Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 99 The Storm Is Brewing

The indecent videos on Su Taohong's USB drive can be used to establish that Sang Jiaquan violated discipline, but at most he will be dismissed from his post. The other evidence cannot form a complete chain of evidence.

Wu Zhiyuan did not intend to report Sang Jiaquan now, because the timing was not right and it would alert the enemy.

For example, if that treasure vault is real, the Sang family will move to a new location if there is any disturbance.

Wu Zhiyuan plans to take some time to visit the treasure pavilion in person.

……

The provincial on-site meeting on building a strong agricultural province is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

Just as he arrived at work in the morning, Zhou Wei, Wu Zhiyuan, and others accompanied Xu Youwei to the site for a final inspection and guidance of the preparatory work for the on-site meeting.

On the way, Xu Youwei said with concern, "This on-site meeting is of a high standard. Provincial Party Secretary Sha is personally attending, and each city's Party Secretary is leading the delegation. We can't afford to make any mistakes. What I'm most worried about is the mass petitioning incident triggered by the collapse of the Yinnong Cooperative."

If they were to petition or even cause trouble at the meeting, it would not only severely disrupt the proceedings but also leave an extremely negative impression on Secretary Sha of the Provincial Party Committee and the delegates.

Zhou Wei continued, "Secretary Xu, the Petition Bureau and Longxi District have been working to appease and guide the depositors, and most of them are temporarily calm."

However, a few people remained highly emotional and threatened to demand an explanation at key events.

This on-site meeting was not kept secret from the public; many people knew about it.

The police have been notified to increase security and patrols around the event area. Anyone found causing trouble will be arrested immediately.

Xu Youwei pondered for a moment and said, "Let's try not to arrest anyone! Put ourselves in their shoes; if we lost all our hard-earned money, wouldn't we feel terrible?"

Wu Zhiyuan suddenly had an idea: "Secretary Xu, I have a rough idea, but I don't know if it's feasible?"

Xu Youwei smiled encouragingly: "Tell me about it."

Wu Zhiyuan said slowly, "Secretary Xu, Director Zhou, my idea may sound a bit unpleasant, it's called 'deception,' but the core purpose is to guide and isolate."

We don't intend to actually deceive the public or harm their interests, but rather to use a reason that they can relatively easily accept to temporarily divert them from the most sensitive time and place, preventing the situation from spiraling out of control and causing irreparable consequences.

Wu Zhiyuan continued, "For those who came to the scene in the afternoon to demand an explanation, we prepared several buses and said that an important leader was going to meet them in person. We didn't specify who it was, deliberately leaving a hook and room for explanation later."

Then they drive to a tourist attraction in another county or city, and by the time they realize what's happening and rush back, the meeting is already over...

Xu Youwei pondered for a long time before finally making a difficult decision: "Zhiyuan, do as you say. You will be in charge of this matter, with Comrade Zhou Wei and the comrades from the Municipal Letters and Visits Bureau cooperating."

Although we don't want to deceive the petitioners, it's better than arresting them, right?

Personally, I am against using police force to arrest people at every turn.

It seems that many local governments these days don't know how to handle conflicts unless they arrest people!

After a pause, Xu Youwei instructed, "Zhiyuan, refine the contingency plan further, focusing on the 'words' used when communicating with depositors. You must achieve your goal without leaving any grounds for deception, and make them feel that they have received special attention."

Several people arrived at the venue.

The city followed the provincial plan for the venue setup.

The provincial plan was formulated under the leadership of the General Office of the Provincial Party Committee. It is very specific and includes regulations on slogans and banners.

Xu Youwei was generally satisfied.

At this moment, Mayor Ai Kun arrived with Zhang Xiaotian and others.

His face wore his usual smile as his gaze swept across the venue, but he stopped in front of the backdrop on the stage.

Ai Kun laughed and joked, "Secretary Xu, I think that as the host city, Longcheng could reflect some of its unique characteristics and innovative spirit in the details."

For example, this backdrop. The province requires it to be white with red lettering. It is dignified, but isn't it a bit too rigid?

Could we add some rice stalks and wheat waves as background patterns? This would be both relevant to the theme and vivid, leaving Secretary Sha and the delegates with a deeper impression of Longcheng.

Xu Youwei remained calm and said in an unquestionable tone, "Mayor Ai, the province has unified requirements for the purpose of standardization and seriousness."

