Right path to power

"We work hard for decades, but it's not as good as someone else's college degree."

"I'm afraid there's not much hope left."

"Sigh, it's all about the young people now."

"Lin Xiao himself became the acting county head before he was even thirty. He definitely doesn't like us older people."

"Does Fuchuan County really rely on these greenhorns for its work?"

......

Some older section-level cadres privately discussed that they felt the county was acting completely recklessly.

Breaking with conventional promotion methods means they can no longer advance step by step as before.

Their age, experience, and qualifications are no longer advantages.

In other words, their future suddenly became unpredictable.

For young cadres who have ideas and abilities but lack experience, this presents a new hope.

Although they adhere to the same standards for hiring, there are subtle differences in specific localities.

For many years, Fuchuan has established a cadre development system that prioritizes experience and seniority.

The winds have now shifted dramatically, leaving many people feeling disoriented.

Lin Xiao also heard some discussions, but he wasn't worried at all; on the contrary, he thought it was a good thing.

After all, it was like a stagnant pool before, without a ripple, but now it has a bit of vitality.

Although some people will still live off their past achievements, I believe many others will also voluntarily step out of their comfort zones and work hard.

After leaving Zhu Lishu's office, Yang Xueting went into Lin Xiao's office, his expression remaining quite serious.

"County Head, I have something to report to you. We received some feedback regarding the pre-appointment public announcement for cadres."

"What problem are you reporting?" Lin Xiao was taken aback.

"They were all anonymous whistleblower letters, but they didn't report any major issues, such as misuse of public funds for meals, misuse of official vehicles, and issuing unauthorized invoices, etc."

Lin Xiao said in a deep voice, "These may seem like minor issues, but they still need to be taken seriously and verified, but we also need to pay attention to the methods and approaches."

Yang Xueting thought for a moment and said, "County Chief, this kind of anonymous report, without any concrete clues, is obviously fabricated and speculative. I suggest we ignore it. Otherwise, every time a cadre is promoted, someone will make baseless accusations, which will seriously affect the political environment of the county. If the report is substantiated, then we will definitely investigate it carefully."

Yang Xueting's move was an initiative to take responsibility and put aside these irresponsible accusations.

Lin Xiao smiled and said, "We must investigate any reports, no one is exempt. Considering that it is an anonymous report and there are no clear clues or evidence, the scope of the investigation does not need to be so broad. We can mainly talk to the main person in charge of the unit and the person in charge of the department to understand the situation."

Yang Xueting nodded and said, "Okay, County Chief."

"What is Secretary Zhu's opinion?"

"Secretary Zhu's opinion was that investigations should be conducted where necessary. She also specifically emphasized discipline and rules, stating that false accusations should be dealt with seriously and that the spread of such unhealthy practices should be resolutely prevented."

Lin Xiao nodded in agreement.

At the same time, news of Wei Wenjuan and Gu Shaojie being reported spread.

There's been a lot of discussion, with all sorts of opinions circulating.

Some people say the problem is very serious, and this promotion is definitely off.

Some say the county is still investigating and the final conclusion has not yet been reached, but the problem is very serious and the personnel adjustment plan will be scrapped and redone.

Some even said that the two had turned themselves in to the county discipline inspection commission.

Of course, many people also denounced these as baseless accusations.

After the rumors spread, people in the workplace started looking at them differently.

They went from being respectful and polite to being cautious and evasive, but secretly they were sarcastic and cynical.

"What's going on? Who reported us? I've never offended anyone. In the past few years in Zhangmu Town, I haven't even eaten a single meal in the village. What have I embezzled? They even say I have a slush fund? Where is that slush fund? Please find it for me!"

After learning about the whistleblower letter, Wei Wenjuan called Gu Shaojie to complain, her face full of confusion, anger and grievance.

Gu Shaojie smiled wryly and said, "Our situations are similar. I think the main reason is that our promotions came too suddenly, blocking other people's path, which is why someone pulled this stunt. But don't worry, I believe the county will investigate and clear our names soon."

Wei Wenjuan said worriedly, "But what if it affects..."

Gu Shaojie smiled and said, "We should have confidence in the county party committee and the county government, as well as in County Chief Lin. Let's be patient, do our jobs well, and don't bother looking for anyone else."

"I know, I'm just really angry and I couldn't help but vent."

