Chapter 374: Chapter 365 Ban-di Gathering_1
The flight from Jingcheng to Jiangzhou slowly landed at Jiangbei Province’s Jiangzhou International Airport. As the largest airport in Jiangbei Province, it was also the only area in which Jiangzhou City surpassed Liangxi City. It was a great annoyance to the Secretary of the Jiangzhou City Committee, who held the title of standing member of the provincial party committee, that the provincial capital was outmatched by a mere prefecture-level city.

As soon as Nie Zhenbang stepped out of the airport, Yi Jun and driver Yang Qingshan had already come to greet him. Yi Jun was aware of the accident that had befallen the elder patriarch of the Nie family. After passing Nie Zhenbang’s scrutiny and trials, Nie Zhenbang had stopped hiding his family’s background from Yi Jun.

Even with prior preparation, Yi Jun had been profoundly shocked at first when he learned about Nie Zhenbang’s background. At this moment, knowing of the old patriarch’s passing, Yi Jun was again deeply affected.

Taking Nie Zhenbang’s luggage from him, Yi Jun immediately nodded and said, “Mayor, is everything settled at home? The old patriarch has passed away. You should be mindful to grieve, Mayor.”

“I’m fine. Birth, old age, sickness, and death are all natural phenomena. Even a great man cannot escape the fate of death, and my grandfather was no different. Xiaoyi, while I was away, was there any trouble in the city?” Nie Zhenbang switched quickly into work mode the moment he disembarked from the plane, and his first words were to inquire about work-related matters.

Yi Jun knew Nie Zhenbang’s character well. Once Nie Zhenbang entered work mode, he was utterly devoted, keeping long nights and sleeping in his clothes right in his office’s rest area. This was all commonplace. As his secretary, Yi Jun was always prepared with a set of bedding. If the mayor worked late and slept in his office, Yi Jun would make a makeshift bed on the sofa outside. By now, Yi Jun had grown accustomed to this routine.

Yi Jun quickly collected his thoughts and replied, “On the surface, the city is fairly calm. Lately, Fan Changsheng has been frequently going down to the countryside, ceaselessly exchanging views with representatives of the people from various districts and industries. It seems that Fan Changsheng is also worried about us.”

Upon hearing Yi Jun’s words, Nie Zhenbang immediately laughed, “It would be strange if Fan Changsheng isn’t worried. If they were to vote me out, Fan Changsheng would surely have to take responsibility. He can’t bear such a burden, not to mention Shen Yanshuo.”

Coming out of the airport terminal building, Nie Zhenbang directly got into a car. Yi Jun smoothly got into the co-driver’s seat and said to Yang Qingshan, “Qingshan, let’s go.”

The second car of the Liangxi City Committee quickly entered the airport expressway, went straight around the third ring road of Jiangzhou, and took the Hujiang Expressway back to Liangxi City.

Looking at the scenery outside the car window, Nie Zhenbang fell into contemplation. The difficulty of working in Liangxi City was clear to Nie Zhenbang alone. While he was not worried about losing his position, his fear was that he might have the empty title of position without actual power. Fortunately, he had already gained control over the city government.

However, the reorganization of Qingfang City was like a ticking time bomb. It hovered around him all the time, hanging over his head, always posing the threat of explosion. If anything went wrong in Qingfang City, it wouldn’t be a minor issue. It would be a significant one, and that was beyond doubt.

Nie Zhenbang raised his head and asked Yi Jun in front of him, “Xiaoyi, concerning the fire in Qingfang City, has the fire department come to a conclusion yet?”

At this question, Yi Jun suddenly smacked his forehead. An awkward grin crossed his face, as if he had done something wrong, and he said softly, “I’m sorry, Mayor. I forgot about it until you mentioned it. The investigation into the fire already has preliminary results. The fire department concluded that it was a fire caused by short-circuit due to aging electrical wiring. However, Director Chen has a different opinion.”

Nie Zhenbang’s brow furrowed at this. Aging wiring, what a load of nonsense! The office building of the Spinning Factory had been in use less than three years since its renovation. According to some reports from the Spinning Factory, the floor where the fire started had been renovated less than two years ago. Who would believe the story of aging wiring? There was something fishy here. Of course, even before this conclusion, Nie Zhenbang already knew there was something fishy. The clear evidence was that Fan Changsheng and Li Guohua were firmly against a thorough investigation and punishment of those responsible. However, Nie Zhenbang did not expect they had even reached into the fire department.

As for Chen Le having a different opinion, that was to be expected. After a moment’s consideration, Nie Zhenbang slowly said, “Xiaoyi, notify them to gather tonight. Call Chen Le, Lu Wu, Mayor Xintian, and Commander Peng for a small meeting.”

Hearing the words of Nie Zhenbang, Yi Jun promptly nodded and recorded with a steel pen in his notebook. This seems like a small group meeting. These people, all tested, have earned Nie Zhenbang’s trust and are indispensable to any gathering.

