Reborn as a Noble's Son

On seeing the vote count, not only Nie Zhenbang but also Zhang Xiaou was stunned. How did this happen? Nie Zhenbang, who had remained remarkably low-key, was elected. On the other hand, Lin Yang and Xu Jianhua, who had been the most enthusiastic, did not receive a single vote. What was going on?

Despite his surprise, Zhang Xiaou took the stage with a smile and said, “The enthusiastic participation of everyone makes me very happy, and the result is satisfactory. Now, I invite Comrade Nie Zhenbang, Comrade Liu Yue, and Comrade Shi Aiguo to the stage.”

Liu Yue was a female cadre in the class, a vice mayor in charge of science, education, culture, and health in a city. There were many female cadres in the department and ministries, but there were not many women like Liu Yue who held party and government leadership positions at the local level.

As for Shi Aiguo, Nie Zhenbang was not particularly familiar with him. But he did know that those who could stand out were not to be trifled with.

After the propaganda committee and organizational committee members had given their inaugural speeches, Nie Zhenbang also went up. At this time, it was different from his initial election speech. He had no intention of running for election and had been perfunctory. However, now that he had been elected, if he spoke in the same manner, he would give off a frivolous impression.

After contemplating for a moment, Nie Zhenbang began, “I want to thank everyone here and all my friends for their trust and support. Taking on the role of branch secretary brings a lot of pressure, but I promise to learn from everyone and our teachers and leaders, and strive to serve everyone well.”

Placing himself at the level of service was a very clever move by Nie Zhenbang. Everyone knew that the branch secretary was the most important position in such training classes, potentially a crucial factor for future promotions.

Nie Zhenbang, the youngest and least experienced, had, by grasping this opportunity, picked up a big bargain. Many might be displeased. Taking an overly arrogant attitude might have made his job as branch secretary more challenging. But by positioning himself as a service to his classmates, Nie Zhenbang reduced any jealousy.

“Brother, what’s the situation? When they were counting the votes, I couldn’t understand what was happening. Lin Yang and Xu Jianhua, who’ve been stirring up a storm recently, have been doing all this for you,” Zhou Chunlei said loudly as soon as they returned to the dorm.

Qiao Yuan frowned. Even though Lin Yang and Xu Jianhua did not live here, it was better to avoid gossip. Even though Zhou Chunlei wouldn’t face serious repercussions, it was still inappropriate. Subsequently, Qiao Yuan chided, “Old Zhou, watch your words.”

Qiao Yuan had good intentions, but his words came across as reprimanding. Luckily, everyone in the dormitory knew each other well. Zhou Chunlei grinned and nodded. When he spoke again, he lowered his voice.

On the side, Min Zhigao laughed and said, “It’s obvious. Seeing the first chance to get on stage being stolen by Lin Yang, Xu Jianhua knew that he had little chance of victory. Rather than endure humiliation, it was better to step aside. Selection fell on the four of us in the dormitory. Conveniently, Zhenbang also ran for branch secretary. This made Lin Yang’s chances uncertain. Lin Yang saw the problem and thus we have Zhenbang’s surprising election.”

Qiao Yuan nodded and said, “Pangzi’s analysis is not bad. Lin Yang’s a tough one too. Better to break ties on his terms than lose to Zhenbang. These two are not simple at all.”

Nie Zhenbang had already figured all this out. The audacity of Lin Yang and Xu Jianhua also surprised him. There were plenty of tough and capable people at the local level. The old man’s arrangements were seemingly purposeful.

At this point, Qiao Yuan laughed and said, “There’s no need to consider those matters anymore. In any case, this was a fortuitous coincidence. Zhenbang’s luck is something you can’t imagine. And don’t chalk this up to luck. The selection of candidates by Lin Yang and Xu Jianhua followed rules. This opportunity is not given to just anyone. This time, I actually want to learn more from Zhenbang about his economic development ideas.”

Hearing Qiao Yuan say this, Nie Zhenbang also laughed and said, “Brother Yuan, you are joking with me. Learning from each other is more like it.”

The dormitory was home to some remarkable individuals, like Min Zhigao for example. He was particularly skilled in interpersonal relations and boasted impressive abilities. For such individuals, their future prospects were boundless.

