Reborn as a Noble's Son

Soon after, Fan Changsheng calmly said, “Mayor Nie, you’ve finally made it. Given the severity of the incident in the city, you are quite slow.”

Although this statement from Fan Changsheng seemed harmless, it carried implied resentment. At this moment, Nie Zhenbang could do nothing but swallow his discomfort. He couldn’t retort Fan Changsheng in public. He had to maintain his authority as the Party’s top official in the city. That was the rule.

And what could he say for his lateness? That he had been having dinner and chatting with He Dingbang? Or fabricate a lie that he was working overtime in his office? The more he spoke, the worse it would get, attracting more attention. It was better to disregard it. Nie Zhenbang then responded, “Secretary Fan, your criticism is valid. What’s the current sentiment of the public? Is there any hope of calming the situation?”

When it came to this issue, Fan Changsheng’s eyebrows furrowed. He understood Nie Zhenbang’s intention very well. The hope of calming the masses was the best case scenario. If this was achievable, that would be perfect. Any issue could be discussed by appointing a few representatives. They should not resort to such disruptive illegal actions. That would save some face for the Liangxi City Municipal Party Committee and Government. If they couldn’t be placated, I’m afraid that they would have to resort to tougher methods. For the leaders of the mass petition, incarceration was inevitable. Intimidation or bribery would be used on others, then, they would break them apart one by one. The factory leadership and family members would be mobilised. These were all methods to handle mass petitions.

“The issues with the textile factories have become more than individual cases. Three factories would now require budgeting for basic salaries from the city every year. Coupled with losses from their operations, the city’s finances bear close to 80 million a year. Including bank loans mediated by the city, the factories’ debts now greatly exceed their assets. Restructuring is now the best solution.” Fan Changsheng shook his head. He didn’t have any better solutions either.

The three factories of Qingfang City had orchestrated multiple mass petitions by this point. Previously, the City Party Committee and Government gave way due to concerns over their impacts and their personal futures. This strategy of retreat had led to the factories becoming an increasingly heavier burden in their self-reliance and self-rescue efforts. At this point, Fan Changsheng realised, in hindsight, that it might have been better to simply maintain operations. Thus, taking advantage of Nie Zhenbang taking office, Fan Changsheng and Li Guohua planned to kill two birds with one stone by resolving this difficult issue and letting Nie Zhenbang, the current acting mayor, deal with it.

Of course, Nie Zhenbang was still new and could easily shirk responsibility. In the end, it would still be Fan Changsheng himself at a disadvantage. He wouldn’t make such a foolish, short-sighted move.

Then, giving Li Guohua a glance, Li Guohua responded by nodding understandingly, before saying, “Mayor Nie, that’s pretty much the situation now. Our city’s light textile industry has reached a deadlock. Holding onto this burden will inevitably strain the city’s finances. If it were just a matter of tens of millions every year, that’s still bearable. But the three factories will owe almost six hundred million in loans to be reimbursed over the next two years. Unless we make a decision, let go of the burden and start afresh, I’m afraid, the entire government will be dragged down.”

This statement was factual and did not require verification. Nie Zhenbang understood clearly that the loans of several state-run factories in Qingfang City must have been coordinated by the municipal government, possibly even with the municipal government acting as the guarantor. Once the repayment period begins, the finances of Liangxi City will also have to take on the responsibility of repayment. This was the real unbearable burden. If the three factories could show signs of recovery, negotiations to postpone the repayment date would be possible. There shouldn’t be a problem with that. However, the real problem was that the three factories had not shown any signs of recovery so far. This was the primary reason why the Municipal Party Committee and Government had decided to restructure. Without restructuring, not only would the three factories fail, the city itself would be left half-dead. But restructuring would inevitably bring pains and conflicts. This was a dilemma.

Thinking about this, Nie Zhenbang nodded and said, “Secretary Fan, regardless of the situation, no matter how we resolve it, I think we should first solve the immediate problem.”

No sooner had he finished his words, Li Guohua said, “Dear fellow workers and staff, please be quiet. The City Party Committee and Government, Secretary Fan, and Mayor Nie take the matter of Qingfang City and your three textile factories very seriously. They’ve even rushed to the site personally. This fully shows the leadership’s concern for all of you. Let me introduce you all, this person beside me, is Nie Zhenbang, Mayor Nie. I’m sure you’ve all heard of him. Even Xinli, a poor city in the northwest, was built into one of the Top 100 counties in the country under Mayor Nie’s leadership. Please believe in Mayor Nie.”

