LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 633 - 589: Unspoken rules (Asking for a guaranteed monthly ticket)_1
Chapter 633: Chapter 589: Unspoken rules (Asking for a guaranteed monthly ticket)_1
The words of Tian Xujian made all eyes turn to Li Chaoyang. On one hand, Li Chaoyang was the former head of the Disaster Relief Department, fully aware of the habits of its staff and having the greatest say in how to organize the reception work.
On the other hand, there were now two entirely different opinions. Tian Xujian, the Municipal Party Secretary, believed that the highest standard of hospitality should be offered to the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ Disaster Relief Work Group when they came. This was a way to make leaders from the Ministry of Civil Affairs feel at home, in order to gain more support and policy favor.
The Mayor, Nie Zhenbang, believed a simpler approach should be taken, especially as Wanghai City was bearing the severe consequences of the disaster. The main task currently should be disaster relief.
At this point, Li Chaoyang’s stand was quite subtle – it wasn’t just a matter of choice anymore.
At this moment, Li Chaoyang frowned. He was essentially being put at the forefront of this meeting. He had originally planned to remain neutral while watching the drama unfold, hoping to profit from the situation. However, it didn’t seem like that was likely at this point.
After pondering for a moment, Li Chaoyang nodded: “Personally, I agree with Secretary Tian’s opinion.”
He was familiar with the mindset of officials from Jingcheng, and it was not uncommon for such people, who considered themselves above others, to receive resplendent receptions wherever in the country they went. The local governments would faithfully cater to them, showing utmost reverence like they would to a deity – a common way to curry favor.
Beyond liaising with ministries, taking good care of officers from said ministries when they visited was also one of the best ways to secure policy and funding support. Despite their habitual arrogance, they had to offer some respect in return for the hospitality they received on unfamiliar turf.
Li Chaoyang was well aware of this. Despite being caught in a difficult position, he chose to support Tian Xujian after a moment’s hesitation.
After all, Li Chaoyang had his pride and vanity. If his past subordinates and colleagues saw him hosting a shoddy reception, wouldn’t that reflect poorly on his stature in Wanghai City?
A satisfying smile appeared on Tian Xujian’s face. His strategy had been successful. He had pinned down that as a former official of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Li Chaoyang would not want to embarrass himself in front of former subordinates and colleagues. Besides, this approach was a common play by local governments. With Li Chaoyang’s support, he had indeed won this round. Li Chaoyang’s change of stance came naturally.
Subsequently, Tian Xujian voiced: “Great, now that we’ve reached a consensus on how to welcome the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ Disaster Relief Work Group, let’s arrange the tasks for tomorrow.”
At this moment, Tian Xujian seemed buoyant and commanding. This was his most successful time in the Wanghai Municipal Standing Committee meetings. He felt in control.
Surveying the people present, Tian Xujian ordered solemnly: “Now, let’s start by contacting the sanitation department. We need to work overtime to thoroughly clean and organize the cityscape. As for public health and epidemic prevention, we need to focus our efforts in that area as well. Regarding security, the political and law committee needs to pay extra attention.”
Given the support, Tian Xujian became more assertive, issuing orders one by one with a stern look and gaze.
…
The following day, the storm in Wanghai City began to subside. Even though there was still a light rain, it was no longer a significant concern.
The Wanghai Airport started to resume normal operations. Early in the morning, Nie Zhenbang left his house. Outside the door, the municipal committee’s second vehicle was waiting. Upon getting in the car, Guo Sanbao quietly asked: “Mr. Mayor, are we heading to the municipal party committee and government?”
Looking at his watch, it was almost seven o’clock. He raised his head and said: “Sanbao, let’s take a tour around the other districts in the city.”
Then, Nie Zhenbang instructed Li Jupeng, who was sitting in the passenger seat: “Jupeng, call Tian Xujian. I won’t attend the reception for the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ working group this time. I will join the welcoming banquet at noon.”
They are a bunch of high-ranking idlers. With the massive natural disaster in Wanghai City, many low-lying areas still had standing water. Even though the death toll was in single digits last night, there were many injuries.
Instead of focusing on the suffering of the people and disaster recovery, these individuals were pompously welcoming the work group.
This made Nie Zhenbang look down upon such behavior. Such an attitude greatly annoyed him, so Nie Zhenbang, without any hesitation, chose to ignore it.
…
Outside the Minwang expressway exit of Wanghai City, some of the city committee leaders led by Tian Xujian and Li Chaoyang were already waiting along the highway.
