Chapter 697

June 9, Bai Chengzhi led the team to successfully conclude the inspection, returning to Yan City with satisfactory results, and the whole process went smoothly without any hiccups.

June 11, while in the office discussing the provincial investment promotion conference with Deputy Provincial Governor Zhao Ziren, Director Liu Xianhao of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and Director Zhang Zhe of the Provincial Commerce Department, his phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the number and saw it was a call from Secretary Hong Tao; he hurriedly answered, respectfully saying, "Secretary, hello!" After saying that, he signaled with his eyes to the three people, who immediately left the office.

"Lu Fan, the inspection results are quite good; what pleases me most is that the public response is very strong, indicating your work has won the people's hearts. Keep up the effort and strive to drive all work in the grasslands forward to a new, higher level with a solid work style."

"Lu Fan said humbly, 'It is only under your careful guidance that I have achieved some results. In my future work, I will continue to maintain my work enthusiasm and positive attitude, forge ahead, overcome difficulties, demonstrate new achievements through practical action, and fulfill new responsibilities with concrete performance.'

"He who travels a hundred miles is only halfway there at ninety; the more critical the stage, the firmer one must keep confidence. In special times and crucial moments, you have not yet reached the point to relax or let up; you must persevere and press on, for only thus can you avoid having all prior efforts go to waste. Anti-corruption requires sustained effort, unremitting persistence, steadfast perseverance, and unwavering diligence!"

"Regarding this, Lu Fan already had a plan, saying, 'If I step down as deputy secretary, I must first confirm this position; the Provincial Party Committee's recommended candidate is Minister Mou Yue of the United Front Work Department, but the grasslands firmly follow organizational arrangements and implement organizational decisions.'

"Bai Chengzhi will go down to train and discuss other ideas."

"Lu Fan showed no discouragement, saying, 'The other day, Gu Yunhao and I had a lengthy talk; his attitude was very proper. Could we consider letting him take a secondary line?'

"That can be arranged for now, but we cannot let our guard down; the investigation into him must continue to be deepened. Some mistakes can be forgiven, but principled errors absolutely cannot be tolerated!"

"Lu Fan continued, 'Regarding Qing City Municipal Party Committee Secretary Yun Shuo, the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee already has solid evidence, but the grasslands lack authority to act; please, Secretary, make the decision.'

"Hong Tao directly instructed, 'Contact Secretary Xiao Bin, we need a quick and decisive resolution; it must not affect subsequent work. And what about Yun Junjie—how serious is the problem?'

"Lu Fan replied, 'Yun Junjie's issue is mainly economic, but he and Yun Shuo have surely formed an offensive-defensive alliance. I plan to start from housing construction, transportation, energy, and so on, digging from the bottom up; I believe we will soon find clues.'

"Hong Tao thought for a moment and said, 'Let's transfer them away first; that way the investigation won't be interfered with.'

"Lu Fan probed, asking, 'Secretary, for the positions vacated by Gu Yunhao and Yun Junjie, does the organization have any specific arrangements?'

"After a few seconds of silence, Hong Tao said, 'You can discuss this matter with Comrade Zhou Xi; what are your intentions?'

"Lu Fan hurriedly said, 'Deputy Provincial Governor Zhao Ziren has no problems with his qualifications and abilities; I intend to recommend him for executive deputy provincial governor. As for the candidate for standing committee deputy provincial governor, Zhang Rongqiu has strong principles, a high sense of organizational discipline, handles affairs fairly, has proper conduct, and is also very effective in work.'

"Hong Tao nodded slightly, indicating approval, then slowly said, 'I understand; if you have ideas, you can talk to the Organization Department. In your new position, you must have a new understanding of yourself—broaden your perspective, elevate your stance, widen your vision, clarify your thinking, and plan far ahead—only then can you orderly manage every aspect of your work.'

"Lu Fan replied firmly, 'Please rest assured, Secretary; I will quickly switch roles, position myself correctly, and get into state, holding myself to higher standards, strictly demanding of myself, standing at my post, truly implementing practical work, taking responsibility and action, shouldering due responsibilities and obligations, and absolutely not betraying your and the organization's trust and expectations in me.'

……

After the call ended, Lu Fan slowly put down his phone, sat quietly in his office chair, gazing out the window; a surge of unstoppable heroic ambition welled up in his heart, and he felt his whole body filled with vigor.

As the saying goes, 'Wind rises from the tip of duckweed, waves grow from tiny ripples.' Over these years, he has endured countless hardships and obstacles, pouring out sweat and blood beyond what ordinary people could imagine. Each time he fell, he gritted his teeth and rose again; each time he faced setbacks, he told himself he could never give up. It is precisely thanks to this persistent effort and unyielding spirit that he has been able to step by step reach where he is today.

Past events are vivid before his eyes; after unremitting effort and struggle, the long-awaited important opportunity finally came his way—this is the best reward for his years of struggle, and also a crucial turning point in his life.

Lu Fan clearly realized that opportunity and challenge coexist. Yet he fears nothing, having made full preparations to meet any difficulty or challenge. Whether facing sudden storms or raging waves, he is confident he can ride the wind and break the waves, pressing forward boldly!

In the afternoon, Lu Fan returned to Yan City, bringing only Cheng Haohao and Xiao Lu.

Just after getting off the plane, Lu Fan headed straight to the Organization Department; Minister Zhou Xi specially set aside half an hour for his report.

