Chapter 1066: Workplace Advice

Su Yang saw Old Fang hastily stand up: "Hello, Minister Fang."

Fang Jingwen leaned there sitting, muttering: "Look, look, I said I wouldn't come back, but you and my mom kept insisting I come home. I came back, and you're here saying I'm fine, so tomorrow I'll go to the company and not come back."

Old Fang put down his briefcase, originally intending to speak sternly to Su Yang: "At home, don't use titles; after a day of work you're tense, and when you get home you don't let people relax. Hurry and sit, don't stand; I've told you before, coming to our home just treat it as your own home."

"Actually, I was thinking after these two days' busy matters I'd call you, worried you might be stressed from recent events. Young people like you have vigor and determination, but often you can't keep calm in your heart; a little trouble makes you lose composure."

Su Yang said: "Thank you, Uncle Fang, I actually have nothing going on; I'm just a low-level official, how could I worry about so many big things? Besides, this isn't something I should worry about. I should congratulate you, Uncle Fang; I originally wanted to call to congratulate you, but if I called it wouldn't show sincerity."

Old Fang laughed heartily: "You kid really aren't just talk. This kind of thing is a big deal for anyone; if you could truly not hear, not ask, not think, you'd be a sage. As for congratulations, that's unnecessary—we're all bricks in the organization, used wherever needed. Whatever work we do, it's to not betray the people's trust."

"By the way, quite a few things have happened these days, really one after another, but no matter what, essentially this matter doesn't affect you. But actually you also know our system is somewhat special—top-level bowing is a big feature; soon you'll have to accept these storms."

"But I believe you, to you these are just a scraping."

"As for you, your work over the past year has been very good; if it weren't for sending so many officials away, your future would be bright."

"Considering only the economic development you've brought to the county, promoting you exceptionally to county magistrate is possible. But your reputation as an 'officialdom killer' has corroded most of your achievements, so although you've done good deeds, you not only failed to advance further but were actually removed—this is the essential reason."

"We won't discuss provincial-ministerial level personnel changes, because that's indeed not something you at your level should know."

"Although your work has been temporarily taken away, this is only temporary; after all you have no problems, so you'll still return to work. The only difference now is where you go and what you do—that's the point, and that's what I wanted to talk to you about today."

"This batch of cadres, the organization has placed great hopes in you. Regardless of whatever turmoil occurs in Lieshan County's officialdom, the economic development brought to the county is solid."

"Under the current premise that everything centers on economic development, your achievements are self-evident."

"Originally, regarding your personal work, Comrade Weiguo would consider it for you, but this time he also has many matters on his side, I'm afraid I won't be able to attend to you."

"So I'll step in for him, help you sort out the follow-up; at least within what I can do, give your next arrangement a bit of care—this also counts as organizational compensation for you, after all you're full of grievances, right?"

Su Yang was deeply moved; this Uncle Fang really is a good person! Clearly knowing Old Zhou has been removed from office, at this critical juncture probably countless people want to cut ties with Old Zhou.

The best way to cut ties is to start with one's attitude toward oneself—for example, various mockery and humiliation, or immediately cutting off contact, then further probing to formally sever ties with the Zhou family. Yet Uncle Fang still looks after him as always.

He said: "Thank you, Uncle Fang, just as you said earlier, we're all bricks in the organization, to be moved wherever needed."

"Of course this brick of mine can't compare to yours, so tossing me into any obscure corner is fine. I don't pick the environment; as long as I get a job to support my family, that's enough—nothing else matters."

Old Fang shook his head slightly: "You're still too young; times have changed. Back then, you could go anywhere, and even with Weiguo standing behind you, even if they wanted to use political tactics against you, they'd never dare to actually do anything to you."

"Even when you were in Lieshan County it was the same—don't look at them brandishing knives and guns there; if they really wanted to take your life, they wouldn't dare even if given the guts. What you see is just them putting on an overly tense show; if you really stood there and let them shoot, they still wouldn't dare."

"But now it's different—being in office and not being in office are two concepts; human warmth and worldly vicissitudes, you'll feel them soon. My meaning is, you still have a choice."

"One option: you can stay in the capital and work at some ministries; you already have experience working in western China's poor cities, which is the most basic experience, so you're not lacking."

"Then after spending a year or two training in the ministries, you'll have that ministry experience; next, going to a locality, you'll not only have resources and connections, but also solid grassroots work experience, so given time you'll surely do very well in a new post."

"Another option is to go to a developed coastal city; in our Ganzhou Province, for those two projects you'd have to run yourself ragged, and a business with ten million yuan annual output value could already bring earth-shaking changes, enabling a noticeable role in local economic development."

"But if you went to a coastal city, you'd find their villages already have clusters of enterprises; although these are also in the early development stage, the starting point of one of their villages is still higher than that of one of our cities."

"In economically backward and underdeveloped areas, the core work is just one—get the economy going; but in such places, your work isn't only developing economy, there are also other challenges awaiting you."

"Because the more developed the economy, the more the underlying economic interests and contradictions increase, which leads to more problems cropping up one after another. Thus, the political ecology is far more complex than in our remote regions; going to such a complex place to temper yourself is also beneficial."

"These two are my suggestions for you, and I think I should be able to secure them for you; even given the environment you're facing now, I can still strive for them."

"Furthermore, according to the organization's plan, you are a genuine cadre exchange; you might go to a southwestern tourist city, where you'd have to face the black tourism industry and the so-called local bullies and extreme political ecology."

"Or else continue north to those resource-heavy cities, for example coal cities; there the political ecology isn't as complex as in southern cities, but as soon as the word 'coal' is involved, the risks to your political future that could exist there are not limited to just that."

"In the eyes of those coal bosses, ordinary people's lives aren't really lives; under necessary profit drives, someone like you, a deputy division-level official, they simply don't care—especially in a certain county of Xishan Province, where successive officials in the same post have died one after another, jumping from buildings, jumping into rivers, car accidents, the methods are endless."

"Yet the investigation team, every time they go down, concludes it's suicide to avoid guilt. So while you still have the chance to choose, you must choose carefully."

"As soon as Old Fang Comrade's words fell, Fang Jingwen, who had been greedily eating fruit there, interjected: 'What else is there to think about? Stay in the capital—the capital not only has high status and authority but also fewer matters. Those who come to you for business are all the main local leaders.'"

"Even if it's a not-so-important department, being able to come to the capital to see you means at least a vice-department-level cadre, which for you is the best time to accumulate connections."

"Ordinary people wanting to work in the ministries don't even have this chance. Dad, this time don't let him pick and choose here—just place him in the capital; after all, this is also the Organization Department's work, so you don't have a conflict of interest."