meant that Ma Bo should settle his affairs while Zhou Changquan was still in power; otherwise, if a new party secretary took over, things would become uncertain. However, he didn’t spell it out, leaving it for Ma Bo to figure out.

Ma Bo understood what Hou Weidong meant and sighed. "My high school diploma was just something I coasted through. If my grades had been good, I wouldn’t have joined the army. Now, whenever I pick up a book, I feel sleepy. Besides, driving for Secretary Zhou leaves me with no fixed time to study."

"If you want to study, sign up at the Party School. I’ll find an opportunity to mention it for you. It’s essentially paying for a diploma."

Ma Bo was quite tempted. "I wonder if getting a diploma will actually help?"

Hong Ang didn’t get up until eight o’clock. He yawned as he entered Hou Weidong’s room and saw the smoke curling in the air. "You two are smoking this early in the morning. Bad habit. It hurts your health."

Ma Bo said, half-joking and half-serious, "We are here to serve the leaders. How could we eat breakfast before Secretary Zhou and you?"

Hong Ang said, "Secretary Zhou is usually under too much work pressure. It was rare for him to relax last night. Today, let’s not disturb anyone. Let him sleep in and rest properly." He sighed, "Outsiders only see the glamorous side of leadership. In reality, leaders worry about too many things. The bitterness and sweetness of it all, you will understand slowly over time."

Back in Shazhou, Zhou Changquan immediately convened an enlarged meeting of the Standing Committee.

Zhou Changquan spoke with unusual weight. "The cooperation between Maodong Cigarette Factory and our city has now made substantial progress." After saying this, he paused, looking at the various city-level leaders with his eyes.

Building a cigarette factory in Shazhou was not a new topic. Leaders from several years ago had attempted it, but none had succeeded. On one hand, the factory’s price demands were too high, creating a significant gap between the two sides. On the other hand, the Maodong region at that time had strong local protectionist sentiments and was unwilling to let Shazou build a competing factory.

"I have made contact with Liang Xiaopeng, Chairman of Maodong Cigarette Factory. He has expressed a preliminary intention to build a branch factory. Before the Spring Festival, he will lead a team to Shazou for an inspection. The only theme of today’s meeting is to discuss how to handle the reception work properly."

Liu Bing had heard no wind of this beforehand. He glanced at the city-level leaders, who wore expressions of joy, and remained silent.

Du Zhengdong, Member of the Municipal Standing Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, spoke first. "As far as I know, Liang Xiaopeng of Maodong Cigarette Factory is a Standing Committee Member of the Provincial CPPCC. We should strengthen security according to the standards for provincial-level leaders. The Public Security Bureau must formulate meticulous security measures to ensure everything goes smoothly."

Zhou Changquan emphasized, "Liang Xiaopeng is not only a Standing Committee Member of the Provincial CPPCC; more importantly, he is a God of Wealth who can bring huge benefits to Shazhou. Security measures must be upgraded. Deploy police forces according to the standards for a ministerial-level official."

"I won’t say more about security. Zhengdong, you are fully responsible. Bring out the security plan by tomorrow morning for my personal review."

He spoke earnestly, "Shazhou is located inland. After more than ten years of development, the potential that could be tapped has been tapped. We are now at a bottleneck stage where upward momentum is lacking. Without major projects entering Shazou, it will be difficult to see significant improvement. Comrades, remember: sailing against the current, if you do not advance, you retreat."

The comrades discussed the matter heatedly. The meeting lasted for more than three hours, and finally, a Leading Group for the Maodong Cigarette Factory Project was formed, with Liu Bing as the group leader.

When Zhou Changquan first proposed this suggestion, Hou Weidong was momentarily stunned. But then he immediately understood: Maodong Cigarette Factory was secured by Zhou Changquan personally. Now, handing it over to the government to execute means that if it succeeds, the credit goes to Zhou Changquan. If it fails, the responsibility falls on the government.

In general operational procedures, the Party Committee makes decisions, and the Government executes them. Zhou Changquan’s arrangement was both conventional and reasonable.

Before the meeting adjourned, Zhou Changquan tapped the air forcefully with his palm. "All departments must go all out for this reception work. Whoever causes a problem will lose their hat. Additionally, pay attention to being relaxed on the outside but tight on the inside. The news department must not report on this matter. Do the work, but do not talk about it."

"I will emphasize one last point: The establishment of a branch factory by Maodong Cigarette Factory must be elevated to a strategic height concerning Shazhou’s future development. It is the central work of the Municipal Party Committee and Government in the near term."

Three days later, Liang Xiaopeng arrived in Shazhou with six subordinates.

