Reborn as a Noble’s Son
Chapter 1222 - Chapter 1222 Chapter 1177 The Follow-up to the Kneeling Visit

Chapter 1222: Chapter 1177: The Follow-up to the Kneeling Visit Incident Chapter 1222: Chapter 1177: The Follow-up to the Kneeling Visit Incident The first to raise his hand was Chen Zhewen, which was quite normal; after all, Chen Xuan Ran was the person Chen Zhewen had openly supported. At this time, during the voting, if even Chen Zhewen didn’t support him, what chances of victory could there be?

Following Chen Zhewen was Zhang Fangwen, whose alumni relationship with Chen Xuan Ran was also indelible. In our country, importance is placed on relationships. In ancient times, in feudal society, local cliques, friends’ circles, fellow schoolmates, and peers from the same year–all these were relatively firm relationships. In modern times, although not as rigorous, some networks of relationships still exist.

After this, Luo Qiuliang also raised his hand in support. Following Luo, Liu Xiaomin and Li Hongying also raised their hands. That brought the total to five votes.

There were thirteen votes in the Longxi Provincial Committee’s standing committee. With five votes already, this was a form of victory.

Seeing this scene, Nie Zhenbang gave a calm smile. He could somewhat guess the thoughts of Guan Jianguo and Liu Yueguang. The positions of these two were relatively special. It was obvious that they didn’t want to get involved. Subsequently, Nie Zhenbang nodded understandingly.

Witnessing this, Liu Zhentao raised his hand as well. In the previous vote, Chen Zhewen had cast a vote for Gao Jianguo. This was a form of exchange, even though there had been no prior communication. But within the system, this was a tacit understanding that didn’t need to be stated out loud.

Six votes. As this vote was cast, the number reached a majority, and by now Wang Benchang had already lost hope. Although there were thirteen people in the committee, Ye Dingbang could be discounted as he generally did not vote.

At that moment, Wei Haoyang also raised his hand. As someone who had also grown up in the same prestigious community, Wei Haoyang could discern certain things; Liu Zhentao’s raising his hand was definitely not that simple, and likely, Secretary Nie had considered this as well.

Seven votes. By now, the overall situation had been decided, and without much hesitation, Wang Benchang said with a stony voice, “I reserve my opinion.”

Additionally, Guan Jianguo, Liu Yueguang, and the deputy provincial governor of the committee, Zhang Yongjun, all chose to abstain. Seeing this, a smile also appeared on Nie Zhenbang’s face; at this moment, this situation within the Longxi Provincial Committee was optimal. There was some competition within the group, but it hadn’t reached a cutthroat state. And his control over the committee had reached a satisfactory level.

In the end, not needing to be that final straw was the greatest advantage. In this way, his prestige could be maintained at a very high level.

After everyone had lowered their hands, Nie Zhenbang also spoke, “Very good, eight votes in favor. This shows that Comrade Chen Xuan Ran is indeed the popular choice.”

As he spoke, Nie Zhenbang looked at Zhang Fangwen and said, “Minister Zhang Fangwen, the following comrades are now entrusted to you. Start organizational talks as soon as possible and strive to get these comrades to their new positions in the shortest time.”

As the standing committee meeting came to a close, Nie Zhenbang, holding his teacup, was the first to walk out. At the doorway of the meeting room, Xia Gang had a rather serious look on his face, waiting at the side.

“Xiaoxia, is there something wrong?” Nie Zhenbang had come to understand Xia Gang’s character somewhat. Seeing Xia Gang’s demeanor, Nie Zhenbang knew there must be something, as otherwise, Xia Gang wouldn’t look like this.

Approaching Nie Zhenbang, Xia Gang spoke in a low voice, “Secretary, there’s an issue. Do you remember the kneeling protest that took place in Shuishan County last time?”

Shuishan County, the kneeling protest?

Nie Zhenbang naturally had a deep impression. During President Qiao’s inspection, such an incident had occurred. Since the incident, it had already spread throughout the country. In today’s society, with such developed networks, any event that occurred would be online within five minutes.

He nodded and looked at Xia Gang, “Is there a problem in Shuishan County?”

Keeping pace with Nie Zhenbang’s steps, Xia Gang replied, “Some farmers from Shuishan County have come to the Provincial Committee’s gates and were stopped by the armed police. The call was transferred to me through the office. I made the decision to let these farmers in.”

During meetings, no leader would carry their mobile phone; they are kept by the secretary. In case of any matter, the secretary temporarily records it. If there’s a particularly important and urgent matter, or an emergency call from a central leader, it is also possible to come in and interrupt, but in practice, that situation is rare.

“They’re in?” Nie Zhenbang was momentarily stunned and asked back.

