477: I paid for my own farewell party

Lin Zifeng ate lunch on the plane again, and by shortly before 2 PM, he walked out of the terminal.

Wang Zhongyu and Li Qiang were already waiting at the exit. Seeing Lin Zifeng walk out, Wang Zhongyu quickly opened the back car door.

"Secretary, you're back? The temperature difference between Shen City and our Huanan Province is large, please get in the car quickly! You must not catch a cold."

Wang Zhongyu said while putting one hand under the car door frame to protect Lin Zifeng from hitting his head.

Lin Zifeng got into the car, Wang Zhongyu quickly sat in the front passenger seat, and Li Qiang drove away from the airport.

Lin Zifeng then said, "Zhongyu, I'm not that delicate; this little temperature difference is nothing to me. If I caught a cold from this, how would I be able to do my work?"

"Secretary, I know you are in good health, but you still need to take care of yourself! You should put on your overcoat!" Wang Zhongyu insisted.

Lin Zifeng did not refuse Wang Zhongyu's concern and agreed, putting on the overcoat.

By this time, Li Qiang had driven out of the airport, so while driving, he asked, "Secretary, are we going back to the urban area of Chunhua City, or directly back to Yushu City?"

"Let's go straight back to Yushu City!" Hearing Li Qiang's question, Lin Zifeng decided without hesitation.

Li Qiang agreed and continued driving toward the Expressway toll station.

More than ten minutes later, Li Qiang drove onto the Expressway, and just then, Lin Zifeng's phone rang.

Seeing that it was a call from Qin Xiao, Lin Zifeng answered directly.

Qin Xiao's voice came through the earpiece, "Secretary, when will you be back? I want to express my gratitude to you in person!"

The reason Qin Xiao said this was because the day before, after the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee meeting concluded, she had learned the news from her own channels.

She knew that her appointment had passed smoothly at the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee, and she was about to go to the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department to serve as Executive Deputy Minister.

Rising directly from deputy section-level to Division-Head Level, and in the high-value Municipal Party Committee Organization Department as Executive Deputy Minister, while Qin Xiao was happy and excited, the person she most wanted to thank was Lin Zifeng.

After receiving this news, she couldn't wait to call Lin Zifeng, but at that time Lin Zifeng was on the plane and his phone was off. She couldn't get through, so she called Wang Zhongyu.

Qin Xiao learned from Wang Zhongyu that Lin Zifeng had an urgent matter and went out of town, and wouldn't be back until Sunday afternoon, so she timed it well and called Lin Zifeng again.

"It seems Mayor Qin has received the good news of advancing further. Are you in such a hurry to thank me because you are anxious to take up your post at the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department? You don't need to thank me; this is what you deserve for your hard work. Your work performance is obvious to the vast majority of the Members of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee, and that is the fundamental reason why the vast majority of the Members of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee support you." Lin Zifeng said with a smile.

"Secretary, you are as modest as always, pushing away all the credit for promoting and cultivating your subordinates. But I know that without your appreciation and strong recommendation, I could not have advanced so smoothly. Among all the deputy section-level Cadres in the City Level, how many are there? I am the only one who can directly serve as the Executive Deputy Minister of the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department! You are my guide and my benefactor." Qin Xiao said sincerely.

"This also depends on the comprehensive development of our Yushu City. It is the result of the efforts of the Cadres and masses of Yushu City to build Yushu City into a better place that allows our Yushu City's Cadres to get more opportunities for promotion." Lin Zifeng said humbly.

"Secretary, I understand everything you say. I know that besides thanking you, I also need to thank the other leaders of our Yushu City. So, to express my gratitude, I have already contacted the other leaders in the City Level. I am paying out of my own pocket to prepare a few tables of food at our Government Canteen to thank you and the other leaders. Secretary, you must be there. We will start the meal whenever you get back."

"Hahaha, that's great. Mayor Qin is leaving, yet still saving funds for the City Level's finance department! You are inviting me and the other leaders to dinner; this banquet can be considered your farewell party. You are the first person to pay for your own farewell party; future Cadres who are promoted can learn from this." Lin Zifeng laughed heartily and joked half-jokingly.

Qin Xiao also laughed on the phone. Lin Zifeng asked Li Qiang about the estimated time of arrival back in Yushu City, and the answer was about six o'clock.

Lin Zifeng told Qin Xiao and then hung up.

"Secretary, Mayor Qin being appointed as Executive Deputy Minister of the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department is definitely a big step forward! From now on, the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department will also have Cadres from our Yushu City; this is a good thing for the Cadres of our Yushu City!" Li Qiang said while driving, which was rare for him.

"Qiang Zi, you only got half of it right. Don't forget, our Secretary is a Member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee. The Secretary is the biggest backer for our Yushu City's Cadres in the City Level." Wang Zhongyu said with a smile.

"As long as we build Yushu City better and better, more and more Cadres from our Yushu City will move to different important positions in the future."

Following Lin Zifeng's concluding remarks, the three ended the discussion on this matter and chatted about other topics.

Three hours later, Li Qiang drove off the Expressway and headed directly toward the Municipal Party Committee Compound.

A quarter of an hour later, Li Qiang drove into the Municipal Party Committee Compound and drove directly to the front of the brightly lit Government Canteen.

Before the car even stopped, Xu Minghao and Qin Xiao, along with a group of Cadres from Yushu City at or above the deputy section-level who had been waiting at the entrance, came up to greet them.

Qin Xiao took a step forward and opened the back car door.

After Lin Zifeng got out of the car, he looked at everyone and said, "We are all revolutionary Comrades in the same trench, why are you all being so polite? Making such a big fuss to pick me up makes me feel a bit uncomfortable."

"Secretary, Mayor Qin said you would be back at about six o'clock. The Comrades and I timed it to come out and pick you up; we only just came out two minutes ago. The temperature outside is low, let's go in first and chat while we eat and drink!" Xu Minghao said with a smile.

Qin Xiao and the others echoed. Lin Zifeng nodded with a smile and walked toward the Government Canteen surrounded by everyone.

At this moment, in the hall of the Government Canteen, four large tables were set up.

Each table was already filled with steaming, exquisite food. The Members of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee sat at one table, plus Qin Xiao, who was about to be transferred.

The other deputy section-level Cadres sat at the other three tables.

After some polite deferring, Xu Minghao sat on Lin Zifeng's left, and Qin Xiao sat on Lin Zifeng's right.

Everyone present already knew that Qin Xiao was about to serve as the Executive Deputy Minister of the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department and become a Municipal Leader of Chunhua City, so this seating arrangement was very appropriate.