118: Chapter 118 Yang Wei's Plan

At nine o'clock the next morning, Secretary Yang Wei was waiting promptly at the door of his office.

After receiving the call from Minister Sun Ping last night, he had rearranged today's schedule, pushing back all the meetings originally planned and clearing his entire morning.

As someone who came from the Municipal Party Committee, he possessed at least that much political sensitivity.

It was impossible that Minister Sun Ping would make a personal trip to Changyuan County at such a critical juncture just to drink tea.

Footsteps echoed in the corridor. Secretary Yang Wei stepped forward to greet him and saw Minister Sun Ping turning from the stairwell, wearing a dark gray jacket, carrying a briefcase, and walking with a steady gait.

"Minister Sun Ping, you must have had a tiring journey."

Secretary Yang Wei extended his hand, keeping his posture humble.

"Secretary Yang, you are too kind."

Minister Sun Ping shook his hand and followed him into the office.

The secretary came in to pour tea, retreated quietly, and closed the door firmly.

Secretary Yang Wei sat on the side sofa, yielding the main seat to Minister Sun Ping; this was the protocol.

When a leader from the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department came down, they represented the higher authorities, so he, as the County Party Committee Secretary, could not act arrogantly.

Moreover, Minister Sun Ping himself was a member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and a leader at the deputy bureau level.

Minister Sun Ping did not rush into the main topic; he picked up his teacup, blew away the floating leaves, and took a sip.

"Secretary Yang, the work in Changyuan County has been handled well recently. The follow-up consolidation of the Crackdown on Organized Crime and the daily management of township leadership teams have received positive feedback from the provincial level."

"It is all thanks to the leadership of the Municipal Party Committee."

Secretary Yang Wei responded with a smile, without saying more.

He knew that the main topic would surely follow these introductory remarks.

Indeed, Minister Sun Ping set down his teacup, and the expression on his face shifted from casual chatting to serious business.

"Secretary Yang, I came here today to touch base with you."

"The provincial authorities have recently issued a new directive regarding the training and employment of young cadres."

"Minister Ma Fuqiang specifically spoke with Secretary Wan and Mayor Lin, emphasizing that cadres need to gain experience in multiple positions, especially in grassroots roles."

"Secretary Wan and Mayor Lin both attach great importance to this and have asked me to come down and convey it to you."

Secretary Yang Wei straightened his back, holding his teacup without drinking.

His mind was already racing: the provincial directive, Minister Ma Fuqiang personally reaching out, Secretary Wan Xiaohan and Secretary Lin Juncai reaching a consensus, and Minister Sun Ping making a special trip.

This level of attention was significant.

"Minister Sun Ping, please instruct me."

He set down his teacup and adopted a posture of attentive listening.

Minister Sun Ping waved his hand and said, "It is not an instruction, just touching base."

He paused and relayed the points he had heard in Minister Ma Fuqiang's office yesterday, but in a more straightforward manner.

The diversified use of young cadres, the importance of grassroots experience, and the training value of the top positions in townships.

The words were not heavy, but every sentence hit the mark.

Secretary Yang Wei listened, the tension in his mind tightening. Having spent many years in the Municipal Committee Office, he had heard such talk too often.

When superiors said "we can consider it," it meant "it must be done."

When they said "we can study it," it meant "get it done quickly."

When they said "strengthen the force," it meant "appoint a top leader."

Everything Minister Sun Ping said today could be translated into one sentence.

The provincial authorities had their eye on a certain young cadre in Changyuan County and wanted to place him in the position of a township Party Committee Secretary.

Who?

The first name that popped into his mind was Xu Weidong.

The twenty-six-year-old Public Security Bureau chief, who had made a name for himself in the Crackdown on Organized Crime and had even trended on social media recently.

If it was him, everything made sense.

"Minister Sun Ping."

Secretary Yang Wei spoke, his voice steady, as if making a solemn commitment.

"We will resolutely implement the provincial directive. Changyuan County has an unshirkable duty regarding the diversified training of young cadres."

"Please rest assured, the County Party Committee and the County Government will certainly implement this well."

Minister Sun Ping nodded and said nothing more.

He knew that Secretary Yang Wei understood, and clearly, the other party not only understood what to do but also why it was being done.

When talking to a smart person, one does not need to chew every word and feed it to them.

"As for the specific operations, your county should come up with a plan."

Minister Sun Ping picked up his teacup and took another sip, his tone relaxing slightly.

"The Organization Department will have the final say."

"The procedures must be solid; nominations, investigations, and Standing Committee discussions—not a single step can be skipped."

"Please rest assured about that."

