Chapter 888: Sparring with the Bigwig

In Wang Qigang's view, Lin Dongfan spoke boastfully at the meeting, saying he would personally go to the Provincial Party Committee to explain! It was merely that he was forced into a corner and wanted to save a little face.

Now Cloud Peak Mountain Villa has become a foul-smelling bone that's impossible to gnaw and won't rot.

The chance of it ending up as an unfinished project is extremely high!

Who in their right mind would willingly grab this hot potato and go to the Provincial Party Committee to invite scolding? The sensible thing is to find a way to toss this hot potato aside.

Wang Qigang was certain Lin Dongfan wouldn't do such a foolish thing; he had even prepared a countermove, hoping Lin Dongfan would spread his hands and play delaying tactics.

As long as Lin Dongfan plays delaying tactics.

Then he could give the Provincial Party Committee a reasonable excuse—it's not that I, Wang Qigang, failed to do the work properly, but that Lin Dongfan is neglecting his duties and doesn't take the Provincial and Municipal Party Committee's directives seriously.

However…

What Wang Qigang never dreamed of was…

The next morning.

Lin Dongfan strode into the Provincial Party Committee building with his head held high.

The small conference room of the Provincial Party Committee.

When the door was pushed open, Jiang Huantian and Deng Chunning were already seated there—one sipping tea, the other with his head down reading documents, neither looking up.

Lin Dongfan stood in the doorway, glanced at the familiar conference room. He had lost count of how many meetings he'd held here, but today's atmosphere was clearly different from before.

"Secretary Jiang, Vice Governor Deng."

Lin Dongfan greeted them neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Jiang Huantian raised his head and smiled: "Comrade Dongfan, you've come? Sit, pour yourself some tea."

Lin Dongfan nodded, poured himself a cup of tea, lifted it, and took a slow sip.

Deng Chunning set down his documents, smiled at Lin Dongfan, and said: "Comrade Dongfan, I heard you had a heated clash with Secretary Wang Qigang at yesterday's Municipal Party Committee meeting—what exactly happened?"

"It wasn't really a clash; Secretary Wang and I just have different perspectives on the issue."

Lin Dongfan smiled faintly, easily brushed aside Deng Chunning's loaded remark, giving him no chance to press further.

Jiang Huantian went along and helped Lin Dongfan solidify his position: "It's normal for the top two leaders to have differing opinions."

Deng Chunning could only force a laugh and changed his question to Lin Dongfan: "So you're here today to report on work? Or…"

"To report on the issues concerning Cloud Peak Mountain Villa."

Lin Dongfan set down his tea cup.

Calmly he reported: "Secretary Jiang, Vice Governor Deng, the problems currently facing Cloud Peak Mountain Villa are known to you. The original subcontractor—Huang's Engineering Company, the two brothers Huang Jintang and Huang Jinrong—one has been criminally detained, the other unwilling to accept it and is wrangling with Mortal Group in litigation. The matter is under investigation. I hope the Provincial Party Committee can give me a bit more time. Once the investigation is clear, the work to resume construction will naturally proceed smoothly."

Upon hearing this, Deng Chunning leaned back, relaxed.

Deng Chunning smiled and said: "Comrade Dongfan, your 'wait until the investigation is clear' reminds me of a joke."

"Please do tell."

Lin Dongfan met Deng Chunning's gaze with a smile, thinking, Bring on whatever tricks you have—I dared to come today, so I'm not afraid of you nitpicking.

Deng Chunning chuckled and began:

"'There was a cadre who ran into trouble with an engineering project. His superior asked what to do. He said they needed to wait until the investigation was clear. The superior asked, how long? He replied, we'll know once the investigation is clear. The superior asked again, but exactly how long? He still said, we'll know when the investigation is clear.'"

He paused briefly.

Deng Chunning then added, with deep meaning: "Comrade Dongfan, guess what happened to that cadre afterward?"

