Chapter 468

After reporting the work to Vice Provincial Governor Lei Juan, Lu Fan returned to Nanyuan.

As for Governor Tang Bing, Lu Fan did not go to report for the time being; he had to wait until after Lei Juan, which was the work procedure and political rule. One cannot report across levels, and it was also a sign of respect for Vice Governor Lei Juan. Even if this slowed down the pace of work, he had to honestly comply. Without rules, nothing can be accomplished.

On the morning of November 15, the second session of the Nanyuan Municipal People's Congress opened grandly at the Nanyuan Conference Center. 635 representatives were present, and 610 representatives attended the plenary session that morning, meeting the quorum.

At 9:00 AM, the meeting opened, and all attendees stood up and sang the national anthem.

Amidst warm applause, Acting Mayor Lu Fan delivered the government work report.

Lu Fan pointed out that the past year was both the closing year for Nanyuan and the opening year for the construction of our city as a sub-center city. Economic operations remained stable and improved under extraordinary pressure, innovation momentum gained momentum rapidly while breaking the ice, leading industries grew and upgraded during transformation and development, major projects made rapid breakthroughs through strenuous efforts, urban construction underwent organic renewal during powerful assaults, the business environment continued to be optimized through heavy-handed rectification, and social livelihood was effectively guaranteed despite tight financial resources.

Lu Fan said that we must always maintain the determination of "remaining calm despite the chaotic clouds flying overhead," always sharpen the fighting spirit of "not returning until Loulan is broken," grasp it from one term to the next, work year after year, and open up a brighter, more vivid, and more beautiful development landscape for the millions of people in Nanyuan.

Regarding the overall requirements and main goals for 2023, Lu Fan said, focus on building "three zones, one center, and one highland," forcefully promote the "one, two, three, six, ten" work layout, vigorously boost market confidence, highlight the work of stabilizing growth, employment, and prices, and promote the overall improvement of economic operations. The main expected goals are: GDP growth "guarantee 9%, strive for 10%," growth of value-added of industries above designated size by about 15%, growth of fixed asset investment by about 20%, growth of industrial investment by more than 20%, growth of total retail sales of consumer goods by about 15%, growth of general public budget revenue synchronized with GDP growth, stable increase in the proportion of tax revenue in fiscal revenue, increase in the urbanization rate of the resident population by 1.5 percentage points, coordination and synchronization of per capita disposable income of residents with economic growth, and control of the rise in the consumer price index within 3%.

The congress reviewed the "Report on the Implementation of the 2022 National Economic and Social Development Plan of Nanyuan City and the 2023 Draft Plan" and the "Report on the Implementation of the 2022 Fiscal Budget of Nanyuan City and the 2023 Draft Fiscal Budget."

The meeting heard the explanation on nominating the candidate for Mayor of the Nanyuan Municipal People's Government and voted to pass the election method of the congress.

Afterwards, each delegation held a meeting to deliberate on the draft list of candidates and recommend the ballot supervisors for the congress.

At 3:00 PM, the second plenary session was held. 635 representatives were expected, and 608 were actually present, meeting the quorum.

The meeting voted to pass the list of chief ballot supervisors and ballot supervisors and conducted the congress election.

Lu Fan was elected Mayor of the Nanyuan Municipal People's Government, and Ma Caihong and Feng Guanqiao were elected Vice Mayors.

Subsequently, Lu Fan took the constitutional oath.

After the election, Municipal Party Committee Secretary Wang Haiyan delivered a speech. He pointed out that the congress elected Comrade Lu Fan as Mayor of the Municipal People's Government, and he believed that the government team led by Comrade Lu Fan would certainly be able to create a new situation in government work.

Wang Haiyan requested that they firmly believe in their faith, follow the core forward, and continuously improve their political judgment, political comprehension, and political execution. They must temper their political responsibility, interpret loyalty and responsibility with actual results, pragmatically grasp key tasks such as industrial cultivation, scientific and technological innovation, urban renewal, and livelihood improvement, and resolutely shoulder the responsibility of a major economic city to "walk in the forefront, shoulder the heavy burden, and make contributions." Continuously rectify unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems around the masses, and resolutely ensure that power is used for the people, feelings are tied to the people, and interests are sought for the people.

Subsequently, Lu Fan walked to the podium to meet everyone and said with deep emotion: "Today is my 86th day working in Nanyuan. 86 days is but a fleeting moment in the long river of time, but these 86 days are enough for me to deeply integrate into this land of Nanyuan in terms of emotion and life.

Being able to serve the people of Nanyuan and becoming a new Nanyuan person is the supreme glory. I will not forget my original intention, keep my mission in mind, and strive to achieve four 'ones': one heart of loyalty to the Party, one forward-looking sense of responsibility, one leaf that knows the autumn for the people, and one body of integrity in performing duties!"

The ten practical livelihood matters listed in the "Government Work Report" are the solemn promise of the Municipal Government to the people of the whole city. No matter how great the financial pressure is and no matter how heavy the work tasks are, I will lead the government team to handle practical livelihood matters with heart, effort, and emotion, fill the shortcomings in people's livelihood, and fulfill the government's promises.

During my tenure, I will travel to all townships and streets in the city, walk into the fields, enterprise workshops, city streets and alleys, schools and hospitals, and go deep into shanty towns and urban villages to listen to the calls and expectations of the masses, do more work of sending charcoal in the snow, and do less work of adding flowers to brocade, ensuring that the people of the whole city have a place to live, education to learn, elderly to care for, and medical care for the sick!

