Reborn as a Noble’s Son - Chapter 609

Chapter 609: Chapter 565: Liu Yafu’s Attitude_1
 

Liu Sheng was around 45 years old, with neat side-parted hair, a short-sleeved white shirt, and dark trousers. His attire was the standard set of a system official. He was about 1.7 meters tall and slightly overweight, a black briefcase in hand. His smile was warm and sincere.

Guided by Li Jupeng, Liu Sheng entered the office. Clearly, he was a bit nervous at this moment.

Nie Zhenbang could empathize. Having been in office for several months without reporting to higher-level leaders, he would probably feel the same way.

Before Liu Sheng could speak, Nie Zhenbang dismissed any nervousness with a wave of his hand, saying, “Director Liu, please have a seat.”

Like many officials, Liu Sheng was careful not to settle fully into his chair, perching himself halfway on the edge. This allowed him to get up at a moment’s notice.

Nie Zhenbang found this amusing but didn’t point it out. His gentleness was selective, and he did not treat all officials equally. Maintaining a degree of sternness was necessary.

At this moment, Liu Sheng took a notebook from his briefcase and placed it on the desk, volunteering, “Mayor, I would like to report on the work of the Finance Bureau over the past six months.”

Nie Zhenbang didn’t respond, but Liu Sheng understood. Often, if the leaders didn’t speak, it was assumed they agreed.

Unlike normal conversation, there were rules about authority and decorum to consider during such exchanges. Responding to every statement would undermine a superior’s authority. Often, a subordinate could give a lengthy report while the superior only responded with a few sentences, which was considered quite acceptable.

“Mayor, since the bankruptcy of the Eastern Sea Group in April, the city’s fiscal revenue has plummeted by almost 90% in April. The total revenue for the entire month was only 1.2 million, which was more than 9 million less than the same period last year…”

Although Liu Sheng had put the notebook in front of him, he didn’t refer to it during his entire report. All the data was clearly recorded in his mind.

Nie Zhenbang was impressed with Liu Sheng’s report as it was supported by both concrete data and objective assessment. Simply from an operational perspective, it was a commendable piece of work.

Nie Zhenbang took another look at Liu Sheng and realized that this man was extraordinary. For him to speak so smoothly and confidently, it was clear he was not simply repeating the work of his subordinates, but had genuinely involved in the process himself.

Another small detail was that, although Liu Sheng had placed the notebook on the table, he did not refer to it. This showed that he was careful and thorough in his work.

If he didn’t bring the notebook and forgot a data point, scrambling to look it up would leave a negative impression of a lack of professionalism, which was a major blunder in official circles. From this perspective, Liu Sheng had done very well.

Nie Zhenbang nodded, saying, “Director Liu, the work of the Finance Bureau is commendable. It demonstrates the competence of your team. Keep in mind to remain humble and cautious. All economic development projects in Wanghai City are in full swing. As the coordinator of city finance, you should provide quality services. This is crucial.”

Hearing Nie Zhenbang’s words, Liu Sheng was pleased. The mayor’s approval indicated his work had been positively received.

With a smile, Liu Sheng asked, “Mayor, are you free tonight? If it’s convenient, I’d like to invite you to dinner.”

He didn’t forget to add, “Mayor, rest assured, I’m paying out of my own pocket. It’s completely compliant with the Three Public Expenses provision.”

Nie Zhenbang laughed and replied, “Good job, Director Liu. If you’re insisting, I have to go. Call Ju Peng when you get off work in the afternoon.”

Afterward, in his office, Nie Zhenbang received others like Chen Zhenjun of the Agriculture Department, Jia Ping of the Health Department, and Huang Dahai, Secretary of the Xiangming District Committee.

The success of Lin Mohan has made the officials of Wanghai City incredibly envious. As a sub-provincial city, aside from the municipal party secretary and mayor being deputy provincial officials, all other deputy positions are bureau-level. The heads of the municipal bureaus and committees are at the deputy bureau level, and even those with more seniority can enjoy the treatment of bureau-level officials. It can be said that in Wanghai City, if one wants to get a promotion and if they play their cards right, getting recommended from a higher-up is the fastest way.

After all, there are too many positions. Unlike other cities at the bureau level, there are only a few positions available, and competition for these spots can get quite fierce.

