Chapter 289: Unexpected Call

After seeing off Secretary Li Mingzhou, Lu Fan, accompanied by Liang Qi, Director of the County Committee Office, came to his "territory"—Room 718 on the seventh floor.

The County Committee Office was on the seventh floor, which surely implied "seven up, eight down." The government was on the sixth floor, the fifth floor was for Political and Legal Affairs, Propaganda, and the United Front, the CPPCC was arranged on the eighth floor, the ninth floor was the People's Congress, and the tenth floor was the Discipline Inspection Committee and the Organization Department.

This was strange; many counties arranged the Discipline Inspection Committee and the Organization Department on the same floor, perhaps because the two units were evenly matched. But during festivals, there would be long queues on the Organization Department side, watched helplessly by the Discipline Inspection Committee!

Entering the office, Liang Qi asked diligently: "Secretary, do you think these office facilities need to be replaced?"

Lu Fan waved his hand and said: "Why replace them when they are perfectly fine? I am a rather 'stingy' person. Our County Committee must take the lead in practicing thrift; we shouldn't spend money that doesn't need to be spent!"

"Understood, Secretary. I will convey this, and our County Committee Office will take the lead in implementation!"

Lu Fan pressed his hand down and said: "Sit down and talk. I want to discuss your work situation."

Liang Qi immediately sat down properly and looked at Lu Fan seriously.

"You have been the Director of the County Committee Office for five years now. Minister Pengzhang has a good opinion of you, and I have already recommended you to the Municipal Committee to serve as Deputy County Chief!"

Hearing this, Liang Qi's hands were trembling. He said excitedly: "Secretary, you just arrived, and I haven't had time to 'serve' you yet. Thank you for your promotion! Please rest assured, no matter what position I am in, I will closely unite around the County Committee and resolutely implement your and the County Committee's various instructions!"

Listening to his words and observing his actions, one can know the person. Lu Fan smiled faintly and said: "It is estimated that the Municipal Committee will adjust personnel at the end of this month. You must stand your last post well! Find me a secretary as soon as possible. As for Minister Pengzhang's secretary, arrange a reasonable position for him; discuss this with the Organization Department."

Liang Qi immediately took out a resume and reported: "Chen Zeliang, graduated from the Chinese Department of Yingjiang University, entered as a civil servant in 2012. He is diligent and eager to learn, has now been tempered, can 'handle' major materials, and has not served any leader."

"Does he have a position now?"

"Still an ordinary staff member."

Lu Fan nodded and said: "I'll consider it. How about Deputy Director in charge of government affairs?"

"His professional ability is relatively strong, and he does things in an orderly manner. His father-in-law was a Vice Chairman of the People's Congress and has already retired." Regarding the leader's inquiry, Liang Qi naturally told everything he knew.

After chatting for ten minutes or so, Lu Fan had a general concept of the situation in the County Committee Office.

Finally, Lu Fan arranged: "Prepare these few things: 1. Notify the People's Congress and the CPPCC that I will visit them tomorrow morning; 2. Conduct research on key enterprises and key projects, picking five representative ones for each; 3. Go to the Bureau of Retired Cadres to visit the old comrades. You decide who needs to be visited separately, such as those who have held division-level leadership positions; 4. Arrange for departments that bear assessment indicators to report their work. The requirement is to explain last year's work in a few words, mainly talking about highlights, and then plan this year's work and set goals for themselves. Remember, I don't want to hear a single empty word or cliché!"

"Understood, Secretary. I will go and implement it immediately." Liang Qi felt that the leader was relatively pragmatic and must keep up with the leader's rhythm. This month's work was too critical; there must be absolutely no mistakes.

Just after Liang Qi left, Dai Bufan, Deputy Director of the County Committee Office, came in with some documents and reported: "Secretary Lu, these are the documents processed by our County Committee Office this year. Please take a look!" This was him taking the initiative to find work.

Lu Fan looked up and said: "Thank you for your hard work!"

Action is attitude. For those who take the initiative to work, Lu Fan naturally had to give recognition and encouragement!

A simple sentence made Dai Bufan feel that the two days of hard work were completely worth it!

Near the end of the workday, Wang Zhikun, Deputy Secretary of the County Committee, pushed the door open and said with a smile: "Secretary, first day in Ganshui, shall we go to the kitchen to eat? Or stroll around the street to eat a little? I am a Ganshui native; I must fulfill the duties of a host!"

Lu Fan knew that he and Wu Pengzhang were alumni and had a relatively close relationship, but as a newcomer, he had to observe everything further, so he smiled and said: "Just took office today, let's not go out on the street to be conspicuous. Let's go to the kitchen to have a bite and taste Ganshui's tofu."

"That's a must-taste. Our county is famous for its good water, so the tofu made is naturally delicate, fragrant, and mellow, rich in elasticity, doesn't break after long boiling, and contains high protein and low fat. It has the effects of lowering blood pressure, lowering fat, and lowering cholesterol. It is an ideal health food!"

The tofu industry was a specialty of Ganshui and a key industry Lu Fan was planning in his grand development plan. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration and said: "Secretary Zhikun, don't underestimate the small tofu; if done well, it is also a big industry! You are from Ganshui and naturally know Ganshui's tofu like the back of your hand. I want to entrust you with a heavy responsibility: apply for the 'Ganshui Tofu' as a national geographical indication product as soon as possible. This is quite important and will definitely be of great benefit to our development of the tofu industry!"

