230: Chapter 230 Wei Kuan, the Hands-Off Manager

Projects were landing one after another, and funds were arriving one installment at a time.

Secretary Wei Kuan sat in his office, brewed a cup of tea, and leaned back in his chair.

Watching the early winter sunlight stream through the window and fall onto the potted plant on his desk, the leaves were shining a vibrant green.

The sense of comfort in his heart was sweeter than honey.

In all his years in politics, he had never felt as relaxed as he did now.

In the past, when chasing projects, he had to go to the provincial capital in person. He had to queue up just to see a division chief, and even if he treated them to dinner, they might not give him the time of day.

Once a project was approved, he still had to wait for the funds. He would wait for half a year, until the flowers withered, and the money still wouldn't have arrived.

Even when it did arrive, he had to guard against it being intercepted by the city, misappropriated by the county, or carved up by various departments.

Every step was a hurdle, and he had to fight through every single one, often battered and bruised, with no guarantee of success. And now?

Projects from the province came knocking on his door automatically. Four provincial departments issued joint documents, special funds were wired directly to the county, a basket of supporting policies was provided, and even the municipal supporting funds were delivered proactively.

He didn't have to do anything. He could sit in his office, drink tea, review documents, listen to reports, and the achievements would grow legs and run to his house on their own.

Could there be anything more satisfying than this?

He picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea was this year's new Longjing—fragrant and delicious—which County Magistrate Bai Weijun had brought him from the provincial capital last time.

County Magistrate Bai Weijun said a friend had given it to him, and since he didn't drink tea, he had passed it on.

The office door was knocked on twice. The Director of the County Party Committee Office pushed the door open, holding a stack of documents, with an expression on his face that suggested he wasn't sure if he should speak.

Secretary Wei Kuan glanced at him, set down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and spoke in an indifferent tone.

"What is it?"

The Director of the County Party Committee Office stood in front of the desk, opened the folder, and read out a long list of project names and funding amounts.

These projects had just been approved by the province and involved the four sectors of agriculture, industry, commerce, and finance. The initial special funds totaled tens of millions, requiring the county to establish a special committee to coordinate and implement them.

According to custom, for a special committee of this level, the team leader should be the County Party Committee Secretary himself, the deputy leaders should be the County Magistrate and the Executive Deputy County Magistrate, and the members should be the heads of relevant departments.

After listening, Secretary Wei Kuan waved his hand.

"For these matters, go find County Magistrate Bai Weijun. Let him be the team leader, and let County Magistrate Xu Weidong be the deputy leader. They can decide the members themselves."

"I won't attach my name to it. It's meaningless to just have a title, and I'm not the one doing the work anyway."

"Go tell them that the county will provide full support. Give them people if they need people, money if they need money, and policies if they need policies."

"Don't ask me about anything else."

The Director of the County Party Committee Office was stunned for a moment and opened his mouth to say something, but Secretary Wei Kuan had already lowered his head to read documents.

He had been with Secretary Wei Kuan for so many years and knew the leader's temperament.

When he didn't want to listen, anything more said was just nonsense.

He acknowledged the order, closed the folder, turned, and walked out.

Secretary Wei Kuan listened to the sound of the door closing, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

His focus of work was no longer on handling specific matters, but on serving those two young masters well.

If County Magistrate Bai Weijun and Xu Weidong were happy, Changyuan County would develop, and he would advance.

If they were unhappy, Changyuan County would stagnate, and he would remain stuck in place.

He calculated this ledger more clearly than anyone else.

The County Party Committee Standing Committee met once a week, without fail.

In the past, when holding a Standing Committee meeting, Secretary Wei Kuan was the main character. Every agenda item required his final decision, every policy required his nod, and every dispute required his mediation.

After a meeting, he would be parched and exhausted. It was different now; he sat in the main seat, and his opening remarks were simple and clear.

"These are the main agenda items for today. County Magistrate Bai Weijun, you speak first!"

Then County Magistrate Bai Weijun would begin, covering everything from project progress to fund usage, investment attraction to safety production, urban planning to rural revitalization. He was clear in his reasoning, provided detailed data, and was decisive in his decisions.

After County Magistrate Bai Weijun finished, Secretary Wei Kuan would add a sentence.

"County Magistrate Xu Weidong, you add some points."

Then County Magistrate Xu Weidong would report on the matters under his purview—problems, difficulties, and suggestions—explaining them in just a few sentences without ever dragging things out.

After both of them finished, he would summarize with a couple of sentences.

"County Magistrate Bai Weijun and County Magistrate Xu Weidong's opinions are very good. Does anyone have any additions? No one has any additions."

"Good, the meeting is adjourned."

A Standing Committee meeting sometimes ended in twenty minutes.

This was unimaginable in the past; previous Standing Committee meetings could never finish in less than two hours.

Now efficiency was higher, decisions were faster, and the cadres' morale had improved.

It wasn't that Secretary Wei Kuan was so capable, but that he had left the stage for those who could get things done.

