"Mayor, why don't you come to my office, make me a cup of tea, and we can sit down and talk?" Li Xiuyuan smiled and said in response to Hou Peng's questioning.

It's inappropriate for the two of them to be chatting on the street, as they're about to go to work.

Hou Peng glanced at Li Xiuyuan and then said, "Then let's go to my office. A friend just gave me a box of good tea these past few days. Come and have a taste."

He didn't really care about tea; the key was that he paid attention to details. When discussing town affairs, what was the point of going to Li Xiuyuan's office? He had to go to his own office.

He was the town mayor, while Li Xiuyuan was only the deputy town mayor.

Where can you talk to the town mayor about work? You go to the deputy town mayor's office.

Li Xiuyuan didn't dwell on it, nodded, and smiled in agreement. After walking into the town government with Hou Peng, they sat down in Hou Peng's office. Hou Peng casually made a cup of tea and looked at Li Xiuyuan, saying, "So, what are your thoughts?"

“Mayor, what I mean is, right now there are only the two of us in the town government, and we’re being used as if we were two people. We still can’t handle it. Since Deputy Mayor Wang Zhixing has left, shouldn’t we talk to the county and ask them to promote someone else to deputy mayor?”

As soon as Li Xiuyuan finished speaking, Hou Peng's expression turned serious. Li Xiuyuan was trying to interfere in the selection of the deputy mayor.

Actually, these deputy section-level cadres are all appointed by the county, but the town also has a certain right to recommend them. However, it's hard to say how much say they have in the recommendation process. If the county's organization department allows the recommendation, then the candidates to be recommended will depend on the method used.

Sometimes, the county's organization department will approach the town's Party Secretary or Mayor separately and ask them to make recommendations. Other times, the town may proactively recommend someone to the county after the town's Party Committee meeting.

Finally, after assessment by the Organization Department of the County Party Committee, the decision was made by a vote of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee.

Hou Peng knew his situation. He used to have a certain amount of influence in the town, but it was difficult to speak up in the county. It wasn't that he had no connections at all; if he didn't have connections, he wouldn't be in this position.

The key is the connections behind him, the support they provide. They are not as strong as the connections behind Li Xiuyuan.

Especially now, if it's a meeting of the town's Party committee, he can't compete with Li Xiuyuan for the right to speak, even if the candidate is recommended by the town.

He still vividly remembers the scene at the last bidding evaluation site where Li Xiuyuan forcefully suppressed him and Zhang Xingguo. Now, if the town party committee meeting is held again, he doesn't know what the meeting will be like, let alone him. Even Zhang Xingguo can't guarantee it.

"Mayor Li, you really put your heart and soul into the work of the town government," Hou Peng said sarcastically.

Li Xiuyuan pretended not to understand: "Mayor, although I am mainly responsible for the new rural construction of Meilin Village, I am still the executive deputy mayor. Since the organization trusts me, I certainly cannot let down this trust."

Hou Peng nodded in agreement: "Yes, doing your job well is the most important thing."

Hou Peng emphasized the words "job duties," but Li Xiuyuan didn't care. No matter what Hou Peng said, he would pretend he didn't understand. He was determined to make Hou Peng the deputy mayor.