The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 315 Deputy Commander Qian Writes Guidance Documents

Just past 7:30, the solemn and imposing Soviet-style main building of the city government building became bustling with activity.

The heads of various government agencies and departments, who had been called to a meeting early in the morning, squeezed into the conference room on the third floor.

The doors and windows were tightly closed, but the curtains were wide open, and the sunlight streaming in was brilliant.

It's unsettling because it's a bit too bright.

The rectangular conference table was covered with a dark green woolen tablecloth, on which rows of enamel teacups printed with the company name were neatly arranged.

The attendees entered the venue one after another, each walking briskly with a serious expression.

In addition to all members of the leadership team of Haibin City, many heads of other units also came.

The heads of all the commissions, offices, and bureaus related to "agriculture" and "water," including the Municipal Planning Commission, Agricultural Commission, Economic Commission, Water Resources Bureau, Agriculture Bureau, Finance Bureau, Meteorological Bureau, Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Transportation Bureau, Public Security Bureau, Health Bureau, and Civil Affairs Bureau, as well as the responsible comrades of the Armed Forces Department and Fire Brigade, have all arrived.

In front of each person's seat, there was a photocopy of a document that still smelled of ink.

As Qian Jin followed Wei Bin into the conference room, he sensed an unusually tense atmosphere.

As the director of the foreign affairs office of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, he was not qualified to attend such a high-level city-wide work conference.

However, when Wei Bin received the notification, he specifically emphasized that the Municipal Party Committee Office had specifically requested that Comrade Qian Jin attend the meeting.

This invitation, one of only two available, meant that Qian Jin immediately felt many probing and scrutinizing gazes as he stepped into the venue.

He calmly sat down in the seat behind Wei Bin, with a document in front of him as well.

At eight o'clock, the top leader Zheng Guodong, accompanied by his secretary, walked steadily into the conference room.

His face was stern, his brows were furrowed, and he was holding the same document in his hand.

Without any further pleasantries, Zheng Guodong went straight to the head seat and sat down.
"Comrades, the meeting is now in session!"

He waved the documents in his hand. "This is an emergency meeting today. Let's get straight to the point and focus on one thing: drought relief!"

The room was completely silent, and all eyes were on him.

"Everyone here has probably already seen this document," Secretary Zheng said, raising his voice slightly, with a heavy sense of urgency. "You don't need to doubt the source and reliability of the report. Let's go straight to discussing the core conclusions of the report."

"Alas, this conclusion is very unfavorable to our coastal city, the entire province, and even the North China region."

"Weather forecasts indicate that our city and surrounding areas face an extremely high risk of experiencing a prolonged and severe drought over the next three months! Summer rainfall will be significantly lower than normal, and high temperatures are likely to occur frequently. The situation is very serious!"

As he spoke, the conference room was filled with helpless gasps and the rustling of papers turning.

Despite prior warnings of drought among the public, the impact of this warning report, bearing the seal of a national authority, appearing in black and white was still immense.

The director of the agricultural bureau looked very displeased as he saw the words "rainfall may be more than 50% lower than the average for the same period in previous years" on the document.

The director of the water resources bureau, staring at the statement that "river runoff is expected to decrease sharply," became a fellow sufferer with the former.

The meteorological bureau leader kept shaking his head, and every now and then he would take out a handkerchief to wipe his shiny forehead.

The situation is not good!

These four large characters weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

The leaders attending the meeting all have direct or indirect ties to agriculture. They had just emerged from the shadow of a major insect plague last month, and then this month an even more severe natural disaster struck.

One official couldn't help but sigh, "Damn it, what a bad year! We've just escaped one danger only to fall into another."

Zheng Guodong remained silent, looking down at the report and smoking incessantly.

The others, emboldened, began to complain.

Then, without anyone noticing, Zheng Guodong raised his head and took in everyone's reactions.

Seeing the group of cadres complaining, some cursing, some with long faces, and others even more, he suddenly slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said:
"We can't control what nature does, just like rain or a woman remarrying. But fighting drought, ensuring a good harvest, and protecting people's livelihoods are the Party and government's sacred duty, and an inescapable responsibility for all of us here!"