Shazhou’s sanitation workers had started preparing two days in advance. Workers canceled their double shifts, and all sprinkler trucks were deployed. The sanitation workers thought they were preparing to welcome the Spring Festival; they did not know the true purpose of this large-scale operation was to welcome Liang Xiaopeng and his entourage.

At the small guesthouse where Liang Xiaopeng was to stay, the Public Security Bureau dispatched two groups of police. One group was visible, and the other was hidden, providing all-around security.

The four major leadership teams of the Municipal Government, along with leaders such as Huang Zidi, Hong Ang, and Bu Haiyun, rode in a Jinbei minibus to the highway exit to welcome them. The latest Santana police cars flashed their lights, leading the way.

Zhao Lin, Party Secretary of Wuhai County, Zhu Yajun, County Mayor, and Hou Weidong were also part of the welcoming party. However, they did not sit in the Jinbei bus; instead, they waited at the small guesthouse.

There was a mountainous area within Wuhai County where the soil was extremely suitable for growing tobacco leaves. Zhao Lin and Zhu Yajun had come primarily to show Liang Xiaopeng the tobacco base.

Hou Weidong stood beside Ren Lindu. Ren Lindu whispered, "Brother, how did you manage to get close to Secretary Changquan? Logically, since you served as Secretary Zhu’s secretary, it would be hard to become Secretary Changquan’s secretary. I truly admire you." Seeing Hou Weidong did not respond, he added, "I’m getting married after the Spring Festival. My girlfriend works in Shazhou Industry and Commerce. Just wait to drink my wedding wine."

Hou Weidong did not want to speak at that moment, but hearing this, he couldn’t help but ask, "So you gave up Guo Lan?"

Ren Lindu’s heart darkened, but his expression remained smiling. He said, "Guo Lan is like a fairy from the sky to me. After coming to Wuhai, I reflected for a long time and decided that it is more踏实 (solid/secure) to live with an ordinary person."

At that moment, the police cars flashed their lights and drove over.

The residents near the small guesthouse were accustomed to this sight. Two men in their fifties were playing Chinese chess outside a small shop. One of them saw the police cars and grumbled angrily, "I don’t know which corrupt official this is. These corrupt officials deserve to be shot without hesitation. Damn them, they deserve to die. What kind of world is this?"

The other man said, "You’re just jealous. If you had the ability, you’d be an official yourself."

***

Chapter 379 The Other Side (Part 3)

Liang Xiaopeng stayed in Shazou for only one day. As an entrepreneur, he enjoyed the courtesy usually reserved for members of the Central Committee. However, having seen such scenes many times, he was not overwhelmed by the enthusiasm. He remained politely smiling and silent throughout. After the banquet, without saying a word, he left Shazhou.

Zhou Changquan and Liu Bing stood side by side at the highway exit. Waiting until Liang Xiaopeng’s cars disappeared from sight, Zhou Changquan turned to Liu Bing and said, "Mayor Liu, Liang Xiaopeng raised some requirements. The government needs to produce a preliminary opinion, which will then be submitted to the Standing Committee for discussion. You will need to put in a lot of effort on this."

Liu Bing said, "His requirements are not harsh. The government will draft a plan first. However, I feel this matter still needs support from provincial leaders."

As they spoke, white breath exhaled from their mouths, drifting in the cold air.

Zhou Changquan stamped his feet. "If this matter is handled well, the merit will benefit the present generation and last for a thousand years. Mayor Liu, I entrust this to you."

Liu Bing returned to his car and looked at the specks of snow on the treetops. He thought to himself: There is a world of difference between an expression of intent and signing a contract. In between, we still have to run to the Provincial Tobacco Monopoly Bureau. Zhou Changquan has dumped all these troublesome matters on me. He is comfortably acting as the referee. Old and cunning.

However, Zhou Changquan was the Party Secretary, setting the general direction. Liu Bing was the head of the Government, responsible for specific execution. Liu Bing had no reason to refuse the challenge, and once accepted, he had to do it well.

When Government Secretary-General Meng Houshi arrived at Liu Bing’s office, Liu Bing was standing by the bookshelf flipping through a book. Seeing Meng Houshi, he said, "Old Meng, the government has taken on another hot potato."

The term "hot potato" was similar to a burning coal—something difficult to handle.

Meng Houshi lit a cigarette on his own and said, "These are inherently government matters. There is no way around it. Moreover, in the current state, there is a seventy percent chance the cigarette factory deal will succeed. As the Shazhou Government, we must do our utmost to handle it well."

Liu Bing had long quit smoking. He said, "Old Meng, smoke less. It does more harm than good."

