The news that Qian Qiming was arrested and brought to justice was still a secret, perhaps known only to Jiang Xiaochuan in the entire municipal government.

However, this might not be good news for Jiang Xiaochuan. Since Lian Cheng had already informed him, it wouldn’t be long before others learnt about it. At that point, the extent of trouble within the Chengzhou Municipal Government remained uncertain.

Jiang Xiaochuan calmly responded with a “I know” to Lian Cheng, who couldn’t help but caution him to be careful, emphasizing the gravity of the situation in Chengzhou.

Yet, he didn’t explicitly detail the severity. Jiang Xiaochuan speculated it might involve the conflict among the three major gangs in Chengzhou City or potential chaos in the Chengzhou City Government, perhaps both.

Jiang Xiaochuan aimed to keep this top-secret news under wraps for as long as possible. He needed time to stabilize his team, preventing panic when the news of Qian Qiming’s arrest eventually surfaced. Many individuals with problems had already started planning on how to protect their assets.

The media continues to hype the collaboration with Lisson Group. While the general direction had been established, finer details of the cooperation were still in the works. Jiang Xiaochuan remained confident, trusting professionals to handle the specifics. However, he was uncertain if Qian Qiming’s incident would trigger a chain reaction affecting the finalization of cooperation details.

On his way to Chengzhou University, Jiang Xiaochuan kept pondering this issue with closed eyes, yet a conclusive result remained elusive.

When he opened his eyes, the convoy of city government officials attending the performance report had come to a halt. Not only representatives from the municipal party committee and municipal government were present, but also members from the provincial party committee and government. Peng Shuyi, the director of the Municipal People’s Congress and an alumnus of Chengzhou University, attended the military training report and performance emotionally and rationally.

Jiang Xiaochuan’s car happened to be parked next to the National People’s Congress director’s vehicle, and he saw him as he exited.

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Peng Shuyi, responsible for the National People’s Congress in four groups and on the same level as Fu Peng, was approachable and didn’t adopt an air of superiority. Spotting Jiang Xiaochuan, he extended a friendly greeting, “Hey, Mayor Jiang, how’s your morning?”

“Director Peng, good morning,” Jiang Xiaochuan replied with a polite smile.

Peng Shuyi, a relatively young figure, came over and gave Jiang Xiaochuan a friendly pat on the shoulder, accompanying him. “I heard you have a good connection with Old Qu.”

Old Qu? Referring to Qu Zhendong?

It was the first time Jiang Xiaochuan heard someone address Qu Zhendong this way, considering his relationship with Qu Zhendong. He smiled, “Secretary Qu is indeed a good man.”

Peng Shuyi glanced at him, a hint of inquiry in his eyes. “You’re quite a formidable young man, and your collaboration with Lisson Group seems promising.”

“We’ve only initiated discussions and finalized the broad framework, aligning with the basic investment plan submitted by Lisson Group last time. Negotiations are crucial part,” Jiang Xiaochuan explained.

As early as the investment meeting when Qian Qiming and Zhou Qian assumed power, Lisson Group had meticulously crafted an investment plan. Admiring the plan at that time, Jiang Xiaochuan utilized it during the initial negotiation, aligning well with both parties and significantly advancing the negotiation process. Finalizing the general direction unexpectedly brought a sense of refreshment, leaving the remaining details unchanged—allowing those specialized in the art industry to handle their responsibilities.

While Jiang Xiaochuan’s words sounded modest, Peng Shuyi, being no ordinary person, didn’t believe that Jiang Xiaochuan only possessed the abilities he claimed. He continued with a sigh, “If young people today were as sensible as you, Mayor Jiang, we’d have fewer troubles in Chengzhou.”

Today’s young people?

Jiang Xiaochuan quickly deduced that Peng Shuyi was likely referring to Lian Cheng, who was around the same age and had recently arrived in Chengzhou. Given Lian Cheng’s history with the government before Zhou Qian and Qian Qiming’s escape, Peng Shuyi probably linked all these events to the young man from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Peng Shuyi’s affectionate use of ‘Old Qu’ for Qu Zhendong indicated a close relationship, possibly suggesting an opposition to Lian Cheng. This made Peng Shuyi a challenging person to navigate.

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“Director Peng, your gratitude is appreciated, but let’s keep it discreet. We’re in an era of building a harmonious society, and supporting that is crucial. Engaging in class struggle doesn’t align with our current tone,” Jiang Xiaochuan conveyed sincerely, emphasizing the importance of harmony.

Peng Shuyi admired Jiang Xiaochuan for his words, seeing him as a capable person who held a genuine admiration for Qu Zhendong. The conversation then shifted to Chengzhou’s future economic prospects, revealing Jiang Xiaochuan’s competence and longstanding admiration for Qu Zhendong.

Everything Jiang Xiaochuan showed met Peng Shuyi’s standards, and he had decided to include Jiang Xiaochuan in his friend list. However, he had to be disappointed as Jiang Xiaochuan had put him on his blacklist.

As the master of the National People’s Congress, Peng Shuyi should handle the people’s work well and address petitions cautiously. Nevertheless, Uncle Qiu appealed to the three parties and after contacting them, Uncle Qiu felt there was no hope of redressing grievances. In the end, he was forced to climb up to the rooftop of Rong Family’s club, leading to Uncle Qiu’s death, and these people were all responsible.

Now, those who were dead remained so, while the living continued to shine brightly, even standing in front of the camera and uttering high-sounding words to the public.

Despite Jiang Xiaochuan’s greed in his previous life, he had never treated petitioners so harshly, so even though he was greedy, he did not provoke public anger.