Chapter 509: Report Letter

Having heard Lu Fan's request, Li Zihan felt uneasy and replied, "Brother‑in‑law, I can promise you on my chest that the concert will be guaranteed in quality and quantity, but for this movie and TV drama, I truly have no confidence! Who knows which script will become a hit? Which actors can carry the scene? I can't afford to delay your big event!"

Lu Fan thought for a moment and said, "Let's be honest: apart from Huayuan people, how many in the other provinces even know Nanyuan City? It's the internet age, and I want to use film to let people across the country learn about Nanyuan, become familiar with Nanyuan, achieving the effect of becoming famous nationwide in one go!"

We'll jointly oversee the script; as for the quality of the film and TV drama, we'll hire a famous director, stack it with internet‑famous stars and capable actors, and even if we smash it, we'll smash out hype, traffic, attention, and showcase Nanyuan's dazzling prosperity!

Zihan, this matter might make you lose money, but it's truly important to me and to Nanyuan. I'll compensate you in other ways, guaranteeing you won't suffer a loss!

Li Zihan cooed petulantly, "Brother‑in‑law, you just said family members don't speak different tongues, and now you're treating me like an outsider? I'm an insider, I have some influence; losing money isn't that easy. Besides, even if we lose money, our family doesn't mind such a small amount! Trust me, I'll handle these two matters beautifully for you—you're our family's hope!"

After reaching consensus with his sister‑in‑law, Lu Fan asked his secretary to summon the head of the Publicity Department, Li Mu Ci, and the director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau, Wang Cong, to his office, and instructed, "I've gone to great lengths to bring in General Manager Li Zihan. She will organize a music festival and ten concerts in Nanyuan, and also shoot several high‑quality films with Nanyuan as the backdrop, giving Nanyuan extensive publicity. Both of you must be involved throughout, cooperate fully, and ensure Nanyuan becomes a nationally known city IP, accelerating Nanyuan's culture‑tourism to break out and truly shine!"

Furthermore, you must plan well; breaking out and shining is only the first step. The culture‑tourism industry must not only become popular, but stay popular. Turn 'explosive fame' into 'lasting fame', convert 'traffic' into 'retained traffic'; we must never let tourism in Nanyuan become a fleeting breeze or a one‑off transaction!

Both naturally answered enthusiastically, taking on this glorious yet arduous task, and led Li Zihan's team to explore Nanyuan's mountains and waters in depth.

On July 15, the most eye‑catching news online was Phoenix Legend's announcement of a concert in Nanyuan in late August! Once released, the news sparked heated discussion and anticipation among countless fans.

Phoenix Legend, a combo that has shone on the Chinese music scene for years, has won countless fans with its unique musical style, heartfelt vocals, and infectious performances. Over their long musical career they have built a massive fan base, and each show provokes a fervent response.

When Phoenix Legend announced Nanyuan as the venue for their concert, it immediately sparked a strong reaction among fans. As a city with a long historical and cultural heritage, hosting such a musical event undoubtedly enhances the city's cultural allure.

But online, netizens raised two questions: Where is Nanyuan? Why hold the concert there?

That's the job of Nanyuan's publicity department and culture‑tourism bureau: using this chance to launch an intensive "bombardment", vigorously promoting Nanyuan's outstanding people, spiritual sites, and long history.

The wondrous, weighty Nanyuan gathers Chu‑Han culture, bureaucratic culture, Buddhist culture, divine culture, commercial integrity culture, medical culture, jade‑carving culture and other rich boutique cultures, forming a "Riverside Scene at Qingming" of Nanyuan's history, and has been granted the national title of "Historical and Cultural Famous City".

Late in the afternoon, as people were about to leave, Du Wenlong, director of the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee's Monitoring Office, suddenly arrived at Lu Fan's office.

Lu Fan stood up and said, "Why do you have time to swing by today? Want a drink?"

Du Wenlong pulled out a stack of envelopes, handed them to Lu Fan, and said, "Brother Fan, in the past two days the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee has been bombarded with report letters from Nanyuan. Our office is in charge of liaising with Nanyuan; Secretary Deng forwarded the reports to me for handling."

Lu Fan frowned, took the report letters, and read them carefully.

After a while, in a deep voice he said, "The accusations are hefty—four major charges: abusing one's position to benefit them; nepotism, excluding dissenters, granting offices as favors, damaging the political ecology; trading power for sexual favors, promoting attractive female cadres to county chief; and launching massive political‑achievement and image projects. Wenlong, I'm being labeled 'extremely heinous'!"

Du Wenlong said, "Brother Fan, a gentleman does not fear tigers, only the slanderer's tongue! Your future is bright, and these two years are critical; you cannot ignore such false accusations, letting them spread, with overt attacks and covert arrows, impossible to defend against. I know these report letters are chasing shadows, using ambiguous matters to smear you, but ordinary people don't know the truth; they tend to adopt a 'better believe it exists than think it doesn't' attitude toward such slander, which can easily damage your image."

