Chapter 610

This topic is familiar to Lu Fan; he readily replied: "Okay, Secretary, I will immediately plan, making good use of the 'assessment + responsibility implementation', leveraging the assessment's 'booster' role, with target-responsibility assessment as the guide, taking economic development, project construction, investment promotion, etc., as key assessment contents, guiding all levels and departments to focus on major tasks and press ahead with key matters, further stimulating cadres' enthusiasm for undertaking work and entrepreneurship, and boosting high-quality economic and social development."

Wang Jingchen nodded and said: "The annual target-responsibility assessment is an important handle for promoting the implementation of high-quality development goals and tasks, and also an important means for promoting cadres to take responsibility and act. We must, with greater vigor, stricter standards, and more practical measures, make good use of the assessment's 'command baton', shoulder the 'hard responsibility' of development, drive cadres at all levels to revolve around the assessment and focus on goals, enabling high-quality assessment to empower and enhance high-quality development."

No pressure, no oil from a well; no pressure, people float about lightly. You must break down economic indicators to the city level and implement responsibility at the county level, urging cadres at all levels to bravely shoulder heavy burdens and strive to tackle tough problems, creating a strong atmosphere of giving one's all and devoting oneself fully.

At the same time, we must clearly orient toward rewarding excellence and punishing poor performance, adhering to the principle that performance is judged by work and people are judged by performance, using assessment results to evaluate superiority and inferiority and to discuss heroes. For those ranking high or with continuously rising positions, we shall give commendation and rewards, prioritizing promotion and reuse of cadres; for units ranking at the bottom or with a large decline, we shall focus on analysis and prudently adjust cadres, truly making the assessment process a process for cadres to review their gains and losses in governance, deepen new development concepts, enhance capabilities and qualities, and ignite enthusiasm and drive, motivating cadres to strive forward and climb higher on a higher reference.

After discussing the assessment, Lu Fan began to report on Sanmen City's cleanup supervision work. After finishing the account, he said: "The cleanup work has been arranged for over ten days; as of now, only Sanmen City in the province has not held a mobilization and deployment meeting, has not launched related work, and moreover, its attitude toward the supervision team is overbearing and arrogant, resisting supervision work—this is outright contempt for the Provincial Party Committee!"

Secretary, Huayuan is currently at a critical juncture of transformation and upgrade; what kind of leading cadres does our cause need? Who to select and who to employ are critical issues concerning Huayuan's people's cause and Huayuan's reform and development over a period of time.

We need a large contingent of cadres who dare to be pioneers, create something from nothing, uphold the bottom line, and possess courage, vigor, and vitality; who are adept at gauging the big picture, seizing opportunities, not relying on others, and acting decisively. They must have the ability for reform and innovation, dare to take responsibility, when faced with entrenched interest conflicts and prominent contradictions, dare to confront them head-on and rise to the challenge; when confronted with arduous and hazardous tasks, they dare to assume responsibility and charge forward.

All leading cadres must be able to implement the Provincial Party Committee's various arrangements and deployments in practice; they must obey and trust the organization. Those who refuse to obey and implement organizational arrangements and haggle shall be uniformly removed from office or demoted. Educate and guide the province's broad leading cadres to draw lessons from this, take heed, know responsibility in heart, assume responsibility in person, and fulfill responsibility in action.

I suggest giving a warning sanction to the Sanmen City Municipal Party Secretary, and conducting a cautionary talk and provincial-wide criticism broadcast. Give a serious warning sanction to Wen Chaozhi, head of the Sanmen City Municipal Organization Department, and adjust his post.

Wang Jingchen was startled in his heart, never expecting Lu Fan to actually raise the issue to a high level. Next year is a critical year; giving Lei Xingxing a disciplinary mark would cut off his prospects for advancement.

After a moment's thought, Wang Jingchen said: "Lei Xingxing just came to me and admitted his mistake; he has already realized the seriousness of the problem and said he will immediately launch the cleanup work upon returning. Cleaning up off-the-books personnel is a major matter; having some difficulties and concerns is understandable. We should skillfully use the fault-tolerance and correction mechanism to help cadres dispel worries, discard their 'burdens', and go into action lightly, boosting their enthusiasm for undertaking work and entrepreneurship, so they are willing, dare, and able to get things done. My opinion is to give Lei Xingxing another chance, to handle this mistake leniently, perhaps just a cautionary talk, criticism broadcast, and warning sanction would be unnecessary."

Lu Fan insisted: "Secretary, this is a matter of principle. Lei Xingxing's understanding of his primary responsibility for strict Party governance is inadequate; his sense of discipline and rules is weak, management is lax, he acts as an old good person, fails to take overall charge or coordinate, does not fulfill the 'one post, two responsibilities', disregards superior demands, and his work is nonfeasance, perfunctory, buck-passing, and lazy procrastination, seriously delaying work; we must kill one to warn a hundred, to serve as a warning."

Wang Jingchen furrowed his brows and said: "Such a big show of force—are we perhaps making a mountain out of a molehill? In the new stage and new journey, we are required to make prudent decisions and use power prudently. If we handle cadres simplistically, endlessly raising the issue and piling on layers, it will make everyone feel insecure and is not conducive to stabilizing the overall situation. Lei Xingxing's work does involve affairs, but he is in the position of training cadres; we should follow the basic principle of punishing past mistakes to prevent future ones and curing illness to save the person, rather than exterminating everyone; otherwise we would deviate from the correct path."

