Chapter One Hundred: Open Strife and Secret Rivalry

  "Your political sensitivity is too poor, little rascal! I'm telling you, in more than half a year, Governor Cui will step down, and the provincial government team will face new personnel changes. Especially for this vacant position of governor, I don't know how many eyes are staring at it. Generally speaking, the Organization Department usually respects local opinions when selecting a governor from several vice governors or deputy secretaries. Currently, only two people are closest to the governor's position: one is Vice Governor Ma Ao-wen and the other is your leader Jiang Zheng-yuan. But now, at this moment, Ma Ao-wen suddenly holds such a large-scale news propaganda activity, what does it mean? It means he is creating momentum for himself. Because ability is an important indicator of a governor's ability, which occupies a large proportion in the personnel assessment by the Organization Department." Xie Yu-xin typed quickly and clearly explained the whole situation in just a moment.

  Liu Fei couldn't help but nod his head, he finally understood the important reason why Governor Jiang was in a bad mood this morning. It seems that Governor Jiang was messed up by Ma Ao's actions. However, Liu Fei also wondered, how did Xie Yuxin, a reporter from a provincial newspaper, know about such things?

  "Beautiful girl, how did you know these things?"

  "Haha, this beauty is clever and astute, knowing 500 years ahead and 500 years after, no matter big or small things in Hebei Province, don't think you can deceive my eyes."

  Liu Fei gave a disdainful expression.

  "This thing I heard from my uncle, Liu Fei, the current situation of Governor Jiang is very precarious. My uncle has already heard that recently Ma Ao-wen has been secretly and actively working on it, and he must get the position of governor. It's said that he now has a good relationship with Vice Minister Zhong Zhen-tao of the Central Organization Department, and it's said that Zhong Zhen-tao has privately expressed his support for Ma Ao-wen. I don't know if Governor Jiang knows about this or not. Do you want to reveal this matter to him so he can be prepared?" Xie Yu-xin reminded Liu Fei on QQ.

  The last sentence shocked Liu Fei, these messages were absolutely insider information, and Xie Yuxin had actually found out about them. This person's emotional investment was truly too great. Although he was a newcomer to the official scene, he still knew that this kind of insider information couldn't be obtained without putting in a lot of effort or being extremely concerned. But Xie Yuxin had easily told him such messages. At this moment, Liu Fei felt a warm current flowing through his heart, hot and burning. Xie Yuxin was really thoughtful towards himself. All of this made him feel that the emotional floodgates he had closed after breaking up with Zhao Xueyan were slowly opening again.

  Since people are not saints, who can be without emotions? What about Liu Fei then?!

  "Thank you, Xinxin." Liu Fei typed lightly, but every word he typed was written with care.

  Xie Yuxin seemed to have sensed the abnormality in Liu Fei's tone and sent him a playful expression: "Little rascal, that day when you came out of the detention center, I found that you seemed to have something to ask me, right? Speak up, what's going on?"

  Liu Fei's eyes lit up, Ah, yes, Xie Yuxin is a reporter for the provincial newspaper, and her writing skills are among the best in Beida. Liu Fei quickly said: "Xie Yuxin, Governor Jiang asked me to write an article about Hebei Province's economic development, I don't know how to write it, can you help me?"

  Xie Yuxin smiled: "Hmph, I knew you must have something to ask of me. Helping you write is no problem, but how will you thank me?"

  "What do you want?"

  "I want you to spend a day with me this weekend, just the two of us!"

  "No problem! But you have to write quickly, the governor said I need to hand it in before I get off work tonight. I'll come to your place tonight and learn from you how to write a draft, or else my life will be miserable!"

  "Okay, I'll look up some materials first. Tonight, I'll write while telling you how to write this kind of government document." Xie Yuxin agreed readily.

  "Ding ding ding!" The phone on the table rang, Liu Fei took a look at the phone number, it was a call from the Provincial Party Committee Office, notifying Jiang Zhengyuan to attend a Standing Committee meeting in the conference room at 9:00 this afternoon.

  Putting down the phone, Liu Fei knocked on the door and walked into Jiang Zhengyuan's office, telling him about the notice from the General Office. Jiang Zhengyuan nodded slightly, indicating that he knew, and Liu Fei was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly remembered what Xie Yuxin had said to him on QQ. He stopped in his tracks, "Governor, there's something I don't know if I should say?"

  Jiang Zhengyuan raised his head and looked at Liu Fei with interest, smiling: "What news can't be said? You say it, I won't blame you."

  Liu Fei then told Jiang Zhengyuan about Ma Ao's secret activities and how he had gained the support of Zhong Zhen Tao, the Deputy Minister of the Central Organization Department. As Jiang listened, his brow furrowed in concern. He had long known that Ma Ao had connections within the Party, and he also knew who those connections were - but they absolutely did not include Zhong Zhen Tao, as their backers belonged to entirely different factions. And yet now this news was suddenly emerging, which was utterly unexpected. If it were true, then the value of this information would be impossible to estimate.

  Jiang Zhengyuan naturally wouldn't ask Liu Fei where this news came from, but he believed Liu Fei.

  "Liu Fei, come with me to the meeting later." Jiang Zhengyuan had already made up his mind. From now on, he would focus on cultivating Liu Fei. From now on, he would truly regard Liu Fei as his confidant. If previously Jiang Zhengyuan only slightly appreciated Liu Fei, then now it was thorough trust.

  Which secretary doesn't want to gain the trust of their leader? However, generally speaking, a new secretary wanting to gain the trust of a provincial or ministerial-level leader is impossible without one or two years of interaction. But now, Liu Fei has won Jiang Zhengyuan's genuine trust in less than a month.

  The atmosphere at this morning's Standing Committee meeting was very serious and oppressive.

  Choi Provincial Governor reported the final result of Xinyuan Group's investigation in Hebei Province, and Xinyuan Group temporarily does not consider investing in Hebei Province. The entire group has returned to Yanjing City today. According to a message from the Beijing Office, on that morning, several vice governors of economically developed provinces such as Guangdong and Jiangnan had gone to the hotel where Xinyuan Group was staying, waiting for the return of Xinyuan Group's chairman.

  At the same time, Provincial Party Secretary Xu Guangchun affirmed the work done by the provincial government in the previous stage at the meeting, while pointing out that this time the provincial government had a great deal of inadequacy in responding to the sudden major event of Xin Yuan Group's investment.

  Finally, the Standing Committee decided to form a temporary public group to go to Yenching City for emergency public relations in order to win back the situation and get the huge investment from Xin Yuan Group. In the end, Xu Guangchun proposed that Vice Governor Jiang Zhengyuan lead the team to Yenching City for public relations.