Nominal: Intercepting Zhong Xiaoai, Dominating Handong

"The armed forces department shall organize the core militia to assist the evacuation of the masses."

With new hope and a clear path forward, the command center immediately became more efficient.

A series of instructions were issued swiftly.

The crucial information provided by Gu Mingyuan became the key to breaking the deadlock.

The subsequent rescue and relief work lasted for most of the day.

Ultimately, the abandoned walkway was successfully reopened. Although it was only wide enough for people to walk on, more than 800 people were safely evacuated to higher ground through this lifeline before the floodwaters submerged the low-lying villages.

Shortly after the residents were evacuated, the old stone bridge partially collapsed due to the continued impact of the flood, but no casualties were reported.

When the news reached the county, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

At the post-event debriefing meeting, Li Dakang specifically mentioned Gu Mingyuan's name: "The safe evacuation of the people of Xinglin Township was made possible by Comrade Gu Mingyuan, the newcomer from the County Party Committee Office."

"He conducted in-depth research at the grassroots level, obtained firsthand information, and provided crucial information at critical moments."

"This solid work ethic deserves praise."

This was the first time Gu Mingyuan's name had entered the inner circle of power in Jinshan County, and in an extremely positive way.

After returning from the city, County Party Secretary Yi Xuexi learned about the incident in detail and was even more impressed with Gu Mingyuan.

He spoke with Gu Mingyuan, asking about his learning experience, work experience, and views on the development of Jinshan County.

Gu Mingyuan's answer was clear and logical, combining theoretical depth with practical research, avoiding empty talk and exaggeration, and especially emphasizing the importance of development, which coincided with some of Yi Xuexi's own thoughts.

"Comrade Mingyuan, you are outstanding. You are calm and composed, and you also hold your head high."

"Work hard, Jinshan County needs young cadres like you."

Yi Xuexi patted Gu Mingyuan on the shoulder, speaking earnestly.

In early August, with Yi Xuexi's personal intervention, the county party committee office submitted a report, the organization department conducted an investigation, and Gu Mingyuan was promoted to a regular position a month ahead of schedule, becoming a staff member.

This is unique among the college students who were assigned to Luzhou at the same time.

When the news spread, some people were envious, some offered congratulations, and naturally there were also some sour comments, saying that he had gotten incredibly lucky, or that he had climbed up the social ladder by getting in touch with Secretary Yi.

But Gu Mingyuan ignored him and continued to work diligently and conduct thorough research every day.

Through his actions, he gradually earned the respect of most of his colleagues.

Hou Liangping called once, his tone carrying the superiority complex of a provincial capital official, inquiring about Gu Mingyuan's situation in the remote mountain village, and boasting about his involvement in a major case at the provincial procuratorate.

Gu Mingyuan responded calmly, ignoring his boasting.

The warmth of family is Gu Mingyuan's greatest support.

Zhong Xiaoai has a relaxed job at the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and she manages her family life very well.

In the evenings, the two often read and study together under the lamp, discuss current affairs, or simply chat.

Gu Mingyuan would share his work-related confusions and reflections with his wife, Zhong Xiaoai, who would always offer him unique perspectives and warm encouragement.

Their affection deepened amidst their simple yet fulfilling life.

September arrived in the blink of an eye, and the autumn chill was growing stronger.

Jinshan County is an agricultural county, and the autumn procurement work is one of the county's top priorities, as it is related to food security and the direct interests of farmers.

This year, in order to highlight his achievements, Li Dakang made a pledge to the city, requiring Jinshan County not only to complete the procurement task but also to exceed it by 5%.

This indicator was broken down layer by layer, reaching down to each township, and then down to each village.

Grassroots officials are complaining bitterly, and farmers are full of grievances.

During his field research in rural areas, Gu Mingyuan deeply felt this pressure and dissatisfaction.

Many farming families already have little surplus grain, and excessive procurement means that even their own food supply may be strained.

Moreover, he discovered some unsettling signs, such as some townships resorting to brutal methods to complete their quotas, even forcibly confiscating farmers' food rations.

Some villages have been found to have inflated their production figures, intending to shift the production targets to other villages.

On one occasion, Gu Mingyuan accompanied Deputy Director Zhao Dahai to a remote mountainous township to inspect the progress of the procurement work.

The township party secretary and township head, with smiles on their faces, reported on how they would overcome difficulties and resolutely complete the task.

However, when Gu Mingyuan reviewed the grassroots reports, he found some anomalies in the data. The yield per mu in several villages was ridiculously high, which was obviously inconsistent with the reality of the local barren mountainous area.

