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

Lin Weidong followed Qi Hongchang into the office.

Qi Hongchang pointed to the chair opposite the desk and said to Lin Weidong, "Minister Lin, please sit down."

As they spoke, Qi Hongchang poured Lin Weidong another cup of hot water and said with a smile, "Minister Lin, you're waiting for me at the office door so early in the morning. It must be something very important, right?"

Lin Weidong took the water glass with both hands, licked his lips and said, "Secretary Qi, I... I haven't been feeling well lately. A few days ago, I even went to a big hospital in Qingshan City for a comprehensive checkup."

"Yesterday afternoon, the hospital notified me to go for a follow-up examination. The doctor's advice was... to stay in the hospital for six months, otherwise there is a high possibility of sudden myocardial infarction."

As he spoke, Lin Weidong took out the medical record and hospitalization certificate that had been prepared the previous afternoon from his briefcase and handed them to Qi Hongchang with both hands.

Qi Hongchang took Lin Weidong's medical record, glanced at it, frowned, and said with a troubled expression, "Oh dear, Minister Lin, you must take good care of your health."

"But... there are still many tasks scheduled in the county. How can we carry out the work without Minister Lin?"

Lin Weidong chuckled bitterly. Qi Hongchang was clearly waiting for him to bring up the idea of ​​being transferred to a second-tier position.

Thinking of this, Lin Weidong sighed softly and said, "Secretary Qi, given my current physical condition, it is really not suitable for me to stay in the position of propaganda minister any longer."

"If possible, I would like to apply to the organization to be transferred from my current position and take a back seat, so that I can continue to contribute my talents. What do you think?"

Qi Hongchang's lips curled up slightly without him even noticing.

Compared to Lin Hanlong, Lin Weidong was much more pragmatic. He took the initiative to step down from the front line, which not only dispelled Qi Hongchang's doubts about him but also resolved the immediate crisis.

It is indeed a good way to achieve multiple goals at once.

However, Qi Hongchang was only addressing the issue, not the person. Since Lin Weidong had already taken the initiative to back down, he didn't want to escalate the situation further.

After all, Lin Weidong has some influence and connections in Qingshan City, so there's no need to push him to the brink.

Thinking of this, Qi Hongchang pretended to be embarrassed and said, "Well... Minister Lin, to be honest, I personally think that no one is more suitable for the current position than you."

"Couldn't we try to communicate with the hospital again and arrange for regular checkups instead of hospitalization?"

Lin Weidong shook his head and said, "I'm afraid that won't work. The attending physician instructed me that it would be best to be hospitalized for observation within a week."

"And in the last few days, my angina symptoms have been getting worse, I'm afraid..."

At this point, Lin Weidong changed the subject and said to Qi Hongchang, "Actually, I think Vice Minister Chen is not only highly capable at work, but also outstanding in every aspect."

"I suggest to the organization that Comrade Chen Changhe take over my position. I hope that Secretary Qi and all members of the Standing Committee will give my opinion full consideration."

Qi Hongchang nodded calmly and said, "Alright then, we can't neglect our health for the sake of work. How about this, Minister Lin writes up a report and submits another copy to the Organization Department, and the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee will hold a meeting immediately to discuss it."

"There's no problem. The county committee will immediately report to the Qingshan municipal committee. As soon as the new appointment is approved, Minister Lin can go to the hospital at any time."

Hearing this, Lin Weidong finally breathed a long sigh of relief; Qi Hongchang had ultimately agreed to let him go.

Thinking of this, Lin Weidong stood up and said to Qi Hongchang, "Secretary Qi, I'll go back and submit a report right away."

Qi Hongchang stood up, shook hands with Lin Weidong, and said, "Comrade Lin Weidong, you must take care of yourself and get some rest. If you are too tired from work, you can ask other comrades to help you share the burden."

"Don't try to tough it out."

Lin Weidong nodded with a hint of gratitude and said, "Okay, thank you for your concern, Secretary Qi. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Qi Hongchang nodded slightly and saw Lin Weidong out of the office.

