Chapter 1267: Chapter 1222: The Delegation Arrives in Beijing Chapter 1267: Chapter 1222: The Delegation Arrives in Beijing On the 18th day of the first lunar month, which is March 2nd in the solar calendar, a Monday.

The Longxi Provincial People’s Congress was bustling and solemn that morning. On normal days, the work of the People’s Congress organs was orderly but quiet. Indeed, it is one of the “Big Four” bodies. However, compared to the busy party and government leadership departments, the People’s Congress seemed to outsiders like an institution for the elderly.

Within the system, many leading cadres think that being transferred to the People’s Congress means their careers are basically over the moment they hear of it.

But in reality, that’s not all. There are also very few exceptional cases. Many of the leaders have come out of the People’s Congress organs.

Naturally, since there is such a common understanding, it indicates that, in most cases, the People’s Congress indeed functions as an institution for the retired.

The situation is the same at all levels of the People’s Congress. At the county and department level, once leaders of various bureaus, commissions, and townships have no prospects for promotion and have reached the age for stepping back, the organization will consider their situation. Either a vice position in the People’s Congress or the CPPCC will be arranged for them.

By analogy, the situation is basically the same at the prefectural and provincial levels as well.

Yet today, the scene at Longxi Provincial People’s Congress is different. Every year, there is such a special time because today is the day when the Longxi Province Delegation attending the National Two Sessions is formed.

The auditorium of the People’s Congress was already packed. Sitting on the stage were provincial leaders such as Nie Zhenbang and Liu Zhentao, all present.

As the director of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress, Nie Zhenbang was naturally the undisputed head of the delegation. The meeting was chaired by Shi Guangrong, the Executive Deputy Director of the People’s Congress.

First, the election results for Longxi Province’s National People’s Congress delegates were announced. This time, a total of 85 people from Longxi Province were elected as delegates to the National People’s Congress.

Shi Guangrong continued, “The composition of this delegation includes party and government leaders, frontline workers, grassroots farmers, village officials, as well as elites from various industries. At the Jingcheng Two Sessions, we bear the heavy responsibility entrusted by the entire province. We are to exercise the power given to us by the people seriously, as this is our responsibility to the people and to ourselves.”

Next, naturally, it was the leaders’ turn to speak. For Nie Zhenbang, this was already familiar territory. He attended the Two Sessions almost every year. In this workflow, Nie Zhenbang was quite accustomed.

At noon, the delegation took two coaches and left for Qinyang Airport. This time, Longxi Province delegation was flying to Jingcheng by charter plane with Northwest Airlines.

Tomorrow, the preliminary meetings of the National People’s Congress will be convened. As the head of the Longxi Province delegation, Nie Zhenbang’s attendance was essential. As a bureau committee member, it was also natural for him to be elected to the People’s Congress Presidium.

In the afternoon, after the entire delegation settled in the Longxi Building, the delegation’s secretary-general would naturally liaise with dedicated personnel. They would collect delegate badges, confirm schedules and itineraries, and make arrangements for which leaders would attend the various upcoming discussion sessions.

At that moment, Nie Zhenbang stepped out of the Longxi Building. Driving his car, Nie Zhenbang headed straight towards the Forbidden Sea area. Having just arrived in Jingcheng, Nie Zhenbang had already contacted Jiang Yitao. Today, he would visit President Mu.

Inside the Government Affairs Council, everything was still in its usual orderly state. There was no slackness or relaxation in the slightest due to the upcoming Two Sessions.

Over the years, the Government Affairs Council had seen too many Two Sessions and was quite capable of facing them calmly.

Here, there were quite a few people who knew Nie Zhenbang. Along the way, many greeted him with smiles.

Outside the office door of President Mu, Nie Zhenbang stood at the doorway, deliberately pausing for a moment. He straightened his attire and appearance and took a deep breath before raising his hand to knock on the door.

This action did not mean that Nie Zhenbang was really nervous or intimidated. Most importantly, it represented an issue of attitude.

Meeting with a senior leader, one should not appear in disarray or improperly dressed. That would seem informal and disrespectful. Personal image and appearance are also crucial. Even Nie Zhenbang himself probably would not like to receive reports from a disheveled comrade, would he?

From inside came the loud voice of President Mu, “Come in.”

President Mu’s office was very simple and unadorned, lacking the spacious and luxurious vibe of the current local party and government offices.

The Government Affairs Council building was a decades-old construction, from an era that paid no mind to grandeur as it is done today.

The area was roughly thirty square meters in size, without any special rest area. At this level, every aspect of a leader’s diet, residence, and daily schedule was meticulously planned.

Overtime for the leaders was a common occurrence, yet it would not take place within the government office building. When President Mu worked overtime, it was always at his residence in Forbidden Sea. After all, it was only a few minutes’ walk from here to his home.