After meeting, Lu Fan proceeded to strengthen the grasslands' leadership team building and gave a detailed report.

Furthermore, on behalf of the Provincial Party Committee of the Grasslands, he formally recommended to the organization: promote Executive Deputy Provincial Governor Gu Yunhao to the Provincial CPPCC; transfer Standing Committee Deputy Provincial Governor Yun Junjie away; adjust Deputy Provincial Governor Zhao Ziren to executive deputy provincial governor; adjust Zhang Rongqiu to standing committee deputy provincial governor; and promote the Party Secretary of Yi Ke City, Wei Dongsheng, to deputy provincial governor.

Upon hearing that Lu Fan had not recommended a candidate for deputy secretary, Zhou Xi guessed that Hong Tao had already talked with Lu Fan.

After a brief contemplation, Zhou Xi said, 'Your recommendations will be carefully considered by the organization. However, the nation is a single chessboard; the composition of the leadership team must be considered from the overall situation, balancing and taking everything into account. I can only say I will do my best to coordinate. Lu Fan, from now on you will bear heavy responsibilities; I hope you will always uphold principles and bottom lines, dare to take responsibility and act, faithfully fulfill your duties, strive to be a pioneer of practical work, manage the grasslands well, build them well, develop them well, and strive to achieve greater impact.'

Lu Fan sincerely said, 'Thank you, Minister, for your continued support and concern for me. I will certainly devote my energy to planning development, focus my thoughts on implementing measures, and direct my vigor toward working; I will take initiative, be enterprising, assume responsibility courageously, and fight boldly, continuing to strive for a better future for the grasslands.'

……

After leaving the Organization Department, Lu Fan called Zhao Ziren, Zhang Rongqiu, and Wei Dongsheng respectively, clearly informing them that he had recommended them to the organization and that they should personally take initiative and not waste the opportunity.

Lu Fan understood a truth: snakes have their ways, rats have their paths; everyone has a side unknown to others.

Upon arriving at the north headquarters hutong, night had fallen and lights were just lit. Lao Li had been in the courtyard accompanying little Xu Xuan in play, waiting for his son-in-law to return home. Li Zimeng was busy in the kitchen with the cook, so that when her husband came home she could serve him a hot meal.

After entering, Xu Xuan shouted and ran toward his dad; Lu Fan squatted down, happily hugging his son and spinning around.

Lao Li beamed with satisfaction and said, 'Xiao Fan is back; haven't you eaten yet? Zimeng is preparing food.'

Lu Fan, holding his son, walked over to Lao Li and said with a smile, 'I went to the Organization Department and recommended several provincial officials to Minister Zhou Xi.'

Lao Li said, 'He who does not plan for the whole cannot manage a part; he who does not plan for eternity cannot manage the moment. A leader must oversee the whole situation and grasp it, especially needing to be impartial and selfless, fair and clean. Only by truly applying one standard, one measure, and leveling the bowl of water, constantly giving people a sense of justice, fairness, and trust, can one effectively maintain unity, fully mobilize everyone's enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity in undertaking and building, thereby managing comprehensively, bearing overall responsibility, leading the team well, managing the troops well, and doing things and work well…'

Listening to Lao Li's nagging, Lu Fan felt very fortunate; it is precisely because of Lao Li and his father-in-law Li Mingzhou's tireless teachings and hands-on guidance that his abilities in all aspects have been able to undergo a qualitative improvement, for vision determines realm, pattern determines outcome, attitude determines height, and thinking determines the way forward.

Moreover, his wife Li Zimeng, a model of a virtuous wife and good mother, keeps the household inside and out in perfect order, never letting Lu Fan worry about it, and she has earned half of his military merits.

After finishing the meal, Lu Fan accompanied Lao Li in chatting for over half an hour, asking many questions.

Lao Li's greatest asset is his political wisdom; he is happy to answer doubts for his son-in-law, naturally imparting all his knowledge.

On Saturday, Lu Fan invited Li Siwei to his home, asking him to invest in the grasslands.

Facing his brother-in-law's request, Li Siwei had no hesitation, expressing that he would wholeheartedly support his brother-in-law and the development of the grasslands.

He well knows that this young, awe-inspiring brother-in-law will be the household's 'heaven-supporting white jade pillar, sea-spanning purple gold beam' for the next several decades; wholeheartedly supporting him is the Li family's greatest responsibility.

After discussing all morning, Li Siwei decided to make a stunning move: he would 'make a big splash' in the grasslands, investing 70 billion yuan to build the world's largest single-plant olefin project, and shift the company's development focus entirely to the grasslands.

In the afternoon, Lu Fan paid a visit to Wang Honghai, whose sole purpose was to attract investment; today, Honghai occupies half of the pharmaceutical industry, a genuine industry giant.

Throughout the whole afternoon, Lu Fan elaborately explained the development situation of Mongolian medicine, stating that Mongolian medicine is one of the rich legacies of the grasslands and also a major component of the country's traditional medicine; it has a long history and rich content, showing significant efficacy in treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, liver and gallbladder diseases, rheumatic diseases, etc., and is a culturally distinctive treasure; he strongly urged Honghai to come to the grasslands to promote traditional culture.

Regarding the invitation from his old classmate, Honghai did not refuse, saying he would study it seriously; such a strategic decision requires collective deliberation, but he will do his utmost to facilitate it.