115: Chapter 115 What the superiors do, the inferiors follow (Part 1)

Minister Ma Fuqiang's office window faces a main road in Shengjing City, the sound of traffic vaguely audible.

When Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin knocked and entered, he was standing by the window reading a document. Hearing the movement, he turned around and gestured for the other to sit.

"Comrade Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin, sit. There's something I want to touch base with you about."

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin sat on the sofa, opened his notebook, and rested his pen on the paper.

He had worked in the Organization Department for decades, rising from a staff member to Executive Deputy Minister, and had long since developed a keen ear.

What a leader said, what they didn't say, and how they said it—he could immediately detect the subtext.

Minister Ma Fuqiang didn't rush to sit down, pacing the office twice with his teacup.

"I chatted with Comrade Wenbin yesterday about cultivating young cadres."

"We share a common sentiment: today's young cadres have high academic qualifications and flexible thinking; these are advantages."

"But their shortcomings are also obvious. Many comrades go straight from school to government offices, lacking grassroots experience. To shoulder heavier burdens in the future, just understanding one line of work isn't enough."

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin moved his pen tip, writing down the four characters for "grassroots experience."

Minister Ma Fuqiang sat opposite him and placed his teacup on the coffee table.

"Comrade Wenbin rose from the grassroots step by step, so his understanding of this issue is deeper than mine."

"He shared a viewpoint that I find very reasonable. When a cadre stays in the same position for too long, their field of vision easily becomes limited."

"Especially for cadres in the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, who deal with cases long-term, their perspective on issues is inevitably narrow."

"If they are to move to higher positions in the future, they must be able to handle economics, people's livelihoods, Party building, and petitions. Whatever lesson they miss now, they will have to make up for later."

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin looked up at Minister Ma Fuqiang.

Political and Legal Affairs Commission, limited vision, narrow... these words, when linked together, had a very obvious target.

He knew Minister Ma Fuqiang had transferred from being Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission and knew the situation of the political and legal system like the back of his hand.

A cadre in the Political and Legal Affairs Commission whom Minister Ma Fuqiang would personally bring up wouldn't be an ordinary person.

"Does the Minister mean that we should put more effort into the diversified deployment of young cadres?"

He asked tentatively, and Minister Ma Fuqiang nodded, his tone unhurried.

"The diversified deployment of cadres is a direction the central authorities have always emphasized."

"If a cadre only rotates within government offices, their horizons won't open up. If they only stay in one system, their thinking easily becomes rigid."

"The responsibility of our Organization Department is to place good seedlings in suitable positions, allowing them to undergo training and grow their talents in different environments."

"This matter should be viewed from the height of being responsible to the cause."

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin wrote down the two phrases "diversified deployment" and "responsible to the cause" in his notebook; he had already heard it.

Minister Ma Fuqiang wasn't talking about work in general terms; he was sending a signal.

The specific target of this signal required further probing.

"Minister, in your view, should we have some focus in our specific operations?"

He asked with great tact, not asking "who it is," but only asking about "focus," leaving plenty of room for the leader.

Minister Ma Fuqiang took a sip of his tea, as if savoring something.

"When I chatted with Comrade Wenbin, we also touched on this issue. Township work nowadays involves heavy tasks, high pressure, and many contradictions."

"Thousands of threads above, one needle below."

"The position of township Party Committee secretary requires both an economic mind and a sense of empathy for the masses. It requires both the ability to handle complex contradictions and the level to lead a team and a workforce."

"This position trains people and also tests them."

"We are considering whether we can place some promising young cadres in townships to strengthen the leadership of townships."

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin's pen tip paused: strengthen township leadership work.

The focus of this sentence wasn't on "township," but on "leadership."

"Leadership work" in a township meant the top leader.

He looked up, meeting Minister Ma Fuqiang's gaze; the two held eye contact for a second.

"I understand the Minister's meaning."

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin closed his notebook, his tone firm.

"The diversified deployment of young cadres is the Organization Department's duty."

"Strengthening township leadership is also a direction we have been promoting."