Meng Houshi’s two fingers were yellow. He smiled and said, "At this age, I’m used to it. If I quit abruptly, I’m more likely to get sick. If I really want to quit, I need to reduce the amount first. Wait until my body gets used to it, then I can quit."

After chatting for a while, Liu Bing instructed, "To establish a cigarette factory in Shazhou, we need to interact with which higher-level departments? Who are the core leaders? Go and compile a list. Take advantage of the Spring Festival to pay New Year calls and discuss matters."

Meng Houshi understood Liu Bing best. Zhou Changquan was deeply rooted in Shazhou. As Party Secretary, he had the final say in personnel matters. In several secret confrontations, Liu Bing had been at a disadvantage. Since he could not control people, he focused on controlling affairs, using affairs to constrain his subordinates. Therefore, although Liu Bing knew the cigarette factory matter was difficult, he did not push it away excessively.

Meng Houshi said, "Mayor Liu, I have some thoughts regarding the selection of the Deputy Secretary-General."

"Speak."

"The government’s affairs are complex and numerous, and the workload is too heavy. I hope to fill the Deputy Secretary-General positions. I would like to recommend Yang Senlin. He has governed a region for the past two years and performed well. He has some connections in the province, and he is young. Miscellaneous tasks related to the cigarette factory can be handed over to him to handle."

Meng Houshi was older, and the possibility of him advancing one more level was small. So, before retiring, he wanted to give Yang Senlin a push. Zhu Jianguo also had this intention at the time.

"Yang Senlin has connections in the province?"

Meng Houshi said, "I am an old friend of Deputy Secretary-General Jiang of the Provincial Party Committee. Once, when I treated him to a drink, he got drunk and said that provincial leaders care greatly for Yang Senlin." This statement was cut off at both ends. Meng Houshi believed that with Liu Bing’s intelligence and experience, he would definitely guess from Deputy Secretary-General Jiang to Zhu Jianguo, because Jiang was someone Zhu Jianguo had worked hard to promote. This was an open secret in Lingxi Province.

When Meng Houshi served as Deputy Secretary-General of the Shazhou Government, Zhu Jianguo was still a Deputy Prefect in Maodong. Shazhou’s status in Lingxi Province was higher than Maodong’s, and it produced more cadres. From this perspective, Meng Houshi and Zhu Jianguo’s statuses were not far apart back then. However, later Meng Houshi stopped advancing at the position of Shazhou Municipal Secretary-General, while Zhu Jianguo sailed smoothly to become Maodong Prefect, then Regional Party Secretary. After Maodong changed from a region to a city, he became the first Party Secretary.

When Zhu Jianguo was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Meng Houshi was already older and had fewer ambitions in his career. The friendship between Zhu Jianguo and Meng Houshi became very pure because there were few conflicting interests. Their interactions were private, and because Meng Houshi was low-key, their relationship remained hidden.

When Yang Senlin and Ma Youcai competed for the position of County Party Secretary, no provincial leader had intervened to speak on his behalf. Liu Bing had been three-quarters suspicious: If Yang Senlin really had this connection, why didn’t anyone speak for him the year before last?

Meng Houshi said, "I don’t know the specific details. At the very least, Yang Senlin has a close relationship with Deputy Secretary-General Jiang of the Provincial Party Committee. Yang Senlin’s appointment as Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Government was also Deputy Secretary-General Jiang’s idea."

Deputy Secretary-General Jiang had considerable influence in the province and was likely to enter the Standing Committee to replace the current Secretary-General. Meng Houshi was a senior Government Secretary-General with connections to both the Provincial Party Committee General Office and the Provincial Government General Office. Liu Bing said, "Since Yang Senlin has this connection, keeping him at the county level is a waste. Your recommendation is good. I accept it."

The next day, Shazhou held its last Standing Committee meeting before the Spring Festival.

As the original agenda items were about to conclude, Liu Bing suddenly said, "The Municipal Government should originally have two Deputy Secretary-Generals. Since Deputy Secretary-General Liu was transferred last year, the position has been vacant. The government’s workload is heavy, especially with the cigarette factory project, which involves many tasks. I suggest we determine the candidate for Deputy Secretary-General during this Standing Committee meeting."

To ensure the seriousness of the Standing Committee meetings, the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee had issued multiple documents in recent years strictly regulating the meeting procedures. The convention for the past two years was that if an item was not included in the agenda beforehand, it would generally not be discussed or studied at the Standing Committee. The candidate for Municipal Government Deputy Secretary-General had not been included in the agenda.

