During the Qingming Festival, it was raining, and the pedestrians on the road were heartbroken. The traditional Qingming Festival had now become a national holiday.
A few days ago, the weather was still clear and sunny, but on the Qingming Festival, Nanzhou City also had a light drizzle. At about ten o 'clock in the morning, the representatives of the city's cadres and the masses gathered at the Martyrs' Cemetery to attend the grave-sweeping ceremony organized by the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government to commemorate and remember the revolutionary martyrs.
The Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Government, the Municipal People's Congress, the Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference, the Municipal Military Subdivision, and other leading cadres, as well as representatives of the masses from all walks of life, participated in the grave-sweeping ceremony.
The Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Municipal Party Committee Secretary Ge Jian-ming, Mayor Chen Xing, and specially selected representatives of the masses laid flowers at the Martyrs' Mausoleum.
At the scene, Ge Jian-ming made an important speech. He said, "Whether in the revolutionary war years or in the period of socialist modernization, the revolutionary martyrs stepped forward bravely, sacrificed themselves for justice, bravely shed their blood, and wrote magnificent poems. On behalf of the Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Government, and all the citizens, I extend my sincere remembrance and highest respect to the revolutionary martyrs. Today, we stand in front of the towering monument and remember the revolutionary martyrs. We want to learn from their revolutionary spirit of love for the motherland and loyalty to the people, their noble sentiments of selfless dedication and courage to sacrifice, their firm belief of tenacity and indomitable spirit, and their fine style of hard work and indifferent to fame and wealth. We want to pass on and carry forward the cause they founded.
At present, Nanzhou is in the critical period of accelerating industrial upgrading and urban transformation, and shifting to the track of scientific and technological development. We are striving to build a modern manufacturing city and take the lead in realizing socialist modernization. The tasks we face are glorious and arduous. We must carry forward the glorious tradition of the revolutionary martyrs, be able to bear hardships and stand hard work, dare to challenge difficulties, and accelerate the comprehensive progress of all undertakings in Nanzhou. "
Chen Xing silently listened to Ge Jianming's speech. According to the arrangement of the seats, Shen Lingyue, the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, was standing next to him. There was an empty seat in the middle, which was the seat of Ge Jianming, who was speaking in front of him. Chen Xing quietly glanced at Shen Lingyue. Shen Lingyue seemed to be listening attentively, but who knew what he was thinking in his mind.
In the officialdom of Nanzhou, Shen Lingyue was known as "Silver Fox." Chen Xing didn't know how Shen Lingyue got this nickname. Looking at Shen Lingyue's white hair that could almost be used as a symbol, Chen Xing thought that perhaps the nickname outsiders gave Shen Lingyue had something to do with Shen Lingyue's particularly eye-catching white hair. But no matter what, in the officialdom of Nanzhou, Shen Lingyue was an existence that could not be ignored. He had been the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee for nearly ten years, and had experienced two terms of Municipal Party Committee Secretaries. Before Chen Tongjin retired, Shen Lingyue was already the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee. When Ge Jian-ming took over Chen Tongjin and served as the Municipal Party Committee Secretary for more than one term, Shen Lingyue was still the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee.
As the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee for nearly ten years, regardless of the changes in the officialdom of Nanzhou, Shen Lingyue sat firmly in the position of the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and remained unmoved. Who could despise Shen Lingyue's weight?
But there was a fact that had to be mentioned. Shen Lingyue was very low-key, so low-key that people sometimes ignored him. He was the complete opposite of the arrogant and domineering temperament of Li Haocheng. But it also happened to confirm the saying that the bird that sticks out will be shot. Li Haocheng was too ostentatious and high-profile, and he eventually played himself to death. If Li Haocheng was more reserved and low-key, perhaps Li Haocheng would still be in the position of Executive Deputy Mayor.
Shen Lingyue was very low-key, so he seemed to have become an evergreen tree in the political arena in Nanzhou. He stood at the top of Nanzhou City for ten years without falling. Of course, from another perspective, it could also be said that Shen Lingyue had been making no progress for ten years, unable to take a step forward.
