At first, the conversation was formal and serious. This was mainly because a considerable number of people were displeased with Chen Yuan's new appointment. These people belonged to their own factions and, having prospered under the protection of powerful backers, were naturally unwilling to change the status quo. They were also afraid of upsetting the powers that be.
Liu Jia from Inner Mongolia—the only relatively young person present and the head of the Yangshao 213 Power Generation Department—mentioned that a group of his colleagues was eager to commit to Chairman Jiang's new plan, and they had chosen him as their representative.
"You haven't met all the leaders yet. In fact, many people wanted to come to this private dinner, but I didn't extend the invitation. I was worried it would be hard to talk with too many people around. After your appointment ceremony, I'm sure many will come looking to pledge their support."
