397: Chapter 397 The deal that seemed set in stone fell through.

Watching Secretary Wu Qiaoxi leave, Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Jiasheng shook his head with a bitter smile. "That stubborn old man is as stiff as a mule; you can only smooth him out by stroking his fur."

Without holding back, Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Jiasheng said, "It's understandable that he has a temper. Dongjiang City was almost entirely developed by him; he poured his life's work into it and even groomed a successor, intending to recommend the current Mayor Liu to take over as Municipal Party Secretary. Your arrival has disrupted his plans."

"You don't need to take it too much to heart. Comrade Secretary Wu Qiaoxi is actually quite good. Once his anger subsides, I believe you two will be able to work together well."

"I had originally wanted him to serve as a deputy director at the Municipal Peoples Congress, but he insisted on staying in Dongjiang City to serve as the director of the Municipal Peoples Congress..."

Sitting on the sofa, Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Jiasheng and Qin Chuan chatted for a long time, right up until dinner.

Dinner was sumptuous, and Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Jiasheng even had a couple of drinks with Qin Chuan.

That night, Qin Chuan and his wife stayed at the Provincial Party Committee Villa No. 1. This special honor was unique among the dozen or so current Municipal Party Secretaries in the entire province.

Lying in bed, watching Zhu Qingxi sleeping soundly while hugging his arm, Qin Chuan smiled happily. With a wife like this, he was satisfied for a lifetime.

Then, he used the system to check up on Secretary Wu Qiaoxi again, carefully reviewing his profile once more, and felt he had a relatively good understanding of the man.

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi could be described as incorruptible and impartial.

There was no trace of corruption, and he held the officials under him to very strict standards. Even after serving as Municipal Party Secretary for so many years, he still lived in his family's old house, using furniture that was twenty or thirty years old.

His only son had received no special treatment and was currently just an ordinary employee at a certain unit in Dongjiang City.

Qin Chuan thought to himself, it would certainly be better to unite with such an official, but if their philosophies clashed and they simply could not see eye to eye, then there was no need to give him any face.

If he had already retired but still wanted to meddle in the affairs of the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, reaching too far and failing to find his own place, then he should not blame him for not respecting an old comrade.

After thinking about a lot, Qin Chuan gradually began to drift off to sleep.

The next day, Qin Chuan took Zhu Qingxi and left the provincial capital, heading for Dongjiang City.

Dongjiang City is located at the southernmost tip of Jiangnan Province, adjacent to Guangdong Province. The city's tourism industry is well-developed, accounting for nearly half of the city's economy. Additionally, industrial development has shown great improvement in recent years, and its total economic output already ranks fifth in the province.

Agricultural development is also quite good, especially the Dongjiang Orange, which is famous nationwide. It is a high-quality local agricultural product that is in short supply in the market. At this time, it is just when the oranges are starting to ripen.

Before officially taking office, and taking advantage of having a little time, Qin Chuan planned to visit Dongjiang City as a tourist.

By this time, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi had already returned to Dongjiang City.

The Provincial Party Committee's appointment document had also been issued, relieving Secretary Wu Qiaoxi of his duties as Municipal Party Secretary while retaining his position as director of the Municipal Peoples Congress.

News about a new Municipal Party Secretary being parachuted in from above spread like wildfire. Upon hearing this news, many people did not believe it, thinking it was just a rumor.

"Secretary Wu Qiaoxi is back from the provincial capital, and he looks a bit grim!"

"I heard the Provincial Party Committee did not agree with the recommended candidate for the new Municipal Party Secretary, and Mayor Liu's succession as Municipal Party Secretary has been ruined!"

"No way, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi and Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Jiasheng have such a close relationship, that should be impossible!"

"..."

Gradually, the entire Dongjiang City officialdom was quietly discussing the matter, with more people choosing not to believe it, thinking it was just a rumor.

A small minority believed that there is no smoke without fire, and that it was likely true, especially after seeing Secretary Wu Qiaoxi with a sullen face, seemingly in a bad mood.

Mayor Liu, of course, heard about it immediately and felt a sudden, inexplicable nervousness, worried that the matter might be true.

He had been in the position of mayor for over three years, and no one could understand how he had gotten through these three years; it was just like being a young daughter-in-law with a strict mother-in-law in charge—these days were very hard to endure.

In Dongjiang City, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi's word was law. In the position of Municipal Party Secretary, he made all the decisions. Although Mayor Liu was the mayor, he basically had no say.

He also knew his words carried no weight, so he had always pretended to be obedient to Secretary Wu Qiaoxi, which had earned him great favor, and Secretary Wu Qiaoxi had been grooming him as a successor.

Hearing that a new Municipal Party Secretary was being parachuted in and that the sure thing had been ruined, Mayor Liu felt a bit anxious, so he knocked on the door of Secretary Wu Qiaoxi's office.

Inside the office, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi was packing up his things. He was no longer the Municipal Party Secretary, so he had to pack up and vacate the office. Seeing Mayor Liu enter, he knew what it was about.

He sighed softly and waved his hand to signal, "Comrade Mayor Liu, please, sit anywhere."

Mayor Liu did not sit on the sofa, but asked with a slightly anxious tone, "Secretary, I heard a new secretary is being parachuted in from above; I do not know if it is true."

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi sighed softly again. He had originally promised Mayor Liu that the position of Municipal Party Secretary would be his, and now that he had broken his word, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi felt somewhat guilty.

"Comrade Mayor Liu, this matter has been decided and cannot be changed. The new secretary will be directly appointed from above."

So it was true, not a rumor. Mayor Liu's heart sank, but he knew he could not show his disappointment on his face at this time, so he said, "Secretary, I understand. Rest assured, I will definitely cooperate well with the new secretary's work."

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi nodded approvingly. To have such awareness at this time—Comrade Mayor Liu was not bad; he had not misjudged him.

"Comrade Mayor Liu, sit down, let's have a chat." No longer packing, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi sat down on the sofa first.

"The new secretary is very young, and I do not think highly of him at all. I am very worried that he will be arrogant and incompetent. As mayor, you must safeguard the development of Dongjiang City and cannot let the new secretary act recklessly and ruin our years of hard work..."

Listening to these words, Mayor Liu's depressed mood actually improved a lot. That's right, exactly! The old secretary was still in Dongjiang City and had not gone to the province, so the whole of Dongjiang City was still under the old secretary's command. So what if the new secretary came?

Thinking that he had the support of the old secretary, he would be in an absolute advantage in the Standing Committee. A secretary who could not control the Standing Committee was just a sidelined mascot. So what if he was mayor? As long as his words counted, that was enough.

Perhaps in a few months, this mascot of a new secretary would be driven away, and the position of Municipal Party Secretary would still be his.

Thinking this way, his mood improved a lot. Putting on a very humble appearance, Mayor Liu chatted with Secretary Wu Qiaoxi for a long time.

Qin Chuan arrived in Dongjiang City with Zhu Qingxi. Transportation was very convenient, with direct high-speed expressways and main railway lines. A main high-speed rail line passed through Dongjiang City, and the two had traveled by high-speed rail, taking only an hour and a half from the provincial capital to Dongjiang City.