Road to Revival

Chapter 97 Zhao Qingmin's Thoughts

Zhao Qingmin held the letter of formal complaint in his hand, lost in thought. He had read it three times, but still couldn't figure out how to handle it.

After Tao Tang took office, his office returned to quiet. Apart from the occasional visit from leaders in the Party and mass organizations, there were generally no visitors. This gave him ample time to think, but he couldn't find the path he needed.

Having served as Party Secretary for six years, he had lost count of how many "complaint letters" he had received, but those with real names were few and far between. This gave him ample leeway in handling them. For anonymous complaints, he neither forwarded them to relevant departments nor circulated them, but rather filed them up. Only when he felt it was necessary to inquire would he mention them briefly at a leadership meeting, hoping to draw the attention of relevant leaders and departments. However, real-name complaints required a response; feigning ignorance was unacceptable. Therefore, this letter gave Zhao Qingmin a headache.

The letter was from Wu Guisheng, a stoker at a power company, who reported that his supervisor had embezzled and misappropriated his wages. There were concrete facts involved, and it didn't seem like a baseless accusation. Zhao Qingmin was certain that this kind of thing wasn't limited to the power company. Before dealing with this matter, he needed to understand the whole story. He had been in this position for six years; he wasn't a naive young man anymore. When it came to dealing with people, especially those involved in disciplinary violations, he had to be extremely cautious.

The letter was forwarded by Yao Qiufa. From Yao Qiufa, Zhao Qingmin learned that Tao Tang had met with several workers from the power company a few days ago. Could this be related to Tao Tang? Considering the recent sewage treatment plant incident, Zhao Qingmin needed to be even more cautious. Was it at Tao Tang's behest, or was it brought up by rumors that the company was going to investigate absentees? Yao Qiufa refused to say, or perhaps he really didn't know, and Zhao Qingmin couldn't ask Tao Tang himself or this guy named Wu Guisheng. He felt conflicted.

After much deliberation, Zhao Qingmin wrote "Please review and handle, Secretary Guo" on the envelope. He used "Secretary Guo" instead of "Chairman Guo" to remind the recipient that this was a matter for the Discipline Inspection Commission. The Supervisory Board is an independent body, parallel to the Party Committee and the administration, but the Discipline Inspection Commission is under the leadership of the Party Committee. This arrangement is in accordance with the rules of the game.

The biggest advantage of doing this is that it allows him to move forward or backward with ease.

After handing the letter to his secretary, he turned his thoughts to Guo Tao. Recently, Guo Tao had been in high spirits and was personally leading an inspection of the secondary warehouse. Sure enough, the secretary reported that Chairman Guo was not in his office and that the letter had been forwarded to Chairman Guo's secretary.

Zhao Qingmin nodded, indicating that he understood.

Thinking of Guo Tao reminded him of another troublesome matter: the bank card with 30,000 yuan deposited in it, which Tao Tang had given Guo Tao. Guo Tao had reported this to him immediately, and according to his advice, even now, it's still unclear who bribed Tao Tang with that card. At the time, he told Guo Tao that this matter should be handled with caution, so as not to cause trouble for President Tao.

Guo Tao clearly understood his words. But trouble still arose, forcing Tao Tang to abruptly end his "inspection" and return to the company. The result was that Tao Tang unexpectedly and decisively won the "battle" with the Environmental Protection Bureau; production resumed, and the company didn't pay a single penny in fines.

Zhao Qingmin felt that rather than saying Tao Tang defeated the Environmental Protection Bureau, it would be more accurate to say that Tao Tang gave the team members a warning. "You'd better behave yourselves and not try to challenge my authority. With support from Yanjing, even in Pingquan City, I, Tao Tang, can walk on flat ground."

After production returned to normal, Tao Tang went on another business trip. This time, he didn't take Liu Shulin with him, only Li Luo and relevant personnel from the marketing department. Moreover, according to information obtained by Zhao Qingmin, the marketing department personnel accompanying Tao Tang on the market research were personally selected by Tao Tang. Among them was Lei Yun, who had been dismissed by Li Luo. Lei Yun was formerly the head of the agricultural machinery department and had always been an open opponent of Li Luo and Liu Shulin. After being dismissed, there were rumors that he would leave Hongxing, but he didn't leave. He was "detained" in the comprehensive section of the marketing department for two or three years with nothing to do. However, Li Luo did not completely eliminate him. It is said that Lei Yun was not treated unfairly in terms of treatment. The marketing department has independent financial power, and Li Luo can give Lei Yun bonuses without asking anyone's permission.

Is Tao Tang preparing to use Lei Yun? And who provided Lei Yun to him? This matter serves as a wake-up call for Zhao Qingmin. Because of Song Yue's downfall and Tao Tang's appointment, Hongxing is facing severe turmoil. Tao Tang's actions in the month since taking office have not only made Li Luo feel threatened, but also made Han Zhiyong and Luo Chong feel extremely uneasy.

