Chapter 72

Chapter 11: The Chess Piece That Intrudes into the Game

"Mayor Yin, do you think it's appropriate for our Hongshui County to continue striving for the Economic Development Zone (EDZ) quota?"

Yang Zixuan's question seemed casual on the surface but was actually quite difficult to answer.

Xu Yinjia also found it hard to respond. If he said it was appropriate, it would clearly ignore Mayor Tang Lu's previous conclusion about the Honghe EDZ. But he couldn't say it was inappropriate either.

"Little Yang, in doing work, we can't always be rigid. Many things depend on your own efforts!" Xu Yinjia, with his years of experience in government, naturally wouldn't be stumped by Yang Zixuan's question. "Although Mayor Tang Lu had significant objections to your Honghe EDZ proposal, the Hongshui County government doesn't need to feel burdened. You can revise the EDZ proposal. I believe Mayor Tang Lu isn't a stubborn person and will see the advantages of your EDZ, which isn't without merit!"

Yang Zixuan's eyes narrowed, his pupils suddenly constricting!

In that instant, he had an epiphany!

So that's how it is!

It turns out that the real reason Xu Yinjia accepted the invitation to the Hongshui County New Year's gathering was this!

He actually wanted to use the gathering to win over Yang Zixuan and continue competing for the Daming City EDZ quota!

Once this point was clear, his purpose became obvious!

As a new generation figure of the Daming faction, Xu Yinjia was highly regarded. He had launched multiple attacks against Tang Lu in the municipal government, but all ended in failure.

This made Xu Yinjia somewhat discouraged. He believed his political tactics were not much inferior to Tang Lu's, but each attack failed to deal a substantial blow. One reason was that Tang Lu, who had risen to mayor in Daming City, had promoted many loyalists. No matter what happened, he had a group of loyalists to support him. Another reason was that the timing of his attacks was always off, and as mayor, Tang Lu had a natural advantage in dealing with the executive vice mayor.

However, since last year, when the two leaders of Hongshui County, Xu and Li, were brought down by Yang Zixuan, who had been playing the fool for nearly a year, Tang Lu's fortunes began to decline, and his work often fell into a passive state. First, at the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee, Lin Pei forcefully reclaimed the authority of the Party Secretary, and the control of the Standing Committee meetings was completely in Lin Pei's hands.

This change had a profound impact on the political landscape of Daming City.

Without the support of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee, Tang Lu's work in the municipal government became constrained and lacked confidence.

The once authoritative Mayor Tang began to feel the undercurrents in the municipal government, with many people harboring ulterior motives.

The turning point of this change was a person, the young county magistrate standing before him—Yang Zixuan.

The Xu and Li case orchestrated by Yang Zixuan was like a stone thrown into a lake, initially causing only a few ripples, but the aftereffects were continuous.

So from the beginning, Tang Lu didn't favor Yang Zixuan. In Tang Lu's mind, the reason he lost the ability to compete with Lin Pei in the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee was because of this unlucky star, Yang Zixuan.

Now, Xu Yinjia felt the time to deal with Tang Lu had come!

Tang Lu's local faction had just suffered a significant blow within the province, losing much of its influence and momentum. In contrast, the Daming faction, which favored reform, had gained many benefits after the ideological clash.

This shift in power made Xu Yinjia see an opportunity to launch another attack on Tang Lu!

However, he still needed a pretext for the attack!

So he set his sights on Yang Zixuan!

The criticism Yang Zixuan received from Tang Lu over the Honghe EDZ issue had long spread throughout the Daming City Party Committee and municipal government. Everyone knew that Tang Lu opposed the EDZ, especially the Hongshui County EDZ.

But if Hongshui County's EDZ ultimately won the first EDZ quota in Daming City, it would undoubtedly be a severe blow to Tang Lu's prestige in both the municipal government and the Party Committee.

Such a humiliation would be devastating!

Every time Xu Yinjia imagined this scenario, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction!

It was the satisfaction of finally being able to breathe freely after being suppressed for so long.

