Mayor Zheng had been accompanying foreign investors on inspections for the past few days.
Among them, he was most concerned about the Gu Family from Hong Kong Island.
Although there had been no definite response, Cai Zixiang and Yang Jing had not left Lingjiang City.
This ant that the other party had a great interest in Lingjiang, otherwise they would not have stayed for so long.
This was good news.
The larger the company, the more thorough their inspections before making investnts, and the longer the process took.
Before leaving work on Friday, Mayor Zheng planned to et with Cai Zixiang in his private capacity the next day.
Cai Zixiang readily accepted the invitation.
However, on Saturday, while they were dining together, the atmosphere, which had been jolly, changed following a phone call received by Cai Zixiang.
"Uh-huh, you say ... are you sure? Okay, send the report."
After hanging up, Cai Zixiang fiddled with his mobile phone.
He seed to be examining so docunts.
Mayor Zheng keenly noticed a very subtle change in Cai Zixiang’s expression.
It seed he had co across so troubleso issues.
After putting away his phone, Mayor Zheng expressed his concern, "Secretary Cai, is sothing wrong?"
Cai Zixiang did not answer imdiately, which gave Mayor Zheng an ominous premonition.
He did not press further.
A few seconds later, Cai Zixiang suddenly asked, "Mayor Zheng, is Dujiang County under Lingjiang’s jurisdiction?"
Mayor Zheng didn’t know what he was getting at but nodded and said, "Yes."
Cai Zixiang picked up his teacup and took a sip, as if choosing his words carefully.
His posture made Mayor Zheng increasingly nervous.
Holding his teacup, Cai Zixiang said, "Chairman Gu places the highest importance on the political environnt of an investnt location."
Mayor Zheng nodded in agreent, "I understand, but please rest assured, Secretary Cai, Lingjiang’s political environnt is very stable."
"Heh," Cai Zixiang smiled and said, "The company has been conducting comprehensive research on Lingjiang for so ti and, just now, we’ve received the results."
Mayor Zheng’s heart tightened, knowing that the mont deciding whether the Gu Family would invest in Lingjiang had arrived.
Connecting his recent inquiry about Dujiang County, Mayor Zheng had a hunch.
Perhaps, the investigation had unearthed so negative news in Dujiang County.
He replied calmly, "I am still very confident in Lingjiang."
Cai Zixiang didn’t speak but instead sent him several videos.
"If Mayor Zheng has ti, you might want to take a look."
After speaking, Cai Zixiang stood up and said, "Mayor Zheng, I have other matters to attend to, I need to leave now."
"I’ll see you out."
Mayor Zheng was eager to know what was in the videos he had sent, but still managed to keep his anxious emotions in check and serenely saw him off.
Watching him leave, Mayor Zheng got back into his car and opened the video.
In the first video, a group of thugs wielding knives and clubs were smashing cars and beating people...
He watched for a while before recognizing the scene in the video, it was outside the bidding center of Dujiang County.
His face turned frighteningly dark.
The second video was in a hotel private room.
A man in his late twenties was surrounded by a group of middle-aged n.
The n were inquiring about plots of land in Dujiang County, and the young man arrogantly dictated the prices of various plots.
The scene shifted, and the man was talking to a woman, bluntly stating that if she went ho with him, he could sell her that plot of land at cost price.
As the woman tried to leave, the man stopped her, forced her to drink, and boasted that in Dujiang County, he was the boss, irritating him ant no land deals in Dujiang County.
And arrogantly said his grandfather was Lu Yijiang, even Secretary Tu couldn’t influence him.
Mayor Zheng turned off the video, his face full of rage.
In the emptiness of his car, he didn’t need to hide his anger.
He was furious.
Originally, the Gu Family had shown great interest in Lingjiang City, evident from the personal visits by Secretary Cai and Mrs. Gu.
And they had stayed in Lingjiang for a whole week.
This investnt intention was, in Mayor Zheng’s view, almost a done deal.
However, it seed that because of Dujiang County, the Gu Family was preparing to back out.
He dialed Li Jun’s number.
"Mayor."
"Contact the permanent committee mbers in the city and schedule an urgent permanent committee eting for Monday."
Li Jun was taken aback.
Having followed Mayor Zheng for many years, although Mayor Zheng had hidden it well, Li Jun could still tell from his tone that sothing was very wrong.
He was very angry.
Moreover, having held the top position in the city governnt for many years, it was the first ti Mayor Zheng had actively scheduled an urgent permanent committee eting.
This was highly unusual.
"Alright."
"Additionally," Mayor Zheng continued. "Inform Director Qin and Secretary Tu of Dujiang County to attend the eting."
"Understood."
Li Jun secretly panicked, wondering what had happened.
He suppressed his doubts and contacted Secretary Sun first.
"Apart from the city’s permanent committee, Mayor Zheng has also summoned Director Qin and Secretary Tu of Dujiang County to this urgent permanent committee eting."
"Okay, I’ll inform Secretary Lu in a bit."
Secretary Sun didn’t think much of it, only feeling that Mayor Zheng had been quite prominent recently and was indeed displaying the deanor of a second-in-command.
When Director Qin received the notice, he was bewildered.
An urgent permanent committee eting was normal.
But being a non-permanent committee mber and being summoned was not normal.
And three tis—no, this made it the fourth ti.
Having been summoned to attend four such etings, it usually ant a major fault in the departnt he managed or a personnel appointnt.
Personnel appointnt could be ruled out.
So it had to be the forr.
Director Qin racked his brains but couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong.
Secretary Lu, after receiving a call from Secretary Sun, was also puzzled.
Having worked with Mayor Zheng for many years, he knew him well.
Scheduling an urgent committee eting was normal, but notifying Director Qin and Secretary Tu was not.
Especially Secretary Tu.
Why involve him in the eting out of the blue?
Years of political experience had honed his keen political instincts.
He guessed there must have been a problem in Dujiang County.
...
"Dujiang County ..."
Minister Zhou held his phone, pondering Mayor Zheng’s intention for the eting.
He was also curious about what Director Qin had done this ti.
In the past two months, including this one, there had been four etings.
And Director Qin, despite being a non-permanent committee mber, had attended all of them.
Minister Zhou increasingly felt that maintaining a distance from him was the right decision.
The guy was simply a ticking ti bomb.
At critical monts, he was nothing but trouble.
Although unclear about his actions this ti, it certainly wasn’t anything good.
As for Secretary Tu, he wasn’t very concerned.
...
Tu Zhaorui, receiving the call from Li Jun, was also confused.
The city was convening a permanent committee eting, yet he was asked to participate.
What was this about?
He felt slightly uneasy.
Dujiang County was at a critical stage of upgrading, and at this phase, nothing should go wrong.
He wouldn’t allow anything to go wrong.
...
Guan Chao was out with Mr. He inspecting a project when he suddenly received a text ssage from Cai Zixiang.
Just two words: "Done."
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