This time, Nie Zhenbang did not choose any other location. The meeting was held in a private room at the Liangxi City Grand Hotel, where Lu Wu, Chen Le, Zhao Xintian and Peng Kaibao had all arrived. Various exquisite dishes had already been brought to the table.

The door to the room opened, and Nie Zhenbang and Yi Jun, both looking somewhat travel-weary, made their entrance. Seeing everyone preparing to stand up to greet them, Nie Zhenbang beckoned them to remain seated while removing his coat and hanging it on a nearby coat rack. “You may all remain seated, no need to rise,” he said.

Nie Zhenbang then took a seat while Yi Jun, acting as secretary, sat near the door. With Nie Zhenbang’s arrival, everyone raised their cups.

Nie Zhenbang tapped his glass with each person’s in turn before saying, “This is our first gathering of the new year, let’s all take a drink for a good start.”

A few drinks later, Nie Zhenbang spoke at leisure. “Comrades, the focus of our work today still lies with the Qingfang City project. Also, the upgrading of Liangxi City’s urban taste and image must be carried out concurrently. And the key to this upgrading is to improve the quality of the old city district. Guicheng district, as an old industrial base, will be the focus of this renovation. Lu Wu, you must be prepared for this.”

Hearing Nie Zhenbang’s words, a trace of joy appeared on Lu Wu’s face. Guicheng District was an old city district with a large population and an underdeveloped economy, but it carried greater responsibility. The mere existence of the three spinning factories outside of his jurisdiction had made Lu Wu tread cautiously. At this moment, the news that the city was planning to renovate the old town made him extremely excited. If successful, this could be his major political achievement. Working with Mayor Nie felt like a dream come true.

Listening to Nie Zhenbang’s words, Lu Wu rose to his feet, raised his glass, and said, “Mr. Mayor, please rest assured, I will not drag the city down. I will certainly fulfill my duty.”

Nie Zhenbang nodded in appreciation and then looked at Chen Le. “Old Chen, how’s the case in Qingfang City progressing?”

The mention of the Qingfang City case not only made Lu Wu hold his peace, but also caused Zhao Xintian and Peng Kaibao to fall silent. The importance of the Qingfang City project was clear to everyone present. This matter will determine whether Mayor Nie can hold his position securely. If Qingfang City is well managed, a smooth path ahead is guaranteed. If it is not, Nie Zhenbang would have to continue his tenure cautiously. Everyone understood this.

Speaking of his assigned duties, Chen Le straightened up and assumed a serious expression. “Mr. Mayor, as you have directed, my team has been monitoring and tracking Wu Aijun, the factory director of the spinning mill, 24 hours a day. During the New Year period, our people saw Wu Aijun visiting the city committee, and the leader he met was Huang Junshan, the Minister of Organization.”

As expected, Huang Junshan. Nie Zhenbang couldn’t help but smile—this explained a lot. It seems that Wu Aijun’s backer was none other than Huang Junshan.

Chen Le had not yet finished speaking but glanced around at everyone before continuing, “In addition, after the fire, our team entered the scene where they detected the smell of gasoline indicative of arson. We suspect that someone intentionally set the fire, but we have not yet found solid evidence. I believe that we can make a breakthrough by investigating the relationship between Huang Junshan and Wu Aijun. This will cause them to panic and expose their wrongdoing.”

“Good, we should have done this long ago. I’ve read the fire report, it seems that Fan Changsheng has already extended his reach. I’ve had enough, I suggest we not only investigate the fire, but we should also look into the local firefighting squadron. I will personally handle the matters with the fire police. I refuse to believe that these people can act flawlessly.” Chen Le had barely finished speaking when Peng Kaibao picked up on his point. The fire report had been a slap in the face for Peng Kaibao. Had Nie Zhenbang not returned, Peng Kaibao would already have made a move. Now, as Chen Le suggested the approach, Peng Kaibao seemed eager.

Hearing Chen Le and Peng Kaibao’s words, Nie Zhenbang fell into thought. The Qingfang City case was not something that could be resolved quickly. However, Chen Le’s suggestion seemed reasonable—it could be a good direction to pursue. After a pause to think, Nie Zhenbang made his decision: “Good, let’s proceed as Chen Le suggested. The Public Security Bureau should keep a close eye on Wu Aijun and exert some pressure on him. Only in that way will he panic. Meanwhile, Old Peng, you can also apply some pressure. I will discuss it with Secretary Ding Guo. This time, I want to see how the parasites in the Spinning Factory can escape. As far as these people are concerned, my standpoint is to deal with them strictly and harshly, and to pass them over for public prosecution.”

With that, Nie Zhenbang stood up, his expression grave and stern. “Comrades, in this endeavor we must not fear, we must all be fully committed. This time, we will not withdraw until we take down the Spinning Factory.” (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to qidian.com to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)