Not being able to make progress, in fact, indirectly showed that Shen Lingyue did not have a strong backer in the province, so he could only maintain his current position.
But no matter what, Shen Lingyue was the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee. His choice and attitude could have a great impact on the political structure of the city.
Chen Xing did not know whether Ceng Gaoqiang had done Chen Tongjin's work, nor did he know whether Shen Lingyue had received Chen Tongjin's greetings, and whether Shen Lingyue would support him at the critical moment. He could not see any clues from Shen Lingyue. This old fox in the officialdom was always unpredictable.
It seemed that he had to ask Ceng Gaoqiang. Chen Xing narrowed his eyes. If Ceng Gaoqiang failed to fulfill his promise, then he would definitely turn against him, and his means would be even more ruthless than before.
Ceng Gaoqiang did not come to today's grave-sweeping ceremony. The Qingming Festival was often an important time for fire prevention and disaster prevention. Ceng Gaoqiang, Deputy Mayor Ma Linping, Government Secretary General Jiang Bingxuan, and others were assigned to inspect the fire prevention work in several key forest areas.
Jia Zhengde, Deputy Mayor of the Standing Committee, was here. Jia Zhengde was always very active in any occasion where Ge Jian-ming was present. Chen Xing sneered in his heart. Jia Zhengde had been much more well-behaved since the last mayor's office meeting. Zhou Zhijin took over the land and resources, urban management, anti-smuggling and other areas he was in charge of. After that, Jia Zhengde must have gone to the Municipal Party Committee to complain and protest to Ge Jian-ming. However, Chen Xing did not receive any calls from Ge Jian-ming, and Jia Zhengde had also become more well-behaved. Chen Xing guessed that Jia Zhengde must have not received much comfort from Ge Jian-ming, so he had to be more well-behaved for now.
The division of labor in the government was an internal affair of the government. Even if Ge Jian-ming was the secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, he could not interfere too much. However, Chen Xing was sure that Ge Jian-ming would not allow his own people to be suppressed so easily. Ge Jian-ming could not find a good reason to interfere in Jia Zhengde's affairs, but it did not mean that Ge Jian-ming would not seek revenge for Jia Zhengde in other ways. Therefore, Chen Xing was also very vigilant now. The competition between him and Ge Jian-ming seemed to be calm, with only occasional disagreements on some personnel arrangements. However, in private, the conflict between them had actually been brewing to a certain extent. This had nothing to do with political differences, but their desire for power.
After the grave-sweeping ceremony, Chen Xing returned to the Municipal Government. Just now when he was in the car, he received a call from his father. The grave-sweeping ceremony was very grand. Except for him, everyone was present. In the past two to three years, the grave-sweeping ceremony had been very grand. Especially when it came to the ancestral grave, all the members of the Chen family from the same village group would come together to pay their respects. The scene of hundreds of people making the other grave-sweeping villagers sigh with emotion that their branch of the Chen family was growing more and more prosperous.
His father said with a smile that it was because of him that the grave-sweeping ceremony was so lively in the past few years. Some relatives and elders said that the ancestor of their branch of the Chen family had appeared, and there would be a person like the top scholar in ancient times who would become an official in this generation. And Chen Xing had become the person blessed by the ancestor. He was the hope of the prosperity of their branch of the Chen family. It was precisely because of this statement from the elders and the fact that Chen Xing was now the mayor of the city, which was already a great official, that many relatives really believed in the saying that the ancestor had appeared in heaven. Every time the grave-sweeping ceremony was done, not only would everyone come, but they would also pay their respects with great sincerity. This year, they even organized the younger generation to kneel and pay their respects in front of the ancestor's grave.
When Chen Xing heard this from his father, he smiled bitterly. There were really all kinds of strange sayings. As a party member and a firm atheist, Chen Xing did not believe in these absurd sayings. Of course, this did not mean that Chen Xing did not respect the ancestors, but the respect for the ancestors and the feudal superstition were two different things.
