Chapter 359

Lu Fan originally hoped for a "dragon-tiger fight" but it didn't happen; Secretary Wang Hongtao's advantage over Executive Deputy Provincial Governor Duan Pengfei is overwhelming!

Since Chang'an announced the implementation of nationwide medical reform, the parents and elders of the three Qin regions have eagerly hoped that Wang Hongtao would serve as Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, even a higher position!

Who wins the people's hearts wins the world; in Qinchuan Province, no one is a match for the "Son of the Three Qins" Wang Hongtao!

July 27, the whole province was buzzing; the youngest Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary in the nation emerged, with Wang Hongtao assuming the post of Deputy Secretary of the Qinchuan Provincial Party Committee, becoming one of the three top leaders of Qinchuan Province!

This is also a great leap for Wang Hongtao, meaning he enters the "queue" sequence; when other standing committee members are on duty, they must refer to it as a "position"!

Presiding over the daily work of the Provincial Party Committee, overseeing the Provincial Party Committee General Office; overseeing Party building work, concurrently serving as head of the Party Building Work Leading Group and president of the Provincial Party Committee Party School, handling daily affairs; responsible for Party and mass organization work, overseeing the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department and the Provincial Compilation Office……

In Wang Hongtao's division of work, Secretary Chen Jiazhong's trust is fully manifested!

Even in the conversation, Secretary Chen Jiazhong exclaimed in astonishment: "Hong Tao, Governor Feng is likely to leave Qinchuan Province, at the latest by next year; do you have any ideas?"

Wang Hongtao laughed and said: "Secretary, I have just taken office as deputy secretary; how dare I covet the governor's position!"

Secretary Chen Jiazhong encouraged: "You have ability and prestige; you must have the spirit of pressing forward without yielding; if something is to be contested, you must contest it, letting the organization see your determination! Moreover, Minister De Ming's further advancement is already settled, his influence greater, everything is possible; the Provincial Party Committee will definitely support you!"

Wang Hongtao said: "If the secretary tells me to go up, I go up! Gain it is my fortune, lose it is my fate; after giving it my all, there will be no regrets!"

Soon, Wang Hongtao made his first appearance in the Provincial Party Committee—adjusting personnel!

Yinzhou Mayor Lu Jianguo was adjusted to become Tongzhou Municipal Party Committee Secretary; Chang'an Mayor Luo Wen was adjusted to become Yinzhou Mayor; Yinzhou Municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Zhang Yang was promoted to become Anning Mayor……

An adjustment of nearly 20 people, involving only Yinzhou and Chang'an; although the scope is small, the weight is substantial, all related to Wang Hongtao, and it came unusually swiftly!

This let the province's leading cadres see Wang Hongtao's "weight" and energy in the Provincial Party Committee; this is his capability—a "mountaintop" standing tall alongside the secretary and governor in Qinchuan Province!

In recent days, Lu Fan and Weiwei have basically been together every day, discussing two major matters: one is free three meals for all county students; the other is medical reform, increasing reimbursement ratio.

Lu Fan vaguely sensed that Weiwei was more urgent than he, wanting to get these two things done.

Weiwei said: "Secretary, regarding medical reform, Chang'an's plan is highly operable; we can just copy it. Over the past two years, under the secretary's efforts, Ganshui County has undergone tremendous changes, with fiscal revenue doubling. I have a suggestion: have the county finance allocate 50 million yuan to implement a 'one matter, one discussion' project for the poor, on the basis of their enjoying medical insurance, personal expenses over five thousand yuan will be reimbursed a second time."

Lu Fan naturally would not object, saying: "Targeted assistance is very necessary; 'one matter, one discussion' can be exempt from fixed-amount reimbursement relief limits, adhering to the principle of handling special cases specially and guaranteeing the minimum living standard for urban and rural residents, but we must strictly verify the patients' family economic situation, using the money for truly poor people. This work should first obtain a plan, then go through the government standing meeting."

"Okay, secretary, I'll prepare right away." Weiwei also said: "Based on half a year's experience, ensuring one student's three meals a day requires about 15 yuan; the Education Bureau has done a lot of work in this regard, basically minimizing the cost. If we implement this policy countywide, the fiscal expenditure for one academic year would be between 20 and 30 million yuan; adding the schools' various expenses, the total would be around 50 million yuan per academic year."

Lu Fan laughed and said: "Can we afford this money now?"

Weiwei also laughed and replied: "Secretary, we are the county with the fewest government investment projects in the whole city, with several hundred million yuan sitting in our account. By the second half of the year, as major projects are constructed and some projects come into production, Ganshui's fiscal revenue will surge even more; what we are considering now is how to spend the money!"

Lu Fan thought for a moment and said: "Aren't we still owing the bank three or four hundred million? Let's pay that off first; paying the interest each quarter is quite painful!"

Weiwei laughed and said: "Okay, I'll start handling it tomorrow. Secretary, I have a suggestion: our county's Erdao Street mainly consists of two- to three-story residential buildings, most of which are dilapidated from age; should we consider a comprehensive renovation and upgrade of Erdao Street? This could obtain higher-level policy and financial support, with the county's matching funds around 30%."

Lu Fan said: "I've considered this idea, but the required funds are too huge; even the 30% matching funds would need several hundred million! It's not easy for Ganshui to scrape together this amount; I'd rather use the funds to improve people's livelihoods—let Erdao Street stay as it is, it's no big deal; those who want to renovate can do it themselves, and the Urban Construction Bureau just needs to oversee."

