Reborn as a Noble s Son

Chapter 548: Chapter 505: The Bet with My Elder Uncle_1
 

Not far from the Great Hall, there was a small restaurant with tasteful decor. The restaurant sign was also special, named “Only Chu (Chunan Province) has Talent”. It was a typical Hunan restaurant.

Upon entering, there were wooden benches and Eight Immortals’ tables in the hall, decorated in a typical rustic Chunan style.

This kind of local restaurant being opened next to the Great Hall, Nie Zhenbang had some respect for its owner. The courage alone was rather admirable.

The whole restaurant, in addition to the 60-square-meter hall, also had a few private rooms on the second floor. They were named after famous places in Chunan Province.

It seemed that Yang Anguo had been here before. Once he entered, he asked familiarly, “Is the Utopia room occupied?”

After the two men sat down in the private room, the waiter came in with tea and poured them a cup each. Yang Anguo nodded and ordered, “Fry a chili stir-fry meat, a chopped chili fish head, a winter melon spare rib soup. Hmm, also, stir-fry tripe. These four dishes, serve them quickly.”

After the waiter left the private room, Yang Anguo looked at Nie Zhenbang and said, “Nie Zhenbang, you should know that I look down upon you.”

This statement made Nie Zhenbang a bit awkward. His brother-in-law was really unabashed and blunt with no euphemism, expressing his attitude directly.

After some thought, Nie Zhenbang smiled and asked, “Big Brother, any reason for that?”

As he said this, Nie Zhenbang was smiling. Although Yang Anguo was his brother-in-law, Nie Zhenbang wouldn’t take insolence lying down. If someone insulted him because of their status, he might not argue back, but ignoring them would be normal. He didn’t have a masochistic mentality where if someone slapped him, he would offer the other cheek.

At this moment, Yang Anguo seemed to grasp Nie Zhenbang’s meaning. He was a bit surprised and then casually said, “Nie Zhenbang, I have studied you carefully. I must say, I found a very strange problem. Although I despise your messy emotional life, I am somewhat curious about your work.”

After a pause, Yang Anguo continued, “Emotionally speaking, you grew up in an environment that wasn’t very wealthy. Therefore, logically, you shouldn’t have any spirit. But look at you, finding three women. This point is completely unlike you.”

This statement made Nie Zhenbang feel quite depressed. He knew the underlying meaning of the words, implying that being an illegitimate child, he should be very dedicated to love and not commit to messy things. However, on the contrary, he was involved with three women.

For example, even though Yah was taken into the Nie system, wasn’t she still an illegitimate child? Being an illegitimate child himself and irresponsibly fathering another, that wasn’t normal.

Then, Yang Anguo commented again, “Let’s talk about your career development.”

As he spoke, Yang Anguo’s eyes became very sharp. He stared at Nie Zhenbang and in a low voice, he exclaimed, “At first glance, every step you’ve taken seems very risky. Except for the time when you just joined the working group in the youth league central, you didn’t take risky actions. Later on, when you were in New Li City, you knocked out the county party secretary, took down the director of the autonomous regional tax bureau and controlled a bank run. It could be said that your life was like walking on a thin line. Then comes the two years of grinding in the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The things you did were also dangerous but turned the dangerous situation around. Working for a year in Liangxi City, you achieved huge success, and directly confronted the Li family. Now, in WangHai, you have stirred up this storm affecting the central government.”

After a pause, Yang Anguo continued, “At first sight, every promotion of yours is accompanied by danger. However, after careful research, I have discovered a problem.”

At this point, Nie Zhenbang’s heart began to beat fast. This brother-in-law was no simple person, studying his career path so thoroughly. His brother-in-law had always been very low-key, but at the age of thirty-four, he had already attained a high position. He was definitely going to be a strong competitor in the future. However, he couldn’t confront this brother-in-law the same way he did with the Li family. The competition between them could only be a healthy one. Otherwise, even if he wins, he would end up alone and abandoned, and the same could be said for Yang Anguo.

Looking at Yang Anguo, a smile appeared on Nie Zhenbang’s face and he calmly asked, “Big brother, what is the problem you found?”