"I will take charge of implementing this."

Minister Ma Fuqiang nodded and didn't say anything more.

He knew Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin understood, not just what to do, but how to do it.

When talking to a smart person, you don't need to chew every word and feed it to them.

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin left Minister Ma Fuqiang's office, didn't return to his own office, but went straight downstairs to his car.

As the car drove out of the Provincial Party Committee The Government Compound, he took out his phone, found Secretary Wan Xiaohan's number, and dialed it.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

"Secretary Wan, this is Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin of the Provincial Organization Department. Are you free this afternoon? I'll come to Lvjiang City to visit you."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan paused on the other end of the line, then laughed: "If Executive Deputy Minister Zhou is coming to guide our work, I am always free. What time will you arrive? I'll have the office arrange it."

"No need to arrange anything, just a chat. I'll be there around three in the afternoon."

After hanging up, Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes to rest.

The car got on the highway, and the scenery outside the window changed from city to fields, and from fields to hills.

He went over what he wanted to say in his mind; it couldn't be too blunt. Minister Ma Fuqiang's words were tactful, and he needed to maintain that tact when conveying them.

But it couldn't be too vague either; Secretary Wan Xiaohan needed to know this was the voice of the Provincial Organization Department.

At three in the afternoon, Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin arrived at the Lujiang Municipal Committee on time.

Secretary Wan Xiaohan greeted him at the office door; the two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before entering the office.

The secretary poured tea and exited, and the door was closed.

"Secretary Wan, I came today because Minister Ma Fuqiang asked me to come and touch base with you."

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin got straight to the point, but his tone was very calm.

"Minister Ma Fuqiang has been pondering a matter recently, the issue of the diversified deployment of young cadres."

"He told me that today's young cadres have high academic qualifications and flexible thinking, but many comrades lack grassroots experience and have stayed in one system for too long, so their field of vision is easily limited."

"To shoulder heavier burdens in the future, just understanding one line of work isn't enough."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan's hand holding the teacup paused slightly. He had worked in government offices for many years and had sat in the position of Municipal Party Committee secretary for several years, so his political sense was sharper than anyone's.

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin had come all the way from the provincial capital to talk about the diversified deployment of young cadres.

"I completely agree with Minister Ma Fuqiang's line of thinking."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan put down his teacup, his attitude sincere.

"The grassroots is the place that trains people the most."

"Our Lvjiang City has also been consciously cultivating young cadres in recent years, but the intensity could be greater."

"Executive Deputy Minister Zhou, does Minister Ma Fuqiang have any specific instructions?"

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin smiled and didn't answer directly.

"Minister Ma Fuqiang said that township work is very training for people."

"Thousands of threads above, one needle below."

"The position of township Party Committee secretary requires both an economic mind and a sense of empathy for the masses. It requires both the ability to handle complex contradictions and the level to lead a team and a workforce."

"He is considering whether we can place some promising young cadres in townships to strengthen the leadership of townships."

When Secretary Wan Xiaohan heard the two terms "township Party Committee secretary" and "leadership," his heart skipped a beat.

He thought of one person: the chief of the Changyuan County Public Security Bureau, Xu Weidong.

A twenty-six-year-old at the section-chief level, who had made a name for himself in the Crackdown on Organized Crime and had been a trending topic a while ago.

If it was this young man, then Minister Ma Fuqiang asking about it personally made sense.

"Minister Ma Fuqiang's consideration is very forward-looking."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan replied calmly: "Our Lvjiang City will definitely actively cooperate in this regard."

"Executive Deputy Minister Zhou, in your view, what do we need to pay attention to in specific operations?"

Executive Deputy Minister Zhou Xin picked up his teacup and took a sip, saying slowly: "Minister Ma Fuqiang didn't mention any specific names, just discussed a direction."

"But his meaning is very clear: the diversified deployment of cadres should be viewed from the height of being responsible to the cause."

"What the Organization Department needs to do is place good seedlings in suitable positions, allowing them to undergo training in different environments."