Reborn as a Noble's Son

“Old Three, I didn’t expect to meet under such circumstances.”

In the guest room of the JinDing Hotel, Li Yu was now completely different from the calm and composed man he was during dinner. Instead, he appeared somewhat casual and laid-back, resting his feet on the coffee table, and speaking very naturally.

Nie Zhenbang was somewhat surprised at this moment. It turned out that Li Yu had also come down from the ministry. To be placed in Jiangbei by the Li family, the ability of Li Yu himself was also worth affirming. Generally speaking, without outstanding performance, one wouldn’t be delegated to lower-level positions.

Moreover, Nie Zhenbang’s thoughts went a step further. In the view of Jingcheng’s young masters, being sent to the grassroots level was equivalent to being demoted. How could the comfort at the grassroots level match that of a ministry? At the ministry, you’re under the eyes of the old guys, and even the old man himself. Although you can’t go too far, equally, the leaders above tend to turn a blind eye to these untouchable masters. Skipping a few days off or taking occasional breaks wouldn’t be a problem. More importantly, hanging around in the ministry is much simpler than dealing with the complex politics at the lower levels. You pretty much count the days and wait for promotion. Once you arrive at the grassroots level, you can’t really expose your background. Other than a few direct relatives who clearly understand this. For instance, Nie Zhenbang, throughout Xibei, probably only Jiang Zhenquan and Li Yifeng understood his background. There’s a good chance that the situation on Li Yu’s side was much the same. Thus, local political struggles are a double-edged sword. If handled well, one can have strong momentum and qualifications for promotion. If not managed well, there’s a risk of killing one’s career.

Therefore, few children in Jingcheng are willing to go to the grassroots. Remain steady in the ministry until a certain rank, and then go down to one’s own city, serving as the first or second leading position for a term. Bring down both policies and cash. Once these are in place, political achievements naturally emerge. Going back to Jingcheng, naturally, the rank is elevated. This mode of promotion has almost become a template for the children of Jingcheng.

Those like Zhou Chen who were sent down to the countryside at the grassroots level while only being at the level of Section Chief, did so out of necessity. As a result, Zhou Chen hid for a while, and returned to Jingcheng in less than a year. However, clearly Li Yu’s situation was different; he had come down voluntarily. Nie Zhenbang and Li Yu weren’t very close. Back when they were in Jingcheng, they had only met twice at Yu Ying School. On the other hand, Li Zhen, Li Yu’s elder brother, was quite a character in Jingcheng.

However, as fellow travelers, meeting here was also a kind of fate. Naturally, Nie Zhenbang wouldn’t act too indifferent. Immediately, Nie Zhenbang also smiled and said, “Secretary Li, I didn’t expect you to come down as well. Yangwu County is a great place, easy to make political achievements.”

Generally speaking, Jingcheng’s sons, if they are familiar with each other, would affectionately call out nicknames or add the word ‘brother’ according to their respective rankings in the family. For instance, Nie Zhenbang, being the third in line, was called ‘Third Brother’ by the likes of Liu Kun, not because Nie Zhenbang was older, but as a form of intimacy.

Those who are not so familiar, usually call him Threes. At this moment, Nie Zhenbang addressed him by his official position, adhering to formal social etiquette. From the very beginning, a boundary was set between the two.

At this moment, Li Yu also started to laugh. He took out an ordinary Zhonghua cigarette and tossed it over, lighting one for himself, and said, “Old Three, don’t be so formal. Although we haven’t interacted much, I admire you. You singlehandedly went into the Soviet Union, and just those military technologies and scientific strengths alone…Old Three, as long as you don’t commit serious crimes like murdering or arson, you’re going to be just fine. The credit is right there.”

Nie Zhenbang’s ventures into the Soviet Union weren’t any secret among the different families in Jingcheng. The country’s military technology has advanced rapidly, and everyone could guess. Just before the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the China-Soviet border was exceptionally bustling. Anyone with intentions could find out what was happening just by looking.

After a pause, Li Yu continued, “At that time, I wanted to make friends with you. But even before I could find you, you vanished. That’s how it got delayed. If you think highly of me, Li Yu, you can call me Yu or Second Brother.”

Li Yu’s attitude made Nie Zhenbang a bit perplexed. Judging from Li Yu’s conversation and behavior, Li Yu was absolutely extraordinary. Even though he was just the full-time deputy secretary of Yangwu County, all signs indicated a high standing for Li Yu in Yangwu County. This proved that Li Yu’s ability was exceptionally strong. Such a person might be a formidable rival on his path to office in the future, even if they are now in different places.

Immediately, Nie Zhenbang also smiled and said, “Since Second Brother has said so, it would seem unappreciative of me to be formal. The rapid development of Yangwu County is notable. On my way, I heard from Deputy County Magistrate Li about the Economic and Technological Development Zone in Yangwu County. Now, with Second Brother also serving as the director of the development zone, given time, Second Brother is likely to be promoted again.”