At this moment, Yang Anguo looked straight at Nie Zhenbang and said word by word, “Along the way, I found that every chess move you make seems very perilous and even a bit adventurous. However, in the end, it always seems that you are correct. This feeling is hard to describe, it’s as if you have the ability to predict the future.”

Hearing this, Nie Zhenbang was a bit taken aback. It was the first time someone had analyzed him so thoroughly. If Yang Anguo hadn’t spoken up, Nie Zhenbang wouldn’t have known that someone understood him so well. Moreover, Yang Anguo’s speculation was incredibly accurate. Wasn’t he a foreseer himself?

“Ha-ha, regardless, your capabilities are truly unmatched. Nie Zhenbang, I admit, among the younger generation of influential families in the country, you are my greatest opponent. If you weren’t my brother-in-law, with my character, I would have stifled someone like you at the first opportunity,” Yang Anguo said with a smile. However, his words hid a sharp edge, which caused Nie Zhenbang to reel.

Internally, he muttered, “Ah, big brother-in-law, I really did underestimate you. From now on, it seems I’ll have to count you among my competitors.”

But on the surface, Nie Zhenbang could only offer a wry laugh and say, “Big brother, I feel honored that I’m even on your radar. It’s a form of recognition for me.”

As soon as his words fell, Yang Anguo’s brows furrowed, and he replied somewhat brusquely, “Don’t be too smug. After this Yuhai smuggling case, I predict you will certainly become a full minister. But I, Yang Anguo, will not easily admit defeat. We still have a lot of time to compete in the future. And, those things you’ve done – such as the sustainable development strategy, public service reception standard, and the rigid requirements for affordable housing – I will inherit every bit of them. While my innovativeness may not match yours, I pride myself on my execution capacity.”

Nie Zhenbang couldn’t help but laugh. As long as these policies got adopted within the country, he would have achieved his goal. If they could be implemented across the country, even if it meant not serving as the General Secretary or reaching the pinnacle of power, it wouldn’t matter at all.

He then turned to Yang Anguo with a smile and asked, “Brother, is this a wager between us?”

A wager?

Upon hearing this term, Yang Anguo froze for a moment but nodded solemnly, “Yes, it’s a wager. Even though I know you have extraordinary capabilities, I’m not afraid. Let’s make a bet. Whenever our time comes, no matter who wins, the loser must fully support the winner. Deal?”

Nie Zhenbang also nodded promptly, “Alright, it’s a deal as you propose.”

As far as competition was concerned, Nie Zhenbang had never been one to back down. Given his vast advantages compared to others, if he still couldn’t win the wager, then it would mean he was utterly incapable.

After having lunch, they parted ways at the restaurant’s entrance. In the afternoon, it was time for the various delegations to meet in separate sessions.

In the Minan Province delegation, the conference chaired by Chen Renqing, the Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, conducted a detailed study and discussion on Premier Yun’s Government Work Report.

Later, Nie Zhenbang sought Qiao Yiren. According to the decision of the National People’s Congress, a proposal generally needs two or more NPC delegates for it to be eligible for discussion at the NPC meeting. As for the three NPC delegates of Wanghai City, they would have no problem signing onto his proposal. However, this was not enough. If he could garner Qiao Yiren’s support, it would significantly boost his odds.

In a small office within Minan Hall in the Great Hall, Qiao Yiren was reading the proposal that Nie Zhenbang had prepared this time around. The proposal was quite lengthy, encompassing more than thirty pages of documents.

Qiao Yiren was reading very carefully and attentively. After half an hour, he put down the documents and said to Nie Zhenbang, who was sitting next to him, “Zhenbang, this proposal is very bold. Afterwards, with the Yuhai smuggling case, demanding a duty-free zone proposal for offshore islands is like roasting Wanghai over fire. The current National Development and Reform Commission, and the State Council, all maintain a cautious attitude towards such a model. It won’t be easy for Wanghai city to get this policy. Moreover, there’s no precedent for such a thing in the country.”

Qiao Yiren saw through the situation. Currently, quite a few places in the country have established bonded zones, with Wanghai city being one of them. However, there is a fundamental difference with a duty-free offshore zone.

A bonded zone, also known as a bond warehouse district, refers to a policy wherein goods can be stored in the zone for an extended period under customs supervision without the need to pay duties unless sold. As for duty-free offshore zones, it’s a completely different concept implying a real tax exemption.

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