Nominal: Intercepting Zhong Xiaoai, Dominating Handong

On the morning of the sixth day of the first lunar month, a light snow began to fall in the capital.

Zhong Zhengguo, dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit, stood at the entrance of the courtyard house waiting for Gu Mingyuan.

Seeing his son-in-law arrive on time, he nodded slightly—punctuality is a basic quality.

"Dad, I'm sorry to have troubled you," Gu Mingyuan said respectfully.

"We're family, so let's not be like family." Chung Cheng-kuo gestured for him to get in the car.

"Today I'm meeting with my old comrade-in-arms and former leader. Remember, answer whatever they ask. If you don't know, just say you don't know. Never pretend to know what you don't."

"The most respected among them is Elder Wang. When you meet Elder Wang later, you should be respectful, but you don't need to be overly reserved."

"Mr. Wang admires young people who have real talent and knowledge but are neither arrogant nor humble."

"I see."

After a half-hour drive, we arrived at a quiet courtyard at the foot of Xishan Mountain.

The ancient pines provide shade, and the green tiles and white walls exude a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

There were plainclothes guards at the entrance who checked our documents before letting us through.

Several cars were already parked in the yard, and judging from their license plates, the owners must be people of high status.

The living room was warm and cozy, where five elderly men were drinking tea and chatting. When Zhong Zhengguo entered, they all greeted him.

"Jeong-kook is here!"

"Is this your son-in-law?"

Zhong Zhengguo introduced with a smile: "Esteemed senior leaders, this is Gu Mingyuan, who works in Liping County, Hanjiang Province."

Gu Mingyuan bowed and greeted, "Greetings, esteemed leaders."

An elderly man with white hair scrutinized him closely: "You're young! Zheng Guo told me you became the county party secretary at twenty-six?"

"It was the organization's cultivation and the leadership's trust," Gu Mingyuan replied modestly.

Another elderly man wearing glasses asked, "I've heard of Liping; it's a very poor mountainous county. I heard it has changed a lot since you went there?"

"There have been some changes, mainly due to the efforts of the masses and the hard work of the cadres."

"We've built roads, developed distinctive industries, and just shaken off our status as a poverty-stricken county."

"Oh? You took off your hat?" A slightly overweight elderly man asked with interest.

"Explain in detail how you did it?"

In five minutes, Gu Mingyuan succinctly explained the methods of tiered fundraising for road construction, developing specialty agriculture, and rectifying the work style of cadres, without exaggerating the achievements or avoiding the difficulties.

The elderly men nodded in agreement as they listened.

"The method of tiered fundraising is good; it solves the funding problem and also mobilizes the enthusiasm of the masses."

"Improving work style is fundamental; when cadres have a good work style, everything becomes easier."

"It's rare to see such thinking among young cadres."

Just then, footsteps came from the inner room.

An elderly man, dressed in a traditional Chinese cotton-padded jacket and looking quite spry, came out.

The atmosphere in the living room instantly became respectful, and everyone stood up.

"Old Wang!"

"Mr. Wang, you've arrived."

Gu Mingyuan was shocked—was this the old man his father-in-law had mentioned?

The fact that he commands such respect from these veteran leaders speaks volumes about his status.

Zhong Zhengguo quickly introduced, "Mr. Wang, this is my son-in-law, Gu Mingyuan."

Old Wang's gaze fell on Gu Mingyuan, his tone gentle yet scrutinizing: "Zhengguo mentioned you to me, saying you're doing a good job at the grassroots level. Sit down, everyone."

After everyone was seated, Old Wang sat in the main seat, accepted the tea offered by a staff member, and slowly asked, "Gu Mingyuan, I heard that you used a tiered fundraising method for road construction. Where did you get this idea from?"

Gu Mingyuan frankly said, "Actually, this method wasn't something I came up with out of thin air."

"As early as the Lüshi Chunqiu, it was recorded that: 'There are constant principles in governing a country, but benefiting the people is fundamental. There are rules in politics and education, but the implementation of orders is paramount.'"

"The same principle applies to governing a country and governing a county."

"We are building roads for the benefit of the people, so the people should be involved and supervised."

"Tiered fundraising, in essence, is about: doing what you can afford and bearing the burden fairly."

"This idea is similar to that in the corvée system in ancient my country, but we have given it new contemporary meaning."

He paused, then continued, "In the Zizhi Tongjian, Sima Guang summarized the gains and losses of governance and chaos throughout history, and particularly emphasized that those who are united in purpose will prevail."

"If the government is the only one enthusiastic about construction while the people stand by and watch, we will definitely not do a good job."

"Only by making the people participants, beneficiaries, and supervisors can we achieve unity of purpose and overcome any obstacle."

"Great! Your understanding is profound!" Old Wang's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"So you were cracking down on corruption in Liping, I heard the crackdown was quite intense?"

"Yes, 38 officials were investigated and punished for violations of discipline and law, including the deputy county head and the secretary of the county discipline inspection commission."

"Aren't you afraid of offending people?"

"We are afraid, but we cannot refrain from doing it because of fear. Without eliminating corruption, Liping cannot develop. Offending a few corrupt officials will win the trust of the majority of the people."

A hint of approval flashed in Old Wang's eyes: "Well said. So what about the goal of becoming one of the top 100 counties? For a county that has just been removed from the list of impoverished counties, isn't setting such a goal a bit too ambitious?"

This was a pointed question, and the living room fell silent.

Gu Mingyuan remained calm and said, "Old Wang, I have studied the evaluation system for the top 100 counties. We have gaps, but we also have advantages."

"Our ecology is good, our agricultural products are of excellent quality, and our cadres and the masses are full of enthusiasm."

"As long as we find the right path and proceed steadily, it is entirely possible to achieve a leapfrog development."

"This is not being overly ambitious, but rather a realistic goal to strive for."

"A realistic goal to strive for..." Old Wang pondered this sentence and suddenly asked.

Have you read the Tao Te Ching?

"I've read some."

"Tell me your understanding of the saying 'governing a large country is like cooking a small fish.'"

Gu Mingyuan pondered for a moment: "This saying means that governing a country should be like frying a small fish; you can't keep turning it over and over."

"I believe that, when applied to county-level governance, this means maintaining policy stability and continuity."

"We cannot change policies frequently, nor can we cause trouble for the people."

"At the same time, the heat must be controlled well; it cannot be too fast or too slow."

"The key to Liping's development is to strike the right balance."

Mr. Wang then asked, "Which section of the 'Biographies of Exemplary Officials' in the Records of the Grand Historian impressed you the most?"

"Ximen Bao governs Ye."

"Oh? Why?"

When Ximen Bao arrived in Ye County, he found that the local people were suffering from the bad custom of the River God taking a wife. Instead of directly issuing an order to prohibit it, he personally participated in the ceremony and used his wisdom to expose the deception. This not only dispelled the superstition but also won the hearts of the people.

"This shows that governing a local area requires understanding the people's sentiments and opinions, and using wisdom to solve problems, rather than simply issuing orders in a crude and forceful manner."

Old Wang's smile deepened: "That's interesting. What's your interpretation of the Analects' line: 'Governing with virtue is like the North Star'?"

"Virtuous governance is fundamental."

"Leading cadres should have moral integrity, like the North Star. If you are upright, others will revolve around you."

"In Liping, I require cadres to be upright themselves before they can demand anything of others."

"Fighting corruption is the first step in rectifying one's own conduct."