Chapter 376: with translation of chapter title

Sitting in a spacious and bright office, Lu Fan felt a sense of pride and satisfaction; the City Government must safeguard the work and funding of all its Party Group members, and can issue orders to all government departments—truly a position of high status and great authority, and he could say he was the brightest star in Yingjiang's political scene!

Floating, floating! Lu Fan suddenly recalled a saying: arrogance brings loss, humility brings benefit! When people's hearts are restless, they become impatient; they cannot calm down to do things, and will accomplish nothing.

A gentleman is tranquil and not proud; a petty person is proud and not tranquil. Lu Fan admonished himself: he must guard against arrogance and impatience, remain humble as a valley, be unmoved by favor or disgrace, and treat every colleague equally.

Taking advantage of the leader giving him a day off today, Lu Fan began to study the situation and personnel adjustments of the City Government Office.

The City Government Office has a staffing quota of 50 people, including the mayor and seven vice mayors, with two vice mayors on temporary assignment not counted here.

Six Deputy Secretary-Generals of the Municipal Party Committee who also serve as deputy directors of the City Government Office have three vacancies; there are fifteen internal departments, but currently only ten section chiefs, with two transferred away and three taken by the Discipline Inspection Committee, leaving ten section chief and four deputy section chief positions vacant.

The City Government Office is finely divided, not only having the Administration, Secretariat, Finance, and Comprehensive sections, but also more than ten sections such as Development, Construction, Agriculture, and Finance and Economics, each corresponding to different counties and city-direct units, coordinating with the vice mayors' work.

In addition, it manages the Legal Affairs Office, Policy Research Office, Inspection Office, Emergency Office, General Affairs Bureau, Reception Office, and other departments.

The urgent task is to fill the three vacant Deputy Secretary-General and office director positions, then next to fill the section chief and deputy section chief posts, ensuring staff are in place, duties are clear, and responsibilities are assigned to individuals; otherwise, the unit's morale will be unstable, and everyone will be jumping up and down, scheming against each other, and passing the buck.

Vice Mayor Zhang Shibin had an intention toward the Commerce and Trade Section Chief Hu Keman; Lu Fan temporarily listed this person as a promotion candidate, and still needed to select two Deputy Secretary-General candidates.

After promotion, Hu Keman would be responsible for coordinating Vice Mayor Zhang Shibin's work; as for the other Deputy Secretary-Generals' divisions, Lu Fan would give his opinion. Don't look at this small division— the Deputy Secretaries will fight over it tooth and nail, because following a 'powerful' leader guarantees their prospects and benefits; conversely, if the leader lacks responsibility and authority and only looks out for himself, the Deputy Secretary-General, including section chiefs, would be left in tears, and all this needs Lu Fan to decide.

After settling the situation, Lu Fan first went to the office of Executive Vice Mayor Zhang Rongqiu.

Seeing Lu Fan push the door open, Zhang Rongqiu laughed and said, 'You didn't go out with the mayor?'

Lu Fan laughed and replied, 'The mayor told me to familiarize myself with the work, first straighten out this mess, and I'm the first to come report to you.'

'No need for pleasantries, I will definitely fully support your work. The urgent task is to fill the personnel positions; otherwise, everyone will be panicked and won't do proper work.'

Lu Fan asked, 'Mayor, regarding the assignment of Deputy Secretary-Generals and section chiefs, do you have any specific instructions?'

Zhang Rongqiu smiled and said, 'The people and departments I oversee are "peaceful and trouble-free" this time, so I won't give an opinion; just make sure you have them filled as you see fit.'

Lu Fan said, 'If you have any instructions, please feel free to issue them! Mayor, after this adjustment, the City Government Office staff will have more than ten vacancies, and I plan to openly select a batch of people.'

'I support it; we can't let the grand City Government Office still be short-staffed. Lu Fan, another day we'll organize a gathering to celebrate you on a small scale.'

Lu Fan laughed and replied, 'Thank you for the leader's kindness; let me first get a little familiar with the work. After some time, I'll pick a good day and treat everyone to a few drinks.'

'Alright, then I'll wait for the notice!'

Next, Lu Fan went to the office of the Standing Committee Vice Mayor Zhang Shibin; they had known each other for many years, so they naturally had a pleasant conversation.

When Lu Fan worked in Baishu Bay, Zhang Shibin was already a vice mayor; Lu Fan had risen several ranks, while Mayor Zhang had only struggled to become a standing committee member, but this is the norm.

Upon arriving at the office of Vice Mayor Bian Jide, Lu Fan felt most at ease.

Bian Jide laughed and said, 'After many years apart, we are working together in the same unit again!'

Lu Fan laughed and said, 'Continuing to serve under the old leader's command, if there's anything, the old leader can just give orders, and I guarantee to serve you well!'

'You are the City Government Office's big housekeeper, you must serve all leaders well. Lu Fan, are you soon considering a Deputy Secretary-General? I recommend a candidate: Agriculture Section Chief Huang Yuan, whose qualifications and abilities are unquestionable.'

Lu Fan replied, 'The old leader gave instructions, I must follow them; I have tentatively set him as a Deputy Secretary-General candidate, but the final decision rests with Mayor Li Ruifang.'

Bian Jide pointed out, 'Just put him on the list, and then have him come find you.'

Next, Lu Fan visited Vice Ministers Gao Ke, Zheng Kai, Wang Wenhui, and Li Xiaoya; Wang Wenhui is a democratic vice mayor, very easygoing, and Li Xiaoya is a female comrade in charge of education, culture, and health.

