61: Chapter 61 Assembling the Team

Xiao Bei closed the file and looked up towards Canglan City.

At this moment, in the brightly lit Municipal Government office building, Qin Ruoxi must still be working at her desk.

This female mayor, known for her iron-fisted approach, suddenly appeared in a more complex light in his eyes—she was both a mentor who recognized his talent and someone playing a very large game.

And he himself had already become a crucial piece in this game.

Following this, Xiao Bei turned around and looked towards the distant Bishi Town, a place once dominated by the Bishi Coal Mine, but now poised for a brand-new transformation.

The planning document in his hand felt heavy, and Qin Ruoxi's handwriting seemed to still be floating before his eyes.

Xiao Bei took a deep breath; he knew that to complete this task, relying on the strength of one person alone would be far from enough.

"It is time to assemble my own team."

Xiao Bei whispered to himself.

He took out his phone and dialed a number:

"Hello, is this Director Liu? This is Xiao Bei. If it is convenient, shall we meet at Biyun Pavilion tonight at seven o'clock?"

On the other end of the line, Director Liu Yinyin's voice carried clear surprise:

"Secretary Xiao? Okay, I will definitely be there on time."

Hanging up the phone, the corner of Xiao Bei's mouth lifted slightly.

This time, Director Liu Yinyin had played a key role in the Bishi Coal Mine incident.

Such a person was exactly what he needed right now.

Biyun Pavilion was an inconspicuous teahouse in the county town; its decoration was simple, but it had the advantage of being quiet and private.

Xiao Bei chose a private room in the corner of the second floor and ordered a pot of Longjing tea.

At seven o'clock sharp, the door to the private room was gently knocked.

"Please come in."

The door opened, and Director Liu Yinyin walked in wearing a light blue shirt and black trousers; this outfit perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure.

Her hair was simply tied into a ponytail, and she wore almost no makeup, yet she exuded a capable aura.

"Secretary Xiao."

She nodded slightly, her voice very low.

"Sit."

Xiao Bei signaled for her to sit down and personally poured her a cup of tea, "How have these past few days been?"

Director Liu Yinyin took the teacup with both hands, her fingertips turning slightly pale:

"Fine, it is just... after the Bishi Coal Mine incident, the people in the town are in a panic."

Xiao Bei nodded, his gaze fixed directly on her:

"Director Liu, you made a great contribution in this Bishi Coal Mine incident."

Director Liu Yinyin's fingers trembled slightly, and a few drops of tea splashed out:

"I only... did what I was supposed to do."

"No, you took a great risk."

Xiao Bei said in a low voice, "If it were not for your timely reminder, we would not have been able to take down General Manager Xiang Wenqiang so quickly."

Director Liu Yinyin lowered her head, and Xiao Bei noticed her eyelashes trembling slightly.

He knew what she was afraid of—although General Manager Xiang Wenqiang had fallen, his network of connections still remained, and the shadow of retaliation still loomed over everyone who had stepped forward.

"Director Liu, I intend to recommend you to the County Party Committee to serve as Deputy Town Mayor of Bishi Town."

Xiao Bei cut straight to the point.

Director Liu Yinyin looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with disbelief:

"Deputy Town Mayor? I... my qualifications are not enough..."

"Qualifications are not the issue."

Xiao Bei tapped the table lightly, "The town leadership team now needs fresh blood, especially officials like you who understand the inside situation and have a sense of justice."

Director Liu Yinyin's breathing noticeably quickened, and Xiao Bei could see the struggle in her eyes—the temptation of power and the potential danger were warring within her.

"Secretary Xiao, I..."

She hesitated, "Although General Manager Xiang Wenqiang has been arrested, his people are still in the town..."

"That is why we need officials like you even more to change the status quo."

Xiao Bei leaned forward, "Bishi Town needs a thorough transformation, and this transformation requires like-minded partners."

Director Liu Yinyin was silent for a long time, finally raising her head, her eyes flashing with a resolute light:

"Secretary Xiao, what do you need me to do?"

Xiao Bei smiled; he knew he had won his first ally:

"First, I need you to assist me in preparing for the work of the Economic Development Zone. You are the most familiar with the situation in the town; you know better than I do who can be used and who needs to be adjusted."

"Secondly," Xiao Bei's voice became more serious, "I need people who are absolutely loyal. In this position, you will face many temptations and threats. You must understand that we are in the same boat."

Director Liu Yinyin took a deep breath and nodded solemnly:

"I understand, Secretary Xiao, I... I am willing to work with you."

"Good."

Xiao Bei raised his teacup, "Let us use tea instead of wine to wish us a happy cooperation."

The two teacups clinked together, emitting a crisp sound...

Xiao Bei understood that only by developing his own team as quickly as possible could he make the best use of the power in his hands when building the Economic Development Zone.

The next morning at nine o'clock, the atmosphere in the Bishi Town Government conference room was heavy.

When Xiao Bei walked into the conference room, he found that all the Party Committee members had already arrived.

He scanned the room calmly—Town Mayor Ding Degui's seat was empty, the Executive Deputy Party Secretary, Town Mayor Sun Jiaming was sitting upright, and the Deputy Town Mayor, Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang was looking down at his notebook.

"Is everyone here?"

Xiao Bei asked.

"Everyone is here."

Director Liu Yinyin, the director of the Party Committee Office, responded in a low voice.

"Good."

Xiao Bei nodded slightly, then took a red-headed document from his folder and pushed it to the center of the table, "The first item on the agenda for today's meeting is to announce the investigation results of the Bishi Coal Mine case."

The conference room instantly fell silent; even the sound of breathing became clearly audible.

"According to the investigation by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, Bishi Coal Mine had serious problems of illegal activities and disciplinary violations, including covering up mining accidents, illegal mining, and bribery, involving a huge amount of money."

Xiao Bei's voice carried no emotion, yet every word was like a hammer, "The former mine manager, General Manager Xiang Wenqiang, has been arrested according to the law. At the same time—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping sharply across the group, "Town Mayor Ding Degui has been placed under 'Shuanggui' by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection due to suspected serious disciplinary and legal violations."

As soon as his voice fell, the conference room was in an uproar.

"Town Mayor Ding Degui... has something really happened to him?"

Someone exclaimed in a low voice.

"The evidence is conclusive."

Xiao Bei interrupted coldly, "The organization has made a decision: Comrade Town Mayor Sun Jiaming will take over the position of Town Mayor, and former Deputy Town Mayor, Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang will be promoted to Deputy Party Secretary of the town."

Town Mayor Sun Jiaming and Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang exchanged a glance, their expressions different.

A trace of joy flashed across Town Mayor Sun Jiaming's face, but he quickly reined it in and nodded solemnly, "Thank you for the organization's trust; I will certainly live up to the heavy responsibility."

Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang appeared much more composed, only nodding slightly, "I obey the organization's arrangement."

Xiao Bei's gaze scanned the faces of everyone, finally landing on Director Liu Yinyin, "Next, regarding the candidate for Deputy Town Mayor, after careful consideration, the organization has decided to recommend Comrade Director Liu Yinyin for the position."

"Director Liu Yinyin?!"

The conference room instantly erupted in chaos.

"Isn't she the newly promoted director of the Party Committee Office? Are her qualifications sufficient?"