417: Chapter 417 A dismal ending, with no one to see him off.

After the Provincial Party Committee issued this document, the Municipal Peoples Congress of Dongjiang City acted quickly, convening a standing committee meeting the very next day.

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi had returned from the provincial capital and appeared at the meeting.

Observant people could tell that Secretary Wu Qiaoxi was feeling a bit down, his overall demeanor was poor, and he even seemed to have more gray hair.

No one knew that Secretary Wu Qiaoxi was feeling bitter, dejected, and even a bit aggrieved inside.

Two or three days ago, he had stormed into the Provincial Party Committee, originally intending to complain to Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Jiasheng and stir up trouble for Qin Chuan.

But Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Jiasheng's attitude was completely unexpected.

Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Jiasheng had actually tried to counsel Secretary Wu Qiaoxi, persuading him for a long time. The general gist was, "You are getting on in years; there is no need to continue worrying and working yourself to the bone for Dongjiang City. It is time to rest properly, and you can just leave the work of Dongjiang City to Qin Chuan."

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi felt stifled.

"You not only fail to support me, but you actually stand on Qin Chuan's side."

But he knew that Secretary Zhao had already given him enough face; if it had been anyone else, they would not have been so patient in their persuasion.

After leaving the office of the Provincial Party Secretary, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi lost all his spirit. He did not want to return to Dongjiang City and did not want to answer any calls. He stayed in the provincial capital for a full two or three days, only returning to Dongjiang City last night.

The Municipal Peoples Congress meeting went very smoothly; after all, the higher-level Party Committee had issued an official document, so no one dared to cause any trouble.

Although Secretary Wu Qiaoxi desperately did not want Qin Chuan to concurrently serve as the Director of the Municipal Peoples Congress, the final election result was without any anomalies, and Qin Chuan was successfully elected as the Director of the Municipal Peoples Congress.

This meant he was now taking on dual responsibilities: serving as both the Municipal Party Secretary and the Director of the Municipal Peoples Congress.

To be concurrently serving as the Director of the Municipal Peoples Congress only about half a month after taking office as Municipal Party Secretary was unprecedented in the entire Jiangnan Province.

Many Municipal Party Secretaries could not manage to concurrently serve as the Director of the Municipal Peoples Congress even after two or three years on the job.

In this way, Qin Chuan's power was strengthened, his prestige was enhanced, and most importantly, it sent a signal that the Provincial Party Committee supported Qin Chuan, and supported him strongly.

Those who were at odds with Qin Chuan, who were not on the same page, had better think carefully; going against Qin Chuan was equivalent to going against the Provincial Party Committee.

After the meeting, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi returned to his office alone, looking dejected, and slowly packed up his personal belongings.

He was leaving Dongjiang City to take up a post at the Provincial Peoples Congress, and he figured he would rarely have the chance to return to Dongjiang City in the future.

While he was packing his things in lonely dejection, there was a knock at his office door. The person who pushed the door open was the Municipal Standing Committee member, Secretary-General and Office Director Tian Chaoqun.

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi glanced at him but said nothing, continuing to pack his things.

Secretary-General Tian Chaoqun kept his posture very respectful. "Director Wu, Qin Chuan asked me to come and tell you that a farewell dinner will be held tonight at Phoenix Mountain Villa. The members of the four major leading bodies are here to see you off..."

Before he could finish, he was interrupted. Secretary Wu Qiaoxi said, "There is no need to be hypocritical. There is no need for such superficial gestures. I will leave Dongjiang City by myself; I do not need anyone to see me off."

Secretary-General Tian Chaoqun opened his mouth to say something else, but was stopped by Secretary Wu Qiaoxi's gaze.

He shook his head slightly; it seemed Secretary Wu Qiaoxi held a deep prejudice against Qin Chuan that could not be resolved anytime soon.

Holding a dinner to see him off was not hypocrisy, but rather out of consideration for the fact that Secretary Wu Qiaoxi had contributed a lot to the development of Dongjiang City, and now that he was leaving, he deserved to be seen off.

Yet in his eyes, it had actually become Qin Chuan's affectation.

Secretary-General Tian Chaoqun reported to Qin Chuan immediately.

After listening, Qin Chuan smiled faintly. "Since he says it is unnecessary, then let him be."

The next day, early in the morning.

The sky had just brightened, and there were not many pedestrians on the streets. A black sedan left the old Wu family residence. Secretary Wu Qiaoxi sat inside the car, looking outside through the window, his face revealing a look of great attachment.

After looking, he sighed softly.

"Comrade Jiasheng, you are wrong, you know that? By allowing such a young person to act recklessly, the development achievements of Dongjiang City will be destroyed overnight. It is a pity, but one cannot twist one's arm against a thigh. You are the Provincial Party Secretary, and I have no choice. Otherwise, I would absolutely never leave Dongjiang City..."

At this moment, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi was still stubbornly thinking this way.

The black sedan sped along the quiet and desolate streets. After a long while, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi pulled back his thoughts and looked outside the car from time to time.

Deep down, he most hoped to see Mayor Liu appear with a large group of officials to see him off as he left Dongjiang City. He was even thinking about what he should say in front of everyone when he left.

But...

Until the car left the urban area and got on the highway to the provincial capital, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi did not see a single person who had come to see him off.

Municipal Party Secretary's Office.

As soon as Qin Chuan arrived at work, Secretary-General Tian Chaoqun knocked on the door and entered to report.

"Leader, Secretary Wu Qiaoxi left Dongjiang City early this morning. Not a single person went to see him off, not even Mayor Liu and the others."

Qin Chuan nodded slightly.

There was no expression of surprise on his face, because he had seen a system notification early this morning and already knew about this matter.

Mayor Liu, not bad.

Cold-blooded enough!

Secretary Wu Qiaoxi had shown him favor and promoted him, even treating him as the successor to the Municipal Party Secretary. Yet, in the end, he did not even go to see Secretary Wu Qiaoxi off.

Qin Chuan's assessment of Mayor Liu deepened further, and he even wondered if he should replace this mayor.

But he had just taken office, and there were already rumors outside that he had forced Secretary Wu Qiaoxi out. If he were to change the mayor next, it would not be good for him, so he would wait and see.

If Mayor Liu was obedient and followed his lead closely, he would use him for a while. If he still thought about arm-wrestling with him, or if he was one way on the surface and another behind his back, then he would have to get rid of him as soon as possible.

After listening to Secretary-General Tian Chaoqun's report, Qin Chuan waved his hand and said, "Notify Mayor Liu and have him come to my office."

Logically speaking, when a Municipal Party Secretary summons a mayor, they usually make the call personally to show mutual respect.

Qin Chuan letting Secretary-General Tian Chaoqun deliver the notification was a test.

He wanted to test Mayor Liu's reaction. If he dragged his feet and waited a long time before coming, it would mean he had not yet positioned himself correctly and had not seen the situation clearly. If he came immediately after receiving the notification, at least he knew his situation, and at least he would not dare to oppose him openly.

Upon receiving the notification, Mayor Liu came immediately.

When he pushed the door open to enter, his posture was very respectful, demonstrating enough respect for Qin Chuan. He took the initiative to say, "Qin Chuan, you summoned me?"

He used the honorific "you," which he had never done before.

Qin Chuan nodded and signaled, "Mayor Liu, please sit. There are some work matters we need to discuss."

Mayor Liu's heart sank slightly. He thought to himself, "The man named Qin is not going to strike while the iron is hot, seize the opportunity, and carry out another round of personnel adjustments to systematically remove my people—those who originally belonged to Secretary Wu Qiaoxi—is he?"