234: Chapter 234 Wei Kuan, as if divinely aided

The parking lot of the County Committee Compound had never been as tense as it was now.

As soon as the Finance Bureau's car left, the Development and Reform Bureau's car blocked the parking spot.

Before the director of the Development and Reform Bureau could even emerge, the driver for the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau had already pulled up to the roadside, hazard lights blinking, not daring to turn off the engine.

The Forestry Bureau, Water Resources Bureau, Education Bureau, Health Commission, Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Civil Affairs Bureau, Natural Resources Bureau, and Ecology and Environment Bureau were all lined up one by one, like a long dragon waiting in front of a hospital registration window.

Their goal was the same: the office of the County Party Committee Secretary.

The news had spread the previous night. Someone from the Municipal Committee Office had let slip that the main leaders of the Municipal Party Committee had emphasized the "top leader" status of the County Party Committee Secretary on multiple occasions, requiring the party and government heads of each county and district to earnestly fulfill their respective duties.

When this reached the lower levels, it was interpreted in countless versions.

Some said Secretary Wei had complained about County Mayor Bai Weijun to the city, others said the provincial level was dissatisfied with the situation in Changyuan County where the "County Magistrate is strong and the Secretary is weak," and others said this was the Municipal Party Committee backing Secretary Wei.

Regardless of the version, the conclusion was the same.

The wind had shifted; it was time to pledge loyalty.

Secretary Wei Kuan's secretary stood in the hallway, greeting every leader who came to report, his attitude polite, his tone strictly professional.

"Secretary Wei is in. Please wait a moment. There are two people ahead of you, so please sit for a while and have some tea."

His speaking speed was much faster than usual because there were simply too many people coming; if he didn't speak quickly, the line would stretch until the end of the workday.

In Secretary Wei Kuan's office, people came and went in a constant stream.

He leaned back in his chair with a notebook spread out before him. Everyone who came to report sat opposite him, their attitudes respectful and their speech cautious.

The content of their reports was varied—some about project progress, some about fund usage, some about personnel arrangements, and some about petition stability.

Secretary Wei Kuan listened, nodding from time to time, occasionally asking a few questions, expressing his stance where needed, issuing instructions where required, and postponing where necessary.

He had never felt the weight of the words "County Party Committee Secretary" as clearly as he did now.

In the past, he had also held meetings, signed documents, and listened to reports, but he always felt something was missing.

Now he knew: what was missing was awe.

The cadres were too casual with him; it wasn't a lack of respect, but a lack of awe.

They stood in awe of County Mayor Bai Weijun's background, of Xu Weidong's father, and of those names they could only see on television.

Yet he, Secretary Wei Kuan, was in their eyes merely a County Party Committee Secretary who had climbed up from the grassroots, with no background, and who could be replaced at any time.

Things were different now. The city had sent word, the province had expressed its stance, and those who were still on the sidelines had finally seen the shift in the wind and began lining up to align with him.

This feeling was like using a cheat code.

Not the kind of cheat code in a game that makes you invincible, but the kind where you suddenly realize all the NPCs start actively talking to you, handing you quests, and gifting you equipment.

You don't have to do anything; you just need to sit there, and they will come to you on their own.

After the director of the Finance Bureau finished reporting, he stood up and bowed.

"Secretary Wei, please provide more guidance on the various tasks of the Finance Bureau."

He had said this sentence before, but in the past, his eyes would subconsciously glance toward the direction of County Mayor Bai Weijun's office.

Not today. Today, when he said this, his eyes remained fixed on Secretary Wei Kuan, his gaze filled with an unprecedented sincerity.

The director of the Development and Reform Bureau reported on project approvals. Those projects were strongly pushed by County Mayor Bai Weijun, involving large investments, long cycles, and significant risks.

After listening, Secretary Wei Kuan did not immediately express his stance. He pondered for a moment, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said unhurriedly, "The projects are good, but the county's financial resources are limited; we cannot spread our efforts too thin."

"Set them aside for now, and we will discuss them again when conditions are ripe."

The director of the Development and Reform Bureau was stunned. These projects were personally spearheaded by County Mayor Bai Weijun.

The preliminary research, feasibility studies, and coordination had all been completed; it was just waiting for the county to make the final decision.

He thought Secretary Wei Kuan would sign off smoothly, but he didn't expect the response to be to set them aside.

He opened his mouth to say something, but upon meeting Secretary Wei Kuan's calm eyes, the words on the tip of his tongue changed to: "Very well, Secretary Wei, I will await your instructions."

He stood up, took his folder, and walked out.

Once outside, he stood in the hallway for a moment, took out his phone intending to call County Mayor Bai Weijun, hesitated, and then put it away.

The wind had shifted; he had to learn to read the wind.

County Mayor Bai Weijun found out about this the next day. Xu Weidong came to his office to deliver materials and mentioned it in passing.

