406: Chapter 406 Are you the Party Secretary of the Municipal Committee, or am I?

The next day at noon, Qin Chuan returned from the provincial capital.

The main purpose of the trip was to meet with Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Jiasheng; he even had dinner at Secretary Zhao Jiasheng's home that evening, where they discussed many work-related matters.

After returning to Dongjiang City, shortly after work began in the afternoon, the door to his office was pushed open.

It was not even knocked on; it was shoved open directly. The person who walked in was the former Municipal Party Secretary, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi. He looked quite furious, with a stern, stiff expression on his face.

Sensing a murderous aura, Qin Chuan did not stand up. Instead, he remained in his office chair and said indifferently, "Secretary Wu Qiaoxi has arrived."

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi put on airs, adopting a condescending posture. As soon as he entered, he demanded, "What is the meaning of those documents released by the Culture and Tourism Bureau?"

Qin Chuan feigned surprise and said, "What is wrong? Were you not sent a copy of those documents?"

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi let out a cold snort.

Qin Chuan said, "Since a copy was sent to the Municipal Peoples Congress, you should have already read it. It is written clearly in black and white. If there is anything you do not understand, you can exercise the power of the Municipal Peoples Congress to request an interpretation from the Culture and Tourism Bureau."

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi said, "Qin Chuan, do not play dumb with me. The tourism policies and guidelines for the entire city were established by me during the Municipal Standing Committee and have been implemented that way ever since. You have overturned everything so quickly; I demand a reasonable explanation."

Qin Chuan feigned a sudden realization, "So you came to me for an explanation. In that case, let me tell you."

"The policies and guidelines formulated back then had major problems. Tourism numbers and revenue have been declining year by year. If you do not believe me, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi, you can look at the annual tourism data."

"In addition to the declining data, the tourism environment is also terrible. Service awareness is poor, price gouging is rampant, and during the peak tourist season, hotels and accommodations raise prices crazily. A room in an ordinary guesthouse costs one or two thousand per night, and star-rated hotels are even more expensive..."

Qin Chuan was logical and clear-headed as he spoke at length, making it clear that without reform and change, Dongjiang City's tourism would simply be waiting to die.

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi argued a few times, but in the face of the actual situation, his arguments appeared pale and powerless.

Eventually, he could only say angrily, "If you mess around like this, you will ruin the tourism industry of the entire Dongjiang City."

Qin Chuan said confidently, "Whether it is ruined or not is not for someone to decide; everything will be based on actual data."

Having failed to gain any advantage in this matter, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi's face changed color from anger, but he remained rational enough not to dwell on this issue further, likely preparing to think of other ways later.

He changed the subject and demanded, "Then what was that about in yesterday's Standing Committee meeting? Why was Comrade Secretary-General Sun Lanying sidelined for no reason?"

Heh!

Qin Chuan sneered and retorted, "Comrade Secretary Wu Qiaoxi, I ask you, are you the Municipal Party Secretary now, or am I?"

There were no outsiders in the office, so Qin Chuan did not hold back, and his tone was harsher.

If it were a public occasion, he might need to be careful to avoid gaining a bad reputation for disrespecting senior comrades, but with no third party present, there was no need to worry so much.

Clearly, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi knew this, and without any reservations, he slammed his hand on the desk.

With a "Bang!" he struck the desk hard and shouted, "What do you mean by that!"

Heh!

Running to my office to slam the table, he really thinks of himself as the local emperor of Dongjiang City. I certainly will not indulge you.

Qin Chuan also slammed the table with a "Bang," the sound louder than Secretary Wu Qiaoxi's. "You ask what I mean? I am the Municipal Party Secretary now. I am warning you, do not overreach your hand."

"Unreasonable!"

Not expecting Qin Chuan to dare to slam the table, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi was stunned for a moment, his face turning livid with rage. He left that remark behind and stormed off in a huff.

The commotion in the office of the Municipal Party Secretary was a bit loud and had already spread outside.

Although people in other offices dared not peek, they all pricked up their ears, their curiosity burning.

Some who saw Secretary Wu Qiaoxi leave with a livid face and in a huff began to whisper among themselves.

"It looks like the new Secretary and the old Secretary had quite an argument just now!"

"The old Secretary's face looked terrible!"

"Qin Chuan is impressive!"

"..."

The news gradually spread throughout the Municipal Party Committee Compound. After hearing about it, Deputy Secretary Zhou Nan took the initiative to knock on the door and enter the office of the Municipal Party Secretary.

"Qin Chuan, I heard that Secretary Wu Qiaoxi was here just now."

Qin Chuan's anger had not yet subsided. "He just left. This person is still immersed in the fantasy that he is the Municipal Party Secretary, attempting to point fingers at the work of the Municipal Party Committee."

Deputy Secretary Zhou Nan nodded and said, "When he was in office, he ran a one-man show where everything was decided by him. Now, he probably finds it hard to adjust his mindset and still thinks everything should be done according to his will."

After the two chatted for a few moments, Qin Chuan said, "You came at the right time. There is a matter I want to sync with you on. I believe Secretary-General Sun Lanying is no longer suitable for her current position. Tomorrow, I will convene a Standing Committee meeting to discuss her issues."

Upon hearing this, Deputy Secretary Zhou Nan's eyes lit up.

Qin Chuan was playing for high stakes; this was meant to slap Secretary Wu Qiaoxi in the face hard.

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi had just come specifically to question why Secretary-General Sun Lanying was sidelined. No sooner had he left than Qin Chuan was pulling the rug out from under him.

He was going to directly remove Secretary-General Sun Lanying from her post and recommend Secretary-General Tian Chaoqun for the position.

If he succeeded, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi would likely be furious to death.

But...

Deputy Secretary Zhou Nan was a little worried. Although it was just for the Standing Committee to discuss and then make a recommendation to the Provincial Party Committee, would it pass in the Standing Committee?

There are 13 members in the Standing Committee of Dongzhou City, and it is obvious that Mayor Liu's faction holds the majority.

He really wanted to offer a reminder, asking if this was a bit too hasty, but in the end, he held back. Since Qin Chuan dared to do this, he should have some confidence.

Soon, the notice was sent out: a Municipal Standing Committee meeting would be held tomorrow at 9:30 AM.

Most members of the Standing Committee were confused. They had just held a Standing Committee meeting, and now, only two days later, another one was being held. What was this about, and what was the agenda?

Mayor Liu was also confused, wondering what would be discussed at tomorrow's Standing Committee meeting.

Before a Municipal Standing Committee meeting is held, it is usually necessary to communicate beforehand to let the participating members know the general agenda. However, there are exceptions; for instance, this time, no one knew the content of tomorrow's meeting.

After thinking for a while, he picked up the phone and called over the member of the Municipal Standing Committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, Li Wei.

Li Wei was Mayor Liu's man, a capable lieutenant of his faction. Whenever there was anything, the two often met and discussed it in private.

"Old Liu, what do you want with me?"

Mayor Liu stood up and said warmly, "Come, sit down and talk. What would you like to drink?"

The two had a good relationship, and with no third party present, Li Wei did not stand on ceremony and sat down on the sofa without hesitation.