Wei Wenjuan was a steady person. Although she felt wronged, she only complained to Gu Shaojie. This was not only because the two were alumni, but also because they were promoted by their junior, the county magistrate, at the same time. She believed from the bottom of her heart that the two were comrades-in-arms in the same trench.

Soon, the Organization Department, together with the Discipline Inspection Commission, dispatched two working groups to Zhangmu Town and Tianba Township respectively to investigate the relevant issues.

Two days later, at the routine county standing committee meeting, Zhu Lishu added related topics to the agenda.

Organization Minister He Zhiqiang reported on the reports received during the pre-appointment publicity period, and Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Yang Xueting gave a detailed report on the on-site verification. He pointed out that after investigation and verification, the reports were all unsubstantiated and constituted malicious reports, and the relevant clues were not accepted.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jia Anpeng interjected, "There's no smoke without fire. Since there's been a report, it means the person being reported has weak popular support. Shouldn't we consider postponing the promotion? From a training perspective, we could arrange for them to gain experience in an important position, and then promote them when the time is right."

Propaganda Minister Shu Xiaobing nodded in agreement, saying, "I agree with County Chief Jia's proposal. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion throughout the county about this cadre adjustment. Some cadres have their own thoughts and opinions. In addition, considering the reports, the county really needs to consider this carefully."

Deputy Secretary Gao Chengce then added, "This incident has also served as a reminder to us that personnel adjustments must be made with utmost caution. We must conduct thorough preliminary investigations; otherwise, an inappropriate personnel adjustment plan could cause dissatisfaction among the county's cadres, which would severely hinder the work of the county party committee."

Zhu Lishu's face was gloomy. She had only planned to arrange for the organization and the discipline inspection commission to give a brief report on the investigation and quell the rumors. She was not prepared to discuss personnel appointments again, but Jia Anpeng interrupted her.

Lin Xiao's face darkened. It was expected that Jia Anpeng and Shu Xiaobing would cause trouble.

He even boldly speculated that the whistleblower letters were written by the two of them.

However, Gao Chengce's eagerness to jump out was unexpected.

As the third-highest-ranking official in the county party committee, was he simply trying to make his presence felt, or did he have ulterior motives?

"Let me share my thoughts," He Zhiqiang said in a deep voice.

Faced with questions from three members of the Standing Committee, he had to be the first to stand up and state his position.

"As the head of the organization department, I screened the resumes of all cadres in the county in advance for this personnel adjustment plan, and solicited the opinions of all leaders. Based on the needs of the vacant positions, I conducted a comprehensive evaluation and put forward a preliminary plan from the perspective of matching people to positions and long-term development. The plan was then discussed and approved by the Standing Committee."

This report has been confirmed as malicious slander. To dismiss the work of the Organization Department or question the decisions of the Standing Committee based on the malicious actions of a few individuals with ulterior motives is extremely irresponsible and undermines the political environment of Fuchuan.

On the contrary, we should not only appoint these two comrades according to the original plan, but also vigorously vindicate them. The fact that a large number of complaint letters appeared just before the public announcement precisely shows that the county party committee has touched a nerve with some people in the process of promoting the optimization of the cadre team structure.

I suggest that we must uphold what is right and resolutely stop bad trends.

He Zhiqiang's words were very moving.

He has always presented a calm and composed demeanor, and rarely makes such an emotional statement.

Is this a direct confrontation with Deputy Secretary Gao Chengce?

Sure enough, Gao Chengce's face instantly turned ugly, and he said coldly, "Comrade Zhiqiang, please speak properly and stop making veiled accusations."

Lin Xiao spoke calmly: "Comrade Cheng Ce, every member of the Standing Committee has the right to express their opinion. Besides, Secretary Zhu hasn't even spoken yet, so don't make a mountain out of a molehill."

"I......"

Gao Chengce glanced at Zhu Lishu, then angrily picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea.

The intensity of the clashes at this county-level standing committee meeting far surpassed those he had experienced in municipal government departments.

Zhu Lishu said in a deep voice, "This is a Standing Committee meeting. Everyone can express their opinions. Comrade Cheng Ce should be open to different opinions and humbly accept criticism from his comrades."

What?

How did it become criticism from comrades?

Is this a denunciation meeting against him?

After hearing what Zhu Lishu said, Gao Chengce almost choked on his tea.