Chapter 579: A Knife at the Throat

On March 27, the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department issued a personnel adjustment document, with Lu Fan representing the Provincial Party Committee conducting pre‑appointment talks with Bianliang Municipal Party Secretary Li Jiaxing and Xiangyang Municipal Party Secretary Ouyang Han.

This adjustment came very suddenly; when the two municipal party secretaries received the news, the deed was done and it was hard to reverse—organizational appointments are no trivial matter. Although they had to obey, they inwardly resisted greatly, and after meeting at the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department, both were full of complaints.

Soon after, Office Director Tan Yiqiao brought Bianliang Municipal Party Secretary Li Jiaxing into the minister's office.

Even if he was unhappy inside, upon seeing the minister, Li Jiaxing still said respectfully, "Hello, Minister, I'm here to report for duty!"

Lu Fan raised his head and said, "Comrade Jiaxing, please sit and speak. Entrusted by Provincial Party Secretary Tang Bing, I represent the Provincial Party Committee in formally talking with you!"

Hearing this, Li Jiaxing immediately became attentive, sitting upright with proper posture.

Lu Fan said, "The Provincial Party Committee attaches great importance to this collective talk; Provincial Party Secretary Tang Bing requires that we earnestly conduct pre‑appointment talks for newly appointed leading cadres, affirming achievements, pointing out shortcomings, and putting forward requirements—especially to strengthen political responsibility and awareness of Party discipline and rules, ensuring that newly appointed leading cadres faithfully fulfill their duties and serve the Party and the people."

This leading cadre adjustment work, based on the Provincial Party Committee's focus on the overall situation, on leadership team building and actual work needs, after widely soliciting opinions, repeatedly deliberating, and conducting comprehensive and in‑depth inspections, was carefully researched and decided upon, with the requirement to comprehensively promote cadre exchange and optimization.

I hope that after you take office, you will strengthen your political resolve, serve as a model with the Party in your heart, strictly observe political discipline, and resolutely safeguard the people's interests. Always bear in mind that power is given by the people, always place the masses foremost in your heart, always uphold the supremacy of the people's interests and the Party's cause, always adhere to using power for the people's benefit and seeking their well‑being, and focus on solving the people's most pressing, direct, and realistic interests.

Strengthen responsibility and commitment, be a model with a sense of duty. Dare to take responsibility in the reform of public institutions, dare to take responsibility in advancing the reform process, be a model with a sense of restraint, be upright, be candid, be pure. Take the lead in promoting democracy, take the lead in enforcing discipline and systems, cherish your post and platform, devote loyalty, wisdom, and strength, and present an outstanding achievement report to the Provincial Party Committee and the people of the whole province!

Li Jiaxing immediately replied, "I firmly support the Provincial Party Committee's decision, I will resolutely follow the organization's arrangements, and fully fulfill my duties. Upon taking office, I will maintain absolute loyalty, remember to govern for the people, always uphold integrity and self‑discipline, and not betray the trust and expectations of the organization and the masses."

Lu Fan suddenly asked, "Comrade Jiaxing, you may have doubts in your mind: why did the whole province adjust only the two of you, and moreover exchange posts? I now clearly tell you, there are two reasons!"

First, the current reform of public institutions is a top‑priority matter for the whole province; the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government attach great importance to it. The next focus of reform is the municipal and county levels, which is also the 'tough bone' stage of attack. The new era calls for new actions, and new actions require firm determination.

'Advance despite difficulties, determined to succeed.' These eight simple words contain the determination and courage behind them. To make a firm decision means that without change it won't work, and without thorough change it also won't work; one must adopt the resolute posture of taking a decisive step forward, having no turning back, and burning one's boats, to gnaw the hardest bone! When necessary, one must strike hard, dealing with a batch of buck‑passing, finger‑pointing, and perfunctory 'roadblocks,' and must not let those who shirk work, say yes but do nothing, obstruct the forward march.

Reform has never been a smooth highway; it is a rugged path full of thorns and hazards. You have worked in Xiangyang City for twenty years; speaking frankly, when handling cadres, can you be impartial, follow regulations, be unbiased, treat everyone equally, and uphold the bottom line?

Therefore, letting you and Ouyang Han swap positions is meant to let you let loose and go all out to accomplish the arduous task assigned by the Provincial Party Committee!

Li Jiaxing was quite moved and replied, "Minister, I understand the Provincial Party Committee's and your painstaking efforts; I will resolutely follow the organization's arrangements, throw myself wholeheartedly into the wave of public‑institution reform, remember to govern for the people, always uphold integrity and self‑discipline, and absolutely not betray the trust and expectations of the organization and the masses."

Lu Fan suddenly fixed his gaze on Li Jiaxing and said slowly, "Comrade Jiaxing, I will now give the second reason: nobody is perfect, and who can be without fault? Cadres are also people, and they will make mistakes in work and life—this is quite normal."

'Correcting mistakes is the greatest good.' Whether intentional or inadvertent, mistakes must be corrected; the swifter and more thorough the correction, the better.

For leading cadres who have made mistakes, the organization will not beat them to death with a single stick; first, observe; second, help; third, give a way out. The organization will carefully discern whether cadres have deeply recognized their mistakes and genuinely corrected their shortcomings, and at critical moments will promptly reach out a hand to help them return to the right path.

