"Do you know which district the three of us will be transferred to?" Chen Feng asked calmly.
"Chen Feng, aren't you angry?" Qin Yan asked with surprise.
Honestly, after hearing the news yesterday, she hadn't slept all night. She had imagined the political arena would be disgusting, but she hadn't expected it to be this disgusting. Moreover, it was blatant disgust, completely disregarding everyone's feelings. Anyone with half a brain knew that the successful upgrade of Mingshan District to a county-level city was Chen Feng's merit. Now, with a simple statement about optimizing the leadership structure of Mingshan City, all those who had contributed were being pushed aside.
"It would be a lie to say I'm not angry. But what's the use of being angry? The entire political arena in China is like this. No one fights for the difficult tasks. Once there's something good, everyone appears at once," Chen Feng replied unhurriedly.
Truthfully, if it were when he first entered the political arena, he would have been very angry, wishing he could curse everyone above him and their ancestors. But after being in the political arena for a long time, having witnessed its shamelessness and filth, his heart gradually calmed down. When your ability is insufficient to resist injustice, you can only accept it with a smile. Resistance without ability is just a joke!
"How about you go find Elder Xiang and Elder Wu?" Qin Yan tentatively suggested.
"There's no need. Perhaps they are the ones behind this," Chen Feng replied calmly.
"What? They're behind this? That's unlikely! Aren't you the most promising young man they've seen?" Qin Yan asked in disbelief.
"I am indeed the most promising young man they've seen, but I'm not their only one. Their network of interests is vast. There's no doubt that the sudden appointment of a new leadership team in Mingshan City is the result of compromises and exchanges of interests among a few big shots," Chen Feng continued calmly.
"You're just going to let it go?" Qin Yan asked, unwilling.
"What else? Make a scene?"
"I think at least we should go and complain to Elder Xiang and Elder Wu, otherwise, how can we swallow this?" Qin Yan said indignantly.
"That's the most foolish approach! What kind of subordinates do superiors prefer? Subordinates who can bend and stretch! Once a subordinate encounters difficulties and goes to cry, no superior likes such a subordinate," Chen Feng explained.
"Alas, I understand all of this, but I just can't accept it. Mingshan City, from a town to a district, and then to a city – everyone knows it's Chen Feng's accomplishment! If it weren't for your foresight and your efforts, would Mingshan Town be what it is today?" Qin Yan said indignantly.
"Director Qin, look on the bright side. This is the norm in the political arena. To put it bluntly, credit is for those with connections, and the blame is for those without. The fortunate thing is that we, for now, don't have to take the blame for others," Chen Feng said with a smile.
"Chen Feng, you have such a good mindset." Qin Yan said sincerely.
"Honestly, I didn't have a good mindset before either. I couldn't stand the darkness in the political arena. As I've gone through it, I realized that a bad mindset solves nothing. You can only maintain a stable mindset and survive in the cracks. Only by surviving can we talk about other things. If you're eliminated by the political arena, everything is in vain. All this indignation and unstable mindset are laughable. Stabilizing your mindset and growing in adversity is what we should be doing!" Chen Feng explained calmly.
"Yes, I strongly agree with what you've said. Honestly, I was very angry and indignant at first. After hearing you say so much, my heart has calmed down. If that's the case, then the three of us won't worry about it for now and will just have fun. We'll wait for the higher-ups to arrange our new positions," Qin Yan said cheerfully.
"Director Qin, I don't agree with your statement," Chen Feng replied directly.
"What do you mean?" Qin Yan was stunned.
"I mean, we still need to work diligently for another month or two to ensure a smooth handover of work related to Mingshan City. It wasn't easy for Mingshan City to develop to where it is today. We cannot ruin Mingshan City's bright future just because we're throwing a tantrum. For Mingshan City to develop further, the handover must be smooth," Chen Feng explained seriously.
"Chen Feng, your words have left me speechless again." Qin Yan said with shame. Her level was still lower than Chen Feng's. She thought that since the higher-ups disregarded their feelings and snatched their credit, why should she bother with matters that weren't her responsibility? She would just do whatever made her happy. Chen Feng, however, did not think that way. Despite feeling wronged, he still prioritized Mingshan City's interests. This quality is truly rare in China.
"By the way, Chen Feng, you don't even need to think about it. The leadership team parachuted in from the provincial capital this time will definitely be outsiders. Even if we hand over the work perfectly, it's no use if outsiders are guiding insiders," Qin Yan asked with concern.
"In other places in China, there might be this concern. Mingshan City has absolutely no need to worry," Chen Feng explained calmly.
"Why is that?" Qin Yan was completely bewildered.
"Mingshan District currently has four strong industries: the chip industry, the new energy industry, several segments of the nuclear fusion industry chain, and finally, the apparel industry. Except for the apparel industry, the other three are national key support industries, with dedicated personnel from the National Development and Reform Commission overseeing them. The new leadership team of Mingshan City doesn't have the qualification to ruin these three industries in Mingshan City," Chen Feng explained calmly.
"I have to say, that makes sense. It seems I was worrying unnecessarily. Alright, let's not talk about it anymore. Since you said we should stand our last shift, let's start now," Qin Yan said with renewed vigor.
Chen Feng did not hesitate and used the last one or two months of the handover period to inspect Mingshan City's three major industries, inside and out, across all segments, and rearranged the relevant personnel. This operation solidified the foundation of Mingshan City's three major industries. From then on, even without Chen Feng, the economy of Mingshan City would not have major problems.
Two months later, the new leadership team officially took office in Mingshan City. All were new faces, meaning they were all people with connections, and very significant ones at that. Qin Yan thought that since the new leadership team had taken office, their destinations should have been arranged by now. However, a document came from above. The three of them were to take another month's leave, and their specific personnel adjustments would be announced after organizational review.
"Chen Feng, what is going on? It's one thing to steal our credit, but now they're leaving us out in the cold? Is it a crime to develop Mingshan Town into a prosperous Mingshan City?" Qin Yan asked indignantly.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's likely that there are disagreements among the factions above. The disagreements can't be resolved quickly, so they've left the three of us here," Chen Feng said calmly.
"Then what should we do? We can't just wait like this forever, can we?" Qin Yan asked resentfully. She realized she had underestimated the political arena. She thought that being successful in Mingshan Town meant she understood the true nature of politics. Now she found that the Chinese political arena was profound, intricate, and unpredictable. Ordinary people had no idea what situation would arise in the political arena in the next second. She had to admit that the big shots who could remain evergreen in the Chinese political arena were truly remarkable, truly the cream of the crop among elites.
"Besides waiting, there's really nothing we can do," Chen Feng said calmly.
"What if, this time, they send the three of us to remote areas? Given the usual practices in politics, that's a real possibility," Qin Yan asked nervously.