Chapter 402: Entanglements (Part 2)

The spring sunlight was bright, and the landscape was awash with tender green hues. Winter jasmine flowers were in full bloom, competing for attention, filling the air with the vibrant scent of spring.

Liu Bing stood on the open plains of the Southern New District. He turned to Yang Senlin and said, "This land has tremendous potential. If we can relocate the municipal government here, it will undoubtedly drive the development of the Southern New District."

Yang Senlin knew this proposal had not yet been approved by the Municipal Party Committee. He was not overly enthusiastic, responding with steady caution, "I fear there may be some resistance."

Liu Bing gazed out at the vast stretches of empty land. "We can achieve this through land exchange. It won’t cost the municipal treasury a single cent, yet it will spur the growth of the Southern New District. It makes no sense to block such a beneficial opportunity."

After touring the Southern New District, Liu Bing called the secretary of Vice Provincial Governor Qin Lu. "Section Chief Du, this is Liu Bing. Does Governor Qin have any time today?"

Section Chief Du, Qin Lu’s secretary, had interacted with Liu Bing several times during the Spring Festival and had become friendly with him. "How could I dare to be careless about matters entrusted by Mayor Liu? Governor Qin will finish his meeting at eleven. Please arrive on time. If there are no other engagements, we can all have lunch together."

Liu Bing was delighted. "Thank you, Section Chief Du. I’ll set off immediately." He added, "Shall we arrange the lunch at the Jin Sui Grand Hotel? Is that acceptable?"

Section Chief Du paused to think. "Honestly, if we’re just eating, a specialty restaurant is often better than a grand hotel. However, the environment at the hotel is superior, something a small restaurant simply cannot match."

By the time they arrived in Lingxi Province, it was just past ten-thirty. Yang Senlin went to the Jin Sui Grand Hotel to reserve a table and wait, while Liu Bing headed to the Provincial Government building.

Qin Lu was the youngest among the vice governors of the provincial government and ranked first among them. Rumors circulated that the current Executive Vice Governor was likely to be transferred to another province as governor, making Qin Lu the strongest contender for the position.

In Liu Bing’s eyes, Qin Lu was the rising star of Lingxi Province. He had long wanted to integrate into Qin Lu’s inner circle but had always hovered on the periphery. This time, he finally felt the opportunity had arrived.

After waiting in the office for about ten minutes, Liu Bing received a call from Section Chief Du. "Mayor Liu, have you arrived? Governor Qin has returned."

Liu Bing hurried out of the reception room and saw Vice Governor Qin Lu and Section Chief Du approaching. Qin Lu was not tall and had a slender build, but he looked energetic and sharp. He shook hands with Liu Bing and said, "I have reviewed the proposal you submitted. There are a few issues that require careful study. First…"

Liu Bing’s plan to relocate the Shazhou Municipal Government building was not a whim. When he first arrived in Shazhou, he had inspected the newly established Southern New District and conceived the idea of relocation. The idea had taken root in his mind like a seed, waiting for the right temperature and moisture to sprout.

This time, the Yunling Construction Group from the province had approached him with a proposal for land exchange. Specifically, the Yunling Construction Group would fund the construction of the new municipal government office building. The municipal government would not spend any money; instead, it would provide the original government office land to the Yunling Group for development at no cost.

This was a win-win arrangement and a common operational model at the time. For Liu Bing, he would acquire an office building without spending public funds while simultaneously boosting the development of the Southern New District. The Yunling Group would secure the prime piece of land.

More importantly, the Yunling Construction Group was a company that had risen rapidly in the past two years. Its chairman surnamed Fang, and Chairman Fang’s wife was Qin Lu’s second sister, Qin Li.

Although Qin Li did not hold a position within the Yunling Group, she was the one who handled every interaction between the group and Liu Bing. Liu Bing understood the underlying connections clearly. He was employing a strategy of conserving his strength, hoping to create a situation where Zhou Changquan, the Secretary of the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee, and Vice Governor Qin Lu would have to negotiate with each other. This would also pave a path for his own promotion.

At twelve o’clock, Qin Lu, Liu Bing, and Section Chief Du proceeded to the Jin Xing Hotel.

Meanwhile, at the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee, Hou Weidong had completed the draft of the "Rules of Procedure for the Standing Committee of the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee." After Hong Ang reviewed it and made several revisions, Hou Weidong printed a new copy and delivered it to Zhou Changquan’s desk.

Zhou Changquan was in a good mood. "The efficiency is quite good. Now, let’s see about the quality." He read the document twice, then looked up at Hou Weidong, who was sitting in the adjacent partitioned area. He raised his voice slightly, "Xiao Hou, come here."

Hou Weidong felt a slight sense of apprehension about whether the document met Zhou Changquan’s expectations. He stood beside Zhou Changquan’s desk, waiting for the final verdict.

"Don’t stand there like a door god. Sit down."

Seeing the smile on Zhou Changquan’s face, Hou Weidong felt somewhat relieved and sat opposite him. Although he was Zhou Changquan’s dedicated secretary, he usually stood when speaking to him and rarely took the seat opposite Zhou Changquan.

Hong Ang, a member of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee and the Secretary-General, usually sat in that chair when visiting Zhou Changquan’s office. Since their positions were relatively close in rank, their interactions were more casual.

It had been a year, and this was the first time Zhou Changquan had actively invited Hou Weidong to sit opposite him.

