Chapter 163: The Battle for the Standing Committee Seat

"I wanted to save Miss Yang first, but by the time we arrived, those villagers had gone mad. They picked up their farm tools and tried to attack us, mistaking us for members of the work crew that had been occupying their land. It’s like trying to reason with a brick wall; I kept explaining our intentions, but the scene was so chaotic that no one would listen."

Qinglong babbled his excuses, feeling quite aggrieved. He had even been slashed on the shoulder by a sickle in the fray, yet to his dismay, he had merely cleared the way for that kid, Zhang Rui, to play the hero and rescue the girl.

"Enough! What’s the point of making excuses?"

Wu Jiong glared at Qinglong before bowing politely toward Yang Tianhe. "Brother, the main point is that Miss Yang was rescued. I really need to discipline these idiots better. It caused you a whole night of worry."

"Fine, that’s enough. You did well. Give Qinglong a reward and take the boys out for a drink to calm their nerves."

Now that his daughter was back safely, Yang Tianhe stopped dwelling on the rescue itself. His mind was entirely occupied by the kidnappers and their motives. In the chaos, the local police had arrived and separated the groups before Qinglong could demand to know who the work crew belonged to. Besides, Qinglong didn't even know if the work crew were the actual culprits. At this moment, the only way to find out who had kidnapped Jiaojiao was to ask Zhang Rui, the man who had saved her.

"Since my brother has given the word, get out of here!"

Wu Jiong pulled twenty thousand in cash from his briefcase, tossed it on the floor, and shooed Qinglong away.

Left alone in the room, Yang Tianhe gestured for Wu Jiong to sit. He poured a cup of premium Dianhong tea that had just arrived from Fujian, took a small sip, and asked, "Wu Jiong, what is your take on this?"

As Yang Tianhe’s driver, Wu Jiong was practically inseparable from him. He knew everything about Yang Tianhe’s affairs; they were two grasshoppers tied to the same rope.

"I feel the other side didn't intend to harm Miss Yang. Their primary goal was to send you a warning. Since it wasn't about money or lust, I suspect this is aimed directly at you. That leaves only one possibility: your political rivals."

Wu Jiong had been with Yang Tianhe for so many years that their thought processes were perfectly synchronized, moving at the exact same rhythm. Yang Tianhe enjoyed talking to him; often, a problem would be sorted out just by discussing it with him.

"The year-end reshuffle is coming up. Deputy Secretary Ma and Vice Mayor Jiang are set for internal retirement, so two spots will naturally open up. If not for the issue at the Cultural Center, my promotion would have been a certainty. Even though the situation has been salvaged, the negative impact remains, and surely someone is salivating at the opportunity."

Yang Tianhe knew clearly that three or four people could directly or indirectly affect his standing. As for who might be behind this dirty play, it was hard to say.

"Well, lately I've noticed Liu Wanquan, the driver for Gu Jing, the Party Secretary of the Bohai District, has been very busy. He’s running to the provincial capital and the municipal government every single day. He won't say what he’s doing, but I feel Gu Jing is quite confident this time. After all, as the largest central district in our city, Bohai holds a certain status in the province and even the country. It is only fitting for Gu Jing to join the Standing Committee."

Wu Jiong knew well that in her early years, Gu Jing had served as the secretary to the current provincial governor. Back then, the governor was only a deputy mayor of a prefecture-level city. Gu Jing had served her leader so well that she followed her all the way to the provincial level, eventually being appointed as the deputy minister of the propaganda department in Bohai District. In just a few years, her rise had been meteoric. For a woman to secure the top position in the Bohai District was rare indeed, and her entry into the Municipal Standing Committee now seemed like a natural progression.

Yang Tianhe nodded in silent agreement. The leaders in the municipal government were all well aware that Gu Jing had already locked in one of the Standing Committee seats. With her former leader now serving as the provincial governor, pushing this through was easy. This meant there was only one seat left for the rest of them to compete for.

As the Vice Mayor in charge of urban construction, Yang Tianhe had made outstanding contributions to Bohai City’s development over the past few years. Rows of skyscrapers and beautiful villas had risen from the ground, which everyone had witnessed. With Vice Mayor Jiang retiring, Yang Tianhe, as the third-ranking Vice Mayor, had a very strong chance of entering the Standing Committee.

"Old Zhou from the Finance Bureau, Vice Mayor Nie in charge of investment promotion, and Qiao Yusheng, the Youth League Committee Secretary born in the 80s who was parachuted in from Xinjiang—they are all potential competitors."

Yang Tianhe had long since circled these names on paper as his rivals. Every day, he pondered their backgrounds, strategies, and overall strength. None of them were ordinary; those who had climbed this high were not to be trifled with.

Especially that Qiao Yusheng. Only in his thirties, he had spent six years in Xinjiang before being parachuted into Bohai City, immediately landing a position at the county level. His connections reached straight to the capital; it was rumored that a certain State Councilor was his uncle.

"Yes, I’ve been thinking it’s those few. By convention, there must be at least two Vice Mayors on the Standing Committee. Executive Vice Mayor Li Yang is a lock. That leaves only one spot for a Vice Mayor. The other seats are occupied by the Discipline Inspection Commission, Propaganda, Political and Legal Affairs, the Bohai Oilfield, and military leadership—those are hard to move. So, it’s really a battle for that second Vice Mayor seat on the Standing Committee."

Wu Jiong’s words were concise and piercing, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

"You’ve spoken my mind exactly—a battle for the second Vice Mayor!"

Yang Tianhe held his breath, a cold chill running down his spine. "That’s right! And that broadens the scope significantly. It’s not just those three—I think Zhang Huizhong from the military district might be a contender too!"

"Zhang Huizhong? As a political commissar of the military district, would he covet our local affairs? Besides, isn't he already on the Standing Committee?"

Wu Jiong was puzzled.

"You don't understand. If he were the Military District Commander, he’d be satisfied and wouldn't care about these local trifles. But for Zhang Huizhong, the political commissar position is, in the end, a nominal role. I’ve chatted with him several times during municipal standing committee meetings, and I could tell he isn't happy. Every time he comes to the city, he brings wild game hunted from the military region and has his driver deliver it to the homes of the Mayor and the Party Secretary! He holds a seat on the Standing Committee, but without a functional role, his only real job is military-civilian coordination and passing down instructions from above. If he were offered a functional role as a Vice Mayor on the Standing Committee, do you think he’d refuse?"

Yang Tianhe said this, but in his heart, he didn't take Zhang Huizhong too seriously; he didn't know him well enough. For now, the three local competitors were the ones who deserved his attention.

"In my opinion, this kidnapping shouldn't have anything to do with Qiao Yusheng. Everyone knows his background is rock solid; he’s just here in Bohai to gild his resume. There’s no need for him to risk his neck. Vice Mayor Nie, however, is a possibility. He’s two years older than you and has served three terms as Vice Mayor. Plus, his investment promotion efforts over the past two years have been quite successful!" Wu Jiong added from the side.