Chapter 656

After Lu Fan returned, it was Li Xingyuan's turn to step aside; he stood up and said, "Secretary, I'll go fetch a pot of tea!"

Wang Hongtao nodded and said, "In doing work and undertaking affairs one must always follow certain rules. Without discipline there is no order; without principles nothing can be accomplished. Principles are formulated from the need to do a good job and from the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people, and they always have a certain rigor."

Dare to uphold principles, dare to criticize and resist incorrect actions and phenomena, and not fear offending anyone. If one fears offending a few and thus does not dare to uphold principles, it will damage the Party's cause, harm the people's interests, and ultimately offend the majority, the vast masses of the people!

"I will certainly keep the Secretary's teachings in mind and put them into practice!" After speaking, Li Xingyuan stood up and left the private room.

Wang Hongtao looked at Lu Fan and said, "Selflessness is the source of fearlessness; you must remember that as long as the people's interests are placed in the supreme position, you need not fear those who violate the Party's principles and harm the interests of the masses!"

At the same time, forging iron requires one's own strength, and a righteous person must first correct himself. In work, be wary of conspiracies, especially various 'encirclements'; do not repeat the same mistake as Li Xingyuan! But I trust you can handle it calmly.

Of course, daring to offend people in order to uphold principles also requires method. We do not fear offending people, but we should spare no effort to turn 'negative' factors into 'positive' ones, unite more people to work together in advancing the cause, and avoid causing turmoil and adverse effects.

An outstanding leader should both dare to uphold principles and be adept at upholding them; both dare to offend people and be skilled at guiding, educating, influencing, and uniting them, thereby maximizing the gathering of positive energy for reform and development!

Lu Fan replied, "I will certainly learn from the Secretary, internalize it in my heart and externalize it in action, strive to unite the majority, and make the prairie 'turn the sky and change the earth'!"

Wang Hongtao nodded and said, "The world is in chaos, shocking to the eye; localities and industries intertwine, drawing boundaries as prisons, forming one independent kingdom after another, constantly eroding the nation's flesh. We must have the boldness and confidence to bite into hard bones, eradicate them completely, and only then can the country rise as a whole!"

After the problem in Jilong Province is resolved, I will free up my hand to handle this matter; you will be the 'vanguard'!

Yang Zirong, upon seeing the mountain eagle, recited a piece of underworld slang: "In the northwest, a single Profound Heaven, a cloud crow falls into a flock of phoenixes, the whole seat is filled with heroes; who is the ruler and who is the minister?" I hope you are the eagle that swoops into a flock of sparrows, sets things right, restores the source, so that the 'steel war chariot' of the anti‑corruption struggle continuously earns new 'battle honors', giving the prairie a bright sky!

Lu Fan replied with unusual firmness, "Secretary, I will certainly not disgrace the mission nor fail the heavy trust, anchor the target, focus our efforts, and achieve merits for the Secretary's layout!"

Wang Hongtao continued, "Earlier, Li Xingyuan proposed adjusting the Provincial Party Committee Secretary‑General and suggested that you recommend a candidate."

Lu Fan replied, "Secretary, I think it is necessary to strengthen the Standing Committee's power; I can forgo also being the Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary, and the position of Organization Department Head is also relatively crucial."

Wang Hongtao considered and said, "Team adjustments must be legitimate, gradual, subtle like water that boils a frog, to avoid unnecessary trouble. For now, let's first adjust the Secretary‑General; do you have a suitable candidate?"

Lu Fan, not shying away, replied, "Secretary, Wu Xiaohua of the Qinchuan Province Discipline Inspection Committee has strong principles, a high sense of organizational discipline, rich struggle experience, and outstanding work ability."

Wang Hongtao nodded and said, "Indeed a good candidate, can be considered."

Lu Fan, seizing the moment, said, "Secretary, the prairie still lacks a Deputy Provincial Governor. Two nights ago a department head came to my residence 'to run for office', brought a truckload of cash, threatened to spend 200 million to obtain the Deputy Provincial Governor position, and has been temporarily detained by the Discipline Inspection Committee, now undergoing a special interrogation."

Wang Hongtao, angry, said, "Such scum must be severely punished without mercy! From a drop one can see the whole leopard; from a drop of water one can know the ocean—this shows how severe the prairie's corruption is, and the anti‑corruption struggle is arduous and long! Lu Fan, the high‑pressure stance must be maintained; investigate and punish each case as it is discovered, with no fixed quota, no ceiling, and ensure those who contemplate corruption lose the idea, and those who commit corruption pay the price!"

Lu Fan replied without hesitation, "Secretary, I will certainly hold a firm stance, persistently enforce propriety, discipline, and anti‑corruption with a 'Zero Tolerance' attitude, rigorously investigating 'fly‑greedy‑ant‑corruption', never stopping, never yielding, consistently and thoroughly. By eliminating from the source the soil and conditions that nurture corruption, we will win the support and trust of the prairie's cadres and masses through tangible results!"

"You also propose a candidate, and I'll try my best to secure it."

Lu Fan replied, "I can't see clearly at the moment, so I'll recommend Zhang Rongqiu, the head of Qinchuan's Emergency Management Department."

"I have a vague impression, let's try it!"

……

After the conversation ended, Lu Fan saw Wang Hongtao off, his gaze following the increasingly thin silhouette, and a feeling beyond words rose in his heart.

One can truly feel how heavy the burden on his shoulders is, how great the responsibility, yet he is unwavering, never backs down, overcoming one difficulty after another, creating one brilliant achievement after another.

