Chapter 638 - 594: Gathering Talents (Second Update, Ask for Monthly Tickets) _1

Qiao Yiren was well aware of Yao Yude’s intentions, and how far he’d already brought this matter. If Yao Yude were to intervene in Wanghai, it would be a loss of face. But now, through Qiao Yiren’s actions, Nie Zhenbang’s dignity in Wanghai City was preserved. After all, having a background in the central government was a form of deterrence. Yao Yude’s dignity, too, was preserved. It could be said that everyone was overjoyed.

The saying goes, ‘leave a line in dealing with others, that you may meet them again in the future’. This was precisely the sentiment being expressed. Qiao Yiren took this moment to laugh and say, “Minister Yao, on behalf of Wanghai City, on behalf of comrade Zhenbang, we thank Minister Yao for your support.”

By saying this, Qiao Yiren was also intentionally highlighting the critical role Nie Zhenbang played in this matter to Yao Yude.

At this time, Yao Yude appeared somewhat embarrassed, he waved his hand while grinning and said, “Oh, I don’t dare accept such praise, truly.”

In the afternoon, the disaster relief group from the Ministry of Civil Affairs left Minan Province by plane. At the same time, in Wanghai City, the Finance Bureau received a phone call from the Provincial Civil Affairs Department. Another twenty million in disaster relief funds was deposited into the Finance Bureau’s account.

This news spread quickly throughout Wanghai City, and all the officials were aware of it. In the office of the municipal government, Tian Xujian was visibly irate.

Originally, he wanted to make a bigger issue out of this matter to undermine Nie Zhenbang. However, with the departure of the working group and the sudden arrival of an additional twenty million in funds, his plans were foiled.

At this moment, his secretary, Li Sha, came in from outside. Seeing Tian Xujian in a fit of anger, she whispered, “Secretary, the news has already spread throughout the city that… they’re saying…”

Looking at Li Sha, Tian Xujian was very annoyed and said in a deep voice, “What are they saying? Why are you stammering?”

Reproached by Tian Xujian in such a manner, Li Sha braved it and said, “Now, all the city officials are saying that Mayor Nie is incredible. He dared to defy the leaders of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and in the end, they even graciously gave us an additional twenty million in disaster relief funds.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Tian Xujian’s fury grew. His eyes swept over Li Sha’s body, taking in her well-proportioned figure, her high, full, and rounded buttocks. At this moment, under her dark professional suit, she was exceptionally tempting.@@novelbin@@

Unfortunately, Tian Xujian was not in the mood for flirting at the moment. He nodded, waved his hand and said, “All right, I understand. You can go out now.”

In the conference room of the city government, all the party members of the Wanghai City government team had gathered. Liu Sheng, the director of the Finance Bureau, and Liu Tiemin, the director of the Civil Affairs Bureau, were also attending the meeting.

Surveying the attendees, Nie Zhenbang then spoke, “Comrades, this time, twenty million in disaster relief funds have come in. The Finance Bureau will be in charge of supervising the use of these funds. The allocation and deployment of the disaster relief funds will be the responsibility of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Director Tiemin.”

At this point, major aspects of disaster relief work were basically done. Now, for the entire city, Nie Zhenbang’s focus had shifted to economic development. In this regard, Nie Zhenbang was always willing to delegate.

If he were to personally handle everything, he wouldn’t have time to think about anything else during the day. He’d be kept busy dealing with petty matters all day long.

This comment pleased Liu Tiemin. Mayor Nie’s work style was well-known in Wanghai city. His approach of tackling the big picture and delegating the specifics was typical. The Mayor personally handled the overall strategy, direction, and the economic development path of Wanghai city. However, he always left the specifics and fine details to others. This was true for the Investment Bureau, the Finance Bureau, the Public Security Bureau, and the Traffic Bureau.

When the secretary-general called for a meeting, Liu Tiemin had a hunch about this. At the moment, he was even more certain.

Then, Liu Tiemin nodded and said, “Please rest assured, Mayor, and all leaders. I will do a good job with disaster relief and the allocation of the funds. I will strive to restore order to Wanghai City as quickly as possible.”

Liu Tiemin’s words made the city government’s leaders all nod slightly. Within the system, it was necessary to make such promises. In this regard, Liu Tiemin was doing well. The work of the Civil Affairs Bureau was also satisfactory.

Then, Nie Zhenbang also spoke, “Good. That’s all for today’s meeting.”

As soon as Liu Tienmin stepped out of the conference room, he closely followed behind Nie Zhenbang. Keeping half a step behind him, Liu Tienmin smiled and said, “Mayor, do you have a moment now? There’s something I would like to report to you.”

Nie Zhenbang also laughed. Liu Tienmin appeared honest and sincere, but he was rather shrewd. As soon as the funds came from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Liu Tienmin decided to ally himself with Nie. It must be said, Liu had a knack for seeing which way the wind was blowing.

