Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 402 Developing Our Own People

Liao Shanshan whispered, "Don't move. Just one minute. Let me hold you for just one minute."

Wu Zhiyuan could not refuse, nor could he bear to refuse.

About a minute later, or maybe a little longer, Liao Shanshan let go.

"County Chief Wu, I'm sorry, I lost my composure just now."

"It's nothing," Wu Zhiyuan said with a calm smile.

"County Magistrate Wu, you are right. I cannot switch from one dependency to another."

But I just can't control myself. It's not that I want anything from you, I just simply want to be close to you. Please don't find me annoying.

Liao Shanshan turned and left.

As Wu Zhiyuan watched Liao Shanshan's departing figure, a mix of emotions welled up inside him.

Liao Shanshan's words still echoed in my ears: "I just simply wanted to get closer to you."

He recalled that when he was working for the National Security Bureau, a female informant abroad once said the same thing.

But later, the female informant died at the border while covering his death.

The last time he saw her, he looked at her back with a sense of loss.

After a long pause, Wu Zhiyuan plugged the USB drive into the computer and opened the folder.

There are four video files, with the filenames clearly labeled: two for Yuan Jin, and one each for Chen Jimin and Deng Haidong.

He clicked on Yuan Jin's video.

The video has a high resolution; you can even see pores and beads of sweat.

The picture shows Yuan Jin engaging in sexual intercourse with a young and beautiful girl.

At first, the scene seemed normal, but later on, Yuan Jin really became a pervert.

Wu Zhiyuan watched for about five minutes and then turned off the video.

Whether you watch this for one minute or an hour, the conclusion is the same.

With these things, Yuan Jin was essentially held hostage.

However, Yuan Jin will soon be promoted.

Wu Zhiyuan had no intention of reporting it.

Since the issue only concerns her lifestyle and not her finances, Yuan Jin's most likely consequence is dismissal.

In a sense, the videos of Chen Jimin and Deng Haidong are even more important.

Chen Jimin is the executive deputy county head, and Deng Haidong is the director of the county party committee office. They are not yet members of the county party committee standing committee, but the municipal party committee organization department came to inspect yesterday and wants to promote Deng Haidong to the county party committee standing committee.

If this video is handed over, Deng Haidong will not only be unable to get promoted, but he won't even be able to keep his position as director of the county party committee office.

But Wu Zhiyuan did not intend to do that.

A subordinate with a tainted reputation is easier to control than a clean and honest one.

Just like ancient emperors, who knew some officials were corrupt but were in no hurry to investigate and punish them.

Firstly, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. If all the corrupt officials are eliminated, there will be no capable people in the court, and the government's policies will be difficult to implement.

Secondly, since the emperor held the key to these officials' fates, they dared not harbor any disloyal thoughts and could only wholeheartedly serve the emperor, becoming the sharpest and most obedient blade in his hand.

Thirdly, sometimes these stains are precisely the bargaining chips used to check and balance the court and prevent a particular faction from becoming too powerful.

A minister who is incorruptible, has no blemishes, is capable, and has ambition and aspirations may become the greatest threat to imperial power.

Fourthly, fostering corruption is also fostering bandits. When the time is right, such as when the national treasury is short of money or when there is a need to boost public morale, a few high-ranking corrupt officials who have been targeted for a long time should be investigated and punished swiftly and decisively.

The embezzled funds were deposited into the national treasury, relieving the immediate crisis; the emperor gained a reputation for being discerning and punishing corruption; and the people applauded, praising the emperor's wisdom. It was a win-win situation.

There was another practical consideration behind Wu Zhiyuan's reluctance to report the incident.

That means Liang Dongming is very likely to come to Qingyan to serve as the county party secretary.

Although the county party secretary is a provincial-level cadre, the city has the right to recommend candidates.

Most importantly, Wu Bao is a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee.

With his power and connections, recommending Liang Dongming to serve as the secretary of the Qingyan County Party Committee would be easy, if not a piece of cake.

