Reborn as a Noble's Son

Minnan has nine prefecture-level cities, 26 municipal districts, 17 county-level cities, and 45 counties under its jurisdiction. The total population of the province exceeds 30 million.

All this information has been gathered by Nie Zhenbang in preparation for his position in Minnan. Even though he will mainly be based in Wanghai, he still needs to thoroughly understand the province in order to be successful in his role.

A man with a simple black backpack might pass as an ordinary traveler. No one would expect that this man, who is just shy of his thirtieth birthday, is actually the incoming executive deputy mayor of Wanghai City, a senior government official of bureau level.

Upon exiting the airport, Nie Zhenbang hailed a taxi and disembarked at the entrance of the Minnan Provincial Committee and Provincial Government. As he stood there, he took in the power center of Minnan.

The Minnan Provincial Party Committee and Government Office Building was just completed and put into use last year. The building is covered with white wall tiles and a blue glass curtain wall. It houses both the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government. The office compound extends over an area of more than thirty acres, with the office buildings of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government each occupying one side. There is also a government auditorium located in the middle of the compound.

The two buildings have similar designs, each with fifteen stories and approximately sixty meters in length. Each floor can accommodate up to twenty rooms.

The central forecourt houses a large green space with a fountain square. Extending outward is a grand stone archway. At least five to six meters high, the main entrance is crowned by a bright national emblem. To the left is a plaque which reads “The Communist Party of China Minnan Provincial Committee,” while the right-hand plaque reads “Minnan Provincial People’s Government.”

On both sides of the main gate, there are paramilitary police posts. Policemen stand at attention underneath the gate pillars, their eyes fixed straight ahead. They reflect the full bearing of soldiers.

When he saw Nie Zhenbang approaching, the standing policeman saluted and said, “Comrade, may I ask who you are here to see?”

Nie Zhenbang took out his letter of introduction from his backpack and handed it over with a smile, “Comrade Policeman, I am here to report to the Organization Department of the Provincial Committee. This is my letter of introduction.”

The policeman took Nie’s letter of introduction and was taken aback by the words “Wanghai City Municipal Party Committee Member” and “Standing Committee Member.” As a member of the paramilitary police squad responsible for the security of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, he was well aware of the various official ranks within the system. This new executive deputy mayor isn’t much older than me, he thought, yet he’s already at the bureau level. Could it be a fraud?

However, such doubts were not for him to voice. He simply nodded and said, “Wait a moment, please. I need to make a call to confirm.”

The policeman returned soon after, handing the letter back to Nie Zhenbang and giving him a crisp salute. “Please go in, Chief,” he said.

The Organization Department of the Provincial Committee occupies one and a half floors within the Provincial Committee Office Building, which is quite considerable.

Considering all the other departments – such as the Office of the Provincial Committee, Office Affairs Bureau, Propaganda Department, Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission, Provincial Committee for Political and Legal Affairs, Political Research Office, and Inspection Office – that also reside within the building, it is quite significant that the Organization Department can occupy one and half floors. For instance, under the Discipline Inspection Commission alone, there are more than ten sections. In this context, an allocation of one and a half floors to the Organization Department is quite remarkable.

Half of the floor space is shared with the Propaganda Department, housing several divisions such as Organization Department Publicity and Education Division, Supervision Division, Veteran Cadres Division, Research Office, Talents Division, and the Party Committee of the Organization Department. The remaining floor houses the most crucial divisions of the Organization Department, namely Organization Cadres Divisions One, Two, and Three as well as the Organization Divisions One, Two, and Three. In reality, the Organization and Cadres divisions perform the same duties under two different labels.

The First Division mainly handles the promotion, appointment, and dismissal of cadres under provincial jurisdiction, which includes cadres from prefecture-level cities, single-county cities under provincial jurisdiction, state-owned enterprises under provincial jurisdictions, and leaders of colleges and universities under provincial jurisdictions. This division handles real power.

The Second Division handles the appointment and dismissal of the leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial Government, and mass organizations. It also assists in the team rotation and election work of the Provincial Party Committee, the People’s Congress, the Political Consultative Conference, and the Government. Furthermore, it supervises cadres under central direct management and formulates recommendations for their appointment and use in Minnan Province.

The Third Division mainly deals with the interprovincial transfer of cadres under provincial management, cadres’ outbound travels, and the statistical analysis of personnel files of cadres under provincial management.

Of course, the situations vary in different provinces. For instance, some provinces may have five divisions in the Organization Department – there’s no hard and fast rule. It all depends on the specific circumstances of the province. For example, Bashu, a province with a population of 100 million, has up to six divisions under the Organization Department. The nuances differ from place to place.

