aircannonsinc Page 58
Page 58
"The place we're going to isn't just anywhere, it's your hometown, Handong Province."
"You're coming to Handong Province? That's great news! Where are you located?"
"Logically speaking, officials from the capital should be promoted one rank when they are transferred to a post outside the capital. However, my rank is very sensitive. It would be difficult to be promoted to the ministerial level in one step. And it is also a critical moment for Elder Liu, so it is not easy for him to speak. Therefore, I was promoted by half a rank."
"How to say?"
"If I were to be appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission in your Handong Province, I estimate that I would soon be called upon by the higher-ups for a talk."
"This is the third-highest-ranking official in Handong Province! And he also serves as the Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission. Old Gong, you've made a very shrewd move!"
"That's why they say I got promoted by half a rank. Old Liu specifically called me to his place before. He told me to work hard in Handong first, and after two years, when I have enough seniority, we'll see if I can be transferred to another province."
This year is 86. In two more years, it will be another important milestone. According to Liu Zhongming, the goal is to find a way to transfer Gong Kaichen to another province as governor.
Why choose this crucial juncture? The reason is that Liu Zhongming's position was already determined at that time.
Only if Liu Zhongming can take another step forward can the subordinates get moving.
It is clear that after joining the Spark Project Execution Group, Gong Kaichen did not hesitate to join Liu Lao's faction.
Moreover, Gong Kaichen is only 48 years old this year, which is not too old. At this age, he was able to serve as a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee of Handong, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Committee.
Elder Liu also placed high hopes on them. The main strength of their camp is currently concentrated in the military and the government. With only Elder Liu as a powerful figure, it is obviously not enough.
The Buddha statue at the top needs to be there, and below that, there needs to be a group of core members in the middle. Gong Kaichen has already stood out and is just right.
Therefore, he is currently the most important leading cadre in this faction at the local level.
"What about the Spark Project execution team?"
“Meng Sheng has been transferred. According to the information I have, Bingyi and Yihong will also be transferred to other places soon. Therefore, the Spark Project Execution Team will be in your hands for at most two years.
"I understand."
"You know about all this, now tell me about your situation in Yantai! I've heard that Hongtao was abducted?"
"Yes! If it weren't for a comrade from the Wenjiang County Industrial Bureau who saved Hongtao, this child would probably have been strangled to death by human traffickers."
Despite Fang Zhenhua's nonchalant tone, Gong Kaichen on the other end of the phone could clearly sense the immense crisis hidden within.
If something happens to Fang Hongtao, who can guarantee how much trouble it will cause?
"Brother, there's something I'd like to ask you for a favor."
"Do we need to beg each other? Just tell me what it is, and that's it."
"The young man who saved my Hongtao is now working at the Wenjiang County Industrial Bureau. I was thinking that you were coming to Handong, so I wanted to ask you for a favor."
"You want me to transfer him to be my secretary?"
Who is Gong Kaichen?
To reach the position of provincial party secretary, a powerful regional official, requires exceptional political acumen.
So even though Fang Zhenhua didn't say it outright, he immediately guessed it.
"The old leader really is perceptive!"
"Don't give me that, but I do need to appoint a secretary after I arrive in Handong Province. Rather than having someone else do it, it's better to use one of our own. What's that comrade's name?"
"Sun Liancheng".
"What do you think of this comrade? Is he suitable for the job?"
Gong Kaichen said this to get Fang Zhenhua to endorse Sun Liancheng, because the position of secretary is very important, and if anything goes wrong, the consequences will be extremely bad.
Fang Zhenhua thought about some of Sun Liancheng's situation.
Although more than 20 years later, Sun Liancheng became a representative of lazy officials, judging from some of his actions, he was a good comrade at heart.
He is a typical example of someone who has no powerful backers in officialdom, so he can only suffer from both sides.
The higher-ups are dissatisfied, and the lower-ups are also dissatisfied.
As one holds this kind of official position, it naturally becomes less and less interesting.
But Sun Liancheng today is not the same as he will be 20 years from now. He is now very enthusiastic about his work and has high expectations for his future.
Therefore, from this perspective, casting Sun Liancheng, who is in his twenties, is actually very suitable.
