Chapter 626

Xu Mengda and Xue Bing returned to the country, and Duanmu called me immediately, asking me to come to the provincial capital for a gathering.

After hanging up, I was hesitant. If I didn't go, Xu Mengda and Duanmu would have opinions. If I went, how was I supposed to face Xue Bing?

The public notice for my appointment was about to expire. If there were no objections during the notice period, I would be taking up my new post next month. This new appointment was my third jump in three years, and there were already dissenting voices in the Hengyue City officialdom regarding my promotion.

This was a critical moment; I couldn't lose my footing.

I went to work at the Petition Bureau as usual, but I was essentially doing nothing. Lilian had spoken to me privately, hoping I would finish my last shift at the Petition Bureau well. He sighed, saying that if he didn't get promoted during next year's reshuffle, he would only be able to go to the People's Congress or the CPPCC. He had worked for decades; he wouldn't claim credit, but he had certainly put in the hard work.

I knew Lilian's resume; his past was somewhat similar to mine. Lilian had entered the officialdom starting from the People's Commune. He was first the commune's propaganda committee member, and because he wrote a good hand and could write beautiful articles, he had been sailing smoothly all these years. Lilian's greatest dream was to remove the "Deputy" title from his hat, but fate had not favored him at the final hurdle. He had sat in the Deputy Secretary-General's chair for nearly ten years, his backside had grown calluses, yet there was still no sign of him moving.

When Lilian sighed to me about these past events, I pretended to listen to his teachings earnestly on the surface, but inside, my mind was wandering; I hadn't taken a word of what he said to heart.

The old men at the Petition Bureau were all at the age of retirement. Lilian said to me with infinite regret, "Xiao Chen, I think highly of you. Originally, I thought that after helping you along for a year or two, I would hand the Petition Bureau over to you. But many things are not within my control. However, it's fine now; you go first to the place that needs you, train yourself some more, and lay a foundation for higher goals in the future."

I smiled noncommittally. I hadn't taken any of Lilian's words to heart, except for the last sentence, which made me secretly excited for a moment.

If I successfully took up the position of Director of the Industrial Park Management Committee, my status would undergo a earth-shaking change.

It wasn't just that my administrative rank would be half a level higher; the key was that in the future, whenever the municipal government held meetings involving economic construction and industrial development, I would have to attend or be present. According to Hengyue City's management of development zones, the Industrial Park was an independent unit, with a rank equivalent to a district or county.

Back then, Guo Wei was a Deputy Director at the Industrial Park, and the top position had yet to be filled. Now, my public notice clearly stated "Proposed as Director of the Municipal Industrial Park Management Committee," which meant that as soon as I took office, I would be the top leader.

In officialdom, although there is only a number separating the top leader from the second-in-command, the indicators are worlds apart. On any matter, if the top leader doesn't nod, no one dares to express an opinion. I had experienced this firsthand when I was in Chunshan County. Back then, as long as Liu Qimeng didn't speak, I couldn't move an inch.

I was hesitant on the phone, which made Duanmu very unhappy. He said he was calling me not because he wanted to, but because Mengda did, and told me to weigh the importance of the matter.

Since Duanmu had spoken to this extent, if I didn't react, I would appear very unappreciative of the situation. So I told Duanmu that I had some small matters to handle over the next two days, but I would definitely arrive in the provincial capital by Friday night.

After hanging up with Duanmu, I called Gan Lu to ask if she was going back to the provincial capital for the weekend.

When Gan Lu heard I was going, she agreed to go together; she happened to need to go to the provincial capital to ask Meng Xiaoyu for money.

As soon as I heard "money," my spirits lifted, and I hurriedly asked her what money she was asking for.

Gan Lu laughed and said, "The province asks the central government for money, so of course our city asks the province for money. It's not that there's no money; there's plenty of money, it just depends on who can get it."

I said sourly, "Meng Xiaoyu is definitely willing to give you money; anyway, the money in his hands has to be given to the lower levels sooner or later. As for me, he won't give me a cent."

Gan Lu asked me, "Chen Feng, your public notice says you're going to be the Director of the Industrial Park Management Committee. Have you taken office yet?"

I sighed and said, "The time hasn't come yet."

Gan Lu pondered for a moment and said, "It's going to be yours sooner or later. It's better to get a sum of money from the province before you take office. Once you're in the position, having money in your hands will make your back straighter."

When I heard this, I felt it made a lot of sense. Just as I was thinking about how to go to the province to ask for money, Gan Lu sighed long on the phone, "Your Hengyue City is not like our Yongning City. In our city, the industrial base is weak, the agricultural base is simple, and commerce is a complete mess. If I don't get some money from the province, I'm about to run out of food."

I tentatively asked, "Mayor Gan, what pretext are you going to use to ask for money?"

Gan Lu laughed, "Development zones are being set up all over the country now, and my Yongning City still doesn't have one. Not having a development zone isn't just a denial of our city's work, but a denial of the work above. So, we've been deliberating for a while and have also set up a development zone. I'm going to find Meng Xiaoyu now, and I'll use the development zone's banner to ask him for it in all seriousness."