At this moment, Tian Xujian’s face looked calm with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. Looking ahead, he appeared to be in a good mood.
Nie Zhenbang not showing up was good news. By doing so, he indirectly offended Li Chaoyang, as recognizing one’s status is a big deal in the bureaucracy. Now, if he could unite with Li Chaoyang to confront Nie Zhenbang, he was confident about the prospects.
Thinking of this, Tian Xujian smiled at Li Chaoyang, “Chaoyang, Nie Zhenbang is really outrageous. He called me this morning to say that he was going to inspect the disaster situation. He doesn’t know the severity of the situation. At a time like this, is there anything more important than welcoming the leading members of the working group? He simply disregards us.”
Hearing Tian Xujian’s words, the expression on Li Chaoyang’s face also darkened. The implication of what Tian Xujian was saying was quite clear.
At present, in the standing committee of Wanghai City, many members look to Nie Zhenbang for leadership. Tian Xujian suffered a great blow to his prestige in the city because of two consecutive setbacks.
It was clear that Tian Xujian was trying to trigger his dissatisfaction with Nie Zhenbang, and thereby rally him to his side to confront Nie Zhenbang.
Tian Xujian’s strategy was quite obvious but if he agreed with him now, he would implicitly be inferior to Tian Xujian, something Li Chaoyang could not accept. After a moment of contemplation, Li Chaoyang smiled and said, “Secretary Tian, his actions are somewhat understandable. While the comrades from the working group need to be welcomed, there’s a lot of work to be done in the city as well. Each person has their role in this revolutionary division of labor. It’s not like he’s disregarding us completely.”
Li Chaoyang’s words made Tian Xujian a bit awkward. Looking at Li Chaoyang’s composed demeanor, he cursed inwardly: ‘You short-sighted fool. I don’t believe you can be treated well under Nie Zhenbang’s control. When the time comes, you’ll be begging me.’
However, on the surface Tian Xujian simply smiled and said, “Haha, Secretary Chaoyang, your thoughtful insights are as expected of someone from the Jingcheng Ministry. Such a thought process is worth learning.”
While they were talking, a police car arrived at the exit of the expressway and two Toyota Coasters followed it in.
The convoy stopped, and several people resembling leaders exited. Leading the group was Huang Jingwu, the Minister of Civil Affairs of Minan Province. The emergence of the person in the center position next to Huang Jingwu made Li Chaoyang suddenly straighten up and said to Tian Xujian, “Secretary Tian, let’s go together. I didn’t expect Assistant Minister Yao to come.”
The Assistant Minister of Civil Affairs and member of the party group, Yao Yude leading his team was a clear sign of the importance the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Central Government place on the disaster situation in Minan.
A smile appeared on Tian Xujian’s face, a genuine one. Tian Xujian also didn’t expect that the Ministry of Civil Affairs would send an assistant minister to lead the team. This time, Nie Zhenbang’s actions had inadvertently offended the senior official of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Immediately, he stepped forward, extended both hands and spoke enthusiastically, “Assistant Minister Yao, welcome, welcome. On behalf of the Wanghai City Party Committee and City Government, I thank the central leadership for their concern and support for our work in Wanghai City. Minister Yao, let’s go to the Wanghai Hotel now. The banquet there has already been prepared.”
Assistant Minister Yao, who was around his late fifties with a modest build of around 1.67 meters, appeared to be congenial at all times. Smiling, he said, “Secretary Tian, such a grand reception makes me a bit embarrassed. But since it can’t be avoided, I shall accept your kindness.”
The entourage then proceeded to the Wanghai Hotel. Back in the car, Tian Xujian’s expression darkened. He said to his secretary Li Sha at the front, “Li Sha, has the banquet at the hotel been prepared?”
Being Secretary Tian’s secretary was a significant promotion for Li Sha, something she never expected. Since becoming a secretary, Li Sha had been dedicated to her tasks.
In addition, Li Sha was a beautiful woman pleasing to the eye, with a charm that was sure to attract attention. In this period, Tian Xujian was quite satisfied with her work.
“Secretary Tian, everything is ready. We strictly complied with the regulations on official receptions. For the food, we chose the Bashu cuisine.” Li Sha reported in a low voice.
Hearing this, Tian Xujian sneered. Seafood was cheap in Wanghai, while inland dishes were expensive. According to these standards, using entirely Bashu cuisine would make the banquet not quite grand, but rather modest.