Reborn as a Noble's Son

“Uncle Guo, I don’t deserve such attention. You’re my elder, and you’re personally greeting me. If my grandfather knew about this, I’m afraid he would scold me severely.” Nie Zhenbang also stepped forward, extending his hand to support Guo Donghai’s arm.

Of course, Guo Donghai was not an old man who could barely move. In fact, Guo Donghai was only 55 years old this year and was still considered young among the provincial and ministerial officials.

Hearing Nie Zhenbang’s words, Guo Donghai also laughed: “Haha, dear, did you see that? The grandson of the senior leader is so outstanding. Compared to our son, Ming, it’s like heaven and earth.”

Guo Donghai’s wife was Li Cuiying, who worked at the Women’s Federation of Yuedong Province. She was not in good health and was now retired at home. With her kind eyes and simple dress, she was the epitome of a virtuous and loving mother.

Hearing Guo Donghai’s words, Li Cuiying also laughed: “How can you compare them? Can the grandson of the senior leader be like your son?”

Guo Ming, standing by the side, also felt somewhat awkward. Solely from the comparison of roles, he had nothing to compare with Nie Zhenbang. He was already 27 years old and still at the deputy section level. In contrast, Nie Zhenbang, not yet 24, was already at the section level, holding great power to benefit the people. In other aspects, there was even no more comparison, like education. Guo Ming was simply a bachelor’s degree holder while Nie Zhenbang was a postgraduate from Jingcheng University. This was indeed a gap.

Subsequently, Guo Ming also walked over with a bitter face: “Mom, please, don’t compare me with Third Master Nie. Comparing people, it would be frustrating. Why are we all standing at the door? Let’s go inside to talk.”

Guo Donghai also laughed and then addressed Nie Zhenbang: “Haha, Xiao Ming is right! We got carried away discussing things and forgot, Zhenbang, it’s your first time visiting our home. Please come inside.”

The buildings of Yuedong Provincial Government were all of this Southern-style two-story type, although their construction dates back to some time ago, the buildings were very neat and simple.

As soon as you stepped into the door, an entrance hall was there, with a shoe cabinet and coat rack to the side, leading down four steps to the living room. The whole villa was decorated in Huaxia classical style, with openwork carving, wooden decorations, appearing very simple and elegant. The sofas were also wooden carved ones, blending well with the decorative style.

Upon entering, Guo Donghai said with a smile: “Zhenbang, dinner will be ready soon. Let’s go to the study room, I’ve heard that your running script is very solid. No matter what, you have to leave a calligraphy piece for Uncle Guo on this visit.”

Inside the study room, the four treasures of the study – brushes, ink, paper, and ink stone – were all in place, all being the most renowned of their kind and beautifully arranged. Next to them, a piece of ‘Spring in the Garden, Snow’, written in cursive script by Guo Donghai, indicated a genuine calligraphy enthusiast.

“Uncle Guo, seeing your words here, I feel a bit intimidated. In front of you, it’s like I’m pretending to know something I don’t.” Nie Zhenbang, looking at the layout of the study and Guo Donghai’s calligraphy, said with a smile.

“Hehe, you Zhenbang, no wonder the old leader said you are a slick one. Looking at you now, he was right. Write quickly.” Guo Donghai this time also intentionally put on a straight face and scolded with a laugh.

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang no longer hesitated. Since it had come to this, continuing to dodge the request would make him seem overly aloof. The Guo’s line had been a great addition to the overall layout of the Nie family in the domestic political landscape. The Nie family had always been focused on the military. The government was their weak point. Now, with the joining of Guo Donghai, this weak point was greatly supplemented.

Given the relationship between the two sides, it was necessary to be more harmonious. Nie Zhenbang, no longer being pretentious, went to the desk, picked up the brush, contemplated for a moment, and then wrote ‘Wholeheartedly for the People’ in large characters on the rice paper.

Watching Nie Zhenbang’s running script, Guo Donghai, standing by the side, nodded in satisfaction. As the saying goes, people can be judged from their handwriting. Nie Zhenbang’s running script, with a hint of cursive script style, was, however, full-bodied and vigorous, which spoke of Nie Zhenbang’s stubborn nature.

Moreover, even though he had decided to write freely, Nie Zhenbang wrote exclusively about ‘Wholeheartedly for the People.’ Guo Donghai could tell from this what kind of person Nie Zhenbang was, which made sense as to why the Nie family had chosen him as the heir.

“Zhenbang, I noticed your visit here has created quite a stir. With a government body participating in a trade fair, what is your rationale? Won’t this give off the impression that the government is also engaged in business?” Guo Donghai moved to the adjacent sofa, held a cup of tea in his hand, and asked with a smile.