"No need for discussion or cursing, I'll just announce it directly: from this moment on, the entire city must take immediate action and make drought relief the top priority for the entire city in the coming quarter."

"From now on, I don't care if you're from this bureau or that institute, all your work must revolve around drought relief, and all resources must be tilted towards drought relief! This is a strict order, and there is no room for negotiation."

He scanned the entire room with sharp eyes, then nodded to Han Zhaoxin, the second-in-command.

According to the administrative head responsibility system for specific events, disaster relief is the domain of the second-in-command.

Zheng Guodong and Han Zhaoxin worked together very well, and there was no power struggle between them.

Therefore, Zheng Guodong was responsible for initiating the work, while Han Zhaoxin was responsible for the subsequent details.

Han Zhaoxin stood up without ceremony, his tone much harsher than Zheng Guodong's:

"Comrade Guodong has already mobilized everyone, so I won't waste words. We are all veteran comrades here, and they know my temperament, so I'll just get straight to the point."

"Upon returning, all relevant units should immediately develop practical and feasible drought relief emergency plans based on their respective responsibilities."

“You, the Water Resources Bureau, are the main force. The existing reservoirs, ponds, wells, and canals, and all usable water resources, must be scientifically allocated and carefully managed. Not a single drop of water can be wasted.”

"Agricultural Bureau—Old Shao, stop looking down and raise your head! This noon, we need to immediately organize technical personnel to go to the countryside to guide farmers in taking all possible measures to conserve soil moisture and water, and to promote drought-resistant technologies!"

"Supply and Marketing Cooperative," the second-in-command's gaze lingered on Wei Bin and Qian Jin for a moment before finally settling on Wei Bin, "Cooperative Wei, you must ensure that the agricultural supplies needed for drought relief, such as agricultural film, drought-resistant agents, and seeds that may need to be replanted or supplemented, are in sufficient supply and that the channels are unobstructed."

Wei Bin immediately nodded in agreement: "Please rest assured, leaders, our unit has been making preparations for this for a long time."

"In addition, our unit has increased the procurement of water pumps and diesel fuel, and contacted the factory to maintain and repair the existing water pumps in rural areas, and will do its best to ensure the water output of deep wells."

Han Zhaoxin nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. Wei She is a role model. All comrades should learn from him."

He turned his head and said, "The meteorological bureau, you are also the vanguard. You must closely monitor weather changes and seize every possible opportunity to carry out artificial rain enhancement."

"The Finance Bureau must ensure that drought relief funds are in place in a timely manner... The Transportation Bureau and the Public Security Bureau must ensure the smooth and safe transportation of drought relief supplies... All other departments must unconditionally obey and serve the overall drought relief effort!"

Han Zhaoxin did not rise to power through the chaos of a turbulent era; he was a true academic, a university graduate from the 1960s, and possessed exceptional work abilities.

This is evident from his deployment skills; they are clear, powerful, and well-organized.

Each unit accepted the task, and immediately a sense of urgency arose that a major battle was imminent.

After deploying the core tasks, he made more detailed work arrangements.

Finally, he nodded to Zheng Guodong as he finished arranging the meeting, and then handed the baton back to him.

Zheng Guodong picked up his teacup and took a big gulp of water to moisten his somewhat dry throat, then changed the subject:
"Next, I'd like to mention the 'Citywide Commendation Conference for Advanced Collectives and Individuals in the Fight Against the Barley Aphid Plague,' which was originally scheduled to be held soon. What are everyone's thoughts on this?"

The leader of the public security department bluntly said, "What other opinions can we have? I think we should just cancel the event and focus on fighting the drought. Once we successfully overcome the drought, we can hold a bigger commendation ceremony."

Qian Jin, who was sitting below, nodded.

This is a leader who can get things done.

As a result, Wang Zhenbang raised an objection.

He put down his teacup, shook his head, and said, "Comrades, I have a different opinion."

"The insect plague is over. We fought a brilliant counterattack against the invasion of these so-called black insect demons, annihilating them in one fell swoop and saving the farmers' wheat seedlings."

"This is a victory, a victory achieved through concerted efforts from top to bottom. As the leader of the command and leadership group, I believe that this commendation meeting should still be held."

