Chapter 489

After brewing tea, Li Siwei naturally handed the tea to Lu Fan, smiling and said: "Brother-in-law, first congratulate you on rising swiftly, your appointment as Municipal Party Secretary is imminent, right?"

Lu Fan shook his head and said: "It will still take some time; adjustments shouldn't be too frequent. Siwei, how did the inspection go these two days?"

Li Siwei replied: "Nanyuan City has long been known as the 'Granary of Central Province'; its advantages include abundant natural resources, unique locational advantages, solid industrial foundation, profound cultural heritage, and advanced industries such as high-end equipment manufacturing, new energy, new materials, etc., which are continuously developing and growing."

I plan to invest in agriculture, traditional Chinese medicine, mineral resource development, oil-alkali chemical industry, new energy equipment manufacturing, wind power, metallurgical building materials; the projects are basically confirmed, with an investment of about 60 billion. Brother-in-law, I have already done my utmost! As compensation, you need to give me some urban construction projects so I can recoup my investment.

Lu Fan nodded slightly, indicating agreement, then said seriously: "That's fine; I'll inform Zhao Haorui, but there is a precondition: the project must be carried out with quality and quantity guaranteed, absolutely no shoddy work or substituting inferior goods. Moreover, the projects you invest in and the construction you undertake must be registered as new companies in Nanyuan City, keeping output value, tax revenue, and employment there."

Li Siwei immediately replied: "You can rest assured; I will absolutely not hold you back—you are our family's hope! I only earn reasonable and lawful money; there's no need to engage in shady dealings—legitimate money is more than enough to make! Brother-in-law, I have genuinely invested 60 billion; if you step up, Nanyuan City's GDP this year could surpass Luojun City, right?"

Lu Fan laughed and said: "You still care about these things! What you said is correct; my goal this year is to rank second in the province. Nanyuan City is a national historical and cultural city, the birthplace of the Xia Dynasty, and the largest prefecture-level city in Huayuan Province by area and population. In the future, Nanyuan City will become an important high-speed rail hub city in the central region. Nanyuan City is also a national concentration area for grain, cotton, oil, and tobacco, a national base for high-quality cotton, and rich in ecological resources. Heaven favors Nanyuan City, bestowing oil fields, jade, and various mineral resources upon it; we have no reason to lose to others."

"Look at what you're saying—I mainly deal with government departments; GDP, output value, added value—I know them well. At year-end, the government always pushes enterprises to overproduce and oversell, which is essentially just asking us to report more output value. Brother-in-law, I will devote all my strength to assist you!"

With diligent people, spring comes early; February 4, Beginning of Spring!

The Nanyuan City Government solemnly held a concentrated signing ceremony for investment promotion, attracting close attention from the people of Nanyuan City.

The Municipal Development and Reform Commission and the Municipal Investment Promotion Bureau carried out extensive work before and after the Spring Festival, negotiating many good and large projects; adding Li Siwei's investment projects, the Nanyuan City Government presented an excellent 'answer sheet' to the Provincial Party Committee and the city's populace: six projects from the Global 500 were introduced, eight large projects with investment exceeding 5 billion yuan each, 56 projects signed in concentration, with total investment of 112.5 billion yuan.

Mayor Lu Fan attended the signing ceremony, warmly congratulating the signing enterprises, and emphasized that the Nanyuan Municipal Party Committee and City Government unswervingly uphold 'investment promotion as priority, projects as king', carrying forward the 'six-skin' investment promotion spirit, focusing on the goal of 'industry-based city, prosperous industry strengthens the city', concentrating efforts and sparing no effort to vigorously attract projects. A large number of renowned enterprises and merchants flocked in, and a large batch of high-quality projects were successively signed and landed, forming a positive atmosphere of unity and concerted effort in investment promotion. Next, all counties, districts, and departments must make serving enterprises and landing projects the top priority of investment promotion work, closely centering on factor guarantees and enterprise demands, timely coordinating and resolving difficulties and problems in project advancement, striving to achieve win-win cooperation.

On February 5, the inspection team of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department arrived in Nanyuan City to conduct organizational inspections of the City Government Secretary-General Dou Zhengyang and the Deputy Secretary of the Shexian County Party Committee Feng Yongchang, and to hold organizational talks with Vice Mayor Feng Guanjo, Director of the Municipal Education Bureau Chang Zhichao, and Secretary of the Municipal Youth League Committee Li Qian.

As soon as the news spread, it immediately attracted widespread attention and heated discussion among Nanyuan City cadres. Everyone speculated about which positions these individuals would be assigned to, discussing the city's political landscape.

While many were busy visiting relatives and friends, the Nanyuan City Government's investment promotion office convened a mobilization rally for investment promotion, issuing a call to action for investment promotion work, with an enterprising posture and high spirits, opening the curtain on 2023's investment promotion efforts.

At the meeting, Mayor Lu Fan resoundingly presented eight questions to the city's leading cadres, striking like a bell to the deaf and a drum to the dull, directly hitting the chronic ailments, eliciting strong resonance among attendees and sparking a citywide fervor.

"Why do most enterprises give negative reviews of Nanyuan City's business environment, with curses rising one after another?"

"Why is it so difficult for enterprises and the public to handle affairs with the government? Every time they have to seek connections and go through back doors, pleading with grandparents and begging grandmothers?"

"Why are there so many inspections of enterprises? Do so many law-enforcement departments engage in extortion, kickbacks, and passing the buck?"

"Why is our administrative efficiency low, with project approval difficult, implementation difficult, and progress slow?"

"Compared to developed coastal regions, where exactly do we fall short?"

"Can you deserve your wages without working hard? Where is your sense of serving the people?"

"What exactly must Nanyuan City rely on to develop?"