Secondly, let's talk about Sun Liancheng's abilities. He was able to become the head of Guangming District in Jingzhou City without any powerful backers, which is something that not everyone can do.
It's important to know that Jingzhou City is destined to become a sub-provincial-level city, and the head of Guangming District is a deputy-department-level cadre. Moreover, Sun Liancheng has become the chief commander of the Guangming Peak project, so his abilities are beyond question.
After thinking for a moment, Fang Zhenhua then spoke.
“This comrade is essentially a good comrade, and you can tell from the fact that he saved my Hongtao that he is brave and resourceful, and he is quite steady and capable in doing things.”
“Since you say so, it means he’s capable. Zhenhua, we can’t just rely on our current group of people; that’s not enough at all. We need to train more young cadres. Yihong started as a secretary, and his abilities are obvious to all. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
"Understood. The secretary is one of our own, so it's naturally easy to use him."
"I'm glad you understand. Once my situation is settled, I will make all the necessary arrangements when I arrive in Handong."
"I'm afraid I won't be able to stay in Handong for much longer, so I'm afraid I won't be able to do my best to be a good host after you arrive!"
"Haha, do we really need to talk about this between us?"
During the conversation, Sun Liancheng's fate was changed.
This is the difference between having a powerful backer and not having one.
Chapter 90 Leaving Handong
Qi Tongwei had already finished his exams, so after discussing it with Liu Fei, Fang Zhenhua decided to return to Beijing.
However, before leaving Handong, Fang Zhenhua and Liu Anguo had a conversation in the study.
The core of the conversation lies in two points.
One is Liu Anguo's future development.
The second matter concerns Zhou Shanben, Liu Anguo's secretary.
In the mayor's study, Fang Zhenhua leaned back on the sofa, a cigarette between his fingers.
He spoke up on his own initiative.
"The message Dad sent when he went to Jingzhou last time is quite thought-provoking!"
"Yes! Ever since Dad took a trip to Jingzhou, Xu Bensheng has become much more obedient. He used to like to make the decisions all by himself, but now he actually knows how to unite the members of the team."
Upon hearing this, Fang Zhenhua burst into laughter. His father-in-law was such a big shot that everyone had to treat him like royalty once he came down to Handong Province.
Xu Bensheng is so obedient now, there must be some guidance from Zhu Fenggong, the secretary of the Handong Provincial Party Committee.
However, some things, once missed, are missed forever.
In fact, everyone knows that Xu Bensheng is completely innocent in this matter.
After all, Xu Bensheng was completely unaware that Fang Hongtao had been abducted.
But since he wasn't one of their own, it was perfectly normal for him to suffer the consequences.
For Liu Anguo, the position of Party Secretary of Yantai City was extremely important.
Only by crossing this threshold from mayor to municipal party secretary can Liu Anguo's future truly be bright.
After all, the municipal party secretary is, in a sense, a local warlord.
"Big brother, has Dad told you about the arrangements for Xu Bensheng?"
In politics, the most taboo thing is to take all the benefits for yourself. If you take away Xu Bensheng's position as the municipal party secretary and don't give him some compensation, it will be very embarrassing for you.
Especially since Gong Kaichen is about to arrive in Handong, even if Zhu Fenggong is relegated to the second line, he still has at least a year left in Handong.
During this year, it would have been very easy for him to cause trouble for Gong Kaichen.
Because Zhu Fenggong had been operating in Handong Province for many years, his influence was far greater than that of Gong Kaichen, a mere parachuted-in deputy secretary of the provincial party committee.
If Gong Kaichen's advancement is hindered because of Liu Anguo's position as the Party Secretary of Yantai City, it would be a loss for their faction.
Moreover, Liu Zhongming also had to balance the entire faction; he couldn't let his own son take the benefits while others suffered losses.
If things continue like this, the team won't be easy to manage.
Therefore, after taking Xu Bensheng's position as municipal party secretary, they had to find a way to provide some compensation, whether it was to Xu Bensheng or other people in Zhu Fenggong's faction, the purpose was to prevent Zhu Fenggong from causing trouble.
"Secretary Zhu is the top leader of Handong. His power should not be underestimated. So Dad has already made arrangements. After Secretary Gong arrives in Handong, he will support Secretary Zhu in passing a personnel appointment and removal."
