In the conference room on the fifth floor, Li Dakai awaited Jiang Xiaochuan.

Before entering, Jiang Xiaochuan heard Li Dakai conversing with someone.

“Xiao Yu, please handle this matter for me. Take your time with the old city issue. However, Lisson Group is a major investor in Chengzhou, so don’t neglect it.”

“Secretary, don’t worry. This matter is still on the agenda.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“Mayor Jiang is here.”

The voices inside ceased as Jiang Xiaochuan approached. When he reached the door, someone pulled it open, revealing the scene inside.

Jiang Xiaochuan noticed Li Dakai and his secretary discussing something, though their conversation had concluded by the time he entered.

Seeing Jiang Xiaochuan, Li Dakai greeted him with a smile. “Ah, you’re here. I’ve been waiting for you. By the way, I just spoke with my secretary Xiao Yu. Perfect timing. Please, have a seat. Xiao Yu, bring Mayor Jiang some tea, will you?”

Li Dakai’s secretary, Zhang Lingyu, was a capable young man. Chengzhou’s cadre team mostly consisted of older members, making Zhang Lingyu’s youth stand out—a reflection of modern office requirements.

Jiang Xiaochuan accepted the tea and thanked Zhang Lingyu before turning to Li Dakai. “I apologize for keeping you waiting, Secretary Li. I’m curious to know what you wanted to discuss this time?”

“Ah, it’s nothing significant,” Li Dakai waved it off, displaying no hint of the anger he might have felt during a previous meeting, after being dismissed from office for investigation weeks ago. He appeared amiable, though appearances could be deceiving.

There was a saying in official circles: If the masses were satisfied, put it among the masses; if the leaders were satisfied, put it among the leaders; if both were satisfied, delegate to lead the masses.

Given this phenomenon, Li Dakai seemed to have earned approval from both leaders and the masses. Jiang Xiaochuan, on the other hand, was no better off. And he didn’t perceive himself as nobler.

“Speaking of which, if something similar were to happen to Fu Peng, we in Chengzhou might not know peace again. You may not have heard yet, but Fu Peng’s secretary has been interviewed. Dai Xu, the party organization secretary of Rongyuan Heavy Industry, is still under scrutiny. It’s uncertain when the investigation will conclude.”

Li Dakai’s opening remarks jolted Jiang Xiaochuan.

Not because of the efficiency and intensity of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Procuratorate’s investigation, but because of—Rongyuan Heavy Industry, Dai Xu!

This was a state-owned enterprise, and while it was known that such entities weren’t squeaky clean, a significant incident at the level of Rongyuan Heavy Industry, involving Dai Xu, the party organization leader, was baffling.

What made it more challenging was that the reform of state-owned enterprises was one of Jiang Xiaochuan’s focuses. The construction of a pastoral garden city was Lin Shanyi’s political achievement, and the creation of a civilized city was attributed to Fan Quanwei, now displaced, and Wang Jiu, his successor. These officials required the support of deputy officials like Jiang Xiaochuan for key projects essential for their political advancement. Jiang Xiaochuan intended to focus on urban construction in the next phase, with the renovation of old urban areas being a prime target.

However, he never anticipated the trouble at Rongyuan Heavy Industry.

Dai Xu being summoned for questioning suggested potential complications in the drama of state-owned enterprise reform.

.

Jiang Xiaochuan’s heart sank, but his face betrayed no emotion. He remained calm, as if he had known about the news for a while. He regarded Li Dakai steadily, not intimidated by his position as Municipal Party Committee Secretary, and inquired, “Secretary Li, I assume you have something to discuss after sharing this news?”

Smart.

Jiang Xiaochuan was indeed a smart man.

Li Dakai clasped his hands together, his facial expression a standard leadership expression, and looked at Jiang Xiaochuan with a mechanical smile. “Mayor Jiang’s idea of reforming state-owned enterprises was very good, and the Municipal Party Committee was very supportive, but there were some things. It was not good to take measures that were too radical. Last time you talked to Dai Xu, you told him to streamline the company’s internal personnel, but he was in a dilemma. Those employees all needed to eat, and being idle at home without a job would make them overthink. If you went up there and made a fuss again, our Chengzhou’s reputation would not look good. I’m not telling you to stop this project. I just want to remind you to pay attention to your own methods. Sometimes being too determined is not a good thing. We still had to consider the situation of great unity and great harmony. We in Chengzhou were not so poor that we could not afford to support those people in a small state-owned enterprise.”

‘He is really eloquent’, Jiang Xiaochuan secretly sneered. The reform of state-owned enterprises must continue. Li Dakai was really standing and talking without pain in the back, but he didn’t put himself in Jiang Xiaochuan’s shoes.

It was not that Jiang Xiaochuan didn’t care about the situation of ‘great unity and great harmony’, but that he was simply in a dilemma.

If he wanted to say let the personnel structure of state-owned enterprises being bloated as it was, then it was fine. The government had always been overstaffed. Jiang Xiaochuan was not a person who couldn’t rub dirt in his eyes. He would just turn a blind eye and not pursue it further – but this premise was this state-owned enterprise and this government worked efficiently!

Rongyuan Heavy Industry was the oldest and largest state-owned enterprise in Chengzhou, but its accounts had been in losses for five consecutive years. Chengzhou could not continue like this. If the problems of Rongyuan Heavy Industry were not solved, Jiang Xiaochuan would soon be regarded as ‘dereliction of duty’.

It was losing money every year and reform was imperative.

So, Jiang Xiaochuan couldn’t listen to Li Dakai’s advice.

However, this could not be said clearly. Jiang Xiaochuan just said: “The situation is forcing it, but the situation of Boss Dai is not clear yet. After all, this matter is too big. The situation you mentioned is something I have ignored before. I will definitely deal with it in my future work. I understand, Boss Dai is the person who is most familiar with the situation. I will discuss the reform plan with Boss Dai after he comes out of the interview. Please rest assured about this.” His words left room for himself and gave Li Dakai enough face as his superior.

Sure enough, Li Dakai nodded appreciatively and then said: “Comrade Jiang Xiaochuan is such an excellent leader because he works for our party and the people. Your achievements are obvious to all. The Municipal Party Committee has decided to nominate you as the acting mayor. It will be put to the National People’s Congress for a vote in mid-August, and Mayor Jiang cannot relax during this period.”

‘You could not relax during this period’ – this was not a reminder, but a threat.

Jiang Xiaochuan smiled: “I will pay attention to it, and I will definitely live up to the trust of the party and the people!”

“Haha, okay, okay…”

.

What did it mean to be live up to the trust of the party and people?

Jiang Xiaochuan didn’t understand. He didn’t know what he was feeling when he said those words. Maybe he said too much, so he became numb, right?

He could no longer find the firmness and persistence of those initial vows…