Currently, Zhou Shan He, Sun Lian Cheng’s patron, is serving as the acting mayor of Jingzhou City. The old secretary, Xu Kai Qiang, is now a member of the Standing Committee of the Han Dong Provincial Committee and the Executive Vice Governor.
Sun Lian Cheng and Xu Kai Qiang haven’t met many times, but their relationship is still good.
Xu Kai Qiang’s promotion was achieved thanks to the recommendation of the provincial committee, as well as the recognition of Yunzhou City's development by the higher authorities.
By 1998, Yunzhou City's economy had already jumped to the third place in Han Dong Province, and it will undoubtedly advance further next year.
It may seem less impressive compared to other cities, but its speed of progress is astounding!
In just a few short years, it has surpassed the achievements of other cities over a decade.
And this was all accomplished without much support from the provincial committee and the higher authorities. It’s no wonder everyone values Xu Kai Qiang so much for his achievements.
With a Standing Committee member of the provincial committee backing him up, things should be much better, right?
Sun Lian Cheng arrived in Jingzhou City to take up his new post, with everything seemingly normal.
As per protocol, he was escorted by the organization department. Qi Lei, the district secretary of Guangming District, and Ji Chun Lai, the district mayor, warmly welcomed him.
All this made Sun Lian Cheng secretly suspicious. What went wrong? Was there some change in circumstances that led to his stagnation in rank?
With these doubts in his mind, Sun Lian Cheng kept a low profile after arriving in Guangming District. He needed time to observe the situation.
But the more he observed, the more shocked he became!
Among the numerous members of the provincial committee, the top leader was a stranger to him and wasn’t mentioned in the drama.
However, the hidden big boss, Zhao Li Chun, from the drama, is now the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Committee and the Governor. This is a powerful figure who has had a significant influence on Han Dong Province for many years!
Simultaneously, the Deputy Chief Procurator of the Han Dong Provincial People's Procuratorate is Chen Yan Shi, who is now retired. However, his influence is still considerable.
Most others are still serving in local positions. Sun Lian Cheng wasn’t particularly interested in them before, so he paid no attention to their situations.
But after observing them for a while, he suddenly felt a sense of urgency!
Li Da Kang is currently serving as the Deputy Mayor of Yantai City and the Secretary of the Jinshan County Party Committee, while Gao Yu Liang is now the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission in Luzhou City.
As for Qi Tong Wei and the others…
Sun Lian Cheng discovered that Qi Tong Wei is still serving as a Deputy Chief of the Public Security Bureau in Yantai City and is about to embark on a rapid promotion path.
He couldn’t find information about others like Chen Hai and Hou Liang Ping for the time being. They are still at a relatively low level, so Sun Lian Cheng didn't bother looking into them.
The only person Sun Lian Cheng was particularly interested in was Liu Han Ting, the Standing Committee member of the Provincial Committee and the Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee, who later became Governor Liu.
This powerful figure could also be considered a patron, but now he and Zhou Shan He are not only colleagues but also represent different factions.
Sun Lian Cheng has already been deeply associated with Zhou Shan He and Xu Kai Qiang. Wouldn’t it be suicidal to seek his patronage at this point?
From every angle, Sun Lian Cheng felt this was an unsolvable problem. He could only take things one step at a time.
Even so, Sun Lian Cheng was confused by these powerful figures on the surface.
He had no idea who was behind Zhou Shan He and Xu Kai Qiang, but he could confidently assume it wasn't Zhao Li Chun!
If it were Zhao Li Chun, would Sun Lian Cheng have been stuck in a rut for so long?
So he boldly guessed that in the future, either Xu Kai Qiang and Zhou Shan He would be transferred, or they would fall from grace or retire.
Otherwise, why would Sun Lian Cheng have been stuck on the bench for so many years?
There were too many questions, making Sun Lian Cheng feel a headache.
Fortunately, he wasn’t ambitious, so he was quite relaxed about these matters.
Moreover, seeing that he had been in his new position for over a month without any action, even Zhou Shan He began to worry.
So, while Sun Lian Cheng was still lying flat, Zhou Shan He summoned him.
“Lian Cheng, what’s going on with you? It’s been over a month, have you come up with any new plans?”
Sun Lian Cheng awkwardly chuckled, “Old leader, I… cough, I’ve just been getting acquainted with the situation in the district. I haven’t had time to think about plans yet!”
Zhou Shan He was a little angry, “I think you don’t have time, but rather no intention. I heard you’ve been inquiring about the relationships of various leaders. What’s going on? Are you aiming for a promotion? Do you think your current position is too low?”
Sun Lian Cheng hastily explained, “Old leader, I never thought that way! You know me, I don’t care about high or low positions. As long as I can serve the people, it doesn't matter what position I'm in!”
“If that's the case, then why are you so procrastinating this time?”
“Well…” Sun Lian Cheng’s mind raced, “Old leader, I've just arrived in Jingzhou. I'm afraid I might cause trouble for you.”
“Cause trouble? What trouble could you cause? Even I'm not afraid, what are you afraid of?”
“Hehe, this is the provincial capital, after all. There are so many big shots. I have to be careful, right?”
Zhou Shan He looked at him carefully, sensing that he was hiding some secrets.
Although that was a valid reason, Sun Lian Cheng never seemed so cautious when he served in local positions.
When he was in Yi’an County, Sun Lian Cheng seemed quite carefree, not caring at all about the political stance or connections of others.
How come he’s changed so much in Jingzhou?
Despite various uncertainties, he didn’t have time to delve deeper into this matter.
“Alright, I don’t care about your little schemes, but remember, I didn’t summon you here for you to fool around. Get rid of your laziness and work hard to achieve some results!”
Sun Lian Cheng said with a hint of difficulty, “Old leader, achieving some results is no problem, but I don’t have any leads right now!”
“If you don’t have any leads, go back and think. Let me know when you have something. But be quick!”
“Yes, yes, I’ll go back then!”
“Wait!” Zhou Shan He called him back, “Did you move into the villa bought by your elder brother, Sun Lian Guo?”
Sun Lian Cheng was taken aback, “Old leader, what’s wrong with that? My brother bought three villas in that area, and our brother and sister each got one. I remember telling you before.”
Zhou Shan He said, “I know, but others don’t!”
“Oh, you mean I should report it?”
“It’s necessary. Otherwise, if someone with ulterior motives wants to investigate you, even if you are innocent, it will be troublesome!”
Sun Lian Cheng hurriedly said, “Yes, I understand! I’ll go report it to the Discipline Inspection Commission right away, to avoid any misunderstandings!”
“Alright, go then!”
Sun Lian Cheng’s files and many other matters were recorded in Yunzhou City, but some were missing here.
Not everything is necessarily recorded in the files, so he had to report it himself.
The secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission had heard some rumors, but he hadn’t expected Sun Lian Cheng to be the one everyone was talking about.
When Sun Lian Cheng reported it, the secretary finally recognized him.