Chapter 576: Nanyuan Pilot

The cold wind howls, dark clouds gather, and the family, holding fresh flowers and offerings, walks with heavy steps to their parents' graves.

The barren mountains and ridges feel especially desolate and lonely; only withered grass sways in the wind, rustling.

The brother and sister stare at their parents' names on the tombstone, with no words to express the sorrow.

Lu Yao's tears uncontrollably well up from her eyes, slide down her cheeks, and fall onto the cold ground.

Lu Fan gently touches the tombstone, and only at this moment can he truly feel his parents' warmth.

Lu Yao kneels before the grave, murmuring, "Dad, Mom, we've come to see you…," but the only response is the whistling wind.

At this moment, the siblings' hearts are filled with endless grief and longing; they have so many words to tell their parents, yet life and death are a blur!

Lu Fan pulls his son forward and says, "Yuxuan, your grandparents are here; they are Dad's 'parents.' Bow to them and say hello! Yao Yao has found a good family; we are all fine, and your elders can rest in peace in the heavens!"

Lu Yuxuan obediently kneels, his voice childish, and says, "Grandpa, Grandma, we've come with Dad, Mom, Aunt, and Uncle to see you!"

Chen Xu kneels beside them, holding the tear‑soaked Lu Yao, and solemnly says, "Dad, Mom, rest assured, I will take care of Yao Yao for you!"

After burning the paper money, the siblings stand up, cast another affectionate glance at their parents' tomb, then turn and leave, leaving the solitary tombstone standing in the cold wind.

On the sixth day of the month, Lu Fan goes straight to Huayuan, while the others return to Yancheng.

When they learn the minister's office lights are on, several deputy ministers spring into action, rushing over to "report work," but actually hoping to share a few drinks with the leader.

How could Lu Fan not know their ulterior motive? In the first month of the year, a little wine is harmless.

So Lu Fan has Deputy Minister Zou Weipeng and Gao Shuo go "call people"; today he treats them himself, the guests being the few who are involved in the reform work.

Leaders are also human, they need a life and friends; Lu Fan doesn't mind mingling with everyone privately.

Since becoming Organization Department Head, Lu Fan has felt deeply that the head of the Organization Department doesn't have to handle all the tangled interpersonal relations or blaze through thorns, because the position oversees cadres and authority; promotion requires passing the Organization Department's assessments, inspections, approvals, and a series of procedures, during which the head's opinion is crucial. Consequently, countless cadres each day devise ways to curry favor with the Organization Department Head, even the Standing Committee units come to beg, and the head's view includes only three leaders: one primary secretary and two deputy secretaries.

On the seventh day of the first month, the first day after the holiday, the Provincial Party Committee convenes a mobilization and deployment conference for deepening reform of provincial-level departments; Governor Liu Linghao chairs the meeting, Secretary Tang Bing attends and speaks, and all provincial leaders at home participate.

The first meeting of the year concerns institutional reform and is of a very high standard, showing the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government's emphasis on the institutions, as the whole nation's attention is focused on Huayuan.

At the meeting, Secretary Tang Bing stresses the need to strengthen mission responsibility, resolutely shoulder the political responsibility of advancing reform of public institutions, fully implement the Provincial Party Committee's approved "Huayuan Province Deepening Public Institution Reform Implementation Plan," further unify thinking, clarify goals, act boldly, and complete the reform tasks with high standards and high quality.

Standing Committee member and Organization Department Head Lu Fan gives an in‑depth reading of the Implementation Plan, issuing concrete requirements for the reform. He emphasizes that deepening reform of public institutions is a necessary response to economic system needs and a push for high‑quality development; it is an urgent need to promote balanced, full, high‑quality development of public welfare and meet the people's new expectations for a better life. Provincial departments must truly strengthen their sense of mission, responsibility, and urgency, dare to tackle tough problems, plan meticulously, coordinate arrangements, and push forward with all effort.

After the mobilization conference, a business training meeting is held.

After the meeting, Secretary Tang Bing summons Lu Fan alone to discuss adjustments to the Nanyuan City leadership team.

When Lu Fan enters, Tang Bing smiles and says, "These days Nanyuan City has been in the spotlight; on this return to Yancheng, many leaders have mentioned Nanyuan. You've really made a big splash!"

Lu Fan replies, "Nanyuan's achievements could not have been possible without the strong leadership of the Provincial Party Committee and the full support of the Secretary."

Tang Bing chuckles and says, "No one has a cloning technique; the task of reforming public institution structures is heavy, and you can't run both ways forever. The position of Nanyuan City Party Committee Secretary should be vacated!"

Lu Fan thinks for a moment, then replies, "Secretary, the reform of provincial departments has already fully launched; the next step is reform at the municipal and county levels. I plan to use Nanyuan City as a pilot, completing the reform in a month. If I continue to serve concurrently as City Party Committee Secretary, resistance would be much smaller."

Tang Bing nods and says, "Alright, the pace of Nanyuan's reform and personnel adjustments is up to you."

Back in his office, Lu Fan prepares to return to Nanyuan, and Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Zhao Lingyun comes over to "drop by."

After a long ramble, Zhao Lingyun says anxiously, "Lin Dian raised many issues; some matters involve Secretary Mingyang."

Lu Fan is startled and asks, "Is the problem serious?"