Finally, Lu Fan went to the office of the temporary Vice Mayor Zhao Tianran and sat for a while; Mayor Zhao came down from the Development and Reform Commission on temporary assignment, overseeing state assets and finance, etc., and was very courteous toward Lu Fan, the 'big housekeeper'.

As for Vice Mayor and Public Security Bureau Chief Ye Chen, he rarely appears in the City Government Office; Lu Fan pays him no mind, anyway they often drink together.

After finishing the greetings, Lu Fan, based on the leaders' recommendations and combining the cadres' qualifications, decided to promote the Commerce and Trade Section Chief Hu Keman, the Agriculture Section Chief Wang Wenhui, and the Administration Section Chief Duan Yongjiao to Deputy Secretary-General, and then waited for them to come to his door. If anyone did not come to his 'greeting the door,' he would definitely cross out their name, because the rush is not about buying and selling, nor is it about asking them to give gifts or money; personnel adjustments are fundamentally about consolidating and extending power through promoting cadres to control the situation—if you don't even show the most basic attitude, even if you have extraordinary abilities, promoting you would be useless.

This left eight section chief vacancies, which are the positions most cared about by cadres and also the backbone of the City Government Office. Currently there are twelve deputy section chiefs; Lu Fan plans to spend one or two weeks understanding their abilities, character, background, and attitude; if they fall short of his satisfaction, he will select through open competition from the counties and districts, as many people are eager to squeeze into the City Government Office.

Soon, the Commerce and Trade Section Chief Hu Keman and the Agriculture Section Chief Huang Yuan arrived as promised, showing utmost sincerity, and they also brought thick 'envelopes' and tea leaves.

Lu Fan had them leave the tea leaves, as a sign of respect for the two vice mayors, but the envelopes were returned unopened, which is a matter of principle.

Seeing someone come and go from the Secretary-General's office, the 'clever people' of the City Government Office immediately sprang into action, mobilizing all their connections to try to get through to Lu Fan's relations, because self-recommendation is of little use.

Administration Section Chief Duan Yongjiao came from the countryside, relying on his own ability to enter the City Government Office; thanks to his diligence and eagerness to learn, he quickly became a pen-pusher, and after five years he was made a deputy section chief, during which time he became a key drafter for the City Government. But work always comes first, and promotion never came his way. After another six years of grinding, perhaps the leaders could no longer overlook him, since the unit needed an 'old yellow ox' to do the work, Duan Yongjiao finally became a section chief, yet another six years have passed since then, and he has devoted his entire youth to the City Government Office.

With a mindset of giving it a try, Duan Yongjiao brought a box of tea leaves and ten 'envelopes' to Lu Fan's office, hoping to try his luck. He also knew how to navigate human relations, but in the City Government Office, merely understanding connections doesn't get you far, especially in recent years—without special ties you simply cannot enter this unit! Therefore, to seek promotion, one needs not only social savvy but also a deep background.

Duan Yongjiao was very clear about the weight of a City Government Deputy Secretary-General; if he could get the chance to advance further, later being transferred out to become a county chief or bureau chief would absolutely be glory to his ancestors for him.

With nervous apprehension, he knocked on the leader's office door, and from inside came a solemn and resonant voice: 'Please come in!'

After entering, Duan Yongjiao walked to face Lu Fan and softly said, 'Secretary-General, I am Administration Section Chief Duan Yongjiao, reporting to you!'

Lu Fan smiled and said, 'Please sit down and speak; I still know you as a "pen-pusher," and you must have participated in the city's Eleventh Five-Year and Twelfth Five-Year plans, right? I often see your drafted documents, and what you write is substantive and solid in foundation! Coincidentally, the City Government intends to formulate the "Implementation Opinions on the Work Mechanism for Concentrated Publicity and Implementation of Preferential Policies for Enterprises"; you first produce a draft, mainly targeting the problems that exist in implementing preferential policies for enterprises, and I have an outline here for you to refer to.'

Duan Yongjiao straightforwardly said, 'Please rest assured, Secretary-General; I will work overtime and produce the draft as quickly as possible for your approval.'

'Alright, then thank you for your hard work!'

When Duan Yongjiao cautiously reached his hand toward the briefcase, Lu Fan furrowed his brow and said, 'Don't do those messy things here!'

Seeing Duan Yongjiao's embarrassed look, Lu Fan earnestly said, 'The Deputy Secretary-General position is vacant; are you trying to compete for it? I have a fairly good understanding of your situation—you are quite mature in all aspects, and I will give full consideration; the organization will place suitable cadres in suitable posts according to their abilities and qualities. You should focus your mind on work, your energy on doing tasks, and your abilities on practical implementation. Those with wavering beliefs, weak sense of purpose, restless and impatient, whose mind and energy are not on work, who are enthusiastic about cultivating connections and weaving networks, will not get anywhere with me.'

Indeed, just as the legends said! Duan Yongjiao felt the righteousness from Lu Fan, fixed his gaze on him, and said, 'Thank you, Secretary-General, for your guidance; I will certainly work diligently and conscientiously, fulfill my duties with dedication, and complete every task you assign with high quality!'

In the afternoon, waiting for the mayor to return to the unit, Lu Fan went over to report work. Now that he had become Secretary-General, morning briefings and evening reports were his job duties.

After Mayor Li Ruifang finished giving instructions, Lu Fan reported, 'Mayor, regarding the candidates for City Government Deputy Secretary-General, I have selected three section chiefs: Duan Yongjiao from the Administration Section, Huang Yuan from the Agriculture Section, and Hu Keman from the Commerce and Trade Section.'

Next, Lu Fan gave a detailed report on the three comrades' situations, especially the opinions of Vice Mayor Zhang Shibin and Vice Mayor Bian Jide.