Chapter 109: Daily work of a Township Secretary

In the midst of idle chatter, Lu Fan began to complain to Deputy Secretary Bian Jide: "Secretary, you are a leader of the County Party Committee, and our Baishu Bay is a part under the leadership of the County Party Committee. You have to treat everyone equally, right? Mingliang has been the Township Head for five years, and not a single cadre has been promoted below the Township Head in five years. Has Baishu Bay really become a stepchild? Think about it, if there is no adjustment in five years, everyone can't see any hope. Do they still have confidence in their work? You have to give them some hope. I have learned that other townships can basically adjust a batch every year or two. You are in charge of organization and personnel, so you have to make the decision for us."

Cui Mingliang immediately became energetic, very grateful that the Secretary was speaking for him, and looked like he wanted to say something but stopped.

"No one has moved in five years?" Bian Jide said, "That is indeed a long time, but you can't blame others. Even in the 'Eight-Year War of Resistance,' the Japanese were driven away. You have been at the bottom for years. It's not bad that you haven't been punished, and you still want to be promoted? Speak with results!"

Lu Fan immediately said, "Secretary, I have noted your words. Once we crawl out of the quagmire of being at the bottom, even if I have to be thick-skinned, I will ask you for a few 'official hats' for the cadres of Baishu Bay!"

Bian Jide didn't fall for this trap and laughed, "As long as you can enter the top three in the year-end assessment, I will at least ask Secretary Gao for a promotion quota for you!"

The close relationship between Lu Fan and the County Party Committee Secretary and Deputy Secretary made Cui Mingliang very envious, and he was also very grateful to Lu Fan for giving him the opportunity to contact the leaders. Now that he was sparing no effort to recommend him in front of the leaders, what else was there to say? He must go all out in his work.

Near noon, Lu Fan insisted on inviting Deputy Secretary Bian Jide to dinner. Unable to resist the enthusiasm, Secretary Bian could only follow him to the Ningyang Hotel.

Lu Fan "pushed his luck" and "begged" the old leader to call Finance Bureau Director Jia Luhao. Baishu Bay's development needs the support of the Finance Bureau, at least to ensure that funds are allocated as soon as possible after they are in place.

Township Head Cui Mingliang rarely had such a dinner party and performed very diligently, acting as a "waiter."

There were only four people at the dinner party. Under the matchmaking of Bian Jide, the atmosphere was very harmonious.

The position of the Finance Bureau is very critical and is known as the number one bureau in the world, but this position is also very difficult to sit in. It requires being smooth and slick in all directions; otherwise, you will offend many people invisibly, and at critical moments, someone might trip you up.

In terms of work, the Finance Bureau Director needs to be close to the County Head. The County Head has a pen to approve money, and the Director is responsible for execution. But the Director's hat is given by the County Party Committee Secretary. Do you dare to be perfunctory about the tasks assigned by the Secretary? If the coordination ability is not strong, the Finance Bureau Director will be like a mouse in a bellows—suffering from both sides.

When Lu Fan was a secretary, he had many interactions with Jia Luhao, so he was naturally very familiar with him. Both are smart people, and being able to sit together, everything is understood without words.

After the dinner party ended, Jia Luhao whispered to Lu Fan that the 300,000 arranged by Secretary Gao and Secretary Bian would be in place as soon as possible.

At two in the afternoon, Lu Fan continued to go to the County Party Committee and arranged for Township Head Cui Mingliang to go to the Agriculture Bureau to ask Director Shi Qiancheng for funds and policies. He is an old secretary, so there is no reason not to support Baishu Bay's work. He must be invited to dinner in the afternoon.

Coming to the Secretary's office for the second time in a day, seeing Lu Fan's posture of not being afraid of boiling water, Gao Yuanfei laughed helplessly, "It's useless for you to 'grind' with me. The matter of spending money must be decided by the County Head. 11 million, how can it be so easy."

Lu Fan said shamelessly, "Secretary, I am your person. I have no interest in the County Head. It's useless to go there. If you don't support Baishu Bay's work, I am a headless fly and can't even find the direction."

"At least you should report these projects to the competent units first. I have read your project table. Most of the funds need to be strived for by the Agriculture Bureau, Forestry Bureau, and Animal Husbandry Bureau. I can say hello to these bureau chiefs, but the County Head cannot be bypassed. Don't you understand this rule? I can't directly intervene in the government's work, can I? If it doesn't pass the government executive meeting, I can't directly discuss it at the Standing Committee meeting, can I? You go to the government to report. Find a suitable opportunity, and I will mention it to County Head Hu."

Lu Fan stood up and said, "Secretary, then I will go to the government first and come back to report to you tomorrow."

"Don't you care about the unit? You can't stay in the county town all day. You have to guard the unit."

"Okay, Secretary, after I finish reporting to you, I will return to Baishu Bay immediately."

After Lu Fan left, Gao Yuanfei smiled. Sure enough, the environment can forge people. What a good young man. He only went down for a few weeks and became shameless. But the starting point is good. Besides, resources are things that won't fall on your head out of thin air if you don't fight or grab them.

Arriving at the government office, Lu Fan didn't have as good treatment as in the County Party Committee Office and honestly queued for more than an hour.

Entering the County Head's office, Lu Fan sat respectfully opposite Hu Chengwei and said respectfully, "County Head, I am here to report on work."

Hu Chengwei smiled faintly and said, "You've been down for two weeks. What good development ideas do you have?"

"County Head, on the basis of full investigation and extensive solicitation of public opinion, the Township Party Committee has pooled its wisdom and efforts to draft six development measures. I will report to you in detail..."

Lu Fan took a more serious attitude and spoke very specifically. Hu Chengwei listened very carefully and nodded frequently.