He secretly avoided the township officials and asked several honest farmers in the village. He also went to check the growth of the crops and made a basic judgment in his mind.

In order to meet the excess quota, this township likely manipulated the data, either by exaggerating the output or by borrowing the output from other villages to inflate the figures.

Back in the county, Gu Mingyuan wrote a solid research report, including his findings and concerns, along with detailed data comparisons and analyses. Instead of going through the county party committee office's usual channels, he handed it directly to Yi Xuexi, the county party secretary who appreciated him.

Yi Xuexi took the report very seriously.

He knew that the procurement work was of great importance and that Li Dakang was eager to achieve political results. However, if his subordinates falsified information to get by, it would not only harm the interests of farmers and damage the government's image, but would also cause huge trouble if it were discovered by higher authorities.

He immediately summoned Li Dakang and Wang Dalu to discuss the matter.

Li Dakang initially dismissed the idea, thinking that Gu Mingyuan was just a newcomer and didn't know anything.

It's understandable that some townships might use flexible methods to complete their tasks.

But after carefully reviewing the detailed data, clear logical reasoning, and potential risks outlined in Gu Mingyuan's report, his expression turned serious.

"County Magistrate Dakang," Yi Xuexi said earnestly.

"It's not wrong to pursue rapid development, but the foundation must be solid and the data must be accurate."

"Deceiving superiors and concealing the truth will ultimately harm ordinary people and backfire on us."

Wang Dalu also advised, "Dakang, Secretary Yi is right. Gu Mingyuan's report, though direct, is substantial."

"I think we could consider reporting the actual difficulties to the city and adjusting the excess targets appropriately? At the same time, we should strictly investigate any fraudulent activities at the lower levels?"

Li Dakang remained silent for a long time.

He is a strong-willed person, but also extremely shrewd and pragmatic.

He understood the weight of Gu Mingyuan's report and also realized that Yi Xuexi and Wang Dalu were right.

If he insists on exceeding the target, and something goes wrong below, or the data fraud is exposed, Li Dakang will be the first to suffer the consequences.

"Okay," Li Dakang finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse.

"We'll proceed as Secretary Yi suggested. Da Lu, you're responsible for verifying the information mentioned in the report. If it's true, deal with it seriously!"

"Regular procurement quotas... I personally went to the city to communicate and strive to complete the original tasks without emphasizing exceeding the quotas."

A potential crisis was averted thanks to Gu Mingyuan's timely and accurate research report.

This incident further solidified Yi Xuexi's determination to give Gu Mingyuan an important position, and also made Li Dakang and Wang Dalu truly begin to look at this young county party committee office staff member in a different light.

Li Dakang even privately remarked to Wang Dalu, "This Gu Mingyuan is a real talent! He has a keen eye, is bold, and most importantly, he's got real substance!"

In October, the autumn harvest was basically over, and the procurement work was also carried out smoothly.

With Yi Xuexi's strong recommendation, the county party committee decided, after deliberation, to promote Gu Mingyuan to the rank of deputy section chief, although this was only a rank and did not involve any real position.

However, given that he had only been working for four months, his career had progressed rapidly, making him one of the youngest deputy section-level cadres in Lüzhou City and even Handong Province.

The day the appointment document was issued, the entire political scene in Jinshan County took notice.

In the county committee office, Sister Liu was excitedly organizing everyone to chip in to celebrate Gu Mingyuan's birthday.

Deputy Director Zhao Dahai also smiled, a rare occurrence for him.

Qian Shu pushed up his glasses, said nothing, but unusually brewed a cup of his treasured tea for Gu Mingyuan.

Xiao Sun looked at Gu Mingyuan with admiration.

When Zhong Xiaoai got home from get off work, she prepared a relatively lavish meal, her face beaming with pride and happiness.

"Mingyuan, congratulations!" She raised a glass filled with plain water.

Gu Mingyuan also raised his glass, looking into his wife's clear eyes, his heart filled with gratitude and motivation.

He knew that this promotion was not only an affirmation, but also a heavy responsibility and expectation.

"Xiao Ai, thank you. This is just the beginning; the road ahead is long and even more difficult."

His gaze turned to the window. The night sky over Jinshan County was sparsely lit by stars, but in his eyes, he seemed to see glimmers of hope for the future development of this land.

He understood that he had already taken root in this barren yet hopeful land.

Next, he needs to absorb more nutrients and grow stronger so that he can provide greater shade for this land and its people.

His journey is to the stars and the sea, and also to these muddy fields.