Family connections: From special recruitment by the county committee to the pinnacle of power

Xu Hansheng, who was intently staring at the chessboard, suddenly looked up and saw Tan Zhifei. He quickly stood up and said, "Uncle Tan, it's you! Please have a seat!"

As they were talking, Xu Hansheng hurriedly gestured for Tan Zhifei to sit down. Then, looking at the chessboard, he said with great reluctance, "Uncle Tan, I actually think the red pieces will definitely win. But I lost more than twenty games in a row at the Qingshan City train station, and I'm really not happy about it."

As he spoke, Xu Hansheng turned to look at the chessboard again.

"Oh? You lost more than twenty games?"

Xu Hansheng's words instantly piqued Tan Zhifei's curiosity.

Chess enthusiasts have this characteristic: they'll watch even an old man playing chess on the street for a second. In Xu Hansheng's "Horse Leaping Over the Pool" opening, the red pieces have a significant advantage, while the black pieces only have a horse and a pawn.

How could they possibly lose?

Thinking of this, Tan Zhifei put down his teacup, frowned, and said, "Black has no chance in this game. Do you not know how to play?"

Xu Hansheng had been waiting for Tan Zhifei to say this, and then he said, "Uncle Tan, I think I made the right move. Otherwise, how about I use black and you use red, and we play a game?"

"good!"

Without a second thought, Tan Zhifei readily agreed.

But after Tan Zhifei and Xu Hansheng made a few moves, he realized the problem: no matter how he moved, he couldn't threaten the black general, while Xu Hansheng could kill the red piece in one move at any time.

In just over ten minutes, Tan Zhifei lost six games in a row, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he stared intently at the chessboard for a long time.

"Uncle Tan, I think we should stop this game of chess here for now. You've had a long day. Here, have some tea."

Xu Hansheng smiled and handed over a teacup.

Tan Zhifei was in no mood for tea. He took the teacup with one hand, but his eyes remained fixed on the chessboard. After a while, he shook his head helplessly, finding no solution.

Red is destined to lose!

But he felt very unwilling. His gaze followed the chessboard down little by little and he inadvertently saw the manuscript that Xu Hansheng had placed next to him. Just a glance at the title caught Tan Zhifei's attention.

Some thoughts on attracting investment to counties?

Tan Zhifei read the title aloud in a low voice, then put down his teacup and looked at Xu Hansheng, saying, "You're still researching this?"

Xu Hansheng hurriedly covered his manuscript with his hand and said, "Uncle Tan, I'm sorry to have embarrassed you. I... I just wanted to take the civil service exam, so I often read articles in 'Qiushi' and gained some insights. But what I wrote is not mature at all and will not meet Uncle Tan's standards."

As he spoke, Xu Hansheng reached out to take the manuscript away.

Tan Zhifei smiled faintly and said to Xu Hansheng, "It's nothing. I happen to be free anyway. Let me take a look. Maybe I can help you revise it."

Having lost six games in a row, Tan Zhifei had already lost face. Now that he had finally found his strength, he naturally had to save face.

After all, he was the deputy director of the county party committee office, and he had worked there for over twenty years. It wouldn't be a problem for him to give Xu Hansheng some guidance in this regard.

Xu Hansheng hesitated for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and said, "Uncle Tan, I... I haven't finished writing it yet. I only wrote half of it and I don't know how to continue. I'm a little embarrassed to show it to you."

Although Xu Hansheng really wanted Tan Zhifei to watch it now, he had to pretend to be very naive and timid. Only in this way could he arouse Tan Zhifei's desire to teach.

This requires a very calm mind. No matter how anxious you are, you cannot show it in the slightest. Otherwise, you will end up with a dog instead of a tiger.

"It's okay. After all, you just graduated from university. It's normal for your ideas to be immature."

Tan Zhifei waved to Xu Hansheng, who then nervously handed the manuscript to Tan Zhifei.

After reading only a few lines, Tan Zhifei's disdain vanished completely. This manuscript clearly outlined the rules and regulations of county-level management, and the language was simple and easy to understand. Even Tan Zhifei felt somewhat ashamed of his own lack of skill in writing it.

In particular, Xu Hansheng explicitly pointed out in his article that the biggest challenge in attracting investment to counties lies in the inability to integrate resources. After all, relying solely on the county's finances, even without spending a penny on food and drink, would not be enough to build infrastructure. His final point, emphasizing the need to intensify efforts to integrate resources scattered across various departments, is a truly insightful observation.

Hiss!

Xu Hansheng actually hit the nail on the head. The county party secretary, Qi, had also mentioned this point in a private conversation with Tan Zhifei.

Is this just a coincidence?

Tan Zhifei gasped repeatedly, intending to read on to see how Xu Hansheng would solve the problem, but the story ended there.

"Uncle Tan, my idea is very immature, please forgive me."

Xu Hansheng said with a humble expression.

Tan Zhifei frowned, looked at it twice more, and then looked at Xu Hansheng with a serious expression, saying, "No, your idea is very accurate. In fact, from the county committee to the villages and towns, it seems to be a linear management model, but in between, there are various bureaus in the county. And these units are in a parallel relationship, which, together with the vertical line from the county committee to the villages and towns, forms a very complex network."

"Therefore, integrating all the county's resources to serve investment attraction is no easy task. However, your article is very constructive and insightful, but solving the problem I just mentioned still requires deeper exploration and reflection."

To be honest, Tan Zhifei was quite satisfied with Xu Hansheng's article. Although it did not offer an effective solution, it was still quite remarkable that a recent college graduate from outside the system could see the root of the problem.

Xu Hansheng said with a hint of shame, "Uncle Tan, it seems that those articles in Qiushi Journal are ultimately not practical. Uncle Tan's understanding of the issues is more profound and more in line with reality. I hope that I will have the opportunity to learn from you in the future."

These words elevated Tan Zhifei to an unprecedented level.

However, as Xu Hansheng said, grassroots work is the best way to train people, and much of the content in Qiushi is actually completely disconnected from grassroots work.

Therefore, Xu Hansheng's flattery struck a chord with Tan Zhifei. Being recognized by others is one thing; being recognized by an outstanding person is quite another.

Xu Hansheng's last sentence was particularly well-timed, subtly hinting at his desire to join the county committee and follow Tan Zhifei, rather than being overtly explicit.

Tan Zhifei smiled and nodded, but didn't say anything more, let alone make any promises to Xu Hansheng.

At this moment, Li Xiuru quickly walked up to the fourth floor and said to Xu Hansheng and Tan Zhifei, "Director Tan, Hansheng, the food and drinks are all served, and Yuling has just arrived. Come and eat quickly."

Tan Zhifei and Xu Hansheng both got up and walked towards the private room on the second floor.