Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

A few days later, the Pingjiang Municipal Party Committee held a summary meeting on the "one-year anniversary of rare earth rectification".

Lin Feng woke up just as dawn broke.

The meeting room was on the third floor of the municipal party committee building. The oval table, which could seat about twenty people, was packed today. Besides members of the municipal party committee standing committee, there were representatives from the special task force, heads of relevant departments involved in the rectification work, and representatives from the news media. When Lin Feng arrived, everyone was already there. He sat down in the head seat, his gaze sweeping over each face. He Bing sat to his right, her expression still serious, but a rare ease lurking in her eyes. Lei Ming sat in the back row, wearing a police uniform, his posture ramrod straight, his eyes bright. Chen Lili sat in the reporters' section, notebook in hand, pen already prepared.

Qian Shumo chaired the meeting. He cleared his throat and said in a steady voice, "Comrades, the main purpose of this meeting today is to review and summarize the work of the rare earth rectification over the past year and to commend those who have made contributions. Now, please welcome Secretary Lin to speak."

Applause erupted. Lin Feng, without a prepared statement, scanned the entire room, paused for a moment, and then spoke.

"Comrades, what was the rare earth industry like in Pingjiang a year ago today? Illegal mines were springing up everywhere, smuggling chains were deeply entrenched, organized crime was rampant in the countryside, and protective umbrellas were layered upon layer. The people dared not speak out, the officials dared not take charge, and even when the comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission went to investigate cases, there were people who dared to follow and threaten them."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and resonated throughout the conference room. "What does Pingjiang look like a year from now? All illegal mines have been shut down, the smuggling chain has been completely destroyed, the criminal gangs have been eradicated, and their protectors have been exposed one by one. The rare earth trading center has been established and is operating, with its transaction volume exceeding 10 billion yuan in its first year. Mine ecological restoration has been fully launched, and the mining park in Longnan Town has become a popular leisure destination for locals."

He paused, his voice lowering slightly. "These achievements are the result of the collective efforts of everyone present, the vast number of cadres and the general public throughout the city, the comrades in the special task force, and the comrades on the news front. On behalf of the Municipal Party Committee, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone."

He stood up and bowed. The applause rang out again, even more enthusiastic than before.

Lin Feng sat down, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "We must acknowledge the achievements, but we must also address the problems. Although the rectification work has yielded some initial results, the transformation of Pingjiang's rare earth industry has only just begun. Illegal mines have been closed, but legal mines still need to be regulated. Smuggling chains have been broken, but deep processing industrial chains still need to be built. Protective umbrellas have been exposed, but the political environment still needs to be continuously purified. The rare earth trading center is in place, but it needs to be expanded and strengthened. Mine ecological restoration has begun, but we need to continue our efforts and persevere. Comrades, the affairs of Pingjiang cannot be completed in a year, nor can they be completed by one leadership team. We must continue the work from one term to the next, and see the blueprint through to the end."

The applause rang out for the third time.

After Lin Feng finished speaking, Qian Shumo took the microphone and announced the list of award recipients.

"After deliberation by the Municipal Party Committee, the following comrades are hereby commended for their meritorious service. Comrade Lei Ming, in the work of rare earth rectification, led the public security organs to successfully crack the Zhou Tianming gang-related case, arresting more than 60 criminal suspects, and providing strong legal protection for the rectification work. The Municipal Party Committee has decided to award Comrade Lei Ming a first-class merit and, with the approval of the Provincial Party Committee, promote him to the position of member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission."

The applause was enthusiastic. Lei Ming stood up, gave a crisp military salute, his movements precise and his eyes resolute. He recalled those years when he was sidelined in the Public Security Bureau. Now, he was a member of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee. But he knew this wasn't his achievement alone. Without Lin Feng, without the special task force, without those brothers who trusted him, he might still be stuck in that powerless position of bureau chief.

"Comrade He Bing, as the leader of the joint task force, led his team members to overcome numerous difficulties and obstacles, successfully investigating and prosecuting a number of corrupt officials, including Zhou Tianming, Liu Zhiyuan, and Huang Zhiqiang, making outstanding contributions to the rectification work. The Municipal Party Committee has decided to award Comrade He Bing a first-class merit."

He Bing stood up, nodded slightly, but didn't smile; his expression remained serious. However, his comrades noticed that his eyes were slightly red. For over three hundred days and nights, he hadn't had a single restful night's sleep. The confrontations in the interrogation rooms, the chases on the highways, the late-night analysis meetings—scene after scene flashed through his mind.

"Comrade Chen Lili, as a reporter for the provincial television station, conducted in-depth investigations and interviews in the Pingjiang mining area, and wrote the series of reports entitled 'Investigation into Rare Earth Smuggling in Pingjiang,' which provided important public opinion support for the rectification work. This series of reports won the first prize of the Provincial News Award. The Municipal Party Committee has decided to issue a commendation to Comrade Chen Lili."

Chen Lili stood up and smiled somewhat embarrassedly. She recalled the days and nights she spent staking out the mining area, the experiences of being followed, threatened, and having her articles deleted. She had once doubted whether what she had done was meaningful. Now she knew. It was meaningful.

After the awards ceremony, Lin Feng said a few more words. He walked up to Chen Lili and shook her hand. "Reporter Chen, I've read your series of reports; they're very well written. The first prize in the provincial journalism award is well-deserved."

Chen Lili said somewhat embarrassedly, "Secretary Lin, you flatter me. I was just doing what a reporter should do."

Lin Feng shook his head: "Not every reporter dares to do what they should do. You're different. You did it, and you succeeded. Thank you."

Chen Lili's eyes reddened. She lowered her head and didn't say anything.

Lin Feng walked up to He Bing, grasped his hand, and shook it vigorously. "Director He, thank you for your hard work."

He Bing shook his head: "It's not hard work. Secretary Lin, the Pingjiang matter isn't over yet; those people in the province are still investigating. I'll continue to keep an eye on things here."

Lin Feng nodded: "Okay. Just let me know if you need Pingjiang's cooperation."

He Bing said, "Definitely."

Lin Feng walked up to Lei Ming, looked at him, paused for a moment, and then said, "Secretary Lei, the Political and Legal Affairs Commission has an even heavier burden. You not only have to oversee the public security bureau, but also the procuratorate, the courts, and judicial administration. Can you handle it?"

Lei Ming stood at attention and saluted. "Please rest assured, Secretary Lin, I can handle this."

Lin Feng smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Okay, I believe you."

After the meeting, Lin Feng stood by the window, gazing at the hazy sky outside. The fog was thinner than a few days ago, and the sunlight was struggling to pierce through the clouds. He remembered this day a year ago, when he had just arrived in Pingjiang, standing by this window, looking at the same sky, feeling uncertain. Now, he felt confident. Not because of anything he had done, but because he knew that behind him stood a group of people—Lei Ming, He Bing, Chen Lili, Zhao Tiejun, Lu Jianping, Yang Xuefeng. And those miners, cadres, and ordinary people whose names he didn't know. They trusted him, and he trusted them.