Wu Zhiyuan thought that Lin Xue was right. Yuan Jin was in a window of opportunity before his promotion, so he usually wouldn't make things difficult for him.

He can not only do things during this window of opportunity, but also make arrangements in advance, placing people he trusts in important positions.

During this period, Wu Zhiyuan also discovered some cadres who were highly capable and responsible, and who could be further utilized.

However, they have only been in Qingyan for a short time, and many cadres are not yet familiar with it.

He called Lü Xinghua to his office.

"Xinghua, I remember when I first came to Qingyan, you recommended several cadres to me, including my current secretary, Fang Cheng. They are all very good."

I've been in Qingyan for two or three months now. Although I've visited many county-level units and townships, to be honest, I still don't know or understand most of the cadres, especially those at the deputy section chief level.

"Please recommend a few more cadres who are highly capable, have a solid work ethic, and are upright, but have not yet been given important positions."

"County Magistrate Wu, when you say 'has never been given an important position,' is there a specific reference to it, or...?"

"It means exactly what it says. They are capable and responsible, but because they lack connections, are bad at interpersonal relationships, or have offended someone, they remain stuck in the deputy section chief position. Can you recommend a few people like that?"

"Then I'll start with the first one. Zhou Tianwen, deputy director of the county's Development and Reform Commission."

He is 37 years old this year and has worked as a deputy director in the National Development and Reform Commission for six years.

He graduated from the provincial university of finance and economics and has very strong professional skills. He led the work on the feasibility study reports and project approvals for several major projects in the county.

I had him considered for a position last year, and we were going to promote him to section chief at the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, but for some reason, it fell through.

"I don't know why?"

"As far as I know, someone spoke behind his back, saying that he was too outspoken and didn't know how to unite his comrades."

However, the reality is that Zhou Tianwen is straightforward and argumentative, and he criticized the director mercilessly during organizational activities.

Wu Zhiyuan didn't comment, but simply nodded: "And the second one?"

"The second one is Sun Xiuying, the deputy mayor of Qiliping Town."

The woman, 34 years old, had served as the deputy mayor of Qiliping Town for five years.

She graduated from the provincial agricultural university with a major in tea.

She single-handedly built up the tea industry in Qiliping.

Originally, the tea gardens in Qiliping were scattered and the varieties were outdated. After she went there, she went door-to-door to persuade them to introduce new varieties and connected them with experts from the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Now, the "Qilixiang" brand is well-known throughout the province.

Sun Xiuying has a very down-to-earth work style. Her family lives in the county seat, but she spends most of her time in the town.

During last year's township leadership reshuffle, she was expected to be promoted to deputy secretary of the township party committee, but she did not succeed in the end.

Because some people have complained that her working methods are simplistic and crude, and that she doesn't have a good working relationship with the masses.

But I know the actual situation. When she was carrying out industrial integration in Qiliping, she touched the interests of several old tea garden owners, and those people complained to everyone.

An investigation was launched, and after much investigation, no problems were found with his finances or his work style. However, he was ultimately labeled as having "needs to improve his work methods," and his promotion was never realized.

"The third one is Wang Hao, a member of the Standing Committee of the County Discipline Inspection Commission, who is thirty-nine years old."

He has a legal background, extensive experience in handling cases, and strong principles; he is a good candidate for a discipline inspection position.

In recent years, I have participated in the investigation and handling of several important cases at the city and county levels. I have a clear approach and dare to confront tough issues.

He worked in the deputy section chief position for seven or eight years because he was too principled and ignored all attempts to plead for leniency from others.

He's not tactful at all, easily offends people, and when it really matters, nobody speaks up for him.

Lü Xinghua then recommended a few more.

Wu Zhiyuan said, "Xinghua, in the next few days, have these comrades come to my office when they have time. I want to talk to them in person."

Don't let them come all at once, one at a time. Be careful not to make any noise.

Lü Xinghua quickly replied, "Okay, okay."

Wu Zhiyuan brought these cadres here for two reasons: first, it was like an interview and assessment; second, it was to let them know that if they were promoted, it would be thanks to Wu Zhiyuan, and they would be Wu Zhiyuan's people from then on.

