Seeing Chen Bin give in, Cai Lixia immediately responded with a smile.
"Then let’s make it May Day, so you can mentally prepare in advance."
Hearing this, Chen Bin finally let out a sigh of relief in his heart.
He had originally thought Cai Lixia intended to have him go today.
"Alright then, let’s see about May Day when the time comes."
However, Cai Lixia’s attitude was unexpectedly firm.
"No, I need an answer from you right now!"
Gently hooking Cai Lixia’s chin with his finger, Chen Bin smirked mischievously and asked.
"What if I refuse to give one?"
Cai Lixia, much like Xu Ruoxuan, was the obedient sort.
Faced with Chen Bin’s playful antics, she was utterly powerless to resist.
But despite feeling intensely embarrassed, she stubbornly replied.
"I don’t care, if you provoke me, you have to take responsibility!"
Chen Bin was about to continue teasing her when her words suddenly made his heart sink.
Letting go, he spoke with a serious expression.
"Whether or not I go to your house will have to wait until after May Day. If you insist on forcing me to decide now, the only answer you’ll get will be a lie."
Taking a deep breath, Cai Lixia nodded with a hint of disappointment.
But she knew that Chen Bin was particularly busy at the moment, so it was normal for him to struggle with long-term planning.
As April drew to a close, on the eve of the county’s Party Standing Committee meeting, Xue Baoguang convened a small-scale meeting.
"I’ve called you all here to discuss the matter of promoting Chen Bin."
Ye Hong immediately asked, "Which position are you considering for him?"
"Deputy County Magistrate in charge of agriculture."
Ye Hong’s expression darkened a little as he shook his head lightly.
"Chen Bin has indeed performed well since arriving in Qinghe Town, but he’s simply too young. He should gain more experience before we discuss promotion."
Xue Baoguang hummed in acknowledgment and then turned to the others.
"What do you all think?"
No one spoke up, instead directing their gaze towards Cai Weiguo.
As the Minister of Organization, Cai Weiguo’s opinion on personnel matters carried significant weight.
However, in Cai Weiguo’s view, Chen Bin was likely to become his future son-in-law.
Naturally, he had no objections to the promotion.
He nodded without expression.
"Our government sorely lacks young people like Chen Bin who dare to think and act boldly. I support his promotion."
Seeing Cai Weiguo dare to oppose him, Ye Hong’s thick face immediately sank.
"Just because Chen Bin’s appeared in the newspaper a few times?"
"Isn’t that reason enough?"
Their eyes locked, and the room instantly filled with tension.
Xue Baoguang observed the situation, calmly took a sip of water, and continued.
"Minister Cai, could you elaborate on your thoughts?"
"Chen Bin has planted fruit trees, helped the locals find work, held training courses, and is now bringing in experts to improve salt-affected lands. Talents like him must be utilized."
At this point, Cai Weiguo glanced at Ye Hong.
"Chen Bin may be young, but that doesn’t mean he can’t handle being Deputy County Magistrate. At least based on his performance in Qinghe Town, there’s no doubt about his personal capabilities. We should prioritize merit, not seniority."
The room went silent, everyone stunned.
No one expected Cai Weiguo to support Chen Bin so strongly.
Ye Hong sneered and stared intently at Cai Weiguo.
"I heard your daughter is dating Chen Bin? Your points are completely invalid."
Shaking his head lightly, Cai Weiguo replied with an unwavering expression.
"That’s just a baseless rumor. Lixia hasn’t mentioned anything like that."
Xue Baoguang ignored their exchange and continued his own thoughts.
"Since Chen Bin is so capable, then tomorrow he’ll be formally nominated in the Standing Committee meeting. After we go through the procedures, his appointment will take effect after May Day."
Frowning, Ye Hong said unhappily.
"If Chen Bin moves to the county-level position, who’ll take over as Qinghe Town’s leader?"
"He can continue to hold both roles."
Ye Hong snorted, visibly agitated.
"I don’t agree with that! How can a Deputy County Magistrate also serve as a township leader?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the others, seeking support.
But before anyone could respond, Xue Baoguang continued decisively.
"I’ve already consulted Secretary Cao on Chen Bin’s position change, and he approved."
The room fell silent again, everyone shocked.
Cai Weiguo and the others who hadn’t spoken earlier all quietly sighed in relief.
Meanwhile, Ye Hong silently cursed Xue Baoguang’s ancestors.
After the meeting, Xue Baoguang immediately called Chen Bin to his office.
"I called you here for nothing else—just wanted to let you know in advance. The county plans to promote you to Deputy County Magistrate to oversee agriculture, forestry, and water affairs."
For Chen Bin, this outcome wasn’t particularly exciting.
After all, his impressive track record made promotion logical.
Nonetheless, he expressed the requisite gratitude.
"Thank you for the organization’s trust. In my new position, I will continue working hard to deliver more tangible benefits to the people."
"Good, I believe you! By the way, regarding your promotion, I’ve also consulted Secretary Cao, and he supports it."
Xue Baoguang added this detail, seemingly as a precaution.
Although he didn’t know the nature of the relationship between Cao Sanjin and Chen Bin, mentioning it now could avoid future complications.
"I didn’t expect Secretary Xue to make a special trip to the city for this matter. Thank you so much."
Chen Bin wasn’t entirely clear on Dragon Mountain County’s political dynamics.
But his instincts told him that without Cao Sanjin’s support, achieving promotion wouldn’t have been easy.
"No need to thank me. With your talents, promotion was inevitable. But I must remind you, serving as Deputy County Magistrate while continuing as Qinghe Town’s leader will likely be very demanding."
"Understood, thank you for the reminder."
Despite working in Dragon Mountain County for four years, Xue Baoguang remained a relatively passive figure.
Now with his transfer imminent, he couldn’t help offering advice.
"When working under County Magistrate Ye, be extra cautious. He’s not an ordinary person."
Chen Bin hadn’t expected such blunt words.
Briefly surprised, he nonetheless nodded.
"Thank you for the warning, Secretary Xue. I’ll be careful."
Leaving Xue Baoguang’s office, Chen Bin hesitated but eventually headed towards Ye Hong’s office.
After all, he was about to become Ye Hong’s deputy. No matter the situation, formal courtesy was necessary.
It would preemptively avoid trouble with Ye Hong in the future.
Standing at Ye Hong’s door, Chen Bin knocked lightly, only to hear a furious shout from inside.
Clearly, Ye Hong was in a bad mood.
Chen Bin realized this at once.
But he had already knocked, so retreating now would only make things worse.
Resolutely, he gritted his teeth and decided to push the door open...