81: Chapter 81 A local official is more powerful than a distant one

Even if they hadn't eaten pork, they had at least seen pigs run.

Especially in smaller places, people are more obsessed with these kinds of things.

The white-boxed cigarettes that Sun Ning brought out were a rare sight even in Heyang Province.

They knew exactly what these cigarettes represented.

Secretary Li Chengping, confident in his good relationship with Sun Ning, asked with a mix of surprise and gossip, "Sun Ning, where did you get this good stuff? You've never let me see it before."

"Oh, it's just a pack of cigarettes. If you want some, I'll have my driver bring you two packs right now. Bureau Chief Wang certainly wouldn't dare accuse me of bribing Secretary Li!"

Sun Ning did not directly answer Secretary Li Chengping's question.

Instead, he dragged Bureau Chief Wang into it.

Sun Ning's remark was somewhat thought-provoking.

Two packs of cigarettes weren't enough to make Bureau Chief Wang report Sun Ning for bribery.

Sun Ning's demeanor was clearly telling Bureau Chief Wang that if he played his cards right, he would get two packs too.

That's how things are within the system; everything is shrouded in mystery.

And the more mysterious it is, the less others can see through it, and the less they can see, the more they will let their imaginations run wild.

Sure enough, Bureau Chief Wang's pig-like face immediately broke into a smile as wrinkled as a chrysanthemum.

He laughed heartily and said, "I certainly wouldn't mind if Township Head Sun bribed me with two packs as well."

"If Bureau Chief Wang likes them, I'll just have the driver bring over two more packs."

As he spoke, Sun Ning called his driver and told him to bring a few packs of cigarettes toward the end of the meal.

The opening pleasantries ended, and it was time for the drinking portion of the evening.

Sometimes, Sun Ning really couldn't understand the drinking culture in Heyang.

It was nothing but drinking, drinking, and more drinking; they just drank for their lives.

After a few rounds of drinks and tasting the dishes, the phase of mutual flattery finally came to an end.

"Bureau Chief Wang, the development of Mishui Township really needs your strong support."

"Easy to say, easy to say! I'm not sure how Township Head Sun needs the Transportation Bureau to support you? You know my Transportation Bureau is a small temple, so there isn't much support I can give."

Bureau Chief Wang gave Sun Ning a heads-up first.

I can agree to support you, but I won't cooperate with you unconditionally, even if you give me two packs of cigarettes.

"Bureau Chief Wang is being too modest. Who doesn't know that the Transportation Bureau has so many projects in hand that you're scattering them everywhere? You should scatter some over to my Mishui Township as well."

"The roads in our Mishui Township are truly a sorry sight."

"Less than thirty percent of the roads between villages are completed, and only two villages in the township have paved internal roads."

"Mishui Township is poor. If we want to develop vigorously, transportation must keep up. I hope Bureau Chief Wang can support the fifty thousand people of Mishui Township."

As soon as Sun Ning finished speaking, Secretary Li Chengping chimed in as his wingman.

He picked up his wine glass, stood up, and toasted Bureau Chief Wang.

"The achievements of Mishui Township are obvious to all, and the County Head is very concerned about the economic development of Mishui Township."

This really wasn't Secretary Li Chengping threatening Bureau Chief Wang; he was conveying a message on behalf of Secretary Wang Shengli.

He trusted that Bureau Chief Wang would be able to read between the lines.

Sure enough, Bureau Chief Wang chuckled and said, "Easy to say, easy to say. We're all on the same side, so I will definitely support the work in Mishui Township."

As for how he would support it or the extent of that support, he didn't say a word, and Sun Ning didn't ask.

As long as the project could be successfully approved, the rest would be much simpler.

Once the business was discussed, the three of them began to chat idly again.

This Bureau Chief mostly talked about romantic affairs.

Sun Ning looked at that pig-like face, with swollen eye bags, dark circles, and a sallow, purplish complexion.

He was genuinely worried that Bureau Chief Wang might die in a woman's bed.

To his surprise, he heard the name Cui Hongyi from this Bureau Chief's lips.

