Chapter 93

Brothers, please collect and support with your votes!

————————————

As the dedicated deputy secretary of the Xingtang County Party Committee, Nie Yue's best chance for advancement would be to the position of county magistrate. It is now certain that Nie Yue will indeed advance, and Su Mu's bet has paid off.

The only uncertainty is how far Nie Yue will advance. If the relationships behind Nie Yue are strong enough, it is not impossible for him to become the county party secretary. If that were to happen, Zhao Rui'an's efforts over these many days would have been in vain. Currently, Zhao Rui'an is the county magistrate of Xingtang County, overseeing the party committee affairs after Xie Wen was placed under double regulation and the position of county party secretary was vacant. His influence is undeniable.

In the political arena, there is an unwritten rule: acting and concurrent positions. Generally, acting positions have a high chance of becoming permanent, almost a certainty if nothing goes wrong. However, concurrent positions can be removed at any time, with a high probability of failure.

"Within ten days, the chaotic situation in Xingtang County will be resolved, and it will be clear who comes out on top. But now, without a core group, supporting Nie Yue and showing loyalty should bring benefits."

Su Mu recognized Nie Yue's approach to governance. Although he has some issues typical of a seasoned official, overall, he is someone who is willing to do practical work, far better than Zhao Rui'an, who is always looking for loopholes. In such a situation, improving relations with Nie Yue to gain greater power, Su Mu does not see anything wrong with it.

In the following days, Su Mu devoted himself to the work in Heishan Town. The investments negotiated in Shengjing City were still in the preparation stage, so he focused on the preliminary preparations. Of course, he often went to Dayushu Village to supervise the construction of the primary school. Since his sincerity had already been conveyed to Nie Yue, compared to staying there to flatter Nie Yue, Su Mu preferred to do practical work.

The political situation in Xingtang County did not become overly chaotic. Under Zhao Rui'an's control, even though Xie Wen, Li Ya, and Xue Feng were all placed under double regulation, along with a batch of county-level officials, the overall situation remained stable.

At the county public security bureau, Xu Zhengcheng had become the top leader, ostensibly responsible to Zhao Rui'an, but in reality, he frequently exchanged views with Su Mu.

On the other hand, after Su Mu showed his sincerity to Nie Yue, there was no further action, which puzzled him. In the political arena, unless you have very strong connections, sitting at home and waiting for the organization to bestow a big opportunity is almost a luxury.

Of course, such a wait did not last long. About seven days after Su Mu returned to Heishan Town, Nie Yue called, and Su Mu rushed to Xingtang County. However, this time, he did not go to the party committee building but to a relatively remote small hotel.

Nie Yue was dressed very carefully, wearing a sun hat that covered most of his face and a pair of black-framed glasses on his nose. Unless someone was very familiar with him, no one could recognize him.

"Secretary Nie!" Su Mu hurried over and, at Nie Yue's invitation, sat on the stool opposite him. After sitting down, Su Mu discreetly scanned the surroundings, only relaxing once he was sure there were no abnormalities.

Nie Yue observed Su Mu throughout, noting his caution and nodding in approval. Indeed, he had not chosen the wrong person; Su Mu's vigilance was indeed high. Knowing that he had chosen this meeting place, Nie Yue could see that Su Mu was considering its secrecy, something not everyone could do. Just for this, he was confident that his decision this time would not be wrong.

"Su Mu, I assume you are puzzled as to why I chose this place for our meeting, right?" Nie Yue said solemnly.

"Yes!" Su Mu nodded, not hiding his confusion, "Secretary Nie, although I don't know why you did this, I believe you have your reasons. Just tell me what you want to do."

"Good!" Nie Yue's voice rose slightly, but he quickly regained control, "This is a small tavern on the edge of the county, where ordinary people usually come to eat. I called you here today to hear your thoughts on the current situation in the county. Don't have any reservations; just speak your mind."

Su Mu's heart skipped a beat, and his heartbeat accelerated. It had come, finally. Nie Yue's question was a test. If he could pass this, he would definitely become someone Nie Yue trusted. There is nothing more credible than a "loyal follower." But even with his excitement, Su Mu maintained absolute calm and clarity. He knew that even a trivial word at this moment could undermine the sincerity he had shown.

"Secretary Nie, I am not qualified to comment on the county's affairs. Here, I just want to express my stance. As long as it benefits the development of Heishan Town and the overall plan for Xingtang County, I will support it. I believe that under your leadership, Xingtang County will surely develop rapidly," Su Mu said solemnly.

Despite not openly pledging allegiance, the meaning behind Su Mu's words was clear to Nie Yue. Su Mu also believed that Nie Yue would understand his attitude, especially the phrase "under your leadership." If Nie Yue couldn't understand that, he wouldn't be fit to be the third-in-command of Xingtang County.

"Good! I did not misjudge you! Su Mu, please take a leave and go with me to Shengjing City," Nie Yue said with a smile.

"I'll arrange it right away!" Su Mu stood up but did not leave, making the call right in front of Nie Yue.

Su Mu was indeed cautious. He used a different reason to take leave from Liang Changgui and specifically sought Nie Yue's approval. Knowing that Nie Yue planned to take a long-distance bus to Shengjing for safety, Su Mu did not hesitate to have Zhou Ci send a car. This subtle action earned Nie Yue's silent admiration.

Carefulness is no mistake, and this alone shows Su Mu's prudence.

As the deputy secretary of the Xingtang County Party Committee, Nie Yue's authority was severely constrained by Xie Wen and Li Ya. Now, with a rare opportunity to turn the tide, he would not let it slip away.

In this opportunity, Su Mu's performance particularly impressed Nie Yue. Considering Su Mu's background, his approach to governance, and his cautious and astute nature, Nie Yue decided to truly bring him into his fold and cultivate him as a core member.

Otherwise, Nie Yue would not have used Su Mu at this sensitive time.

In fact, Su Mu had overlooked one point these days: checking Nie Yue's resume. If he knew about Nie Yue's previous positions and why he came to Xingtang County as deputy secretary, he would no longer worry about whether Nie Yue had the qualifications to become the county party secretary or if it met the party's appointment procedures.

Of course, these are secondary issues that will be known soon. Compared to these, what Su Mu is most curious about now is why Nie Yue is going to the provincial capital at this sensitive time. Who is he going to see in Shengjing? Who is the real power behind Nie Yue?

{Piaotian Literature www.piaotia.com Thanks for the support of all the readers. Your support is our greatest motivation}

Previous Page AD Start

Previous Page AD End