Lu Fan sighed, "It's a lifelong shame for an official to shirk duties; responsibility means taking action, and action inevitably bumps into conflicts and offends people. In work there are always some 'stumbling stones'. Wenlong, some time ago I detained the son of the city's People's Congress director; I suspect the root of the problem lies there!"

Du Wenlong immediately replied, "So it's that 'damned' Ma Jinming—I won't let him off! Brother Fan, I don't attack unless attacked; since he wants to 'go head‑to‑head', there's nothing more to say, let's do it! I'm no good bird; his report letters are flying everywhere in our office, especially regarding male‑female relations. Our office liaises with Nanyuan; normally I try not to cause you trouble, many matters are held back, but since he's so eager to 'burst out', Brother Fan, leave this to me!"

Lu Fan thought for a moment and replied, "Investigate a regular hall‑level leading cadre, as decided by the provincial party committee; we're staging the 'Class Master' play, so follow the normal procedure. Go back and thank Secretary Guoqiang for me, have him report to Secretaries Jia Yu and Tang Bing according to protocol, so the leaders can decide. We're upright and not afraid of distorted shadows; honestly, I'm still not clear on the matters in the report letters, he really went to great lengths."

"Alright, Brother Fan, take care of yourself; I'll head back to handle it now."

Lu Fan laughed and said, "Since you're here, can't we have a few drinks before you leave?"

"Brother Fan, I have no leisure time now; I must rush back to deal with it. You also worry a bit—I'm concerned Ma Jinming will spread rumors in Nanyuan!"

Du Wenlong hadn't left when Lu Fan's phone rang; seeing it was Secretary Xiao Bin's number, he quickly answered.

Xiao Bin asked in a deep voice, "Lu Fan, I have dozens of report letters concerning you in my hands—what's going on?"

Lu Fan hurriedly replied, "Secretary, I must have offended someone!"

"What's happening?"

"A while ago the city Discipline Inspection Committee detained the son of the city People's Congress director Ma Jinming; I think the problem stems from that." Lu Fan adopted a preconceived stance.

Xiao Bin said, "Being incorruptible, upright, and tough is the prerequisite for daring and skillful struggle. You must firm your fighting will, distrust evil, fear no ghosts, keep your bones hard, not worry about gains or losses, and raise a 'hard spine' that dares to brandish the sword against all unhealthy winds."

Lu Fan gratefully replied, "Thank you for your trust and support, Secretary; I will dare to brandish the sword before great right and wrong, dare to fight against crooked winds, and dare to face challenges amid conflicts."

After hanging up, Xiao Bin annotated the forwarded document: "Please have the Huayuan Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee investigate and verify, adhering to a combination of strict management and generous care, balancing incentives and restraints, and following regulations, discipline, law, and seeking truth from facts. If the reports are false, hold accountable the cadres who dared to take responsibility, and the cadres who dared to be responsible; promptly clear the names of party members wrongly accused, actively fostering a clean and upright political ecology."

On July 16, just after starting work in the morning, Hu Jiayu came to Tang Bing's office and reported, "Secretary, in the past two days we have been bombarded with report letters about Lu Fan; we just received a document from higher authorities, and Secretary Zhang Xiaobin personally annotated it, please review."

Tang Bing took the document and read it carefully.

After a while he said, "Secretary Xiao Bin's meaning is clear; I've looked, and these report letters are all anonymous, chasing shadows, ambiguous, and lack persuasive evidence."

Reporting is undoubtedly a powerful tool for strengthening supervision, and there is no issue with that. However, the premise of a report must be solid evidence; otherwise reporting becomes a tool for smearing others, and does not mean the reporter can act irresponsibly at will. If these wrongly accused good cadres do not get cleared, it will inevitably dampen the enthusiasm of genuinely dedicated cadres and comrades, leading to a chaotic value system in the political climate, with consequences as severe as corruption itself.

The saying 'one letter, a few dimes, years of investigation', 'spend eighty‑cents and trouble you for a year' describes exactly this situation. Jia Yu, send people down to verify—see if it's truly factual, or if someone is using the name of reporting to frame and slander!

Hu Jiayu replied, "Secretary, I learned that some time ago the Nanyuan City Discipline Inspection Committee placed the son of the city People's Congress director Ma Jinming under detention."

Tang Bing frowned and said, "Both the case and the investigation must be pursued; false accusation and framing damage the political ecology, pollute social morals, disrupt the reporting order, waste supervisory and law‑enforcement resources, and harm cadres' entrepreneurial enthusiasm. The crackdown must be intensified! The provincial party committee and provincial Discipline Inspection Committee must 'support' diligent cadres and 'brandish the sword' against false accusers, making false accusations a public enemy, condemned by all."

"Alright, Secretary, I'll dispatch people today to investigate and verify. Though the methods and situations of false accusation and fact‑distortion differ, they are often driven by personal greed, attempting to 'step on others' to gain improper benefits for themselves."