On Friday, Lu Fan went to the Municipal Party Committee to seek advice from Secretary Li Mingzhou on some issues. Since Secretary Wang Hongtao assumed the post of Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, the provincial situation has become increasingly confusing to him.

Unexpectedly, after listening to Lu Fan's questions, Secretary Li Mingzhou directly asked: "Have you considered leaving Ganshui County?"

"Ah?" Lu Fan said doubtfully: "Secretary, I've only been in office in Ganshui for less than two years; I feel the work has just begun—would leaving now be too early?"

Li Mingzhou thought for a moment and said: "The position of county party secretary is excellent for training people; I originally intended to let you train there for a few more years, which would absolutely benefit your future development. However, the situation in Qinchuan Province is very complex; there is something I want to let you know: Liu Zhen Guo has already been placed under double regulation, and it will be announced soon; I hear many cadres in Qinchuan Province are implicated, and if they are all taken down, many positions in the province will face a shortage of usable personnel; if handled properly, you could seize the opportunity to become a deputy bureau-level official."

Lu Fan, to be promoted to deputy bureau-level, one must undergo training in two division-level posts, with a minimum tenure of three years in a division-level position. Therefore, transferring posts now is most suitable! I can go talk to Wang Hongtao to strive for a position as a division chief in the Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee or as a division chief in the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission.

Lu Fan couldn't help but ask: "The last time the Provincial Party Committee moved a batch of people, I heard they were all related to Secretary Wang?"

Li Mingzhou sighed: "The younger generation is formidable! To be frank, I wasn't informed beforehand about the last personnel adjustment. Secretary Jiazhong and Governor Feng's support for Wang Hongtao is very strong; now the personnel adjustments in Qinchuan Province can be said to be under Wang Hongtao's control!"

The provincial institutional reform is about to launch soon, and the team leader will still be Wang Hongtao; don't underestimate this work—basically, the institutions and staffing of all cities are under his control! This has a certain relation to the secretary and governor departing, but Wang Hongtao himself is quite capable; if I were in charge, I would also use him!

"Secretary, are Secretary Jiazhong and Governor Liu leaving?"

Li Mingzhou nodded and said: "Minister De Ming is going to the Discipline Inspection Commission to sit on the bench; the call for Secretary Jiazhong to go to the Organization Department is the strongest, and Governor Feng's departure from Qinchuan is already a settled matter!"

Lu Fan suddenly asked: "Does Secretary Wang Hongtao have a chance to take the governor's seat?"

Li Mingzhou suddenly fell into contemplation, and after a moment said: "If Minister De Ming and Secretary Jiazhong give strong support, it seems possible as well! I've heard that Secretary Tang Yi also appreciates Wang Hongtao, but such a personnel approach is rare; ultimately it still depends on the leaders' opinion! Lu Fan, how are you considering this yourself?"

After deep consideration, Lu Fan said: "Secretary, for the time being I don't want to leave Ganshui; I have poured a great deal of effort into Ganshui, and many things have just begun—if I left, all my prior work might go to waste! If I could be given another year, everything could get on track."

Li Mingzhou said: "I can understand your feelings, but politics is politics; sometimes it's step by step, slow and steady! Liu Zhen Guo's case will cause turmoil in Qinchuan Province, and there will be many instances of using cadres outside the normal procedure. By next year, many things may have settled, and the province may have no suitable position left!"

Between being an official and doing things, Lu Fan chose to do things; he firmly said: "Secretary, I still want to stay in Ganshui, finish what I want to do, and not leave myself with too many regrets!"

Li Mingzhou said helplessly: "Since you insist, just keep at it! But it would be best to achieve some distinction and win a solid honor! Ganshui's momentum this year is good; it can steadily hold the top tier in the city, then by year's end compete for the top ten counties in the province and the top hundred in the west, and then spare no effort to vie for the title of National Outstanding County Party Secretary; I estimate the quota will then be in Wang Hongtao's hands, and you would still have a certain advantage!"

"Okay, secretary, I will definitely give it my all!" For these solid honors, every county party secretary will strive desperately.

August 10, Ganshui County convened a countywide medical reform conference; County Party Committee Secretary Yuan Weiwei presided, personally arranging and deploying the work; County Party Committee Secretary Lu Fan attended and delivered an important speech.

Lu Fan demanded that the health system raise its awareness, accurately grasp the new problems and requirements facing the deepening medical reform, learn from the medical reform "Chang'an model" and "Yinzhou model", with the focus on advancing the five-tiered system of graded diagnosis and treatment, modern hospital management, universal medical insurance, drug supply security, and comprehensive supervision; increase efforts, ensure implementation, coordinate promotion of reforms in related fields, ensure the medical reform work yields practical results, and fundamentally solve the difficulties and high costs of seeing a doctor, as well as the problems of falling back into poverty due to illness and being impoverished by illness.

After the meeting ended, Ganshui County seemed to have experienced an magnitude-8 earthquake; the news of the medical reform spread like a spring breeze over every corner, people rushed to inform each other, and their excitement was beyond words.

They never imagined that poor Ganshui would one day enjoy such a beneficial people-friendly policy; everyone was immersed in joy, unable to extricate themselves.

Ganshui's medical reform caused a big stir only in Yingjiang City, but made no splash nationwide, because the focus of national attention was on the "Chang'an medical reform"!