"I know some comrades are having doubts—oh, do you, Lao Wang, want to go on stage to receive an award? Do you want to be a role model? Do you want to show off?"

“That’s not how it is!” Wang Zhenbang waved his hand in agreement. “We must understand that this victory is of extraordinary significance to the farmers and grassroots cadres who have just experienced despair.”

"This commendation ceremony is an affirmation of their efforts and sacrifices, and also an important event to boost morale, so it absolutely cannot be canceled lightly!"

Han Zhaoxin took a puff of his cigarette, frowned, and said, "But after all, drought relief is the most urgent task."

Wang Zhenbang looked at Zheng Guodong: "Comrade Guodong, what do you have to say?"

Zheng Guodong laughed: "You've found the right reinforcements. My thoughts are the same as Comrade Zhenbang's. This conference should not only not be canceled, but it should not only be held, but it should be held in a more grand and impressive way!"

"Comrades, we have won the battle against the insect plague! This fully proves that our cadres are capable of fighting tough battles and that our people are indomitable!"

"The joy of this victory and the spiritual strength we have forged together are our most valuable assets in our next battle against the drought!"

His gaze swept across the entire room, and he emphasized his words:
"However, how to handle this commendation meeting requires some skill. I think the original 'Citywide Commendation Meeting for Advanced Collectives and Individuals in the Fight Against the Barley Aphid Plague' should be closely integrated with the upcoming comprehensive drought relief mobilization work."

"Change the name of the conference to 'Citywide Commendation Conference for Advanced Collectives and Individuals in the Fight Against the Major Barley Aphid Plague and Citywide Mobilization Conference for Drought Relief'!"

He paused, then said clearly:

"We must use the commendation of advanced individuals to inspire morale, and use the summary of the experience of the victory against the insect plague to boost morale. At the same time, we must also issue the loudest call to the people of the city at this conference: Declare war on drought!"

"We must bring the same indomitable spirit we displayed when fighting insect plagues to this new battle against drought and disaster relief! This is the core mission of the conference!"

Qian Jin nodded immediately.

Yeah.

The leader is quite capable.

Zheng Guodong waved to both sides: "Come on, comrades, let's discuss this. Anyone who has an idea can speak up."

A murmur rippled through the room, and soon everyone's faces lit up with approval and excitement.

Han Zhaoxin was the first to respond to his suggestion: "Comrade Guodong's idea is good. The leader just said that mental workers are also glorious workers. So we can also say that spiritual mobilization is also a fighting force."

The top leaders reached a consensus, and the third-in-command had also expressed the same idea.

There's absolutely no need for discussion then.

Even someone with cerebral palsy wouldn't dare to voice an objection while sitting here.

The proposal to hold both an awards ceremony and a mobilization meeting simultaneously was approved by vote, and Zheng Guodong immediately instructed his secretary to leave and make preparations.
"Summon all the key grassroots cadres in our Haibin City, down to the production team leader level!" Qian Jin exclaimed in astonishment.

This guy's going to have a really big meeting!

The number of cadres in each commune, production brigade, and production team must exceed one thousand.

Zheng Guodong continued, "In order to strengthen the unified leadership and efficient command of drought relief work, I have decided to immediately establish the Haibin City Drought Relief Command Center, implement the administrative head responsibility system, and appoint Comrade Zhao Xin as the commander-in-chief!"

He raised his hand to clap, and Han Zhaoxin stood up, clapping and nodding to the crowd.

Then Zheng Guodong tentatively asked Han Zhaoxin, "How is your command structure arranged? Are you going to go back and prepare before announcing it?"

Han Zhaoxin thought for a moment and said, "Let's just announce it directly. Let's announce one first, um, the draft leadership structure. We can discuss any additions or subtractions later. We'll combine theory with practice then."

Zheng Guodong laughed upon hearing this: "Well said. As the leader said, only practice is the criterion for testing truth. Let's determine the team based on practice."

Han Zhaoxin nodded.

This is not the first time a drought relief command center has been established; there were previous organizational structures documented in archives.

He had his secretary retrieve the files, and using them as a reference, he quickly established the core framework:

"The deputy commanders are Zhao Wenwu, who is in charge of agriculture and water conservancy; Zhang Chengnan, director of the Municipal Water Resources Bureau; and Li Xiangdong, director of the Municipal Emergency Management Office."