Xu Yinjia's position was different from Lin Pei's. As Party Secretary, Lin Pei had to consider the unity and stability of the leadership team. Now that he controlled the Standing Committee, there was no need to provoke Tang Lu, the local strongman.

A cornered dog will fight back, let alone a person.

Moreover, with the major reshuffle next year, Lin Pei, who was highly regarded in the province for a promotion to a deputy provincial-level position, would focus on the unity and stability of the leadership team and the control of the Standing Committee, dealing with the complex relationships and various forces within the province. His focus would be on economic development rather than internal struggles.

But Xu Yinjia's position was different. He didn't need to consider the upcoming reshuffle. Weakening Tang Lu's influence in Daming City, or even causing him to make a mistake and be removed from the mayor's position, and then through the support of the provincial leadership, as the fourth-ranking figure in the Party Committee, he could easily surpass the less influential Mo Tianzhang and ascend to the mayor's position! This was his goal.

Understanding all this, Yang Zixuan had a clear plan in mind. He smiled faintly and said, "Mayor Xu, you know our Hongshui County's financial situation. We can barely balance the budget, let alone not rely on the municipal or bank finances. We can't compare to the old economic powerhouses like Jingyang District and Hong County."

"Actually, it's not that we don't want to, but I'm afraid the initial investment for the EDZ will completely bankrupt Hongshui County." Yang Zixuan put on a troubled face.

Yang Zixuan knew Xu Yinjia was trying to lure him into competing for the EDZ quota, making him an effective pawn against Tang Lu.

But who was Yang Zixuan? He wouldn't run around for Xu Yinjia without any benefit. Xu Yinjia, as the former deputy director of the finance department, had unique skills in financial management and was the executive vice mayor of Daming City. If Xu Yinjia agreed to allocate funds to Hongshui, it shouldn't be a problem.

The county's finances were already depleted, and it needed replenishment...

So, Yang Zixuan pretended to be hesitant, targeting Xu Yinjia...

Xu Yinjia, unaware of Yang Zixuan's thoughts, pondered for a moment and smiled, "You don't need to worry about that. If your Honghe EDZ is approved, the municipal government will also provide some initial funding... So your Hongshui County government can boldly prepare!"

A faint smile of satisfaction appeared on Yang Zixuan's lips, "That's good. I hope Mayor Xu can speak up for us at the Standing Committee and the municipal government meetings..."

...

When the Santana with the number 2 plate stopped in front of the Hongshui County Public Security Bureau, An Zai Shan was just coming out.

"Get in!" Yang Zixuan waved to An Zai Shan from the back seat.

"How's the situation? Did the woman talk?"

An Zai Shan shook his head and smiled bitterly, "She insists that she threw the shoe because she was dissatisfied with the county government. This isn't a crime, just a minor disturbance of public order. We can't do much, so we'll have to release her after a day or two."

Yang Zixuan nodded, "That's right. Did you confirm her identity? Is she really from the county dance troupe?"

"Yes, she is from the dance troupe."

"This is strange. I saw a familiar face in the crowd that day!" Yang Zixuan knew An Zai Shan was trained in criminal investigation and had strong analytical skills, so he shared his doubts.

"Who?"

"Su Nan's son's English tutor!"

"Ah?" An Zai Shan was surprised, then fell silent for a moment before saying, "Now that you mention it, I think I've seen that tutor at the county dance troupe too."

"Don't alert them. Investigate her background! I think this isn't as simple as it seems!" Yang Zixuan's voice was heavy.

"Got it!" An Zai Shan paused and continued, "What about the woman who threw the shoe? Should we release her directly?"

"Follow the rules. Keep her for the required days, no more, no less, to avoid giving anyone a reason to criticize us."

Yang Zixuan took a puff of his cigarette and continued, "But we can do something else. When you get back to the bureau, tell the junior officers that the woman has revealed the person who instructed her to act. This news will quickly spread throughout the county government compound!"

An Zai Shan clapped his hands and smiled, "Brilliant!"

"Let the rumors fly for a while!"

---

---

---

---

---