At that moment, Xia Gang’s expression changed slightly as he nodded and said, “Yes, considering the significant impact of this issue, I…”

Before Xia Gang could finish speaking, Nie Zhenbang immediately understood his intention; making decisions on one’s own in such matters was undoubtedly somewhat taboo.

However, that was only the case for other leaders; as for Nie Zhenbang, he was quite pleased with Xia Gang’s decision.

In Nie Zhenbang’s dictionary, the people always came first. Looking at Xia Gang, Nie Zhenbang said, “Xiaoxia, good job, well done.”

When he walked into the office, he saw two middle-aged people sitting on the sofa in the outer office, a man, and a woman. Their attire was very simple, and their expressions revealed a sense of restraint and anxiety.

This feeling was quite normal. The outer office might be ordinary, but what was this place? The Provincial Committee Building, the office of the Secretary of the Provincial Committee. They couldn’t distinguish what the outer office was. In their eyes, it was where the Secretary of the Provincial Committee worked.

Seeing Nie Zhenbang enter, the two of them got very excited. They stood up, and then, with a thump, knelt on the ground. The middle-aged woman even said, “Secretary Nie, you must stand up for us.”

Nie Zhenbang frowned slightly. He was actually quite averse to this kind of impulsive kneeling, but he could understand. For these bona fide farmers from Shuishan County, perhaps a trip to the city was the biggest city they had ever seen in their lives. Helpless in the face of government and power, that was their true representation.

He walked up, helped them to their feet, and turning to Xia Gang said, “Xiaoxia, go pour some tea.”

Then, in a very friendly and pleasant manner, Nie Zhenbang said, “Big brother, big sister, don’t worry. Once you’re here, it’s just like being at home. Tell me what’s troubling you, and I’ll help you out. Let’s talk in detail inside.”

He ushered the two people into his spacious office, which naturally amazed them once again. They were seated in the sofa area designed for visitors. Xia Gang also walked in carrying two cups of tea.

“Xiaoxia, from now on, I’m not seeing anyone, no matter who it is,” Nie Zhenbang instructed Xia Gang.

Nie Zhenbang then took a Zhonghua cigarette from the coffee table, took one out, and handed it to the middle-aged man: “Big brother, here, have a smoke, we’ll talk slowly. You’ve come all the way to the province to see me, has something happened in Shuishan County?”

At this, the middle-aged man next to him also nodded and said, “Secretary Nie, you must stand up for us. Since the last time we reported the land acquisition situation in our area to the General Secretary, and to you, the county, for the first few days, had arranged some cadres to come down. They investigated and visited some people. But then, one night, suddenly, more than a dozen police cars came from the county, and many of those who participated in the petition were detained. The county also sent out a message, claiming they had violated public security regulations and would be detained. Additionally, many people received warnings not to stir up any more trouble regarding this matter, otherwise, they would all be arrested.”

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman also said, “Secretary Nie, you’re a high official. They all listen to you. Issue a note for us, please, to have our people released. We won’t file complaints anymore; we’ll comply with their requirements, we agree to the land acquisition.”

These words immediately made Nie Zhenbang feel a twinge of sorrow. Such incidents were not uncommon in the country. The farmers at the very bottom were always the most pitiful, the most tragic figures. Those high and mighty officials could, with just a word, make these people wish for death. This was a lack of legal system and also the tragedy of being uneducated. At the same time, it reflected the absence of administrative supervision.

Who had given them such audacity? Detention, intimidation. How was this different from the underworld?

After pondering for a moment, Nie Zhenbang gave a reassuring smile and said, “Big brother, big sister, don’t worry. We will definitely resolve any issue properly. Moreover, the price for the land acquisition will certainly be implemented according to national standards. There won’t be the slightest loss to your interests, I can guarantee that with my personal integrity.”

Nie Zhenbang’s reassurance finally calmed the two of them down quite a bit. Then he continued, “Big brother, I want to ask, how many people from your group were taken away this time?”

“Nine people from our group were taken away. In our whole village, it’s said that more than thirty people were detained. The investigation was very thorough. Essentially, all the leaders of this petition were arrested. I was spared because I had some business in the county; when I heard the news, I didn’t dare to go home, so I came straight to the province. Secretary Nie, please stand up for us,” the middle-aged man pleaded once again.

Even the word ‘plead’ didn’t seem adequate; it was more of a beseech.

Shuishan County, even after the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee set up an investigation team, still dared to act so rampantly, who gave them such courage? Nie Zhenbang couldn’t help but contemplate.

After a moment’s contemplation, Nie Zhenbang stood up and said to them, “Big brother, big sister, for now, please stay here calmly for today and tomorrow, rest assured. I will definitely give you an answer.”

After instructing Xia Gang to arrange accommodation for the two, Nie Zhenbang walked over to his desk. He picked up the phone and dialed Zhou Chaoguo, the Secretary of the Yizhou City Committee. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at . Your support is my greatest motivation.)