But this cannot be said outright, otherwise it would be a poor choice and would make people think that he is forming cliques and has a narrow mind.

Therefore, when he asked Lü Xinghua to make the notification, he only said one sentence: "County Chief Wu wants to familiarize himself with the county's cadres and invites a few comrades to come and talk about work."

Zhou Tianwen was the first to arrive.

When he knocked and came in, Wu Zhiyuan was looking at a document.

Zhou Tianwen is of medium build with a slender face. He wears black-rimmed glasses and his hair is neatly combed, giving him a meticulous air.

"County Chief Wu and Zhou Tianwen from the Development and Reform Commission are here to report for duty."

"Please sit down." Wu Zhiyuan stood up and personally made Zhou Tianwen a cup of tea.

"Comrade Astronomy, you've been at the National Development and Reform Commission for six years?"

"Six years and three months," Zhou Tianwen answered precisely.

"Six years as a deputy section chief, any thoughts?"

The question was very direct. Zhou Tianwen was taken aback, clearly not expecting the county magistrate to be so blunt.

"It would be a lie to say I have no thoughts. But what I care more about is whether I truly have the ability to take on more important responsibilities."

Wu Zhiyuan nodded: "I have read several feasibility study reports that you led, especially the one on the reconstruction and expansion of the Qingyan to Wuhe highway. The data is detailed and the arguments are thorough. It is very well done."

"You flatter me, County Chief Wu."

"Comrade Astronomy, if you were given a larger platform, what do you think you could do?"

"County Chief Wu, thank you for your trust. I would like to share a few preliminary thoughts."

On a larger platform, I believe the primary task is not what to do, but to see the direction and find the right position.

Qingyan's current development faces several key bottlenecks:

First, the lagging transportation infrastructure restricts the flow of resources and factors of production and hinders the release of the development potential of the cultural and tourism industry.

Second, the industrial structure is heavily reliant on traditional agriculture and low-end processing, resulting in weak risk resistance and a lack of competitive industrial clusters.

Third, there is a lack of foresight and systematic planning in project development. Often, projects are planned passively, waiting for resources to come in rather than actively seeking them out. There is a lack of proactive top-level design and project reserves that are tailored to local conditions.

He paused for a moment, seemingly observing County Chief Wu's reaction. Seeing that Wu Zhiyuan was just listening calmly, he continued, "If I were given the opportunity, I would focus on three things."

First, we need to solidify our project database. This involves more than simply listing projects; it requires in-depth research into national, provincial, and municipal policy directions and funding allocations to accurately plan a batch of major projects that are feasible, promising, and capable of driving overall development.

Second, optimize the business environment. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) should not only be a project approval department, but also an advisory body and driving force for economic development.

I will promote the establishment of a full-process agency and tracking service mechanism for key projects to reduce the time cost and institutional transaction cost for enterprises in the approval process.

Third, strengthen team building. A strong foundation is essential. The National Development and Reform Commission's work is broad and highly specialized, requiring a team that understands policies, is proficient in its duties, and is willing to take responsibility.

In particular, we need to cultivate a group of key personnel who are skilled in writing, calculation, project management, and coordination, thereby changing the outside world's stereotype that we prioritize approvals over service.

Wu Zhiyuan slowly said, "Comrade Tianwen, it's good that you have ideas and abilities."

But as you also know, within the system, ideas and abilities often need to be matched with appropriate platforms and opportunities to truly be effective.

He picked up his teacup, blew on the floating leaves, took a sip of water, and then said, "When I employ people, I only look at two things: one is their virtue, and the other is their talent."

My primary criterion for hiring is that candidates must possess both moral integrity and professional competence.

Talented but lacking in virtue should be avoided if possible; virtuous but lacking in talent can be cultivated and utilized.

However, if cadres with both integrity and ability are overlooked due to factors beyond their capabilities, it would be a dereliction of duty on our part and an irresponsible act towards the development of Qingyan.