Thinking that he had not seen the little girl Song Zhi for a long time, Chen Xing actually missed her. When this weird little girl often came to torment him, he had a headache. After not coming for a while, he felt a little unaccustomed. A few days ago, Song Zhi also told him that she would go home to visit the grave-sweeping ceremony during the Qingming Festival and would come to Nanzhou in a few days. At that time, Chen Xing even smiled on the phone and said that he could finally have some peace and quiet. Now thinking about it, Chen Xing also smiled knowingly.
After sitting in the office for a little while, secretary Huang Jianghua came in to report that Mr. Liu Weining, the vice president of Gray Bank, had come to visit. Hearing this, Chen Xing hurriedly asked Huang Jianghua to invite him in.
Mr. Liu, nice to meet you. Chen Xing smiled and stood up to welcome him.
Mayor Chen, nice to meet you. Liu Weining walked forward quickly and shook hands with Chen Xing with a smile.
Mr. Liu's visit has brought light to my humble office. Come, come, please sit. Chen Xing warmly invited him to sit down.
After both parties took their seats, Liu Weining looked around Chen Xing's office and said in amazement, "Mayor Chen, you are really surprising. I heard that the assessment and selection of officials in the mainland not only pay attention to ability, but also pay attention to seniority. The officials who can reach a certain level are all relatively old. Mayor Chen, you have subverted my understanding.
Is that so, Mr. Liu, it seems like your understanding of the mainland is not comprehensive enough. " Chen Xing glanced at Liu Weining. According to Lin Qing's introduction, Liu Weining was also a Chinese who grew up abroad and received western education. He did not seem to know much about the situation in the mainland. At this moment, Chen Xing was not surprised at all by Liu Weining's words. In fact, the impression that the mainland gave to people overseas was probably the same. The selection of officials was rigid and rigid. What Liu Weining said was not wrong. How many officials of his level would be in their early thirties?
Those who could govern a region and become the mayor of a city were basically people in their forties or fifties. There were also many people in their fifties. People like Liu Weining were the minority. Chen Xing also explained patiently to Liu Weining, "In recent years, our central government has been vigorously promoting the policy of younger officials. They are working hard to find ways to reform the selection mechanism and personnel system of officials. I believe that in the future, we will have a more complete and scientific selection system for officials. In the future, Mr. Liu will also see more and more young officials like me. By then, Mr. Liu will not be as surprised as he is now."
Oh. Liu Weining seemed to understand and nodded his head, then smiled and said, "China is a very magical country. For so many years, it has maintained a high speed of development. I have to say that it is a miracle of the world economy. Although I am not a Chinese now, my ancestors immigrated to the United States from China. In my body, I also have the blood of the Chinese. I am very proud of China's achievements. I still have some feelings for this country. I am looking forward to China becoming stronger.
I am very happy to hear this, Mr. Liu. " Chen Xing smiled and secretly observed Liu Weining. As the saying goes, one does not visit a temple without a cause. Liu Weining would not come to his office for no reason.
Mayor Chen, I came here today to discuss with you the expansion of our group's business. Liu Weining smiled and said, "Our group plans to set up a small loan company to serve small and medium-sized enterprises in Nanzhou City and the surrounding areas.
This is a good thing. " When Chen Xing heard this, the smile on his face became even wider. An international financial giant like the Gray Group has strong financial strength. The other party intends to develop the loan business for small and medium-sized enterprises. This is a good thing for Nanzhou City. It is also beneficial for promoting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Nanzhou City. Chen Xing has already expressed that the city will definitely support this.
Then I will first thank Mayor Chen. I heard that the approval process in the mainland is more troublesome and takes longer, so I came to pay a visit to Mayor Chen to see if we can speed up the approval process. " Liu Weining smiled somewhat embarrassedly. Mayor Chen, you also know that our group pays attention to efficiency.
Mr. Liu, rest assured, I will greet the relevant departments and strive for special treatment. Chen Xing smiled and nodded. "Our government has always been committed to simplifying the approval process and improving efficiency. We are working hard to transform into a service-oriented government. If Mr. Liu works in our mainland for a long time in the future, you will find that we have always been improving in a positive direction. You will certainly find gratifying changes."
