Chapter 435 The Dangers Within

Inside the Party Council.

Ouyang Zhen put down his phone, raised his hand, and shouted, "I have a few words to say."

Hearing this, everyone turned to look at Ouyang Zhen and waited quietly for what he would say.

"I don't think we need to discuss the proposal to dismiss Mayor Li Mingsheng," Ouyang Zhen said into the microphone. "He just sent me a message saying he wants to resign from his position as mayor voluntarily."

As soon as he said this, the room was in an uproar, and everyone was talking amongst themselves.

At the front of the conference table, a Chinese leader at the ministerial level immediately frowned and criticized, "Li Mingsheng's move is deliberately coercing the higher-ups. He is using his current power to resist our leadership! The more he does this, the more we must take him down and give him severe punishment!"

"I agree!"

Ouyang Zhen immediately echoed, "Assaulting someone in public, especially a ministerial-level cadre appointed by the higher-ups, is unacceptable. We must immediately dismiss Li Mingsheng from his position as mayor and punish him severely! At the same time, we must immediately choose someone who can handle the Riot Control Force, manage various judicial units, gain the trust of cadres at all levels in Dragon City, and manage various associations and local organizations to take over as mayor of Dragon City!"

Hearing this, everyone fell silent again.

"I'm finding it difficult to think of a suitable candidate at the moment, so we still need to discuss this and brainstorm ideas," Ouyang Zhen interjected. "If anyone has a suitable candidate, they can suggest them now."

"Just let Han Xian go! I don't believe that Dragon City can't function without Li Mingsheng," the Chinese minister who spoke first replied with a frown.

"Han Xian... Han Xian was beaten up on his third day there. You're saying let him manage Dragon City... Isn't that a bit hasty?" Ouyang Zhen replied with a smile. "Of course, I still agree that we should replace Li Mingsheng. If today's meeting can also approve the proposal for Han Xian to take over as mayor, then I have no objections. But I must remind you that this new mayor's appointment can only happen once. If the person we send can't handle it and causes a collapse, then all our previous plans will be in vain."

After speaking, Ouyang Zhen raised his hand and shouted, "I'll take the lead. Let Minister Han take over as mayor. Who agrees? Who opposes?"

The room was silent. Even the minister who proposed removing Li Mingsheng did not immediately raise his hand, but looked quite hesitant.

...

Dragon City, inside the military headquarters.

More than twenty senior military officers above the rank of senior colonel were holding an internal decision-making meeting, hosted by the young master Tan Mingchao.

"Continuing to drag this on is not a solution. Our commander, chief of staff, and deputy commander have been out of contact for four or five days now," one officer said with a grave expression. "I asked my comrades in Huafu, and they said... the commander is already under control. The higher-ups have even begun to discuss specific plans to deal with our garrison."

"So what do you suggest?"

"If we don't put pressure on the higher-ups and don't make some noise, we'll be sitting ducks," the officer said, folding his hands. "My opinion is to hold protests and demonstrations, starting with a few regiments rioting in the city. Then, we can coordinate with the 55th Army to create military friction and completely throw Dragon City into chaos."

"I agree. As long as the more than 60,000 armed personnel in Dragon City band together and make some noise, the higher-ups will definitely compromise," an aggressive major general said. "This is not the time to drag things out. We must show our strength, flex our muscles, so that we can force the higher-ups to compromise and make them truly feel that without the garrison and without Commander Tan, Dragon City will be completely chaotic!"

After thinking for a long time, a chief of staff replied, "Actually, there's no need to deliberately create chaos and force the higher-ups through this method."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"We only need to do two things, and the higher-ups will definitely panic," the staff officer said with a bright look in his eyes. "First, frequently interact with Lao Li's team. Second, secretly send people to contact Lao Mo's government army. Of course, this secret operation... must be detected by the military intelligence department of the military region. Compared to deliberately causing trouble, they will definitely be more worried that we will follow the example of the Third Division and directly rebel."

"That makes sense!"

"I agree!"

"....!"

After the staff officer finished speaking, at least 60 percent of the generals in the room agreed with the plan, because they were now more panicked than anyone else, and their own situation was no different from that of the officers involved in the Third Division incident.

Once Tan Hengqiang fell, the core leadership of the garrison would definitely be reshuffled and purged. Everyone sitting here would not be able to escape the higher-ups' cleansing. Therefore, everyone did not want to sit still and wait for death, nor did they want to suffer this kind of psychological torment anymore.

After some discussion, everyone collectively looked at Tan Mingchao.

"Mingchao, what do you think?"

"That's right, the commander is not here, you are in charge. Give everyone an idea!"

"....!"

Tan Mingchao looked at everyone, his expression on his face was calm, but in reality, he was also panicking, because the person being controlled was his biological father! And once something happened to the garrison, the main target of the purge would be the Tan family!

At this juncture, it would be pure nonsense to say that Tan Mingchao's psychological fluctuations were small.

In fact, Tan Mingchao was also inclined to make some noise in his heart. He wanted to force the higher-ups to express their position as soon as possible and release his father.

But!

At this moment, Tan Mingchao also remembered the words his father left behind when he left, and the activities in his heart were constantly fighting with his father's instructions.

After a long silence, Tan Mingchao slowly stood up and made a decision in his heart: "Not only can we not make trouble, but we must show that even though the commander and chief of staff have been transferred, our garrison, from the grassroots to the high-level, is still carrying out its garrison duties in an orderly manner, with strict military discipline, even stricter than when the commander was here."

Hearing this, everyone looked at him with puzzled eyes.

"Mingchao, didn't you understand our situation...?!"

"I understand!" Tan Mingchao interrupted and replied, "But what I just said is the final decision and order! Everyone here is my elder and teacher, and I hope that you can support the headquarters' decision at this critical moment. But I must also say the ugly words first. If I find out that anyone is secretly causing trouble or fueling the fire... then I'm sorry, the headquarters will definitely give the most severe punishment and will directly hand over the troublemakers to the regional council for handling!"

Everyone was speechless when they heard this, because although Lao Tan was gone, Xiao Tan was his avatar, representing the highest decision-making of the headquarters.

"I support Mingchao's decision," the commander of the First Army, who had been silent all along, took the lead in raising his hand and responding.

Tan Mingchao nodded slightly at him and continued, "Tomorrow, the headquarters' inspection department will organize visits to the troops within a week to check military discipline and internal affairs. That's it, meeting dismissed!"

After speaking, Tan Mingchao took the lead in leaving.

This was the first time in the true sense that Tan Mingchao had taken charge since Tan Hengqiang took over as commander of the garrison.

This decisive and unquestionable order cultivated a sense of aura in Tan Mingchao, the aura of a true second-generation official leader...!

...

At the same time.

After the meeting with the higher-ups, Ouyang Zhen took the first flight to Dragon City.