Chapter 641

The common people's "reputation" is the greatest recognition for discipline inspection and supervision cadres; starting from August 27, Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary and Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Lu Fan went to various cities to research party building and discipline inspection work, with each city and county attaching importance no less than that of the Governor. Having been in the grasslands for only a month, Lu Fan's prestige has been fully established.

Before departing, Lu Fan instructed the office to handle two matters: first, to organize the materials of outstanding cadres in the discipline inspection and supervision teams of each city and county, taking the public's "reputation" as the main criterion; second, to organize the letters of complaint against the Municipal Party Secretaries, Mayors, Municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretaries, and Discipline Inspection Committee Secretaries, and to go research with a purpose.

First stop, Lu Fan chose the energy hub—Yike City; the former Deputy Director of the Provincial People's Congress, Cheng Wenlei, had served as the Municipal Party Secretary of Yike City, and the current Municipal Party Secretary of Qingcheng City, Yun Shuo, at that time served as his partner in leadership, holding the position of mayor; the letters of complaint against the two of them have piled up into a small mountain at the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee.

At 11 a. m., Lu Fan arrived at the Zero-Carbon Industrial Park of Yike City for observation and research, engaging in deep discussion with enterprises on topics such as new energy industry development, zero-carbon industrial park construction, and building a zero-carbon new industrial system. Municipal Party Secretary Wei Dongsheng, Mayor Zou Benji, Municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Li Chengjing, and Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Guo Yongqing accompanied him throughout.

Lu Fan listened carefully to the introduction of the progress of the zero-carbon industrial park's implementation and gained a deep understanding of the park's strategic layout. He urged the Municipal Party Committee and City Government to change their approaches to resource development and investment promotion, actively participate in key industry project construction, and strive to maximize economic benefits.

In the afternoon, Yike City held a symposium; Municipal Party Secretary Wei Dongsheng reported on overall work, Mayor Zou Benji reported on economic work, Deputy Secretary Li Chengjing reported on party building work, and Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Guo Yongqing reported on discipline inspection and supervision work.

In his speech, Lu Fan pointed out that promoting high-quality economic and social development in Yike City requires not only a state of hardworking and diligent action with the courage to take responsibility, but also a solid work style of "clean and righteous, ready to set sail"; on the grand stage of doing things cleanly and getting things done, we must elevate the realm of cleanliness and righteousness.

Lu Fan emphasized that Yike City must forge a cage that prevents corruption, through deepening reform to cut the chains of interest transfer, compress the survival space of corruption, eradicate the soil that breeds corruption, and establish an effective mechanism relying on systems to manage power, affairs, and personnel.

After the symposium ended, Lu Fan separately exchanged views with several important leaders of Yike City, listening to their words, observing their actions, and probing their thoughts, but gained little. Instead, Vice Mayor Jiang Yekē sent him a message expressing an intention to draw close.

After dinner, Lu Fan met several grassroots discipline inspection and supervision cadres in his room, leaving the leaders of Yike City somewhat baffled.

Jia Jun, an "ordinary" Zhengke Level deputy secretary of the county Discipline Inspection Committee, received a notice from the Municipal Discipline Inspection Committee in the afternoon saying that Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary and Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Lu Fan wanted to see him, which made him feel uneasy. Even while waiting at the hotel, Jia Jun kept wondering why Secretary Lu wanted to see him.

Corruption? Impossible—I haven't engaged in any corruption. Moreover, even if they wanted to investigate me, would it be worth the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary personally getting involved? That's like using a cannon to swat a mosquito! Or is it to promote me? On what grounds? I have no connections—don't indulge in wishful thinking!

At 7:30, Zhou Xiang brought Jia Jun into the room, where he saw Secretary Lu standing at his desk looking at documents, and respectfully said, "Secretary Lu, I am Jia Jun."

Lu Fan set down the documents, slowly raised his head, a faint smile appearing on his face, and with his deep, bright eyes fixed on Jia Jun, he said, "Please sit! I invited you here today to meet you in person as an outstanding worker of the national discipline inspection and supervision system."

Upon hearing this, Jia Jun hastily waved his hand modestly and replied, "Secretary, you overpraise me; I merely did my duty to the best of my ability, and I truly do not deserve such praise." Speaking, Jia Jun slightly bowed his body out of nervousness, then carefully took his seat in the opposite chair.

Lu Fan said, "Your reputation is quite good; in life you are strict with yourself, clean and self-disciplined; in work you are diligent and hardworking, willing to endure labor and blame, daring to take responsibility, and have earned the people's recognition."

In the 2024 concentrated rectification of "goose-plucking" style corruption, you personally led the team, clearing out the self-identified funds of the agricultural "one-card" system, project funds, rural collective "three assets", and village-level finances amounting to 15 million yuan, and investigated and punished 48 township leaders and village cadres; using the new achievements in supervision, discipline enforcement, and accountability, you provided strong disciplinary support for the "three rural" work. Were you under pressure at that time?

Jia Jun replied, "Secretary, saying there is no pressure in discipline inspection and supervision work is false; I can only constantly hold myself to the standard of a Party member. Discipline inspection personnel must be self-disciplined, self-reflective, self-alert, and self-motivated; the work we do must withstand organizational scrutiny and public oversight, and be implemented in every word and deed—for this I have offended many people."

Lu Fan laughed and said, "When enforcing discipline impartially, you are a 'tough guy'; when facing difficult masses, you can also be warm and attentive. Although discipline inspection work is heavy, you also have highlights in poverty alleviation work, helping poor households resolve many practical problems. It is clear that you have the people in your heart."

