Chapter 1919

Chapter 1919: Chapter 1919

Why is Zhou Zheng running around everywhere attracting investment?

Isn’t it just to rack up achievements and fight for a seat on the Provincial Committee?

As long as he delivers results, even Secretary Gao has no grounds to keep pressing him down.

Now he suddenly learns that Secretary Gao may be transferred out of Nanjiang Province.

For him, this is an enormous piece of good news.

It’s just that he still can’t be sure whether this news is true or not.

But there’s no smoke without fire, especially with rumors about the Provincial Party Secretary—if there’s no basis, who’d dare spread them around?

Zhou Zheng is inclined to believe it’s real.

He calmed down and thought of another thing Zhang Yan had mentioned.

Those few foreign companies, plus the foreign-funded supermarket, are all coming to Jiangzhou for inspection.

Zheng Ting clearly said that Song Guanchao was given the cold shoulder at Walmart Group.

He didn’t think Zheng Ting would lie to him; it should be that some changes happened after she left.

Now is not the time to get tangled up in these details.

The key is, once these foreign firms land in Jiangzhou, in next year’s economic report, Wu Qiangwei will stand out.

By contrast, he still hasn’t produced any real achievements.

"Huh~" Zhou Zheng suddenly thought of something.

Why has Wu Qiangwei focused her work this year on attracting investment?

Why is she in such a hurry to show results?

He hadn’t thought it through before, but now, combined with what Zhang Yan revealed, he suddenly reacted.

It’s highly likely that Wu Qiangwei knows Secretary Gao is about to be transferred out of Nanjiang Province.

That’s why she’s so desperate to put in major work on the economy.

She wants to get something on the scoreboard before Secretary Gao leaves, so that Gao has a reason to promote her early and let her take over his position.

"Right, that must be it!"

Zhou Zheng’s train of thought cleared up at once, and his expression darkened.

"My seat is not that easy to take."

Zhou Zheng snorted heavily, and a plan instantly surfaced in his mind.

If he wants to keep his current seat and enter the Provincial Committee, he has only two options.

First, deliver achievements no one can ignore—boosting the economy is the best kind of achievement.

But that’s very hard, and given that his own connections are average, it’s even harder for him.

Second, create trouble!

Even if he himself can’t deliver, as long as Wu Qiangwei also fails to deliver, then they’re still standing on the same starting line.

Even if Secretary Gao wants to promote her, he’ll lack justification.

Didn’t Wu Qiangwei have pretty good talks with several foreign firms?

Aren’t they coming to Jiangzhou for an inspection?

An inspection doesn’t mean they will definitely land.

No matter how strong their intent, as long as some "accident" happens during the inspection, hey, then this cooperation will basically fall through.

Yes, Zhou Zheng plans to throw a wrench in the works and sabotage!

For him, bringing a company in is difficult, but suppressing one is very simple.

He actually does hope Jiangzhou develops better, but since his own future is at stake, he can only temporarily shelve Jiangzhou’s development and focus on his own political path.

"Blame it on Secretary Gao!"

If Secretary Gao would let him into the Provincial Committee, he absolutely wouldn’t do something that harms all of Jiangzhou.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Sun Jiajun’s number.

Since he’s now out of town, the wrecking work can only be done by someone else.

And Sun Jiajun is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.

First, he’s the Deputy Mayor.

Second, he’s been suppressed by Wu Qiangwei and is practically invisible in the City Government.

Now that there’s a chance to go after Wu Qiangwei, he believes Sun Jiajun will never let it pass.

"Secretary Zhou, what can I do for you?"

"I’m not disturbing you, am I?" Zhou Zheng said with a cheerful smile. "I’ve heard some news."

He immediately told him about Wu Qiangwei’s investment promotion.

Recently, Sun Jiajun has been busy running around cultivating connections, tagging along with Secretary Tian to sweep graves and cry at the tomb, visiting Director Zhang of the provincial NDRC.

He’s ignoring official duties, devoting himself to social maneuvering, and relishing it.