As soon as Li Guohua finished speaking, Nie Zhenbang’s eyebrows furrowed. Li Guohua’s purpose was clear. He meant to push Nie Zhenbang onto the front lines.

But at this moment, it was not the time for him to shirk responsibility, in front of all these people. Nie Zhenbang could only go along with Li Guohua’s words, knowing well that this was a huge trap. But all he could do was to jump in, eyes shut.

If he refused, word would get back to Jiangbei Provincial Committee that he refused to take charge for fear of responsibilities. That would pose a big problem. This could instead be used as an excuse by Fan Changsheng and others to attack him. Similarly, taking on this mess wasn’t a good thing at all. It could possibly drag down all his energies, which would also affect his work in Liangxi City.

Regarding the trouble Li Guohua and Fan Changsheng had set up for him, at this juncture, Nie Zhenbang had nothing good to say. He could only accept the current situation.

Then, Nie Zhenbang stood up and said out loud: “Everyone, please calm down, soothe your emotions.” Saying this, Nie Zhenbang raised his hands and made a downward pressing motion.

Years on the bureaucratic battleground had endowed Nie Zhenbang with a natural aura and the solemn demeanor of a superior. This aura naturally inspired confidence in people. As Nie Zhenbang spoke up, the previously bustling crowd gradually quietened.

Looking around the crowd, several men in their forties stood out, one of them loudly said, “Friends, we’ve heard that Mayor Nie is good at dealing with economic affairs. Now that Mayor Nie is here, let’s all quiet down and listen to what he has to say.”

Seeing this, Nie Zhenbang started contemplating. These few people commanded considerable credibility among these workers. If his guess was right, they should be the instigators of this group petition. It appeared that if he wanted to smoothly resolve the problems of the three factories in Qingfang City, he would have to work on these few people.

Then, Nie Zhenbang paused and proclaimed loudly, “Workers of Qingfang City, I, Nie Zhenbang, would like to appreciate your trust and support in me. It is my honor and responsibility as well. Your hopes make me feel like walking on thin ice.”

Being sincere is always the most important thing. The so-called lies may deceive for the moment but repeating them won’t be of much effect. This, presumably, has required serious deliberation on Nie Zhenbang’s part. All those promises, those conditions, have probably been said countless times by the likes of Li Guohua. If Nie Zhenbang used the same approach, it definitely wouldn’t touch these workers. In fact, it might even trigger resistance and make it seem like he’s just run of the mill. Now, Nie Zhenbang’s words evoked fresh feelings in them, and they were awaiting his next statement with anticipation.

Then, Nie Zhenbang continued, “Fellow workers, I’m new here. In front of all of you, I will speak truthfully. I had no knowledge of the issues in Qingfang City before this. If I were to suggest that I have a comprehensive solution for all the problems now, that would be nothing but platitudes. To put it bluntly, it would be to deceive you. I, Nie Zhenbang, am above that. So, at this moment, I really don’t have any idea or a plan.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd was immediately in an uproar. Those who were easily agitated in the crowd started shouting back, “Then what are you here for? We are not listening anymore. You don’t have a plan and yet you dare to speak such big words. Let’s forget about them, friends. Tomorrow, we will sit-in and demonstrate. We want to survive, we want to work, and we want a way to live.”

In the crowd, various shouting continued intermittently. After a while, a few voices chimed in, “What’s all this shouting about? Just think about it, guys, the words of Mayor Nie aren’t deceiving. He’s being honest with us.”

When he heard those words, a slight smile appeared on Nie Zhenbang’s face. There are still people who understand. This makes his work moving forward much easier. Then, Nie Zhenbang spoke again, “Workers, if you demonstrate in front of the Municipal Party Committee and the Government, won’t it still end with a conversation with Secretary Fan and me? Now, we are all here, do you think there is a difference between demonstrating there and being here? Here, I would like to ask everyone to give me three days. Within these three days, the municipal government will come up with a plan. If I fail to do so, at that time, I will personally lead you all to petition at the Provincial Party Committee and Government!” (.)