The Wanghai Special Economic Zone is a city listed separately in the national economic plan. However, the personnel management is delegated to be handled by the Minnan Provincial Party Committee. As the newly appointed member of the Standing Committee of Wanghai Municipal Party Committee and the executive deputy mayor, Nie Zhenbang naturally falls under the jurisdiction of the province.

Proceding directly to the office of the first cadre of the provincial party committee’s organization bureau, Zhenbang knocked on the door. As he pushed it open and walked in, he greeted the personnel with a smile, “May I ask if Director Zeng is here? I am here to report.”

As soon as his voice fell, a middle-aged man about forty-three or four years old walked out from the inner office with a smiling face. Upon seeing Nie Zhenbang, he greeted enthusiastically, “Mayor Nie, right? Welcome. Mr. Sun had already told me that when you arrive, I will take you to him directly.”

Mr. Sun, must be Sun Yuzhou, the member of the standing committee of the Minnan Province Committee, and the Organization Director. Zhenbang was surprised at the warm welcome he received on his first visit. Upon reflection, it made sense, given that Wanghai City is a centrally planned separate city. The positions of Party Secretary and Mayor are of Deputy Minister level, and the appointment and dismissal of cadres need to be approved by the central government. Although Zhenbang didn’t have this prestige and qualifications, he has some exceptionality since Secretary Qiao had transferred him from Jiangbei. Sun Yuzhou’s enthusiasm didn’t seem surprising.

Director Sun’s office is located at the east end of the floor. The office, about sixty square meters, is divided into two sections. The simple decorating style reflected Sun Yuzhou’s character.

Director Zeng knocked on the door and waited for the invitation to enter before walking in. He stood by the door and greeted, “Director Sun, Mayor Nie is here.”

Nie Zhenbang entered the office, greeted Sun Yuzhou with a smile, and sat on the sofa while observing Sun Yuzhou. Sun Yuzhou, about fifty-three or four years old and slightly overweight, appeared energetic in a shirt and dark pants. His somewhat serious face might be a common trait in the Organization Department. Like the Commission for Discipline Inspection, it gives people a very rigid impression.

The conversation that followed was mostly standard pleasantries. Sun Yuzhou naturally praised Zhenbang’s rare qualities, while Zhenbang expressed his gratitude to the Provincial Committee and the organization for their trust and support.

Afterward, they arranged to meet the next morning, when Sun Yuzhou would personally escort Zhenbang to take office in Wanghai City.

After leaving Sun Yuzhou’s office, Nie Zhenbang went straight to the top floor of the Provincial Party Committee building and found Qiao Yiren’s office.

Seeing Zhenbang, Qiao Yiren also greeted him with a smile, “Zhenbang, take a seat. Have you made arrangements at home?”

Nie Zhenbang nodded and replied with a smile, “Secretary Qiao, everything is set. Anna is now several months pregnant, so she is staying in Jingcheng for now. With my in-laws looking after her, I feel more at ease.”

After a pause, Zhenbang added, “Secretary Qiao, thank you for your attention to me. Even Director Sun was personally escorting me to start my term. Please rest assured, Secretary Qiao. I will strive to live up to the expectations of you and the organization, and will work steadfastly in Wanghai City.”

Such explicit loyalty was necessary, given that Zhenbang was now working under Qiao Yiren and was transferred by him. And Director Sun personally taking him over was obviously related to Qiao Yiren, who was the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee in charge of party-mass relationships and organization personnel. Without him, Sun Yuzhou might not have personally accompanied him.

At this moment, Qiao Yiren laughed, “Zhenbang, that doesn’t quite sound like you. What do you have to thank for? Doing your job well is the best way to thank me.”

Then, Qiao Yiren’s tone changed, “Nie, you’re new here, and the Provincial Party Committee leaders are still unfamiliar with you. I think you need to visit them one by one, especially Director Jia Minfu at the Provincial Government. You can’t overlook him.”

Upon hearing this, Nie Zhenbang was slightly taken aback and recalled the information about Director Jia Minfu, who was the Deputy Secretary of the Minnan Provincial Committee and the Provincial Governor, Jia Minfu.

It’s impossible to maintain a good relationship with every bigwig. There are many people who please all sides, but at this level, it’s different. At this level, it’s impossible to harmoniously blend in everywhere because factional issues are involved.

However, regarding Director Jia, Nie Zhenbang did have a vague plan in mind. From what he remembered, Director Jia’s character was straightforward and principled. Such a person could be a nightmare for some errant leaders, but for Nie Zhenbang, it was not a problem. As long as he behaved himself, he was confident that Director Jia would never make things difficult for him.

PS: The first half of the first day of June has already passed, and currently there are 27 votes for the monthly vote. Forget about being in the top ten of the category, the top fifteen are not even possible at this moment. Is this month destined to be tragic? I’m a little unconfident, but anyway, there will be four additional chapters today no matter what. Brothers and sisters with monthly votes, please vote. (.)