Chapter 499

On the eve of Children's Day, Mayor Lu Fan visited and comforted young children, representing the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government in extending holiday greetings to all the city's youngsters, and offering warm condolences to the city's broad ranks of teachers and child‑care workers.

On Children's Day, Mayor Lu Fan arranged the municipal 'Food Creation Office' (National Food Safety Demonstration City Creation Office), concentrating the city's law‑enforcement personnel to conduct a surprise inspection of all school cafeterias, and in the lunch provided a free drumstick, wholeheartedly safeguarding students' food safety, using concrete action to 'celebrate Children's Day' for the kids!

In the afternoon, Vice Mayor Zhao Haorui and Director Wang Pan of the Market Supervision Bureau came to report on the special food‑safety rectification work.

In recent rectification and improvement actions, the Food Safety Office standardized food production and business practices with full coverage, full chain, and full links; the special operation achieved obvious results, creating a reassuring and trustworthy consumption environment for all city residents.

The Food Safety Office built a 'five‑inspection' supervision and inspection system comprising routine checks, system checks, spot checks, permit checks, and special inspections, achieving full coverage of daily supervision and inspection for all food‑production enterprises and catering establishments in the city.

In the area of food sampling inspection and improvement, full coverage was achieved for supervisory sampling across regions, enterprises, varieties, and business types, with the city conducting a total of 49401 batches of food and edible agricultural products under supervisory sampling.

Cases filed and processed for various food-law violations totaled 1856, with fines and confiscations amounting to 18.65 million yuan, rewards for informants reaching 21 million yuan, 16,000 kilograms of illegally produced and operated food seized, and 56 cases transferred to judicial authorities; food-safety training was held 850 sessions, training 75,000 practitioners.

Lu Fan instructed that the target remain unchanged, thinking not slack, effort not reduced, vigor not slack, standards not lowered, continuously carrying out food‑safety governance in a persistent manner until Nanyuan City fully reaches the standard of a national‑level food‑safety demonstration city; next year we must surely obtain the honor of 'demonstration city'.

After the report was finished, the Market Supervision Bureau began to raise difficulties: first, insufficient funds, applying for 20 million yuan of special food-safety rectification funds; second, insufficient staff, proposing an additional quota of 200 staff.

Regarding the first issue, Lu Fan worked on the spot, signed the funding application report with a bold stroke, giving no discount, and said: 'Where it should be saved, save; where it should be spent, spend. In work that safeguards the people's vital interests, I support spending any amount of money, but we must achieve real results, ensuring every penny is spent on the cutting edge.'

Regarding the second issue, Lu Fan had the secretary notify the Deputy Secretary, Executive Vice Mayor, Organization Department, Organization Office, and Human Resources Bureau to come to the office for a 'small meeting'.

After everyone had gathered, Lu Fan smiled and said: 'The Market Supervision Bureau needs 200 staff quotas. I have said that the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government will fully support the food‑safety rectification work; we cannot go back on our word. Everyone, study how we can squeeze out these 200 staff quotas.'

Deputy Secretary Su Xiang Hai said: "Mayor, apart from 'forcing it down', there is no other way! Staff quotas are each unit's 'lifeline knot'; everyone complains about insufficient manpower, involving the vital interests of all counties and departments, and no one can voluntarily set an example. The best method is to 'cut' the quotas of units that have many."

The head of the Organization Office said: 'Mayor, our office every day is just asking for quotas and institutions; many are mandated by superior departments to be established. Because the city's total quota is fixed, any increase must come from cutting elsewhere, and the Organization Office has no spare quota at all.'

Executive Vice Mayor Wang Hong said: 'Mayor, to be frank, the units under my charge are all complaining bitterly, demanding quotas and new institutions, with manpower severely insufficient.'

Lu Fan said: 'Don't make me think of solutions just to hear you complain! The quotas of each unit are fixed; most units probably have overstaffing, yet you still dare say you lack manpower? Ask those department heads whether their units have long‑term leave or early retirement without work. Good people are all made to do this—will it cause a shortage of workers? Next, the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government will thoroughly investigate this situation; we absolutely cannot allow the phenomenon of drawing a salary without working.'

Well, I'll cast a brick to attract jade—here's an idea for you to consider. The city has 15 TV stations, all funded by public‑institution quotas, with the government spending over a hundred million yuan a year to keep them running, yet how much publicity do they really generate? Apart from reporting on our leaders' visits and meetings, the rest is just broadcasting outdated junk films.

Now is the network age; online and short‑video platforms have replaced traditional media. Think about it—how many households would turn on a TV? How unpleasant is watching TV? I suggest that Nanyuan City completely abolish county‑level TV stations and reclaim all their quotas!

As for the current staff of those TV stations, let each county digest them on its own. These people still have 'two brushes'—they can speak and write, their abilities absolutely surpass those of most cadres in other units, and they can be transferred to fill various departments.

As for publicity work in the counties, it can be fully handled via public accounts, achieving self‑breakthrough in form and being more down‑to‑earth.

Hearing this proposal, everyone fell into deep thought. Don't think this is just a casual remark—it involves the vital interests and futures of dozens of leaders and hundreds of cadres!

In today's Nanyuan political scene, no one would dare to oppose the mayor.