This is the greatest advantage of a County Party Secretary—decision-making power! This is the power granted by the organization; one can represent the organization to arrange work, and those who oppose it are unorganized and undisciplined!

This was originally the government's business, but Wang Zhikun took it over crisply and neatly, saying: "The first task arranged by the Secretary, I will naturally do my best to complete it with high quality."

Lu Fan nodded and said: "I will explain this to the government side. Funding will be guaranteed as a priority. If you need any department to cooperate, just arrange it directly. If anyone doesn't listen to the call or shirks responsibility, you make a proposal, and we will remove them directly. My principle is: whoever hinders the economic development of Ganshui County is a sinner of Ganshui. The County Committee and County Government will certainly have no place for them, and at the same time, they will be dealt with seriously and held accountable!"

Wang Zhikun was certain that the Secretary wasn't just talking; I'm afraid there will be people who don't know the times and will bump into the muzzle of the gun!

Just after going downstairs, Zhang Qianyuan, Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Committee, and Guo Tongyu, Head of the Organization Department, chased after them from behind. The four of them walked toward the canteen, chatting and laughing. This scene made many people in the building thoughtful, especially on the county government floor.

County Chief Wang Baoguo sat in his office all afternoon, hesitating whether to go to the County Committee. He really couldn't bring himself to do it!

Just now, he saw Lu Fan taking several heavyweight Standing Committee members to the canteen, which made Wang Baoguo feel even more depressed. He simply called his driver and returned to Yingjiang; out of sight, out of mind.

Back home, looking at her husband's unhappy appearance, Wang Baoguo's wife asked: "Did Lu Fan take office?"

"Hmm, very spirited. The Municipal Party Secretary brought the Head of the Organization Department and the Secretary-General to send him to his post. I have never seen Secretary Li send any County Party Secretary to their post!"

"Sigh, Baoguo, when people are under the eaves, they have to bow their heads. He is the County Party Secretary; you have to put down your face, lest he give you small shoes to wear."

Wang Baoguo didn't want to discuss this issue and hid on the balcony to smoke.

His wife couldn't help but sigh in her heart: If I had known today, why act as I did in the beginning!

In the evening, she called her daughter, and talking about Lu Fan made her feel very melancholy.

After going to work the next day, Lu Fan, accompanied by Guo Tongyu, Head of the Organization Department, and the Director of the County Committee Office, went to the People's Congress and the CPPCC. This was a routine operation after a County Party Secretary took office.

In the afternoon, Lu Fan went to the Bureau of Retired Cadres and the Activity Center for Retired Cadres to visit and comfort the old cadres and communicate and talk with them.

Lu Fan emphasized that they must care for and love the old cadres, fully carry out daily activities, and provide a platform for old cadres to have something to enjoy in their old age. They must improve the construction of service facilities, solve the problems that old cadres generally care about and reflect on in a concentrated manner in a timely manner, improve the level of service, and further enhance the sense of gain and happiness of the old cadres.

After following the process step by step, Lu Fan returned to his office and began to review documents.

Just as he entered the state, his mobile phone rang. He looked and saw it was a strange number. Lu Fan thought for a while and answered the phone.

"Hello, who are you looking for?"

"Lu Fan, I am Wang Yewei!"

Hearing this name, Lu Fan was suddenly a little trance-like, and scenes of the past echoed in his mind!

After a long time, Lu Fan said: "Hello!"

Many people say that in the song "Ten Years," "If those two words didn't tremble," "those two words" might be Lu Fan's current state of mind. Thousands of words can only be gathered into one "Hello!"

Wasn't Wang Yewei the same? She endured the pain and said with difficulty: "Lu Fan, congratulations!"

"Thank you! It's just a change of job position; the essence is still serving the people!"

"My father is working with you now. I hope you can work together peacefully. Don't make things difficult for him, okay?" Her tone carried deep worry.

Lu Fan said faintly: "Yewei, you are overthinking! I have Party principles. Your father and I are just in a working relationship and need to cooperate with each other. The past is in the past; I have no personal grievances with him!"

What a familiar voice, still so calm and firm, which couldn't help but make one feel at ease. Wang Yewei said: "Lu Fan, I know you have always been a person with responsibility and principles. I believe you can handle the relationship with my father well. Thank you!"

The two didn't know what else to say. Wang Yewei suddenly had a strong thought and used all the courage of her life to ask: "Lu Fan, you are very excellent and very powerful. No one can stop us anymore. Can we start over and go back to the past?"

Lu Fan gave a miserable smile, a flash of bitterness and indifference in his eyes, and said: "Spilled water cannot be gathered; let's not mention the past! I have a girlfriend now, and our relationship is also very good. You know me; I will continue with her!"

"Lu Fan, it's me who let you down. I wish you happiness!" After saying that, Wang Yewei hung up the phone and then covered her face and cried bitterly, her heart full of regret and self-blame. She hated herself at the beginning so much for not sticking to her love and losing the person who had her in his eyes, never to be found again!

In those years, I refused to marry the spring breeze, but was mistakenly delayed by the autumn wind for no reason; looking back, everything is desolate; how could the autumn moon and spring breeze know!

The deeper a person loves, the more resolute their back is when they leave! Because his heart is very expensive and cannot be trampled upon!

In life, there are always too many unexpected things. A blink of an eye is a day, and a turn is a lifetime. The regrets of the past remind Lu Fan that the world is impermanent. Cherish the present, be grateful for what you have; life is not that long! ===== CHAPTER 290 =====