47: Chapter 47 The Mayor Suddenly Expresses Support

A simple sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured over the Mayor's head. He stared at Minister Meng Zhaodi in shock, looking at her again and again.

Meanwhile, Minister Meng Zhaodi looked straight ahead, seemingly observing the person opposite her, but in reality, she was looking at nothing, her eyes vacant.

When the Mayor turned his gaze away with a hint of anger, Minister Meng Zhaodi glanced at Zhang Huaijing, who was casting a gentle look in her direction, and a faint, almost imperceptible shyness appeared at the corner of her mouth.

In this way, Secretary Man Chaojian's side had five votes, while the Mayor had four.

Only Minister Wan Jinlong remained, yet to declare his stance.

The Mayor asked full of anticipation, "Minister Wan hasn't stated his position yet, right?"

If it were 5:5, it would be a tie. Secretary Man Chaojian was obsessed with saving face and never acted like a dictator, so he wouldn't force it through. That would mean they could only study and discuss it again at the next meeting. By then, he would have to ensure the groundwork was solid to guarantee the new plan was rejected.

Secretary Man Chaojian glanced at Zhang Huaijing, who sat unmoved, his posture upright and his demeanor calm as usual.

He didn't know if Zhang Huaijing had worked on Minister Wan Jinlong through Secretary Ji Xuewen. Since he hadn't reported back, it was likely bad news.

Sweat began to bead on Secretary Man Chaojian's forehead.

At this moment, Minister Wan Jinlong coughed and said with a voice as resonant as a bell, "Previously, I supported the old plan, considering issues like the increased budget and the potential for wasting money and manpower. But after this period of discussion and research, I found that the additional budget is nothing compared to the economic, social, and cultural benefits brought by the new plan. Therefore, I support the new plan."

The meeting room fell into silence.

The Mayor, Secretary She Xionghan, and the others were shocked, and even the people in Secretary Man Chaojian's camp felt quite surprised.

Minister Wan Jinlong's wrinkled face appeared quite calm. He smiled at Secretary Man Chaojian and Niu Panlong, then picked up his teacup as if nothing had happened and lowered his head to drink.

Secretary Man Chaojian tapped the notebook in front of him and announced the victory impatiently, "Good. Currently, six comrades support the new plan, one comrade abstains, and three comrades oppose it."

As he spoke, he turned to look at the Mayor, revealing a mysterious, Mona Lisa-like smile, "Mayor, do you support the new plan or the old one?"

This was clearly rubbing salt in the wound!

Secretary She Xionghan, Executive Vice Mayor Zuo Youfa, and Xiang Zhicheng all looked at the Mayor.

Just when everyone thought the Mayor would express his opposition in a fit of rage, the latter chuckled and said in a steady and powerful voice, "I am in alignment with the Secretary; I support the new plan."

The attendees in the meeting room were shocked once again.

What happened to Mayor Niu? Had he admitted defeat? Surrendered? Or was he throwing a tantrum?

Before anyone could think too much, Secretary Man Chaojian applauded in appreciation, "I knew it. The Mayor is someone who talks about politics, follows the rules, understands the big picture, and considers the overall situation. In this case, the Municipal Party Committee and the government have reached a unified and harmonious opinion, which couldn't be better. Today, the discussion on the new plan has concluded successfully. During this time, everyone expressed their own views and had a lively discussion, fully implementing democratic centralism. This also reflects the high quality and high standards of our Party cadres, showing everyone the unity and cohesion of our leadership team. It also fills us with anticipation for the future development of Haizhou. I believe that with our joint efforts, Haizhou will definitely get better and better!"

Secretary Man Chaojian applauded, and the Mayor was the first to follow suit, his expression relaxed and pleasant.

So everyone followed and applauded, except for Secretary She Xionghan.

