Power and Wealth

Chapter 1857

Before 10:00 AM.

In the new office.

Dong Xuebing’s office had become a signpost—every passing leader, cadre, or ordinary government employee couldn’t help but glance inside. Originally, many people had complaints about the working environment, but seeing Dong Xuebing so focused and adapting so well, they couldn't help but feel reassured. The leader's attitude certainly influenced others, and soon, everyone started working more efficiently.

Dong Xuebing had mastered these small tricks.

He might not have much great wisdom or political savvy, but when it came to street-smart tactics, Dong Xuebing was never lacking.

After all these years, Dong Xuebing knew himself well. When he encountered his shortcomings, he made up for them using his unique abilities—like his natural lack of political wisdom. For small tricks, he had his methods. Over the years, Dong Xuebing developed his own set of experiences, and he refined them well. He was no longer the naïve young man he once was.@@@@

One minute.

Five minutes.

The changes in the people around him were becoming increasingly obvious.

These were subtle, almost imperceptible changes, like a process in which one person influences ten, and ten influences a hundred.

Su Yan also noticed the transformation in everyone and found himself admiring Dong Xuebing even more. Earlier, when Dong Xuebing told him not to close the door, Su Yan didn’t understand why. Now, he finally understood its purpose, and the results were significant. Su Yan realized there was so much he still needed to learn. He now had a clear goal and direction: he wanted to be like Dong Xuebing. Though Su Yan might be a year or two older than Dong Xuebing, after spending time with him, Su Yan felt that Dong Xuebing truly deserved to be the county party secretary. His young age and bad temper might seem like disadvantages, but perhaps those qualities made his role as county party secretary even more valuable. Whether in terms of combat effectiveness or political maneuvering, Su Yan was now fully convinced of Dong Xuebing’s abilities. He couldn’t have imagined a young county party secretary could be formidable and possess many tactics. Because of his admiration, Su Yan now looked up to him with respect and awe. At this moment, Su Yan’s mindset was one of deep admiration, and he genuinely wanted to learn from Dong Xuebing.

After entering the room, Su Yan spent a moment thinking before speaking. “Secretary, the temporary meeting room is ready. The county party standing committee meeting will start soon.”

Dong Xuebing looked up. “Has Director Huo arrived?”

“He has, just a moment ago,” Su Yan replied.

“Good. Let him head directly to the meeting room. He’ll attend as an observer,” Dong Xuebing said.

Su Yan blinked. “Director Huo asked me what the meeting was about, but I didn’t know, so I didn’t say anything. Should I have him meet with you first, or...?”

Dong Xuebing glanced at his watch. “No need. It’s too late now. We’ll discuss it in the meeting.”

“Okay, then I’ll go set up the meeting room,” Su Yan said before leaving.

Zhang Dongfang furrowed his brow.

The other county standing committee members were also uneasy.

Su Yan blinked and said, "Secretary, I'll ask them to lower their voices."

Dong Xuebing hesitated momentarily, then waved his hand, "Forget it. Everyone has their difficulties. Let’s all bear with it. I’ll keep it brief and focus on the main points. I’m sure everyone knows Deputy County Mayor Sun has been removed from office. There’s a vacancy in the County Administration Bureau, and we need to fill it."

Upon hearing this, everyone understood the situation.

Huo Yibang also understood. He realized why Secretary Dong had asked him to come. His heart skipped a few beats—being offered the deputy county mayor position overwhelmed him with excitement.

Dong Xuebing got straight to the point: "I propose Huo Yibang, Director of the Urban Management Bureau, to take this position. Old Huo made a significant contribution to the recent demolition work. As a senior colleague, he didn’t just supervise but personally participated in the demolition tasks. That’s very admirable. Moreover, his qualifications are sufficient, and he is fully capable of taking on this role."

Meng Hanmei was the first to speak, "I agree. Director Huo is the most suitable candidate."

Chang Lin, Sun Changzhi, Wang Bin, and other members of Dong's faction all voiced their support, echoing the same sentiment. Dong Xuebing's reputation was high at the moment, and as members of his faction, they had no reason not to support him.

On Zhang Dongfang’s side, however, there was a noticeable silence. After exchanging glances with Zhang County Mayor, even the members of Zhang's faction remained quiet.

Dong Xuebing turned to Zhang Dongfang and called, "Mayor Zhang?"

Zhang Dongfang looked up, "I also agree."

It was clear that Zhang Dongfang’s agreement wasn’t from genuine enthusiasm. Anyone could see that Huo Yibang was now firmly aligned with Dong Xuebing. If Huo Yibang were appointed, it would be like driving a wedge into the County Administration Bureau. But Zhang Dongfang had no other choice. Dong Xuebing's momentum had peaked with yesterday’s events, and Dong had done him a favor. Moreover, the earlier speeches from several county standing committee members had already resulted in a majority of six votes in favor. Even if Zhang Dongfang disagreed, the decision would still proceed. After weighing the pros and cons, Zhang Dongfang also gave his approval.

The proposal to appoint Huo Yibang was thus passed.

However, it was only a proposal for now because the appointment of a deputy division-level official was a decision to be made by the city authorities. The county could only discuss and make recommendations. If the county standing committee reached a decision, the city would mostly respect their opinion. But the current situation was a little more complicated due to the city's low regard for Dong Xuebing and their poor impression of him.

So, the city’s decision was still uncertain.

But Dong Xuebing believed there was an 80% chance the city would approve. If he waited another half month, the outcome might change. But for now, with the city under investigation by the provincial team, it was unlikely they’d engage in any conflict with Dong Xuebing. This was why Dong Xuebing had moved quickly to propose Huo Yibang’s appointment—he wanted to take advantage of the chaos.