Now, with Lin Mohan suddenly transferred to take over as the party secretary of Gangcheng City, the officials of Wanghai City are like cats that smelled fish. It’s easy to be promoted to the departmental level in Wanghai City, but going any higher is a challenge. Lin Mohan’s path has opened up a whole new landscape for the officials in Wanghai City.

Over the past few days, many officials have begun to feel tempted. Of course, to be like Lin Mohan, they must first gain the approval of Mayor Nie.

Just after getting off work, Liu Sheng called. He was very tactful with his timing, not calling before the end of the workday. Otherwise, he might leave an impression that he was neglecting his duties during work hours.

Li Jupeng now held the phone and said to Nie Zhenbang, “Mayor, it’s a call from Liu Sheng.”

“Pick it up,” Nie Zhenbang responded promptly.

Once the dinner with Liu Sheng was agreed upon, there would be no changes. The main objective of the dinner, in fact, was to gauge Liu Yafu’s attitude. Therefore, Nie Zhenbang was determined to hold this dinner.

Juxian Restaurant is a fairly famous farm-style restaurant in Wanghai City. The restaurant is located on an island in the Wangxia District, close to the beach. Its specialties include seafood cooked in a country style. On a normal day, many urban white-collar workers and business executives come to dine here. With the economic development, exotic delicacies no longer satisfy these people’s palates. Counterintuitively, the farm-fresh, unique local-flavored dishes are more popular.

Even more importantly, the prices at Juxian Restaurant are not expensive, with mid-range standards. This also reflects Liu Sheng’s astuteness.

Such gatherings do not need to be luxurious. Nie Zhenbang’s status is evident that even the highest-end places are probably not novel to him, and dining is not the goal. The key is the exchange between each other.

Around six o’clock, Nie Zhenbang and Li Jupeng drove a Toyota SUV to the restaurant. The car was privately purchased by Nie Zhenbang. After the implementation of the public vehicles regulation, Nie Zhenbang would not use public vehicles outside of work hours. He chose to set an example.

Consequently, other leaders of the municipal party committee voluntarily reduced their use of public vehicles. After all, if Mayor Nie had taken the lead and the other leaders continued to use the vehicles as usual, it wouldn’t look good to the public. Reputation is tied to a person’s political life. Nobody wants to overly debate over such trivial matters.

Even Li Taishi went so far as to get a bicycle and commuted to and from work every day, which has become a beautiful sight in Wanghai City.

Now, outside Juxian Restaurant, Liu Sheng and Liu Yafu stood in the doorway, craning their necks. Seeing this, Nie Zhenbang couldn’t help but smile, then he got out of the car.

As soon as he saw Nie Zhenbang, Liu Yafu greeted him with a smile, “Mayor Nie, it’s an honor to have you here.”

Liu Yafu had an open demeanor and didn’t try to hide anything. Nie Zhenbang was pleased with this attitude. If Liu Yafu had tried to hide something, it would have lowered Nie Zhenbang’s opinion of him. Nie Zhenbang also replied with a smile, “Minister Yafu, you’re too kind. I couldn’t say no to your invitation.”

This polite exchange set a good tone for the gathering. Liu Sheng, witnessing it all, had a joyful expression on his face. Nie Zhenbang was willing to engage, Liu Yafu wanted to get closer—there was mutual consent and an excellent foundation for their communication. In reality, Liu Sheng had long been intending to join Nie Zhenbang’s faction.

After all, he was still the director of the finance bureau, part of the governmental system. As the mayor, leaving financial power in the hands of others would be unsettling. If he could officially join Mayor Nie’s faction, there would be no concerns, and his position would naturally be secure.

The dinner could be considered a success, with both host and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves. Liu Yafu had intended to flatter, and Nie Zhenbang was open to accept. The barrier between them had disappeared.

At eight o’clock in the evening, as soon as Nie Zhenbang returned home, he felt very pleased. The socio-economic development of Wanghai City was proceeding methodically. The team of the city was working harmoniously, and with Liu Yafu now joining, almost all of Wanghai City’s organizational and human resource activities had come under his domain. This was an undeniable contribution to his future faction layout.

PS: Not sure if I wrote too much yesterday, today, getting a bit of a writer’s block. Sending the third update first, will brainstorm some more. In any case, there will be one more chapter update tonight, definitely before midnight. All of you have been so supportive of Old Cai, I can’t let you all down. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote your recommendations or monthly votes at . Your support is my greatest motivation.)