Chapter 540

According to the Regulations on the Selection and Appointment of Party and Government Leading Cadres and relevant provisions, based on democratic recommendation, extensive solicitation of opinions, and comprehensive consideration, after organizational research and decision, Comrade Lu Fan is determined as an object for further use and inspection, and is hereby announced for public notice:

Public notice object: Lu Fan, male, Han ethnicity, graduate education… currently serving as Municipal Party Secretary of Nanyuan City, proposed to be promoted to deputy department-level leading cadre.

The public notice period starts from August 3, 2024, and the notice period is five working days. During this period, the public is welcome to reflect situations and express opinions and suggestions to the Organization Department via phone calls, letters, or visits. Cadres and the public who truthfully reflect related problems are protected by law.

Countless people gathered around the announcement, looking and discussing loudly.

"Secretary Lu is leaving? How could it be so sudden? No wind was heard beforehand?"

"Secretary Lu has been in Nanyuan for three years, achieving such great results; promotion is reasonable!"

"If Secretary Lu leaves, what will Nanyuan do? Will those corrupt officials pop up again?"

"Ah, with great difficulty things got better, but Secretary Lu is leaving again! Won't our Nanyuan become again that 'cowardly' state?"

"What do you think Secretary Lu will be promoted to?"

"If Secretary Lu stays in Nanyuan, then our yes development still has guarantee; Secretary Lu definitely won't just stand by and watch others 'harm' Nanyuan."

"Then what if Secretary Lu goes to another province?"

"I estimate not; isn't there still a vacant deputy provincial governor position in the province? Eighty percent likely it's being kept for Secretary Lu; otherwise it wouldn't have been empty for so long."

"I think so; there are no vacancies in other positions either! I feel letting Secretary Lu serve as deputy provincial governor would be somewhat a waste of talent; you guess whether he will directly be given a standing committee post and continue serving as Nanyuan Municipal Party Secretary? Our city's GDP this year will surely be second place; why can't we pull Luoyang City down? Snatch their standing committee members over!"

"Zhu Bajie dreaming of marrying a wife—just thinking of beautiful things! Dreams are beautiful, reality is skinny; I estimate there's no such possibility!"

"What's the difference between a person without dreams and a salted fish? What if it comes true?"

"If Secretary Lu can really stay, I'll damn well treat you all to 'maozi'! These years Nanyuan has really been good; as long as you work you can get promoted; before, did you dare to imagine that?"

……

Facing Yuan Weiwei's personal talk, Lu Fan said: "Only by treating work as a matter will one accomplish things; only by not treating difficulties as a matter will one not fear them; only by treating fame and profit as another matter will one avoid trouble! Over these years, I have consistently adhered to 'running lectures during the day, reading and writing at night', continually using theory to arm the mind, enhancing judgment, comprehension, and execution, continually fulfilling my promises, and finally achieved certain results."

For high-quality economic development, for catching up from behind, ultimately, to let the common people live better lives, I and my comrades have braved the elements, worked tirelessly, forgotten sleep and meals; facing corruption, I have put on a stern stare and drawn my sword; now Nanyuan embraces fairness and justice with beaming smiles, spring winds and nourishing rain...

After the talk ended, Lu Fan invited Weiwei to the office.

After entering, Weiwei smiled and said: "Congratulations, old leader, making further progress atop the hundred-foot pole! Could you reveal where the next posting will be?"

Lu Fan laughed and replied: "You are the one inspecting me; shouldn't I be asking you this? I'm now curious myself where I'll go!"

Weiwei shook his head and said: "I really don't know the specific destination; it's somewhat strange, logically there should be a plan by now, but Huayuan Province has shown no movement."

Lu Fan passed over the tea and said: "I am a brick of the organization; wherever needed, I will move there, not shying away from burden or seeking ease. Weiwei, I estimate you'll also be adjusted soon, right?"

Weiwei sighed: "Old leader, to speak frankly, what I miss most is the time when we teamed up in Ganshui; every day I was so busy my feet didn't touch the ground, yet my heart felt very solid; every task I did faced the masses directly, feeling fulfilling and meaningful. Now although busy, I always feel something is missing; if I could go to grassroots work, I would be dying for it!"

"There will be an opportunity!"

……

After the news that Nanyuan Municipal Party Secretary Lu Fan was under inspection spread, not only the cadres and masses of Nanyuan were concerned, but leaders at all levels across the province were also paying attention, guessing where his next step would be; the prevailing consensus now is deputy provincial governor.

At night, Lu Fan lay in bed, pondering where he would go, really a deputy provincial governor? Work two years then become a standing committee member? Adjust to executive deputy provincial governor or something like that?

But Si Daiqiang definitely won't take these detours; his next step will certainly be deputy provincial party secretary, thus falling one step behind him? A slow step leads to step-by-step slowness; a delayed step leads to step-by-step delay!

People often say, when encountering matters, one should stay calm and composed, have an unflustered demeanor. That's because the matter hasn't fallen on his head; at crucial moments concerning one's future and destiny, no one can truly achieve being at ease with circumstances.

