Reborn as a Noble's Son

In terms of drinks, they did not use the usual domestic fine liquors like Maotai or Wuliangye for public affairs receptions. On each table instead, was the Eastern Sea brand’s cigarettes, liquor, and even branded lighters.

At this moment, everything in WangHai bore the shadow of the Eastern Sea Group. A city with the influence of a single commercial group is an unhealthy phenomenon. No wonder the central government was somewhat dissatisfied with the status quo in WangHai. There was a company that appeared to be superseding the government, a situation that any incumbent government would not want, nor allow.

The entire meal was somewhat strange. It was supposed to be a welcome banquet for Nie Zhenbang, but because of Shi Yiwu’s display, curiously, no one in the hall drank a drop of alcohol.

Without the usual toasting and bottoms-up, the meal was quickly over in about ten minutes. At this moment, Shi Yiwu stood up: “Take your time, Nie. I have some other things to attend to.”

Once the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee spoke, regardless of Shi Yiwu’s tone, he had given a reason. Nie Zhenbang couldn’t exactly ask Shi Yiwu about his affairs.

Nie Zhenbang then replied with a smile, “Since Secretary Shi has things to handle, don’t worry about me. I’m almost finished eating.”

Soon after Shi Yiwu got up, Wang Yaguang, who was sitting nearby, stood up as well and said with a smile, “I’m sorry, Mayor Zhenbang. There’s been talk of a typhoon forecast from the Central Meteorological Station and the Maritime Bureau in recent days. I need to go coordinate some disaster preparations.”

After Wang Yaguang, Zhang Zusi, the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, also stood up. Zhang Zusi, who was in his fifties and appeared quite robust, said, “Mayor Nie, take your time eating. There’s lots of work to be done in the city. I’ll go first.”

The scene was awkward. Nie Zhenbang’s face darkened. The reception banquet in his honor had not started for twenty minutes before the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, the mayor, and the Deputy Secretary left one after another. Although they all had excuses, the message was clear: this was a deliberate snub to Nie Zhenbang.

Just then, the door was pushed open. Five or six people walked in, escorting a man in his forties.

The man was somewhat overweight, had a clean-shaven head, and sharp eyes. He looked around, laughed heartily, and said, “I heard we have a new leader in WangHai City. I came to offer my congratulations.”

This must be the chairman of the Eastern Sea Group Lin Zhengxing. Nie Zhenbang thought secretly. He asked Liu Sicun, the Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee who was sitting next to him, “Secretary Liu, who is this man?”

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang’s face was somewhat serious, and the atmosphere was awkward. Nie Zhenbang was holding a bellyful of anger. The successive tactics of Shi Yiwu annoyed Nie Zhenbang greatly. As the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and a deputy minister-level cadre, he couldn’t show any emotion right now. But Lin Zhengxing was just a businessman and infamous for his unscrupulous dealings. Yet he acted so arrogantly. Was this some veiled threat?

Liu Sicun also looked somewhat embarrassed. He had heard Nie Zhenbang’s discontent. He then introduced with a forced smile, “Mayor Nie, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Lin Zhengxing, the Chairman and General Manager of Eastern Sea Group, a flagship company of WangHai, renowned nationwide in the plastic, electronic, automotive, and energy sectors. General Lin is an outstanding representative of WangHai’s business community, deeply committed to our city’s development. He has made significant contributions to education, social welfare, and infrastructure construction. Secretary Shi, Mayor Yaguang, and Deputy Secretary Zusi all value and care about the development of Eastern Sea Group. Everyone in WangHai affectionately calls General Lin as ‘Fei Xing’.”

Although Liu Sicun’s words seemed to be a simple introduction, they revealed much more.

Nie Zhenbang was very well aware of this. In his previous life, after the large smuggling case of the Eastern Sea Group broke out, many big and small officials were implicated. The current Secretary-General Liu Sicun was one of them. Naturally, he would speak for Lin Zhengxing under such circumstances.

At this moment, Lin Zhengxing laughed heartily. There was no timidity of a businessman in front of government officials. On the contrary, he seemed like he was the one in power. He waved and said, “Secretary Liu, you’re flattering me too much. As a businessman, my contributions to our hometown are still not enough.”