Hearing Mayor Chen say this, I am looking forward to it. Liu Weining said with a smile, but a trace of mockery flashed in his eyes. He had been in the official circles for nearly twenty years. His understanding of the system was no less than Chen Xing's, perhaps even more. A change in the system, from the beginning of discussion to the final implementation, would take at least a few years. The bloated setup of the organization, the complicated relationship of interests, wanting to change was easier said than done.
Chen Xing smiled and nodded. When he inadvertently looked at Liu Weining, Chen Xing was slightly startled. He suddenly understood a little why he felt that Liu Weining was a little familiar. It was Liu Weining's eyes. Yes, it was Liu Weining's eyes. Especially the look in Liu Weining's eyes when he spoke, Chen Xing felt that it was especially familiar, as if they had met before. This made Chen Xing even more confused. Could it be that he had seen this kind of look in a familiar friend's eyes before?
Mayor Chen, why are you looking at me like this? Is there something wrong with my face? Liu Weining looked at Chen Xing confusedly.
That's not it. I just feel that Mr. Liu has a familiar feeling. Chen Xing said with a smile.
Oh? Liu Weining's body trembled slightly, but he immediately returned to normal. He said with a smile, "Maybe one of Mayor Chen's friends looks like me."
"Maybe." Chen Xing smiled and didn't think about it anymore.
While Chen Xing and Liu Weining were talking, Zhou Zhijin personally guarded the dock of Nanzhou Port with more than 20 soldiers borrowed from the military division, waiting for a freighter that was about to dock. The freighter was a freighter owned by Nanzhou Dingjin Shipping Company, with a tonnage of nearly 1,500 tons. The customs declaration procedures for the freighter were complete, and Zhou Zhijin also had a cargo manifest in his hands. They were all normal goods. However, Zhou Zhijin received an anonymous phone call last night, reporting that the freighter was loaded with a large number of smuggled goods. The informant seemed to know the situation of the freighter like the back of his hand. He said that as long as Zhou Zhijin brought people to investigate, he would not be disappointed. He even clearly stated what time the freighter would dock tomorrow. Although Zhou Zhijin was skeptical, he still brought people to wait for the freighter.
The reason why he didn't dare to transfer people from the relevant law enforcement departments was because the informant's words shocked Zhou Zhijin. The informant clearly said that if Zhou Zhijin wanted to bring people from the Public Security Border Detachment, the Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau, or even the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, then it would be best not to go. The other party would definitely receive information in advance, and the freighter would not continue to choose to dock at Nanzhou Port. At that time, it would only be a waste of effort, and it would also alert the enemy. It would be even more difficult to catch them next time.
Due to his trust in the informant, Zhou Zhijin also knew that he had just been in charge of the anti-smuggling work, and he wasn't familiar with the members of the anti-smuggling leading group, let alone the relevant law enforcement departments. He was a newcomer to the mayor's office, and he didn't have his own capable assistants or people he could trust in Nanzhou. The information provided by the informant was very detailed, and it didn't seem to be fake. In addition, the informant said that using people from the relevant law enforcement departments would only leak information. This kind reminder was purely from Zhou Zhijin's point of view. After Zhou Zhijin carefully analyzed it, he confirmed that the information provided by the informant should be true, and that was why there was today's operation.
Originally, he should have brought people from the Public Security Border Detachment, Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau, or even the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, but with what the informant said last night, Zhou Zhijin really didn't dare to bring people from these departments. But if he didn't bring people from the law enforcement departments, then who would he bring? He couldn't be the mayor's assistant, a lone commander, and come to enforce the law by himself. At that time, let alone being able to seize the freighter, whether or not he could still stand was a problem. If he angered the criminals, who would recognize him as the mayor's assistant? It was even possible that he could directly take him down.
After thinking about it, Zhou Zhijin could only borrow people from the military. The Zhou family's foundation was in the military. Although it wasn't the particularly prominent kind, it wasn't something that ordinary people could look down on. Through his family's connections, Zhou Zhijin could easily borrow people from the military, and there was no need for Chen Xing to come forward. In fact, even if Chen Xing came forward, it wouldn't be as effective as him. Chen Xing still had to go through the Zhang family, and only the people in the military would give him face, but Zhou Zhijin didn't. This was where he had an advantage over Chen Xing.