As President Mu’s voice was heard, Nie Zhenbang pushed the door and entered, seeing President Mu busy working at his desk with his glasses on. Nie Zhenbang also smiled and said, “Greetings to you, Leader.”

President Mu looked up and, upon seeing Nie Zhenbang, nodded slightly and said, “Please take a seat.”

Sitting down on the sofa, Jiang Yitao, the confidential secretary, also came in holding a cup of tea, which he placed on the coffee table with an exchange of glances with Nie Zhenbang, before leaving the room.

President Mu was busy with the papers and work on his desk.

On the massive mahogany desk, all sorts of documents were stacked in piles. As the government’s steward, President Mu’s workload could only be described as enormous. It included work reports from various provinces and even municipalities, as well as documents from various ministries. Adding to this were the file approvals and signatures required at the governmental office. Some matters could be delegated, but there were issues that one simply could not avoid.

About five minutes later, President Mu also set down his pen, removed his glasses, and said, “When did you arrive?”

Such a cordial greeting warmed Nie Zhenbang’s heart. President Mu’s attitude undoubtedly gave Nie Zhenbang a sense of reassurance. President Mu’s view of him was still quite amiable. This indicated that in President Mu’s heart, he still regarded Nie Zhenbang as a close subordinate.

Nie Zhenbang then stood up and said, “I arrived this afternoon. After settling in the comrades from our group, I came right here.”

“Sit down, sit down,” President Mu gestured with his hand and began to speak. Looking at Nie Zhenbang, President Mu continued, “When did you become so reserved? Your responsibilities are ever-growing, yet you seem to be increasingly cautious.”

“Hehe, Leader, your criticism is justified; it’s better to err on the side of caution,” Nie Zhenbang said with a smile.

President Mu pondered for a moment, then looked at Nie Zhenbang and continued, “This time, has the province reviewed the proposal? Do you have any new plans or measures? In about two days, President Qiao and I will separately attend the group discussions of the Longxi Province Delegation. President Qiao and I will participate one after the other, which is unprecedented among all the provinces and ministries.”

At the National People’s Congress, various proposals are inevitable. According to regulations, proposals must be discussed at the meeting, which follows certain rules and is not simply a matter of any representative proposing any topic for discussion. Otherwise, the meeting would descend into chaos. With over two thousand representatives, if each one brought forth a proposal, or even multiple proposals, just discussing these proposals alone would require more than a month’s worth of meetings.

Regarding submitting proposals, the first requirement to gain the opportunity to discuss them at the general meeting is to obtain the joint signatures of fifteen delegates, ensuring that the proposal is not merely an individual’s idea but reflects the thoughts of a group of people and therefore qualifies for consideration.

Besides, there is an internal preliminary review within the delegation, which acts as a safeguard. With this step, any proposals that do not align with the times, legislation, or policy guidelines can be rejected in advance. This helps prevent putting the central leadership in a difficult position.

These are all standard procedures for the convening of the Congress, but what truly surprised Nie Zhenbang was the news President Mu had just revealed.

Group discussions among delegations are a tradition of the Congress. Central leadership usually participates in discussions according to their provincial affiliations. Additionally, other provinces have clear divisions of labor, pairing economically developed areas with less economically advanced ones. Each leader has specific responsibilities.

This time, Longxi Province was not only welcoming President Qiao but also President Mu. The participation of two influential figures in Longxi’s group discussions was an incredibly high-profile event. From this, it was not difficult to discern an underlying intention of creating momentum for oneself on the part of the higher-ups.

After a moment of contemplation, Nie Zhenbang nodded with a smile and said, “Leader, the proposals are ready. My proposal is about environmental protection and desert management. According to the latest information, Longxi Province has made significant progress in desert control. The new species of trees, ‘Desert Control No. 5,’ has been very effective in improving soil quality, raising groundwater levels, and in desert protection. Therefore, I am considering whether it might be worthwhile to introduce the joys of ‘Desert Control No. 5’ in detail. If it passes the review, it will undoubtedly be greatly beneficial to the nation and the people.”

Upon hearing this, President Mu’s expression became serious, and looking at Nie Zhenbang, he said, “Zhenbang, give me a detailed explanation of this ‘Desert Control No. 5’ situation.”

Nie Zhenbang provided a detailed and comprehensive report, especially focusing on aspects such as the survival rate, sand prevention effect, and growth rate.

At this point, President Mu had already stood up, his expression solemn yet joyful. He looked at Nie Zhenbang and asked, “Zhenbang, are the things you just mentioned based on real data, or are they somewhat exaggerated?”

Nie Zhenbang was momentarily taken aback but promptly stood at attention and said seriously, “Please rest assured, Leader. There is no exaggeration.”

Seeing Nie Zhenbang’s demeanor, President Mu’s face showed a joyful expression. He looked at Nie Zhenbang and said, “Zhenbang, with this development, it will bring immeasurable benefits for you as well.” (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (wuxiaworld.site) to vote for support tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)