Power and Wealth
Chapter 1858 – Dong faction’s gathering.
At the meeting, the proposal for the appointments was finalized. This was the main issue of the day, but it wasn’t the only thing discussed. Other matters include renovating the old county committee compound. This was a final topic that Dong Xuebing had already decided on beforehand. He had entrusted Meng Hanmei’s County Committee Office with full responsibility for handling it, and implementation began immediately. As for the issue of insufficient funds, the construction company could be paid part of the amount upfront, and the rest could be dealt with gradually. This was something that could only be addressed step by step. After all, the new county committee compound had been demolished, so renovating the old one was an unplanned task. It hadn’t been considered beforehand, and the budget hadn’t been planned, so the gap needed to be filled gradually.
One…
Two…
Three…
All the topics were discussed.
Dong Xuebing held even more initiative in this meeting than in the previous one, the first meeting after his appointment. Dong Xuebing now held almost absolute speaking power in the Party committee. All the proposals were implemented and decided according to his intentions and plans. Zhang Dongfang and his faction passively agreed to some of the proposals, remaining silent on others. They didn’t voice any objections, which was already telling. If Zhang Dongfang thought he had a chance to oppose, he definitely wouldn’t have remained silent like this. Zhang Dongfang knew that Dong Xuebing’s high momentum wasn’t the right time to resist. Thus, he chose to take a more passive approach. On many issues, he and his supporters neither supported nor opposed. At this point, it was clear that Zhang’s faction couldn’t directly confront Dong Xuebing. That would have been unwise.
Dong Xuebing likely understood their thoughts and felt satisfied. Looking at it from another angle, this situation might have favored him. If everything had gone according to plan, Dong Xuebing probably wouldn’t have been able to display his absolute authority as the top leader for a while. After all, he was new and young and faced veteran colleagues who had worked in Jiaolin County for decades. But now, with the situation gradually tilting in his favor thanks to Dong Xuebing’s maneuvering, it was certainly a favorable outcome for him.
The situation in the county had entered a relatively stable period.
This could be seen as the preliminary result of the two factions’ post-adjustment.
The meeting ended, and Dong Xuebing took the initiative to walk alongside Zhang Dongfang. They chatted casually as they exited the temporary meeting room.
“Mayor Zhang, are you feeling better now?”
“It was just that I got caught in the rain and got a little tired, but I’m fine now.”
“Good, I have some nutritional supplements. I brought them from the capital. I’ll have my secretary send them to you some time. You should try them.”
“Alright, then, thank you.”
“Heh, no need to be so polite.”
As they walked and talked, the atmosphere was cordial.
Now that the situation was stable, it was natural to maintain a stable appearance. Dong Xuebing, as the temporary victor, was quite generous. He took the initiative to make peace and engage in a friendly exchange with Zhang Dongfang. It wasn’t meant to be anything more, but after their previous intense conflict in the Party committee, the atmosphere had been tense, and the impact was significant. Now that things had settled, at least on the surface, they had to present a harmonious front. Otherwise, the political atmosphere would be unhealthy if the tension between the top and second leaders were always apparent in a county. So, now that the main issues had been resolved, Dong Xuebing didn’t want the county to remain tense. He had to make some adjustments in his attitude.
The other county committee Party committee members also left the meeting room, each with their own thoughts. However, the atmosphere of this meeting was still quite good, with no strong opposition. Everyone’s relationships had eased somewhat. For example, Chang Lin took the initiative to approach Executive Vice County Mayor Xu Zhuang and spoke with him.
There is always political struggle everywhere.
This isn’t something to be afraid of; it’s completely normal.
As long as a relatively stable degree is maintained, that’s enough.
Struggle, compromise, balance, then struggle again, compromise again, balance again — this is always the main theme of political struggle, and it’s the same everywhere.
…
It was around eleven o’clock.
Dong Xuebing’s new office.
As soon as he returned, Su Yan said, “Secretary, Director Huo is here.”
“Oh.” Dong Xuebing thought for a moment, then got up and went out. He didn’t meet with him in the office because the soundproofing wasn’t good, making it impossible to have a proper conversation. When he saw Huo Yibang waiting outside, he smiled, “Old Huo, I was just about to eat. Let’s go together.”
Huo Yibang quickly replied, “Okay.”
Dong Xuebing led the way, and they both entered the Audi parked outside.
Xiao Wang had been waiting there the whole time. When he heard that the Secretary would eat, he drove towards the town center, where there were more decent restaurants. The area around here didn’t have much to offer regarding food.