Zhao Qingmin didn't oppose the anti-corruption campaign. He believed he had nothing to hide that could withstand an investigation. He was convinced that he had been investigated along with Song Yue. He had repeatedly warned in meetings that as a leading cadre, one must never go to the wrong place, never take the wrong money, and never sleep with the wrong person. But Yang Wenhuan ignored him, and Song Yue certainly didn't take his warnings seriously. Under the current system, as long as you don't go to places you shouldn't go and don't accept money you shouldn't accept, what can the organization do to you?

Zhao Qingmin was certain that Tao Tang wanted to make a name for himself at Hongxing. Tao Tang was young, energetic, and had a bright future. Several of Hongxing's factory directors in history had risen to ministerial-level leadership positions. Given Tao Tang's age, it was impossible for him not to have ambitions.

After working together for over a month, Zhao Qingmin felt that Tao Tang was a capable collaborator. He was energetic and possessed the necessary knowledge and experience to be a top administrative leader. Tao Tang wasn't lacking in political acumen either; several incidents demonstrated that he understood strategy. Some say that the head of a state-owned enterprise must be a politician, which is an overstatement. However, the main leaders of state-owned enterprises should at least be excellent chess players, understanding how to anticipate three moves ahead. Since taking office, Tao Tang had focused on both market development and operations while simultaneously using anti-corruption efforts to establish his absolute authority. Zhao Qingmin both understood and supported this approach. In all meetings and public occasions, he gave Tao Tang his unwavering support, sending a clear signal: "I have no intention of vying for power with you; as long as you don't infringe upon my core interests, go ahead and do your thing."

Did Tao Tang respect him as the Party Secretary? The answer is, so-so. At least he did a better job than Song Yue. Leaving aside the empty formalities, just considering Ming Xiaoyue's matter, Tao Tang tacitly understood and gave him ample face. Yesterday, when Peng Jie reported to him on the investigation of the Finance Department, he realized that Tao Tang's arrangements were very skillful and appropriate. Tao Tang's bypassing Han Zhiyong and using the Organization Department to handle this matter demonstrated his shrewdness. There are generally no fixed rules for promoting deputy-level cadres; in recent years, it has mostly come from recommendations by vice presidents. If Han Zhiyong had intervened, Ming Xiaoyue would certainly have been out of the picture. But having Peng Jie handle this matter was different; Peng Jie was Li Luo's man, and Li Luo would certainly not comply with Han Zhiyong's wishes. Moreover, it appeared aboveboard; isn't that what the Organization Department does?

Ming Xiaoyue was a thorn in Zhao Qingmin's side. Some things are initially captivating, but become tedious over time. Solving Ming Xiaoyue's problem was a major concern for Zhao Qingmin. To others, it seemed that for a secretary like him, promoting her to deputy director level would be a piece of cake. But the reality was far more complex. In cadre matters, three conditions—timing, location, and people—must be met simultaneously, at least two of which are necessary. Ming Xiaoyue wasn't a cadre in the Party and mass organizations, and this obstacle stumped Zhao Qingmin. It wasn't that Song Yue was disrespectful, but rather that he didn't want to give Song Yue any leverage. Only those in the thick of it can understand the difficulty of things. Some things that seem incredibly difficult are actually just a matter of a few words. Some things that seem simple are actually extremely challenging. Zhao Qingmin sometimes thought that companies are doing business, and their executives are doing business too; you have to give up something to gain something. This was true for Song Yue, and it was true for everyone else. In the later stages of Song Yue's tenure, he had already begun to resist her, not only in personnel arrangements but also in business management. Based on his experience, Zhao Qingmin knew Song Yue had gone mad and become reckless. His principle was to always keep a low profile; being discreet was never a bad thing, while recklessness inevitably led to disaster. Song Yue was an intellectual, with a full-time undergraduate degree, a part-time postgraduate degree, and a senior engineer title. How could he not understand the nature of politics? "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river"—this wasn't just a common complaint, but an irrefutable truth. Wasn't it proven? The new wave of clean governance after the 18th National Congress finally blew Song Yue into the prison walls. Why bother now? So, despite Ming Xiaoyue's increasingly strong complaints and dissatisfaction, he stubbornly refused to do it. Now, however, things were different. Tao Tang's intervention was completely different from his own. For Tao Tang, Ming Xiaoyue's matter was a simple matter.

Tao Tang was more than ten years younger than him, but that didn't mean he didn't understand the rules of the game. Why did Tao Tang personally arrange things for Peng Jie? It was to gain Zhao Qingmin's support in their work. That's what Zhao Qingmin thought. This was Tao Tang's cleverness; uniting with him, the second-in-command, was much better than uniting with certain vice presidents. Close cooperation between the factory director and the party secretary is called unity, but when the head of the department colludes with certain deputies, like Song Yue and Yang Wenhuan, that's hardly unity, is it?