"Vice Governor Deng, your joke is quite amusing." Lin Dongfan suppressed the urge to curse, maintaining the composure a politician should have: "However, waiting for the investigation to conclude and dragging one's feet are two different things. Moreover, I want to stress that the Huang Jintang case isn't being delayed by me—it's someone who wants to cover it up."

"Someone wants to cover it up?"

Deng Chunning's face shifted slightly, his smile stiffening considerably; he had originally intended to haul Lin Dongfan onto the stage and denounce him, but instead Lin Dongfan turned the tables on him.

Deng Chunning forced a smile despite his anger: "Who are you referring to?"

"Without evidence, I dare not speak rashly." Lin Dongfan smiled: "As I said, once the investigation is clear, the truth will surface. If I spout nonsense before the Provincial Party Committee, I'd truly become a joke."

"……!!!"

Feeling ridiculed as a joke by Lin Dongfan, Deng Chunning's face darkened to the extreme; he could not force a laugh, not even a hint of a false smile.

The tension was about to explode.

Jiang Huantian spoke unhurriedly: "Comrade Dongfan, there's more behind your words. If there's any situation, you can speak directly."

"Secretary Jiang, some matters, if spoken now, might alert the targets. Please give me a little more time; once I've sorted things out, I'll report to you in detail."

Lin Dongfan's purpose was merely to brandish the sword without stabbing—Jiang Huantian obviously grasped it instantly.

Jiang Huantian nodded: "Fine, let's wait a bit longer. However, the Cloud Peak Mountain Villa project truly cannot be delayed any further. Do you have confidence to ensure it won't end up as an unfinished project?"

"Secretary Jiang, I'm confident I can handle this well." Lin Dongfan replied confidently.

Deng Chunning had recovered his composure by then.

He suddenly snorted: "Comrade Dongfan, you're the mayor of a city, not a martial-arts trickster. On matters of principle, don't rely on mere talk—words alone can't solve problems."

"Vice Governor Deng, I don't quite follow your remark—please explain how I've become a smooth-talking martial-arts charlatan?" Lin Dongfan stared at Deng Chunning without deference.

"What does it take to stand up to superiors?"

"Er!"

In Deng Chunning's view, Lin Dongfan surely relies not on personal integrity but on his family's 107-year-old still-living elder and on Lin Zhenghua, who holds real power.

Deng Chunning smirked and jeered:

"Comrade Dongfan, your uncle is busy day and night, bearing a heavy load. If he knew you in Wuzhou were only grabbing power without shouldering responsibility, I believe he would also sternly criticize you."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Lin Dongfan kept a smile on his face while sharpening his knives inside.

"Just grabbing power without taking responsibility!"

Turning that nonsense around, the meaning is that they accuse him of leveraging his family background for private gain, even disregarding the Provincial Party Committee! It's basically being lawless, unorganized, and undisciplined!

Lin Dongfan swallowed his anger, about to retort.

Jiang Huantian suddenly interjected to smooth things over: "Old Deng, you can't put it that way. Comrade Dongfan has done a decent job with anti-corruption and clean-government work in Wuzhou during this period. Not long ago he uncovered a bunch of corrupt elements, and the public applauded. We ought to acknowledge that; we shouldn't view the issue too narrowly."

Upon hearing this, Deng Chun Ning merely smiled and remained silent.

In the anti-corruption area.

Indeed, there's nothing to fault Lin Dongfan about; within just a few days of taking office, he had already ousted the Housing Bureau's Zhou Hongwei, the Land Bureau's Yuan Ben Zhong, the Environmental Protection Bureau's Tang Yuchao, and others.

Every time he thought of these matters, Deng Chun Ning felt deep regret.

It's not that he thinks those corrupt officials shouldn't be caught; the main issue is that Lin Dongfan's iron-fisted methods directly shattered the ecological balance of Wuzhou's officialdom, putting even Wang Qigang's position in jeopardy.

No matter what!

Today we must definitely crush Lin Dongfan's arrogance; otherwise, Wuzhou will truly become his own world!

Thinking this through, Deng Chun Ning had already laid out his battle plan in his mind.