Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 770 - 726: There Must be Demons When Things are Abnormal_1

Chapter 770: Chapter 726: There Must be Demons When Things are Abnormal_1

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang was staring straight ahead at the notebook on the table in front of him, the pen in his hand was continually jotting down notes.

This time, Nie Zhenbang was having some difficulty reading the situation in the standing committee of Bashu Province. If he recalled correctly, Fang Yuan had once mentioned. Long Genghua, although not a native, had always worked in Bashu Province. Even though he was not a born local, he could be considered a locally grown cadre, and he had long earned the nickname of ‘Godfather of Bashu Officialdom’.

Zhang Zhongxiong is a local cadre through and through, which in this respect does bear some resemblance to Long Genghua. It would not be surprising that Zhang Zhongxiong is Long’s man.

However, Fang Yuan had said that Long Genghua and Ning Bojun were quite close. However, as it appeared today, Lu Yong mainly recommended Zhang Zhongxiong, while Ning Bojun vehemently opposes. This relationship seems to have become quite chaotic. I believe that Fang Yuan was not speaking thoughtlessly, if so, why did Ning Bojun and Long Genghua have a fallout? This point is worth careful consideration. I fear that the ultimate beneficiary of this staff reshuffle in Yangde City will be the person we need to pay close attention to.

Zeng Taiping also looked a little serious at this moment. Now that there is clear evidence, as the secretary of the provincial party committee, Zeng Taiping naturally needs to express his stance.

After a moment of contemplation, Zeng Taiping said, “Everyone, quiet down. On the matter of Comrade Zhang Zhongxiong. I believe, we cannot be so rash. After all, it involves a department-level cadre. In the interest of protecting our grassroots comrades, we must be discreet about the handling of Comrade Zhang Zhongxiong’s case. I suggest that the Organization Department, the Disciplinary Inspection Commission, and the Supervision Department Anti-Corruption Bureau form a combined working group. They will privately enter Yangde City to initiate the investigation. We will decide on the next steps based on the investigation results.”

At this point, Zeng Taiping added with a smile, “Comrade Bojun, what do you think about the choice for the role of Yangde City Party Committee Secretary?”

Zeng Taiping’s statement effectively ended the discussion. Initiating a disciplinary inspection requires careful deliberation. If such inspections could be initiated at will, it would create a sense of panic among various levels of government nationwide. Although the Disciplinary Inspection Commission has great power, there must be checks and balances, otherwise, there would be chaos.

However, Zeng Taiping’s latter statement essentially eliminated the possibility of Zhang Zhongxiong taking up the role of the City Committee Secretary. Now that this issue has cropped up, whether wrongful or not, Zhang Zhongxiong has no chance at the position.

The matter will undoubtedly be investigated further. If proven to be true, regular procedures will be followed. If the facts were fabricated, then Ning Bojun’s position would be at stake as well.

Since Zeng Taiping has spoken as such, Ning Bojun decided to let it go. As long as he dared to bring it up, Ning Bojun wasn’t worried about Zhang Zhongxiong destroying evidence. If he weren’t capable of handling that, Ning Bojun wouldn’t have spoken up. Now, under all circumstances, face must be given to Zeng Taiping, otherwise, it would be bad if he, the chairperson, got offended. If he formed another opinion about Ning, it wouldn’t end well.

Immediately, Ning nodded and said, “Secretary Zeng, I think that Fan Youcai, the current secretary of the Ningxi City Committee, is a very good candidate.”

After a pause, Ning Bojun continued, “Since Comrade Fan Youcai was transferred to Ningxi City to assume the role of City Committee Secretary from his position as Director of the Civil Affairs Department, the economic development and various other aspects of Ningxi city have achieved excellent results. He is a good comrade who works for the people. His capabilities and experience are first-rate, and I nominate Comrade Fan Youcai.”

In Nie Zhenbang’s view, the department stores of this era were merely in their infancy. They can’t be compared with the super and large-scale department stores of the future, let alone those gigantic department stores with hundreds of thousands to millions of square meters of retail space. Seeing the puzzled expressions on Yang Anbang and Xiao Yali’s faces, Nie Zhenbang felt a sense of enlightening them. He explained, “These are not real department stores. In my vision, our department store should not only carry clothes, shoes, hats, toys, and the like. It ought to be a comprehensive shopping mall that combines clothing, food, shelter, and transportation. Moreover, our department store should differentiate itself from the prevalent mass-market malls. We need to aim for an upscale route.”

It was a new term. Xiao Yali was confused, but Yang Anbang seemed thoughtful.

Nie Zhenbang sighed silently. Yang Anbang’s talent was genuine and not just built on background and boasting. He was a talented man indeed.

Walking the high-end route? Wasn’t that advocating a bourgeois, decadent lifestyle? This made Yang Anbang hesitant. Despite the Yang family being a driving force of reform, taking such a big step made Yang Anbang somewhat uneasy. He then asked, “Zhenbang, I understand the high-end route. It’s about selling the most expensive products. But won’t this be suspected of being bourgeois? And also, does Jingcheng have the purchasing power for it?”