Zhou Changquan reached into his drawer, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and tossed one to Hou Weidong. "We generally don’t smoke in the office, but principles can be broken occasionally." Hou Weidong was genuinely flattered. He quickly stood up to light the cigarette for Zhou Changquan, and the two men puffed away across the desk.

"The Rules of Procedure are well written. With some minor adjustments, they can be issued," Zhou Changquan said, extinguishing his cigarette after taking a cough-inducing drag.

The Rules of Procedure Hou Weidong had drafted exceeded Zhou Changquan’s expectations. It firmly grasped the core concept that "the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee decides on major issues, and the Party Secretary controls the Standing Committee." This was essentially the existing mode of power operation, now formalized through these rules. It was open and above board, leaving others with no grounds for complaint.

Zhou Changquan knew that the Provincial Party Committee would not only approve but also praise these rules.

This was a set of rules designed to constrain personal power. At the same time, given Zhou Changquan’s personal authority in Shazhou, he could use these rules to check Liu Bing, whose actions sometimes overstepped the mark.

"You have been working at the Municipal Party Committee Office for a year. What are your future plans? I mean, what do you want to do after you stop being a secretary?"

Hou Weidong was surprised by the sudden question. "I haven’t thought about that yet. I want to focus on doing my current job well first. We can talk about the future later."

Zhou Changquan spoke in a conversational tone, "After my current term ends, it is very likely that I will move to the province, perhaps to the Provincial People’s Congress or the CPPCC. This is the natural order of things; age spares no one. No matter how high an official rises, there comes a time to step down."

"Your comprehensive qualities are excellent. You have a strong sense of the big picture and good balancing skills. I suggest you go to work at the local level. Although the rank of a county magistrate and a bureau director is the same, a county magistrate manages the entire jurisdiction, while a bureau director is only a department head. There is a significant difference between the two. If you want to go far in your career, you must have experience in managing the overall situation. You are twenty-nine this year, right? If you wait another two or three years, do you have the confidence to serve as a county magistrate?"

Although taken aback, Hou Weidong answered firmly, "Thank you, Secretary Zhou, for your trust. If given this opportunity, I will fulfill my duties to the best of my ability and will not disappoint you."

Secretary Zhou smiled. "Confidence is good."

It felt like a pie had fallen from the sky. In Hou Weidong’s mind, he had planned to become a deputy secretary of a county party committee after Zhou Changquan stepped down. But today, Zhou Changquan had explicitly indicated he should become a county magistrate. This meant that at the age of thirty-one or thirty-two, he would become the county magistrate of a county in Shazhou. He might become the youngest county magistrate in Lingxi Province since the 1980s.

"The pavilion closest to the water gets the moonlight first; having connections in the capital makes it easier to hold office." These two phrases originated from different sources, but they fit perfectly together in Hou Weidong’s mind.

When he returned home, he was just about to have dinner with Xiaojia when he received a call from Luo Jinhao. Hou Weidong helplessly told Xiaojia, "Luo Jinhao has invited my senior brother. We’re going to eat at Shui Lu Kong."

Hou Weidong often accompanied Zhou Changquan to social engagements outside. It was rare for him to come home for dinner. Seeing him leave again, Xiaojia was resentful. "Can’t you just lie and say you have something else to do?" Hou Weidong replied, "Lying depends on who you’re dealing with. Luo Jinhao is my senior brother, and he’s come all the way to our doorstep. It wouldn’t be right not to go out."

Xiaojia had recently asked Luo Jinhao to help register the household status for her cousin, so she only complained briefly. "Don’t drink too much. They’re all acquaintances; there’s no need to compete in drinking."

"Understood, Madam." Hou Weidong put on his coat and went downstairs to Shui Lu Kong. As soon as he arrived, he spotted a familiar face.

Yi Zhongling was standing at the entrance of Shui Lu Kong, talking on the phone. Seeing Hou Weidong approach, he smiled and extended a hand, greeting Hou Weidong warmly.

Although there had been no direct conflict between Yi Zhongling and Hou Weidong, the incident involving the Yiyang Agricultural Products Company had left Hou Weidong with a strong sense of vigilance toward Yi Zhongling. He responded coldly to Yi Zhongling’s warmth and went upstairs to his private room.

After greeting Luo Jinhao, Hou Weidong prepared to take off his coat. As he was hanging it up, he looked through the glass window and saw an Audi pulling up. Hou Weidong recognized the car immediately; it belonged to Huang Zidi, the Deputy Secretary of the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee.

He stood by the window, surprised. From this vantage point, he could clearly see the entrance. Outside, Yi Zhongling walked quickly forward and shook hands warmly with Huang Zidi.

Hou Weidong was startled by this scene. "When did Yi Zhongling get so close to Huang Zidi?"

He quickly realized the connection. Yi Zhongling’s cousin, Yi Zhongda, was a section chief in the Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee. Yi Zhongda had been a member of the "Three Speaks" supervision team last year, and Huang Zidi was the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee. They had had ample opportunity to interact. It was likely that Yi Zhongda had acted as the bridge between them.

Luo Jinhao noticed Hou Weidong staring out the window. "Junior brother, did you see a beauty? You’re looking so intently." Hou Weidong saw both Huang and Yi enter the lobby, turned around, and said, "Where are there so many beauties? I just saw an acquaintance."