"If the business environment keeps ranking low, is it because we are stupid, or because of lazy and corrupt governance?"

"The 'Eight Questions' are like a series of mirrors, revealing the crux of Nanyuan City's development and exposing the 'scars' of its business environment."

Lu Fan spoke righteously: "Nanyuan City's business environment has reached a point where there is no room to retreat; one more step back would be an abyss. Yet some cadres remain trapped in a basin mentality, content with the status quo, blindly optimistic, lacking a sense of crisis, without urgency or tension. Facing the new tasks and missions history has bestowed upon Nanyuan City, we must fight with our backs to the wall, confront problems squarely, face gaps honestly, turn the blade inward, and carry out self-revolution, resolutely winning this tough battle to optimize the business environment."

I announce that the 'Efficient Nanyuan' initiative is officially launched! All counties, districts, and departments, centering on the goal of building a national model of 'fewest approvals, optimal procedures, highest efficiency, best service' for the business environment, shall comprehensively construct an efficient Nanyuan, a clean Nanyuan, a law-abiding Nanyuan, a fair Nanyuan, and a low-cost Nanyuan! Whoever dares to damage Nanyuan City's business environment is an enemy of the Nanyuan people!

The Municipal Party Committee and City Government solemnly pledge to adopt a zero-tolerance attitude, severely punishing anyone who damages Nanyuan City's business environment; they will catch every offender, surely making you lose your 'rice bowl', and in serious cases, sending you to jail.

Comrades, Nanyuan City's development admits no bystanders, no spectators, no onlookers; development is everyone's responsibility, no one can stand aside, everyone must awaken and strive. The newly issued *Nanyuan City Investment Promotion Reward Measures* have taken effect; the City Government plans to allocate two hundred million yuan this year to reward those who have made contributions—if you are capable, take the reward! The entire city must foster a strong atmosphere of nationwide investment promotion, providing solid guarantee for accelerating Nanyuan City's high-quality leapfrog development.

After the meeting, Nanyuan City launched a vigorous campaign to greatly boost efficiency, deepening the 'delegation, management, and service' reform.

Seeking a breakthrough in 'ultra-simple' approval, we fully implement the work model of 'front-end integrated acceptance, back-end classified processing, unified window issuance', improving the quality of 'one-stop completion'.

In 'ultra-precise' supervision, we introduce concrete measures: inclusive supervision, accommodating flexible law enforcement; as long as no red line or bottom line is crossed, we will not simply fine, suspend, or even shut down, greatly reducing interference with enterprises.

In 'ultra-speedy' handling, we spare no effort, fully promoting 'non-face-to-face' processing, turning 'public running errands' into 'data running'.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Party Committee and City Government have formulated and issued the *Nanyuan City Measures for Dealing with 'Nonfeasance, Slow Feasance, and Disorderly Feasance' (trial)*, effectively addressing problems such as lethargy, laziness, disorganization, greed, chaos, slowness, delay, and procrastination in services to enterprises and the public, comprehensively enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.

As a major legal safeguard, Lu Fan deliberately placed the business office under the Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission, set up ten reporting hotlines, and made them public across the city. Once a report is received, the public security, procuratorate, judiciary, and Discipline Inspection Committee will directly treat it as a case.

Within just one week, the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, taking the lead, handled 35 cases of damaging the business environment, disciplined 42 cadres, forming a strong deterrent, completely transforming Nanyuan City's business environment, with public praise pouring in.

After all, only a few are stubborn; once the situation is clear, now no one dares to be the first to stick their head out.

On February 12, the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department issued a document appointing City Government Secretary-General Dou Zhengyang as Municipal Party Committee Secretary-General, Vice Mayor Feng Guanjo as Head of the Municipal Organization Department, Director of the Municipal Education Bureau Chang Zhichao as Secretary of the Shexian County Party Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Shexian County Party Committee Feng Yongchang as Acting County Secretary, and Secretary of the Municipal Youth League Committee Li Qian as Deputy Secretary of the Xija County Party Committee and Acting County Secretary.

The day after the document was issued, Lu Fan arranged for the Municipal Organization Department to send several personnel to assume their posts.

After this personnel adjustment, Lu Fan basically grasped the overall situation, and also enabled Nanyuan City's leading cadres to fully realize the circumstances: to advance, they must revolve around the mayor, think more, do more, be capable, and get things done.

Currently, the city still lacks key positions such as the United Front Work Department head, vice mayor, director of the Education Bureau, deputy secretary of the Shexian County Party Committee, director of the Water Bureau, director of the Commerce Bureau, secretary of the Municipal Youth League Committee, and chairman of the Disabled Persons' Federation, as well as seven or eight important deputy posts like deputy directors of the Education Bureau and the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau; around these dozen or so posts, a large-scale adjustment is still needed, and Lu Fan temporarily has no suitable candidates at hand, so he can only proceed step by step.

After taking office, Organization Department Head Feng Guanjo immediately implemented the mayor's instructions, appointing Deputy Director of the Water Bureau Li Shuzhong to preside over the Water Bureau's work, and having the deputy heads of the Youth League Committee and the Disabled Persons' Federation take charge of work.

At the same time, Lu Fan arranged for Vice Mayor Ma Caihong to act as head of the Education Bureau, and designated Deputy Secretary-General of the City Government Lai Jiajun to oversee the Municipal Affairs Office work, coordinating with his own work.

Soon, rumors spread from the province that Secretary Hao Guangqi might be transferred, which caught Lu Fan off guard; he hurriedly consulted Li Lao to verify the truth.

After confirmation, Lu Fan lamented that one must not seek shortcuts or be of two minds in conduct and affairs, otherwise one would end up lifting a stone only to drop it on one's own foot.