Chapter 311: Concentrated Talk Before Appointment

On the morning of July 30th, 6 inspection teams of the County Party Committee Organization Department went to various units to conduct organizational inspection on personnel to be promoted, reused, and transferred to public service. A personnel adjustment without any warning suddenly started!

By noon, almost all the cadres in the county were discussing this personnel adjustment. Everyone's first reaction was unexpected. Such a large adjustment involving so many people was decided so quickly. Some people joked that Secretary Lu was afraid that he didn't even have time to "collect money"!

As the saying goes, there is no wall that doesn't leak wind. Every personnel adjustment can spread rumors in advance. For example, who found whom? Who spent how much money? Everyone passed it with noses and eyes, as if they saw it with their own eyes.

But ever since Lu Fan served as Ganshui County Party Committee Secretary, cadres really didn't seem to hear who Lu Secretary collected money from.

Everyone was very suspicious. Is there really a leader who doesn't collect money in this world? What does he want to be an official for? Just to serve the people?

Some people said that Secretary Lu didn't look down on this little money, and people wanted to catch big ones, with goals in infrastructure, projects, and engineering!

However, so far, no one has heard that Secretary Lu reached out to which unit, didn't lead which project, and didn't help which one to say hello. Otherwise, there must be wind spreading out.

Moreover, people

Could it be that Ganshui has truly encountered a selfless leader who is wholeheartedly devoted to the people? At the very least, that is how it appears for now!

Although this personnel adjustment was large in scale and wide in scope, not a single candidate under consideration was promoted through unconventional means. It could be considered fair and just, and was basically accepted by everyone; therefore, it proceeded extremely smoothly.

On August 9, the publicity period for the cadre assessment in Ganshui ended. Lu Fan presided over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, which successfully passed the personnel adjustment plan.

County Chief Wang Baoguo didn't say anything, but he was somewhat unhappy in his heart.

Executive Deputy County Chief Yang Chengyu came to the County Chief's office and fanned the flames: "County Chief, kindness has its limits and tolerance has its bounds. Blind tolerance will only lead others to push their luck! Our relationship with the County Party Committee is very subtle; it's either the east wind prevailing over the west wind, or the west wind prevailing over the east wind. Even if we don't fight, at the very least, he should give the government some quotas for promoting cadres, right? If this continues, I worry that our voice will become weaker and weaker!"

Wang Baoguo didn't want to pay him any mind. In any case, he didn't have many cadres he wanted to promote in Ganshui, and some things were better left unsaid—peace is a blessing!

"Chengyu, some things cannot be forced. After all, there is Secretary Li Mingzhou, you understand! You've been Executive Deputy County Chief for a few years now; there is a vast world beyond, so if you have the chance, you should go out and see it!"

Seeing the County Chief so "stubborn," Yang Chengyu felt very helpless!

As Executive Deputy County Chief, his power came from the County Chief. If the County Chief was tough, he could rise with the tide; if the County Chief was "weak and incompetent," he would have to suffer along with him.

As for confronting the County Party Committee Secretary, he wouldn't dare even if he had ten times the courage!

Over the past two days, Lu Fan's office naturally became a "vegetable market" again. Everyone who was promoted or adjusted wanted to come and report their work to the Secretary, express their gratitude, and show their loyalty, using this opportunity to align themselves with the Secretary.

Lu Fan gave each person no more than five minutes. He refused all gifts without exception and gave special instructions to the township secretaries and town mayors: The County Party Committee attaches great importance to and is very cautious about the selection of main party and government leaders in townships. He hoped that everyone would cherish this rare opportunity, and with the ambition of "if you are given a stage, you must perform well," and the courage and boldness of "if you don't do it, fine; if you do it, you must do it well," work solidly, not disgrace their mission, not fail the expectations, and repay the organization and the expectations of the masses with outstanding achievements.

After the cadre adjustments were finished, Lu Fan opened his small notebook and made many phone calls, explaining to some leaders that he would definitely prioritize the candidates they recommended during the next personnel adjustment.

Some well-connected people really shouldn't be offended; after all, work requires the support of higher-level departments. Otherwise, the projects and funds that should be yours will run into trouble, leaving you with grievances you can't voice!

A total of 26 township cadres were adjusted this time. Lu Fan was very dissatisfied with the work in the various townships of Ganshui, so he planned to conduct collective pre-appointment talks with them and required the township secretaries and town mayors who were not involved in the personnel adjustments to attend as well.

To this end, the County Party Committee Office worked overtime for three days to form the preliminary materials. Lu Fan personally oversaw it, interjecting his own thoughts and requirements.

At 9:00 AM on August 11, Lu Fan walked into the government's small conference room, where the secretaries and mayors of each township were already sitting upright.

After Lu Fan sat in the main seat, he said: "Comrades, this cadre adjustment is an important personnel arrangement made by the County Party Committee based on the overall situation of the county's development and stability, focusing on building a high-quality and professional leadership team, and combining it with the leadership teams of each township.

