Upon receiving Zhao Xinglong's invitation, Nie Zhenbang accepted it with great alacrity. However, one could discern from this interaction Nie Zhenbang's brotherly affection and trust toward Zhao Xinglong and his ilk.
Having reached his current station, Nie Zhenbang could be described as a highly placed official, a guardian of his domain. With the status and position that Nie Zhenbang held, there was no lack of people eager to flatter and ingratiate themselves with him. Securing an invitation to dine with Secretary Nie was no easy feat.
In reality, not only Nie Zhenbang but also other leaders of the Hongjiang Provincial Committee were the same. Below them, county and division-level cadres, and even half of the department-level officials, spent their days in revelry and nights in social engagements, a display of their power and status. If one lacked such social engagements, it signaled limited power and a lack of invitations.
