Power and Wealth

Chapter 1821

In the small conference room.

The atmosphere had become incredibly tense.

Everyone's expressions were far from natural; some looked shocked, some were surprised, some had darkened faces, and others wore complex expressions.

Only Dong Xuebing smiled as if nothing had happened, as if his previous words were casually thrown out without any sense of importance or impropriety. When it came to keeping calm, Dong Xuebing's skill was unparalleled; he could maintain a smile even in life-and-death situations, let alone in this scenario. This composure was honed through years of experience. Moreover, his previous remarks were not spontaneous; he had been planning them since the morning and even had thought of them while in a taxi after leaving Su Yan’s house the night before. So, he was naturally prepared.

He was prepared, but the others were not.

Everyone was utterly incredulous, momentarily stunned to even consider whether Dong Xuebing's move was a misstep. It was just too unexpected.

Holding a standing committee meeting while at a disadvantage.

In a disadvantageous standing committee meeting, publicly wrestling with the county chief.

Even after encountering resistance, he demanded a vote without hearing other opinions.

Any county party secretary would find it impossible to pull off even one of these three actions. After all, this wasn’t a joking matter; it concerned the future leadership’s authority in the county and who would hold more sway in future work, especially the last point about voting. It was utterly unimaginable. You’re a newly appointed county party secretary who hasn’t grasped the situation yet, hasn’t even spoken with the other standing committee members, and you dare to ask for a vote directly? Your audacity is astonishing; this gamble is far too reckless.

This meant it was time to form factions.

Or rather, to force everyone to take sides through voting.

You’re moving too fast; it’s only your first day in office!

The people aligned with County Chief Zhang felt they couldn't keep up with Dong Xuebing's thought process; the shifts were too drastic to process. Those three missteps were the mistakes even leaders with some political savvy wouldn’t make. But Dong Xuebing? He managed to deploy all three missteps within half an hour, each one coming right after the other, all with a smile on his face.

But were they missteps?

Communication.

Dialogue.

Not necessary.

“If you want to side with me, then do it. I won't say a word if you want to align with Zhang Dongfang. I’m the county party secretary and don’t need to beg you for your support. Don’t expect me to talk to each of you individually and make promises. That’s not my character.” Dong Xuebing believed he had expressed this very clearly in his previous remarks.

The meeting room fell silent for a long time.

Everyone looked at each other, not saying a word.

At this moment, Meng Hanmei began to grasp Dong Xuebing's intention behind his decisive move. She couldn’t help but look at him in surprise. This tactic was indeed risky, but it also represented a strategic maneuver. This first standing committee meeting would be a resounding success if it worked.

Several temporarily neutral standing committee members exchanged glances.

Seeing this, Zhang Dongfang finally said, “Now the provincial office is doing anonymous voting; let’s use the ballot box. Everyone can vote anonymously, and...” Zhang Dongfang’s intention was clear: he wanted to alleviate the pressure on the other neutral members and prevent them from feeling rushed to take sides. With five people on his side, he had five votes secured. As long as the others did not hastily take sides—even if just one abstained—Zhang Dongfang could tie the vote with Dong Xuebing. In this way, he would have already gained the upper hand. Moreover, under pressure from Dong Xuebing, this softer approach could also sway the neutral members toward his side.

But Dong Xuebing interrupted him, “This isn’t about anything else; it’s simply an appointment for personnel. Personnel appointments must be public and fair. Given the current scrutiny, otherwise, there will always be people gossiping. A public vote also holds us accountable for our choices. If this person encounters issues later, we’ll know who voted for him, right?”

Dong Xuebing maintained his assertive stance.

After speaking, Dong Xuebing waved his hand, “Let’s hear everyone’s stance. I’ll start: I believe the position of deputy director of the finance bureau is better suited for Sun Anshi.”

At this point, everyone was compelled to vote, even if they didn’t want to. Dong Xuebing’s demeanor left no room for abstention. While they technically could abstain, everyone understood that if they did not support Dong Xuebing’s proposal, it would be seen as taking a side, effectively yielding the same result. Abstaining might be even worse, as it signified a lack of clear stance or allegiance. If they abstained now, especially after Dong Xuebing and Zhang Dongfang were already at odds, they risked displeasing both sides. Even if they didn’t join Dong Xuebing’s camp, Zhang Dongfang might not take them seriously.

Thus, there were only two choices left:

Support Dong Xuebing or support Zhang Dongfang.