Chapter 643: Compromise

The elevator door dinged for the third time, and Vice Provincial Governor Lin, surrounded by people, walked out of the elevator in high spirits.

I stepped forward and respectfully called out: "Hello, Leader!"

Vice Provincial Governor Lin gave an "Eh" in surprise and turned to ask the Mayor: "Little Chen didn't go?"

Before the Mayor could answer, I took a step forward and reported: "The Mayor arranged for me to wait here for you to report on the work."

He said "Oh," and a look of approval lingered on me for a moment: "This young man is not bad!"

The Mayor smiled and said: "If he weren't capable, I wouldn't dare hand the Industrial Park over to him!"

The two looked at each other and laughed heartily.

I was ecstatic in their laughter. The Mayor's words already implied that the Industrial Park would be my next stop.

I had no reason not to be secretly happy. The Hengyue City Industrial Park was the most ambitious key project in Hengyue City since the reform and opening up. Although the park still hadn't shown any progress, its initial configuration was very high.

The Hengyue Municipal Committee and Municipal Government had held several meetings for this, forming two meeting minutes just for personnel configuration. According to the content of the meeting minutes, the level of the Industrial Park Director was above the deputy department level. This was also why Guo Wei had only been able to be a Deputy Director all along and had no chance to aspire to be the Director.

Since it was at the deputy department level, one might ask, in the entire Hengyue City, aside from the heads of the four major committees who were at the department level, how many deputy department-level officials were there? There was another more important reason: as long as one served as the Industrial Park Director, one could enter the Hengyue Municipal Party Standing Committee.

How many people couldn't sleep at night because of this position? I was naturally no exception, having once imagined how glorious it would be if I were the Director, and how many detours I could avoid in realizing my aspirations.

I knew my imagination was just wishful thinking, because I had probed my father-in-law, Minister Huang Shan, about this matter, and I had also probed my cousin-in-law He Zhi. Neither of them gave me a direct answer; they both just smiled slightly and let it go.

Entering the conference room, it was time to rank by seniority.

The arrangement of seats in the venue was very particular; the leaders all had assigned seats.

I had observed before that there were no fewer than thirty seat cards in the entire conference room, which meant that the number of leaders attending the meeting today would not be lower than thirty. However, not everyone had a seat card; for those whose level was insufficient, there was only a unit seat and an inconspicuous seat.

Vice Provincial Governor Lin coming to inspect was a major event in Hengyue City. Because Vice Provincial Governor Lin was not only a provincial leader, he was also one of the members of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, a pivotal figure.

The thirty people with seat cards were thirty people who could summon wind and rain in various industries in Hengyue City. Because only the heads of the units had seat cards.

I observed quietly that the people who came today were all prominent figures. Even the Public Security, Procuratorate, Judiciary, and Security departments, which had nothing to do with economic work, sent people, because Vice Provincial Governor Lin was not only a member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, he was also the leader in charge of the province's political and legal work.

Of course, I was someone without a seat. But I was one of the most important people in the meeting today.

The meeting was presided over by the Mayor himself. He was the Mayor, after all, and his eloquence was very remarkable. As soon as he came up, he talked for more than ten minutes with enthusiasm.

I stood on the side, quietly waiting for the meeting to enter my program.

After the Mayor finished speaking, it was my turn.

On the surface, I was very calm, but in fact, my palms were already full of sweat.

This was my first time attending such a high-standard meeting. Although I had sat down with the Provincial Governor during training in the province, and even eaten in the canteen together, they were not formal occasions after all.

It wasn't a formal occasion, so there wouldn't be nervousness. Having nervousness only showed that I was still a talent worth cultivating!

I looked around the conference room during the Mayor's speech. It was undeniable that the city was well-prepared this time; from the media seats at the back of the conference room, one could see that several of the media invited this time were heavy-hitting units.

My eyes swept to Chen Meng, who was sitting in the last row. I muttered in my heart: if even a chief reporter like her could only sit at the end, it showed that the Mayor's intention in using the media was definitely not to influence one city or one central province.

Chen Meng seemed to sense that I was looking at her; she suddenly raised her head, and her gaze met mine.

I wanted to avoid it in a panic, but I couldn't resist her smile, so I had to meet her gaze, letting the two gazes intertwine in the air of the solemn and dignified conference hall.

She quietly pointed to the sound control room behind me; she was reminding me to pay attention, and when it was my turn later, I must play the Industrial Park's promotional video first.

I nodded and smiled, signaling that I understood.

She smiled back, but I read a trace of strange unease in her smile.

Chen Meng's strangeness made me feel as if I had lost something in my heart. It wasn't until my eyes scanned the meeting participants for the Nth time that my heart was suddenly shocked: I actually didn't see Secretary Chen!

As the top leader of Hengyue City, Secretary Chen not attending today's meeting was indeed unexpected. And I knew that Secretary Chen hadn't gone to another place to attend a meeting, nor was he on vacation. He was working normally!

This discovery made me feel uneasy. Logically speaking, when Vice Provincial Governor Lin came to Hengyue City to inspect, Municipal Committee Secretary Chen should accompany him throughout to show respect for his superiors and cooperation with the work.