The dialogue among Jingcheng’s young masters made Nie Zhenbang feel odd. If one didn’t belong to the same circle, conversations and exchanges would always require careful thinking. This feeling made Nie Zhenbang uncomfortable. He found it more natural to converse with ordinary people.

Nie Zhenbang’s words weren’t entirely polite. Yangwu County Economic Development Zone is now a provincial-level economic development zone in Jiangbei Province. On the way here in the afternoon, the continuous new factories and facilities in the development zone proved its vibrancy. Li Yu serving as the director of the development zone, equivalent to being the top leader of the development zone, had undisputedly occupied the leading position in terms of political achievements in the zone.

At this moment, Li Yu also laughed. He was already 26 years old. Compared to Nie Zhenbang, one as a deputy director, the other as a director, he was undoubtedly a step behind. The Nie family’s planning was ruthless. At least, his own grandfather could not make such a decision. Only Elder Nie dared to go to remote areas like Xibei. As the saying goes, ‘bad land breeds bad people’. This phrase is derogatory. Behind this, there is another phrase that means ‘the mountains are high and the emperor is far away.’ In such places, the locals are often tough.

In such a place, Li Yu admitted that he dared not go. However, not only did Nie Zhenbang go, but he also did so well there. This was also the reason why Li Yu was so enthusiastic at this moment. The two were indeed competitors, but the rivalry was not solid and unchanging. Sometimes, competitors can also be partners.

“Third Brother, you’re joking with me. Compared to you, I’m nothing. You are the director with boundless prospects at such a young age, and you are located in the frontier area. This is a lot of bonus points on your resume. We can keep in touch more often in the future.” Li Yu said his ultimate goal with a smile.

Nie Zhenbang also laughed and said, “Second Brother, you have won my heart. See, I have specially come over to learn from you.” After chatting for a while, Li Yu also excused himself and left.

“Secretary Zhang, this area is our Yangwu County’s small commodity production industrial park. Don’t underestimate these products, like daily necessities, small accessories, and toys. Through our wholesale network, these products are sold domestically and abroad. Many of them are exported to developed countries in Europe and America. This single industrial park has an annual total output value of over 100 million.” At this moment, Li Zhongjiang also introduced with a touch of pride.

After the reception in Yangwu County, Li Zhongjiang, as the representative of Yangwu County, hosted Zhang Chubin and others. At this moment, looking at the development zone of Yangwu County, Zhang Chubin seemed very pleased. It appeared his idea was correct. The thriving pace of the development zone seemed to have infected Zhang Chubin. Not only him, but other officials from Lixian were also invigorated.

Zhang Chubin even improvised a speech on the spot, “Comrades, indeed, reading ten thousand books is not as useful as traveling ten thousand miles. We have always heard that the economic development of the eastern coastal areas is good. But what’s good about them? We have a vague concept. Frankly speaking, we are a little self-satisfied, thinking that the development zone is merely so-so. But now, having seen it for ourselves, we realize that our gap is quite wide.”

“Secretary Zhang’s words went straight to my heart. I think our Lixian should also set up a development zone project, and we should strive to do it as soon as possible.” Xue Daming immediately echoed. As a loyal follower of Zhang Chubin, Xue Daming had succumbed to Zhang Chubin before holding a regular position. Now, Zhang Chubin had smoothly taken the position of county party secretary, and Xue Daming had also gained from the rising waterline. He was able to understand the mentality of the leaders. At this time, Zhang Chubin’s attitude was clear. Naturally, he needed to show clear support.

At this moment, Bekri also fell into thought. The development zone was no small matter. After seeing the development zone of Yangwu County, Bekri had made some calculations. Just the basic construction of the development zone, transportation, water, electricity, and communication would be a massive expenditure. This was not something that one could decide impulsively.

Soon after, Bekri asked, “Mayor Li, does this development zone have any advantages compared to other places? Are there any preferential policies in terms of taxation?”

At this moment, Li Zhongjiang also laughed. Finally, an astute man had arrived. Looking at the old classmate’s expressions just now, Li Zhongjiang had found it amusing, but such things could not be said. Even if the two were former classmates, splashing cold water at this time would probably bring resentment. Li Zhongjiang was not going to make such a mistake. He laughed and said, “Of course there are policies. At the very least, two exemptions and three reductions, as well as smooth passage through the green channel, are no problems at all.”

The so-called green channel refers to the process where all the formalities required for enterprise investment are coordinated and supervised by the local government. This removes the complex procedures for enterprise investment. ‘Two exemptions and three reductions’ was initially targeted at foreign enterprises. In the first two years, taxes were exempted. In the next three years, they were reduced by half. The policy was mainly to attract investors.

At this moment, Zhang Chubin suddenly said, “This policy is very attractive. I think we in Lixian can also consider setting up a development zone. If three exemptions and two reductions can’t be done, we will do five exemptions and five reductions. I don’t believe it. If we plant the Phoenix tree, it won’t attract the Golden Phoenix.”

PS: Err, it seems that the climax today happened at the wrong time. It’s Valentine’s Day. Brothers and sisters, don’t forget to cast a monthly vote for me after Valentine’s Day.