Nie Zhenbang did not indiscriminately accept anyone’s allegiance without careful consideration. He took into account their character, ability, and integrity. Liu Tienmin had a good reputation in Wanghai City. As the head of the Civil Affairs Bureau, he had successfully accomplished many tasks, which was evident in the improvement of the city’s civil affairs.

Soon after, Nie Zhenbang nodded and said, “Alright, let’s talk in my office.”

Following Nie Zhenbang into his office, Liu Tienmin began to look around. It was his first time in Mayor Nie’s office, and he felt somewhat excited.

This was an opportunity for Liu Tienmin, and he was very cautious about it. When it came to official affairs, he strictly adhered to his rule of being prudent and respecting the end result.

His nature made his path as an official less than smooth. At the age of fifty, to have reached the position of director of the Civil Affairs Bureau could only be considered barely satisfactory at best. After Mayor Nie took office in Wanghai, Liu Tienmin began studying the Mayor’s style and habits.

After Secretary Li Taishi took office, Wanghai City enjoyed a period of harmony, unity, and stability. Many officials sought to side with Mayor Nie, but Mayor Nie didn’t accept many. Liu Tienmin didn’t approve of such a situation, and indeed, when central leadership suddenly adjusted the city’s leadership, appointing a new Party Secretary who did not see eye to eye with the Mayor, Liu Tienmin felt vindicated.

However, the latest incident with the Ministry of Civil Affairs had finally compelled Liu Tienmin to commit to a course of action. Five million in disaster relief funds had been allocated, but then mysteriously, the Minnan Provincial Committee allocated an additional 20 million. In reality, this was a compromise by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The fact that Mayor Nie could persuade the Ministry leadership to make such a concession demonstrated the influence he commanded.

Sitting on the sofa, Liu Tienmin appeared very calm and steady. Some officials liked to perch on the edge of the sofa, but Liu Tienmin was different; he liked to sit solidly. He found this gave him a sense of stability and grounding.

This trait reflected Liu Tienmin’s practical nature. He wouldn’t commit to anything until he had seen it for himself. After witnessing Nie Zhenbang’s influence firsthand, Liu Tienmin couldn’t suppress his ambition any longer.

After Li Jupeng had served Liu Tienmin a hot cup of tea, Nie Zhenbang asked, “Director Liu, do you have any thoughts on how to use these funds?”

Liu Tienmin understood that Mayor Nie was testing his capacity. After some consideration, he slowly said, “Mayor, I have this perspective regarding the allocation of the 20 million… compared to the extensive economic losses suffered by Wanghai City, these funds are somewhat limited. We should prioritize using this money to aid the severely impoverished and those whose houses have been destroyed in our city. As for enterprises and individual businesses that suffered severe damage, I believe we should only provide support and preferential policies through tax relief.”

Nie Zhenbang listened and agreed with Liu Tienmin’s plan, nodding, indeed, the city’s direct economic losses from the disaster had reached an astronomical 100 million yuan. If compensation was to be provided to each disaster area, it would certainly not suffice. The funds could only be used to solve the most pressing problems and to reach those who needed it the most.

Nie Zhenbang then said, “Ah, I like your line of thinking. We should target our support to the city’s impoverished households, households entitled to social security and social welfare institutions. Additionally, prioritizing support for those whose houses were destroyed is a great idea. We need to focus all of the city’s efforts on these issues and ensure that no one will suffer from cold or hunger as a result of the disaster. Effective supervision measures should be implemented when it comes to disaster relief funding. The supervision of the City Finance Bureau is just auxiliary, the main thing is the self-discipline work of the civil affairs department itself. We must ensure that not a dime is wasted or embezzled.”

Nie Zhenbang was very satisfied with Liu Tienmin’s performance. His words were sincerely spoken after careful consideration. Otherwise, Nie Zhenbang would not have confided in Liu Tienmin.

At this moment, a look of excitement appeared on Liu Tienmin’s face. He nodded and said, “You’re right, Mayor. I will strictly carry out your instructions when supervising the implementation of the funds. I assure you that the money will be used for the public. If not, you may remove me from my post.”

It was as if he had issued a military command. By saying this, Liu Tienmin had put himself into a do-or-die situation. Nie Zhenbang laughed, noticing that Liu Tienmin had a bit of a ‘fools are clever’ style about him.

He then jokingly said, “Well then, Liu Tienmin, remember this was your own words. Don’t blame me if things don’t go well.”

Once Liu Tienmin and Nie Zhenbang had finished discussing the specifics of the disaster relief funds, Liu Tienmin got up to leave. Just at this moment, Mayor Nie’s phone began to ring.

PS: I had a party for my son’s first birthday yesterday and didn’t have time to go online. When I checked today, I found that my monthly ticket rate was plunging. So, there will be three updates today. Please support with a monthly ticket!!!