"Alas!" Zhao Lingyun sighs, "They formed a team in the city, the entanglement is heavy; the corrupt funds involved exceed ten million! Lu Fan, this issue can be big or small—should I report it to Secretary Jia Zhong, or first vent to Secretary Tang Bing?"

Lu Fan shakes his head and says, "I can't decide this for you; the Discipline Inspection Committee is a peer supervisor and line manager, you must decide yourself! But I heard Secretary Tang Bing is likely to leave this year."

"Really? Thanks!" Knowing the important news early allows Zhao Lingyun to prepare in advance.

At 2 p. m., Lu Fan leads cadres—Division Chief Nao Tiankang and Supervision Division Chief Yang Qiushi—back to Nanyuan to begin the citywide public institution reform.

At 4:30 p. m., Lu Fan chairs the City Party Committee Standing Committee, approving the citywide public institution reform plan, requiring that from tomorrow each county, district, and city‑direct department submit its own "Reform Plan," to be refined, approved, and reformed one by one.

On February 7, the citywide public institution reform mobilization conference is held; Mayor Su Xiang Hai chairs, and the Provincial Standing Committee member, Provincial Organization Department Head, and City Party Committee Secretary attend and speak.

City Organization Department Head Feng Guanjiao organizes a study of the "Nanyuan City Deepening Public Institution Reform Implementation Plan," requiring the whole city, by system or sector, to comprehensively reshape and re‑engineer public institutions, implement quota management and total staffing control, accelerate separation of administration and public affairs, separation of public institutions and enterprises, and separation of management and operation, to achieve connotative development.

Personnel are steadily placed: following the principle of a one‑time approved staffing quota and gradual streamlining. Staff left unassigned after the abolition or merger of public institutions due to position and post limits are given a transition period for gradual absorption; their wages, benefits, social security and other treatment remain as before the reform.

At the meeting, Lu Fan said, "We are all within the system, and many feel that most work is internal friction, of little value; it neither improves public satisfaction nor creates societal value. Using taxpayers' money as salaries while standing above the people, we talk about shifting from a managerial government to a service‑oriented government. The current situation no longer allows us to be complacent and avoid reform; 'tightening the belt' is not just a slogan, it requires drastic cuts! The whole city must strive to be leaders and pioneers of reform, to be loyal and practicing adherents of strict rules. We must firmly establish a sense of the overall situation, align thoughts and actions with the overarching reform of public institutions, correctly handle the relationship between departments and the overall picture, personal and collective interests, individual wishes and organizational needs, integrating all work into the big picture, ensuring orders are obeyed, prohibitions enforced, and commands flow smoothly. Discipline must be strict, with higher standards and stricter requirements in thought, conduct, and action, showing courage before reform, fulfilling duties without retreat, ensuring all work runs normally and connects effectively, and guaranteeing the successful completion of the public‑institution reshaping reform!"

The current situation no longer allows everyone to remain complacent without reform; "living austerely" is not just a slogan but requires decisive action. The entire city must strive to be leaders and pioneers of reform, and loyal practitioners who observe strict rules and discipline. We must firmly establish a sense of the overall situation, unify thinking and action with the overall goal of the overhaul of public institutions, correctly handle the relations between departments and the whole, personal interests and collective interests, personal wishes and organizational needs, integrate all work into the overall situation, ensuring that orders are carried out, prohibitions are enforced, and policies are smoothly implemented. Discipline must be clarified, with higher standards and stricter requirements in thought, work style, and action, so that we courageously take responsibility in the face of reform, fulfill our duties without retreat, ensure that all work operates normally and connects effectively, and guarantee the successful completion of the task of overhauling public institutions.

After the institutional reform mobilization meeting, the whole city sprang into action, drafting the reform plan as quickly as possible. In fact, everyone had mentally prepared for the reform, because since August last year all vacant posts remained unfilled; Nanyuan's cadres knew the Secretary had long been planning the reform.

Now, as the province's pilot for municipal reform, the Secretary has returned to command on site; anyone who dares to shirk responsibility or pass the buck is like a fat pig running into a butcher's house—asking for death!

On February 8, Lu Fan chairs a five‑person group meeting to discuss cadre adjustments.

Organization Department Head Feng Guanjiao reports that to date, city‑direct departments have 36 vacant leadership posts at Deputy Division Level or above, including five at Division Level; county and district have 29 such vacancies, including four at Division Level.

Lu Fan laughs, "In total there are 65 vacant leadership posts, which is definitely good news for the reform, because the biggest resistance comes from leaders, though that's human nature—people are selfish, and no one likes a loss of interest."

Through this reform, I want to optimize the age structure of Nanyuan's leadership, achieve as much youthfulness as possible, and deliberately select a batch of selected graduates, highly educated talents, and those with strong comprehensive abilities. These people possess rich knowledge reserves, energetic work spirit, and extensive social networks, place greater emphasis on internet and information technology applications and market economy operations, and can bring new ideas and methods.

Through this institutional reform, I want to optimize the age structure of Nanyuan City's leading cadres, as much as possible achieve the youthfulness of cadres, and consciously select a batch of selected-assignment graduates, highly educated talents, and people with strong comprehensive abilities. These individuals possess rich knowledge reserves, an energetic work spirit, and broad social circles; they place greater emphasis on the application of the Internet, information technology, and market‑economy operations, and can bring new ideas and methods.