Our primary task is to strictly implement the plan and ensure the meeting's success.

If we make unauthorized changes and the province deems them inappropriate, we'll be in a passive position. I believe the safest approach is to strictly adhere to the provincial plan.

Ai Kun's smile faded slightly. He glanced at Zhang Xiaotian beside him and said meaningfully, "Secretary Zhang, you see, sometimes, emphasizing rules too much can easily tie our hands and feet, and stifle our pioneering spirit. Reform, sometimes, requires a spirit of breakthrough."

Zhang Xiaotian chimed in, "Mayor Ai is right. Demonstrating local initiative and unique characteristics without violating fundamental principles is also a form of responsibility."

Xu Youwei looked at Ai Kun and Zhang Xiaotian and said bluntly, "Taking responsibility and making achievements is reflected in implementing the decisions and plans of the Provincial Party Committee without compromise and ensuring the complete success of important meetings."

Today's on-site meeting was attended personally by Secretary Sha and the top leaders of all cities. The image and responsibility of Longcheng are reflected in its rigor, standardization, and foolproof approach.

Making unauthorized innovations in details, if they do not meet the requirements of superiors, will only be superfluous.

Strictly adhering to the established plan is the greatest responsibility we must shoulder at this moment.

Ai Kun, losing face, angrily flung his hand and said to Zhang Xiaotian and the others, "Let's go! Let's look somewhere else!"

Wu Zhiyuan saw this and realized that Ai Kun was not taking Xu Youwei seriously. Even if the two had a conflict, it shouldn't have been made public.

Ai Quentin is not usually arrogant, which is actually a kind of political wisdom.

As the second-in-command, it's usually not advantageous to openly challenge the top leader.

Is Secretary Sha really going to step down early and let Jiang Jun take over? Is that why he's so fearless?

After Ai Kun and his group stormed off, the atmosphere at the scene became somewhat tense.

Xu Youwei remained calm and continued to inspect the details of the meeting, but Wu Zhiyuan could sense the suppressed anger beneath his composed exterior.

This public dispute undoubtedly brought the conflict between the two to the forefront.

At noon, Xu Youwei received Secretary Sha and his entourage.

After a simple meal, Secretary Sha and Xu Youwei had a one-on-one conversation in the reception room.

"Youwei, relax. It's just the two of us. Let's chat casually." Secretary Sha's tone was calm, shedding the imposing aura he displayed in public.

Xu Youwei sat down respectfully, leaning forward slightly: "Secretary Sha, please give your instructions."

"Youwei, the organization has already spoken with me, and I will retire soon."

I've reached an age where I should make way for younger people.

This trip to Longcheng may be my last time inspecting and guiding work in this capacity.

Xu Youwei had heard some rumors before, but he didn't expect them to be true.

He looked surprised and was about to speak when Secretary Sha said, "What? Are you surprised? Or do you think that with my withdrawal, you, Xu Youwei, will be playing a one-man show in Longcheng, or even resorting to a ruse?"

"Secretary Sha, I..." Xu Youwei wanted to express his opinion, but Secretary Sha stopped him with a gesture.

"Youwei," Secretary Sha's tone became earnest, "I'm not speaking to you today as a leader, but as an old comrade who is about to retire, to say a few words from my heart."

Xu Youwei said very respectfully, "Secretary Sha, thank you for your trust and guidance. Please go ahead."

Secretary Sha took a sip of water and said slowly, "Youwei, why did I insist on letting you take over Longcheng despite all the objections?"

It's because of your spirit of daring to tackle tough challenges and take real action that we've recognized your potential!

What was the situation in Longcheng before? It was a complex and deeply entrenched place, riddled with long-standing problems!

What's needed is a decisive and responsible disruptor, not a mere "maintenance chairman"!

"During this period, your actions in taking down Zhang Wanlin, halting the campaign to level graves, and rectifying official corruption were all on the right track. You demonstrated the necessary resolve, and the results are visible. The Provincial Party Committee fully affirms your efforts."

"However," Secretary Sha changed the subject, "Youwei, you must remember that reformers are often lonely, and even the most vulnerable."

If you disrupt someone's plans, cut off their source of income, and ruin their livelihood, then someone will inevitably hate you to the bone and try every means to bring you down.

When I'm in power, I can shield you from both overt and covert attacks from all sides.

But once I step down, some forces might become uncontrollable.