Bureau Chief Wang said, tipsily, "Brother Sun, it's not that I, your elder brother, am warning you, but that hypocrite Cui Mingyuan is no good. You can't just agree to be his son-in-law because his daughter is pretty! That girl from the Cui family brings bad luck to her husband's family."

After a few drinks, the three of them were already calling each other "brother."

Originally, Bureau Chief Wang had been rambling on about the beauties in various departments.

When he got to the Propaganda Department, Bureau Chief Wang mentioned Cui Hongyi's name.

He also said that old guy Cui Mingyuan had plans to introduce his daughter to Sun Ning and had even personally called Secretary Xue Hongtao to act as a matchmaker.

Sun Ning hadn't expected Cui Mingyuan to have such an idea.

For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

That old guy was still the same, using his own daughter to consolidate his position.

He just hadn't expected that there would be rumors about Cui Hongyi bringing bad luck to her husband's family.

It would be difficult for Cui Mingyuan to arrange a marriage in the future.

Of course, Sun Ning didn't take this little episode to heart.

As the drinking party was about to end, Sun Ning found an excuse to step out and settle the bill.

He also took the opportunity to ask for a receipt, planning to take it back for reimbursement.

It wasn't that Sun Ning was greedy for this little bit of money; not to mention that this was for official business, not personal.

This receipt was something he was saving in case Bureau Chief Wang ran into trouble later.

You have to know that when Sun Ning went to the capital to run errands for projects, he only claimed his travel expenses and basic meal costs.

In other areas, he hadn't taken a single advantage of public funds.

In some places, he had even paid out of his own pocket.

Sun Ning went out, grabbed four packs of cigarettes, and headed toward the private room.

He handed out two packs to each of them, and Bureau Chief Wang and Secretary Li Chengping were overjoyed.

"Bureau Chief Wang, tomorrow I will have our township's Deputy Township Head Feng Yao-Peng go to the bureau to submit the project proposal."

This Deputy Township Head Feng Yao-Peng was Sun Ning's backup plan; he was the son of a certain official from the Municipal Public Security Bureau in Zhongzhou City.

This was also the reason he specifically named him.

He wanted to tell Bureau Chief Wang that this favor wasn't just for him, but also for his superior.

Presumably, anyone with a bit of status in Gongfan County knew that Deputy Township Head Feng Yao-Peng's father was a certain bureau chief at the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

And Deputy Township Head Feng Yao-Peng coming to work in Mishui Township was also a favor Vice Mayor Wang Pingan had done for his father.

Now that the Bureau Chief's son needed to achieve results, shouldn't you all help out a bit?

So, Sun Ning laid a trap here, assigning some of the tasks that required resources to Deputy Township Head Feng Yao-Peng.

The brilliance of this move became apparent at this moment.

When Bureau Chief Wang first heard the name Feng Yao-Peng, he didn't react immediately.

But Sun Ning wouldn't mention a working subordinate's full name for no reason.

After pondering for a moment, Bureau Chief Wang recalled who this Young Master Feng was.

He quickly smiled and said, "Just have Township Head Feng come directly to my office."

My goodness, the impact of a Municipal Public Security Bureau Chief was much more direct than those two packs of cigarettes.

Right in front of Sun Ning, he addressed Young Master Feng as Township Head; that was something else!

As expected, an intangible backer is never as strong as a tangible one.

Sun Ning didn't mind; as long as the job got done, that was fine.

If Deputy Township Head Feng Yao-Peng really managed to get all the roads in the township repaired, Sun Ning wouldn't mind calling him Township Head himself.

After the meal, Sun Ning had his driver take him to Wenxin Residential Compound.

On the way, he made a call to Deputy Township Head Feng Yao-Peng, telling him to take the documents to the Transportation Bureau to find Bureau Chief Wang.

The next day, he went to the County Government; there were some things he still needed to communicate with Secretary Wang Shengli in person.

Especially the issue of the characteristic economy.

Your government work report clearly stated that you would vigorously develop and support the characteristic economy.

Then if I don't come to you for support, I'd be doing a disservice to you for plagiarizing my report.

He had an appointment to meet Secretary Wang Shengli at eleven o'clock, and Sun Ning set off at ten-thirty.

Before the car even reached the County Government, Deputy Chief Wei Minhang called him.