Reborn as a Noble's Son

“Duan Changgui, what is this attitude, what do you mean? Villagers are not your slaves. In your eyes, is there no law, no citizens’ rights, no party discipline or national laws? If you continue like this, it’s going to lead to big problems. You will have to bear the consequences.” Nie Zhenbang felt a feeling of rage at this point. Duan Laosan was truly cowardly.

However, from another perspective, the reason why Duan Laosan behaved like this might still be due to Duan Changgui’s tyrannical power in Duan Clan Village. The long-term oppression scared the villagers into fearing and being afraid to rebut him.

At this moment, Duan Changgui just smirked coldly and said nonchalantly, “Mr. Secretary, as you have witnessed, I didn’t ask him to kneel, he wanted to do it himself. Can I stop him? Bear the consequences? Very well, as long as you, Mr. Secretary, say the word, stating that the Three Uplifts and Five Unified Policies are cancelled, and the reservation funds are cancelled, I’ll leave immediately. You, the city’s senior leader, must not know our difficulties at the grassroots level. We don’t have a state wage. The township asks us for money and throws tasks at us. We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. Once collected, the common people complain. Failure to collect results in a scolding from the leaders. Please, issue a document, help us cancel the agricultural reservation, and I can relax.”

Duan Changgui’s words made Nie Zhenbang somewhat furious. Cancelling the agricultural reservation at present is unrealistic. The nation’s economic foundation is very weak. Cancelling reservations at this time would be a heavy burden on the country. When it comes to state policy issues, Nie Zhenbang dare not make a statement. Although Downtown Xinli City currently meets the conditions for reducing the agricultural reservation, Nie Zhenbang, alone, would not dare to make a decision without going through the discussion of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee.

On the side, one of Duan Changgui’s minions disdainfully said, “Uncle Changgui, why bother arguing with this boy. Who knows if it’s real or not. Ever seen a secretary of the municipal party committee ride in a van? Let’s give this boy a lesson first, to let him know that what happens in Duan Clan Village is none of his business.”

As he spoke, two burly rural men suddenly lunged at Nie Zhenbang. Nearby, Feng Kuang was ready and stepped in front of Nie Zhenbang.

The people of Xibei are bold and fierce, and almost everyone has a specialty, but in the face of Feng Kuang, a special forces soldier, they fall short. With a sweep of his leg, one of them was instantly knocked down. The other, throwing a punch, was caught by Feng Kuang. As he slowly twisted his wrist, the man’s arm was twisted with it. His body followed, flipping backwards. It’s a natural human reaction, uncontrollable. To not flip would mean enduring the pain of a twisted arm, risking a broken limb.

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang stood up. He didn’t want to stay in Duan Clan Village for a second more. He then said in a deep voice, “Comrade Feng Kuang, let this man go. Fighting these people is a humiliation for me.”

The two men directly walked onto the highway. However, Duan Changgui and a few others chased them on motorcycles, his mood was quite pleasant. Nie Zhenbang’s stringent investigation didn’t worry Duan Changgui at all. As long as he broadcasts his stance to the whole village, no one would dare to step out of line. He was confident about his authority.

Soon, a bus pulled up by the side of the road. Just as Nie Zhenbang and others were about to board, Duan Changgui sneered: “Did I say you could board? I want to see who dares to let you on the bus while you’re on my village’s land.”

As soon as his voice fell, several men crowded around the bus, and, picking up a few stones from the roadside, smashed them into the bus windows, shattering the tempered glass.

The bus driver was panicked and quickly drove away. You can’t mess with people from Duan Clan Village. This was a well-known fact among the bus drivers on this route.

Duan Changgui was cunning. By doing this, he essentially humiliated Nie Zhenbang in front of everyone. Moreover, it would make Nie Zhenbang hesitate. Because if Nie Zhenbang was to hold onto this issue, it might give people the impression that he is seeking personal revenge.

But, Duan Changgui underestimated Nie Zhenbang’s determination. At this moment, Nie Zhenbang snorted coldly, and said, “Comrade Feng Kuang, it’s been a long time since our last march drill. How about we have a go today?”

At this moment, Feng Kuang also laughed: “Secretary Nie, since you said so, let’s give it a shot.”

The saying goes, an expert shows his skills with a single move. Nie Zhenbang’s steps and moves showed that he had been trained. Simultaneously, through their conversation, Nie Zhenbang had some understanding of Feng Kuang’s situation. As a retired soldier from a reconnaissance battalion in the Xibei Military Region, when choosing between returning to his hometown or staying in Xibei to support the border areas, Feng Kuang chose to stay in Xibei. He was originally assigned to Yun County. But at the end of last year, Yun County was suddenly incorporated into Xinli City. After getting this news, Feng Kuang rushed over after the New Year. However, he didn’t expect to meet Nie Zhenbang on his way to Yun County.