Secretary, I must live up to this salary!

Lu Fan suddenly asked, "I want to hear the truth—does Municipal Party Secretary Wei Dongsheng have any problems in terms of clean governance?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Jun was stunned, a hint of fear in his eyes, his mind racing; after a moment of thought he said, "Secretary, I only know this from hearsay; some people evaluate him as being two-faced—appearance-wise he seems clean and self-disciplined, but in private he inevitably stretches out his hand when acquaintances offer money and attends to any matter they have, like a chameleon freely switching colors in a black-and-white world."

It is said that he does not accept large sums of money for helping insiders with affairs, only taking small gifts and cigarettes and alcohol during holidays; however, toward outsiders who are acquaintances he is 'unceremonious', having close private ties with some coal bosses, receiving sums of several million or even tens of millions!

Lu Fan continued to ask, "What do you think is the breakthrough point for Yike City's anti-corruption struggle?"

Jia Jun's gaze was unusually firm; he resolutely said, "It is still the issue of violations and illegalities in the coal resources sector—taking the investigation and punishment of coal-related corruption cases as the 'breakthrough' and 'entry point', conducting vertical investigations spanning twenty years and horizontal coverage across the entire field, with one hand punishing violations and illegalities and the other hand governing industry chaos, removing the biggest 'cancer' in Yike City's political ecology, at least able to recover economic losses of over hundreds of billions of yuan."

Lu Fan neither affirmed nor denied, but instead asked, "Are you willing to come work at the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee?"

Jia Jun was suddenly shaken, his face quickly showing excitement and exhilaration; he straightened his body without hesitation, looked firmly at Lu Fan, and loudly replied, "Thanks to your favor, Secretary, this is a great honor for me! As long as you give the order, I would not hesitate to go through fire and water! I am willing to go to the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee, to a broader platform, and to devote my life to the cause of discipline inspection and supervision!"

Lu Fan nodded and said, "As discipline inspection and supervision cadres, we must only be strictly self-disciplined, perform well in our positions, dare to take responsibility, dare to supervise, and dare to be accountable. Gold and silver steles are nothing compared to the people's reputation; we must certainly handle cases for the people's benefit, protect their interests, have our hearts with the people, and improve people's livelihood."

You will first serve as Deputy Director of the Sixth Supervision Room of the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee, coordinating and overseeing the discipline inspection and supervision work of Yike City. As long as there is evidence, no one in the entire city is beyond investigation; I look forward to your achieving notable results."

"Secretary, I will faithfully fulfill my duties, live up to the mission and not betray the trust, anchor my goals, and become a discipline inspection and supervision warrior who dares to fight and excels at fighting! My only worry is that I might lack ability; if there are any shortcomings, please feel free to criticize and correct me."

Lu Fan encouraged, saying, "'A blade is sharpened on stone, a person is honed through affairs. Discipline inspection and supervision cadres must take the courage to fight and skill in fighting as their belief, proactively engaging in various struggles to be tempered, never resigning to fate, never yielding, daring to fight heaven and earth; only then can they, with a tenacious fighting spirit, carry the anti-corruption struggle to the end and open up new horizons for career development.'"

From August 28 to 31, Lu Fan went deep into Haiwu City, Hetao City, and Jiuyuan City, researching the Huanghe Haibowan and water conservancy hub projects, and conducting on-site inspections of the governance of the Xiaotiemaozi mining subsidence areas. He urged local party and government leaders to persistently protect the ecological environment of the Yellow River basin and control pollution, abandon extensive water use, adjust mechanisms, and promote water conservation.

Lu Fan also conducted an on-site inspection of high-standard farmland construction, listened to an introduction of the construction of the national agricultural high-tech zone, and encouraged the locality to firmly grasp technological leadership, talent support, and seed industry revitalization, to build strong brands and open markets. He emphasized that land is the most precious wealth, urging vigorous development of deep processing, and extending the industrial chain through "consume everything, squeeze out every drop."

In Haiwu City, Lu Fan specially went to the city hospital to visit Wang Dong, director of the Municipal Discipline Inspection Committee's Supervision Room, who had fallen ill in the office due to long-term overwork leading to accumulated fatigue and disease.

Lu Fan learned that Wang Dong had served as the supervision room director for five years, having participated in thousands of talks, produced hundreds of transcripts, and conducted an untold number of evidence-gathering outings; the total number of cases he led or participated in investigating accounts for one-third of the total cases handled by the Municipal Discipline Inspection and Supervision Commission's organ, making him a tiger of the discipline inspection and supervision frontline, able to withstand trials, bear pressure, and win tough battles; loyalty, integrity, and responsibility are the truest portrayal of him, worthy of the title of outstanding provincial Party member.

Regarding the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary's recruitment, Wang Dong agreed without the slightest hesitation. Having worked to this point, he deeply felt that without a team, cadres would achieve nothing; without leadership's support, even the anti-corruption struggle would be arduous and progress step by step with great difficulty.

In Hetao City, Lu Fan individually met another outstanding worker of the national discipline inspection and supervision system from the grasslands province—Zhang Yuliang, whose position is Standing Committee Member of the Municipal Discipline Inspection Committee and Director of the First Supervision Room, at Deputy Division Level, a capable discipline enforcement vanguard with an excellent reputation among the masses.

Also there were Zhengke Level prosecutor Liu Si from the Haiwu City Procuratorate and County Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Hao Wei… After the tour, although Lu Fan gained nothing among the party and government leaders, he reaped great rewards in building the discipline inspection and supervision team, selecting 22 "sharp soldiers" to join the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee team.