Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Returning to Beijing for New Year (Begging for Monthly Tickets)_1

Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Returning to Beijing for New Year (Begging for Monthly Tickets)_1

Translator: 549690339

“Haha! Little Nie must feel very surprised.” Jiang Zhenquan laughed as well at this moment, the attitude towards Nie Zhenbang having shifted now that his background was known here. Compared to before, his secretarial solemnity had lessened slightly, replaced with a more congenial, elderlike demeanor.

As for his own identity, Nie Zhenbang was sure that his grandfather didn’t leak it. When he left Jingcheng to take up his position in Xibei, his grandfather’s approach was to keep it secret. Moreover, at the time, his grandfather had said that only Li Yifeng was made aware in the whole of Xibei.

Seeing Nie Zhenbang’s stunned look, Jiang Zhenquan laughed and said, ” There’s no need for you to guess, Little Nie. When you arrived, Secretary Yifeng reported to me. At that time, he said a distant relative was coming from Jingcheng. I didn’t pay too much attention then. However, you caused such a stir here in Li County and are closely associated with the Qian family’s boy and Liu Kun. I was able to guess then. The only person in Jingcheng with the last name Nie, a prominent background and a connection to Secretary Yifeng, it must be Elder Nie.”

Upon hearing Jiang Zhenquan’s explanation, Nie Zhenbang laughed awkwardly and said, “Secretary Jiang, I apologize for the confusion. My grandfather instituted a rule forbidding me from capitalizing on his reputation. I certainly did not mean to hide it from you.”

Jiang Zhenquan didn’t seem bothered, he laughed and said, “Haha, Little Nie, too careful. We still find Elder Nie’s character admirable and praiseworthy. ‘Gold will shine no matter what’, your current achievements are quite remarkable. Just after taking office, you have accomplished such a lot, which is impressive. Keep doing well. If there’s anything you need, you can consult with Secretary Wenqing in your city.”

In saying so, it was clear that Jiang Zhenquan had already given Liu Wenqing the heads up. At this moment, Nie Zhenbang laughed; he was looked after by Cheng Xinhua, won the favor of Ding Aiguo through Wu Zhixiong and now had Liu Wenqing’s support. In Li County, he no longer needed to worry about his future.

That afternoon, at seven o’clock, the entire leadership of Lixian County gathered in the County Party Committee’s auditorium. At this moment, several TVs had already been set up, fully ensuring everyone could watch the “Daily at Seven” news. The chief of Lixian CPPCC and the Director of People’s Congress watched it together as the organizers.

At the same time, in the banquet hall of the Li County Hotel, Jiang Zhenquan, Xie Laixi and Niu Yunchang appeared in front of the Bazhou City leaders along with the Lixian County Party Secretary and the county mayor, accompanied by Nie Zhenbang.

With the start of the news, finally, after broadcasting some of the activities of the national leaders, the scene changes and the anchor appears, saying, “Against the backdrop of the national reform and openness, and the prosperous state of economic development, Xibei Autonomous Region, leveraging its local advantages and exploring the potential of primary industries, Bazhou City, Li County has taken the lead in the country in launching a novel mode of ‘company plus farmer plus base’. The enthusiasm of the people has greatly increased. Autonomous Region Party Secretary Jiang Zhenquan and Deputy Minister of Agriculture Xie Laixi attended the event, accompanied by relevant leaders of the Autonomous Region!”

Thereafter, the scene shifts to Jiang Zhenquan and others at the groundbreaking ceremony, and the camera even gives Nie Zhenbang a big close-up, which left Nie Zhenbang feeling somewhat embarrassed. Clearly, this had been arranged by Anna.

As “Daily at Seven” ends, thunderous applause erupts in the banquet hall. Being featured on “Daily at Seven” is no small feat for any place. As a national news program, it is one that even national leaders watch closely.

Following that, Jiang Zhenquan stood up. The banquet hall fell silent. Jiang Zhenquan seemed very pleased, constantly wearing a smile. He looked around at everyone and said, “Comrades, the economic development achievements of Bazhou City are outstanding, indeed far exceeding the estimates of the Autonomous Region Party Committee and the government. Here, on behalf of the Autonomous Region Party Committee, government, People’s Congress and the CPPCC, I would like to congratulate Bazhou City and Li County. I hope that comrades in Bazhou City will remain modest and prudent, continue to uphold the spirit of daring to think and dare to do, display a practical and progressive spirit, and strive to create further brilliance!”

The next day, after Jiang Zhenquan and others left, Li County returned to its normal state. By then, there were less than two days left until the Lunar New Year.

Nie Zhenbang also packed his bags. His on-duty shifts during the Spring Festival were dismissed with the help of Wu Zhixiong.

After meeting up with Dong Wan and Yang Anna, the trio rushed to Wumu. They were to take a direct flight to Jinghcheng that evening.

“Brother Zhenbang, you looked so handsome during your close-up on ‘Daily at Seven’. How was it? I did a good job arranging that, right? I had to beg my uncle for it for a long time.” Yang Anbang started boasting as soon as she boarded the plane.

