Qi Zhenghao's reminder made Qin Mu slightly more alert.
Last time at the Standing Committee meeting, Liang Guan suffered a great loss. Why would he proactively propose convening another Standing Committee meeting this time? There's only one explanation: the other side possesses some secret to guarantee their victory. Otherwise, given Liang Guan's experience, he wouldn't take such a risk.
"Secretary Qi, thank you for reminding me."
Qin Mu thanked him. "I was so focused on solving the canteen problem that I forgot to consider the key issues. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have made any preparations, and I would have suffered a great loss at the Standing Committee meeting."
"It's alright. You were just in a rush, it's normal to not think things through."
Qi Zhenghao waved his hand slightly and said, "Secretary Liang has more experience. You should think about how to deal with it. Once it goes to the Standing Committee meeting, the final result will most likely be a vote count!"
"Whoever gets the most votes wins. If you think you don't have enough votes, then you'll have to think of other ways!"
After saying that, Qi Zhenghao returned to his office. He had basically said everything he could. Now it was up to Qin Mu to understand the meaning.
Qin Mu sat in his office chair, thinking about Qi Zhenghao's words, and did a simple analysis.
The so-called vote count, of course, refers to the final vote of the County Party Committee Standing Committee. The minority obeys the majority; whoever gets the most votes will have their proposal passed.
The current Standing Committee of the County Party Committee consists of nine members: County Party Secretary Liang Guan, County Head Qin Mu, Full-time Deputy Secretary Gao Qiang, Organization Minister Lei Ming, Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Qi Zhenghao, Executive Deputy County Head Xu Lu, Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary Zeng Su, United Front Work Minister Zheng Yushi, and County Party Committee Office Director Cheng Gang.
To ensure his resolution passes, he needs at least five votes.
Qin Mu thought carefully and realized he could only directly control three votes.
Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Qi Zhenghao, Executive Deputy County Head Xu Lu, and himself—Qin Mu had no idea about the specific stances of the others.
Perhaps at the moment of Yu Xuewen's downfall, people like Gao Qiang supported him, but Liang Guan was, after all, the Deputy Mayor and County Party Secretary; whether he would directly vote for Liang Guan was unknown.
Moreover, Liang Guan dared to convene the Standing Committee meeting, most likely because he already had enough votes; Qin Mu's attempt to win them over was probably futile.
Therefore, he had to find another way!
If he didn't have enough votes, he had to persuade everyone before the vote to abandon their positions and support him.
On the surface, this seemed almost impossible.
What did Qin Mu possess that could make those members of the county party committee abandon their positions and support him?
...
Meanwhile, in the county party secretary's office, Liang Guan was discussing matters with a group of members of the county party committee standing committee.
Deputy County Party Secretary Gao Qiang, Organization Minister Lei Ming, Director of the County Party Committee Office Cheng Gang, and Political and Legal Affairs Secretary Zeng Su!
Adding himself, that made five votes!
"Secretary Liang, rest assured, we will definitely stand on your side."
Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee Zeng Su smiled broadly and said respectfully, "Following you, we have a future."
Is that so?
Liang Guan had never liked Zeng Su. A fence-sitter, always switching sides, he had previously betrayed Yu Xuewen, and now, seeing that he had the support of Gao Qiang, Lei Ming, and others, he had abandoned Qin Mu and aligned himself with him.
If there weren't any suitable replacements available, he wouldn't bother with such a two-faced scoundrel!
Once Qin Mu is defeated, he'll replace him.
"County Chief Qin's ideas are too radical. I think Secretary Liang is more stable and cautious. We all support you, Secretary."
Cheng Gang echoed this sentiment. His position was too special; he could only follow the county party secretary's lead.
Of course, Cheng Gang was also motivated by gratitude. Usually, when a new secretary takes office, the director of the county party committee office is replaced by a trusted person. Liang Guan hadn't replaced him, so Cheng Gang was naturally grateful and firmly stood by Liang Guan.
"Secretary, County Chief Qin isn't an ordinary person. I'm worried he might have other plans. You should be careful."
Gao Qiang hesitated for a moment, then offered a reminder.
In the previous two months, he and Yu Xuewen had never taken Qin Mu seriously, thinking he was all bravado and no real threat.
And the result…
Yu Xuewen is already in jail! But Qin Mu is still perfectly fine!
This is definitely not luck. Qin Mu must have some real skills. This time, who knows if Qin Mu has any backup plans?
"What backup plans could he possibly have?"
Liang Guan didn't believe it. He said, "With the four of you and me, that's five votes. In the Standing Committee meeting, the last item on the agenda is always a vote. With five votes in hand, nothing can be overturned!"
"Unless, one of you will defect!"
Upon hearing this, Liang Guan's gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Zeng Su.
If he were to say who he was most worried about, it would definitely be Zeng Su.
This guy has too many dark secrets. Until the very last moment, no one knows if he will defect. If he really sides with Qin Mu, then wouldn't he lose again?
"Secretary Liang, please rest assured, we will definitely not disobey your wishes."
"That's right, you are the leader of our team, we will definitely follow your orders and have no disloyalty."
"What's decided won't be changed!"
...
Gao Qiang and others expressed their unwavering support for Liang Guan.
"Secretary Liang, you are our guide. With your leadership, the future of Huaining County will be incredibly bright."
Zeng Su, perhaps sensing the doubt in Liang Guan's eyes, immediately and solemnly declared his loyalty.
"Very good!"
Liang Guan nodded in satisfaction. As long as Zeng Su didn't cause any problems, there would be no surprises at the afternoon's Standing Committee meeting.
Several hours passed in the blink of an eye, and at 3 PM, the County Party Committee Standing Committee convened on time.
Everyone in the County Party Committee compound had heard the news to some extent.
Regarding this topic, some people didn't quite understand it.
"Is it really necessary to make such a fuss over a canteen issue?"
"It is indeed a bit strange. Couldn't a simple discussion suffice? Was a standing committee meeting really necessary?"
"You don't understand. This is a time to demonstrate power. On the surface, it's a canteen issue, but in reality, it's a power struggle between the top two leaders!"
"You're too naive. Is it just a canteen issue? It's a matter of power. The clash at the standing committee meeting is to determine who truly owns this county!"
...
In the meeting room, Liang Guan, Qin Mu, and other members of the county party committee's standing committee sat in rows.
"Today's standing committee meeting, as you all know, is about discussing the canteen issue."
Liang Guan glanced around and said calmly, "Comrade Qin Mu has a keen eye and discovered the canteen's corruption problem. Therefore, he proposed that the canteen will no longer be free, and that the standards be lowered to reduce expenses. Everyone is welcome to speak up if they have any opinions."