Hou Weidong heard Liu Bing raise an item not on the agenda list. He immediately raised his head, looked at Liu Bing, and then glanced at Zhou Changquan.

Government Secretary-General Meng Houshi was also attending the Standing Committee. He felt equally surprised and thought to himself, This is going to be bad. Deputy Secretary-General Jiang had originally planned to mention Yang Senlin’s appointment to Zhou Changquan during the Spring Festival. Before any prior communication, Zhou Changquan would definitely not agree to Liu Bing’s proposal.

Zhou Changquan casually glanced at Huang Zidi. Huang Zidi shook his head slightly, indicating he was unaware.

"The Municipal Government’s work is busy, and it is appropriate to appoint a Deputy Secretary-General. After the Spring Festival, the Standing Committee will hold a special session to study personnel matters, and we will include the Deputy Secretary-General position in the post-festival study." Zhou Changquan neither refused nor agreed; instead, he used the tactic of delay.

Liu Bing had prepared for this. He continued, "The time frame required by Liang Xiaopeng of Maodong Cigarette Factory is very tight. My idea is to appoint Yang Senlin, County Mayor of Yiyang County, as Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Government, specifically responsible for the Maodong Cigarette Factory project. He originally came from the Municipal Party Committee Office, so he is very familiar with the city’s work. Having governed a county, he is the most suitable candidate."

Zhou Changquan turned over several thoughts in his mind and finally said, "Yiyang is the county with the strongest economic strength in Shazou. It is not easy to select a good County Mayor. A few days ago, I visited Yiyang. Ma Youcai and Yang Senlin are cooperating well. The development momentum of Yiyang is encouraging. My opinion is to temporarily not adjust Yang Senlin’s position." He turned to Organization Department Director Zhao Dong and said, "Director Zhao, hurry up and select candidates from across the city. Strive to bring this up at the first Standing Committee meeting after the Spring Festival."

As the top leader of Shazhou City, he knew the backgrounds of his important subordinates much better than Liu Bing did. A while ago, when he went to the Provincial Party Committee to report work to Deputy Secretary Zhu Jianguo, Deputy Secretary-General Jiang had mentioned a few things lightly but significantly. Zhou Changquan had planned to promote Yang Senlin again in April or May of this year. Today, Liu Bing suddenly proposed using Yang Senlin, so Zhou Changquan refused cleanly and decisively, without any hesitation.

This result was within Liu Bing’s expectations. His thick eyebrows knitted together, but he remained calm and said, "Since the Mayor of the Municipal Government has no say in the selection of the Municipal Government’s Deputy Secretary-General, then I have nothing more to say."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Standing Committee fell silent. Some members focused on taking notes, some drank water, and others simply went to the restroom.

Zhou Changquan did not explain. He looked around and said, "All scheduled agenda items for today are concluded. Meeting adjourned." Having said this, he stood up and walked out.

Hou Weidong hurriedly walked over, picked up the leather bag, and followed Zhou Changquan downstairs back to the office.

In the office, Zhou Changquan asked, "You have worked in Yiyang. What do you think of Yang Senlin?"

Hou Weidong had anticipated that Zhou Changquan would ask about this during the Standing Committee meeting. He calmly replied, "County Mayor Yang is very bold. When I was working at the New Management Committee, he ordered the closure of four polluting enterprises in Yiyang’s old development zone. This caused some losses to the government. At the time, many people did not understand. However, because the closure was timely, the environment was not thoroughly destroyed, and it actually reduced the government’s governance costs."

Zhou Changquan asked again, "How is his relationship with County Party Secretary Ma Youcai? I want to hear the truth."

Hou Weidong thought for a moment and said steadily, "County Mayor Yang and Secretary Ma cooperate well. When I worked in Yiyang, I never heard of any conflicts between the two."

Hou Weidong and Yang Senlin had a purely comradely relationship and not much personal friendship. He tried to describe Yang Senlin from an objective perspective. Zhou Changquan asked a few more questions and then summarized, "Yang Senlin can withstand the test, which shows that this comrade is politically mature. Shazou lacks cadres."

Back in the secretary’s office, Hou Weidong pondered Zhou Changquan’s words. It seems Zhou Changquan also intends to use Yang Senlin. This is strange. How did Yang Senlin suddenly become a hot commodity? Both the Party Secretary and the Mayor are fighting to use him.

Hou Weidong suddenly remembered a problem: The position of Party Secretary’s secretary is indeed critical. If I express dissatisfaction with Yang Senlin, his future might change because of my words.

If I were a petty person, what would I do by Secretary Zhou’s side? What impact would it have on Shazhou?

(End of Chapter 379)