Standing at the crossroads of life, the road ahead is full of unknowns and variables; Lu Fan's inner self also generated anxiety and unease, outwardly feigning calm, but the inner turmoil could not be quelled.

At ten o'clock, Lu Fan dialed Li Lao's phone and said: "Grandfather, am I disturbing your rest?"

Li Lao laughed and said: "Can't sleep? Normal, how old are you! When I was promoted to deputy department level, I stayed up all night."

"Grandfather, mainly I don't know what work the next position entails; I feel somewhat unsettled inside!"

Li Lao said earnestly: "Xiao Fan, whenever there is a major matter, having composure leads to peace, peace leads to consideration, consideration leads to gain! No matter which post you go to, it is a great advancement in your political career; I believe that with your ability, even if you cannot achieve great accomplishments, you will still gain something and gain insight."

"Actually, I hope you will settle well in the deputy provincial governor position; life's pace is not about speed but steadiness. How many people rise early only to attend a late market? So you need not fuss over which post to take; upon reaching a new post and new environment, facing new work, you should have a new atmosphere and make progressive strides, continually opening up new work situations!"

"Thank you for your teachings, grandfather; I will surely keep them in mind!"

Actually, Li Lao also doesn't know where Lu Fan will go, because so far no adjustment plan has been issued.

The next day, Lu Fan began to endure the "blitz barrage"; familiar leaders who usually called him kept phoning congratulations, leaving him unable to calm down and work, so he simply tossed the phone to his secretary, uniformly saying he was in a meeting.

At three in the afternoon, Lu Fan was reviewing documents in his office when he suddenly saw from the window over a hundred people entering the municipal party compound; the director of the Municipal Letters and Visits Bureau, Zhang Mingsong, immediately came out to receive visitors, and the scene clearly indicated a mass petition.

Lu Fan summoned Cheng Haohao in, asking him to find out the situation, what exactly was happening to cause such a large-scale petition.

Soon, Cheng Haohao returned and reported: "Secretary, the petitioners are the owners of Tianhui Jiayuan; it's a stalled building issue."

Lu Fan thought for a moment and said: "Nanyuan's stalled building problem is relatively serious, even causing public resentment to boil over; this problem must be solved. I've heard of some problems but haven't thought of a good solution; the problem must be faced! Haohao, call Zhang Mingsong and have him select a few owner representatives; I'll meet them personally."

Cheng Haohao hastily said: "Secretary, why not let Mayor Haorui handle it? If you go, once they force you to state a position, there will be no room for easing!"

Lu Fan shook his head and said: "The South Garden property market has many shoddy stalled projects, numerous rights‑protection petitions, and wide‑ranging negative impacts—I have long heard of this. Folks often say that as early as over two thousand years ago, the Han dynasty already drained the "earth qi" of South Garden! At first I didn't believe it, but after thinking it over carefully I found it truly frightening. A state has its fate, a city its fortune, a person his destiny; if problems are left unresolved, the people's grievances will only grow heavier. Now is the time to thoroughly resolve these issues."

Lu Fan clearly understood that most stalled buildings are caused by bosses. These developers have never even engaged in the real estate industry, lacking any development experience; they are merely attracted by the quick profits of real estate and rely on money and connections to slip in.

It is common for developers to have leaders' hidden shares behind them; during the rectification of problematic projects, some leaders will say: "After the strategic investor takes over, while designing the debt‑repayment plan, we must also allow the developers to make a proper profit."

It is common during the special crackdown on black‑mail and evil that developers threaten and shout: "I have records of giving leaders benefits; if I go down, none of you will escape!"

It is common for developers to use owners' rights‑protection actions as a tool to pressure the government, demanding special meetings and seeking exclusive preferential policies.

This is not an isolated case of one or two projects; it has become a policy orientation for the government in coordinating local stalled buildings.

From the owners' perspective, long‑standing petitions and rights‑protection efforts often remain unresolved precisely because of these unscrupulous developers.

In the eyes of owners, courts, government, and construction firms, the developers are heavily in debt and, by rights, should be dead beyond revival.

Why do developers still refuse to cooperate everywhere, clinging to the official seal and unwilling to let go?

The reason is simple: they never felt they were about to die!

So Lu Fan clearly understood that to thoroughly eradicate South Garden's stalled buildings, it would inevitably involve harming some people's interests, and he might have to take down a batch of them.

At four o'clock sharp, Municipal Party Secretary Lu Fan walked smiling into the letters‑and‑visits reception hall; the visiting households immediately rose to their feet, gazing eagerly at Lu Fan, and spoke all at once: "Secretary Lu, you must decide for us!"

"Secretary Lu, if you don't take charge, no one will manage our houses!"

"Secretary Lu, we are suffering!"

……

Lu Fan felt terrible inside, his eyes showing determination, he said firmly: "Let's sit down and talk; you can tell me any problems you have, one by one. I promise you, all problems will be solved, and the result will definitely satisfy everyone!"

"Secretary Lu, we believe in you!"

"Secretary Lu, the developers have made us suffer terribly!"

……