Chapter 477

After a busy day, Deputy Provincial Governor Huang Chongzhou followed Lu Fan to the north headquarters hutong and paid a visit to Li Lao.

When Li Lao worked in Huayuan Province, Huang Chongzhou was merely an Executive Vice Mayor, and Li Lao owed him a debt of gratitude for his patronage.

An old friend came to visit, Li Lao was in high spirits, and he specially opened a bottle of "deer blood wine" to entertain Huang Chongzhou.

While drinking, Lu Fan reported the situation of liaising with the central ministries over the past two days, feeling that he had gained a lot.

In cultivating Lu Fan, Li Lao spared no effort; these two days he earnestly studied Nanyuan's project and would help Lu Fan in his own way.

After three rounds of drinks, Lu Fan went to accompany his wife and children, leaving Li Lao and Huang Chongzhou to talk privately; it was not until ten o'clock in the evening that Huang Chongzhou rose to take his leave.

The next morning, Lu Fan brought Dou Zhengyang and Cheng Haohao back to Nanyuan; Vice Mayor Zhao Haorui, Ma Caihong, Education Bureau Director Chang Zhichao, Transportation Bureau Director Hu Wen, and others remained to continue liaising on the project, submitting materials, and smoothing relations; the task was very heavy, and they would certainly not be able to return that week.

Just as Lu Fan had entered his office for a moment, Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Fang Yang came to inquire; upon entering, he said: "Mayor, your reminder was timely; the director of the Water Bureau, Ma Li, likely has problems. Since she took office, I have focused on her, assigned a dedicated person to monitor, and discovered that she interacts too closely with businessmen, almost every afternoon accepting banquets at the Nanyuan Hotel, exceeding normal work scope. Based on some leads the Discipline Inspection Committee has gathered, it can preliminarily be judged that she shows signs of money-for-power transactions and using power for personal gain; this woman is not very sharp-minded, manages her unit willfully, and has already pushed the deputy director of operations aside."

Lu Fan shook his head and said: "Today's society has too many temptations, and there are too many traps around power. Faced with complex interests, lacking a bit of sense makes one easy to take down; moreover, she originally had ill intentions, so improper dealings and using her position for profit are quite normal. Fang Yang, do you now have solid evidence?"

Fang Yang replied: "For now there is no evidence; without taking measures, it is hard to obtain proof of bribery and corruption. Mayor, should we adopt some special measures?"

Lu Fan said: "Special circumstances call for special treatment; we can adopt special measures—go ahead and handle it, I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong! Fang Yang, how are you getting along with the newly appointed deputy secretary?"

Fang Yang said calmly: "Let him be in charge of party building and logistics; these tasks are also important."

Lu Fan smiled and said: "First, you should re-select a deputy secretary; cadre management must clearly distinguish between the good and the bad, promoting a mechanism where the capable can rise and the incapable can fall."

After chatting for half an hour, Fang Yang returned to his unit, and Lu Fan had Dou Zhengyang summon the Water Bureau's deputy director who had been sidelined to the office.

After receiving the mayor's instruction, Dou Zhengyang inquired for a while before figuring out that Deputy Director Li Shizhong had been assigned by Ma Li to handle poverty alleviation work.

In anger, Li Shizhong directly took sick leave and has not gone to work recently.

Upon hearing that the mayor wanted to see him, Li Shizhong sensed an opportunity, sprang up from bed, quickly washed his face, changed clothes, and rushed to the city government.

Half an hour later, Li Shizhong arrived at the mayor's office with mixed feelings of anticipation and anxiety.

After entering, he composed himself, spoke with vigor: "Mayor, I am Deputy Director Li Shizhong of the City Water Bureau; please instruct!"

Lu Fan raised his head, glanced at Li Shizhong, sensed he had light in his eyes and was fairly steady, then said: "Have a seat and speak! Next year's water conservancy projects are numerous, the tasks heavy, responsibilities great, demands high; I called you here to learn about the Water Bureau's work situation and to get a sense of Ma Li's performance since she took office."

Li Shizhong thought briefly and said: "Mayor, with a sense of responsibility to the organization and to the people of Nanyuan, I believe Director Ma is unfit to head the Water Bureau! Water conservancy construction is a major matter concerning the nation's livelihood and people's well-being, related to long-term sustainable development, the foundation of survival, the key of production, and the basis of ecology; it must be carried out with a highly responsible spirit, implementing projects under stricter management. In 2023, Nanyuan's central and provincial municipal implemented over 400 projects, the highest in history! The state has invested so much, aiming to improve Nanyuan's livelihood and water ecology; it must not become a tool for personal profit. Clearly, some enterprises lack the capability to undertake water conservancy projects, yet they are given the projects, and next step will surely be layered subcontracting. All going to eat 'passing-water noodles'—how can project quality be guaranteed? For this, I raised objections, but Director Ma completely rejected them and directly reassigned my duties."

Lu Fan asked bluntly: "Shizhong, does the Water Bureau have any bid-rigging, collusion, backroom deals, internal-external collusion, massive profiteering, gangster corruption, and embezzlement of water conservancy funds?"

Li Shizhong said without hesitation: "Mayor, I can guarantee that there definitely is!"

Lu Fan said: "We must take facts as the standard!"

Mayor, I will find the evidence!

