Right path to power

"Yuanze, Quanzhou is a city that relies on the development of old industries. However, with the adjustment of the national industrial structure strategy, its development has lagged behind in recent years. You need to put in a lot of hard work to get rid of the burden and revitalize the stagnant water."

After listening to his senior Liang Weiwang's assessment of the prefecture's positioning, Wang Yuanze nodded in agreement. After being spoken to by the higher-level organization department, he gained a general understanding of the situation.

However, he also had his own insights, so he added: "Senior, besides that, I think there's another situation that should be noted: many leading cadres have left the prefecture. This is both a testament to the prefecture's development and a valuable asset to the city. But, similarly, at times, these same people can also be one of the factors hindering the prefecture's continued development."

"Yes, there is indeed a problem in the area you mentioned. However, when dealing with such issues, it is crucial to be mindful of the appropriate level of discretion and avoid rash actions, as these could negatively impact the entire situation."

Wang Yuanze nodded in agreement again, then suddenly turned to Lin Xiao.

He asked, "Xiao Lin, you used to be the county magistrate's secretary, tell me about the situation in the county."

Although Lin Xiao was slightly taken aback, he knew that the soon-to-be-appointed municipal party secretary was asking him about the county's situation, and at the same time, testing him.

Lin Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "Secretary Wang, Fengshan County is a traditional agricultural county with a total population of 760,000. Last year, its GDP was 5 billion yuan, government revenue reached 720 million yuan, and fiscal expenditure was 18.9 billion yuan. More than 20 kinds of mineral resources have been discovered in the county, mainly including natural gas, coal, limestone, clay, and building stone. There are more than 100 mines of various sizes in the county, but the overall management is chaotic, production capacity is lagging behind, and the driving effect on the economy is not obvious."

Listening to Lin Xiao's detailed and accurate introduction of Fengshan County's economic situation, Wang Yuanze secretly praised him, thinking that this young man was indeed very pragmatic.

"In recent years, the county's industrial economy has lagged behind, and the number of people working outside the county has increased significantly. In the past few months, County Chief Gao has traveled to all 25 townships in the county, summarized the experiences in various aspects, and initially proposed the overall development strategy of establishing the county on agriculture and strengthening the county through industry."

The strategy of establishing the county on agriculture mainly involves promoting the upgrading of rural industries, expanding the planting area of ​​green agriculture, building green villages, and injecting new impetus into the development of the rural economy. The strategy of strengthening the county through industry involves strengthening investment attraction, introducing advanced technologies and management concepts, promoting the upgrading and transformation of industries such as processing and manufacturing and chemicals as soon as possible, creating distinctive economic development zones and industrial parks, and vigorously developing township enterprises, thereby achieving a rapid increase in the county's GDP.

These two aspects are complementary. Consolidating the fundamental position of agriculture provides impetus for industrial development, while a thriving industrial sector not only creates more jobs but also retains young and middle-aged laborers in rural areas, allowing them to find employment locally and promoting local consumption upgrades.

Liang Weiwang, who was standing to the side, was also listening attentively and nodded slightly. Lin Xiao had previously sought his advice on these ideas, and overall, they were quite in line with the actual situation for an agricultural county like Fengshan.

At this moment, Lin Xiao paused for a moment and secretly observed Wang Yuanze's reaction. When he saw that Wang Yuanze also nodded slightly, Lin Xiao sighed sadly, "It's a pity that County Chief Gao got into trouble. I don't know if the blueprint he painstakingly drew up can be realized or if it will ever have a chance to be made public."

Afterwards, Lin Xiao put away his sentimentality and said with a serious expression, "Of course, planning is one thing, implementation is another. Due to the complex relationships among local cadres, if their enthusiasm cannot be effectively mobilized, even the best blueprint will just be a piece of waste paper."

Among them, Executive Deputy County Head Hong Feng, considered a representative of local cadres, had a very different approach from County Head Gao. County Head Gao pursued sustainability, while County Head Hong wanted to develop real estate and expand the city to build a new city, essentially recreating Fengshan County, thereby driving the county's economic development.

Although Lin Xiao was setting a trap for Hong Feng, what he said was not a lie, but rather Hong Feng's own statements on multiple public occasions. It is estimated that when he meets Wang Yuanze, he will definitely promote his so-called "reconstruction of Fengshan New City" theory!

After listening to Lin Xiao's words, a meaningful smile flashed in Wang Yuanze's eyes. He then said, "Since we're on the topic, why don't you just tell us about the situation of the cadres in Fengshan County? We're at your teacher's house today, and we've all had some drinks, so feel free to speak your mind. There's no crime in speaking out."

Lin Xiao was secretly delighted. He had laid so much groundwork just to hear this sentence, to hear the new secretary's statement.

"Okay, Secretary Wang."

Lin Xiao straightened up and said seriously, "There are more than 1,200 leaders at or above the deputy section level in Fengshan County, including 45 leaders at or above the deputy division level. The proportion of cadres from outside the county is less than 5%. The vast majority of leaders have grown up in the local area, and thus, over the years, they have formed a rather complicated interpersonal relationship."

Furthermore, according to rumors, 19 families in the county have 5 or more deputy-section-level leaders, while some other families have 2 to 4 deputy-section-level leaders.

These families are intertwined, forming networks of relationships and interests of varying sizes. Many of these networks have already spread within industries or systems, especially in recent years, with members of these families gradually concentrating in core departments and key positions, such as the county organization department, the county discipline inspection commission, and the county party committee office.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuanze's expression changed, shifting from calm to worry.

In fact, this situation in Fengshan County is not the first of its kind, but he knows of far fewer cases than this one in Fengshan County.

"From the perspective of Fengshan County, there are roughly four reasons for the formation of these families: First, they come from cadre families and, with their superior family environment and conditions, they receive better education. In addition, the influence of their elders increases their chances of entering the system."

Secondly, some cadres' children who didn't do well in school used their connections to get into the military, trained for a few years, and then transferred to civilian jobs.

Third, families began to band together for mutual support, forming not only close-knit circles and networks of shared interests, but also looking out for each other and working together in harmony.

Fourthly, there was the deliberate cultivation by the elders of the family. These four factors intertwined and complemented each other, ensuring the continued interests of each family.

Lin Xiao paused for a few seconds again, because what he was about to say was what he really wanted to express, while the previous words were just to complete the task assigned by his superior.

Lin Xiao succinctly stated: "For example, Comrade Hong Feng, the executive deputy county head, as far as I know, his wife is the vice chairman of the county women's federation, his eldest daughter is the deputy director of the county television station, his eldest son-in-law is the party secretary of Xikeng Town, a nephew from Wufu has become the office director of the county power supply bureau, and a distant nephew of his is the deputy director of the supply and marketing cooperative."

Finally, Lin Xiao summarized: "You could say that these families are like grapevines, with the vines climbing up the trellis and gradually forming a net. As the area covered by this net grows larger, the amount of sunlight and nutrients they receive also increases."

For the vast majority of children from ordinary families, they have neither the status to rely on nor the sunshine and rain they receive, so some are bound to wither away, and even those who survive will naturally grow much slower.

It should be said that the situation in Fengshan County is neither an isolated case nor the first of its kind; it is simply one case of vaginal contraction occurring in an individual within the entire city/prefecture.

After speaking, Lin Xiao felt a sense of relief, while Wang Yuanze frowned slightly. After a moment, he asked, "So, do you think this situation is more beneficial than harmful, or more harmful than beneficial? Or is it a balance?"

In the arena of power, balance is a very important thing!