Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1178 - Chapter 1178 Chapter 1134 An Irresistible Temptation

Chapter 1178: Chapter 1134: An Irresistible Temptation Chapter 1178: Chapter 1134: An Irresistible Temptation “I am very dissatisfied with the measures and report of the Department of Finance.” When these words were spoken, the entire room fell silent, and the atmosphere in the meeting room became tense.

Nervousness, oppression, gloominess, but more than anything, a kind of fear pervaded, as the Annals of the King of Qin say, “When the Son of Heaven angers, a million corpses lie prostrate, and blood flows enough to float oars.”

What does this mean? It means that when those in power get angry, people will definitely die. A million corpses can produce enough blood to form rivers that can buoy up boats and oars.

Of course, that was in the ancient feudal society, different from modern times. But in this era, similar things do happen, though not to the extent of a million corpses. Nie Zhenbang hasn’t reached the level of a Son of Heaven either, but how should I put it, he is still a Provincial Secretary, a Great Official of the Frontier. When Nie Zhenbang is angered, it will also lead to loss of official positions and jobs.

At this moment, everyone in the Department of Finance, from top to bottom, dared not speak. Right now, Secretary Nie was in a rage; whoever spoke would be asking for trouble.

Inside the meeting room, there was utter silence; so much so that one could even hear the breathing of those present. Nie Zhenbang’s gaze was piercing as he scanned the room and sternly said, “Holding office and eating one’s salary without doing one’s job is the gravest taboo. What use do we have for such leaders? This is a contempt for the nation and a provocation to the public. The party and the nation do not need such officials. The entire Department of Finance should reinforce ideological education and learning. Transform your working style and put away all traces and behaviors of your bureaucratic airs. The quality of financial work is critically related to the overall economic development of the province. There’s no room for jokes.”

Nie Zhenbang’s words were piercing to the heart and cutting to the bone. To his right, Wang Zhaohai’s face also turned somewhat pale. Secretary Nie’s words, though not explicit, left no doubt about whom they targeted. The work of the Department of Finance was indeed unsatisfactory, and Wang Zhaohai knew well that this was an undeniable fact.

After looking around, Nie Zhenbang’s gaze fell on Wang Zhaohai, and he softened his tone slightly. The outburst just now was intentional. The goal was to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.

Consider for a moment what kind of unit the Department of Finance is. Among all the departments, bureaus, and committees everywhere, the Department of Finance has always been a key sector. If even Wang Zhaohai could be harshly reprimanded, for other departments, Secretary Nie probably wouldn’t just criticise but would directly dismiss them.

The position of the Department of Finance is of great importance, involving many aspects. The leaders of the Provincial Standing Committee were all paying attention. It is true that not all of them have ambitions to control the Department of Finance, but it is certain that replacing the leadership of the Department of Finance would require Secretary Nie to be prudent.

For the moment, Wang Zhaohai’s position seemed secure, but it was foreseeable that his career was likely at its end.

As the top leader of the Provincial Committee, Nie Zhenbang’s self-cultivation, demeanor, and all other aspects were quite excellent. At this level of authority, everything one does is under strict scrutiny. Every action and word are held to rigorous standards.

At this level, looking at the whole nation, that’s just several dozen people at most. In a country with over a billion people, it’s just that few–what a ratio. The title of senior party official isn’t an overstatement.

At this time, it could truly be said he was earnestly involved in governance. In social terms, this status amounted to being a politician.

As a politician, one must master the art of not showing joy or anger. Even when filled with rage, one’s face should still bear a smile.

Nie Zhenbang was slamming the table and showing his anger, undoubtedly at the cost of his own image. Of this, Nie Zhenbang was well aware. His reason for behaving this way was to express his stance in the most direct way possible and to intimidate the petty crooks. Judging by the current situation, the effect seemed satisfactory. The sweat on Wang Zhaohai’s forehead was proof enough.

Inside the meeting room, air conditioning units of five horsepower at two opposite corners blasted out cold air, maintaining a constant temperature of 23 degrees. Regardless of the weather outside, the meeting room was unquestionably comfortable. The source of this sweat was obviously not a natural reaction to heat. It was fear; it was anxiety.

“Overall, the actions of the Department of Finance can be summarized in two aspects, increasing sources and reducing expenses,” Nie Zhenbang continued gravely. “It sounds good, but Comrade Wang Zhaohai, tell me, how does the Department of Finance aim to increase sources and reduce expenses? Apparently, the fiscal revenue of the entire province isn’t something your department can control, is it? Reducing expenses? That’s indeed easy. Just withhold one month’s allocations for leaders of various agencies in the province, and staff at all places and departments, as well as funding for enterprises. With that, the funds are saved.”

However, the sarcasm in his tone left Wang Zhaohai red-faced and silent, unsure how to respond.