Secretary Chen not attending today's meeting, could there be other reasons?

I looked at Chen Meng, hoping to read useful things from her gaze. Unfortunately, ever since she exchanged glances with me, she had kept her head down and never looked up at me again.

Since I couldn't find the answer, I didn't need to waste any more thought. I had to know that today's meeting might become the meeting that decided my future.

I secretly thought in my heart, when it was my turn to speak later, where should I start?

Actually, I had some ideas about the Industrial Park. Especially after Guo Wei went abroad, I was the proposed candidate for the position of Industrial Park Director on the city's cadre selection list. Although the Mayor didn't explicitly state that the flower of the park director would definitely fall into my home after the public announcement ended, I knew that as long as there were no accidents, this matter would be a matter of course.

In these ten-plus years, I had attended too many meetings. From the small meetings in Suxi Township to the big meetings in Chunshan County.

In the past, I could often be at ease at meetings, but today was different; I was secretly nervous.

After all, having been a Deputy County Magistrate for several years, remaining calm in a crisis was the most basic political quality.

Back then, when we held meetings in Chunshan County, we could curse, and no one would mind after cursing; instead, they would feel honored. For example, when Guan Peishan was in power, everyone felt infinitely honored to be scolded by Secretary Guan. When Liu Qimeng became Secretary, he was a refined person and wouldn't scold people. The task of scolding people fell on me. For example, I scolded Mao Ping, and after the meeting, Mao Ping proudly announced that he belonged to my camp!

This group of people in front of me had a higher level than us in the county, and they had more tricks than the people in our county.

I knew that on such an occasion, let alone scolding people, even saying a dirty word might plunge oneself into an abyss of no return.

There were many hypocritical cadres in the city. Some people who originally served in the county, as long as they were transferred to the city to be cadres, their tone of voice would change a lot.

In the county, we spoke the local dialect, but when we got to the city, we had to speak Mandarin. It was a pity that many of our native cadres spoke Mandarin that was simply life-threatening.

Thinking of them rolling their tongues to speak Mandarin, I couldn't help but smile secretly.

Before the smile had faded, I heard the Mayor calling me in my ears.

"Now, we invite Comrade Chen Feng to report to Provincial Governor Lin and the comrades in charge of various bureaus and offices of this city on the development and construction of the Industrial Park."

The Mayor took the lead in applauding, and Vice Provincial Governor Lin also applauded reservedly. The rest of the people began to scramble to applaud.

I calmed my nervous mood, my face was full of smiles, I first bowed to everyone, and then opened my mouth to say: "Respected Provincial Governor Lin, Mayor, leaders, media friends, entrusted by the Hengyue Municipal Government, I am now reporting to all leaders on the development and construction of the Hengyue City Industrial Park."

For me, as long as I open my mouth to speak, all nervousness will vanish.

Looking at the dozens of eyes staring at me from below, I couldn't help but secretly feel proud in my heart. It's hard to have such a limelight once in a lifetime, so how could I lose it?

I signaled to the people in the sound control room to lower the projection screen, and after a snow-white screen unfolded behind me, I cleared my throat and said: "First, please leaders, enjoy the promotional video of our Industrial Park."

Just as I signaled to the people in the control room to start the screening, I suddenly heard a voice from the media seats: "Wait!"

Everyone was shocked, and I was shocked too. Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw Chen Meng stand up hurriedly, squeeze a path out of the media reporter group, and head straight for the control room.

Everyone was stunned, and their eyes followed Chen Meng.

Chen Meng was the chief reporter of Hengyue City and the daughter of Municipal Committee Secretary Chen; there was no cadre in Hengyue City who didn't know her. If there were really cadres who didn't know her, then that person was either blind or had a blind heart.

Because of this identity, no one went to stop Chen Meng. Even the Mayor didn't understand what Chen Meng wanted to do.

I hurriedly adjusted my mood and followed Chen Meng into the control room.

"Play this!" Chen Meng took out a disc and handed it to the person in the control room.

The person in the control room was still hesitating, Chen Meng raised her eyebrows and drank: "Are your ears sick?"

My heart jumped, and I thought of Su Ya and the others behind her, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on my back.

I blocked Chen Meng and said almost with a crying voice: "Mengmeng, what are you doing?"

Chen Meng stared at me deeply and said: "Stand aside!"

"No." I said sternly: "Mengmeng, you have to distinguish between light and heavy."

She suddenly laughed, her gaze stayed on me for a moment and said: "What are you nervous about?"

"I'm afraid you'll make a mistake!"

"Don't worry!" She took the disc that had just been taken out from the person in the control room, waved it at me, and whispered: "Don't worry, I won't ruin your business."

I looked at her in confusion. After Chen Meng put the disc into her pocket, she said: "Chen Feng, this is my first compromise! Because of you."

I understood instantly. By the time I wanted to talk to her, she had already gone out from the control room.

I said to the person in the control room who was still hesitating: "What are you still hesitating for? Play it for me." ===== CHAPTER 644 =====