CHAPTER 459: CHAPTER 459: JUST A CLOWN

An Siwei glared at Chen Bin, his scolding like a volley of gunfire.

"No organization, no discipline. Who gave you permission to run advertisements? Did you report this to the station?!"

Chen Bin responded calmly.

"Lan Tai put me in charge of all Spring Festival Gala matters, which means I have the authority to make decisions about related issues. Moreover, no one told me I couldn’t run advertisements in the first place."

An Siwei’s eyes widened as he stared intensely at Chen Bin.

"Oh? Are you implying I’m deliberately giving you trouble?"

"Of course not. If Mr. An believes I’ve made a mistake, I won’t argue. How about I go back and write a self-reflection? Would that suffice?"

"What kind of attitude is this?! Are you seriously acting righteous after making a mistake?"

Taking a deep breath, Chen Bin forcibly suppressed his anger.

"Fine. What do you want me to do?"

"Return the money, no advertisements allowed! And you must ensure the Spring Festival Gala is completed with quality and quantity intact!"

Seeing that An Siwei was dead-set on making things difficult, Chen Bin’s attitude hardened as well.

"I can return the money, and cancel the advertisements, but the penalty fees will require Mr. An’s help to resolve. Otherwise, I can’t cancel the advertisements!"

"Insolent! What kind of attitude is that? Do you even want to stay in this position?!"

"I still have plenty of work to take care of for the Gala. Mr. An, let me know once you’ve decided on a solution. Goodbye!"

With those words, Chen Bin turned and walked out of the office without hesitation.

An Siwei’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver, obviously infuriated.

Lan Hui quickly interjected with her own idea.

"Why don’t we use the advertisement matter as an excuse to remove Chen Bin from Spring Festival Gala responsibilities? He’s already completed most of the preparations. If I take over, all the credit would be mine."

"Alright, let’s do that!"

Lan Hui returned to the provincial television station and immediately convened a meeting with department heads.

She then issued a harsh critique of Chen Bin’s unauthorized advertisements.

After thorough deliberation, it was concluded that Chen Bin was no longer qualified to oversee the Spring Festival Gala.

For now, she would take full charge.

Upon hearing this, everyone present knew Lan Hui was ruthlessly cutting ties and taking advantage.

Chen Bin was furious, having never anticipated Lan Hui’s venomous betrayal.

She was perpetually scheming to harm others.

But now was not the time for anger; he could not let his hard work become someone else’s stepping stone.

After the meeting ended, Chen Bin immediately drove to the Provincial Committee.

He found Zeng Pengchao and quickly explained the whole sequence of events.

Throughout his career in politics, Chen Bin had always resisted stooping to beg for help.

Yet the suddenness of this crisis left him no time or energy to confront Lan Hui and An Siwei directly.

As long as Zeng Pengchao stepped in, everything would certainly be resolved.

Zeng Pengchao had always appreciated Chen Bin. But after receiving a call from Chen Xingwu, he realized Chen Bin had connections within the central leadership.

This revelation made Zeng Pengchao take the matter even more seriously.

"Xiao Chen, you go back and continue managing the Spring Festival Gala. I’ll handle Lan Hui and An Siwei."

"Thank you very much, Secretary Zeng."

Soon after Chen Bin left, Zeng Pengchao called his secretary.

"Bring An Siwei and Lan Hui to see me!"

Confounded by Zeng Pengchao’s sudden summons, both An Siwei and Lan Hui appeared puzzled.

But as this directive came from the Provincial Committee Secretary, they dared not dawdle.

Upon entering the Secretary’s office, they were met with Zeng Pengchao’s angry expression.

"Who decided that Chen Bin should no longer manage the Spring Festival Gala? Was it one of you two?"

The moment these words were spoken, both looked visibly stunned.

How did Zeng Pengchao learn about this so quickly?

Just as An Siwei was about to speak, Lan Hui interrupted, "It was Mr. An’s decision."

"What?!"

An Siwei’s eyes widened, his face etched with disbelief.

He’d known Lan Hui to be vicious, but today he finally grasped just how true the rumors about her cruelty were.

Without giving An Siwei a moment’s reprieve, Zeng Pengchao demanded answers.

"Explain your reasoning. What was your real objective?"

"I believe running advertisements during the Spring Festival Gala is not a minor issue. Chen Bin acted without reporting or seeking approval. If something went wrong, the Provincial Television Station would also bear responsibility. Considering his talent, I refrained from reducing his rank. Otherwise..."

"Reducing his rank?"

Zeng Pengchao’s voice grew frostier.

"How dare you say such a thing?! You tasked Chen Bin with managing the Spring Festival Gala but gave him no funding. He solved the budget issue himself, and now you’re trying to blow things out of proportion?"

Lan Hui seized the chance to refute. "I don’t think a lack of funds justifies advertising during the Gala."

"Good! Well said! Then I’ll immediately allocate five million dollars for you. Without advertisements, organize a Gala of the same caliber as Chen Bin’s. Can you handle it?"

Lan Hui took a deep breath, unclear on how to respond.

Zeng Pengchao continued.

"The Provincial Government originally planned to fund the Gala, but it was you who claimed no funding was needed. Ultimately, only five million was allocated. Sabotaging someone doesn’t need to be this blatant, does it?"

Lan Hui had always thought her methods were clever.

Now she realized, in Zeng Pengchao’s eyes, she was nothing but a clown!

Sweeping his gaze over Lan Hui and An Siwei, Zeng Pengchao issued another warning.

"This Gala is Yanxi Province’s first-ever. Both the Provincial Committee and Government place great importance on it. If anyone dares to stir up trouble again and hinder Chen Bin’s work, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

After leaving the Secretary’s office, both An Siwei and Lan Hui were in shock.

They never imagined Chen Bin had someone like Zeng Pengchao backing him.

It wasn’t until they reached the parking lot that An Siwei finally snapped out of it.

He glared at Lan Hui, displeased. "You’re the one who betrayed, so why pin it on me?"

Lan Hui paid him no mind, got into her car, and drove away.

This left An Siwei swearing angrily.

"Damn it, just a f***ing hen acting all high and mighty!"

Back in her office at the Provincial Television Station, Lan Hui immediately called Feng Huzhou.

"Governor Feng, what’s the deal between Chen Bin and Zeng Pengchao?"

Feng Huzhou replied, "Zeng Pengchao genuinely appreciates Chen Bin. Their relationship is nothing special. Why do you ask?"

"Chen Bin tried to run advertisements during the Gala. I was about to leverage that, but Zeng Pengchao scolded me terribly instead."

"Is that so? Chen Bin knows Zeng Pengchao, so it makes sense for the latter to stand up for him."

"With the Provincial Committee Secretary backing him, it’ll be difficult to bring down Chen Bin now."

"Don’t worry. As long as your evidence is solid, even Zeng Pengchao won’t be able to help him."

"But wouldn’t it be foolish to offend the Secretary over someone as insignificant as Chen Bin?"

"Not at all. Once you’ve dealt with Chen Bin, I’ll find a way to make you Director of Broadcast Bureau and Television Station Head."

Lan Hui had planned to drop the issue.

But after hearing Feng Huzhou’s proposal, she became more determined.

It seemed Chen Bin would still need to be taken down!