Chapter 96

In the realm of officialdom, there are many unwritten rules, such as the current issue of who has the right to speak. If the Party Secretary of Xingtang County had not yet been determined, and Cai Le had only come to announce the appointments of the other members of the County Party Committee, it would be quite normal for Zhao Rui'an, as the county magistrate, to say such a thing, and there would be nothing unexpected about it.

However, Nie Yue had now become the de facto top leader of Xingtang County. Even if he had been suppressed in Xingtang County before, he was still a native of the place. Zhao Rui'an's actions were clearly a provocation. No wonder the others and Cai Le were momentarily stunned, instinctively looking at Nie Yue.

If it were anyone else, they would probably have exploded on the spot. However, Nie Yue knew how he had risen to power. In his eyes, Zhao Rui'an's actions were clearly a provocation, but such a provocation was clearly so low. If he were to lose his temper, it would only fall into Zhao Rui'an's trap, leaving Cai Le with the impression that he was unstable, and making the other officials in Xingtang County think he was not magnanimous.

"County Magistrate Zhao is quite right, Secretary Cai, since it's already mealtime, why don't we give Xingtang County a chance?" Nie Yue said with a calm smile, maintaining a natural demeanor despite his inner anger.

"Ha ha!" Cai Le laughed, "Secretary Nie, I won't join you for this meal. There are other matters in the city waiting for me. We can gather again after you are familiar with the county affairs."

These words sent Zhao Rui'an's heart to the bottom of the sea. What was this? Although Cai Le did not stay for the meal, his words clearly conveyed goodwill. What was going on? And what about Nie Yue's rise to power? No, he had to find out as soon as possible after this meeting, or it would be like a thorn in his heart.

"Alright, since Secretary Cai has matters to attend to, I won't keep you. I'll invite you for a meal another time," Nie Yue said with a generous smile.

"Sure, let's do that!" Cai Le, being a high-ranking official, had already given Nie Yue a lot of face, and there was no need to deliberately show more goodwill. After saying this, he left without hesitation.

After Cai Le left, Nie Yue turned and smiled, looking at the standing members of the County Party Committee and the heads of various county-level departments.

"Everyone, since Secretary Cai has official business, we shouldn't waste this meal. Let's go to the reception center. What do you think, County Magistrate Zhao?" Nie Yue said calmly.

"Of course! This meal must be had; it's a welcome banquet for Secretary Nie, Secretary Li, and Minister Chen," Zhao Rui'an said with a smile. The situation was now settled, and it was better to accept it straightforwardly. After all, he would have to work under Nie Yue's leadership in the future. But Nie Yue, do you think you can control the County Party Committee now just because you couldn't before? Dream on!

Even if Zhao Rui'an was uncomfortable with Nie Yue, he could not refuse at this moment. This welcome banquet was not just for Nie Yue but also for the two new members of the County Party Committee. If he could win them over to his side, it would greatly help him control Xingtang County.

Deputy County Party Secretary Li Qiao and County Party Committee Organization Minister Chen Tainian were new arrivals and not yet familiar with the political landscape of Xingtang County. In such a situation, they would follow the crowd and not voice their own opinions.

Deputy County Party Secretary Zhang Zhen and County Political and Legal Affairs Committee Secretary Xu Guofu had previously supported Xie Wen. Lin Zhonghe, as the County Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary, had not aligned with anyone, as his backer was Zhou Conglan, who could stand alone in Xingtang County without fear of being offended.

As for Nie Yue, when he was the Deputy County Party Secretary for Party Affairs, he had no followers in the County Party Committee, which made Su Mu's support even more precious.

At the reception center, all the members of the County Party Committee and the heads of the People's Congress and the Political Consultative Conference were seated at one table, while the deputy heads of other departments were seated at six other tables. Fortunately, the tables were custom-made, so there was no worry about not having enough space.

Su Mu sat with Li Changgui at a table near the door, with the heads of various townships sitting beside them. At his age, Su Mu's presence was quite conspicuous.

The atmosphere quickly heated up as it was a welcome banquet, and Nie Yue, as the County Party Secretary, became the center of attention. Everyone, from the County Party Committee members to the heads of various departments, toasted him. However, Nie Yue only sipped lightly, and no one in Xingtang County dared to challenge him at this moment.

"Secretary Nie, here's to your success," Zheng Xuemei said with a smile, standing up to toast him.

Nie Yue sipped lightly and then put down his glass, while Zheng Xuemei drank the entire glass in one go. As a woman, Zheng Xuemei's drinking capacity was impressive. In fact, she was quite attractive, with a good figure and appearance, which was why she had been chosen by Xie Wen.

However, because of Xie Wen, Zheng Xuemei was now the most anxious person. Although the County Party Office handled many affairs, it was essentially the County Party Secretary's personal assistant. If she could not gain the new County Party Secretary's trust, she would eventually be replaced. Zheng Xuemei knew her situation well; the character "Xie" was already etched on her forehead.

Although she had remained clean during Xie Wen's corruption, a new leader meant new followers, and Nie Yue's rise to power would not be kind to her. Moreover, when Xie Wen was in power, Zheng Xuemei had looked down on Nie Yue and sometimes ignored him. Her current predicament was not surprising.

Everyone at the banquet noticed the interaction between Nie Yue and Zheng Xueme, especially Zhao Rui'an, whose eyes were spinning with thoughts.

Of course, Su Mu also noticed the dynamics. When he had toasted almost everyone and the banquet was about to end, he stood up and walked over with Li Changgui.

"Secretary Nie, I'd like to toast you," Su Mu said with a smile.

"It's Su Mu. Come, I'll drink this with you," Nie Yue's tense expression relaxed, and he smiled warmly, drinking the entire glass in one go.

The scene before everyone's eyes immediately drew their attention. In the world of officialdom, everyone was sharp. The situation was clear without much thought. Who would have thought that Su Mu had such good luck and would be favored by Nie Yue? After the banquet, they would have to find a way to build a relationship with him. The Heishan Town project was ongoing, and if possible, they could offer some policy support.

Seeing this, Zhao Rui'an's heart trembled, and he regretted his decision. In fact, from the beginning, his relationship with Su Mu was different from that with other subordinates. They had no real team alignment issues, and Su Mu was actually his benefactor. If not for Su Mu's recommendation, he, Zhao Rui'an, would not have connected with Li Xinghua.

He regretted his decision to push Su Mu away. If not, Su Mu would now be a valuable asset in his hands. How could he be targeted by Nie Yue? If the two of them really teamed up...

No, this must not happen!

Zhao Rui'an suddenly became determined. If he couldn't win Su Mu back, he would have to suppress him. But just as this thought arose, another scene before him left him stunned.

"Secretary Li, I'd like to toast you!" Su Mu said with a smile.

Like Nie Yue, Li Qiao, who had only sipped his drink since sitting down, smiled and raised his glass, drinking it in one go.

The entire room was stunned, and a wave of shock swept through everyone's hearts!