Listening to Zhou Zheng, he felt a bit disgruntled inside.

He and Wu Qiangwei, one is the number one, the other the number two.

Look at that number one: she’s making the economy boom, and that industrial park that several consecutive mayors didn’t dare touch—she not only touched it, she even swore she’d revitalize it.

Then look at him: doing no proper work all day, nothing but maneuvering and more maneuvering.

"No wonder it’s Mayor Wu, she really gets things done clean and fast." Sun Jiajun said sourly.

Zhou Zheng could hear the jealousy and said, "They’re just coming over for inspection; whether it works out is still up in the air."

Sun Jiajun said, "If they’re willing to inspect, that’s more than half done already. Secretary Zhou, you don’t have to comfort me, I’m not that fragile. Mayor Wu just has a better background than me. If I had half her background, I’d do no worse than she does."

Although the two are partners, Zhou Zheng truly looks down on this guy.

In officialdom, background does matter, but you’re a Deputy Mayor—your rank isn’t low to begin with.

If you put someone with a bit of ability in this position, he wouldn’t have ended up like this.

A fantastic hand of cards played into a complete mess, yet he still thinks it’s all because his hand wasn’t good.

This is a classic case of useless and clueless.

"Yeah, Mayor Wu’s background is good—that’s something we can’t compete with."

Zhou Zheng echoed, then said, "But I really am not comforting you. As long as the contract isn’t signed, there’s always uncertainty. For example, if while inspecting, they go whoring and get caught, wouldn’t the whole thing be dead?"

"They’re not idiots..." Sun Jiajun suddenly stopped, his throat feeling like someone had grabbed it, and he jolted to the realization.

What did Zhou Zheng mean by that?

"Secretary Zhou..."

"If these foreign firms land, next year Mayor Wu will very likely replace me. But if she fails to deliver, then next year, I’ll have a very high chance of entering the Provincial Committee."

Zhou Zheng said, "Once Mayor Wu becomes City Secretary, the Mayor’s seat won’t go to you. But if I enter the Provincial Committee, that ’Vice’ in front of your title is bound to come off sooner or later."

He hadn’t explicitly said what he wanted Sun Jiajun to do.

But as long as you’re not an idiot, you can hear perfectly well what he’s getting at.

Sun Jiajun fell silent.

Zhou Zheng had handed him a choice.

Keep being a marginalized number two.

Or take a risk and go for it?

After thinking it over again and again, Sun Jiajun still decided that wealth comes from danger.

"Which foreign companies are coming for inspection?" Sun Jiajun asked.

Zhou Zheng had guessed he’d definitely stand on his side, and with a smile, he told him the information on those foreign firms.

After hanging up, Zhou Zheng felt that the tiredness from a whole day’s work was swept away; he was energized.

...

After putting down the phone, Sun Jiajun immediately wrote down the names of those foreign firms.

"Too impulsive!"

Staring at the names of those foreign companies on his notebook, Sun Jiajun suddenly felt a bit regretful.

Because he realized that he had no one he could use.

He’s actually been in Jiangzhou for quite some time, yet he hasn’t cultivated anyone who can do dirty work.

Especially this kind of dirty work of setting people up—if it’s not a trusted confidant, you can’t even mention it.

Sun Jiajun looked troubled, but he also knew that this itself was Zhou Zheng testing him.

If he can’t even pull this off, he has no standing to talk to Zhou Zheng as an equal.

He searched his mind, and the figure of his secretary flashed by...

Secretary Ma Hongyuan has been with him for more than half a year; this young man works with real drive, and he used to be from Secretary Section Two, so his professional competence is pretty good.

The tasks Sun Jiajun gave him, he completed very well.

But this kind of job, Sun Jiajun just couldn’t bring himself to entrust to him.

To put it bluntly, he finds it hard to trust Ma Hongyuan.

"Right, Zhang Yan!"

Sun Jiajun’s eyes lit up—he’d actually forgotten about her.