With that, Lin Zhengxing turned his head and said with a subtle smile, “Secretary-General Liu, as a local company in Wanghai City, we should show some respect to Mayor Nie’s assumption of office. Therefore, I propose that all expenses for today’s welcome banquet should be borne by me. Alcohol will not be in short supply.”

His words darkened Nie Zhenbang’s face. This was outrageous, even arrogant! This was a governmental function, and no matter how influential his business company might be, this act was clearly overstepping boundaries. It belittled the government.

Nie Zhenbang then stood up and calmly said, “Secretary-General Liu, you all continue eating, I’ve had enough.”

Nie Zhenbang had his own approach when dealing with Lin Zhengxing. Conventional methods such as keeping a low profile, not alerting the snake in the grass, and conducting secret investigations simply wouldn’t work against the Eastern Sea Group. Lin Zhengxing had managed to establish an intricate network of relationships in Wanghai City. He had created a massive umbrella of protection that intertwined with various factions of government officials. Each official had backers and supporters, resulting in formidable resistance.

Under such circumstances, if he were to hold his tongue, it wouldn’t coincide with his current status. As a young and vigorous senior official being insulted by a businessman, it would be abnormal to tolerate it. His reaction was consistent with his temperament at the moment, ensuring that Lin Zhengxing didn’t harbor any suspicion.

Watching Nie Zhenbang turn and leave, the atmosphere became quite awkward. The other city committee leaders remained silent, showing no intention of taking a stance.

Liu Sicun forced a smile and said to Lin Zhengxing, “General Lin, Mayor Nie just took office and is not yet accustomed to his work, such misunderstandings are somewhat inevitable.”

At this point, there was a hint of a smile on Lin Zhengxing’s face. If the new Mayor Nie had remained calm and unaffected, he would have been slightly worried. But with this display, he was not concerned. Everybody has weaknesses, and he was always confident in his strategy of enticing people with money. In addition to that, offering fame, attractive investments for their children to study abroad, and other various enticing and corrupting means, he firmly believed that there was nobody in this world who couldn’t be won over or corrupted. If he hadn’t succeeded yet, it would simply mean he hadn’t found the person’s weakness.

Subsequently, Lin Zhengxing cordially said, “Secretary-General Liu, you are too courteous. I understand that Mayor Nie is unfamiliar with the affairs of Wanghai. When you and other leaders have the time, feel free to visit the Red Pavilion – all expenses will be on me.”

After saying this, Lin Zhengxing was escorted out of the hotel by a crowd. Standing by the hotel entrance, Nie Zhenbang sent him a prying glance. A black stretched Lincoln car pulled up beside him, with two Mercedes S600 cars serving as escorts, front and back. This display exceeded Nie Zhenbang’s expectations of Lin Zhengxing’s influence in Wanghai City.

Noticing Nie Zhenbang, Lin Zhengxing managed a faint smile without uttering a word. He stepped into his car and drove away.

“Nie, you wouldn’t have expected this, would you? This is the grandeur of the Wanghai’s tycoon. When I came here, I was also shocked by this spectacle.” A voice came from behind. Turning around, Nie Zhenbang found Gao Wei looking at him with amusement.

“You, I didn’t expect I would also come to Wanghai. Let’s find a place and invite Jiamin too. We can have a get-together.” Nie Zhenbang said, smiling.

Being new in Wanghai, he was completely unfamiliar with the situation. Which officials had good relations, which ones were involved in murky affairs; he was in the dark about the city’s general structure. Gao Wei and Nie Jiamin had been here a month earlier, surely they could help him grasp the basic situation in Wanghai City.

Gao Wei walked up, smiling, and said, “Nie, you have no idea. Before coming to Wanghai, I thought we, the offsprings of noble families, were pretty influential. But after getting here, I realized we’re outdated compared to these tycoons.”

“Kid, stop teasing me with your cryptic words. Do you think you can slip away from this matter?” Nie Zhenbang paused for a moment, his face turning serious, he spoke in a stern voice, “No individual or organization can act above the law and the government. That’s an unshakeable bottom line. Anyone who violates this line is doomed.”

PS: Currently ranked ninth in the city section with 140 votes. Begging for a guaranteed monthly vote of 200 votes, it’s not far off. Brothers and sisters, 200 votes, and it will immediately explode to six more!!! (.)