Lu Fan said earnestly: "Whether one dares to shoulder the heaviest burden, to gnaw the 'hardest bone', whether in matters of right and wrong one dares to draw the sword, whether against corrupt practices one resolutely struggles, whether in difficult contradictions one presses forward—this is the true test of a cadre! The organization will truly back those who in arduous, dangerous, heavy work truly get things done, dare to 'touch the hard', can spare themselves, can stand up; let those who have ability have a position, and let those who take responsibility be responsible! If there are major findings, you and the City Government Secretary-General Dou Zhengyang will liaise."

Mayor, I will certainly not disappoint the organization!

In the afternoon, a Standing Committee Member of the Municipal Party Committee and the Party Secretary of Wolong District, Li Yuan, came to report work, saying that the district had taken the lead in implementing the municipal government's instructions; they were piloting work to improve and upgrade the student cafeteria at Wolong Middle School, and after tense preparations, conditions were now ready, planning to officially launch the pilot work tomorrow, and they invited the mayor to come and give guidance.

Lu Fangu said excitedly: "You're acting fast; I'll definitely go take a look, let's go at noon. Li Yuan, any difficulties at work?"

Li Yuan replied: "Mayor, actually this work itself is not difficult; it's simply a matter of finding a batch of competent chefs, strictly overseeing food safety, and improving and upgrading the dining environment. The difficulty lies in the entanglement of interests, after all a county/district student cafeteria is quite lucrative; some people are unwilling to give it up! But as long as the top leader makes a decision, the problem is not hard to solve—it's merely a matter of a few section-level cadres, at most involving supervising leaders. I have issued a strict order and personally overseen this work; they dare not play tricks with me, and even if they are unwilling, they must carry it out. Whoever dares to play tricks, we will take them down. I just fear that some county/district top leaders interfere in the student cafeteria, and some people are short-sighted."

Lu Fan nodded and said: "As long as one is willing to make a decision, there is nothing in the world that cannot be done; solutions always outnumber difficulties! People's livelihood involves no trivial matters; small details reveal original intent. The Discipline Inspection Committee has already launched a special rectification in the student cafeteria sector, and will take down some people to sound the alarm. The municipal government has already made up its mind: the student cafeteria reform must be implemented citywide when schools reopen after the 2023 Spring Festival."

On December 15, Mayor Lu Fan went to Wolong Middle School to investigate cafeteria operations and meal service, and held a symposium to solicit opinions and suggestions from relevant parties. The City Government Secretary-General, the Director of the Market Supervision Bureau Wang Pan, and heads of relevant departments attended, while the Party Secretary of Wolong District Li Yuan and District Chief Liao Hang accompanied him throughout.

After rectification, the Wolong Middle School cafeteria's operation area is clean and tidy, the disinfection cabinet has dishes and utensils neatly arranged, and the stoves and equipment are bright as new.

Lu Fan entered the student dining hall, back kitchen cooking area, secondary food warehouse, etc., and on site examined records and accounts, gaining a detailed understanding of operations, implementation of the food safety responsibility system, ingredient procurement, and staff health management.

Lu Fan pointed out that school food safety concerns the health of the vast majority of students and is a concern of countless families. All schools across the city must earnestly implement the principal-responsibility system for food safety, strictly control the quality of food procurement and processing, fully promote the "Internet + transparent kitchen and bright stove" model, strictly enforce the unified menu and prices formulated by the city, ensure that food safety is traceable in origin, trackable in destination, and accountable, and guarantee the provision of nutritionally balanced and diverse meals, thereby truly safeguarding the "tip-of-the-tongue" safety of the vast student body.

Lu Fan emphasized that the municipal and county-level education, health, and market supervision departments must increase oversight of school cafeterias, routinely conduct flying inspections and supervisory checks, severely punish illegal and irregular actions, and establish a "horizontal to the edge, vertical to the bottom, full coverage" supervisory pattern, firmly establishing the campus food safety defense line. He stressed the strict implementation of the principal-meals-with-students and parent-accompanied-meals systems, regularly organizing evaluations of meal quality, so that the vast student body can enjoy safe and high-quality meal services, providing strong support for promoting high-quality education development.

After noon opening, Lu Fan had lunch together with teachers and students in the cafeteria, on site learning about dish quality and students' dining experience.

After the meal ended, Mayor Lu Fan again issued important instructions on the city-wide cafeteria improvement and upgrade work: 1. Staff entering the premises must undergo strict disinfection; 2. Vegetables must be ensured fresh and thoroughly washed; 3. Meat must be strictly supervised, traceable throughout the process, guaranteeing fresh and palatable quality; 4. Cooking should use less oil and salt for balanced nutrition; After meals are prepared, the principal, parent representatives, and kitchen staff must personally taste the food to ensure its safety, quality, and flavor; 5. The meal fee standards must be strictly implemented: 3 yuan for breakfast, 8 yuan for lunch, and 4 yuan for dinner; 6. Cafeteria monitoring must be linked to parent representatives; 7. District and county governments are the primary responsible parties, with zero tolerance for food safety accidents; 8. All schools across the city must complete preparations this semester; after the Spring Festival reopening, the city will launch the student cafeteria reform, and the municipal government will conduct special supervision, holding to account any districts and schools that fail to implement properly!

The mayor's eight instructions were swiftly conveyed to all districts and counties, sounding the '"charge call"' for the city-wide student cafeteria improvement and upgrade work, leaving broad parents eagerly anticipating; everyone expects this reform to proceed smoothly, allowing their own children to enjoy high-quality campus dining services.