Chapter 546

A person's name, a tree's shadow! Lu Fan's "record" in Nanyuan was already well known to the leaders and cadres of the Organization Department, especially his readiness to take lethal action against corruption, handling the birds that no one wants to expose and the chickens that warn the monkeys!

Four dishes and a soup, during the meal, Zou Weipeng said: "Minister, in September we need to hold the 'Provincial Civil Servants and Public Institution Open Recruitment Joint Examination On‑site Conference.' Which city do you think we should set it in?"

Lu Fan thought for a moment and smiled: "Let's hold it in Nanyuan. If I take advantage of power once, I can still go back to handle some official business."

"Alright, then I'll arrange the meeting according to the Minister's instructions."

At three p. m., Lu Fan, accompanied by Office Director Tan Yiqiao, arrived at Deputy Secretary Li Mingyang's office.

After setting down the tea leaves, Lu Fan smiled: "Secretary, I have arrived to report in!"

Li Mingyang laughed: "That sounds formal, Lu Fan. Congratulations, and welcome to work at the Provincial Party Committee!"

Lu Fan replied: "To be honest, I'm still a newcomer to organization work, a layperson. If there are any shortcomings in my work, I ask the Secretary to give me more guidance!"

"You are too modest. As the Municipal Party Secretary, how could you be a layperson?"

After some polite exchange, Lu Fan began his report: "Yesterday, Secretary Tang Bing instructed that the vacant positions be filled as soon as possible. Secretary, what specific instructions do you have?"

Li Mingyang thought for a moment and said: "There are seven vacant positions; the Deputy Secretary‑General of the Provincial Government needs to seek Governor Liu Linghao's opinion. The Industry and Information Technology Department and the Culture and Tourism Department are relatively important. Secretary, do you have specific instructions?"

Lu Fan replied: "There are no instructions yet. I plan to first seek your and Governor Liu Linghao's opinions, then report back to the Secretary."

"Regarding the head of the Industry and Information Technology Department, I do have a suitable candidate to recommend: the Executive Deputy Director Li Yujian. He has been a veteran of the industry for many years, his business ability is among the few in Huayuan, his big‑picture view is good, and his age is appropriate in all respects. He can be included as a candidate for consideration."

"Alright, Secretary Li, I will quickly learn more about this comrade."

……

The Organization Department's Deputy Minister and Director of the Civil Servant Bureau, Lin Dian, arrived at Zou Weipeng's office in a fury and asked in an unfriendly tone: "Deputy Minister Zou, why was the on‑site meeting in Xiangyang City cancelled? Minister Lu just arrived, and you're already so impatient?"

Zou Weipeng frowned and said: "Deputy Minister Lin, what do you mean? Nanyuan City is providing the most positions this year, and the reform of civil servants and public institutions is the most extensive. Isn't the on‑site meeting just for learning advanced experience? Why can't it be held in Nanyuan? Moreover, the conference arrangements are handled by the office, and I have also broadly consulted the comrades for their opinions!"

"So you didn't even ask for the opinion of the leader I am in charge of?" Lin Dian said with resentment.

"That point I indeed overlooked, but the plan has already been reported to the Minister. Why don't you go and report it to the Minister?"

"Where did it get reported to the Minister? Never mind, never mind, it's just a meeting; it doesn't matter where it's held. You go on with your work!" After saying that, Lin Dian turned his head and left; he didn't want to bother the Minister over such a trivial matter.

A little after four o'clock, Lu Fan arrived at Governor Liu Linghao's office, set down the tea leaves, and smiled: "Governor, I am formally reporting to you!"

Governor Liu Linghao laughed: "If you become the head of the Organization Department, I'll have one less worry! Lu Fan, invite Chongzhou and Jinwu this evening to give you a proper welcome!"

"I must decline the Governor's kind offer!"

After the pleasantries, Lu Fan asked for instructions: "Governor, the Provincial Government still lacks a Deputy Secretary‑General, and Secretary Tang asked me to seek your opinion."

"Then appoint a director of a bureau; I'll look for a secretary. Keep an eye out, and within a year find a suitable post for him to be trained in a city."

"Alright, Governor. Once there is a suitable post, I will report to you again. As for the vacancies of Vice Mayor of Luojun City, Director of the Industry and Information Technology Department, Director of the Culture and Tourism Department, Organization Department Head of Bianliang City, Deputy Director of the Water Resources Department, and Deputy Director of the Agriculture Department, should I communicate directly with Secretary Tang Bing, or should I convey your opinions?"

Governor Liu Linghao thought for a moment and asked: "Does Secretary Tang have any specific instructions?"

"Not at the moment."

"What about Li Mingyang?"

"Secretary Mingyang recommended the Executive Deputy Director Li Yujian for the Industry and Information Technology Department, suggesting that he assume the role of department head."

"The Industry and Information Technology Department is a key component of the Provincial Government, and Comrade Mingyang is very concerned about it! Promotion from a deputy position to a principal one is rare in Huayuan; cadre development must be gradual. I suggest that the Executive Vice Mayor of Sanmen City, Chen Wentao, serve as the Provincial Industry and Information Technology Department Director, and that the Deputy Secretary‑General of the Provincial Government, Zheng Ruihe, serve as the Provincial Culture and Tourism Department Director. He previously moved from the Culture and Tourism Department to the Provincial Government, so the work can transition seamlessly. As for the other positions, I have no suitable candidates to recommend at the moment, so I will not comment."

Lu Fan carefully noted Governor Liu Linghao's opinions in his notebook and said: "I will promptly report to Secretary Tang Bing."

The head of the Organization Department is sometimes just a messenger, providing leaders with a buffer, then conducting 'gap‑filling' to implement certain personnel arrangements.