“We don’t need to repeat the member units; everyone here is a member.”

"In addition, the command center has an office located in the Municipal Water Resources Bureau, which is responsible for daily coordination and dispatch. The command center implements a 24-hour joint duty system, and disaster information must be reported immediately!"

"Furthermore, should the drought worsen, an expert group composed of senior engineers and technicians from fields such as water conservancy and agriculture will be added as needed to provide decision-making support!"

After Han Zhaoxin finished reading the main structure, Zheng Guodong's gaze turned to the back of the room again. Then he gave a wink, and the two of them lowered their heads to discuss.

Then Zheng Guodong waved to Wang Zhenbang, and the three leaders huddled together, whispering like elementary school students having a small meeting in class.

After discussing for two or three minutes, the three stood up, and Han Zhaoxin suddenly said, "We need to add another deputy commander."

"Given Comrade Qian Jin's outstanding performance in the early stages of the insect infestation response, especially in information collection, analysis and judgment, and specific implementation, he demonstrated excellent organizational and coordination abilities and a high sense of responsibility, making a special contribution to the final victory over the insect infestation."

"So, based on the recommendation of relevant leaders and the decision of Comrade Guo Dong, it was decided, after research, to appoint Comrade Qian Jin as the deputy commander of the city's drought relief and disaster relief command center, to directly participate in the core decision-making and coordination work of the command center."

This appointment is explosive.

It was like throwing a cross-dresser into a prison for male hardened criminals, causing an immediate uproar.

All eyes immediately focused on Qian Jin.

Wei Bin now had to think more highly of Qian Jin.

A department head from the supply and marketing cooperative was promoted ahead of schedule to the highest command core of the city's drought relief efforts, serving as deputy commander!
This is unprecedented in the history of cadre appointments in the entire coastal city!

Surprise, doubt, scrutiny, envy...

A complex mix of emotions mingled in the air.

Wang Zhenbang was really good to Qian Jin.

He immediately smiled and said, "I was in charge of the work to combat the insect plague. I was Qian Jin's supervisor for a few days, so I'd like to add a few words..."

He wanted to pay to get onto the platform.

The director then gave a detailed account of Qian Jin's remarkable performance in turning the tide during the insect plague, and also explained the origin of this crucial weather warning report, praising Qian Jin extensively.

Many cadres nodded in agreement as they listened.

After all, you can't go against your boss.

Besides, disaster relief is no easy task. Some cadres think it's good to put a young person into the high-level decision-making group because older comrades can't work around the clock, but young comrades can!

Qian Jin himself was deeply shaken.

To be honest, he really didn't expect to be entrusted with such a great responsibility.

Wei Bin immediately gave him a push, and he immediately stood up straight and said, "Thank you for your trust, leaders. I will do my best to live up to your expectations!"

Han Zhaoxin nodded and gestured for him to sit down: "Comrade Qian Jin has a heavy responsibility. The work of the command headquarters requires you to get into your role as soon as possible."

"My work here is almost done for now. Um, after the meeting, relevant comrades, please stay behind for a short meeting with the core members of our command to refine the division of labor."

The meeting continued, and the heads of relevant units gave preliminary reports on their ideas and the difficulties they faced in drought relief work, based on their own responsibilities.

The meeting lasted until noon.

After the meeting, Qian Jin, as the newly appointed deputy commander of the command, was naturally kept behind. He sat at a table with the other leaders and held a brief internal meeting of the command to clarify their respective responsibilities.

Qian Jin was mainly responsible for overall coordination, information collection and analysis, and the preliminary drafting of some emergency plans.

This shows that Han Zhaoxin is more suitable to manage affairs than Wang Zhenbang. Of course, this is normal, as he is the person in charge of administrative work in Haibin City, and he usually manages affairs.

Qian Jin was very satisfied with the work assigned to him by the command, as it allowed him to utilize his strengths.

He is indeed well-suited to be in charge of information and emergency response plans, as well as technology promotion.

After the meeting, Qian Jin ate at the municipal government canteen with the leaders. As a young cadre, he stood out among a group of middle-aged and elderly cadres, attracting many people's attention and inquiries.