To govern is to be upright. If one's own body is upright, things will be done without orders; if one's own body is not upright, they will not be followed even with orders. I will always keep in mind that the power in my hands is given by the Party and the people and is used to serve the people. I will revere the people, revere the law and discipline, and revere power. I will further persist in using power according to the law, persist in using power impartially, and persist in using power cleanly. For anyone who uses my name to solicit projects or make greetings, please 'do not believe, do not see, do not ignore, do not pay attention, and do not handle.' You can even point at my nose and scold me. I ask all representatives and the people of the whole city to supervise together!"

At 4:10 PM, the congress closed victoriously amidst the majestic national anthem. The "Acting" title on Lu Fan's head was removed, and he instantly felt more confident!

Returning to the office, there was no shortage of congratulations from comrades. The Vice Mayors took turns coming to the office, and the secretaries, county heads, and main leaders of various departments of each county and district were queuing at the office door.

Everyone had good intentions, so Lu Fan could not directly drive people away. He exchanged ideas with the comrades one by one and took the opportunity to put forward specific requirements for their work.

Over the two days, the tea leaves in Lu Fan's office piled up into a small hill, which made people feel helpless and powerless. After all, one couldn't keep people at a distance every time.

On the morning of November 20, Cao Zhengbo, Minister of the Municipal Organization Department, came to Lu Fan's office to report on the personnel adjustment plan and ask for instructions on the candidate for Director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau.

Lu Fan recommended Lu Jing, Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Government, and had no objections to the staffing of other positions.

After Cao Zhengbo left, Lu Fan called Lu Jing to his office and handed over the ten major urban construction projects he had planned, saying: "To improve the city's quality, highlight the city's characteristics, enhance the carrying capacity and radiation power of the central city, and improve the primacy and livability of the central urban area, I have planned ten major projects in the field of urban construction. You should look at them and improve them."

Lu Jing respectfully took the document and replied crisply and neatly: "Please rest assured, Mayor, I guarantee to complete the task!"

Lu Fan continued: "After you go to the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, focus on these ten major projects. You must open green channels, implement tolerance-based handling, accelerate the handling of various preliminary procedures for projects, strive to include projects in the national and provincial baskets, and create conditions for project packaging and financing.

And you must actively strive upward, thoroughly understand policies, seize opportunities, and go to the capital and the province to fight for funds, such as the declaration of pilot cities for national-level winter clean heating projects in northern regions, and the declaration of demonstration cities for systematic and all-area promotion of sponge city construction, etc.

You must do a good job in declaring and fighting for special bonds, broaden your thinking, break through rules and regulations, integrate operable assets and resources such as outdoor advertising operations, sewage treatment plant construction, public parking lot construction, and charging pile construction, and fully plan and package them to achieve no less than 3 billion yuan in special bond fighting.

You must do a good job in land storage and land transfer. Realize the rolling development and virtuous cycle of land storage funds in the central urban area. Plan the land transfer well, make full use of the land, and accumulate funds for the implementation of urban construction projects."

Lu Jing only had the first sentence the Mayor said in his mind, "After you go to the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau," and he didn't hear a single word of the rest!

"Mayor, you are sending me to the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau?" His mind was full of disbelief, but at the same time full of anticipation. Could it be that he heard it wrong?

Lu Fan nodded and said: "In the next few years, urban construction work will be the 'main event' of the Municipal Government. The tasks are heavy, the responsibilities are great, and the requirements are high. It requires a cadre who can fight hard battles, shoulder heavy burdens, and take on heavy responsibilities to forge ahead and work with a free hand. I have recommended you to the Municipal Party Committee to serve as the Director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau!"

In an instant, Lu Jing had an impulse to die for the one who appreciated him. He said firmly: "Thank you for your trust, Mayor. I guarantee that wherever you point, I will strike, and I will complete all tasks assigned by the Mayor with quality and quantity!"

Lu Fan said: "Take the document back and study it. After taking office, you must have a plan in mind, responsibilities on your shoulders, methods in your hands, and orderly responses. Do not be like a headless fly bumping around everywhere, delaying Nanyuan's development.

Greed is like fire; if not curbed, it will burn itself. Desire is like water; if not curbed, it will drown itself! Lu Jing, the field of housing and urban-rural development is a high-incidence area for corruption. You must always put rules and discipline in the forefront as a 'discipline ruler' to test whether you are clean and self-disciplined. You must resolutely resist various temptations, be self-vigilant and self-reflecting, prevent micro-gradual changes, and keep the alarm bell ringing, so that you can be an open and honest person, use power cautiously, and be upright and dignified!"

Lu Jing looked at the Mayor with firm eyes and said resolutely: "Please rest assured, Mayor, I will definitely be clean in government, resolutely ensure not to cross the 'thunder pool,' not to break into 'forbidden zones,' and not to step on 'red lines,' actively perform my duties, work down-to-earth, and be a 'pawn' for realizing the Mayor's grand urban construction vision!"

Next, Lu Fan called Executive Vice Mayor Wang Hong and Municipal Government Secretary-General Dou Zhengyang to his office to communicate about the use of Lu Jing and instructed them to immediately study the candidates for the two vacant Deputy Secretary-General positions in the Municipal Government, and try to adjust them in place together while taking advantage of this opportunity to study personnel.