Nominal: Intercepting Zhong Xiaoai, Dominating Handong

When the train arrived in Pingzhou, the city lights were already on.

Pingzhou, as an important prefecture-level city in Hanjiang Province, is far more prosperous than Luzhou, let alone Jinshan County.

Skyscrapers, bustling traffic, and flashing neon lights showcase the vibrant development of Chinese cities in the early 1990s.

As arranged by the organization, they temporarily stayed at the municipal party committee guesthouse.

The next morning, Gu Mingyuan received a notification that Secretary Pei Yihong wanted to see him.

With a mixture of awe and anticipation, Gu Mingyuan entered Pei Yihong's office.

This office is more spacious and brighter than Yi Xuexi's and Li Dakang's, with bookshelves filled with books and a large map of Pingzhou City hanging on the wall, making it appear both grand and practical.

Pei Yihong was reviewing documents when he heard his secretary announce his arrival. He immediately looked up, a warm smile spreading across his face: "Comrade Mingyuan is here! Please have a seat. You must be tired from your journey!"

He stood up and took the initiative to shake hands with Gu Mingyuan, his grip still firm.

He looked younger than Gu Mingyuan had imagined, around forty years old. His hair was neatly combed, his eyes were sharp and full of wisdom, and he had the composure of someone who had been in a high position for a long time, yet he didn't have much of an official air about him.

"Hello, Secretary Pei, it's no trouble at all," Gu Mingyuan replied respectfully, maintaining a proper demeanor.

"Good, it's good that you're here!" Pei Yihong gestured for Gu Mingyuan to sit down on the sofa and personally poured him a cup of tea, which made Gu Mingyuan feel flattered.

"I've read your report several times," Pei Yihong said, sitting across from him, getting straight to the point.

"The approach is clear, the solutions are pragmatic, and the idea of ​​tiered and categorized fundraising and work-for-relief programs is particularly insightful and creative."

"We're currently undertaking a major transportation campaign in Pingzhou, and your method has solved a huge problem for us, preventing many potential conflicts! Secretary Liu Chengfeng has truly given me a treasure!"

"Secretary Pei, you flatter me. I just did some grassroots research and some thoughts based on the actual situation," Gu Mingyuan said modestly.

"Hey, grassroots research is the real skill." Pei Yihong waved his hand.

"Without going deep into the grassroots and understanding the people's conditions, you can't come up with good solutions sitting in the office. Your down-to-earth approach is very valuable."

He changed the subject abruptly, asking with concern, "Are you settled in properly? Have you been provided with accommodation?"

Gu Mingyuan answered truthfully: "I'm staying at the guesthouse for now. The comrades from the Organization Department said they would arrange accommodation for me as soon as possible."

Pei Yihong frowned slightly and instructed his secretary beside him, "Tell the office that Comrade Gu Mingyuan's housing problem should be given priority. Find him a place that's close to the municipal party committee and has good conditions. The young couple has just arrived, and they need to feel at home."

He turned to Gu Mingyuan and smiled, "Your wife has been transferred here too, right? The work at the Federation of Literary and Art Circles is relatively easy, which is perfect for taking care of the family and supporting your work."

Gu Mingyuan was grateful and quickly thanked him, "Thank you for your concern, Secretary Pei. Everything has been arranged."

"That's good." Pei Yihong nodded, his expression turning serious.

"Mingyuan, now that you're here, be prepared to fight. The position of secretary is tough and carries great responsibility."

"You are my liaison, mainly responsible for document circulation, meeting arrangements, information reporting, and other tasks assigned by me."

"Be observant, listen attentively, be meticulous, and keep your mouth shut."

"More importantly, we must dare to speak the truth and reflect the facts, and not only report good news but also bad news."

"I hope you will not only be a transactional secretary, but also an advisor and assistant to me. Your performance at Kingsoft proves that you have this potential."

"Yes, Secretary Pei! I will familiarize myself with the work as soon as possible, perform my duties diligently, and never let you down!" Gu Mingyuan straightened his back and solemnly promised.

Pei Yihong's remarks not only clarified the requirements but also placed high hopes on him, which greatly inspired him and made him feel a heavy responsibility.

"Okay, I trust my judgment." Pei Yihong smiled with satisfaction.

"Go to the general office today to familiarize yourself with the environment. You'll officially start work tomorrow. If you encounter any difficulties, just tell me or find someone in the office."

Leaving Pei Yihong's office, Gu Mingyuan's heart remained unsettled for a long time.

Secretary Pei's attention and approachability exceeded his expectations, which filled him with enthusiasm for his future work.

In the General Office, he met the Secretary-General and several deputy directors, as well as his colleagues from the Secretariat.

People welcomed his arrival, but also viewed it with a degree of scrutiny.

After all, he was personally selected by the municipal party secretary and transferred from another province, and he was appointed to such an important liaison role at such a young age.

Gu Mingyuan was humble and neither arrogant nor servile, and quickly immersed himself in his busy work.

With the solid foundation he laid in the Jinshan County Party Committee Office and his outstanding learning ability, he quickly became familiar with the work processes, document formats, and main responsibilities of each department of the Pingzhou Municipal Party Committee Office.

He was cautious and meticulous, and handled matters reliably. All the documents he submitted to Pei Yihong were carefully reviewed and highlighted.

The itinerary was meticulously planned and reasonable, and the instructions were conveyed accurately and promptly.

In just over ten days, he basically adapted to the new work rhythm and won the initial recognition of his colleagues in the secretariat.

Opportunity always favors the prepared mind.

Shortly after Gu Mingyuan took office, just before the Spring Festival, a thorny issue confronted him.

Pei Yihong received a letter forwarded from the province, reflecting that Qinglin County, under the jurisdiction of Pingzhou City, had problems such as forced apportionment and lack of transparency in the fundraising activities of township enterprises before the end of the year. Some township cadres had simplistic working methods and tense relations with the masses, posing a risk of mass incidents.

The letter requested the Pingzhou Municipal Party Committee to attach great importance to the matter, handle it properly, and ensure social stability.

Pei Yihong took this matter very seriously and immediately convened a meeting with relevant leaders and department heads to discuss it.

At the meeting, leaders of Qinglin County defended themselves, saying that in order to meet the hard targets for developing township enterprises, the methods used in some townships might have been a bit hasty, but the overall situation was under control. Other departments mostly adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

Gu Mingyuan, as the meeting recorder, listened carefully to the speeches of all parties.

He keenly realized how similar the situation in Qinglin County was to the problems that Jinshan County faced when raising funds for road construction!

Both are driven by an eagerness for development, both employ simplistic methods, and both carry potential risks.

The meeting failed to reach a consensus, and Pei Yihong demanded that Qinglin County conduct an immediate self-examination, while the city dispatched a working group to supervise the process.

After the meeting, Pei Yihong frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the outcome.

He returned to his office and saw Gu Mingyuan organizing meeting minutes. He casually asked, "Mingyuan, what's your opinion on this?"

Gu Mingyuan knew that this was both a test and an opportunity.

He put down his pen, pondered for a moment, and decided to speak frankly.

"Secretary Pei." His voice was clear.

"I think the root of Qinglin County's problems may not lie in whether or not to develop township enterprises, but in how to develop them and how to mobilize the enthusiasm of the masses, rather than relying on administrative orders to forcibly promote them."

Drawing on his experience handling road construction fundraising issues in Jinshan County, he analyzed several major drawbacks of forced allocation, then changed the subject: "Now that the Spring Festival is approaching, stability is paramount. I suggest that the primary task of the working group going down to the county should not be to assign blame, but to apply the brakes and clear the channels."