In the car, Huo Yibang didn’t avoid the driver, Xiao Wang. A leader’s driver is often closer to them than their secretary, so no formality was needed. Huo Yibang expressed his gratitude in a serious tone, “Secretary, at the party committee meeting… thank you. I never expected… well, I don’t even know if I’m qualified.”
Huo Yibang was emotionally moved. After working in the Urban Management Bureau for so many years, he never imagined he would have the chance to move up to the level of deputy county mayor before retirement. His life plans hadn’t been very ambitious; his best hope had been to retire with a deputy section chief’s benefits and a bit more pension. This was common among veterans in the bureaucracy. Leaders often gave a face to these long-serving veterans who maintained decent relationships and made contributions to their departments by granting them one level higher benefits upon retirement. But Huo Yibang hadn’t expected that, before retiring, he might be promoted to deputy county mayor, a position with substantial authority. He felt like he had made the right bet this time.
Dong Xuebing said, “This isn’t settled yet. It mostly depends on the city’s stance. We’re all on the same team, but there are some things I don’t need to hide from you. You should be able to tell that my relationship with the city isn’t that great. In general, the city tends to respect the decisions made by the county, but now I’m the county party secretary, and the city’s attitude isn’t as certain. I’m giving you a heads-up so you can be mentally prepared.”
Huo Yibang, ever the smooth talker, replied, “No matter what, thank you, Secretary. If I’m appointed deputy county mayor, you can rest assured that I won’t disappoint you.”
Dong Xuebing smiled, “If you go to the county government, life might not be easy.” After all, that was Zhang Dongfang’s territory.
Huo Yibang replied firmly, “I’m prepared for that. I’ll follow your lead. If I step out of line, you can remove me!”
Dong Xuebing waved his hand, “It’s not that serious.”
However, Dong Xuebing was satisfied with Huo Yibang’s response. Why did he promote Huo Yibang? First, it was for his merits and appreciation, and second, he needed Huo Yibang’s absolute support once he took office. Otherwise, why promote him? When Dong Xuebing first arrived, he didn’t know Huo Yibang or his background. He needed someone with expertise in this area, so he found him. Now, Dong Xuebing had learned from Meng Hanmei that Huo Yibang had previously been relatively close to the county government, as the County Urban Management Bureau was under the county government’s supervision. Despite this, Dong Xuebing did not hesitate to propose Huo Yibang’s promotion at the party committee meeting, acting as if he knew nothing about the situation. In reality, this was Dong Xuebing’s strategy. He clearly understood the situation, and Huo Yibang’s response essentially expressed his future unwavering support for Dong Xuebing. He would certainly stand by Dong Xuebing’s side, and that was enough. What Dong Xuebing needed was exactly this.
It was about wearing down the strength of political enemies.
It was about strengthening his team.
This is one of the most common tactics in political struggle, right?
Successfully bringing Huo Yibang to his side meant that Dong Xuebing had further solidified his position in Jiaolin County, stabilized his footing, and weakened his political enemies’ strength — a double win.
…
Afternoon.
The documents from Jiaolin County were sent to the city.
Because the province was investigating several counties under its jurisdiction, Bao Hong City would also hold a City Party committee meeting in the afternoon to discuss recent events.
The secretary sent a large stack of documents to the office of the City party secretary, “Secretary, these are the topics for discussion in the afternoon meeting, please review.”
Qian Litiao responded with a grunt. Since yesterday, he has been keeping a stern expression, and his mood has been very bad. The province bypassing their city to investigate the counties was a slap in his face and an expression of dissatisfaction with him. This had also put considerable pressure on Qian Litiao.
As he flipped through the documents, he looked at each one and set the tone with the secretary. “Give this one to Secretary Wang to look at first, give him a heads-up. Also, I won’t discuss this one with Old Sun, but you should tell him in advance that someone on his team may be moved during the meeting. Let him understand that this is inevitable and to keep his composure. We’ll handle other matters once the storm passes. He should be able to understand.”
The secretary acknowledged, jotting down the notes.
At this moment, Qian Litiao came across the proposal for Huo Yibang’s appointment from Jiaolin County. His brows furrowed deeply. “What’s this county party secretary in Jiaolin County doing? Why are they discussing appointments at this time? His business isn’t settled yet, and the investigation team hasn’t even left!” With only his secretary in the room, Qian Litiao didn’t hold back, his displeasure with Dong Xuebing apparent on his face.
The secretary seemed to understand. “Should we send it back to them?”
Qian Litiao snorted, tossing the document aside. “Fine, prepare for the meeting.”
That afternoon, the result of the City Party committee’s discussion came down, and Jiaolin County’s appointment of Huo Yibang as deputy county mayor was approved.
Dong Xuebing had guessed correctly — the city didn’t have the time to argue with him. They were too busy handling their pile of issues.
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