Right path to power

"I'm here today mainly to see how everyone is doing, and I'd like to understand some specific issues. Please speak freely and keep it brief. Okay, let's start from the left."

Lin Xiao waved to interrupt the applause and got straight to the point.

Following the county head's instructions, everyone took turns speaking.

Lin Xiao listened attentively, taking notes from time to time.

Finally, Zheng Qiang spoke, but he talked on and on without getting to the point before Lin Xiao stopped him, leaving him looking embarrassed.

Lin Xiao's impartiality towards everyone made the bureau chief quite resentful.

"Everyone has said a lot, and I also have some questions I'd like to ask everyone."

As he spoke, Lin Xiao took out a stack of documents and opened them: "First, regarding the land registration fee, according to the relevant regulations of the Provincial Price Bureau and the Provincial Finance Department, the registration fee for residential land is 100 yuan per item. Why are you charging 120 yuan? The standard for non-residential land is 700 yuan per item. Why are you actually charging 760 yuan? You have overcharged by more than one million yuan in two years. Where did this money go?"

Secondly, regarding mineral resource management, what laws and regulations does the Land and Resources Bureau base its issuance of mining permits on? What are the fee standards for collecting mining rights usage fees? Why do various mines use a large number of informal receipts for accounting purposes?

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire conference room fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone lowered their heads slightly, and no one dared to look at Lin Xiao anymore.

Everyone understood that this man from Linxian was not there for the sake of appearances; he had come with a real problem to confront and demand answers.

Zheng Qiang was dumbfounded, never expecting Lin Xiao to throw out two potentially fatal questions as soon as she arrived.

Asking questions in public is a sign that leaves no room for retreat.

Lin Xiao's cold gaze swept across the room, finally landing on Zheng Qiang: "Comrade Zheng Qiang, you are the bureau chief, you tell us the specifics."

"I... am the county magistrate."

Zheng Qiang was somewhat speechless, but quickly forced himself to explain: "County Chief Lin, regarding the registration fee, the provincial standard only covers the registration cost. On-site surveying and filing, vehicle fuel costs, and equipment maintenance all require additional expenses. The team decided to increase the fees after a meeting, and the extra money will be used to fill the operational gaps in various tasks."

The issuance of mining permits was also carried out after joint approval by multiple departments, and the fees were collected in accordance with relevant regulations. The issue of informal receipts mainly stemmed from the untimely application for fiscal invoices, with the finance department issuing receipts as a temporary measure. The plan is to uniformly replace them with formal invoices in the future...

His mind worked incredibly fast, and he quickly came up with a seemingly reasonable excuse on the spot.

Lin Xiao sneered and pushed the materials in her hand towards him: "Do you even believe that explanation yourself?"

Those are excerpts from the complaint letters filed by the Land and Resources Bureau and Zheng Qiang himself.

Zheng Qiang's face turned pale, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Trembling, he picked up the documents, glanced at them with feigned composure, and then cried out, "County Chief Lin, this is a false accusation! I'm innocent! These are all baseless rumors! Please don't..."

"Whether it's true or false, a simple investigation will tell," Lin Xiao coldly interrupted his explanation.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Hu Changheng, deputy secretary of the county discipline inspection commission, walked in with two other people. He went straight to Lin Xiao and said, "County Chief Lin, excuse me."

Lin Xiao nodded.

Hu Changheng turned to Zheng Qiang and said in a deep voice, "Zheng Qiang, the county discipline inspection commission has received a report about you. Please come back with us to cooperate with the investigation."

Zheng Qiang trembled, his face turned pale instantly, and the materials slipped from his hands.

Isn't this a bit too fast?

Clearly, Lin Xiao came not only to interrogate him, but also to arrest him.

"I...I'm innocent...Lin..."

Zheng Qiang was stunned and didn't know how to organize his thoughts. He struggled instinctively, but was pulled away by two staff members from the Discipline Inspection Commission.

At this moment, the conference room was not only deathly silent, but the thick gloom felt like a boulder pressing down on everyone's heads.

Everyone seems to be worried about who will be next?

Lin Xiao coldly scanned the room again and said in a deep voice, "I believe the Discipline Inspection Commission will be able to find out about Zheng Qiang's problem soon. As for whether any of you here have any problems, I'm sure you know the answer in your hearts. I hope you will take the initiative to confess your problems and strive for leniency."

