Right path to power

Gu Shaojie.

He also graduated from Fengdu University, two years ahead of Wei Wenjuan, and studied economics.

He was selected as a civil servant and was promoted to deputy section chief after working for three years. However, he has been working in townships and is now the deputy secretary of the Party Committee of Tianba Township.

Is it a reunion of alumni?

The idea suddenly popped into Wei Wenjuan's mind, but she immediately dismissed it.

After all, catching up with old friends in the office during working hours is not the style of County Chief Lin.

However, the discussion about work didn't really cover anything substantial.

Could it be that positions have been added?

In fact, Gu Shaojie felt the same way.

He was also quite surprised to run into Wei Wenjuan at the door.

The two had very different jobs, and the only thing they had in common was that they were university classmates with Lin Xiao.

Being summoned suddenly without any specific agenda inevitably raises questions.

After chatting in the office for nearly half an hour, Gu Shaojie also said goodbye and left.

Although they talked for a long time, the junior county head only briefly learned about the work situation in Tianba Township, and then the conversation drifted to some very scattered topics.

But he still sensed something was amiss: Lin Xiao didn't want to know about the work in Tianba Township, but rather wanted to solicit his opinions on the development of the entire county.

Stepping out of the county government compound, Gu Shaojie couldn't help but take out his phone and dial Wei Wenjuan's number: "Mayor Wenjuan, where are you?"

Wei Wenjuan said with a smile, "Senior Gu, I'm back in town. You've finished your talk too? How did it go?"

Gu Shaojie sighed, "I don't know if it's because my brain isn't working properly or what, but I feel like I haven't grasped the spirit of County Magistrate Lin's instructions."

Wei Wenjuan actually felt a sense of relief—it seemed that there was no misunderstanding on her part.

She smiled. "Senior, me too. But after coming back, I thought about it and realized this might be a good thing. County Chief Lin took the initiative to talk to us, which means our previous work did have some merit to him. Besides, we're all alumni; maybe he really wants to take care of us and adjust our positions?"

Gu Shaojie's eyes widened. "Is that so?"

"To be honest, I don't know either. Sometimes you really can't figure out what your boss is thinking. But no matter what, doing your job well is never a bad thing."

"That's right, no matter what position you're in, you have to do your job well."

After hanging up the phone, Gu Shaojie couldn't help but think a little more—Wei Wenjuan had originally come from the county finance bureau, and the position of finance bureau director was still vacant. If there really was a job reshuffle, then she would be very suitable. But how would she adjust her position?

After seven years of wandering around in rural towns, he has gradually transformed from a young man into a stagnant rural cadre.

Although he was only thirty-four years old, years of being ignored had long since worn away his ambitions.

Moreover, his wife's dissatisfaction with him was growing, as she had been transferred from the county branch to the city branch and had become a mid-level manager in the banking system.

With his career prospects stagnating and family conflicts intensifying, Gu Shaojie was feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

Several times, he even considered using his connections to transfer to the city, even if it meant no official position or just a quiet job, so that he could at least take care of his family.

If what Wei Wenjuan said is true, and Lin Xiao's sudden summons was for a job adjustment, then he might actually be given an important position.

Then all the problems will be solved.

Meanwhile, after meeting the two, Lin Xiao took Wang Xinghong to the administrative service center.

Starting from the first floor, he inspected each service window and chatted casually with the people seeking services. He could clearly feel that the atmosphere here had greatly improved.

The lobby is equipped with brand-new water dispensers and a dedicated photocopying station, and there are also several information and guidance staff on the upper floor.

Lin Xiao took out her phone and dialed the complaint hotline: "Hello, this is the Supervision and Complaints Office of the Administrative Service Center. How can I help you?"

The voice sounded familiar. Lin Xiao smiled and asked, "Are you Gong Jinfeng?"

The person on the other end of the phone was taken aback: "County Magistrate?"

Lin Xiao smiled and said, "I'm at the real estate registration window."

"Yes, County Magistrate, I'll be right there."

Soon, Gong Jinfeng came running over, panting.

Lin Xiao said, "I just took a look around, and it looks brand new, which is commendable. However, what's with this hotline for complaints? You, as the bureau chief, can't possibly be glued to it every day, can you?"

"County Chief, I don't keep watch every day. I just randomly go to the duty room to answer calls. There are usually designated people responsible for answering and recording the calls, and the bureau will issue regular reports..."

Gong Jinfeng then gave a detailed account of the situation.