Nie Zhenbang laughed. Though the era of reform and opening up had just started a few years ago, places like Jingcheng and Hucheng were undoubtedly affluent. Especially Jingcheng, the center of national power, where the highest income earners were mostly based in this era. If Jingcheng did not have purchasing power, nowhere else could. As for the bourgeois lifestyle, in its current form, it might be considered audacious. However, this has nothing to do with the marketplace. Instead, Nie Zhenbang planned to use this for publicity.

Laughing lightly, Nie Zhenbang reassured him, “Second brother, I understand your concerns. But rest assured, there’s absolutely no problem.”

The next day, Zhou Chen quickly turned over the site to Yang Anbang. Meanwhile, Yang Anbang immediately instructed his staff to start the move. Everything from the supermarket was transferred to other Wal-Mart outlets. The various distributors expressed no dissatisfaction. On the contrary, they were thrilled at the opportunity to enter Wal-Mart’s market.

However, when they actually started operating as a department store, Nie Zhenbang realized how challenging it was to set up an upscale, large-scale department store in these times.

Clothing? At this time, China had no mature brand awareness, let alone advertising. Appliances? In this era dominated by black-and-white televisions, all appliances were considered luxury items. Cosmetics? The market had not even been cultivated yet; the trend was still Snow Cream.

If they were genuinely to open such a department store, they would need to import over 80% of their goods from abroad. This would be a significant challenge.

Nie Zhenbang shook his head at this thought. It appeared that Yang Anbang and Xiao Yali would have to step in again. It was clear that it was too late to make direct contact with the manufacturers. Besides, in this era of undeveloped communication and the absence of internet, it was not as easy as in the future when you could search anything online instantly. For example, top-tier global brands like Versace or Chanel likely wouldn’t even have contact numbers available in China’s Ministry of Foreign Trade. The only option was to inquire through their embassies.

Finding one company after another was not a big issue. However, a department store would require at least hundreds or even more brands. At this moment, Nie Zhenbang already had a plan in mind.

…

“Second brother, Second sister, Jiamin, take a look. This is an investment planning proposal I wrote. Read it carefully and let me know if you have any suggestions,” Nie Zhenbang said as he tossed his completed proposal onto the table in the office at Wal-Mart.

Seeing the surprise on the faces of Yang Anbang and the others after they finished reading, Yang Anbang slapped his thigh and stood up: “Good, very good. All the world’s top luxury brands are moving in. Zippo, Rolex, Versace, Chanel. This is really a great move, Zhenbang. These things are rare in China. If we introduce them here, all the owners in this capital might go crazy.”

At this time, these brands might not be familiar to the common people, but they were to the people within the circle of the capital. Many of the older people in their families, like the Nies and the Yangs, often traveled abroad. It was normal for them to bring something back.

“There’s no discussion needed. Zhenbang, I’ll take care of this. My uncle works in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I’ll ask him to contact the commercial counselors of each embassy,” Yang Anbang immediately took over the task of contacting each brand’s home country.

Xiao Yali also stood up, smiling as she said, “Then I will contact the Ministry of Foreign Trade. My uncle is there. If they send out the invitations, I believe these brands would be interested in coming.”

Seeing the two of them leave eagerly, Nie Jiamin looked worried. He said to Nie Zhenbang, “Zhenbang, are we taking on too much? Will Elder Nie get angry?”

At this, Nie Zhenbang smiled. Elder Nie had already expressed his displeasure. At this point, he probably wasn’t interested. Ever since he entered the Nie family, an article had made the family the target of suspicion by conservatives. Then the Nie brothers were both sent to Yuedong together. They wouldn’t have gone to Yuedong without Elder Nie’s permission. Then came the opening of the supermarket, the visit to the Yang family. All these steps had gradually pushed the Nie family to the fringes of the conservative party.

In his previous life, after Comrade Xuri took office, Elder Nie had to resign from his important position. But this time, there was no change in the military commission. This meant there must have been some contact between Elder Nie and the head of state. Elder Nie’s attitude had also changed. The coming business negotiation meeting was just another opportunity to further the reform agenda.

With this in mind, Nie Zhenbang patted Nie Jiamin’s shoulder and said, “Jiamin, don’t worry. The Nie family is now part of the reform faction.”

Just as Nie Zhenbang had said, Elder Nie did not react when Yang Anbang and Xiao Yali made their move. It was as if he didn’t know at all, and was focusing on the army, working on military modernization.

The business negotiation meeting was a great success. After Yang Anbang reported the plan to Elder Yang, he immediately reported it to the head of state. With the support of the head of state, all government ministries offered full support. Quickly, a large business delegation from all over the world gathered in Jingcheng. The delegation visited the special reform zone in Yuedong and Hucheng’s development under the personal guidance of the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Trade. They also inspected the business environment in Jingcheng, evaluated the five Wal-Mart stores, and conducted on-site investigations of Wal-Mart department store. After that, many brands signed agreements to move into the Wal-Mart department store.