County Magistrate Bai Weijun was the County Magistrate, and County Magistrate Xu Weidong was the Executive Deputy County Magistrate. If they did well, the work of the entire county would go well.

If the work of the entire county went well, he, as the County Party Committee Secretary, would do well.

He had only just recently realized this logic.

In the past, he always felt that power had to be grasped in his own hands. He had to be hands-on, inquire about every matter, and manage every person, fearing that others would say he, the County Party Committee Secretary, was not doing his job.

Now he understood: a leader is not meant to manage affairs, but to manage people.

Putting the right people in the right positions, letting them do the work, while standing behind them to watch, correcting deviations in time, and offering encouragement at the right moments—that was the highest art of leadership.

Delegating power is not inaction; it is a more sophisticated form of action.

One day, County Magistrate Bai Weijun mentioned at a meeting that the approval process for a project at the Agriculture Bureau had been delayed for nearly half a month. The company couldn't wait any longer and had called the County Government Office to complain.

Secretary Wei Kuan heard this and said nothing at the time. After the meeting, he returned to his office and asked the Director of the County Party Committee Office to summon the Deputy Director of the Agriculture Bureau in charge.

The Deputy Director of the Agriculture Bureau was named Zhou. He was in his early forties, had worked at the Agriculture Bureau for over a decade, and was proficient in his work, but he was stubborn and rigid in his ways.

When he arrived at Secretary Wei Kuan's office, he still didn't know what had happened.

Secretary Wei Kuan didn't waste words and spoke directly: "Old Zhou, the approval for that project at the Agriculture Bureau, did you handle it?"

Deputy Director Zhou was stunned for a moment and nodded.

"Secretary Wei Kuan, the approval process for that project is indeed a bit long, but we are strictly following regulations. Not a single step can be skipped, and not a single document can be missing."

"The company is pressing hard, and we understand that, but the procedures cannot be chaotic, and the rules cannot be broken. We cannot skip necessary review steps just because the company is in a rush."

After Deputy Director Zhou finished speaking, Secretary Wei Kuan was silent for a few seconds, then picked up the phone on his desk and dialed the number for the County Party Committee Organization Department.

"Old Liu, Deputy Director Zhou of the Agriculture Bureau, transfer him to a different position. Send him to the Archives Bureau, or the Party History Office—wherever there is a vacancy, you arrange it."

"Yes, right now."

"As for the work on his hands, let the other deputy director in charge take it over for now."

Was it against the rules?

They could just fix the paperwork later...

Keeping the two young masters happy was what mattered most.

Deputy Director Zhou's face turned pale, his lips trembled, and he wanted to say something.

Secretary Wei Kuan hung up the phone, looked at his bewildered face, and spoke in a flat tone.

"Old Zhou, you've worked at the Agriculture Bureau for so many years; even if you haven't made major contributions, you've put in the hard work. However, rules are dead, but people are living."

"The company cannot wait, the development of Changyuan County cannot wait, and the livelihoods of the common people cannot wait."

"You followed the rules, and you weren't wrong."

"But have you ever thought that your rules were delaying the major affairs of the entire county?"

"If the Agriculture Bureau project is delayed by half a month, the company's investment arrives half a month late, the factory starts production half a month late, the workers start their jobs half a month late, and the tax revenue enters the accounts half a month late."

"Have you ever calculated this ledger?"

Deputy Director Zhou opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Secretary Wei Kuan picked up his teacup and took a sip, not looking at him again.

"Go back and hand over your work."

This matter spread quickly. By the next day, all the cadres of the county bureaus and departments knew that Deputy Director Zhou of the Agriculture Bureau had been removed on the spot by Secretary Wei Kuan for being sluggish in his work.

Some said Secretary Wei Kuan was too ruthless—a deputy director, removed just like that, without even a buffer period.

Some said Deputy Director Zhou had run into the line of fire; Secretary Wei Kuan was in the middle of a fit of anger, and he just had to walk right into it.

Some said this was killing the chicken to scare the monkey; Secretary Wei Kuan was warning those who were sluggish in their work and prone to buck-passing that whoever dared to delay important matters would meet the same fate.

Those who said these things didn't hit the nail on the head.

Secretary Wei Kuan removed Deputy Director Zhou not because he was sluggish, but because the project he delayed was one that County Magistrate Bai Weijun was monitoring, because the company's complaint call had gone to the County Government Office, and even more so because County Magistrate Bai Weijun had brought up the matter at the meeting.

Secretary Wei Kuan was clearing obstacles for County Magistrate Bai Weijun, establishing authority for County Magistrate Xu Weidong, and sending a clear signal to all the cadres in the county.

Whoever blocked the path of the two young masters was going against him, Secretary Wei Kuan!

After Deputy Director Zhou of the Agriculture Bureau was removed, the work efficiency across the entire county improved visibly.

Procedures that used to take a week to approve could now be completed in three days.

Matters that used to require running to several departments could now be handled at a single window.