After listening, Lin Xiao nodded approvingly and said, "That's very good. Effective supervision can encourage everyone to perform their duties better and improve service quality. It seems I also need to conduct regular spot checks on the county mayor's hotline."

"Are you County Magistrate Lin?"

At this moment, someone nearby recognized Lin Xiao and exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Xiao turned her head and smiled, "Hello, I'm Lin Xiao."

"Oh, it really is County Magistrate Lin. Hello, County Magistrate."

Hearing the noise, several people gathered around and started talking to each other.

However, they all said that the efficiency of the administrative service center has improved a lot compared to before, and the service attitude has also improved significantly.

While learning about the situation, Lin Xiao encouraged everyone to call the hotline if they had any suggestions.

After chatting with the crowd for a while, Lin Xiao went to Gong Jinfeng's office.

"County Magistrate, I would like to apply for funding to purchase an electronic queuing system. The current system of manually issuing and calling out numbers is not only prone to errors, but also inefficient..."

Lin Xiao smiled and said, "Okay, you write the report, and then we'll put it out to tender."

After listening to Gong Jinfeng's explanation, he nodded in agreement without hesitation.

The two chatted about other work matters before Lin Xiao returned to the county.

He went straight into Juliet's office.

"Secretary Zhu, I'd like to report to you about the candidates for those vacant positions."

He first briefly described the current state of the cadre team in Fuchuan County—pointing out that the age structure is unreasonable, with the vast majority of cadres being over 45 years old at the section level, and their educational level generally being low. He suggested that the county party committee plan ahead for the adjustment of the cadre team structure and consciously promote young and capable cadres to different positions for training.

"After extensive investigation, I recommend that Wei Wenjuan, Deputy Mayor of Zhangmu Town, serve as Director of the Finance Bureau; Gu Shaojie, Deputy Secretary of Tianba Township, serve as Director of the Development and Reform Bureau; Cao Yusheng, Deputy Director of the County Government Office, serve as Director; and Gong Jinfeng, Deputy Director of the Administrative Service Center, has demonstrated significant achievements during his tenure, and I recommend that he succeed as Director..."

These cadres share several common characteristics: first, they are all under forty years old; second, they all have a full-time undergraduate degree; and third, they have ideas about their work, dare to break with convention, and are hardworking and conscientious.

Comrade Wei Wenjuan once served as the head of the budget section in the Finance Bureau. She was conscientious and responsible in her work and adhered to principles...

Lin Xiao emphasized the situations of Wei Wenjuan and Gu Shaojie, since it was necessary to provide a full explanation for promoting the two directly from deputy section chief to the important position of head of the county bureau.

Although both had served as deputy section-level cadres for several years, their promotion to section-level was in accordance with regulations. However, conventionally, most promotions are carried out step by step, like queuing to climb a pyramid; everyone must stand in line and no one can cut in line.

After all, the probability of another Lin Xiao appearing is extremely low.

Especially for positions like the director of the finance bureau, which are the most powerful positions, the traditional preference for personnel selection is to prioritize candidates from township party secretaries, mayors, senior deputy secretaries, and key deputy positions in county-level units. Ordinary deputy mayors like Wei Wenjuan usually need to be promoted to deputy secretary first, and then become the head of the township, or be transferred to the county bureau as deputy director. It is rare for them to be promoted directly in one step.

However, Wei Wenjuan has experience as the head of the budget section of the finance bureau, and this promotion is a common practice in the county, as it involves the return of professional cadres to important positions.

As for someone like Gu Shaojie, who was promoted from deputy secretary of the township party committee to director of the development and reform bureau, this is a relatively common and mainstream path within the county.

Therefore, from the perspective of the system and the logic of routine personnel adjustments in the county, it is a compliant promotion, but it is a relatively high-profile and significant adjustment, not an ordinary transfer.

Zhu Lishu listened attentively. She had some impression of Cao Yusheng and Gong Jinfeng, but was unfamiliar with the names Wei Wenjuan and Gu Shaojie.

However, Lin Xiao's attitude was serious, and she had to take it seriously.

"After hearing your introduction, these two comrades must be very outstanding. However, they are both under thirty-five years old. I am worried that this may cause unnecessary discussion and negative impact."

Lin Xiao understood Zhu Lishu's concerns—after all, his own path to promotion was not replicable. Moreover, once people discovered that he, Wei Wenjuan, and Gu Shaojie were university alumni, wouldn't they think it was nepotism?

After a few seconds of contemplation, Lin Xiao said firmly, "I don't think there's a big problem."