Zhao Qingmin genuinely hopes that Hongxing will recover, so he has consistently and firmly supported Tao Tang's administrative measures. He also supports Tao Tang's involvement in Party and mass affairs, such as the reorganization of the factory newspaper. As it turns out, the redesign of the factory newspaper has won praise from veteran comrades. Two days ago, his former Party Secretary Liu, with whom he has maintained a friendship, met him at the hospital and said, "The factory newspaper's 'Frontline Profiles' are excellent! I haven't seen that kind of simple and unadorned writing in a long time. It's great! I hope more articles like this will be published."

Old Liu had been suffering from prostatitis for a long time and frequently went to the hospital for IV drips to reduce the inflammation. That day, Zhao Qingmin went to the hospital to treat his toothache; he had a chronic toothache that would flare up whenever he got a fever. He happened to run into Old Liu at the dentist that day, and they chatted for a while, from the factory newspaper's redesign to the veteran cadres' symposium, with Zhao saying, "The new General Manager Tao is quite good; you old guys need to support him."

The symposium for retired cadres was proposed by Tao Tang. It lasted a full four hours and was very lively. Tao Tang's humble attitude and his clear determination to share weal and woe with the employees of Hongxing won the praise of the retired cadres. At that meeting, Tao Tang did not talk about his policy platform or paint a bright future for Hongxing. Instead, he frankly stated that Hongxing was facing great difficulties, both operational and behavioral. These difficulties were not formed overnight, nor could they be overcome overnight; they required long-term and arduous efforts from all employees, especially the two levels of leadership. Tao Tang specifically requested that the retired leaders keep a close eye on the current leaders, starting with him. He emphasized that without a clean and upright Hongxing, there would be no economic revitalization. These words won enthusiastic applause from the retired cadres, and several former company leaders immediately spoke in support of Tao Tang.

In addition to arranging a symposium for retired cadres, Tao Tang also suggested holding several symposiums for model workers, scientific and technological personnel, and single employees. Apart from the retired cadres symposium which has already been held, the others are still in preparation, and Chang Wenhai is in charge of the details.

These "tactics," including conducting surveys, were nothing new. Song Yue had also held a symposium with veteran cadres and model workers when she first arrived; Zhao Qingmin considered it merely a perfunctory gesture, so he didn't pay much attention. Cadres who have grown up within the system generally share a consistent mindset and routine; deviating from this routine is seen as an anomaly. In Zhao Qingmin's view, everything Tao Tang had done in his first month in office, apart from his clearly self-serving actions, was entirely conventional and unremarkable. Even Tao Tang's advocacy of lean management was considered unreliable by Zhao Qingmin. Of course, Zhao Qingmin acknowledged that everything Tao Tang had done was not inappropriate and was entirely legitimate.

Only the emerging anti-corruption measures made Zhao Qingmin feel uneasy. Just as Tao Tang had said at the veteran cadre symposium, the problems at Red Star didn't arise overnight, nor could they be solved in a day. Anti-corruption is fine, but it must be done properly, with the right methods, timing, and steps. It can't be a scattershot approach, grabbing at everything at once… Moreover, there needs to be a limit to the frequency of these efforts. For example, issues like excessive eating and drinking are difficult to categorize as corruption, let alone eradicate. Zhao Qingmin fundamentally disapproved of Tao Tang's current arrangements regarding catering, office expenses, and personnel management, believing they were deviating from the right path. Before the results were even seen, the investigation of the secondary inventory was arranged, causing Zhao Qingmin strong concern. This approach was a bit excessive. You're here to oversee operations, not to investigate cases. Problems exposed or reported below should be addressed, but is it necessary to actively seek them out? Who is the investigation of the secondary inventory targeting? Zhao Qingmin believed it was aimed at Li Luo, because the marketing department's secondary inventory was the largest. Li Luo was not someone to be trifled with; it could potentially cause great chaos. Where would this chaos originate? Of course, it's the middle-level managers. How can work be done if they're all made to feel insecure? Zhao Qingmin has always believed that as the company's top leader, the most reliable people are the middle managers. Controlling the middle managers means controlling the company; conversely, offending them means being sidelined. The current crackdown on the catering industry is targeting the middle managers (Zhao Qingmin believes this doesn't involve company-level leaders), and the cleanup of absentee employees is also targeting them. If problems are found in the secondary inventory management system, won't the middle managers get angry? Will this lead to instability within the middle management team?

He decided to have a serious talk with Tao Tang after he returned from his market research. However, Guo Tao came over and reported a situation: the inspection of the purchasing department's secondary warehouse was basically complete, and in addition to general management issues, there was a strong suspicion of corruption in the disposal of waste materials, involving several units. He was really having a headache.

(End of this chapter)