Secretary Yang Wei replied solemnly, "We will certainly act according to the rules."

With that said, the main topic was concluded.

However, neither of them showed any intention of getting up. Minister Sun Ping leaned back against the sofa, as if thinking about something. Secretary Yang Wei refilled his tea without rushing him.

After a few seconds of silence, Secretary Yang Wei tentatively said, "Minister Sun Ping, there is something I would like to consult you about."

"Go ahead."

"We will certainly implement this provincial directive without compromise. But regarding the specific operations, the county has some practical situations, and I would like to hear your opinion."

Secretary Yang Wei weighed his words, but his speaking pace was not fast.

"In recent years, the aging of township leadership teams in Changyuan County has been quite prominent. Several township Party Committee Secretaries and town mayors are over fifty years old."

"It is not that being older is bad; older comrades have experience and prestige, and we acknowledge that."

"But if a team does not rotate for a long time, its vitality will indeed be affected."

"Moreover, most of these comrades are locals, having worked in their original townships for over a decade, with deeply intertwined relationships, which sometimes makes work difficult to carry out."

Secretary Yang Wei paused to observe Minister Sun Ping's expression.

Minister Sun Ping was expressionless but did not interrupt him, which was a signal that he could continue.

"Taking advantage of this momentum from the provincial level, I am thinking whether we can make a comprehensive adjustment of the township leadership teams across the entire county."

"We could send down some young and promising cadres and transfer some comrades who have served for too long to county-level departments."

"This would both implement the provincial directive and solve the practical problems in the county."

He spoke very tactfully, but his meaning was clear.

He wanted to take advantage of this adjustment to move some people and install some of his own.

This was an opportunity any County Party Committee Secretary would not miss; the directive from higher authorities was like an imperial sword—used well, it could accomplish many things that were usually difficult to handle.

Minister Sun Ping listened and remained silent for a few seconds.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said unhurriedly, "Secretary Yang, the problem of aging township leadership teams is not unique to Changyuan County; it exists throughout the city."

"Your idea to take this opportunity to make some adjustments is not wrong in itself."

"You are the County Party Committee Secretary, and the staffing of the teams is your responsibility."

Secretary Yang Wei sensed the shift in his tone, did not interrupt, and waited for Minister Sun Ping to continue.

Minister Sun Ping set down his teacup and looked at him, saying, "However, the core of this adjustment is to implement the provincial directive."

"You must arrange the position for the person the provincial authorities have their eye on."

"You can make other adjustments, but do not let them overshadow the main objective. The leaders above are looking at whether that person is in place and whether they have achieved results."

"As for which other townships have changed or not changed, the leaders do not care."

Secretary Yang Wei nodded and said, "I understand that."

"Also."

Minister Sun Ping's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, and he said, "The career paths of some people are planned long in advance."

"All you can do is cooperate; do not take it upon yourself to make arrangements for them."

"The townships you think have good conditions and are easy to achieve results in may not necessarily be suitable for him."

"The places you think are arduous and are 'hard nuts to crack' might be exactly where the higher authorities want him to go."

"Rash changes will only annoy the leaders and will not lead to any results."

Secretary Yang Wei felt a jolt in his heart; he had indeed been pondering whether to place Xu Weidong in Pingchuan Town, which had the best conditions.

Pingchuan Town was an economically strong town with convenient transportation, and all its work was at the forefront of the county; going there would guarantee results.

Now that Minister Sun Ping had said this, he understood.

That path was planned, and it was not something he could change.

"Minister Sun Ping is right to remind me."

"In this regard, I will listen to the organization."

Minister Sun Ping nodded and said nothing more.

He stood up and picked up his briefcase.

"Let's leave it at that for now. Your county should come up with a plan, and we will meet again later."

Secretary Yang Wei walked him downstairs, shook his hand, and watched the car drive out of the County Committee Compound before turning back.

Back in his office, he did not sit down but stood by the window and lit a cigarette.

Minister Sun Ping's words swirled in his mind again and again; although his words today were implicit, the meaning was very clear.

Regarding Xu Weidong's matter, do not act on your own initiative.

Wherever the higher authorities want him to go, that is where he goes.

Any extra display of eagerness would be superfluous and, on the contrary, would spoil things.

He took a drag of the cigarette and slowly exhaled.

He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, walked back to his desk, picked up the phone, and said, "Have Old Zhou from the Organization Department come over."

After hanging up, he opened the notebook on the table and wrote down a few names on the first page.

After writing them down, he looked them over, crossed out two, and replaced them with two others.

The door was knocked twice. He closed the notebook, looked up, and said, "Come in."