Nominal: The Handong Game, the Energy System's Counterattack

Sun Liancheng had to use all his persuasion and even pulling and tugging to get Zhao Dehan back in his seat and calm him down.

"Brother Liancheng, I support your approach to dealing with Li Dakang."

"If he can shift the blame to you, why can't you shirk it? That doesn't make sense."

"We've both been in this system for so many years, so the first thing we need to do is protect ourselves. Only by being useful can we play our part."

"Are you saying, Sun Liancheng, that you're lazy and inactive?"

"That's a joke! If you, Sun Liancheng, were lazy and incompetent, would Guangming District's economy have remained the number one in Jingzhou for so many years?"

"Moreover, a project as large as Bright Peak, with an investment of tens of billions, that's a lot of taxpayers' money!"

"The more important a project is, the less we should rush it."

"If something goes wrong, no one can afford to take the responsibility."

"As cadres, we must prioritize and take the lead in serving the people."

"And then there's the matter of the Dafeng Factory. Everyone knows there are problems there. We'll figure out a solution together."

"We can't let this continue. You've been there, and I've been there once too."

"Given the state of the scene, something could happen at any moment. If something does occur, we will be held responsible."

Sun Liancheng looked at Zhao Dehan, the wariness in his eyes completely gone.

Instead, a complex emotion arose, a mixture of surprise,感动, and a glimmer of hope.

He worked in Guangming District for nearly twenty years and witnessed its development step by step.

Only he knows how much he sacrificed.

The first time, a district party secretary said that the work of serving the people should be put first.

This was the first time a leader had said something like, "Let's shoulder this together."

When Ding Yizhen was in power, he never cared about these specific tasks; he only cared about whether the land could be sold and whether the investors could be satisfied.

Li Dakang is a results-oriented person. He only cares about how many tasks you have completed, and never cares how difficult the process is.

"Secretary Zhao, I am so pleased that you would say that."

Sun Liancheng's voice was choked with emotion. "I've been in Guangming District for almost twenty years, and to be honest, it's been quite tough."

"It's not the work that's tiring, it's the mind."

"You probably know what happened to Ding Yizhen when he was in the Guangming District."

"We have to listen to him in everything, he gets all the credit, and if anything goes wrong, it's all my responsibility, Sun Liancheng's responsibility."

"Secretary Li doesn't trust me either. In his eyes, I can only do some miscellaneous tasks. If I can't do things according to his wishes, then I'm not the kind of cadre he wants."

"Now that you're here, I don't care whether you can really change anything or not."

"But at least you're willing to listen to me and have the intention to truly solve the problem, and I'm already very grateful."

"Haha, Lao Sun, I, Zhao Dehan, am the son of a farmer."

"I don't really care about GDP or anything like that."

"What I care about are the issues that the masses care about, and what they care about most is their current life."

"When it comes to us cadres, in the end, it all comes down to serving the people."

"Although many people think this is just empty talk."

"But I, Zhao Dehan, have always felt that when we cadres do things, we must be true to our conscience and live up to the word 'people'."

When Zhao Dehan said this, he wasn't very passionate.

Instead, his tone was somewhat wistful, which made Sun Liancheng believe what he said even more.

Sun Liancheng was certain that Zhao Dehan's words came from the bottom of his heart.

A cadre who has worked his way up from the grassroots for more than 20 years, he is neither greedy nor corrupt.

I just wanted to do something practical, but I ended up being used as a tool and a scapegoat by those above me.

Sun Liancheng is experiencing this kind of distress and helplessness.

But today, there are people who understand him and share his simple ideas.

Although the other party had not experienced it firsthand, Sun Liancheng believed that Zhao Dehan could fully understand.

"Secretary Zhao, I understand what you're saying, because I'm that kind of person too."

Sun Liancheng stood up abruptly, picked up his wine glass, and said, "There's no need to say anything; it's all in the wine."

"Cheers." Zhao Dehan also stood up, and the two of them finished their drinks together, laughing in unison.

"District Chief Sun, don't worry," Zhao Dehan said solemnly.