But if someone takes tolerance as a 'protective umbrella,' loosens discipline, shows no remorse, persists in error, is obstinate and insensible, fails to complete the tasks assigned by the organization, and continues down a dark path, then punishing them would betray the organization's trust and cultivation, and they will surely face severe Party and government discipline.

Li Jiaxing, transferring you to Bianliang City is actually the organization protecting you!

These words were 'deafening,' instantly making Li Jiaxing break out in a cold sweat; at this point there was no room for complaints, his mind filled only with how to protect himself, cope, and save himself.

After gathering his thoughts, Li Jiaxing spoke with a trembling voice: 'I came from a peasant family and a grassroots cadre, step by step to where I am today—this is the result of long‑term cultivation by the organization and the people. I will certainly turn this gratitude into action, work harder to do my job well, to repay the Party and the people's nurturing and the organization's care. I will fully implement the Provincial Party Committee's decision, strictly benchmark against Nanyuan City's standard, do well the public‑institution reform in Bianliang City, hold myself to strict standards, and become a qualified public servant of the people.'

I will, in accordance with the requirements of loyalty, purity, and responsibility, firm up my political stance and align with the central leadership and the Provincial Party Committee. I will uphold development as the top priority, following the five development concepts and the 'three‑rates rise together' requirement, using poverty alleviation as a lever to oversee the city's overall economic and social development, ensuring that Shaoyang's impoverished population escapes poverty on schedule, and continually enhancing the people's sense of gain and happiness. I will always persist in strict Party governance, uphold democratic centralism, govern the Party according to discipline and rules. I will always adhere to the integrity and self‑discipline code, lead by example, ensure clean and honest work, and be upright and fair in conduct.

Lu Fan nodded and said, 'Your understanding is spot on; I will arrange Deputy Minister Zou Weipeng to see you off to your post. Upon taking office, you must quickly throw yourself into the city‑wide public‑institution reform effort, and I will personally lead a team to Bianliang to give you "backing"!'

Is this 'backing'? It's more like a supervisor! With a nervous and uneasy feeling, Li Jiaxing tremblingly went to take up his post in Bianliang. He had already steeled himself; whoever dares to block the institutional reform will be met with 'gods block and kill gods, Buddhas block and kill Buddhas!' Compared to his own safety, anything else is trivial!

After greeting the sweat‑drenched, pallid Li Jiaxing, Xiangyang Municipal Party Secretary Ouyang Han, with a hint of doubt and incomprehension, gently pushed open the minister's office. Soon he sensed that what had been dripping from Li Jiaxing's forehead earlier was not sweat, but an unfathomable fate!

Lu Fan first went through the procedure, saying, "Comrade Ouyang Han, I represent the Provincial Party Committee in conducting a pre‑appointment talk with you."

As a leading cadre, you must clearly recognize who I am, for whom I act, and on whom I rely; always put observing and upholding political discipline and rules first. Exercise strict self‑discipline, always maintain the political integrity of being clean and honest. Fully recognize that power is a double‑edged sword: used well it serves the people, used poorly it harms both others and oneself. Use power with caution, be careful in small matters, in beginnings, and in making friends, and establish a good family tradition. Strictly implement the main responsibility for institutional reform, faithfully fulfill the duty of the primary person responsible for reform, and at the same time, dare to grasp and manage any problems you discover.

Seeing the minister's solemn expression, Ouyang Han dared not complain and immediately replied, 'I firmly support the Provincial Party Committee's decision, I will resolutely follow the organization's arrangements. In my new post, I deeply feel the weight of responsibility and the honor of the mission; only by redoubling efforts, with loyalty, purity, responsibility, and practical action, can I repay the organization's trust. I will devote myself to leading the team, driving reform for development, maintaining stability for harmony, and setting an example by observing rules. I will resolutely align with the Provincial Party Committee, fully fulfill the main responsibility for strict Party governance, and foster a sound political and economic ecosystem.'

Lu Fan said, 'Sending you to Xiangyang City is to have you preside over the city‑wide public‑institution reform effort; you must genuinely strengthen your political awareness, overall situation awareness, core consciousness, and alignment consciousness, keeping your thoughts, politics, and actions highly consistent with the Provincial Party Committee. In your work, dare to take responsibility, and always uphold the principles of responsibility for one's territory, liability for one's territory, and fulfillment of duty for one's territory.'

Comrade Ouyang Han, here are several letters of complaint; please take a look first!

Upon seeing the letter handed over by the minister, Ouyang Han felt as if struck by a heavy hammer; his heart gave a sudden 'thud' and sank, unable to believe his eyes as he stared at the documents in the minister's hand, his body trembling involuntarily.

He took the complaint letter with trembling hands, as if it weighed a thousand catties. Filled with dread and unease, he used his shaking hand to pull out the complaint materials from the envelope.

As he began to read, beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on Ouyang Han's forehead, dripping onto the complaint letter. Yet at that moment he had no leisure to notice them; his eyes were locked on the text before him, and his face grew ever paler.

After he had finished reading, Ouyang Han slowly raised his head and defended himself with a guilty conscience: 'Minister, these are all slanderous words! Some people deliberately fabricate 'problem leads' and manufacture 'dirt,' using petitions to attack others; others, because their unreasonable demands are not met, spread rumors and slander people at will. As you know, bumps and collisions in work are inevitable, and inadvertently one offends someone.'