Those who used to ignore the requests of enterprises now proactively offered door-to-door service.

Secretary Wei Kuan knew this wasn't because his prestige was so high, but because the two people standing behind him made those cadres feel the pressure.

County Magistrate Bai Weijun and County Magistrate Xu Weidong didn't need to come forward personally; they just needed to sit in their offices, sign when they needed to sign, attend meetings when they needed to attend, and inspect when they needed to inspect.

Their every move would be seen, remembered, and repeatedly pondered by those cadres.

This is the taste of power: it's not about holding power yourself, but being close to power.

Days passed, projects landed one by one, and funds arrived installment by installment.

Secretary Wei Kuan's days became increasingly leisurely. In the past, he was so busy every day that his feet barely touched the ground; now, he drank tea and read newspapers every day, occasionally going down for research, chatting with grassroots cadres and the public, and listening to their opinions and suggestions.

After returning, he would organize the issues and hand them over to County Magistrate Bai Weijun and County Magistrate Xu Weidong to handle.

He didn't interfere in specific affairs, didn't intervene in project progress, didn't overstep his authority, and left the stage to the young people, watching from the sidelines.

When he needed to come forward, he would; when he needed to make a final decision, he would; when he needed to coordinate, he would.

He became a true "Number One," not the kind who was hands-on with everything, but the kind who oversaw the overall situation.

This transformation took him over half a year to complete. From initial discomfort to later ease, he increasingly enjoyed this state.

This was much easier than when he was County Magistrate. After all, there was only one thing he had to do now: keep County Magistrate Bai Weijun and County Magistrate Xu Weidong happy.

County Magistrate Bai Weijun's father was Secretary Bai, an old subordinate of Xu Tianhua.

County Magistrate Xu Weidong's father was Xu Tianhua, a junior who grew up under the watch of Ning Anbang and Liu Dehai, and an old leader to provincial bigwigs like Governor Zhou Wenbin, Minister Ma Fuqiang, and Secretary Chen Liang.

As long as these two young masters were comfortable working in Changyuan County, the development of Changyuan County would not be slow.

If the development of Changyuan County wasn't slow, his, Secretary Wei Kuan's, political achievements would not be few.

If his political achievements weren't few, his advancement would not be slow.

He understood this logical chain more clearly than anyone else, and he believed in it more firmly than anyone else.

Sometimes he thought to himself that he was really lucky in this life.

Back when he came down from the Municipal Committee Office to be County Magistrate, he never imagined that he would one day become the County Party Committee Secretary.

When he became County Party Committee Secretary, he never imagined that he would one day meet partners like County Magistrate Bai Weijun and County Magistrate Xu Weidong.

When he met them, he never imagined that he would one day live such a relaxed and comfortable life.

Because he knew that all these achievements by County Magistrate Bai Weijun and County Magistrate Xu Weidong would ultimately be credited to him, the County Party Committee Secretary.

The Director of the County Party Committee Office knocked and entered again, holding a folder, with an expression on his face that suggested he wasn't sure if he should speak.

Secretary Wei Kuan looked at him, waiting for him to speak. He just stood there, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.

"Secretary Wei Kuan, County Magistrate Bai Weijun said there are some project funds that need your signature. Would you like to sign them now, or should they bring them over?"

Secretary Wei Kuan took the folder, opened it, and glanced at it.

The funding amounts, project names, and approval opinions were all there.

County Magistrate Bai Weijun had already signed, and County Magistrate Xu Weidong had also signed. They were just waiting for the final signature from him, the County Party Committee Secretary.

He pulled a pen from the pen holder and wrote his name in the signature column, his handwriting neat, stroke by stroke.

"Take it. In the future, don't come to ask me about such small matters."

"It's enough if County Magistrate Bai Weijun and County Magistrate Xu Weidong have signed."

The Director of the County Party Committee Office acknowledged the order, took the folder, turned, and walked out.

What is a "win-without-effort" life?

What is a "cheat-code" script?

The protagonists in those novels are just like this, right?

Could anyone possibly have it smoother than he, Wei, does?

However, speaking of this, Secretary Lin Juncai should be the one eating the most dividends.

After all, his position is higher. When the political achievements are fed back, the leaders above will definitely prioritize promoting him before considering adjusting the small fry like them below.

It's truly great!

No need for scheming, no need to go through fire and water to fight for power, and yet he can watch the county's construction and development in full swing.

Could there be a more ideal place to hold office than this?

However... the leaders shouldn't make the two young masters' trials this easy, right?

They surely must set up some small setbacks, right?

Otherwise, cadres who grow up this way... honestly, they will inevitably be a bit naive.

Perhaps there won't be much of a problem with their professional skills, but their means for grassroots struggle will definitely be lacking quite a bit.

This is quite unfavorable for their future growth.

From what aspect will the leaders make things difficult for the two of them?

Wait... it seems they can only start from him, the County Party Committee Secretary!

Oh no!

The leaders wouldn't make him play along in a double act, would they?!