Zhou Zhijin's operation this time didn't alarm anyone, not even the people from the port management office, because he was afraid that the news would leak. Even if there was a slight possibility, it would cause the operation to fail. In order not to attract attention, he also had the soldiers in the military change into casual clothes. Everything was arranged carefully, and he just had to wait for the culprit to be caught red-handed. Of course, the premise was that the informant's report was true, that the freighter that was about to dock was indeed loaded with a large amount of smuggled goods.
Squinting at the sea ahead, Zhou Zhijin had already seen the freighter in front of him, with the words "Ding Jin No. 1" written on the hull, slowly docking. He gave a look to an officer on the side, and Zhou Zhijin was ready to act. As soon as the ship docked, he would immediately seize the ship.
As expected, the freighter docked at the dock. Zhou Zhijin's eyes sparkled with excitement. If what the informant said was true, this would be a huge smuggling case. He had just arrived in Nanzhou, and he had already cracked such a big smuggling case with his own hands. The significance was extraordinary.
Go, rush up. When he saw that the freighter had already set up a ladder and there were people coming down from the ship, Zhou Zhijin shouted and was the first to run to the front. He didn't have the awareness of being a leader at all, and there was no leader like him who rushed to the front line.
Assistant Zhou, slow down. The eyes of the captain who had been standing next to Zhou Zhijin almost popped out of their sockets. He thought to himself that this young mayor's assistant was truly ferocious. His hands and feet were even more agile than theirs. Although he thought about it, he didn't dare to delay at all. Before he came, the division commander Xu Feng had specifically reminded him to ensure Zhou Zhijin's safety. This was an order from the number one chief of the military division.
He didn't dare to be negligent in the slightest. If something happened to Zhou Zhijin, he wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility.
The captain personally followed Zhou Zhijin to ensure his safety. When such a group of people rushed onto the ship, the people on the ship were dumbfounded. Their first reaction was to grab their weapons, but when they saw the black muzzles, everyone immediately became obedient, holding their heads and squatting on the ground.
What are you doing? Don't you know that we are from Ding Jin Company? How dare you investigate us? A middle-aged man who looked like the person in charge was not frightened by this scene. He stared at Zhou Zhijin's group with eyes full of doubt. These people were all dressed in casual clothes, and he couldn't tell where they came from. However, there was no doubt that in a place like the mainland where gun control was strict, some of these people carrying guns could only be people from the state. He didn't believe that in Nanzhou, there would be people who dared to rob their goods. The middle-aged man was puzzled at this time. Which department were these people from? Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau? Or the Public Security Border Detachment? But these departments couldn't investigate them. Even if they wanted to investigate, they would get wind of it in advance. What was going on today?
Ding Jin Shipping Company? Zhou Zhijin sneered. I'm investigating you guys.
As Zhou Zhijin spoke, he ordered several people to open the containers one by one for inspection.
Which department are you guys from? Who asked you to investigate? Do you know the consequences of doing so? When the middle-aged man saw that someone was going to open the containers for inspection, he looked flustered. He stared at Zhou Zhijin with a fierce look but weak at heart. He could also see that the young Zhou Zhijin was the leader.
I don't know the consequences of doing so. I only know that if you are not carrying any contraband goods, then you don't have to be nervous. Just cooperate with the inspection. Zhou Zhijin smiled. Threatening me? I've never been afraid of threats.
You … The middle-aged man looked at Zhou Zhijin with a gloomy face. He couldn't figure out why this trip would go wrong. Their Ding Jin Company had shipped goods so many times without any accidents. The middle-aged man knew that the company's boss had connections in the province and the city. He had already bribed all the connections. As long as it was their Ding Jin's cargo ship, it would never be investigated. What was going on today? Moreover, this was the largest smuggling in their company's history. Even the big boss attached great importance to it and had already bribed all the connections. There shouldn't be any accidents. But where did these people come from?
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