123: Chapter 123 First Meeting of the Standing Committee

If they were not careful, this once-illustrious family might fall out of the ranks of the Beijing elite families.

The family business, built up with a lifetime of effort by Elder Zhang, was facing unprecedented difficulties.

At this moment, in the Zhang family courtyard, funeral music played softly.

Yet everyone knew that behind this seemingly quiet mourning, a secret war concerning the family's survival had already begun.

...

Meanwhile, Li Dakang was hunched over his desk, reviewing the design blueprints for the new Guantian Township Government office building.

The existing office building was in disrepair, with more than half the wall plaster having peeled off. Now that the township's finances were more relaxed, improving the office environment was both a practical necessity and a way to boost the morale of the cadres.

The new building was planned to be five stories tall, in a modern, minimalist style, and would also include a cafeteria and a parking lot.

Li Dakang's fountain pen traced lightly over the blueprint as he calculated and recalculated the 800,000 investment budget.

Just as he was pondering how to optimize the functional zoning, the red phone on his desk suddenly rang.

"Third Young Master, it's me, Bowen."

On the other end of the line was the low voice of Third Young Master; this close friend of Li Dakang spoke with an unusually heavy tone.

Li Dakang frowned: "Bowen, what happened?"

"Elder Zhang... has passed away."

Those four short words made Li Dakang's fountain pen freeze in mid-air.

A small blue ink blot spread across the blueprint, but he didn't notice. As a child of a Beijing family, he understood all too well what the passing of this founding father meant.

The political landscape of Beijing, he feared, was about to be shaken.

The phone had just hung up when there was a knock at the door.

Zheng Shijun stood at the door and said: "Secretary, the County Party Committee Office just called. There will be a Standing Committee meeting this Friday at 7:00 PM in the small conference room of the County Party Committee. You are requested to attend without fail."

"Understood."

Li Dakang nodded, his gaze returning to the design blueprints, but his heart was no longer there.

Outside the window, a dark cloud was slowly covering the sun, casting flickering shadows on the office floor.

...

On Friday evening, Li Dakang appeared on time at the County Committee Building.

The County Party Committee Compound in the twilight exuded a solemn atmosphere, and the Standing Committee conference room at the end of the corridor was lit with warm yellow light.

Inside the conference room, the core decision-makers of Anjiang County were already seated around the oval mahogany table.

Soft light fell on the documents in front of everyone, and the air was filled with a faint scent of tea and ink.

The Standing Committee members were either looking down at their materials or conversing in low voices, their faces grave—this was the unique atmosphere of the county-level power center.

"Comrades."

County Party Secretary Yuan Kai cleared his throat and surveyed the room.

"Today is a special day; we welcome Comrade Dakang and County Office Director Zhu Quanyou to their first meeting as newly appointed members of the Standing Committee."

He began to applaud, kind smile lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes: "Let us welcome them with applause."

Enthusiastic applause immediately erupted in the conference room.

Although County Office Director Zhu Quanyou was a new Standing Committee member, this County Party Committee Office director was clearly well-versed in such occasions.

Li Dakang slowly stood up, placing his hands lightly on the table, a modest and steady smile on his face.

He bowed slightly, his gaze sweeping sincerely over every Standing Committee member: "Thank you, Secretary Yuan, and thank you, comrades."

"As a new member of the Standing Committee, I am deeply aware of the heavy burden on my shoulders."

"In my future work, I hope for your guidance and support, leaders and comrades."

As soon as he finished speaking, the applause in the conference room became suddenly more enthusiastic, more prolonged and sincere than before.

Several senior Standing Committee members even nodded slightly, their eyes filled with approval.

County Office Director Zhu Quanyou applauded while unobtrusively observing his new colleague.

Li Dakang's humility hid a sense of determination; in just a few short sentences, he had demonstrated impeccable political acumen.

County Party Secretary Yuan Kai raised his hand to signal for the applause to stop, a satisfied smile on his face.

Li Dakang slowly sat down; he knew this applause was not just a ritualistic welcome, but also an expectation for his future work.

Then, County Party Secretary Yuan Kai announced the news of Elder Zhang's passing.

The atmosphere in the conference room instantly grew heavy.

The passing of Elder Zhang was not just a loss for the Zhang family; it also made everyone present feel the weight of historical change and the passage of an era.

County Party Secretary Yuan Kai's voice echoed in the slightly spacious conference room, each word striking a chord in everyone's hearts: "Elder Zhang was a founding father; his departure is a loss for the nation and a grief for us all."

"Here, I propose that we all stand and observe one minute of silence for Elder Zhang."

Everyone stood up in response, and the only sound left in the conference room was the occasional wind from outside the window.

A minute is but a fleeting moment in a long life, but at this moment, it felt as if time and space had frozen, allowing everyone to bid a final farewell to Elder Zhang in their hearts.

After the silence ended, County Party Secretary Yuan Kai continued: "Elder Zhang's passing may trigger a series of political and social changes. As leading cadres, we must maintain a high degree of political sensitivity and sense of responsibility to ensure that, during this critical moment, the social stability and economic development of Anjiang County remain unaffected."

Li Dakang sat in his seat, feeling a complex mix of emotions.

The passing of Elder Zhang not only signified the end of an era but also foretold the formation of a new landscape.

For him personally, this was both a challenge and an opportunity.

The meeting proceeded to discuss several other topics, but the shadow of Elder Zhang's passing remained over everyone's hearts.

After the meeting adjourned, County Party Secretary Yuan Kai specifically called out to Li Dakang, who was about to leave: "Comrade Dakang, please stay."