At the moment when Wang Jun was isolated and without support, someone suddenly stood up.
"Our Qingshi County indeed has coal mines, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we must develop heavy industry. After all, none of us here are experts. Blindly mining might not lead to better development."
This person was someone promoted by Wang Jun after he became the top leader.
Because he didn’t have much background, he could only rely on Wang Jun as his fallback.
Under his lead, some people began to stand up and rebut Huang Ming.
Seeing the scene becoming increasingly chaotic, Chen Bin lightly coughed and looked at Xu Ruoxuan.
The latter instantly understood his intention, stood up, and said.
"I believe actions should be grounded in reality. We don’t always have to follow what others are doing. In recent years, our Qingshi County had overly focused on developing agriculture, which was too rash. We cannot repeat the same mistake now."
For Huang Ming, who had the backing of Mayor Wu, none of the people present seemed significant.
Only when facing Xu Ruoxuan did he feel compelled to act cautiously.
In a bid to seize the opportunity and build a better rapport with Xu Ruoxuan.
Huang Ming slightly shook his head, and those under him all chose to remain silent.
Witnessing this, Wang Jun felt utterly humiliated.
He suddenly shouted, "The development path for Qingshi County is still up for discussion. Let’s address it in the next meeting."
With that, he got up and left immediately.
Chen Bin didn’t hesitate and quickly followed suit.
Back in the office, Wang Jun became furious once more.
He even smashed the water cup he usually drank from to pieces.
Chen Bin stood silently to the side.
He understood Wang Jun’s feelings very well at that moment.
As the top leader, to be embarrassed publicly by Huang Ming was a big deal.
Who knows how much of a disgrace it would be if word about this got out!
After Wang Jun finished venting, Chen Bin finally spoke slowly.
"Godfather, calm down first. Today’s issue was actually our mistake."
"You’re saying it was my fault? I..."
Wang Jun wanted to lash out, but considering the other party was Chen Bin, he forced himself to suppress his anger.
"Xiao Bin, why would you say that? Do you believe sacrificing the interests of the common people to chase political achievements is right?"
"No, I’ve always stood on the same front as you. My point is that we underestimated the situation."
"Then tell me, what should I do now?"
After a brief pause, Chen Bin began to speak slowly.
"I think it’s better to go with the flow."
Frowning deeply, Wang Jun remained silent.
Clearly, he was displeased with Chen Bin’s answer.
So, Chen Bin continued to explain.
"Huang Ming is in an advantageous position right now. If you can’t confront him directly, let him do what he wants. If he achieves success, you’ll share the credit; if issues arise, he’ll bear the main responsibility, and at most, you might be seen as having failed oversight."
Exhaling deeply, Wang Jun’s expression finally eased a bit.
Chen Bin added, "Let him take charge of heavy industry. We can slowly focus on building the distillery. Later, we can introduce some challenges for him, which might help alleviate the grudge in your heart!"
Nodding slightly, Wang Jun found his words sensible.
With Huang Ming currently gaining momentum, forcing him to focus on light industry would likely result in half-hearted efforts.
It would be better to let the enemy operate openly while staying hidden, minimizing losses.
"Alright, let’s go with your approach!"
While Wang Jun was furious, the County Magistrate’s office was filled with laughter and joy.
Zhou Jiajun looked at Huang Ming with admiration.
"County Magistrate Huang, you’re truly incredible. Not only did you humiliate Wang Jun, but you also sent a warning to those fence-sitters. From now on, the most influential person in our county will be you."
Nodding smugly, Huang Ming was visibly pleased.
"I wanted Wang Jun to realize today that even though I’m technically ranked second, my actual power is far greater than his!"
Amid his satisfaction, Zhou Jiajun displayed a trace of worry.
"You embarrassed Wang Jun today. He surely won’t let this slide easily. What if he plots against us in secret?"
With a cold sneer, Huang Ming’s face was full of confidence.
"If even you can anticipate that, what makes you think I haven’t? Let me tell you this: the coal-mining project is already a done deal. Wang Jun will have no choice but to comply!"
That afternoon, Wang Jun received a call from Mayor Wu Liang.
Asking him to make a trip to the city government.
Wang Jun didn’t hesitate; upon agreeing, he immediately asked Cheng Zhuang to drive him to the city.
Instead of meeting Wu Liang first, he chose to visit the Municipal Party Committee and meet with Secretary Li Lu.
Upon hearing what had transpired during the morning meeting, Li Lu raised an eyebrow and asked.
"So you’ve decided to follow Huang Ming’s plan?"
Wang Jun nodded slowly.
"My true intention is still to develop light industry, but his proposal garnered broad support. Opposing it would seem like being overly autocratic, so I must prioritize the bigger picture."
Li Lu’s eyes showed a hint of amusement at this response.
"You are quite candid."
Wang Jun replied earnestly.
"I never dare to lie in front of Secretary Li. I owe my position as Qingshi County’s top leader entirely to your favor, and I am committed to being honest with you."
Li Lu seemed relatively satisfied with this response.
When he had decided to assist Wang Jun, it wasn’t solely for the tangible benefits.
It was primarily because he saw potential in Wang Jun—not entirely clean, but undoubtedly a good official.
Leaving someone like that idling felt like a waste, so he had done him a favor, helping him rise to power.
"Secretary Wang, as leaders of the Party and government, we must seek truth from facts. Especially when pursuing paths of development for the people. You mentioned your interest in developing light industry—do you have any promising projects in mind?"
"Currently, only a white liquor project. I believe if sufficiently developed, it can strongly drive local economic growth."
"I see. Then I think you should give light industry some attention as well. We leaders must learn to balance our strategies."
"Alright, I’ll follow your guidance."
After a moment of thought, Li Lu added with subtle implication.
"Since heavy industry damages the ecosystem, your focus on the liquor industry should aim to minimize pollution. Start small and grow gradually."
"Alright, thank you for your advice, Secretary Li."
Leaving Li Lu’s office, Wang Jun finally chose to visit the city government and meet Wu Liang.
He felt that he lacked strong backing in the city.
Cultivating a relationship with Li Lu seemed undeniably advantageous.
Arriving at the city government, Wang Jun immediately knocked on the door to Wu Liang’s office.
Upon receiving permission, he wasted no time taking the initiative.
"Mayor Wu, our county held a meeting this morning. County Magistrate Huang proposed focusing on heavy industrial development, which garnered substantial support. This is a significant matter, and I find it challenging to decide on my own—what are your thoughts?"