Back in the office, Executive Deputy Minister Zou Weipeng, Deputy Minister and Director of the Talent Office Wu Wenhui, Deputy Minister and Director of the Civil Servant Bureau Lin Dian, Deputy Minister and Director of the Old Dry Bureau Lin Xueheng, Deputy Minister and Head of the Provincial Human Resources and Social Security Department Fan Jiarui, Director of the Provincial Compilation Office Yu Bin, and Executive Vice President of the Party School Cai Jize successively came in to report their work, each for less than five minutes; in fact they came to 'pay a visit'.

Wu Wenhui was promoted to Deputy Minister after Wang Xi assigned him as Mayor of Runan City; he previously served as Director of Cadre Division Two, and Wang Xi was his supervising leader, belonging to the same faction, so Lu Fan deliberately chatted with him a few more times. Even a top leader needs a group of comrades' support in work.

In the evening, Lu Fan went alone to the provincial recruitment banquet, toasting and chatting with Governor Liu Linghao, Executive Deputy Provincial Governor Huang Chongzhou, and Political and Legal Committee Secretary Wang Jinwu.

Liu Linghao looked at the few people before him with great pleasure; four members of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee is no small number. Many of these members are independent, such as the Municipal Party Secretary of Yingjun, the Secretary of Luojun City, and the Minister of Propaganda; under normal circumstances they would uphold Secretary Tang Bing's authority, but at critical moments they will certainly prioritize their own interests.

The next morning, Deputy Director of the Assessment Office Zheng Jiang came to report, and Lu Fan concurrently served as Deputy Leader of the Provincial Annual Target Responsibility Assessment Leadership Group and Director of the Provincial Assessment Office.

After hearing the half‑year assessment rankings, Lu Fan emphasized that the Assessment Office must establish a reporting system for assessment conditions, regularly submit the operation status of key assessment indicators to provide reference for decisions of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government; it should timely carry out special inspections, strengthening supervision and handling of the implementation of key projects, economic indicators, and other important work; and it must strengthen the use of results, making assessment outcomes an important basis for cadre accountability and rewards and punishments.

Then, Office Director Tan Yiqiao, Director of Cadre Division One Hu Tiankang, Director of Cadre Division Two Han Yu, and other mid‑level leaders successively came in to report, giving Lu Fan a preliminary understanding of the current state of the Organization Department.

For three full days, Lu Fan listened to reports, reviewed documents, and familiarized himself with the work.

Starting August 24, Municipal Party Secretaries, mayors, and heads of provincial departments began to 'pay a visit'; whether they sought advancement or aimed for higher rankings in their work, the Organization Department remained an unavoidable 'mountain' they could never bypass.

The 'sharp‑eyed' talent‑identifying ability is essential for the head of the Organization Department; Lu Fan is currently meeting face‑to‑face with Huayuan's leaders and cadres, observing their words and actions, laying the foundation for precise future identification, allocation, and adjustment of cadres.

Mayor Li Haojie of Xuxu, Municipal Party Secretary Ma Yuxiang of Xinzhong, Mayor Wang Xi of Runan, and Municipal Party Secretary Deng Guoqiang of Pingshan arrived later; it wasn't deliberate neglect, but a desire to have ample time to communicate with Lu Fan.

After Lu Fan becomes head of the Organization Department, it will make them overjoyed; it truly means there is 'someone in the court'!

Subsequently, important executive officials from various cities and deputy officials of provincial departments also came to visit Lu Fan.

With leaders at this level, Lu Fan slightly raised his bearing; being overly approachable is not always beneficial, as the head of the Organization Department should not be too easy to talk to.

On September 1, the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department held a plenary meeting of all cadres to convey study, arrange and deploy work.

The meeting emphasized that one must deeply comprehend the essence of the spirit, grasp the core principles, and with strong responsibility drive high‑quality development of organization work. It called for precisely identifying the focus of organization work that serves and safeguards the overall situation, promoting the concentration of organization, cadres, and talent resources on central tasks. It urged a long‑term, comprehensive, item‑by‑item study to formulate a bundle of measures for the organization department's implementation. It required establishing a work ledger for each task the organization department undertakes, clarifying responsibility divisions, and ensuring effective implementation. The Provincial Party Committee Organization Department's organs should strive to become model departments, continue to promote fine work style, lead by example.

Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee member and Organization Department Head Lu Fan gave his first formal speech: "Comrades, what does the Organization Department do? I believe you all know that the Organization Department has three important functions: organization building, cadre selection, and assessment; it can be said to be the core of the core."

The Organization Department itself manages cadres; people joke, "Follow the Organization Department, and you improve year after year." If it is not solid, not realistic, not strict, and makes minor moves or writes small articles in cadre appointments and removals, how can the cadres it manages become solid? How can they be strict?

I have worked at the grassroots for many years, and I know how 'formidable' the people of the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department are. When a deputy director goes down to inspect work, people immediately send at least one team member to accompany them, and even senior leaders with time will proactively come to meet them—a typical type of cadre who can 'walk horizontally' into the grassroots.

If you are all like this, then won't I, as the head, be able to 'cover the sky with one hand'? After all, to get promotions, one must rely on my 'sharp‑eyed' talent identification!

To be honest, in the past two days someone actually approached me, trying to 'tamper' with the recruitment of civil servants and public institutions, saying our Organization Department could 'handle' it. It really made my heart race! Is our power really that great? Can we even 'manipulate' the provincial exams? I guess that's just a rumor!

At this point, Lu Fan took a sip of water, and everyone's gaze, intentionally or not, turned toward Deputy Minister Lin Dian.

Lin Dian, like an old monk in meditation, sat upright and composed, his face unchanged, occasionally nodding.