Sharpening the Blade Against the Red Wall: From Hong Kong to Handong

The special plane landed at Nanniwan Airport in Yancheng in the evening. Zhou Jin, with Qin Gang, drove straight back to the municipal government office building without stopping for a moment.

Pushing open the office door, the first thing he did was to have Qin Gang take down the landscape photos that were originally hanging on the wall, and carefully unroll and hang the scroll inscribed by the old leader himself, which read "Rooted in the Old Revolutionary Base Areas, Working Hard to Revitalize the Nation." The eight powerful characters shone brightly under the light, instantly adding a touch of solemnity and authority to the simple office.

Zhou Jin took a few steps back, staring at the scroll, a determined smile playing on his lips. This was not only the earnest entrustment of his former leader, but also the foundation upon which he had gained a foothold in Yan City and made progress in his work. With these eight words, and with support from the national level, who would dare to underestimate this weighty responsibility just because he was young?

Without time for further reflection, he picked up the phone on the table and quickly dialed the number of the Secretary-General of the Municipal Government: "Notify all vice mayors and heads of relevant departments that an emergency working meeting will be held tomorrow morning at nine o'clock in the Municipal Government conference room. The agenda is to deploy the implementation of the pilot project for building a strong nation in science and technology, the use of special funds, and the promotion of investment projects. Have all departments prepare their reports in advance, focusing on the problems, solutions, and deadlines."

After hanging up the phone, he opened his work notebook and marked all the items, including the 2 million yuan special pilot fund he had secured from Kyoto, the counterpart support from research institutes, and the expert on-site guidance. He considered how to accurately implement these "dividends": the funds should be divided into two parts, one part for the digital transformation of red tourism, building online publicity platforms and immersive experience projects; the other part for the apple industry, cooperating with the Academy of Agricultural Sciences to improve varieties, build standardized demonstration gardens and deep processing technology research and development centers; the expert on-site work should have a clear division of labor, with agricultural experts connecting with the apple industry and science and technology experts responsible for digitalization projects, to ensure that everyone is used to their fullest potential.

After finishing her work, it was already late at night. Zhou Jin rubbed her throbbing temples, and a crucial issue suddenly flashed through her mind—with the implementation of numerous investment projects and the surge in popularity of red tourism, the social security pressure in Yan City would inevitably increase. Safety management at project sites, tourist disputes at scenic spots, and control over the movement of outsiders were all stumbling blocks to development, requiring advance planning and strict management.

He immediately dialed the phone number of Zhao Weidong, the director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau: "Director Zhao, come to my office at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. I need to hear your report on the current situation of public security in the city."

The following morning, an emergency working meeting was held as scheduled. Zhou Jin announced the support policies and funding allocation plans obtained from Kyoto one by one, clarifying the division of responsibilities and timelines for each department: "The Development and Reform Commission will take the lead in formulating detailed rules for the use of special funds, which will be released within a week; the Culture and Tourism Bureau will liaise with the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China to complete the digital transformation plan for red tourism by the end of the month; the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau will contact the Academy of Agricultural Sciences to complete expert consultation and demonstration park site selection by the beginning of next month; each district and county should establish a project promotion team to ensure the smooth implementation of investment projects."

As soon as the meeting ended, Zhou Jin returned to her office to await Zhao Weidong's arrival. At 3:00 PM sharp, Zhao Weidong knocked on the door and entered, dressed in a police uniform, his posture upright: "Mayor Zhou, hello! I'm here to report to you on the security work."

"Sit down." Zhou Jin gestured to the chair opposite her and got straight to the point. "Director Zhao, Yan'an City is currently at a crucial stage of development, with a large number of projects being launched and an increase in tourists. Public security is the bottom line for ensuring development. Could you elaborate on the current state of public security in our city? What risks and hidden dangers exist? What are the next steps?"

Zhao Weidong took out the prepared report materials and said in a calm tone, "Mayor Zhou, the overall social security situation in the city is currently stable, and the crime rate is showing a downward trend. However, with the implementation of investment projects and the rise in tourism, some new problems have indeed emerged: First, the number of migrant workers at project sites has increased, leading to a rise in labor disputes, fights, and other public security cases; second, the number of tourists at red tourism sites has surged, resulting in frequent disputes such as theft of tourists' belongings and overcharging by businesses; and third, security and prevention in some remote towns are weak, with theft and fraud occurring from time to time."

He paused, then added, "We have taken some measures to address these issues: setting up police stations at key project construction sites to strengthen patrols and prevention; increasing police presence in scenic areas and conducting special campaigns to crack down on overcharging tourists in conjunction with the Culture and Tourism Bureau; and optimizing the security and prevention network in remote towns. However, due to insufficient police force and aging equipment, the overall prevention and control effect is not yet ideal."

Zhou Jin listened attentively, her brows gradually furrowing: "Public security is the prerequisite for development. Without a safe and stable environment, businesses won't dare to come, tourists won't want to come, and the people won't feel at ease. Director Zhao, I require you to do three things: First, optimize police force allocation, tilting police resources towards key areas such as project sites, scenic spots, and urban-rural fringe areas, and, when necessary, deploying officers from headquarters to the front lines; second, launch special rectification campaigns, focusing on cracking down on illegal and criminal activities that affect development and people's livelihoods, such as theft, fraud, and overcharging, to create a deterrent effect; third, strengthen collaboration with project enterprises and scenic area management departments, establish information sharing and joint prevention and control mechanisms, and resolve conflicts and disputes in advance."

He stood up, his tone serious: "I'll coordinate and resolve the funding and equipment issues. You must make a solemn pledge: within two months, significantly improve the city's public security situation, achieve zero safety accidents at project sites, zero major disputes at scenic spots, and reduce the criminal case rate by another 10%. Can you do it?"

Zhao Weidong stood up abruptly, saluted, and said, "Mayor Zhou, rest assured! I guarantee the mission will be accomplished!"

"Okay." Zhou Jin nodded. "I will have the Finance Bureau allocate an additional special fund to the Public Security Bureau for the purchase of equipment and subsidies for frontline police officers. You should come up with a detailed implementation plan as soon as possible and submit it to me for approval."

After Zhao Weidong left, Zhou Jin looked at the calligraphy on the wall again. The eight characters, "Rooted in the grassroots, pragmatic in development," constantly reminded him that the road to development is never smooth. It is necessary to both focus on the economy and promote development, and also ensure safety and stability; only by taking a two-pronged approach can Yancheng's development proceed steadily and sustainably.

He picked up a pen and wrote the four characters "Public Security and Prevention" on the worktable, with "Top Priority" written next to it. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the words on the scroll and Zhou Jin's resolute face.