Chapter 81: Accompanying the Minister to Seek Promotion

After receiving the red certificate, Lu Fan insisted on treating Hong Hai and Liu Mengyao to a meal at the highest standard in Ningyang to express his respect for his teachers, no matter what.

Unable to resist Lu Fan's enthusiasm, everyone had no choice but to follow him to the Ningyang Hotel.

Hong Hai asked in a low voice, "Little Fan, you just bought a house. Why don't I treat you to this meal?"

Lu Fan laughed, "Eat as much as you want. One meal won't make me poor. You can treat me next time I go to Chang'an."

"Don't puff yourself up at your own cost. Who are we to each other? If you're really short on cash, just say the word. I won't dare say much, but a million or eight hundred thousand is no problem!"

"The wind is strong! When did you become a 'God of Wealth'?"

"Do you think I'm bragging? Forget it, never mind. One must be low-key! You wouldn't understand even if I told you. A frog in a well has never seen the ocean; how could it know the deep blue of the sky? Let me tell you, one day, you will see my name on the Forbes Rich List!"

"Mm, I'm sure I will!"

"Lu Fan, what's with that expression?"

"I said, I believe in you!"

"Then why do I see a look of disdain on your face?"

"No, really not. I truly believe you. One day you will acquire Tencent and merge with Alibaba!"

Once in the private room, Lu Fan was so eager he almost wanted to order the entire menu. He was incredibly enthusiastic until Liu Mengyao repeatedly persuaded him to stop.

After the meal, the group went to the bank to transfer the money.

Afterward, Lu Fan and Du Wenlong followed them to their room to help Liu Mengyao and Hong Hai move their luggage.

Before leaving, Hong Hai sighed, "Back then, when my brother bought this house, my second brother and I were so happy. We finally had a stable home, and now it's sold!"

Lu Fan patted Hong Hai on the shoulder and said, "People move to higher places; it means things are getting better and better. You are always welcome here. No matter when you come, there will be wine to drink!"

"Lu Fan, you must contact me when you get to Chang'an. You've been riding on my head for three years!"

"If you had changed that to 'the brother who slept on the upper bunk,' I might have been moved to tears!"

"I'm off, brother!"

"Take care!" Lu Fan greeted Liu Mengyao again, "Take care, sister-in-law!"

Watching the truck drive away, Lu Fan thought of those close classmates from middle school. He had no idea what they were doing now!

As the National Day holiday approached, Bian Jide suddenly said to Lu Fan, "Little Fan, come with me to Chang'an."

"Understood, Minister. Do I need to prepare anything? When are we leaving?"

"We leave at noon. We'll treat Secretary-General Han to dinner in the afternoon. I don't know if the leader will have time. Oh, right, don't let the driver go. You drive, and go to the accountant to draw an advance of twenty thousand."

"Understood, Minister. I'll go prepare now."

Driving the department's Passat, Lu Fan truly felt the "make-do" nature of the Lavida.

Once on the highway, the Minister checked the CD player; it was actually Xiao Gang's album. Lu Fan was moved to say, "Minister, this is my favorite album. 'Dusk' is something I never tire of listening to. Once at a video store in Yingjiang, I held back and didn't buy it. I must buy a copy one of these days."

"I also like 'Dusk' very much. Its melody is just like the song title, carrying a kind of desolate beauty. The music itself has a strong sense of imagery. I didn't expect you to like it too!"

Having a common topic made the time pass faster.

"Little Fan, this trip to find the Secretary-General is for my own affairs. Secretary Gao has basically agreed to recommend me, but I still need outside help. It would be best if someone could put in a word with the municipal leaders."

Lu Fan asked doubtfully, "Minister, does Secretary-General Han have that kind of power?"

"Don't underestimate the Secretary-General; this position has significant energy. Moreover, he is very close to Governor Yixing. If he is sincere about helping, there will always be a way."

Lu Fan had a flash of inspiration and suggested, "Minister, should we call Han Xinpu over? The Secretary-General only has a daughter, and he values this nephew very much."

Bian Jide's eyes lit up, and he said, "Is that so? If we can call him over, that would be even better!"

Lu Fan immediately dialed Han Xinpu's number. After it connected, he said, "Brother Han, do you have any plans after work?"

"Little Fan, are you in Chang'an? I'm free for now. Let's go grab a bottle tonight!"

"Drinking is no problem, but this time I'm down here with my leader. I want to invite your uncle to dinner."

"Then let me book a restaurant. Even if my uncle doesn't come, can't we have a couple of drinks? I'll host your leader! I'll send the restaurant information to your phone in a bit."

After hanging up, Bian Jide asked, "Is that County Head Han's son? Which unit does he work in?"

"Yes, Brother Han works in the Cadre Division of the Provincial Organization Department."

"Little Fan, don't break this connection. It might be a huge help to you one day."

The two chatted idly. As they neared Chang'an, Bian Jide suddenly said, "If I go to the County Committee, you should come along too!"

Lu Fan tried to pretend he was joking, "Minister, if I follow you to the County Committee, there will be no one left to guard the front line of the Organization Department. You will definitely be in charge of Party building and personnel."

Bian Jide laughed, "Why are you worrying about that? Hmm? What? Do you want to stay in the Organization Department? You are my secretary. If I leave, you won't be in a good position."

Lu Fan gathered his courage and said, "Minister, do you think there's a possibility for me to transfer?"

