Chapter 568

After entering, Li Lao was strolling in the courtyard; Chen Deming walked a few steps quickly, smiling and said: "Lao Li, this azalea tree is growing very well!"

Li Lao turned his head, smiling and said: "Chen Deming has come, the azalea is drought-resistant, its white blossoms bloom beautifully; in spring it gives a feeling of a sea of flowers! Having retired, one must find some enjoyment."

Chen Deming smiled and replied: "I also need to find a hobby, so I won't be idle after retirement. Li Lao, I envy you so much, with grandchildren surrounding your knees, fully enjoying family bliss, and having such an outstanding son-in-law as Lu Fan!"

Li Lao smiled and said: "Lu Fan indeed dares to think and act; he's a promising seedling. You should help him more. I guess you came today because of Yao Yao, right?"

Chen Deming replied: "Li Lao, you have discerning eyes; I'm just here to talk about my good-for-nothing son and Yao Yao's marriage."

Li Lao pointed at Lu Fan and said: "The elder brother takes the father's place; he is the proper person in charge. We won't overstep our bounds."

At this moment, Lu Fan was on the phone with his sister nearby, saying: "Yao Yao, just tell me, will you listen to your brother?"

"Of course I will listen, but you can't force a match!"

"Then I ask you, how is Chen Xu treating you?"

"Pretty good!"

"What do you think of his character?"

"Quite outstanding!"

"Then your marriage is settled like that!"

"Brother, don't mess around! I'm swamped with work now; I have no time for dating or marriage. Recently I have to handle a major case, personally responsible, likely to be sealed off for two or three months."

Lu Fan said: "Fine, you handle your work; I'll take care of the wedding arrangements. When you're free, we can just get married next February."

Lu Yao coquettishly said: "Brother, marriage is a serious matter, not something to joke about—I haven't even made any mental preparations."

Lu Fan domineeringly said: "Would I harm you? If I didn't intervene, you could drag this out until you're forty! How would I face Mom and Dad? Alright, I'll just let you know—I'll discuss the wedding with Chen Xu's parents."

"He hasn't even proposed, and you want me to rush into marriage? My sister isn't someone who can't get married!"

"Fine, fine, fine, you're just making a fuss! In short, you must get married next year; during the New Year, both families will sit together to settle the marriage."

"Brother, let me think about it!"

"Alright, I'll let you think it over until the New Year. People have already come knocking, so I've agreed on your behalf!"

"Brother, how can you do this…"

"Take care of your health, don't catch a cold in this deep winter. That's all—I need to get back to the in-laws, they're still waiting!" After saying that, Lu Fan hung up the phone; he knew his sister's temperament well, sometimes he had to be decisive with her.

Next, Lu Fan called Chen Xu, instructing him to make several more trips to the grasslands, to propose to his sister as soon as possible, as romantically as possible.

Returning to the living room, Lu Fan smiled and said to Chen Deming: "What needed to be arranged, I've arranged with my sister and Chen Xu; the general direction is fine, but some things still need to be handled by them."

Chen Deming smiled and replied: "Lu Fan, I'll leave this to you; I'm basically powerless."

After sitting for over half an hour, Chen Deming rose to take his leave, and Li Lao saw him out to the door.

On Monday, Lu Fan didn't return to the Splendid Plain, because Tang Bing had arrived in Yan City, personally bringing Lu Fan to present, reporting the Splendid Plain's institutional reform plan to the relevant units, seeking leadership support, with very good results.

This presentation let Lu Fan show his face before many leaders. At the same time, many people saw the legendary Lu Fan for the first time.

On the way back to the province, Tang Bing said to Lu Fan: "The institution is bloated, staff are redundant, upper and lower levels are roughly the same, they wrangle with each other, efficiency is low, costs keep rising, etc. Many problems are actually out in the open, but nobody has dared to be the first to charge forward; now that you've stepped out, everyone will naturally support you. Lu Fan, I advise you: having ideals and passion is good, but while working you must also protect yourself."

Lu Fan nodded and said: "Thank you, Secretary, for your concern and advice; I will try to consider things thoroughly."

Tang Bing continued: "After returning, we will establish the Splendid Plain Province Reform Leading Group; I and Governor Linghao will serve as co-leaders, you will serve as executive deputy leader, the Discipline Inspection Committee secretary, executive deputy provincial governor, Provincial Party Committee secretary, Provincial Government secretary, and other relevant leaders will serve as deputy leaders; the leading group's office will be set in the Organization Department, with each municipal Party secretary, mayor, and provincial direct departments as member units; you will handle specific affairs. Once the plan is mature, we will pass it through the Standing Committee, and the reform of Splendid Plain Province will be fully entrusted to the leading group."

"Thank you, Secretary, for giving me this platform; I will certainly not disappoint you, nor cause you trouble or hold you back! Secretary, my grandfather asked me to tell you, welcome to visit our home!"

Tang Bing smiled and replied: "On my behalf, I express my thanks to Li Lao; next time I go to Yan City, I will definitely pay a visit."

Upon arriving at the unit, Lu Fan immediately convened a small meeting; Deputy Minister Zou Weipeng, Secretary Li Yu, Office Director Tan Yiqiao, Inspection Bureau Chief Ma Shaoxing, Director of Cadre Division One Hu Tiankang, Director of Cadre Division Two Han Yu, Director of Cadre Supervision One Yang Qushi, Director of Cadre Supervision Two Xie Siming attended the meeting.