After the business negotiation meeting, the once empty Wal-Mart department store became lively. Renovation teams from world-renowned brands also moved in.

“Second Brother, good job. With this start, things will be much easier from now on. We thank you for putting so much effort into the supermarket and department store. After the New Year, you will be busy.” Standing at the renovation site of the Wal-Mart department store, Nie Zhenbang felt quite emotional. He had lived a disappointing life previously, but this time, his hard work had paid off. The Nie family had also managed to survive the first catastrophe thanks to his efforts.

However, Comrade Xuri taking office would be a huge challenge for the Nie family. Whether they could overcome this hurdle would become clear in two years.

At that moment, Zeng Taiping, appearing extremely satisfied, nodded as if he had thought of something, and turned to Nie Zhenbang and asked, “Governor Zhenbang, do you have any thoughts on this matter?”

In response to Zeng Taiping’s question, Nie Zhenbang chuckled lightly. This matter, for him who had just arrived in Bashu, would be the easiest to resolve. Smiling, he said, “Comrade Zeng, I will refrain from expressing my opinion on the matter of the Secretary of Yangde City’s Selection. After all, I have just arrived. All the comrades, in my opinion, are outstanding leaders. But then again, I am not overly familiar with them. It would be presumptuous of me to express opinions hastily. I respect and adhere to the decision of the Standing Committee.”

After a brief pause, Nie Zhenbang continued, “However, considering the continuation of future work in Yangde City, I think we might also consider Comrade Bu Dehui. After all, Comrade Bu Dehui is the full-time deputy secretary of the Yangde City Party Committee. If he were to succeed as the Secretary, he would undoubtedly contribute significantly to the work in Yangde City. Of course, this is a suggestion from a work perspective. I have no other implications.”

Once he finished speaking, the whole Standing Committee was taken aback. Nie Zhenbang’s initial words were standard, but the latter part confused many. What was Nie Zhenbang implying? Many couldn’t figure it out.

Nie Zhenbang observed everyone’s reactions. To him, their reactions were expected. Everyone presumed that he would follow the principle of listening more, observing more and speaking less during such matters, not stating his opinion at all. However, he chose to deviate from the norm. What he wanted was this unexpected effect.

Out of the three candidates, it was clear that Long Genghua’s candidate had been eliminated. So, the remaining choice was between Bu Dehui and Fan Youcai. If he really didn’t speak up, it was certain that Zeng Taiping would suggest a vote. By then, Bu Dehui would have been forgotten. Fan Youcai, with his extensive support, would confidently be elected.

However, such a situation was clearly disadvantageous to him. As for this, Nie Zhenbang was well aware that people have an inherent way of thinking.

It seemed that new leaders often refrain from voicing their opinions, but that depended on the situation. Moreover, refraining from expressing an opinion does not mean that one does not have an opinion. If it really was that way, it would inevitably give other members of the Standing Committee an impression of a lack of courage and ambition. Once the first impression was established, it would be challenging to change the situation.

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Nie Zhenbang had a clear understanding of this. His words now, had unexpectedly disrupted the situation, creating a new impression. All the Standing Committee members would feel that he wasn’t an easy pushover, which would help establish his authority within the committee.

Furthermore, Nie Zhenbang asserted that Bu Dehui, being the first candidate proposed, must have had support within the Standing Committee. However, this person was merely hiding their cards at the moment.

As expected, Nie Zhenbang’s remarks made Zeng Taiping suddenly halt his prepared speech. He hadn’t expected Nie Zhenbang to speak in such a way.

On the other hand, the previously ashen-faced Long Genghua looked pleased and calmly remarked, “Governor Zhenbang’s opinion holds great importance. It’s very objective. The significance of Yangde City goes without saying. We cannot ignore the issue of ensuring a smooth transition for the ongoing work in Yangde City. From this perspective, Comrade Bu Dehui is indeed more suitable than Comrade Fan Youcai.”

Long Genghua’s demeanor was well within Nie Zhenbang’s expectations. Given the current situation, Long Genghua was without any hope, but he would not let Ning Bojun have it easy either. Regardless of who the person was affiliated with, Long Genghua was bound to oppose. He merely lacked a path for his opposition. Now, Nie Zhenbang had provided him with one.

Meanwhile, Xie Aibiao, Minister of the United Front Work Department, voiced his opinion, “I also think that Comrade Bu Dehui is better suited.”

For a moment, the situation was at a stalemate. At that point, Zeng Taiping pondered for a moment, glanced at Nie Zhenbang seemingly unintentionally, and then remarked, “In that case, let’s delay this matter for now and discuss it in the next Standing Committee meeting.” (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to qidian.com to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)