Reborn as a Noble’s Son - Chapter 608

Chapter 608: Chapter 564 Reporting to the Mayor_1
 

In the office of the municipal party committee’s propaganda department, Zhou Zihui, the newly appointed Standing Committee member and Propaganda Department Minister, was also reflecting on this feeling.

While the difference between the title of Deputy Minister and Minister may be a single character, the feelings each title evokes are incomparable. Sitting on the black, genuine leather executive chair, he swayed back and forth, reveling in an upbeat mood and a sense of directing significant matters and passionately elaborating on theories.

Picking up the phone, Zhou Zihui hesitated before flipping through the municipal party committee’s contact list and dialing Mayor Nie. After two “beeps”, Li Jupeng’s voice came through on the other end, “Hello?”

Even when facing Li Jupeng, Zhou Zihui remained very polite. Before Lin Mohan left for Liaodong, he reminded Zhou Zihui to maintain good relations with Mayor Nie’s secretary.

Zhou Zihui was clear on the importance of doing so. Even if Lin Mohan didn’t remind him, he would never offend Li Jupeng. Hence, Zhou Zihui responded with a smile, “Director Li, this is Zhou Zihui. Is the Mayor free now? I’d like to report my work to him.”

Being Nie Zhenbang’s secretary, Li Jupeng was all too familiar with these matters. He knew that Lin Mohan left for Liaodong thanks to Mayor Nie’s recommendation and efforts. He also knew who Zhou Zihui, the recently appointed Propaganda Department Minister, was associated with. Li Jupeng smiled and said, “Minister Zhou, the mayor has just an hour of free time now. Please come over.”

Within the administrative system, this is how things go. Even if leaders have a full day of rest, they would never say they are idle. Instead, they refer to their leisure time in terms of hours or even minutes, to emphasize how busy they are with work duties.

Hanging up the phone and feeling a sense of realisation, Zhou Zihui stood up, picked up the briefcase on his desk, and walked out of his office, instructing his secretary, “I’ll be stepping out. If there’s anything, we can discuss it when I return.”

Upon leaving his office and entering the elevator, Zhou Zihui was slightly stunned as Han Qiang, the secretary to Secretary Li of the municipal party committee, was standing there.

Han Qiang took the initiative to greet him, “Minister Zhou, heading out?”

“Director Han, you’re here too. I am heading to the government office for some matters.” Their relationship wasn’t particularly close; they would merely greet each other when they met.

Observing Zhou Zihui exiting the elevator and heading directly towards the elevator to the municipal building, Han Qiang’s face reflected contemplation.

Han Qiang felt that the secretary was being too easy-going. Despite the harmonious atmosphere in the city, city leaders recognized only Mayor Nie and not Secretary Li. Han Qiang found this trend concerning. Unfortunately, Secretary Li trusted Mayor Nie deeply. With a shake of his head, Han Qiang exited the municipal party committee and government building and walked towards the carpool area.

Zhou Zihui headed straight to the top floor of the municipal building, stopping at Mayor Nie’s office door, since he had already called ahead. Zhou Zihui pushed the door open and nodded courteously to Li Jupeng, who was seated at his desk, smiling and asking, “Ju Peng, is the mayor in?”

One had to admit that Zhou Zihui had a way with people. His pleasant smile and warm words instantly made him seem amicable.

Li Jupeng smiled back, gesturing towards the door and implying, “Minister Zhou, the mayor has instructed that you can go straight in when you arrive.”

…

Nie Zhenbang hadn’t expected his father-in-law, Yang Shengli, to act so swiftly. Within less than a week after their phone conversation and his subsequent discussion with Lin Mohan, Lin Mohan had promptly completed his organization’s conversation and set off for Liaodong.

This confirmed the strength of the Yang family’s network in Liaodong Province. As Zhou Zihui entered, Nie Zhenbang instantly smiled and said, “Minister Zhou has arrived, please have a seat.”

Zhou Zihui was recommended by Lin Mohan, which effectively placed him in Nie Zhenbang’s faction. After his discussions with Yang Shengli, Nie Zhenbang had consciously begun to cultivate his faction. Naturally, Zhou Zihui was one of the individuals he was carefully considering.

“Mayor, this time I mainly came here to report on the progress of our propaganda work and also to seek your guidance on our next key action plan for the propaganda department,” Zhou Zihui said after taking a moment to collect his thoughts as he sat down.

Zhou Zihui’s remarks were dutifully appropriate. His words also revealed his intentions to ally himself, as the propaganda department was not typically under the jurisdiction of the city government. The propaganda work was mainly overseen by the city committee, thus reporting to Nie Zhenbang somewhat overstepped his authority.