Lu Fan replied: "Dealing with cadres cannot be lax if we want to cure illness and strengthen the body, nor can it be lax if we want to eradicate stubborn maladies. For Party members and cadres who have erred, only strict handling in accordance with Party discipline and state regulations can achieve the effect of punishing individuals and warning the many; only thus can we provide political and organizational guarantees for undertaking work and entrepreneurship. Secretary, I suggest submitting the opinion on handling Sanmen City to the five-person group meeting and the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee for discussion, to hear everyone's views, and I will firmly abide by the Standing Committee's collective decision."

Lu Fan made up his mind to give his subordinates unequivocal backing; it's impossible to just let Lei Xingxing off lightly—at the very least he must lose face, and let his official career catch a breath and rest.

Wang Jingchen said with a blank expression: "Let me think about it; handling cadres must be done with utmost caution."

Lu Fan rose and said: "Secretary, you're busy; I'll go ahead and handle official business."

Returning to the office, Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Zhao Lingyun came by right away to pay a visit, smiling and asking: "Big boss, what's your attitude?"

Lu Fan replied: "Naturally, I will stand firm!"

"【If we】 get onto the five-person group meeting, as long as Governor Linghao supports it, that will be minority submission to majority!"

Lu Fan chuckled and said: "You're too optimistic; whether we can get onto the five-person group meeting and the Standing Committee still depends on his attitude, and the pacing is under his control."

"That's true, but you are the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, responsible for vetting agenda items for the Standing Committee; can he still press down hard? And do we still want democracy?"

Lu Fan laughed: "How come I didn't notice, you're still a 'little fighter'!"

As the saying goes: "Struggle against heaven, struggle against earth, struggle against people—its joy is endless! To resolve family worries, people's worries, and national worries—such a person is fit for the task! Whether one can struggle, dare to struggle, and know how to struggle, is also a manifestation of leading cadres' comprehensive ability."

The old leader often said: Leading cadres must undergo rigorous ideological tempering, political training, and practical exercise; in complex and severe struggle they shall weather storms, see the world, strengthen their bones, dare to struggle, be good at struggling, have courage and strategy, only then can their thoughts be tempered and truly forged into pure gold tested by fire.

Lu Fan, the last time you visited the old leader, he spoke very highly of you and placed great hopes in you, but he alone said your combativeness still needs improvement!

Lu Fan sincerely said: "I stand corrected, Lingyun, thank you!"

Lu Fan couldn't help but recall Secretary Hong Tao's speech: "Struggle creates history, struggle achieves great undertakings. Undertakings are born in struggle, develop in struggle, and grow strong in struggle. Struggle is a kind of responsibility; the mind must be especially clear, the stance especially firm, with no room for even a hint of vagueness or compromise and retreat. When narrow roads meet, the brave prevail; leading cadres must dare to draw their swords in the face of major principles of right and wrong, dare to rise to the challenge in the face of contradictions and conflicts, dare to step forward in the face of crises and difficulties, dare to resolutely struggle against corrupt practices and evil trends, shouldering selfless and fearless responsibility—'who else if not me?'—dare to struggle and dare to win."

Reviewing his time in office, Lu Fan feels he indeed lacks in the aspect of struggle; a leader who cannot struggle is absolutely not a good leader, and this must be improved—through complex and severe struggle he shall weather storms, see the world, strengthen his bones, and grow his talents and capabilities.

Struggle is an art; one must be adept at grasping the principal contradiction and its main aspect, upholding the principle of having reason, advantage, and measure, reasonably choosing struggle methods and seizing the right moment; on principle issues one must not yield an inch, on strategic issues one must be flexible and mobile. Unite all forces that can be united, mobilize all positive factors, seek cooperation in struggle, and strive for win-win outcomes in struggle.

Only by possessing a tenacious fighting spirit, resolute will, and superior struggle skills can one, in various major struggle tests, fulfill the duty to defend and hold one's ground, respond promptly when called, be capable of fighting when arrived, and be sure to win.

Lei Xingxing, on his way back to the city, received a call from Secretary Wang Jingchen.

Upon hearing Lu Fan insist on giving him a warning sanction and also subjecting him to a cautionary talk and provincial-wide criticism broadcast, he was furious and exclaimed: "Secretary, is it just because I delayed the mobilization meeting by two days? I really can't fathom what heinous crime, what unpardonable sin I have committed—Lu Fan is purely targeting me personally; Secretary, you cannot let him run roughshod!"

Wang Jingchen said helplessly: "He is the Deputy Secretary; if he insists on bringing the issue into the open, we must submit it to the Standing Committee for study, and his attitude is now very firm. After all, you were at fault first—only Sanmen City in the province has not held a mobilization and deployment meeting. My opinion is that you should immediately convene the mobilization meeting, lower your head if necessary, since he is the Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary in charge of the cleanup work; go to the Organization Department to admit your mistake in person! After that, I will talk with him to see how to properly handle this matter."

"Okay, Secretary, I'll follow your instructions." After hanging up, Lei Xingxing wore a gloomy face and burst out cursing.

But as the saying goes, "under the eaves one must bow low"; a higher official can crush you, so for the sake of his future he still has to go to the Organization Department to "play the grandson", and it may not even be effective.

Returning to the city, Lei Xingxing immediately began to make amends, urgently convening a mobilization and deployment meeting for the cleanup of off-the-books personnel, personally arranging and deploying this work—at the very least his attitude has become proper.