At this moment, the two fence-sitters were still in a dazed state.
Faced with Chen Bin’s sudden question, the two exchanged glances.
After analyzing the situation on the ground, they finally nodded slightly.
"We support Su Xiangqian!"
Seeing that they indeed said this, Chen Bin couldn’t help but sneer internally.
Then he continued, "Since the candidate to replace Bai Xiang has already been decided, let’s decide on Su Xiangqian’s replacement too. In my opinion, Yao Pang, the Party Secretary of Shiqiao Town, is a good fit."
In the ensuing discussion, everyone settled the matter.
Su Xiangqian would replace Bai Xiang, Yao Pang would replace Su Xiangqian, and Jia Fugui would take over as Shiqiao Town’s Party Secretary.
As for Ding Zi, she was appointed as the magistrate of Qinghe Town.
Logically, this Standing Committee meeting should have been presided over by Ye Hong.
But now, with Chen Bin taking the upper hand, the situation was starting to tilt to one side.
Ye Hong sat in his chair, his face ashen, deeply puzzled.
He truly couldn’t understand why things had suddenly turned out this way.
"The personnel issues have been resolved; now let’s discuss the iron mining project!"
As soon as Chen Bin spoke, all eyes turned to Ye Hong once again.
Ye Hong’s expression gradually turned icy.
Chen Bin, without any foundation, directly said,
"I actually understand that the decision to mine iron ore happened too abruptly at the time. Some people confused everyone, leading to mistaken opinions. Now that we’ve had time to cool down, I want to hear your most honest thoughts."
Yu Jiang knew it was time to show loyalty, so he immediately stood up to speak.
"I think our county is indeed not suited for heavy industry projects! After all, the greenhouse vegetable initiative has already been recognized by the provincial leadership, so we should focus on doing it well. Being half-hearted won’t do anyone any good!"
Then, others spoke up one after another.
Some said more, some less, but without exception, they all opposed the iron ore project.
Already in a foul mood, Ye Hong grew furious seeing so many people rally behind Chen Bin.
He slammed the table and stood up abruptly.
Shouting angrily, "What do you all think you’re doing? I’m the secretary of the County Committee! Are you trying to rebel?!"
However, facing Ye Hong’s squinty eyes, everyone looked indifferent.
After all, to the victor go the spoils; with Ye Hong at a disadvantage now, it was only natural for many to push him when he was down.
Sweeping his gaze over the group, Ye Hong continued to reprimand them.
"Previously, you all agreed to the iron ore project, and now you’re opposing it. This is a matter of life and death for the entire county, and in your eyes, it’s like child’s play? Can you just change your mind like that?"
At this point, Xiong Wubing retorted.
"It’s a virtue to correct one’s mistakes. If they’ve realized their errors, why shouldn’t they fix them?"
Hearing this, Ye Hong clenched his fists tightly, itching to rush over and beat Xiong Wubing to a pulp.
He had never expected that this young upstart, who had been scheming with Chen Bin the moment he arrived in the county, would oppose him at every turn.
But given the situation now, Ye Hong knew he couldn’t act rashly.
Otherwise, his time as the secretary of the County Committee would come to an end.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Hong spoke in a low voice.
"Our resolution was approved by the Municipal Committee. On what basis do you claim it was a mistake?!"
Chen Bin stood up, confronting him head-on.
"You’re saying you got the Municipal Committee’s approval? Then show me the document. Let me take a look."
"This... Secretary Cao gave verbal approval. There’s no document."
"So what you’re saying is, you have no evidence to back it up and can just say whatever you want?"
Ye Hong’s brows furrowed tightly, and his expression suddenly darkened.
"What do you mean? Are you accusing me of lying?"
"That’s right, I am accusing you of lying!"
Seeing how Chen Bin showed no intention of sparing him, Ye Hong’s face turned beet red with anger.
He immediately roared, "If you have the guts, let’s confront Secretary Cao about this directly. Do you dare?!"
"Why wouldn’t I dare? Let’s go!"
With that, the two left the meeting room together.
They got into their cars one after the other and headed to the Municipal Committee.
In Ye Hong’s view, going to Cao Sanjin for this matter was utterly disgraceful.
After all, a County Committee secretary who had lost credibility was a sure sign of incompetence.
But things had come to this, and he had no choice.
If Cao Sanjin didn’t step in to support him, the iron ore project would be dead in the water.
When they reached the Municipal Committee and met Cao Sanjin,
Ye Hong immediately explained the situation from beginning to end.
Just as he thought victory was at hand, Cao Sanjin, with a stern face, said,
"I will support any project that promotes economic development. However, whether it can proceed still depends on a review by the Standing Committee. For now, resolve your differences internally before discussing the iron ore project any further."
Ye Hong nodded weakly.
Not daring to argue further, he turned and left.
After returning to Dragon Mountain, he sat in his office in a daze.
Gone was the vigorous spirit he had when he first became secretary of the County Committee.
Now, he looked like a man on the verge of collapse.
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the teacup on his desk and hurled it to the ground with great force.
"Bastards! Why? Yu Jiang and Shi Lei, those two scumbags, why did they betray me?!"
At that moment, a loyal supporter stood up and said,
"Secretary Ye, there’s no need to get so worked up. Yu Jiang and Shi Lei always had a relationship of convenience with you. You should’ve been prepared for their betrayal."
Taking a deep breath, Ye Hong grumbled,
"I have no idea how that bastard Chen Bin managed to win them over. Damn it! They used to swear they were with me, and now they’ve jumped ship just like that. They’re even craftier than monkeys!"
"Don’t get too upset. This is just about missing one deputy magistrate spot. The future is long. As long as you’re still the secretary of Dragon Mountain County, you’ll have a chance to turn things around."
"Do you think they’ll ever come back to support me?"
"They will. As long as you offer enough benefits, they’ll come running back. After all, loyalty counts for nothing when interests are at stake."
Listening to their conversation, Cai Weiguo, who had been sitting silently, suddenly stood up and walked out of the office.
Seeing this, Ye Hong asked coldly, "Are you planning to become a traitor too?"
"I have never been loyal to anyone. How could I be called a traitor?"
With that, Cai Weiguo ignored Ye Hong and walked right out the door.
Witnessing this, Ye Hong broke down and roared again.
"Cai, don’t forget your daughter is still living in my house! If you dare betray me, I’ll destroy her!"
Though Cai Weiguo had always been calculating, hearing this infuriated him.
"Ye Hong, if you’ve lost your mind, go see a doctor! If you dare bring up my daughter again, I won’t let you off!"
The two had never gotten along. It was only because their children had married that their relationship had improved slightly.
Now that Ye Hong intended to burn bridges, Cai Weiguo wasn’t inclined to show any courtesy either.
Standing by the door and locking eyes for a long while, Cai Weiguo finally let out a cold snort and walked away decisively...