However, it clearly expressed Zhou Zihui’s stance, which Nie Zhenbang found satisfactory. He responded with a smile, “Minister Zhou, propaganda work has always been one of our party’s key areas of focus. Effective propagandizing helps elevate the image and credibility of the party and the government in the minds of the people. Wanghai City’s propaganda work is currently doing commendably, but it’s not enough. Following the creation of our news section focusing on people’s livelihoods, we should also make some highlighted reports on the economic development of Wanghai City. We should focus on the pioneers and role models that emerge from various sectors in Wanghai City during the process of economic construction and development.”

Zhou Zihui felt greatly shocked by Nie Zhenbang’s approach, an admiration swelling in his heart. It’s been said that Mayor Nie is an extraordinarily capable man with deep insights. Zhou Zihui had now witnessed this first-hand, Nie Zhenbang had silently arranged for an official from Wanghai City to take on the role of a secretary of a prefecture-level city in Liaodong Province. This level of influence was something that only a few main provincial leaders could possess in the whole of WangHai or even in all of Minan.

Having witnessed Nie Zhenbang’s exceptional skills, Zhou Zihui was deeply impressed too. Although the work of the propaganda department might seem simple on the surface; just producing news reports and organizing special topics or events. However, Zhou Zihui, coming from a related specialized background, knew better the intricacies involved. The frequency of exposure for the leaders is something that needs careful consideration by the propaganda department. The topics and points of emphasis chosen for reports are all reflections of the political trends of a region and a country. Those unfamiliar with this line of work would have difficulty grasping its direction and methods.

This is why the “Daily at Seven” news program on the national television has become obligatory daily viewing for provincial and prefectural leaders nationwide. Information and insights can be gleaned from the news reports.

“Mayor, rest assured that I will strictly follow your directives. I will resolutely follow the organization’s leadership and successfully complete all tasks assigned to the propaganda department,” Zhou Zihui asserted with a steadfast attitude, in a show of loyalty.

There was no place for subtlety or ambiguous expression on such matters. Could leaders afford to spend time analyzing the depth of meanings in one’s words? Clearly, they couldn’t. Consequently, in expressing loyalty, the more straightforward and blunt, the more leaders liked it.

“Minister Zhou, you’re being too modest. I’m very satisfied with the work of the propaganda department. You’ve done an excellent job, which is partly due to Comrade Lin Mohan’s leadership and also your assistance and support. Now, Comrade Mohan has moved to a new position. You, as the person in charge of Wanghai City’s propaganda work, need to be brave and strong. Don’t act timidly. The Nanxun Chief has always stressed that we can be more courageous and faster in our reform. That’s the rationale. I trust that you will do well in your work. The fact that the organization has entrusted you with this position also reflects the trust they have in you,” Nie Zhenbang also had to affirm Zhou Zihui at this moment.

Having bid farewell to Zhou Zihui, Nie Zhenbang had just turned back to his seat when Li Jupeng came in, saying, “Mayor, Director Liu from the Finance Bureau is outside. He would like to report to you about his work.”

“Liu Sheng?”

Nie Zhenbang was taken aback for a moment. He was very familiar with Liu Sheng, the Director of the Finance Bureau. Liu was a professional in his field, a full-fledged finance graduate, and his abilities in the few months since taking over the Finance Bureau have been commendable.

However, since taking office up till now, Liu had never reported his work to Nie ZhenBang. Usually, the Finance Bureau is a department that needs to maintain close contact with the city government. Many of the city’s policies and ideas need coordination and communication from the Finance Bureau. Yet, Liu Sheng had not appeared before the Mayor.

Because Liu Sheng is the cousin of Liu Yafu’s wife who is the Minister of the Organization Department of the City Party committee. At first glance, it may seem that both Lius are related, but in reality, Liu Sheng is not directly related to Liu Yafu. Liu Yafu’s wife was Liu Sheng’s aunt’s daughter, thus their relationship lies therein.

Because of his reliance on Liu Yafu’s influence, Liu Sheng hadn’t reported to Nie Zhenbang his work. Nie Zhenbang didn’t mind as he has always been about the task at hand rather than the person. As long as one’s work is commendable, that’s all that matters.

Now, Liu Sheng had suddenly made an initiative to visit, which made one wonder whether it was Liu Sheng’s own decision or a probe by Liu Yafu in preparation to align himself in earnest?

It’s not impossible. In the Standing Committee, Liu Yafu and Lin Mohan both began to experience ideological changes at about the same time. In reality, Lin Mohan’s situation was likely better at that point. Liu Yafu’s role as the head of the organization department was more or less nominal back then. Even after gaining real power, Liu Yafu intentionally kept his relationships at a certain distance. This was something Nie Zhenbang was very clear about. Now, the sudden movement of Lin Mohan has brought great shock to the official circles of Wanghai City. It’s not impossible for Liu Yafu to be swaying.

With this in mind, Nie Zhenbang nodded, “Let Comrade Liu Sheng in.” (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)