The position held by Guo Donghai inevitably meant he had a different angle and consideration from ordinary people. Despite the country having entered a stable period of reform and opening up, it was largely due to Chief Nan’s national tour that had stabilized the situation and the public sentiment. In the eyes of the world, the government represented the country and embodied a solemn image. However, at this moment, Nie Zhenbang was pioneering in the nation by attracting investment in the name of the government, much like a business unit establishing relations. He even managed to secure a booth at a large-scale trade fair like the Canton Fair. There were plenty of possible business opportunities here. Given the speed of today’s media, the affairs of Lixian would likely be in the newspapers in a couple of days. The media across the country would react to this news, and Lixian would indeed be in the limelight. What was more critical was Guo Donghai’s concern that the Nie family’s political opponents could seize this opportunity for a collective attack. If they could manage to knock down the heir that the Nie family had painstakingly cultivated, it would be a significant victory.

As he listened to Guo Donghai’s words, Nie Zhenbang immediately began to ponder, formulating his words, then saying, “Uncle Guo, I feel this might become a trend in the future.”

After a pause, Nie Zhenbang continued, “The Economic and Technological Development Zone isn’t a completely new concept in our country. Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, started attempting to create development zones as early as the 1980s. In fact, the South China Sea Special Zone and the Yuehai Special Zone are essentially large-scale development zones created by the nation. Now, the development of the development zones in Yuedong city has seen promising and flourishing potential, which I believe you, Uncle Guo, can also perceive.”

Guo Donghai nodded his head. As the governor, he had an excellent understanding of Yuedong. Nowadays, not only Yuedong city, but numerous coastal prefecture-level cities in Yuedong Province were also initiating development zones, and each was doing quite well. Development zones had considerable advantages in terms of preferential policies and support. Furthermore, Yuedong’s concept of one park, one characteristic. One city, one direction is excellent. Electronic products in Yuehai, high-tech enterprises in the South China Sea Special Zone, ceramic tiles in Fushan, etc., were all examples of highly successful businesses on a large scale, thus creating a considerable influence and effect.

Nie Zhenbang continued, “Uncle Guo, the circumstances in Yuedong are different. It’s practically the focus of the nation, with elites from all over the country flocking to the area. With inherent traffic and location advantages coupled with national policy support, as soon as a development area in Yuedong emerges, it immediately draws the attention and favor of businesses. However, it is different in the Northwest Region.”

Guo Donghai, looking thoughtful, said to Nie Zhenbang, “Zhenbang, you’re implying that government conceptions need to be changed, and government functions and attitudes should transition from providing guidance to providing services? Hmm, in that case, it wouldn’t be impossible for the government to participate in trade fairs. I believe more governments will participate in similar exhibitions in the future.”

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang was somewhat surprised. He had underestimated Guo Donghai. Indeed, someone competent enough to govern a province doesn’t get there through flattery alone. These are people with genuine talent and learning. The concept of a service-based government was still in its initial planning stages for him, yet Guo Donghai had picked up on it.

Immediately, Nie Zhenbang nodded, “That is inevitable. Attracting investment will become a major issue that governments at all levels will have to face. Uncle Guo, there is another matter I wish to consult with you.”

“Oh? Is there something you don’t understand? Feel free to ask. I’ll do my best to tell you everything I know,” Guo Donghai became curious. Knowing Nie Zhenbang’s character, he realized that it must be quite an important issue for him to initiate such a conversation.

There was nothing Nie Zhenbang needed to hide at this point. Guo Donghai, being at his level, must have known that the old man had designated him as the heir. Promptly, Nie Zhenbang said, “Uncle Guo, my elder brother visited me a while ago and said a lot. He mentioned something about the grassroots level and the ministry, which I still don’t quite understand. Could you explain?”

Nie Zhenbang had already made up his mind about the choice between the grassroots level and the ministry. Not to mention anything else, given the current situation in Lixian and Nie Zhenbang’s character, he would not leave. This is a matter of principle. The meaning of ‘ninety in a hundred miles’ is very clear, even if one has traveled ninety miles, without completing the entire journey, it is deemed as not having traveled at all. Therefore, Nie Zhenbang would wait until Lixian showed results. However, Nie Zhenbang was somewhat puzzled. Could the choice between the grassroots level and the ministry really cause Nie Jialei to lose his fighting spirit and voluntarily give up his position as the heir?

This was Nie Zhenbang’s weakness. Despite having memories and experiences from his previous life, venturing into politics and the officialdom was still uncharted territory for him.

Upon hearing this, Guo Donghai chuckled and jokingly said, “Zhenbang, it feels real now that I see you don’t know it all.”

At this point, Guo Donghai’s expression became serious as he looked at Nie Zhenbang and said, “Zhenbang, you must understand that the insight of the old leader is nothing ordinary. Current grassroots experience is an important standard for future promotions.”