‘Bang, bang’

Nie Zhenbang tapped on the table and said in a deep voice, “Control, what I want to see is control. Whether it’s increasing revenue or cutting costs, those are matters for the provincial party committee and provincial government. It’s not up to the Department of Finance to speak out of turn. What I want to see is, from your current standpoint, what should you be doing?”

“To give a simple example, right now, the Department of Finance should be showing its authority and performance by conducting strict supervision and auditing of all the provincial direct-funding units. They must examine every unit, every department, every expenditure to see if it’s legitimate or if there’s falsification and deceit. For units with problems, those that waste resources or have surpluses, expose them, and use this as a standard for budget review next year. For expenditures that are unjustified, exercise strict control, and make sure you can manage the purse strings. Don’t think that, since it’s the state’s money, how much you take doesn’t matter to you. I have to say, this is the hard-earned money of ordinary people,” Nie Zhenbang continued to reproach.

“Comrade Wang Zhaohai, I hope that the Department of Finance will come up with detailed regulations and plans as soon as possible. I don’t want to see any more perfunctory actions. Do you understand?” Nie Zhenbang stood up.

Wang Zhaohai’s face bore a wry smile. At this moment, Wang Zhaohai no longer knew which expression to show. Secretary Nie was truly angry, and Wang Zhaohai knew this very well. Muddling through was no longer going to cut it.

He too stood up immediately: “Secretary Nie, please rest assured, I will immediately organize a working group to conduct strict oversight and audit of expenditures across the entire province, including all departments, as well as provincial enterprises and institutions. We will not disappoint the expectations of the provincial party committee again.”

…

The incident at the Department of Finance suddenly spread throughout the province–Secretary Nie had slammed the table and erupted during the report. There was no hiding it, and Nie Zhenbang hadn’t intended to. The very purpose was for it to spread. As the top official in the provincial party committee, he could not be involved in every little detail or handle everything himself. There are things that require a certain attitude to be shown, and the people below will naturally know what to do. If he were to personally manage every matter, his end would probably be like that of the Prime Minister of Shu, Zhuge Liang, who worked tirelessly until his death.

A capable leader’s main task is to establish an ideological benchmark, to cultivate a positive work environment–that is the way to hold office.

This is also why every province, every city, and every basic level appoints a full-time deputy secretary specially in charge of shaping ideological ethos.

“What the higher-ups cherish, their subordinates will emulate.” At first glance, this sentence seems to carry a negative connotation, but at this time, it is a blessing. If the party committee’s top brass talks about work efficiency and political achievements, then the people below will naturally become more disciplined. Even if they don’t genuinely care for the common people at heart, they have to at least pretend that they do. That is an advantage. Following this, there comes a change in the entire province’s systemic ethos. Such is the power of leading by example. Indeed, this arises because of the accompanying power over life and death. But if the trend is positive, then it is successful.

In the following days, Nie Zhenbang refrained from making any more inspections. This was quite an event in Longxi. It had been almost a month since the party secretary took office, and he hadn’t visited each region for inspection and guidance. On the surface, it might seem like a lack of diligence.

However, the leaders of the provincial party committee team noticed something. Though Secretary Nie had not gone out, the atmosphere seemed to be improving.

During these days, Nie Zhenbang had met with leaders from the Provincial Department of Industry, the Development and Reform Commission, the Department of Commerce, among others, to gain a detailed understanding of the development of Longxi Province’s automobile industry.

Thus, a rumor started circulating within Longxi Province – in Secretary Nie’s plan, the provincial party committee and provincial government would invest hundreds of billions of yuan to build an automobile industry city within the province.

It would be akin to America’s Detroit, like Dongying’s Toyota city, like German’s Stuttgart. While introducing international automobile industry brands, it would also create a brand-new Huaxia brand and integrate the entire upstream and downstream industrial chains. This would form a complete industrial chain ranging from large-scale engine, die, electrical system, and transmission manufacturing, to smaller components like automotive bulbs and decorative accessories, with the goal of comprehensively promoting Longxi Province’s industrial development.

The scale of tens of billions, a complete industrial chain; for the first time, the leaders of the provincial party committee and local authorities were all stunned by Nie Zhenbang’s vision.

It was a grand move, indeed a grand gesture. At this moment, everyone’s view of Nie Zhenbang changed. This grand ambition and vision were not something an average person could match.

As Nie Zhenbang’s secretary, Xia Gang was also incredibly busy, with the phone ringing nonstop. Most of the calls were from leaders of the provincial party committee or top officials from various places. These figures, whom one would normally have to look up to, now all spoke to him as if he were their brother. Without exception, they all had one purpose: to hear news about the automobile city project.

There was a knock at the door, and then a man came in, smiling, “Secretary Xia, is the Secretary in?”

In his office, Nie Zhenbang heard this voice and gave a faint smile. Wei Haoyang couldn’t sit still any longer. It seemed that his plan was a good one; the automobile city project was indeed an irresistible temptation. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian to vote for recommended tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)