What kind of personnel appointments and removals?
"The current director of the Public Security Bureau of Handong Province is one of Secretary Zhu's men, but he has not yet been promoted to vice governor. The province is making recommendations, but we will have to wait for Secretary Gong to arrive before voting."
"So Secretary Gong's task is to assist Secretary Zhu in helping this provincial department director successfully become the vice governor?"
"Yes! After all, the province is not a monolithic entity. Secretary Zhu wants that department head to take the position, but there are also people who don't want him to take it, such as Governor Chunlai."
"Wu Chunlai?"
Liu Anguo nodded.
"Alright! As long as the deal is completed, and Zhu Fenggong is kept in check to prevent him from ruining Secretary Gong's plans, that's fine."
"Zhu Fenggong has at least another year left. Once he steps down to the second line, Secretary Gong will be able to establish himself. But brother, you must give Secretary Gong your full support for his first move in Handong!"
"I know he spoke to you on the phone. What did Secretary Gong say?"
"He also served as the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, so the first thing he did after arriving in Handong was to use Hongtao's case to severely crack down on crimes such as human trafficking."
"Secretary Gong is indeed a master strategist. His first move hit the nail on the head. He's cracking down on crime throughout the province. The higher-ups will definitely be very happy. Don't worry! I will give him my full support."
"Secretary Zhou put in a lot of effort in Hongtao's case this time. If it weren't for his proper handling and contacting Wenjiang County immediately to prevent those two human traffickers from escaping, Hongtao probably wouldn't have been found so easily. Liu Fei and I have already discussed it, and we will thank him properly before returning to Beijing."
Mentioning Zhou Shanben, a smile visibly appeared on Liu Anguo's face; clearly, this secretary was very much to his liking.
As Fang Zhenhua looked at Liu Anguo, he couldn't help but think of Zhou Shanben.
Later, he became the vice mayor of Jingzhou City. During the fierce struggle between Qi Quansheng and Zhao Fenfang, only Zhou Shanben always adhered to his duties and truly put the interests of the people first.
This is an outstanding example of a Party member, and his abilities are exceptional.
Unexpectedly, my elder brother hired Zhou Shanben as his secretary.
"Sure! You and Feifei can thank Shanben, and then we can host a small family dinner at our house!"
"What are your plans regarding Secretary Zhou? Should he stay by your side or be transferred elsewhere?"
“Shanben is very capable, so he should be sent out to work. Local political experience will be very helpful for his future development, but I don’t plan to send him out now.”
"How to say?"
"Shanben is now the mayor's secretary. If he were the secretary of the municipal party secretary, the two would definitely be different if they were sent out."
Fang Zhenhua paused for a moment, then nodded.
The secretary of the municipal party secretary is the real number one secretary of Yantai City, while the mayor's secretary can only be called the number two secretary.
If I become the director of the First Comprehensive Division of the Municipal Party Committee Office, I will be at least at the level of a full-fledged division chief when I am transferred to another position.
This is crucial for the development of Zhou Shanben.
"Brother, it's good that you already have a plan in mind. Young talents like Comrade Shanben are the ones we should really focus on cultivating."
"Yes! You need to work harder in the military too! The rank system is about to be reinstated, so becoming a senior colonel shouldn't be a problem this time, right?"
"I am a division-level officer, and according to preliminary regulations, I should be awarded the rank of senior colonel."
"I remember you were born in 58, right? You were a 30-year-old senior colonel back then, with a bright future ahead of you! Among us, you were probably the most outstanding."
"Brother, I'm in the military, how can I compare to you?"
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about these things anymore."
Before leaving Handong, Mr. and Mrs. Fang Zhenhua warmly invited Zhou Shanben to a family dinner to express their sincere gratitude.
After doing all this, Fang Zhenhua and his wife took their three children and Qi Tongwei back to Beijing.
Chapter 91 Journey to the North
Qi Tongwei stayed in Beijing until August before returning to Yantai.
Because his admission notice came down. Although he didn't get into Tsinghua University or Yenching University, he was still admitted to the Department of Political Science and Law of Handong University as planned.