The nation's rise and fall is every man's responsibility; at this moment, Lu Fan resolved to completely resolve the prairie's problems!

Spent a few happy days with his wife and son, enjoying a comfortable, pleasant holiday.

On October 7, Lu Fan set out on his journey, returning to the prairie. Though his heart was full of reluctance, he knew the responsibility lay there.

Just upon arriving at the office, Du Wenlong reported the case of Ma Qiang, saying, "Secretary, I didn't expect Ma Qiang to be such a hard nut; after seven or eight days we still can't break his psychological defenses."

Lu Fan replied calmly, "It's fine, take your time. The huge, unexplained source of wealth alone is enough to open a case against him; I don't believe anyone would openly shield him. In the next few days we will convene a five‑person task‑force meeting and a Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee meeting; you prepare the materials."

"Alright, I'll organize it as soon as possible. Also, the interrogation of the 28 corrupt individuals in Ximeng went smoothly, seizing 560 million in illicit funds and implicating nearly 300 people."

Lu Fan thought for a moment and said, "The money is in the clean‑government account; without my signature no one may touch it, and I will have great use for it later. As for the people implicated, compile the leads and hand them over to the Ximeng Discipline Inspection Committee for handling."

Tell Sun Yu that discipline must be strict, violations must be investigated; for crossing red lines, overstepping bottom lines, or entering thunder zones, there is Zero Tolerance, so that disciplinary rules truly become high‑voltage live wires, making Ximeng's cadres respect, fear, and guard the bottom line, accustomed to working and living under supervision and restraint.

Du Wenlong suddenly asked, "Secretary, I'd like to investigate Ma Qiang's assets, including his residence."

Lu Fan smiled and said, "Don't bother me with these petty matters; how you handle it is up to you, I only need the result, not the process. If anything goes wrong I'll take the blame!"

Du Wenlong let out a "hehe" and hurried off!

The next morning, as soon as work began, Lu Fan went to Secretary Li Xingyuan's office and reported Ma Qiang's bribery.

Li Xingyuan scolded, "What a fool! The crime and the loot are together, nothing more to say, investigate! This afternoon we'll hold the five‑person task‑force meeting, discuss personnel adjustments, and you give a special report on Ma Qiang's case."

Lu Fan thought and said, "Secretary, regarding the Ximeng Committee Secretary, the Organization Department also proposed Provincial Deputy Secretary‑General Xu Yan."

Li Xingyuan tapped the table with his finger and said, "Several Standing Committee members have recommended Xu Yan to me; the five‑person task‑force meeting shouldn't be a problem, but I worry the Standing Committee might cause trouble!"

Hearing this, Lu Fan's expression also grew serious; after consideration he said, "Secretary, the Standing Committee's statements are recorded, and I don't believe they would openly defy the organization's will! Tearing faces helps no one; if it comes to that, there can be no concession, we must insist on personal obedience to the organization and lower‑level obedience to superiors, ensuring the Provincial Party Committee's orders flow smoothly!"

Li Xingyuan sighed, "Act according to circumstances! Lu Fan, I've been feeling unwell lately; after this Standing Committee meeting I plan to take some time off. I have already reported this to Secretary Wang Hongtao, and the Provincial Party Committee's heavy burden now falls on you!"

Upon hearing that, Lu Fan felt very surprised, but said nothing further.

Li Xingyuan continued, "The Propaganda Department Director Shang Youyang is a clever person who only looks after his own 'one mu three fen of land', and likely hasn't 'mixed up' with them. Also, the United Front Work Department Director Mu Yue, although from the prairie, is highly principled and has always kept a distance from those people; she can be a unifiable target."

"Thank you for the Secretary's reminder!" It was an unexpected pleasure, showing that Li Xingyuan was not idle.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Li Xingyuan organized a five‑person task‑force meeting, attended by Luo Shiyu, Lu Fan and Li Yuening, with Governor He Yuanghai responsible for recording.

After the meeting began, Lu Fan reported that Provincial Natural Resources Department Director Ma Qiang was suspected of bribery and of having a huge, unexplained source of wealth, and requested the Provincial Party Committee to conduct disciplinary review and supervisory investigation of Ma Qiang.

Because the crime and the loot were together and the evidence was conclusive, no one raised objections, and the meeting unanimously passed.

Then, Organization Department Head Li Yuening reported the preliminary cadre‑adjustment plan, focusing on a single point: the candidate for Ximeng Committee Secretary.

Secretary Li Xingyuan took a firm stance, supporting Men Junhao to serve as Ximeng Discipline Committee Secretary, arguing that Ximeng has many tasks awaiting revival and needs a leader familiar with the situation to steer the overall picture.

Governor Luo Shiyu expressed support, and Lu Fan needed no further comment. But Li Yuening's attitude was very resolute, supporting Provincial Deputy Secretary‑General Xu Yan as Ximeng Committee Secretary.

Normally, issues on which the five‑person task‑force's opinions are not unified are not submitted to the Standing Committee for study. However, Li Xingyuan this time broke the norm, agreeing to discuss the cadre‑adjustment plan at the Standing Committee, intending to see whether they have the courage to step out, which was also the result of communication with Lu Fan.

Lu Fan's point was that, since the problem cannot be avoided, let those monsters—cow‑gods, snakes, spirits—emerge. In the face of difficulty and challenge, one must show the resolve and courage to meet the hard fight and bite the hard bone.