As for Zhou Chunlei, while he was relaxed and laid back, this stint in the “Young Cadres Class” was nothing more than a credential-boosting exercise. His career trajectory would ultimately steer him towards Politics and Law. After this, gaining a semi-rank promotion wouldn’t pose a problem at all.

However, what surprised Nie Zhenbang the most was this man, Qiao Yuan, the deputy mayor of Yihashi City. Although he had not joined the city’s standing committee, he was in charge of industry, a sector where achievements were readily observable. Moreover, Qiao’s capabilities came as a pleasant shock to Nie. This modest, somewhat aloof intellectual might potentially possess the highest developmental potential among them.

At the moment, Qiao Yuan appeared somewhat solemn, yet humble. After some contemplation, he spoke up, “Zhenbang, I’ve done some research on Lixian’s economic model and development plan, even though I’ve never paid a visit to the county. However, I can’t help but wonder, could your approach to the county’s economy be misguided? By introducing livestock farming and mining industries, do these sectors have a future? Besides, the situation in my Yihashi City is similar to yours. We have nearly 300 million acres of pasture, abundant water resources, and a pleasant climate. Despite these advantages, I am somewhat at a loss regarding how to kickstart industrial development in the city.”

This was the first time Nie Zhenbang had heard such objections. Qiao’s concerns were not uncommon and many local leaders of this era faced similar issues. Many of these leaders believed that economic growth could only be achieved through manufacturing, high-tech initiatives, or by inviting large commercial consortia. However, what these people often overlooked were the local resources at their disposal. For a region to develop sustainably over the long term, it had to utilize its inherent resources and advantages.

Upon reflecting on this, Nie Zhenbang explained to Qiao, “Brother Yuan, be it commerce, economy or industrial development, they all should align with the local resources and advantages. For instance, if you want to build a cement factory in a place with no related resources, the cost of raw materials will inevitably increase, thus reducing profits. However, if you use these 300 million acres of grassland to bring in a large leather goods and leather industry, the abundant resources will give them a rich choice of raw materials. Higher quality of raw materials will lower costs and naturally increase company profits. This will spur development and the common people, the farmers and the herdsmen, given that they don’t have to worry about mark-up, will be even more enthusiastic about breeding. It’s a complete cycle that feeds into itself.”

At this point, even Min Zhigao and Zhou Chunlei were drawn to their discussion. Invigorated, Nie Zhenbang continued: “Brother Yuan, local suitability is key. One has to consider the local resources, environment and the various advantages of the local products. Amplifying these strengths will ensure long-lasting and successful development.”

On the side, Min Zhigao listened in admiration. After quite some time, he suddenly proposed: “Young man, how about you come to our Kema City? I can’t make big promises, but I can definitely arrange a county committee secretary position for you.”

Despite Min Zhigao’s offer, everyone understood that it was impossible. Let alone Nie Zhenbang’s performance in Lixian, even the role of a county committee secretary wasn’t alluring enough.

After contemplating for a moment, Qiao Yuan nodded his head. At this moment, the gaze he turned on Nie Zhenbang had completely changed, filled with a mixture of awe and shock.

For the following days, life became much more relaxed. The Party School course was rather casual. The focus of the deputy provincial-level Young Cadres Class was mostly on governance. Once the official classes began, the number of people in the classrooms decreased greatly, as many returned to their units.

For his part, Nie Zhenbang remained at the school. He was hoping to catch some rest, and perhaps also put some serious effort into his postgraduate coursework. After all, more than a year after the commencement of classes he had yet to submit any research materials for review, raising concerns about graduation. Additionally, he decided to test Lixian’s people to see how well they managed without him. As the saying goes: adversity reveals genius, time reveals the heart. Only those who could withstand the test of time would form Nie’s core group.

Those who could withstand the test this time would be the ones he would heavily invest in – the difference between heaven and earth.

Just as his thoughts were flowing, the mobile phone on his bedside table began to ring. As soon as he picked up, he heard Yi Jun’s voice on the other end: “Governor, there’s a problem with the Education Commission.”

Upon hearing Yi Jun’s words, Nie Zhenbang’s face darkened instantly. A problem within the Education Commission could only indicate issues with the special funds, one of the most crucial projects Nie had undertaken. His annoyance was unquestionable.

After a moment of contemplation, Nie responded, “I’ll return to Lixian tomorrow morning. We’ll discuss it then.”

PS: A 12,000-word explosion is completed. Please recommend and vote for the monthly pass. (.)