These people were all recommended by Zhao Lingyun and Wang Xi; Lu Fan usually also observes their work ability and style, and currently they appear usable.

After the meeting began, Lu Fan said: "Before the meeting, I announce some work discipline: we must constantly strengthen confidentiality and anti-corruption awareness, and always maintain a sense of awe for organizational discipline."

Today's meeting involves the provincial institutional reform; all materials and documents are confidential—don't say what shouldn't be said, don't do what shouldn't be done, consciously uphold organizational discipline.

In the process of institutional reform, you are the main force; must strictly guard against 'sugar-coated bullets' and 'interest transfers', strictly prohibit using personal connections to say hello, falsifying in cadre inspections, and seeking personal gain through position. Sit upright on the 'wooden bench', keep a straight posture, sit with horizontal and vertical alignment, truly establish rules and tighten discipline, maintaining a good image of the organization's cadres.

"I'll say the ugly truth up front: whoever dares to violate confidentiality discipline and engage in corruption and bribery, I will definitely expel you from the cadre ranks!"

Upon hearing this, everyone became attentive, sitting upright with solemn respect.

Lu Fan continued: "Starting today, the institutional reform of Splendid Plain Province is officially launched; you are the drafters of the reform plan, and I will first state the requirements:"

1. At the provincial level, following the '5510' ratio for streamlining: public institutions to be streamlined by no less than 50%, public institution staffing by about 50%, of which the streamlining ratio for fiscally funded public institution staffing shall be no less than 10%; no longer retain public institutions at the section chief level or with staffing of 16 or fewer; 'empty shell units', 'zombie units', and public institutions that have completed specific historical tasks shall all be abolished;

2. Bureau-level and division-level leadership positions to be streamlined by 10% and 25% respectively;

3. At the county and city level, deep adjustment: public institution streamlining ratio reaches 45%, public institution staffing overall streamlined by 25%, of which the reduction in fully funded public institution staffing is 15%;

4. Merge the Provincial Geology and Mineral Bureau, Provincial Nonferrous Geology Bureau, Provincial Coalfield Geology Bureau, Provincial Nuclear Industry Geology Bureau, and their affiliated 35 geological survey-type public institutions to form 'one bureau, one academy, one conglomerate';

5. At the county and city level, integrate the five types of social insurance administration agencies into a 'one-stop service', reducing the total number of social insurance administration agencies at the provincial municipal and county levels from 602 to 177;

6. Streamline and integrate various deliberation and coordination bodies, reducing the existing 314 leading groups to 15;

7. Uphold the principle of one-time confirmation of staffing; for in‑staff personnel exceeding the confirmed staffing numbers, implement a lock‑down and one‑out‑one‑in policy; set a three‑year limit, fully retire public‑welfare positions and dispatched labor;

8. All leadership personnel exceeding position numbers and surplus staff caused by the reform shall be pooled into the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department, managed via ledger, and we will uniformly arrange their 'absorption';

9. Redirect the staffing recovered from streamlining toward high‑quality development, key livelihood sectors, and frontline grassroots, following the principle of 'reduce the top, supplement the bottom; reduce the county, supplement the countryside', forming a modern governance pattern with the social governance center shifting downward, solving the grassroots mismatch of responsibilities and authority, the problem of too much work and too few staff;

10. Overall target: streamline 2,735 public institutions, recover over 80,000 public institution staff. Of these, the provincial level will streamline more than 900 institutions, recover over 13,000 staff, and streamline 1,200 leadership positions; the municipal and county levels will streamline more than 1,835 institutions, recover over 70,000 staff, and streamline 3,110 leadership positions.

Comrades, reform is imperative; we must coordinate comprehensively, plan scientifically, and push forward holistically, enabling seamless connection and stable operation of all units, striving to minimize the impact on normal production and life of enterprises and the public; I implore you all!

After the minister finished speaking, the entire meeting hall fell silent as the grave; attendees' faces were filled with shock and disbelief, as if immobilized by a freezing spell. Everyone was immersed in deep shock, their thoughts surging like turbulent waves.

Everyone clearly realizes that the wave of reform of Splendid Plain's public institutions is about to unfold on an unprecedented scale—it is practically a 'major surgical strike', firing the first shot nationwide! This reform not only affects numerous units, but its depth and breadth are also striking and shocking.

Finally, Lu Fan pointedly said: "As I often say: judge heroes by actual performance, rank seats by contribution, employ cadres based on actual performance; establish a clear personnel orientation of promoting the capable, letting the average step aside, demoting the mediocre, and eliminating the poor, so that those who want to act and dare to act have opportunity and vigor, and those who can act and are willing to act have a stage and a position."

I hope you will further raise your stance, immerse yourselves in the situation, take responsibility, continually display new initiatives, create a new atmosphere, achieve new results, and serve as the vanguard of the province's deepening public institution reform!

The leaders' words are clear; everyone deeply understands the importance of this reform, and participation will definitely bring more promotion opportunities. Of course, the prerequisite is to do the job well; everyone also knows the minister does not tolerate sand in his eyes.

Starting today, the small meeting room has become the concentrated office of these eight people; they began, following Lu Fan's instructions, to compile the 'Splendid Plain Province Public Institution Reform Plan' in a tight‑knit, vigorous manner.