I ask the newly appointed comrades to firmly believe, build a loyal political character, be single-minded and consistent, and never change their hearts, shift their will, or destroy their integrity at any time or under any circumstances! At the same time, I also asked the County Party Committee Office to invite the leaders of other townships as well, just to chat with everyone about township work!

Townships connect to the county above and villages below. They are the key nodes for the exchange of rural resources and factors, the main providers of public services, an important link in rural governance, and the stabilizer of national development!

At present, the townships in Ganshui are shrinking and facing decline. Industries are missing, and urbanization has undergone tremendous changes, leading to the phenomenon of 'cities gathering and villages dispersing.'

Many farmers go to the city to work and have to leave their children and parents in the countryside. They want to return home to live nearby, but they cannot solve the employment problem, and their income is low, resulting in migrant workers being unable to reunite with their families.

A series of portrayals, in the final analysis, is the lack of township industries. Without new power to support them, employment cannot be solved, and the population can only flow out.

Starting from today, you are officially in office. Each township in Ganshui must form a scene of 'one village, one brand; one village, one specialty; one village, one benchmark; one village, one product.' Next, the County Party Committee Office will make arrangements, and I want to hear your reports on industrial development individually! If you have the ability, you should get the work of the township you are in charge of going. If you don't have the ability, then you should make room for those who want to do things and can do things!"

Lu Fan's speech made the attendees pause, feeling the Secretary's determination and immense pressure!

Lu Fan continued: "I have discovered that there is a strange phenomenon in our Ganshui townships: the phenomenon of cadres being content to 'lie flat' occurs frequently! Some people, because they have no hope of promotion, have reduced enthusiasm for work, push and block when encountering things, and sit and wait for retirement. Even some cadres who have just started working, despite being in their prime, are 'old before their time,' having entered a 'mid-life crisis' early. They lack motivation and enthusiasm for work, hide when encountering tasks, and show a 'lying flat' state of having no desires and no demands.

Why are they content to 'lie flat'? I think there are several reasons:

First, the lack of smooth promotion leads to passive 'lying flat.' Once they feel there is no hope of promotion, some people will relax their requirements for themselves, stop seeking progress, and just muddle along. Or they become listless, do not take responsibility, and show up without putting in effort; or they use their power to seek personal gain and engage in private work; or they even become 'thorns' who specifically look for trouble for their leaders.

Second, they have insufficient ability, cannot adapt to new situations and new requirements, and give up on themselves, wanting to 'lie flat.' Old methods don't work, new methods they don't know how to use, their cognition and knowledge remain in their memories, they rely on feelings when encountering things, and they reveal their ignorance as soon as they open their mouths.

Third, tasks are heavy and pressure is high, and accountability is too rampant, so they engage in passive sabotage to ensure 'peace.' Some grassroots cadres say that as long as someone is standing in front, this matter has nothing to do with me. No one wants to be the 'scapegoat,' so it's better to 'lie flat,' which is actually peaceful.

So, how to treat the phenomenon of being content to 'lie flat'?

First, do a good job in political construction, strengthen party spirit cultivation, and make grassroots cadres unable to 'lie.' Through in-depth study, educate cadres to have clear original intentions and missions, clear historical responsibilities, firm ideals and beliefs, and lasting passion for entrepreneurship.

Second, do a good job in ideological construction, strengthen ideological guidance, and make grassroots cadres not want to 'lie.' Aiming at the knowledge blind spots, ability shortcomings, and experience blind zones of cadres, carry out systematic training to effectively improve cadre ability.

Third, do a good job in organizational construction, strengthen education and management, and make grassroots cadres unable to 'lie.'

Fourth, do a good job in style and discipline construction, strengthen supervision and discipline enforcement, and make grassroots cadres afraid to 'lie.' For cadres who do not cherish their positions and are unwilling to act, resolutely hold them accountable, so that 'lying flat' cadres have 'responsibility in their hearts and fear in their hearts.'

Fifth, do a good job in institutional construction, strengthen incentive mechanisms, and make grassroots cadres unwilling to 'lie.' Link work performance with year-end performance, assessment, and promotion, so that grassroots cadres who take responsibility have a 'goal,' and let some cadres who are content to 'lie flat' be unable to 'lie.' Break the malpractice that doing and not doing are the same, and doing more or less is the same, so that 'lying flat' cadres who think they have an 'iron rice bowl' have nowhere to hide!

Comrades, I authorize you: for those 'lying flat' elements who refuse to mend their ways, dismiss them if they should be dismissed. As long as you submit the list, the County Party Committee will be the villain!

At the same time, we must reward and punish clearly. We must vigorously promote excellent cadres who are willing to do things and can do good things! I am definitely not just paying lip service; we will see the results in this year's year-end assessment!"