Yang Anna’s uncle, Yang Guangrong, was known to Nie Zhenbang as a strict character. Serving in propaganda all this time, he is now the director of Huaxia TV station and concurrently serves as deputy director of the national radio and television administration. Holding such an important propaganda position was largely due to Yang Guangrong’s principled character. He had always been highly trusted by the top leaders, both in the past and currently. For Yang Anna to have gotten this special feature from Yang Guangrong, she must have used all kinds of methods, pushing him to the point where he had no choice but to give Nie Zhenbang this special feature.

Nie Zhenbang laughed and said, “You shouldn’t bother your uncle for such things in the future. When it’s time to show up, even if you don’t say anything, I would still make an appearance. You can’t let your uncle break his principles for you in the future.”

Upon their arrival in Jingcheng, Li Lixue had already been waiting at the airport. She first dropped off Yang Anna at home. After that, there was some sexual tension in the car between the three remaining people.

In the evening, there’s no need for elaborate words. Men and women who have tasted the sweetness of each other’s love naturally burn with desire. They tumbled into a deep slumber only in the middle of the night.

…

Forbidden City

The residence of the former leader, ever since he fully retired, the old man has almost been in a state of complete seclusion, except for the national tour and inspection at the beginning of this year.

At this moment, he was very pleased by Nie Zhenbang’s arrival. Nie Zhenbang did not bring any particular gifts for his visit. To the old man, material gifts were of no consequence. What mattered the most was sincerity.

“Zhenbang is here, have a seat. I didn’t expect you to go to Xibei either. Your grandfather has really gone to great lengths for you,” the old man chuckled.

Currently, the internal dynamics within the Nie family were gradually changing. Among the third generation, Elder Nie was gradually shifting his focus onto Nie Zhenbang. This was an undeniable fact. On one hand, Nie Zhenbang’s achievements were simply too significant. His contribution alone to the nation was monumental. From the Soviet Union, the technology and research personnel that Nie Zhenbang had secured were priceless treasures. It could be said that the military strength of the entire Huaxia was enhanced by at least twenty years. And this even excluded the general industrial technology reserves.

But this matter was confined to the top tier, as it was something that could not be made public. Nonetheless, this merit was more than enough. The current leaders had to acknowledge Nie Zhenbang’s contributions. This was Nie Zhenbang’s advantage.

On the other hand, the identity as the old man’s godson added quite a few points for Nie Zhenbang. Combined with Nie Zhenbang’s own abilities, it was only natural for the Nie family to lean towards him.

The old man was very pleased with Nie Zhenbang, who had achieved remarkable results even in Li County. Nie Zhenbang’s performance could hardly be faulted. Although this was partly due to his extensive background and connections, unless Nie Zhenbang ruined his own political achievements, no one else would. And from what it looked like at present, this agricultural plan was indeed a rare win-win model.

Right then, the old man’s wife walked in from outside. Seeing Nie Zhenbang, she also broke into a smile and then said, “Old Nan, several of the leaders currently in Jingcheng have come to visit you. What do you think?”

The old woman was implying whether Nie Zhenbang should withdraw for a moment, considering the current attendees represented the highest echelons of the country’s leadership. It might be inappropriate for Nie Zhenbang, a junior member, to be present.

But at this moment, the old man waved his hand and chuckled, “It’s all right. Zhenbang is my godson after all. It wouldn’t hurt to let him listen in.”

As several of Huaxia’s current leaders came into the room, Nie Zhenbang also stood up and respectfully greeted, “Hello, leaders.”

Seeing Nie Zhenbang, the current leader was also momentarily stunned. He had not expected the old man to value Nie Zhenbang so much. Soon, the leader also broke into a smile, “Zhenbang is here too. You’ve done a great job in Li County.”

After exchanging pleasantries, the current leader said with a smile, “Old leader, ever since your national inspection tour this year, domestic opinions have coalesced. We’ve discussed and agreed that reform and opening up are indeed suitable for our national development. The reform experiment has been tried for a considerable period of time, and facts have proven that we are on the right path. Now, we think it might be time to open up the light industry sector nationally and encourage private capital in national constructions to expand the scope of reforms. We came today to wish you and your wife a happy new year, and secondly, we would like to hear your opinion on this.”

Upon hearing these words, Nie Zhenbang realized that the nationwide reform and economic development had officially begun. However, in his memories of his previous life, the domestic reform and development went off track initially. Many local governments had pursued achievements one-sidedly, neglecting the environment. Serious pollution occurred across the country, and later on, tremendous funds had to be spent on environmental remediation.

Watching Nie Zhenbang’s expression, the old man seemed lost in thought. Nie Zhenbang’s performance so far had given people a clairvoyant feeling. On a sudden whim, the old man was interested in hearing Nie Zhenbang’s thoughts. Accordingly, the old man said with a smile, “I’m retired and no longer manage these matters. I trust in the capabilities and practical spirit of the current leadership. It’s up to you to handle everything.”

After saying this, the old man turned to Nie Zhenbang, “Zhenbang, it seems like you have something to say.”

PS: The vote was at 438. Brothers, sisters, we’re only short of 32 votes. Keep going, let’s push up the count, Old Cai is prepared to stay awake for a few days and nights. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to novelhall to vote and recommend, your support is my most significant motivation.)