Deputy Secretary Su Xiang Hai considered it, then gave the first sign of support, saying: 'Mayor's vision is lofty, directly targets the ills, hits the vital point; it guides the present and leads the future, possessing strong foresight, guidance, and operativeness. To be honest, I really can't imagine what use the county TV stations could have now, or who watches them. I support the mayor's opinion—abolish them and give the quotas to more needed departments.'

Executive Vice Mayor Wang Hong, not wanting to lag behind, added: 'County TV stations, newspapers, and radio stations have quotas of about fifty people, but only a handful actually work; many are absent year‑round yet still enjoy full benefits, otherwise they'd petition—tearful, pleading, effective beyond measure; I've personally encountered this. Even in private, some say these places are breeding grounds for mistresses. I firmly support the mayor's view: the government should not keep idle workers; abolish them if needed—better early than late, better fast than slow!'

Organization Department Head Feng Guanqiao, choosing his words carefully, stated: 'Mayor, the Organization Department will jointly with the Organization Office and Human Resources Bureau first take the proposal, then submit it to the Standing Committee for study.'

Lu Fan nodded and said: 'Then it's decided—we'll vote at the next Standing Committee meeting. Wang Pan, I'll settle the money and personnel for you; if Nanyuan's food‑safety rectification falls short, that's a problem of your work attitude and ability! Remember, food‑safety responsibility weighs heavier than heaven—we must resolve, strike hard, and rectify; if thinking doesn't change, change people; if attitude isn't right, reassign; if ability is lacking, step aside. Emphasize "deep, accurate, ruthless," give it our all to ensure Nanyuan's peace and protect the people's well‑being!'

On June 3, the Provincial Party Committee convened a standing committee meeting to discuss personnel matters.

During the meeting, Lu Fan received several text messages, including a standing committee member "leaking the news" that his Municipal Party Secretary had smoothly passed!

As soon as the meeting ended, Secretary Tang Bing's call came through, saying: 'Lu Fan, tomorrow the Organization Department will come to Nanyuan to announce the personnel appointments—congratulations!'

Lu Fan hurriedly replied: 'Thank you, Secretary, for your continual concern, support, and cultivation. I will stay true to my post, actively fulfill my duties, constantly strengthen my sense of responsibility and action, with the determination and courage to cut through thorns and overcome myriad difficulties, with unyielding perseverance and indomitable will, leading Nanyuan to strive forward and embark on a new journey, to strive and innovate, achieving new accomplishments, and not failing to live up to the Secretary and the Provincial Party Committee's expectations!'

Soon after, Governor Liu Linghao, Executive Deputy Provincial Governor Huang Chongzhou, Organization Department Head Zhao Lingyun, and Political and Legal Committee Secretary Wang Jinwu successively called to congratulate Lu Fangu on his promotion.

Following that, Nanyuan City Mayor Wang Xi, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee Deng Guoqiang, Provincial Government Secretary‑General Li Bowen, Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee Zhang Wenjun, Executive Deputy Director of the Agriculture Department Huang Wenbin, and Executive Deputy Director of the Education Department Wu Zhengyu also called to offer congratulations.

After the standing committee's news reached Nanyuan, the leading cadres reacted indifferently, because everyone felt the Municipal Party Secretary was already a sure thing for the mayor!

Yet the public response was extraordinarily enthusiastic, looking forward to Secretary Lu's performance with boundless expectations!

After observing this for ten months, the people of Nanyuan are absolutely certain they have encountered a leader who cares for the masses and serves the people!

Lu Fan, with firm ideals and convictions, fine conduct, and solid achievements, holding the sentiment of 'everything for the masses, everything relying on the masses,' has come from the masses and gone back to the masses, actively pushing various people‑benefiting measures to take root and flourish. Regarding the work the masses expect, he hammers it in nail by nail, secures one bolt then another, thereby completely winning the trust and reputation of Nanyuan's cadres and masses.

On June 4, the head of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department, Zhao Lingyun, personally came to Nanyuan, conveyed the standing committee's decision, represented Secretary Tang Bing in putting forward several requirements for the Nanyuan Municipal Party Committee's work, and congratulated Lu Fan.

Lu Fan smiled and replied: 'Please rest assured, Department Head—I will certainly keep the Provincial Committee's instructions in mind, lead Nanyuan's cadres and masses to meet difficulties head‑on, strive through hard work, and strive to surpass!'

Zhao Lingyun smiled and said: 'Now the dust has settled; you can get down to work in earnest. Earlier it was not peaceful—right here I've had quite a few leaders "passing notes." You're about to deliver results on this post, and many are eyeing it eagerly!'

Lu Fan tentatively asked: 'Department Head, may I know who my rivals are? I want to cheer myself up, muster my fighting spirit, and not be outdone by others!'

Zhao Lingyun replied with deep meaning: 'They are all outstanding cadres from the province—for example, the mayor of Zhoukou City, Lei Xingxing, and the director of the Provincial Audit Bureau, Zhang Xuan, both are "dual‑post" cadres, old hands indeed! As for the others, they're just making up the numbers; even if this contest falls short of your hopes, you'll still gain exposure, laying the groundwork for the next adjustment.'

Lu Fan responded: 'Thank you, Department Head, for clearing up my doubts!'

'We needn't stand on ceremony—let's support each other!'