Sima Yanan and Zhou Yi sat facing each other on the sofa, discussing in depth and detail the implementation of current investment projects and the progress of poverty alleviation efforts.
To be honest, it was not unheard of for a locality's top Party and government officials to share the same goals, work in concert, trust each other, and cooperate closely as these two did, but it was genuinely rare.
Just then, Sima Yanan's phone rang. She answered it in front of Zhou Yi without any attempt at secrecy. "Secretary Xu, hello, hello... Oh, please go ahead."
Then her expression gradually turned a little odd. She glanced at Zhou Yi and said with a smile, "This isn't merely Comrade Zhou Yi's personal opinion. It's the consensus of the entire Shaohua Standing Committee. Although Yao Kun is only a grassroots village official, his crimes and their harmful impact are extremely serious. Without severe punishment, we cannot quell public outrage, set the record straight, or uphold the law and discipline."
Hearing that string of "cannot" clauses, Zhou Yi could not help looking stunned. Those were all his lines!
Sima Yanan smiled faintly. Whoever said them first got to claim them.
On the other end of the call, Xu Nengdong's heart sank at Sima Yanan's reply. The so-called consensus of Shaohua City's leadership actually meant that the Municipal Party Secretary and the mayor were in agreement.
Sima Yanan had made her position on the matter perfectly clear: she supported Zhou Yi.
After hanging up, Deputy Secretary Xu felt both embarrassed and helpless. In the past, whether it had been Luo Qiufa or Sun Linghui, all he had needed to do was make a call, and even the toughest problem would be handled.
Now the Municipal Party Secretary and mayor had been replaced by two