I hope that our cadre team will first and foremost be honest and upright, which is the most basic bottom line; secondly, they will focus their minds on their work, which is the most basic requirement for fulfilling their duties; and finally, any act of paying lip service while acting against orders, abusing power for personal gain, or harming the public interest for personal benefit will be severely punished.

Next, Lin Xiao put forward requirements and expectations for the leadership team and middle-level cadres of the Land and Resources Bureau, and made requirements for the next step of work. At the same time, he announced that Deputy Director Xie Chenglin would temporarily take charge of the work.

Afterwards, Xie Chenglin escorted Lin Xiao and the others downstairs, during which Lin Xiao gave them a few more instructions.

Upon returning to the conference room, Xie Chenglin found it still silent, but he could still sense that everyone's heads were shrouded in shadow.

He coughed and said, "Everyone must thoroughly implement the requirements that County Chief Lin just put forward, and at the same time, we must reflect deeply on them and make full preparations for the next step of our work. In addition, I feel it is necessary to remind some comrades again that taking initiative is the greatest responsibility we can take to ourselves."

After saying that, he got up and left the conference room.

To be honest, he was both shocked and excited.

After graduating from university, he joined the land and resources system. Starting from a township land and resources office, he rose through the ranks to become the deputy director thanks to his outstanding work, solid theoretical foundation, and innovative thinking.

I originally thought that a higher position would allow me to better utilize my talents and contribute more to the development of land and resources work in the county.

But he gradually discovered that some things were not as he had imagined.

Especially in some projects and plans, his reasonable suggestions were often ignored, and a single sentence from a county leader became the final conclusion. Even if he argued his case, he only ended up being criticized.

Later, Zheng Qiang took over as director, and his actions became even more forceful and brutal, gradually turning Zheng Qiang, the deputy director, into a figurehead.

From then on, he was physically and mentally exhausted and disheartened, and just went through the motions of chanting scriptures and ringing the bell every day.

He didn't care much about his future career, but Lin Xiao unexpectedly put him in charge of the Land and Resources Bureau temporarily.

Moreover, he is not the executive deputy director.

Even though it's only temporary, what does that mean?

Is this a test?

Or has his career been revitalized?

Upon reflection, he was still somewhat puzzled, perhaps simply because he was innocent.

But no matter what, his long-suppressed drive resurfaced.

"Even if it's just for a few days, we can't just sit idly by. Right now, the most important thing for the county is to unify the planning of mineral development. If the previous plans and ideas can be adopted by the county, then all that time and effort will have been spent..."

In his office, Xie Chenglin typed away while muttering to himself.

Meanwhile, not long after Lin Xiaogang returned to his office, Chai Zhimin, the director of the audit bureau, came to report that after a rigorous audit, they found many problems with the finance bureau, especially the chaotic operation of some projects' revenue and expenditure.

"Okay, I understand. Please compile the relevant materials and hand them over to the Discipline Inspection Commission."

"Yes, County Head."

Afterwards, Lin Xiao went to Zhu Lishu's office and reported on his visits to several units that day.

After listening to Lin Xiao's account, Zhu Lishu said with a gloomy face, "Some people just don't know how to repent, don't know when to stop, and don't focus on their work. What's the use of playing dumb? Can they hide for a while and escape the discerning eyes of the masses?"

Fifteen minutes later, Zhu Lishu presided over an emergency meeting of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee.

After discussion, the meeting voted to approve Lin Xiao's proposal: to dismiss Chen Shiwei, secretary of the Qionglin Town Party Committee, Yan Zhiwei, director of the County Administrative Service Center, and Zheng Qiang, director of the County Land and Resources Bureau. Zheng Qiang has been taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission to cooperate with the investigation. The clues of the three suspected violations of laws and regulations have been transferred to the County Discipline Inspection Commission for further verification and handling.

The announcement caused an uproar in the officialdom of Fuchuan County.

Soon, a saying spread among the people: County Magistrate Lin simply took a stroll around, and all three of his official hats as a section chief were taken off!

"Has he gone mad? How can anyone concentrate on work like this?"

In the office, Jia Anpeng slammed his fist on the table and spoke through gritted teeth.

"He's trying to establish his authority!" Shu Xiaobing said calmly.

Many people probably won't be able to sleep peacefully tonight!