Chapter 384

Starting from July 24, using five days, Lu Fan accompanied Secretary Li Ruifang in conducting research in Ganshui County, Ningyang Xian, and Zhenbei District, visited and comforted some veteran cadres and veteran soldiers, paid respects at revolutionary memorial sites, which can be considered as formally debuting before the whole city.

After making a round, Li Ruifang keenly sensed that Lu Fan, whether in the county/district or in municipal departments, was very familiar with the 'personnel', and coordination work went very smoothly. She specifically assigned Yao Qian a few matters, but the Discipline Inspection Committee, Political and Legal Affairs Commission, etc., handle affairs strictly by the book; although every matter gets a response and every item is followed up, the timeliness is a bit lacking.

However, the work assigned to Lu Fan often achieves the most satisfactory results in the shortest time.

Li Ruifang understood that constant dripping wears away a stone not in a day, and three feet of ice does not form in a day's cold; there's no need to quarrel over such matters, and cooperation for mutual benefit is the best choice.

Moreover, as the top leader, it's inconvenient for her to speak on every matter; she needs a suitable person to act as a 'megaphone'. Lu Fan has high comprehension and strong working ability, so leveraging strength is not impossible; thus Li Ruifang gradually came to rely more on Lu Fan.

The Municipal Party Committee side is all harmonious, but the City Government is in utter chaos.

Mayor Zhao Tao designated Deputy Secretary-General Hu Keman to temporarily serve him, but Vice Mayor Zhang Shibin had already formulated an inspection plan a day in advance, taking Hu Keman deep into the grassroots to vigorously push investment promotion projects, leaving the mayor speechless yet resentful.

Zhao Tao appointed Deputy Secretary-General Huang Yuan to serve him, but Huang Yuan also had to coordinate Vice Mayor Bian Jide's work, leaving Huang Yuan exhausted; the mayor summoned him over a dozen times a day, and his work efficiency simply could not improve.

After one week in office, Zhao Tao still saw no one in the City Government Office 'defecting' to him, so he directly appointed Administration Section Chief Wang Minghui to temporarily serve as his secretary.

What was originally a great opportunity, but Wang Minghui was scared out of his wits, and he hurriedly ran to the Municipal Party Committee Office to seek instructions from Lu Fan.

Faced with this situation, Lu Fan could not come up with any constructive advice, so he said: 'Minghui, being the mayor's secretary can be said to be an opportunity and a challenge combined. Of course, the current situation is not yet clear; one could say this position entails certain risks—is it prudent self-preservation, or seeking wealth amid danger? One's fate must be grasped by oneself.'

Wang Minghui bluntly asked: 'Secretary-General, I really can't make up my mind; please help me decide!'

After thinking it over, Lu Fan helplessly said: 'Isn't it that you have a stomach problem? You could just have surgery!'

'Secretary-General, I understand, thank you for pointing me out of the confusion!'

Lu Fan secretly sighed, 'Mayor, sorry, I really didn't mean to offend, but I can't just watch our own people jump into the fire pit!'

The next day at work, Mayor Zhao Tao saw that Wang Minghui had not come to the office to report for duty, became somewhat annoyed, and immediately summoned Deputy Secretary-General Hu Keman to inquire about the reason.

Hu Keman said with a tense face: 'Mayor, Wang Minghui suddenly fell ill last night and underwent stomach surgery after midnight; he will need a little more time before he can report for duty.'

'Surgery? Is it real surgery, or just an excuse to avoid work?'

Hu Keman immediately took out his phone and showed the mayor a photo of Wang Minghui after the surgery.

Zhao Tao helplessly said: 'Never mind, let Comprehensive Section Chief Liu Yang temporarily assist with my work.'

'Mayor, Liu Yang has been seconded by Mayor Rongqiu to work on key project inspection, and it will take a week.'

Zhao Tao angrily said: 'Can't you replace him? What's the point of having you as Secretary-General if I have to do everything myself?'

Hu Keman said nervously: 'Mayor, then I'll go report to Mayor Rongqiu.'

'Go, go, go—get someone onto the post immediately!' Zhao Tao now couldn't keep track of who was who, but at least he needed to grab an able-bodied person to get the work running.

Less than five minutes later, Executive Vice Mayor Zhang Rongqiu entered, sternly saying: 'Mayor, the half-year evaluation is coming up soon; I have liaised with the Provincial Statistics Bureau, and Yingjiang City's fixed-asset investment is likely to be at the bottom, the situation is very unfavorable. Therefore I have seconded the Comprehensive Section, Inspection Office, Development Section, and Construction Section, forming four inspection teams to go to each county/district to vigorously push key project construction, striving to ensure all that should be counted are counted and to catch up; we can't just have you take office and end up in last place, can we?'

Zhao Tao was somewhat anxious, solemnly saying: 'Last place? How would we then answer to the Provincial Party Committee? Absolutely not! We must vigorously push key projects, with a high sense of political responsibility and work urgency, sparing no effort to advance project construction. For counties/districts with slow progress, we should adopt accountability measures, assign them tasks, issue deadlines, use tough means, and truly push the city's major projects to accelerate, improve quality, and increase effectiveness; Yingjiang's half-year evaluation must make it into the province's first echelon.'

Zhang Rongqiu's face changed, and he said with difficulty: 'Mayor, making it into the first echelon is impossible; the data gap is too large—just not ending up in the bottom three would already be a relief.'

'Rongqiu, you are to take charge of the evaluation work; you must have the consciousness to strive for first-class, ensure good upward reporting and communication so as not to fall behind at the starting line. Grasp the big, the early, and the small; benchmark to find gaps, make up for shortcomings and weaknesses, clarify the path of improvement, solidly complete all evaluation tasks, ensure we strive to advance in the provincial evaluation—the first echelon is a dead order.'

