Chapter 581: Initiating Municipal and County Reform

What's the biggest rule? Choose a side! If you pick the right side, you rise step by step; if you pick the wrong side, you fall into a bottomless abyss!

At any time, attitude always outweighs ability. Often, making a mistake is fine as long as your attitude is proper. Conversely, doing the right thing with an improper attitude is also a grave fault. To avoid being "fixed," you must always remember one thing—follow the rules!

If you don't pick a side, the highest you can reach is a department‑level rank. Many people like to think they're clever and try to hedge both ways. Little do they know that this will inevitably lead to being "fixed."

There are indeed life‑or‑death struggles, but they are not the norm; politics is fundamentally the art of compromise, and the game is never about total annihilation. In the end, compromise is inevitable. When a scapegoat is needed, people inevitably recall those who didn't pick a side. Whether those people are innocent or not, who cares? Cutting off a head to show authority—who cares whose head it is? Guilty or innocent?

When we were young, we idolized TV figures who were devoted to the people, upright, and saw evil as an enemy; but after facing reality's grind, we learned that such single‑minded zeal cannot endure.

Indeed, in officialdom one must have the heroic, self‑sacrificing courage of a warrior cutting off his own arm, but the complexity of politics also demands the ability to weigh interests, to discern people, matters, and benefits, and to possess razor‑sharp insight and decisive execution.

In fact, the Organization Department Head is usually low‑key, and rarely shines brightly in work.

Currently, for Lu Fan, the Huayuan Province state‑owned enterprise institutional reform is the most result‑driven task, because it has attracted widespread attention from leaders at all levels and the whole society, and the whole country's eyes are on Huayuan.

Therefore, regarding the "stumbling blocks" and "road‑blocking tigers" of this task, Lu Fan's "big knife" has already been sharpened to a dazzling shine. Even Municipal Party Secretary Tang Bing can no longer tolerate them, and now this work has become Tang Bing's promotion "weight."

On April 3, Huayuan Province convened a mobilization conference for the reform of municipal and county state‑owned enterprises. Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee member and Organization Department Head Lu Fan chaired the meeting; Municipal Party Secretary Tang Bing attended and spoke; the institutional reform leading group attended collectively.

Organization Department Head Lu Fan gave a detailed explanation of the "Nanyuan Experience" and the "Plan for Reform of Municipal and County Public Institutions"; Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee member, Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary, and Director of the Supervisory Committee Zhao Lingyun presented clear requirements on disciplinary matters related to the reform.

Municipal Party Secretary Tang Bing stated in his speech that accelerating the reform of public institutions is our current major reform task and a major political task. The whole province must raise its political stance, deeply understand the significant practical and far‑reaching historical importance of speeding up the reform, and ensure that the Provincial Party Committee's reform deployment is implemented without any compromise.

Tang Bing emphasized that we must accurately grasp the overall principles and key links, and fully push forward the implementation of the reform plan. Each Municipal Party Secretary is the primary person responsible for the reform, must command from the front, act as the "construction foreman," follow the reform timetable and blueprint, reverse‑schedule the work, ensure orderly handover, and guarantee a smooth transition of teams, functions, and work.

Finally, Tang Bing demanded that the Provincial Organization Department and the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee strictly enforce reform discipline and strengthen supervision and accountability. All levels of reform‑related departments must rigorously implement political, organizational, staffing, personnel, financial, and confidentiality disciplines of the institutional reform. For any instances of work interruption, shirking, inaction, or chaos, discover one, investigate one, clean one, and deter an entire area!

On April 5, eight Work Guidance Groups rushed to the various cities to supervise the institutional reform of state‑owned enterprises in all 16 cities. Lu Fan is in charge of Bianliang City and Ping Shan City; Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Zhao Lingyun is responsible for Xingjun City and Yingtian City; the other group leaders are respectively the Deputy Minister of the Provincial Organization Department, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee, Director of the Personnel Office of the Provincial Organization Department, and Director of the Supervisory Office of the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee, making the oversight team quite prestigious.

At 3 p. m., Lu Fan first arrived in Ping Shan City and had an in‑depth exchange with Municipal Party Secretary Deng Guoqiang at the hotel.

The two were classmates at the Party School; Deng Guoqiang's appointment as Municipal Party Secretary was entirely thanks to Lu Fan's maneuvering, so regarding this institutional reform he has no doubts and must give his all.

Lu Fan said, "Guoqiang, I've read your Reform Plan; it's practically identical to Nanyuan City's plan, and your resolve is impressive!"

Deng Guoqiang replied with a smile, "Minister, since this is a task you're personally handling, I'll definitely give it my all. Taking advantage of this reform, I'd like to reshuffle the leadership teams of the counties and municipal departments; I hope you'll strongly support it!"

Lu Fan thought for a moment and said, "Internal adjustments are not a big issue; first draft your plan and submit it. If it involves provincially‑managed cadres, I must report to Municipal Party Secretary Tang Bing."

Deng Guoqiang suddenly asked, "Minister, is the Deputy Secretary about to be promoted? It's a rare chance; what should we do? Just give the order whenever you wish!"