Twenty minutes later, the two men had run nearly seven or eight kilometers. Nie Zhenbang suddenly stopped because his pager rang.

Nie Zhenbang was delighted and saw that it was from Yi Jun. As soon as he answered, Nie Zhenbang said, “Xiaoyi, where are you now? Immediately notify Secretary Sun Kewen of the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission and Comrade Chen Le, the head of the bureau, to come to Daming Township. I have urgent business.”

After hanging up the phone, Feng Kuang looked at Nie Zhenbang in surprise and said, “Secretary Nie, you really are the Secretary of Xinli City Party Committee.”

Listening to Feng Kuang’s words, Nie Zhenbang also laughed. Feng had seemed so sure, so believing before it was confirmed. Now that it was, he almost seemed disbelieving. Immediately, Nie Zhenbang joked: “What? You think it could be false?”

Feng Kuang felt embarrassed and gave his head a scratch. Then he replied: “No…no, Secretary Nie, it’s just that seeing you riding a bus… people might not actually believe you’re a municipal party secretary.”

Feng Kuang’s words revealed a societal reality. Nowadays, people in leadership positions with certain ranks always traveled with fanfare, police escorts, and a convoy. Someone like Nie Zhenbang, who stayed low-profile, would not be believed to be a leader.

Not only did this situation exist now, but it was also trending upwards. Frankly speaking, the grandiose scene was a significant blow to the image of the party and government. The public’s trust in the government diminished accordingly, which was an obvious fact.

Nie Zhenbang had the intention to change this, but it would not be achieved overnight.

The distance from downtown Xinli City to here was approximately 30 kilometers. Nie Zhenbang and his group had already run about seven to eight kilometers. After about twenty minutes, a police car with flashing lights drove towards them, followed by several other vehicles. Having parked by the side of the road, Yi Jun got out of his car.

As they saw Nie Zhenbang standing by the roadside, talking and laughing with a stranger, Chen Le, Sun Kewen, and Yi Jun came to greet him.

Before Yi Jun could speak, Nie Zhenbang said seriously, “Secretary Sun, I appreciate your assistance. This matter is a bit serious. Let’s get into the car and talk about the situation. Director Chen, head for Duan Clan Village in Daming Township.”

Once onboard, after Nie Zhenbang recounted what happened in Duan Clan Village, Sun Kewen’s face also turned grave. Sun Kewen, capable of serving as secretary of the discipline inspection commission, was a man of integrity.

“It’s lawless, utterly lawless. Secretary Nie, as people say, ‘seeing is believing.’ The situation in Yun County is a tough one. In my estimation, the case of Duan Clan Village is not a one-off – other problems must be lurking in Yun County. In unloading this burden called Yun County onto us, the whole of Lixian is going to be dragged down with it.”

However, Nie Zhenbang waved his hand at that point, “Old Sun, let’s put all other matters aside. Whether Yun County is a burden or a catalyst is one thing. The primary concern now is to ensure the integrity of the officials throughout Xinli City. Rome wasn’t built in a day. The municipal discipline inspection commission must do its job well and resolutely put a stop to all cases of accepting bribes and twisting the law for personal gain.”

Less than two hours later, they returned to Duan Clan Village. Upon receiving the news, Duan Changgui was shocked, and immediately told his men, “Fugui, you and the others go to every household in the village. Be fully aware of what to say and what not to say. Otherwise, you’re going to answer to me.”

After pausing for a moment, Duan Changgui added, “Fugui, you personally go to Duan San’s place. Make sure he doesn’t get us into trouble. Remember, be tough.”

After giving his orders, Duan Changgui straightened his clothes and stepped out of his house. The village committee of Duan Clan Village came out to welcome them.

Seeing Nie Zhenbang leading a group of people towards them with a solemn expression, Duan Changgui quickly stepped up to greet them, “Greetings, each and every leader. We welcome your visit to our Duan Clan Village to inspect and guide our work.”

However, to Duan Changgui’s surprise, Nie Zhenbang coldly huffed, “Duan Changgui, you are good at acting, aren’t you? Director Chen, just before this, these people had brazenly attacked vehicles on the road. This comrade and I are both eyewitnesses.”

Nie Zhenbang’s statement was explicit. Chen Le stepped forward, showed his credentials, and then said, “You guys, come with me to assist in the investigation. The car owners have reported the incident.”

At that moment, Duan Changgui was also stunned. He hadn’t expected Nie Zhenbang to dare to do this. Didn’t this young guy care about his image, or was he not afraid being accused of venting personal grievances publicly?