'Mayor, this year's key projects and investment promotion numbers are few and quality poor; making it into the first echelon is almost impossible. Unless we go to the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Statistics Bureau, and other departments responsible for evaluation to do a lot of work—I can coordinate the deputy positions, but they cannot play a decisive role; the final say still lies with the bureau chiefs and the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, so you, Mayor, need to personally go out to have a chance, since the work liaison leadership level must be matched upward.'

'Alright, I'll go to the province in a couple of days.'

'Mayor, delay is not advisable; the results may come out in just these few days!'

'Okay, then I'll go tomorrow.'

As they talked, Zhao Tao forgot about the secretary matter. He has always worked in provincial-level agencies; how could he be a match for a seasoned veteran who has been grinding at the grassroots for half a lifetime!

The top leader's authority is most fully displayed when adjusting personnel; in August, Party Secretary Li Ruifang launched the first personnel adjustment after taking office.

Yao Qian came to Lu Fan's office with a list, smiling and said: 'Secretary-General, I'm here to report work.'

Lu Fan replied with a smile: 'Is there any instruction from the Party Secretary?'

'Secretary-General, you have a godlike foresight; this is a list I drafted myself, and I need to liaise with the Organization Department to see if we can make some progress.'

Lu Fan took the list and examined it carefully: it included Deputy Director of the New City Administration Committee Wang Xiaoping, Ningyang Xian's Wang Fei, Liang Xiaofeng, Gao Zhihong, Shi Xin, Gao Yanfeng, Zhenbei District's Wu Xiaojun, Xue Yang, Ganshui County's Deputy County Party Secretary Jia Dahua, and Zheng Wei, Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee.

Looking at these names and information, Lu Fan quickly noticed something and mused: 'They are all from the Yingjiang Normal School class of '99, right?'

Yao Qian nodded and said: 'Secretary-General, I definitely did not bring any personal baggage or act on my own initiative!'

Lu Fan laughed and said: 'If you have connections you can't get out of, just tell me directly and I'll coordinate.'

'Since you say that, Secretary-General, I won't stand on ceremony! My younger brother works in a township in Ningyang Xian and currently holds the position of deputy township head.'

'To the county, or to develop in the township?'

Yao Qian laughed and said: 'There are no special requirements; as long as there is advancement, it's all up to the Secretary-General's decision.'

'Okay, I got it; I will take this list to the Organization Department to coordinate, striving to make sure each person's strengths are used, personnel are precisely assigned, posts fit the people, and personnel arrangements are appropriate.'

'Okay, Secretary-General, thank you!'

After Yao Qian left, Lu Fan began studying the list: Zheng Wei had secured the post of Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee; with one in and one out, we should first seek an external posting for Wu Wentong; Jia Dahua is to take the post of Deputy County Party Secretary of Ganshui County, so the current deputy secretary must be moved to make room, striving to let Guo Tongyu advance further; as for the others, they also need to be promoted and given important roles—Wang Fei, being an old connection, can receive special attention; Gao Zhihong, as Deputy County Party Secretary, would become county head if promoted further; Wang Xiaoping, Deputy Director of the New City Administration Committee, happens to fill the vacancy of Executive Deputy Director, and after filling it his rank could be raised by one level; the rest will be much easier to handle.

Currently, there are two important vacant posts in the counties/districts: the Party Secretary of Zibei County has gone to the Municipal People's Congress to serve as vice chair, and the Party Secretary of Ding Shui County has retired to the second line by going to the CPPCC.

Assisting leaders with personal tasks, doing a bit of private work with a mix of proper and improper means is taken for granted; Lu Fan intends to propose that Ningyang Xian County Chief Chen Hongji be transferred to become Party Secretary of Ding Shui County, freeing up the county chief position for Guo Tongyu to take over, thereby vacating the deputy county party secretary position that Jia Dahua needs; Anbao County County Chief Guo Shanbo would be transferred to become Party Secretary of Zibei County, freeing up another county chief position to place Gao Zhihong.

After the plans were roughly settled, Lu Fan went to the office of Zhang Ziqiang, Director of the Municipal Organization Department, and said with a smile: 'Director, I'm here to report on personnel work.'

Zhang Ziqiang rose to greet him, personally brewed tea, and said with a smile: 'Is this the Party Secretary's instruction, or is it your own matter?'

Lu Fan laughed: 'Carrying out orders!'

'With you here, I can relax! Tell me, what specific instructions do you have?'

Lu Fan said seriously: 'Director, this personnel adjustment is of great importance and must be fully implemented! I have learned that many people's fortunes are tied to the Provincial Government.'

'You mean Governor Hong Tao?' Zhang Ziqiang tightened up a bit.

'See through but keep silent, know but make no fuss—Director, we'll just treat this as a routine personnel adjustment.'

'Okay, okay, I'll follow your lead! I'm just the one who holds the plan; once the plan takes initial shape, I still need to report to Party Secretary Ruifang.'

'Yes, I'm merely conveying the instructions; after we both carry out the organization's intent, for the remaining vacant posts you should go and consult each Standing Committee member. Oh, and also the positions of City Government Secretary-General and Secretary Section Chief—these two posts are under close scrutiny in the City Government.'

Zhang Ziqiang laughed and said: 'I'm curious who will go to serve as the mayor's secretary-general and secretary; I hear it's quite lively there, with Rongqiu and Shibin applying soft pressure, wearing the mayor down to having no temper, and he still hasn't gone down for an inspection.'

Who cares about him? We just need to get our own affairs sorted!