"Lei Zhuoyue gave you that idea, didn't he? Do I not know his little schemes? But he does have a chance to be sent out; after all, he's been a Deputy Minister for over ten years, and the Secretary has basically agreed. But for you to succeed him as Deputy Minister, the difficulty is quite high, almost impossible. You're 22 this year, right?"

"Minister, I'm 23 by lunar age!"

"Alright, even if you're 23, have you ever seen a 23-year-old Deputy Minister of the County Organization Department? I know you want to mention District Chief Wang Hongtao, but you can't compare people like that. Looking across the country, how many Wang Hongtaos are there? If it were another unit or a township, it wouldn't be so eye-catching, and I might dare to talk to the Secretary. But for a Deputy Minister of the Organization Department, I can't open my mouth."

"To achieve extraordinary things, one must have extraordinary merit, or have an extraordinary person take action. This person must be able to suppress Secretary Gao and allow him to withstand the public outcry and gossip to employ someone in an unconventional way. It must be a leader at or above the level of the Municipal Standing Committee going all out, and in the end, it still depends on Secretary Gao's attitude."

"Minister, I thought too simply. It was wishful thinking!"

"Little Fan, this road is not easy to walk. The vast majority of people will take detours. I suggest you stay in the county, because if you go to a township, you'll at most be given a Deputy Secretary position. The next step is to fight for the position of Chairman of the People's Congress. You also know that at least half of the Chairmen of the People's Congress don't become Town Heads. It's hard to jump over others' heads; you have to wait your turn based on seniority. Even if it's your turn, the organization might not consider you. If you struggle too many times, you'll just fade into the crowd."

Age had actually become a disadvantage. Lu Fan felt a bit lost. Above the Municipal Standing Committee level, he probably only knew Han Guishan, and the relationship was neither close nor distant. Wanting to be a Deputy Minister was indeed being greedy and wishful thinking!

Arriving in Chang'an, Lu Fan headed to the location Han Xinpu sent. The Minister was responsible for giving directions; he had studied in Chang'an and was very familiar with the road conditions.

Arriving at the private room, Han Xinpu was already sitting inside. Naturally, he had skipped work, which showed he treated Lu Fan as a friend.

Lu Fan introduced the Minister to Han Xinpu, and the three chatted casually. Bian Jide had already sent a message to Han Guishan; as for whether he could come, it was up to fate.

After a few dishes were served, Han Xinpu opened a bottle of white liquor and filled the glasses for the three of them.

Lu Fan asked doubtfully, "Brother Han, you're allergic. Can you drink?"

"Hey, I've discovered that not drinking really doesn't work. I'll slowly adapt. Isn't it said that alcohol tolerance is practiced? I've been drinking at home during this period, two taels a day, practicing slowly."

Lu Fan said, "You're joking with your health. Why bother?"

"There's no other way. I used to sit in the office with few social engagements. Now that I'm following Minister Guo, there are too many social engagements. Not touching a drop of alcohol makes me look too unconventional."

Bian Jide asked in surprise, "Minister Guo? Is it Minister Mingxiong?"

Han Xinpu said modestly, "Mm, I'm temporarily seconded to assist Minister Guo with his work. I'm fortunate to be able to learn from the Minister." In fact, he was already serving Guo Mingxiong full-time; after all, with his father's connection, Guo Mingxiong was very nostalgic.

Bian Jide felt very regretful in his heart. He had worked with Guo Mingxiong before, but he hadn't seized the opportunity and failed to become a direct subordinate. Otherwise, the matter this time wouldn't be so difficult to handle. The power of the Executive Deputy Minister of the Provincial Organization Department was immense!

The relationship between people is very subtle. Closeness is not determined by personal subjective will. Even if you perform very diligently, you may not necessarily enter the leader's eyes. Wanting to become a leader's direct subordinate depends on fate. For example, Wang Hongtao, who was actually on hot terms with two consecutive County Party Secretaries—Bian Jide had to bow to this ability. It wasn't that he hadn't tried, but the results were minimal. Perhaps he could blame himself for not being firm enough at the time!

After three rounds of drinks, seeing Bian Jide's distracted appearance, Lu Fan took the initiative to share the leader's worries and said to Han Xinpu, "Brother Han, Uncle should be off work by now, right? I wonder if he can come?"

Han Xinpu thought for a moment and said, "He's been very busy lately. Let me ask." After speaking, he went to the restroom.

He came out after a while and said, "Uncle said he just sent Governor Gao home and can come over to sit for a while. It will take about twenty minutes."

Bian Jide was overjoyed upon hearing this. As long as he could come, there was hope for the matter. He immediately said, "Xinpu, thank you very much! The Secretary-General probably hasn't eaten. Should we order a few more dishes?"

Nominally, Han Xinpu was the host, so Bian Jide naturally had to seek the host's opinion, but he couldn't let anyone else pay for this meal.

Han Xinpu naturally had no objections and ordered a few dishes according to his uncle's taste.

Twenty minutes later, Bian Jide went to the hotel entrance to wait. Seeing Han Guishan get out of the car, he greeted him with a smiling face.

After entering the door, Han Guishan smiled at Lu Fan and said, "Little Fan is here too. I heard from Xinpu that you've been promoted. Very good!"

Lu Fan hurriedly said, "Secretary-General, you're too kind! My small progress is insignificant; it's all thanks to the support of you and Minister Bian!"

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Everything is walked out step by step. You must continue to work hard, constantly accumulate strength, and strive to improve your work ability so that you can go further in the future."

"I will keep the Secretary-General's teachings in mind!"

The rating has started. Five-star reviews are needed. Thank you for your support! ===== CHAPTER 82 =====