Lu Fan frowned and asked, "Where did that rumor come from? Don't spread it!"

"Minister, where there's no wind there's no wave; I heard Lin Dian raised many issues that involve Li Mingyang."

"Rumors end with the wise; at the very least, don't spread falsehoods and cause unnecessary trouble. For a cadre of his rank, superiors will be cautious and, provided there's no major mistake, will grant a certain margin for error and correction."

On the morning of April 6, Ping Shan City held a mobilization meeting to deepen the reform of public institutions, arranging and deploying the comprehensive push forward of the reform. The Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee member and Organization Department Head attended and spoke.

Municipal Party Secretary Deng Guoqiang pointed out that advancing the reform of public institutions is a major political task assigned to us by the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, and a key measure to remove obstacles, optimize functional allocation and structural layout, and promote Fuxin's transformation and upgrading. Minister Lu Fan personally commanded on site; the whole city must raise its political stance, resolutely safeguard the authority and seriousness of the Provincial Party Committee's decisions, solidly advance the reform, and win the hard‑fought battle of institutional reform, ensuring that the Provincial Party Committee's and Minister Lu's requirements are fully implemented in our city.

Provincial Organization Department Head Lu Fan demanded in his speech that the Provincial Party Committee approve Ping Shan City's Reform Plan; deepening the reform of public institutions is a complex systemic project, and reform‑related departments must submit to the overall reform agenda, proactively and thoroughly change. The main leaders of the Municipal Party Committee and City Government must take the lead, command from the front, intensify the "reduction" effort, set the correct "increase" direction, grasp the "speed" requirement, and resolve the "retreat" decision, promptly address the common concerns of cadres and the public, unite reform forces, and strictly enforce orders.

Finally, Lu Fan solemnly emphasized that the Guidance Group will supervise the entire process of Ping Shan City's institutional reform; if the reform is incomplete or not thorough, the Guidance Group will not withdraw. For those who use power for personal gain, violate rules, or obstruct the reform, the Guidance Group will resolutely investigate and punish them according to law and regulations, ensuring Ping Shan's political ecology remains pristine and pleasant. Institutional reform should serve as a key metric for assessing Party members' character, comprehension, and execution; any inaction, slow action, or chaotic action exploiting the reform will be strictly held accountable—one case found, one severe punishment—ensuring that reform does not hinder, but promotes, economic and social development.

Deng Guoqiang places great emphasis on Ping Shan's reform, and Lu Fan feels reassured, moving directly in the afternoon to "turn battle" to Bianliang City. That's the advantage of having one's own people—you can implement the leadership's intent without compromise. As Li Hongzhang once said: when employing people, you don't appoint solely based on kinship; would you then appoint solely based on estrangement? It's not pleasant to make oneself uncomfortable.

At 5 p. m., Lu Fan rushed to Bianliang City; Municipal Party Secretary Li Jiaxing was already waiting at the hotel entrance early. He was terrified, sleepless, constantly fearing the Discipline Inspection Committee might suddenly show up, and his hair had turned white with anxiety.

Seeing the minister's car, Li Jiaxing jogged over to open the door, respectfully saying, "Welcome, Minister, to Bianliang City for inspection and guidance; please freshen up first, the dinner is already prepared."

Lu Fan smiled and said, "Skip the washing, let's eat directly. Comrade Jiaxing, I'll make it clear in advance: no exceeding standards, specifications, or scope for official receptions; no extravagance; the three daily meals should be arranged as a buffet; no covertly raising standards; per‑person daily meal allowance must stay within 70 yuan; no tobacco or alcohol; and no fruit trays in the rooms."

Li Jiaxing dared not defy the minister's wishes, immediately gave his secretary a signal, and staff quickly removed the fruit trays and cigarettes from the room.

At the restaurant, within just twenty minutes the buffet was ready, but the standards were clearly excessive, even including a whole roasted lamb.

Lu Fan showed displeasure and calmly told Li Jiaxing, "That meal is enough; don't let it happen again!"

Li Jiaxing replied honestly, "Minister, everything was prepared in advance; redoing it would be wasteful. I promise not to repeat such mistakes and will strictly follow official reception standards."

After sitting down, staff promptly served the dishes, and Lu Fan, while eating, asked, "Jiaxing, you've only just taken office—does the institutional reform face any resistance?"

Li Jiaxing replied, "Minister, I personally helped draft Bianliang City's Reform Plan, which basically copies Nanyuan City's Reform Plan. At the municipal standing committee two days ago, the mayor raised objections, thinking the steps were too large, but Comrade Zheng Yu firmly supported it, so I forced it through."

Lu Fan asked again, "How is the mobilization meeting preparation going?"

"The notice has been issued; the mobilization meeting will be held tomorrow at 9 a. m.; please attend, Minister, and give important instructions."

"Alright, I'll attend the daily meetings; later, have Wu Zhengyu come to my room."

After the meal, Lu Fan, accompanied by Li Jiaxing, took a walk in the courtyard to aid digestion.

In the upstairs room, Mayor Zuo Yifan watched pensively as the minister walked downstairs.

He is a famous old fox of Huayuan Province, adept at gauging the times and making the most correct choices.