Zhang Huaijing cast another peculiar look at the Mayor, inwardly criticizing, "The Mayor is truly not simple. He made such a move today for probably three reasons:"

"First, since he had lost and was unable to turn it around, he might as well accept it gracefully and change his stance to support the Secretary, demonstrating the unity of the leadership team and his own perspective on the big picture;"

"Second, it is likely related to the upcoming provincial investigation team. Niu Panlong fears that the investigation team will take real action and that Secretary Man Chaojian might meddle, so he needs the support and cooperation of the Municipal Party Committee Secretary. This is an olive branch thrown to the other side, which Secretary Man Chaojian happily accepted. This suggests that the rumors of vote-buying in the 'vote-switching' incident are likely not groundless."

"Third, this is a delaying tactic or a smokescreen. 'In any case, I have stated my support; if you can't raise the money or build it, that's not my problem.' If his lackeys make trouble behind the scenes to obstruct and sabotage the implementation of the new plan, he can easily distance himself from it."

Just when everyone thought this topic was about to end, Secretary Man Chaojian's voice rang out through the meeting room once again, "The new plan has been passed. The next step is the issue of implementation. It requires redesigning, re-budgeting, implementing fiscal indicators, and so on. A series of tasks must be started immediately. To better and faster promote the project construction, I suggest establishing a Chaojiang Bridge Construction Leading Group. This is also standard practice. Does anyone have any objections?"

A few people said they had no objections.

Secretary Man Chaojian grunted and continued, "Good, then we will establish a leading group. To strengthen leadership and make it more convenient to mobilize the city's resources and strength, I suggest having dual group leaders: the Mayor and I will serve as group leaders."

Mayor Niu must be unhappy inside. For such engineering projects, usually, the Mayor serves as the group leader. Why is a Municipal Party Committee Secretary like you meddling? Of course, to ensure the new plan is implemented without compromise, it is understandable for him to serve as a group leader.

Everyone had no objections. After all, Mayor Niu being able to serve as a group leader alongside the Municipal Party Committee Secretary also elevated the political status of the working group.

Secretary Man Chaojian took a sip of tea, caught his breath, and raised his voice, "Of course, Comrade Niu Panlong and I are both quite busy and cannot spare so much time and energy to devote to specific matters. We will mainly grasp the general direction. Therefore, we need to appoint an Executive Deputy Group Leader. I propose that..."

Everyone looked in the direction of his gaze, and it was actually Zhang Huaijing!

"Yes, Comrade Huaijing will serve as the Executive Deputy Group Leader. Comrade Huaijing has long worked at the Provincial Committee and alongside leaders; he has strong capabilities, many methods, and extensive resources. He will definitely play a crucial role in the construction of the bridge." Seeing that Zhang Huaijing seemed to have something to say, Secretary Man Chaojian asked, "Huaijing, do you have any objections?"

Zhang Huaijing suppressed his displeasure, smiled, and said, "Yes, I feel that it is inappropriate for me to serve as this Executive Deputy Group Leader. The bridge construction is a government project, involving various aspects and government departments such as transportation, development and reform, finance, construction, and water conservancy. It should be headed by a leader from the government side."

His argument was reasonable and well-founded. Inwardly, he cursed Secretary Man Chaojian for launching a sneak attack. Why didn't you communicate with me beforehand? Did you think I wouldn't refuse at the meeting? We are both thousand-year-old foxes; don't play these tricks on me!

Executive Vice Mayor Zuo Youfa was satisfied with Zhang Huaijing's refusal. This Executive Deputy Group Leader position should rightfully be held by him, not the Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee.

"Comrade Huaijing, I know you have concerns, and everyone else has questions as well. To be honest, I am considering this more from the perspective of political factors and discipline and rules."

Secretary Man Chaojian looked at Zhang Huaijing, scanned the meeting room again, and said with a frank expression, "I think that since Comrade Huaijing has just arrived and has not managed this area of work before, he has no acquaintances or conflicts of interest in the field of engineering construction and here in Haizhou. He can better uphold principles and fairly and impartially handle the bidding and build the bridge well."