"When I, Zhao Dehan, do things, I focus on the issue, not the person."

"As long as you are dedicated to serving the people and work diligently, I will fully support you."

"As you know, I came to Handong with my former leader, Governor Zhou."

"He is very concerned about my work. The day before yesterday, he even called me over to ask about the situation."

"I reported to him what I knew about Guangming District, and Governor Zhou also attached great importance to it."

"He also came from a ministry, and like me, he genuinely wanted to do something practical in Handong."

"Old Sun, to put it bluntly, in the past, I, Zhao Dehan, had no backing and no political resources."

"But in Handong, Governor Zhou is my backer, Zhao Dehan."

"If you encounter any difficulties in the future, just tell me directly. If I can't solve them, I won't bother my old leader, Vice Governor Zhou, with my shame."

Zhao Dehan brought up Zhou Chuyi at Zhou Chuyi's behest.

Sure enough, Sun Liancheng's eyes lit up noticeably when he heard those words.

He knew that Zhao Dehan was no ordinary person; he had come down from a ministry along with Zhou Chuyi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Governor.

But he didn't expect Zhou Chuyi to care so much about Zhao Dehan and to directly inquire about matters in the Guangming District.

This means that the work in Guangming District is not only a matter for Jingzhou City, but has also come into the view of the provincial Party Committee Standing Committee leaders.

Moreover, he had heard that this Vice Governor Zhou was no ordinary person.

Upon his arrival, Governor Liu assigned him to oversee several key areas of the province.

To put it bluntly, his actual power surpasses that of He Zhenhui, the executive vice governor.

Since Governor Liu is holding concurrent positions, he should be treated as the next governor.

There is a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee who is paying attention to the work in their Guangming District.

This is undoubtedly a huge encouragement for a district head who has long been marginalized.

The reason why Sun Liancheng felt so frustrated in the Guangming District was largely due to...

The reason is that his old leader retired, his political resources dried up, and he had no powerful backer.

Over the years, he has come to see things clearly.

In the current political climate in Handong, no matter how much he does, it's useless if he doesn't have a powerful backer.

Having spent nearly twenty years navigating the complexities of officialdom, he certainly understood Zhao Dehan's meaning.

Just now, Zhao Dehan had already made it clear, both openly and subtly, that he was one of Governor Zhou's men.

At this point, he was already somewhat tempted.

But what he said next made Sun Liancheng's eyes light up.

"Old Sun, as you probably know, this time when I came to Handong with Governor Zhou, Mayor Wu also came back with me."

"I can tell you with certainty that this is not a coincidence."

"Governor Zhou told me that as long as we are doing the right thing, Mayor Wu will also support us in Jingzhou in the future."

What? Wu Xiongfei has also sided with Governor Zhou? Sun Liancheng was somewhat excited.

"We're not without people in power right now."

"As long as we focus on our work, we won't be ignored like before."

"Old Sun, I've also mentioned your situation to Governor Zhou."

"Governor Zhou specifically instructed me that he is aware of your years of dedication and perseverance, and recognizes your character and ability."

"In Guangming District, as long as we perform our duties conscientiously, act with integrity, serve the people wholeheartedly, and do not engage in factionalism or corruption, we will be fine."

"Governor Zhou, as a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Governor, is our strongest backing."

"I don't need to depend on anyone, I don't need to fear anyone, and I don't need to be a scapegoat or do things in a wronged manner anymore."

Zhao Dehan made his intentions clear: "I have Zhou Chuyi behind me. Sun Liancheng, do you want to come with me?"

Having had enough of a leader like Li Dakang, and based on Zhao Dehan's account, Sun Liancheng knew that Zhou Chuyi valued people who got things done.

The key point is that he's willing to mentor his subordinates.

Zhao Dehan, a section chief, followed Zhou Chuyi to Handong and directly became a department-level cadre.

With a leader like that, if you don't rely on the past, do you expect Li Dakang to promote him?

"Secretary Zhao, your words are enough. From now on, I will definitely cooperate with you fully."