Reborn as a Noble's Son

Even though the saying is coarse, it fully represents the psychological state of officials in Wanghai City today. Even if it’s hard to approach the high-ranking Secretary Shi, Mayor Wang Yaguang is a good choice too. Although Wang Yaguang is a kind person, there are advantages to this. He always yields to Shi Yiwu, so Shi Yiwu would give him some face in certain matters. If he offended Wang Yaguang too much or acted overly domineering, Wang Yaguang would fight back, and Shi Yiwu wouldn’t have it easy either.

But Xiao Shanming is different. He hasn’t chosen to align with the influential Shi Yiwu or Wang Yaguang. Instead, he has come to report to me on his own initiative.

Nie Zhenbang then nodded to Li Jupeng and said, “Well, Jupeng, please invite Director Xiao in.”

Upon seeing Xiao Shanming, Nie Zhenbang was reminded of the righteous traffic cop, Zhao Haining, that he encountered on the street that night. By now, with some time having passed, Lin Jingrong and Zhao Jie must have made some time. Nie Zhenbang has a good impression of Zhao Haining. After all, at this time, there are few people who dare to enforce the law impartially in the face of power. In Wanghai City, Zhao Haining stands out. Nie Zhenbang feels compelled to protect him, both morally and rationally.

Lost in thought, Xiao Shanming had already been led in by Li Jupeng. The impression Nie Zhenbang had of Xiao Shanming now was different to when he had visited the Municipal Public Security Bureau for research. At present, Xiao Shanming’s face showed less fakeness and flashiness, but more sincerity.

Although Xiao Shanming was still very cautious, he stepped in, saluted, and said,” Mayor Nie.” However, he did not sit down, which indicated that Xiao Shanming was careful in his details.

Nie Zhenbang nodded and said, “Director Xiao, please take a seat and let’s talk.”

At this moment, Xiao Shanming did not hesitate and sat down in the chair in front of the desk. He took out a notebook from his briefcase, and then began, “Mayor, I primarily came over to report on the work of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.”

After Nie Zhenbang took office, the Standing Committee of the Wanghai City People’s Congress quickly approved his appointment as Executive Deputy Mayor. As Executive Deputy Mayor, Nie Zhenbang’s role was to assist the mayor in city government work, and he was specifically in charge of economic construction and development, liaison with political and legal departments, and managing relations with the military and armed police locally.

Since Qiao Yiren had Nie Zhenbang come over to be Executive Deputy Mayor, it stands to reason that he certainly wouldn’t let Nie Zhenbang’s power be too small. Taking charge of political and legal affairs, and liaising with the military and armed police was a good opportunity for Nie Zhenbang to consolidate his power.

Xiao Shanming reporting to Nie Zhenbang was in no way a mistake.

Seeing that Nie Zhenbang had no reaction, Xiao Shanming pondered for a moment and said, “Mayor, last year, the Municipal Police Vocational College passed the joint review by the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Education. This year, it will be officially renamed Wanghai Public Security College. According to the regulations, the Public Security College will be jointly constructed by the department and the city. The leadership level is set at the deputy department level. Personnel appointments will be managed by our Wanghai City…”

When Xiao Shanming referred to it as reporting, there wasn’t much to actually talk about. He was responsible for publicity, education, and police officer training. The news about the Public Security College falls within his job duties. If Xiao Shanming were to report on how many cases were solved citywide in the past year, how many suspects were arrested, or how effective the comprehensive law enforcement had been, Nie Zhenbang would definitely dismiss him.

Right now, Xiao Shanming’s report revolved around his own duties, which made Nie Zhenbang quite satisfied. Xiao Shanming was a man worth observing.

Immediately, Nie Zhenbang laughed and said, “Director Xiao, the education and training of police officers is something that needs to be pushed forward and done well. The establishment of the Public Security College also shows the attention given by the higher authorities to police education in our city. In this respect, you have proven your capability. Now, even though the national distribution system has been abolished, most of the new police force will still have to come from these professional colleges. Educating students properly and helping them form correct values are of great importance. This is something worth recognizing.”