After dinner, he didn't return to his unit. Instead, he called Wei Bin and bluntly stated that he wanted to go home to collect data and formulate a drought emergency plan.

Wei Bin naturally let them pass.

Drought prevention is the top priority!

Qian Jin went home and into his study. He told Ma Hongxia, "No one is allowed to come upstairs and disturb me." Then he locked the door and took out the gold box.

I am not a model worker in drought relief; I am merely a conveyor of drought relief knowledge and successful case studies.

He first received various books related to drought relief, and then carefully selected one titled "A General Record of Natural Disasters in Haibin City Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China".

This book is very useful.

The book contains a special record of the severe drought of 80, documenting many problems that arose in the decision-making process at the top and in the implementation at the grassroots level after the drought occurred. It includes introductions to successful experiences as well as summaries of lessons learned from failures.

However, the timing of disaster response in this world's coastal city and even the country has changed, and everything is unlikely to be the same as what is recorded in the book, so it can only be used as a reference.

The key is to develop a detailed and feasible response plan based on future scientific drought prevention data.

Qian Jin locked himself in his study for two nights and a day. When he was tired, he slept in a recliner in the study, and when he woke up, he had to continue writing.

He finally managed to write a proposal that satisfied him.

He wrote tens of thousands of words by hand, based on the core principles of "tiered response," "water resource allocation," "engineering water conservation," and "technology adaptation," and the drought response plan he formulated could be used as a teaching material.

Originally, a general meeting was scheduled to be held early the next morning after the headquarters was established. However, Qian Jin talked about the ambitious project he was undertaking on the phone, so the meeting was delayed by a day.

Qian Jin stayed up all night again, making some additions and revisions to the drought relief plan to make it more detailed.

He didn't care about the choice of words or phrases, since his secretary would take care of it anyway.

Early the next morning, Qian Jin, sporting panda eyes, went downstairs to ride his motorcycle to the city government for a meeting, only to find a black sedan parked downstairs.

Upon seeing him, the driver quickly got out of the car and opened the door: "Deputy Commander Qian, Director Wang arranged for me to come and pick you up. In the days to come, I will be your personal driver in the fight against the drought."

Qian Jin felt a warmth in his heart.

Director Wang is really capable.

When the neighbors saw him get into the car, they greeted him warmly: "Hey, Chief Qian, you managed to get on Beibei's car?"

“This car is impressive. Our neighborhood committee director Zhang—uh, I mean Zhang Hongbo—never rode in a car before.”

"Old Sun, I think you've lost your mind. How can that bastard Zhang Hongbo compare to Chief Qian?"

Qian Jin smiled faintly, quietly got into the car, and drove off quickly.

Today is the first meeting of all members of the command headquarters, and the room is full of people again.

Qian Jin entered the conference room with dark circles under his eyes from staying up all night. Han Zhaoxin glanced at him, swallowed the words he was about to say, and instead asked with concern, "It's only been two days, what's wrong with you?"

"I stayed up all night writing something." Qian Jin chuckled and placed a draft of the "Guidelines for Initial Work in Drought Relief and Disaster Relief in Haibin City" in front of Han Zhaoxin.

Han Zhaoxin glanced at it quickly, then frowned and began to examine it carefully.

At first, he pointed to each line with his finger, but soon, without even looking up, he waved his hand and said, "Give me a pen."

The secretary immediately handed him a pen.

After drawing a line, Han Zhaoxin complained, "I want it red!"

But he still didn't look up.

The officials present were puzzled. What was the second-in-command looking at so intently?
Zhang Chengnan, the director of the Water Resources Bureau and also a deputy commander, joked with Qian Jin: "Deputy Commander Qian, you're something else. You've only just taken office and you've already made all of us wait a whole day before we even got to see you."

Some truths are always expressed in a joking way...

At that moment, Qian Jin deeply understood this sentence.

He couldn't argue, so he simply explained, "I found some important information yesterday, and all my energy was focused on those few sheets of paper. I didn't dare to move, otherwise my inspiration would be cut off."

As he spoke, he pointed to the manuscript in the second-in-command's hand.

What he meant was simple.

If you have any objections, go tell the second-in-command.

(End of this chapter)