……

On the other side, Xu Hansheng, who had just rushed back to his office, hadn't even had a chance to sit down properly when Tan Zhifei called him into his office.

Seeing Xu Hansheng looking somewhat listless, Tan Zhifei frowned and asked, "Section Chief Xu, what's wrong? You seem so dispirited."

Xu Hansheng yawned and said to Tan Zhifei, "Director Tan, I'm fine, I just didn't sleep well last night."

Tan Zhifei then said with relief, "Sit down. Work is important, but you also need to take a rest."

"Yes, thank you for your reminder and concern, Director Tan." Xu Hansheng sat down in the chair opposite Tan Zhifei.

Tan Zhifei said to Xu Hansheng with a serious expression, "Secretary Jiang is still pressing us for the research office's views and opinions on the Lin Weidong matter."

"Secretary Qi's idea is to come up with a punishment recommendation before the end of the workday this afternoon, which the county party committee should implement immediately. It's a small matter, and there's really no need to drag it out any longer."

Ok?

After hearing what Tan Zhifei said, Xu Hansheng was instantly wide awake, and he suddenly looked up at Tan Zhifei.

Clearly, Qi Hongchang's tone differed on both occasions.

Previously, at the meeting, he personally said that it should be handled with caution, but in the blink of an eye, it has become a trivial matter.

What does this mean?

Lin Weidong has already been dealt with, or... he gave in to Qi Hongchang on his own.

When Tan Zhifei saw Xu Hansheng's expression suddenly change, he couldn't help but be secretly surprised. Xu Hansheng's sense of smell was too sharp.

If he were Xu Hansheng's age, he would never have been able to grasp the profound implications hidden in Qi Hongchang's two statements.

Thinking of this, Tan Zhifei lowered his voice and said, "Minister Lin has already voluntarily applied to go to the second line. The Organization Department and the County Party Committee have just submitted a report to Qingshan City."

"Secretary Qi's suggestion is that Qingshan City consider having Chen Changhe replace Lin Weidong, and as for Lin Weidong, he should be transferred to the Federation of Industry and Commerce to serve as Director Li's deputy and assist Director Li in his work."

Tan Zhifei revealed so much information to Xu Hansheng in order to verify whether his opinion of Xu Hansheng was accurate.

If Xu Hansheng's ability to discern the difference between Qi Hongchang's two statements was merely a sudden flash of inspiration, then he would certainly be striking hard against Lin Mingyuan now.

However, doing so would be very unwise.

What leaders need is not just loyalty, but also a broad perspective and a strategic approach to getting things done.

Lin Weidong has already bowed his head and admitted defeat, voluntarily requesting a transfer to the second line to assist Director Li. It is unwise for Xu Hansheng to still hold a grudge against Lin Mingyuan.

If things are done too harshly, Lin Weidong will inevitably develop a rebellious mentality and harbor resentment towards Qi Hongchang.

However, Qi Hongchang had previously stated that Lin Mingyuan's mistakes must be dealt with seriously, so now it was impossible for Qi Hongchang or the county party committee to make an exception for Lin Mingyuan.

That's where the problem lies, which is why Tan Zhifei instructed him to inquire about Xu Hansheng's attitude and opinion.

Clearly, this is a matter of losing face; the question is whether it will ultimately be the leader's face or Xu Hansheng's face that is lost.

Xu Hansheng was well aware of the stakes involved; others could enter, but he alone could not.

Not only can we not advance, we must retreat!

Taking a step back to advance is the best strategy!

Thinking of this, Xu Hansheng slowly spoke, "Director Tan, regarding Comrade Lin Mingyuan's issue, I thought about it all night yesterday. Does Comrade Lin Mingyuan bear any responsibility? Yes!"

"However, I also bear the responsibility for inadequate supervision. I should not have focused all my attention on the project in Longping Town and neglected the management and supervision of the research work in the central town."

"Given Comrade Lin Mingyuan's consistent behavior, I request the County Party Committee, as well as Secretary Qi, Secretary Jiang, and Director Tan, to grant Comrade Lin Mingyuan another chance to reform."