113: Chapter 113 Success Hindered

Ever since Party Secretary Bi Youshan came to inspect, the cadres of Guantian Township seemed to have suddenly tightened their grip on time; from morning till night, the threshold of his office was almost worn flat.

The members of the Township Party Committee took turns coming to report on their work, each with an excuse more practical than the last, and as they were leaving, they never forgot to "casually" ask: "Secretary, are you free this evening? Shall we have a simple meal together?"

Li Dakang knew exactly what was going on.

Party Secretary Bi Youshan's remark, "Excellent young cadres like Comrade Li Dakang should be vigorously cultivated," was like a stone thrown into a calm pool, sending ripples through the group of cadres in Guantian Township.

If he were really promoted and left, it was a certainty that Township Head Mao Yungang would take over as Secretary, and the vacant position of Township Head would naturally become the prize everyone was eyeing.

"Chairman Gan, I appreciate your kindness, but I really have plans tonight."

Li Dakang politely declined the invitation on the other end of the line. He could understand the other person's intentions; at the grassroots level, a slight tug in personnel changes could affect the whole body.

As the Township Party Committee Secretary who was about to leave his post, his recommendation carried significant weight.

Outside the window, under the plane trees in the Township Government courtyard, the Deputy Secretary was whispering something to the Publicity Committee Member, glancing towards the office building from time to time.

Li Dakang saw it all; these team members, who usually managed their own affairs, were now secretly competing with each other.

In the carefully prepared reports they presented, one could hide the desire for advancement.

And in the sincere work suggestions they voiced, there was also an underlying desire for recognition.

After hanging up the phone, Li Dakang stared blankly at the "Seek Truth from Facts" banner on the wall.

He knew clearly that in the upcoming personnel adjustments, a single comment from him could change a cadre's path.

Holding this power in his hands, it felt heavy with responsibility.

He saw the intentions of the few team members clearly.

If he were slightly careless and tipped the scales in personnel matters, the sense of unity that the Township Party Committee had worked so hard to build might just dissipate.

Therefore, he always maintained an attitude of "keeping the water level even," not expressing a clear stance, nor deliberately alienating anyone, simply using work performance as the yardstick to measure the cadres.

Faced with the constant stream of banquets these days, Li Dakang always found excuses to decline: "My stomach hasn't been feeling great lately," or "I have urgent documents to finish."

He would rather grab a quick bite in the cafeteria than risk being accused of "favoritism" over a meal.

On the rare occasions he absolutely couldn't decline, Li Dakang insisted on paying the bill himself, discussing only work and not personnel matters during the meal, always maintaining a proper distance.

This approach actually worked.

A pragmatic atmosphere quietly emerged in the Township Government, and everyone shifted their focus to how to make their assigned work shine.

At this moment, Li Dakang was tidying up the documents on his desk, preparing to leave work, when a light knock came at the door.

"Come in." Although he felt a bit impatient, his tone remained calm.

Director He Guodong of the Police Station walked in with a smile on his face and asked, "Secretary Li, am I disturbing you?"

"Ah, it's Director He, sit down." Li Dakang pointed to the chair opposite him. "Is there something urgent at the station?"

Director He Guodong sat up straight and handed over a document with both hands: "I am mainly here to report on two things. The first is the recent public security work."

"According to your instructions, we increased night patrols, solved five theft cases, and recovered stolen goods worth over two thousand yuan. Now the villagers all say they feel much more at ease walking at night."

Li Dakang took the report, looked at it carefully, and nodded with satisfaction after a moment: "Not bad. Especially this figure regarding the year-on-year decrease in the crime rate—it speaks for itself."

"Public security is the foundation of development; you must keep a close watch on it."

"It is all thanks to Secretary Li's guidance." Director He Guodong replied modestly, then changed the subject, a look of difficulty appearing on his face: "As for the second matter, it is actually a private matter..."

Li Dakang noticed his hesitation and leaned forward slightly: "If you have any difficulties, just speak up."

Director He Guodong paused, weighing his words before saying solemnly: "Secretary Li, it is like this: regarding that livestock theft case we solved last time, the Police Station submitted the report to the County Public Security Bureau immediately after closing the case, and the leaders at the County Public Security Bureau were quite appreciative."

"However, the materials submitted in the report for Qi Tongwei's commendation have still not been approved... We can't figure out what is going on."

In fact, Director He Guodong knew clearly in his heart that someone must have whispered in the ears of the leaders at the County Public Security Bureau, deliberately blocking Qi Tongwei's path to promotion.

Otherwise, based on Qi Tongwei's contributions, he should have been promoted long ago.

What surprised him even more was that even though Li Dakang had previously sent an official letter of appreciation to the County Public Security Bureau on behalf of the Guantian Township Party Committee, Qi Tongwei's path remained completely blocked.

This made Director He Guodong both angry and anxious. One had to know that Qi Tongwei was not only his capable lieutenant but also his trusted confidant who followed him into action and helped solve numerous cases.

If even such a backbone member couldn't get promoted, his authority at the Police Station would certainly be affected, and who would be willing to work wholeheartedly for him in the future?

After much thought, Director He Guodong planned to organize a dinner to invite the leaders of the County Public Security Bureau, taking the opportunity to smooth things over and fight for some room for Qi Tongwei's promotion.

But he also understood that as just the head of a Police Station in a poverty-stricken township, he really didn't have much say in front of the leaders of the County Public Security Bureau.