Having said that, Nie Zhenbang took a different tack and said: “Director Xiao, speaking of this, it reminds me of an incident involving a comrade named Zhao Haining from the traffic police squadron. He’s remarkable. Never dares to oppose the mighty, always upholds the truth. Steadfast in law enforcement, he maintains a polite and respectful attitude when enforcing the law. It’s rare to come by such a comrade. We should recognize him. Spread his story among all the police officers in the city. Policing bears a great responsibility in maintaining peace and safety, which is an inescapable duty. Such examples should be highly promoted and praised.”

At this moment, Xiao Shanming made a mental note of the name Zhao Haining. Shortly after saying a few more things, Xiao Shanming stood up.

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang also stood up, he smiled and said: “Comrade Shanming, keep up the good work. Be ready at all times.”

This comment made Xiao Shanming feel a surge of excitement. He was well aware of the dynamics at play on the officialdom. The fact that Xiao Shanming chose not to be corrupt did not mean that he was naïve. In this day and age, a completely fair and clean official simply did not exist.

On usual days, accepting a few packs of cigarettes or invitations to dinner are common, as long as they do not violate principles.

From the start when Mayor Nie politely addressed him as Director Xiao, and now addressing him as ‘Comrade Shanming’, the implied meanings were profound.

This suggests that Mayor Nie has accepted him. Additionally, the words from Mayor Nie had excited Xiao Shanming. Setting up an exemplary model, preparing for the education of students. This indicates that Mayor Nie has an understanding of the situation within the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Currently, the entire police force is morally corrupt. Of course, that does not mean that all the police officers have been bought by Eastern Sea Group. However, under these circumstances, Xiao Shanming had to be suspicious even of those who acted impartially. Who knew if there were any covert spies for other leaders mixed in? But students were different; they were like blank slates, malleable and eager to be righteous, passionate young people who yearned to be just and unbiased policemen. This was an opportunity.

At this point, Xiao Shanming began to admire Mayor Nie. It seemed that Mayor Nie already had plans in mind. Otherwise, how could he have such a clear view of the situation in WangHai City?

After Xiao Shanming left, Nie Zhenbang’s brows furrowed. The words just spoken to Xiao Shanming were merely encouragement. As a leader, in a disadvantageous situation, one must be good at guiding and motivating.

Here, the so-called motivation is not to push others to do wrong, but to fill subordinates with confidence. Seeing the gleam in Xiao Shanming’s eyes, Nie Zhenbang knew that Xiao Shanming was now full of confidence.

But was it really that simple? Xiao Shanming’s position in the bureau was embarrassingly minor. The amount of personnel under his influence was minimal. As for the students, could they really make a difference? Quite evidently, that was impossible. They were only students. They did not have an official police badge yet and did not have law enforcement powers. They could not be used as regular officers. So, Mayor Nie had simply wanted to tell Xiao Shanming that he was aware of the situation in the Public Security Bureau and in Wanghai.

For a moment, Nie Zhenbang had a feeling of helplessness. Under Shi Yiwu and the Eastern Sea Group’s operation in the past decade, Lin Zhengxing, renowned for his shrewd maneuvers and extensive network, had fortified WangHai City like an unbreakable fortress. Lin Zhengxing had many connections beyond WangHai City, in Minan Province, and even in Jingcheng. These connections could potentially become obstacles to solving the Yuhai case. This was a vast network, under which lay an impenetrable alignment. Finding a breakthrough wouldn’t be easy.

Nie Zhenbang sighed, and for the first time, he felt a hint of despair. Now, he could only rely on the case of Huang Liangwen.

A dam built a thousand miles long could be destroyed by an ant hole. In this case, for Nie Zhenbang, for Qi Siyuan, and for the entire Yuhai case, Huang Liangwen was like a rust spot on this impenetrable fortress. The only way was to pick out this rusty part, digging deeper and making the hole bigger, thereby beginning with the anti-corruption fight and opening up the Yuhai case.

Just at that moment, Li Jupeng walked into Nie Zhenbang’s office with a somber expression. Seeing Nie Zhenbang in deep thought, Li Jupeng dismissed any formalities and whispered into Nie’s ear: “Mayor, something big has happened. Secretary Qi of the Disciplinary Committee just called. Huang Liangwen committed suicide at the Armed Police Marine Police Brigade’s reception house!”