After the report, Hu Chengwei said, "There are no weak soldiers under a strong general. Very good, you have ambition. It can be seen that you have put in a lot of hard work. These six ideas have directions, goals, and measures. As long as you persist in doing it, Baishu Bay will definitely take on a new look." Then there was no follow-up.

You can be shameless with the Secretary, but you don't have that friendship with the County Head. Lu Fan handed over the project table and said, "County Head, these are the 16 projects we have drafted. Please give strong support from the County Government."

Hu Chengwei took the project summary table, looked at it for a while, and said, "The grassroots are indeed not easy. You have good ideas. It stands to reason that the County Government should go all out to support you, but there are too many places in our finance that need money. You have been the Secretary's secretary, so you must have deep experience. However, since you are here and it involves the development plan of a township, I will squeeze out 2 million for you, just as support for your work!"

11 million, giving 2 million. Lu Fan knew that the County Head was giving face to Secretary Gao Yuanfei, and this was also the bottom line. Relying on his own "soft grinding and hard bubbling" didn't work. Based on the principle of putting it in the bag, he at least got the 2 million, so he said, "Thank you for your support, County Head. I guarantee to you that the money will definitely be spent in the most critical places, and Baishu Bay will definitely become a new economic growth point for the whole county."

"Good, then I will wait for your good news."

After leaving Hu Chengwei's office, Lu Fan went straight to the County Party Committee Office and used Guo Tongyu's computer to type a special fund application report. When he came, the red-headed document and the official seal were in his bag.

Before getting off work, Lu Fan rushed to the government office and "intercepted" County Head Hu Chengwei to hand in the fund application report.

Hu Chengwei laughed, "Now I believe Baishu Bay can have big movements. Your efficiency and speed are surprisingly fast. Since I promised, I will not go back on my word." After speaking, he signed his big name with a "brush, brush, brush," and added "Please allocate funds as soon as possible."

Now Lu Fan was relieved and laughed, "Next year, please review our work in Baishu Bay, County Head!"

Next, Lu Fan hurriedly went to the Ningyang Hotel to host Agriculture Bureau Director Shi Qiancheng.

At the dinner party, Lu Fan and Cui Mingliang called him "Old Secretary" in every sentence, almost fooling Shi Qiancheng into limping. He patted his chest and guaranteed that he and the Agriculture Bureau would absolutely go all out to support all agricultural projects in Baishu Bay.

This time running for projects, Lu Fan always took Cui Mingliang with him. On one hand, it was to let him make friends with leaders, which was purely good intentions; on the other hand, it was to let him participate in the whole process. Lu Fan didn't want to worry about "entertainment expenses." After all, some expenses cannot be put on the table, and the expenses for running to the province and city later will be greater. How to account for them is his own worry.

On Tuesday, Cui Mingliang returned to the township to preside over the overall situation, and Lu Fan continued to find leaders to report on work and seek support.

In the morning, he met with Executive Vice County Head Yang Chuanbei, and in the afternoon, he met with Vice County Head Mi Xuwen in charge of agriculture, expounding the development ideas of Baishu Bay to the two leaders in detail, and received verbal support from the two leaders.

In the evening, he hosted Forestry Bureau Director Li Kejun to seek support for projects, with County Party Committee Office Director Guo Tongyu accompanying, and got drunk again.

These old alcoholics have too deep a practice; if you don't give yourself up, you can't "take them down."

By Wednesday, Lu Fan took accountant Cai Yingfeng to the Finance Bureau with three fund application reports.

After chatting for a few minutes, Lu Fan made an appointment to have dinner together at noon and left first. The accountant stuffed the prepared "envelope" into Director Jia Luhao's drawer. This is a matter of no choice. The plate is only so big. Even if the leader has approved the words, who gets it first and who gets it later, whether it is given at once or separately, isn't it all up to the Finance Bureau Director? Everyone does this. If you want to get money happily, you have to follow the trend. This kind of unspoken rule is not something Lu Fan can break.

In the afternoon, Lu Fan went to the Organization Department again to fight for "official hats" with the Minister.

After understanding Lu Fan's intention, the Minister said, "Regarding that Deputy Township Head, the Secretary has given instructions. The Organization Department agrees in principle with the candidates you proposed, including that station head, I also agree. But you still want to push out the Chairman of the People's Congress. You have to find the Secretary for this matter. You know about the selection and appointment of the Zhengke level!"

Lu Fan retreated to the next best thing and said, "Minister, Baishu Bay has not adjusted cadres for five years. Let's put ourselves in each other's shoes. After a long time, everyone can't see hope, work has no vitality, and they will be passive, perfunctory, and have no cohesion, leading to no progress in various tasks, which is why Baishu Bay has been at the bottom for eight years. If you want to change this situation, adjusting cadres can have an immediate effect. If the Chairman of the People's Congress is difficult, can you consider promoting our Secretary? Even a horizontal transfer is fine. If you vacate a position in the township, you can move several people, as if letting everyone see a little hope."

The status of the Secretary's secretary does have a certain effect, and Lu Fan is the "speaker" of Baishu Bay, which can be considered a small vassal in Ningyang. The Minister thought for a while and said, "Hey, one radish, one pit. Where do you adjust your people? Forget it, I will try my best to help you strive for it, but the final decision still depends on the Secretary's attitude."

Lu Fan said excitedly, "Thank you for your strong support, Minister. If you don't match the dishes, how can the leaders 'stir-fry'? Isn't the deputy section level adjustment just a word from you? Please give me some face no matter what. I have hidden two bottles of old wine. Shall we have a small drink in the evening?"

"Not tonight. I have an appointment with someone in the city. Next time for sure!"

"Okay, then I will come to ask for instructions next time. This meal must be eaten no matter what. After I go back, I will arrange for cadres to report 'ideological' work to you." ===== CHAPTER 110 =====