official career

"mayor……"

"Alright, Mayor Yuanwei, let's not discuss this any further. If it really is the worst-case scenario, then we'll proceed accordingly. Besides, the worst-case scenario might not even happen. At least so far, there haven't been any reports of deaths, which is good news," Qin Feng interrupted Sun Yuanwei.

"Can we defuse this situation? Like last time, can we cover it up? If we can keep the fire under wraps, the public pressure won't be so great, and maybe in the end, we can turn a big problem into a small one and a small one into nothing," Sun Yuanwei asked.

Qin Feng shook his head: "This matter is completely different from last time. Last time, we wanted to suppress the matter. Neither Jiang Longjun nor the higher-ups wanted to make a big fuss, so we blocked the media. Naturally, the higher-ups took the opportunity to back down and eventually handled the matter discreetly."

"But this time is different. Neither Jiang Longjun nor the higher-ups may be willing to handle this discreetly. Perhaps they are looking for an opportunity to make a fuss. Maybe the whole thing was planned by several groups of people with ulterior motives."

"A couple of days ago, Yang Guoqiang treated Jiang Longjun to a meal, and Jiang Longjun went. It was at the Lixin Hotel," Qin Feng said with a smile.

"So, it doesn't matter whether we cover it up or not. Even if we completely suppress it, they can still use it against me. It's about time. Jiang Longjun should be calling soon. We'll know everything when he calls, just by seeing his attitude." After Qin Feng finished speaking, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and exhaled a long puff of smoke.

Sun Yuanwei nodded, taking two puffs of his cigarette: "Jiang Longjun is that kind of person, Shao Hongli is a real scoundrel, and Jiang Longjun is a hypocrite who loves to stab people in the back from the shadows."

"Shao Hongli is dead. Your prestige and influence in Shazhou have increased dramatically. If it were any other leader, they would be happy to see this situation and work together to develop Shazhou well."

“But Jiang Longjun would never do that; he would only think about how to suppress you and prevent your influence from overshadowing his.” Sun Yuanwei commented on Jiang Longjun.

Qin Feng didn't entirely agree with Sun Yuanwei's analysis. The whole matter wasn't that simple; the core reason was actually a power struggle within the province, and Shazhou was merely a spillover effect of that power struggle. Whether it was the Yang family, Jiang Longjun, or Qin Feng, they didn't just represent themselves personally.

Sun Yuanwei's position limits his perspective to the sandbar, preventing him from seeing further and more clearly, thus limiting his ability to see the bigger picture.

Qin Feng didn't intend to explain this to Sun Yuanwei, because there was no need.

"Mayor Yuanwei, could you please go to the site and direct the firefighting efforts? Urge the firefighters from all over the area to arrive as soon as possible. Every second that the fire can be extinguished sooner is crucial. If the auxiliary facilities of the project are burned, they can be rebuilt and repaired as quickly as possible. If the main structure is damaged by the fire, then the trouble will be much greater," Qin Feng said to Sun Yuanwei.

“Okay, don’t worry, the fire will definitely be extinguished. The building itself is fire-resistant and has fire prevention facilities.” Sun Yuanwei said this deliberately to reassure Qin Feng.

After Sun Yuanwei left, Zhang Xinming came in with a teacup, and he specially refilled Qin Feng's teacup with hot water.

"Put it here. You go out first. I'm going to make a call. Don't let anyone come in and disturb us. We'll talk after I finish my call," Qin Feng instructed Zhang Xinming.

Zhang Xinming nodded, left, and closed the door behind him.

Qin Feng stood by the office window, watching the still raging fire, sighed, lit another cigarette, and stood by the window smoking.

Qin Feng didn't take out his phone until he finished smoking a cigarette, and then dialed Zhao Hongjian's number.

Qin Feng really didn't want to call Zhao Hongjian to report this matter. It was like a child who made a mistake at school and didn't dare to go home and tell his parents. It wasn't that Qin Feng was afraid of being scolded, but that he was too ashamed.

At the same time, Qin Feng didn't want to bother Zhao Hongjian again, because he felt that he was always causing trouble for Zhao Hongjian. Shazhou was his own little territory, and he kept getting into trouble in his own little territory, which was hard for him to accept.

But since this had happened, he had to report to Zhao Hongjian so that Zhao Hongjian could prepare in advance and also get Zhao Hongjian's support from the provincial level.

Qin Feng only spent a few minutes explaining the situation to Zhao Hongjian, as the specific details of casualties were not yet available, so they could not continue the discussion in detail.

Just after Qin Feng finished reporting the situation to Zhao Hongjian, Jiang Longjun called Qin Feng's cell phone.

Qin Feng had Chen Guohua report to the municipal party committee immediately. Having already guessed that someone might make a big deal out of this matter, Qin Feng was absolutely determined not to give others any leverage over these procedural issues.

What Qin Feng found amusing was that Jiang Longjun only called after Chen Guohua had already reported to the municipal party committee for nearly twenty minutes. Clearly, Jiang Longjun had been stalling for time, hoping to call Qin Feng after the casualty figures came out, but unexpectedly, the casualty figures never came out.

The casualty figures were not released because Qin Feng stipulated that no one could disclose the specific casualty data until there was conclusive evidence proving its accuracy.

"Secretary Jiang, hello." Qin Feng said to Jiang Longjun on the other end of the phone after taking a sip of tea.

"Where are you now?" Jiang Longjun asked coldly.

"I was at the fire site of the sports center construction site," Qin Feng replied succinctly.

"What's the situation at the scene now? What are the casualties? Is the fire under control? Have the people been evacuated?" Jiang Longjun asked a long string of questions, sounding both angry and anxious.

However, if they were truly in a hurry, they wouldn't have waited half an hour after learning about the fire to call and inquire.

Jiang Longjun was clearly acting, but acting is an essential skill in this industry.

Qin Feng is the mayor. How could Jiang Longjun possibly come to Qin Feng to inquire about these matters? Qin Feng is not the leader in charge of this work, much less Jiang Longjun's direct subordinate.

Jiang Longjun asked this question on purpose, as a prelude to his later attack on Qin Feng.

Although Qin Feng knew Jiang Longjun's plans, he could only obediently report to Jiang Longjun, since Jiang Longjun was the municipal party secretary.

Although the municipal party secretary and the mayor are at the same level, the difference between them is not small; it is almost an insurmountable power gap.

"The exact number of casualties is still being tallied. Firefighting efforts are underway, and the fire has been effectively controlled. However, more equipment and personnel are needed to completely extinguish it. Firefighting forces from the surrounding area are on their way. All personnel have been evacuated, and the situation on site is stable and orderly." Qin Feng gave a brief report, then waited for Jiang Longjun to launch his attack.