"What is Meng Xiaoyu in charge of now? Does he have that much money in his hands?" I asked.

"This guy is incredibly powerful now!" Gan Lu sighed. "The economic development of the entire province is in his hands. He is now the Deputy Secretary-General of the Provincial Government, in charge of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission!"

My heart stirred. Asking the Development and Reform Commission for money was something I had done ten years ago. It was nothing more than setting up a project; as for whether the project could pass, it didn't depend on the project itself, but on personal relationships.

So I smiled and said, "Mayor Gan, why don't you take me with you to see Meng Xiaoyu? I used to be his class monitor; he has to give me some face."

Gan Lu didn't agree directly, only saying that on Friday, she would drive over first, and after arriving in Hengyue City, she would take my car to the provincial capital.

After talking with Gan Lu, my mood was a little excited. I thought for a long time in the office before I summoned the courage to make a decision.

I wanted to go find the Mayor! Once this thought came up, I couldn't suppress it any longer.

From the Petition Bureau to the Municipal Government, it was just a matter of crossing the street.

I walked from this side of the road to the other, saw the Municipal Government sign hanging at the entrance at a glance, and began to hesitate again about whether to go in.

If I went in now to report to the Mayor that I wanted to go to the province to fight for funds, what would the Mayor think of me? As a Deputy Director of the Petition Bureau, fighting for funds from higher authorities had nothing to do with me!

After pacing at the entrance for a long while, I finally made up my mind to go in and report to the Mayor.

The Mayor listened to my intentions, looked me up and down several times, and as he looked, a smile appeared on his face.

I was sweating with nervousness, and my palms were almost dripping with water.

The villagers probably saw the man-eating look on my face; before my rod could even swing, the four of them had scattered and fled.

I said in a low voice, "Mayor, if you have nothing else, I'll head out first?"

He waved his hand to stop me from leaving, walked out from behind his desk, pulled me to sit on the sofa to the side, and asked me straight to the point, "How much certainty do you have?"

This question startled me. Could I have any certainty?

"Mayor," I said hesitantly, "I have no certainty. But I heard that Yongning City is also going to the province to fight for funds."

"You mean Mayor Gan?" The Mayor looked at me with a half-smile.

I nodded and said yes, we are classmates, and we share information with each other.

The Mayor truly laughed, tapped the armrest of the sofa, and said, "Xiao Chen, this matter is indeed a big one. I was just worrying about who to send, and I didn't expect you to deliver yourself to my door."

I felt a surge of secret joy; it seemed I had bet correctly!

"However, I must send someone to go with you."

"No problem." I was in a very good mood, and my speech became much smoother. "Mayor, actually, my status isn't appropriate for me to go. You send a comrade with status, and I'll just assist him."

The Mayor returned to his half-smiling state. He tapped his fingers on the sofa armrest like he was playing the piano for a long time before he spoke, "I'll give you a task! If you manage to secure the funds this time, you'll take office for me immediately. If you can't secure them, you can figure out what to do yourself, how about that?"

I was like a bullet that was about to be fired, but suddenly it misfired.

I had lifted a rock only to drop it on my own feet! I had been too clever by half!

The Mayor was clearly not joking.

I had no room to retreat, so I had to bite the bullet and say, "Mayor, if I fail to complete the task, I will continue to be the Deputy Director of the Petition Bureau and won't go anywhere."

The Mayor nodded approvingly and instructed me, "A gentleman's word is his bond!"

I looked up and said solemnly, "And a team of four horses cannot catch it!"

The Mayor smiled with satisfaction, waved his hand, and said, "Wait a moment, I've asked the Director of the Development and Reform Commission to come over. You discuss it first and bring me an opinion."

Just then, the secretary led the Director of the Development and Reform Commission in. The Mayor stood up and said, "I won't say much more to you. On this matter, Comrade Chen Feng bears the primary responsibility. The Development and Reform Commission will cooperate fully."

The Director of the Development and Reform Commission was still confused, and the Mayor spoke again, "Xiao Chen will tell you the specific matters. I'll wait for your report."

The Mayor was issuing an order to leave, so I had to get up and leave.

The Director of the Development and Reform Commission followed me out, and as soon as we were out the door, he gave me a look and said, "Deputy Director Chen, what kind of trick are you playing?"

I accompanied him with a smile and said, "Leader, let me report to you slowly."

After I explained the whole meaning, the Director of the Development and Reform Commission's face became increasingly ugly. He stared at me with both eyes and asked me in a neither-yin-nor-yang tone, "This doesn't seem to have much to do with Deputy Director Chen, does it?"

I nodded repeatedly and said, "It really doesn't have much to do with me. It's just that the Mayor said this matter is very important and needs everyone to cooperate."

I brought out the Mayor to pressure him; anyone could understand the meaning of that sentence.

Sure enough, after the Director of the Development and Reform Commission's face changed colors several times, he sighed and said, "Tell me, what should we do?"

Of course, I had a plan in my heart. Ever since I talked to Gan Lu on the phone, my idea had already formed. If I wasn't sure, would I have been stupid enough to go to the Mayor?