His tone was very calm while speaking, as if he were talking about an insignificant matter.

County Mayor Bai Weijun was silent for a long time after hearing it.

"Xu Weidong, how long did the preliminary work for those projects take?"

"Two months. From project initiation to research to feasibility studies to coordination, two months in total."

County Mayor Bai Weijun smiled slightly. He didn't ask again, didn't get angry, and didn't even say a word of complaint.

He lowered his head and continued reading documents as if nothing had happened. Xu Weidong looked at him, unable to describe the feeling in his heart.

He was different from County Mayor Bai Weijun. He had served as a township Party Committee Secretary and knew what the authority of a "top leader" was.

Back in Hukuang Township, his word was law; no matter how unconvinced Township Head Jiang Tiansheng was, he had to endure it.

Upon arriving at the county level, he became the Executive Deputy County Magistrate, changing from a "top leader" to a "number two," and he adapted to the role shift very quickly.

Because he knew the rules: in the township, the Secretary is the boss.

At the county level, the Secretary is also the boss.

No matter who you are, no matter what background you have, as long as you are in this position, you must follow these rules.

But County Mayor Bai Weijun was different. He came from the ministries and commissions; from a staff member to a division chief, he had walked within the lines the whole way.

His working style wasn't about fighting for power, but about getting things done.

He thought that as long as the project was good, the plan was excellent, and the data was solid, the leaders would support it.

He didn't know there was a power called the "top leader's veto." No matter how good your project is, how excellent your plan is, or how solid your data is, as long as the top leader doesn't agree, you can't get it done.

"County Magistrate Bai, Secretary Wei Kuan isn't targeting you."

"He is the Secretary, the top leader. He has his considerations, his difficulties, and his rhythm."

"All we can do is cooperate with him, support him, and get the things he entrusts to us done well."

County Mayor Bai Weijun looked up at him, a certain indescribable look in his eyes.

"Xu Weidong, are you speaking up for him?"

"I'm not speaking up for him; I'm telling you the truth."

Xu Weidong sat down opposite him, his hands folded on his knees.

"When I was the Secretary in Hukuang Township, Township Head Jiang Tiansheng was the Township Head. He was several rounds older than me, had stayed in Hukuang Township for over a decade, and had broader connections and more experience than me."

"But I never felt he was better than me, because I was the Secretary, I was the top leader."

"I could listen to what he said, or I could ignore it. I could accept his suggestions, or I could reject them."

"I could praise the work he did, or I could criticize it."

"This wasn't because I was better than him, but because my position was higher."

"What Secretary Wei Kuan is doing to us now is what I did to Township Head Jiang Tiansheng back then."

"It's not because we are incompetent, but because the position he holds is higher than ours."

County Mayor Bai Weijun was silent for a long time. He looked at the gray sky outside the window, the corners of his mouth moved slightly, but he didn't speak.

He recalled when he was at the ministries and commissions; the Department Director's word was law, and the division chiefs only had the duty of execution.

At that time, he felt he was an executor, but upon arriving at the local level as County Magistrate, he thought he would be a decision-maker.

Now he discovered that at the ministries and commissions, he had the Department Director and the Minister above him.

At the local level, he had the Secretary above him.

No matter where he was, he was not the one who made the final call.

This realization made him very uncomfortable, but he had to admit that it was the truth.

"Are you saying I have to endure it?"

"I'm saying you don't have to endure it."

Xu Weidong stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to him.

"You are the County Magistrate; you should continue doing what you need to do. Push the projects that need pushing, chase the funds that need chasing, and grasp the work that needs grasping."

"If Secretary Wei Kuan suppresses your projects, will you just stop? That would play right into his hands."

"He wants to make you uncomfortable, wants you to stop, wants you to know you aren't omnipotent."

"The more uncomfortable you are, the happier he is. The more you stop, the more he feels he has won."

"Your top priority now is to calm down and see if there are any remedial measures."

"I believe that as long as the project itself is not problematic, the Standing Committee is a place where democracy is practiced."

County Mayor Bai Weijun looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Xu Weidong, when did you become so mature?"

Xu Weidong turned around, leaned on the windowsill, hands in his trouser pockets.

"It's not that I'm mature; it's that Township Head Jiang Tiansheng taught me well. He fought me a few rounds in Hukuang Township, and he tried every trick in the book."

"If I couldn't even handle this, he would have taken me down long ago."

County Mayor Bai Weijun stood up, walked to the window, and stood side by side with him.

"Xu Weidong, you're right. I should continue doing what I need to do. If Secretary Wei Kuan suppresses my projects, I'll find another way."

"If he doesn't allow the county to provide matching funds, I'll go to the city to find them."

"If the city doesn't give them, I'll go to the province to find them."

"If the province doesn't give them, I'll find a way myself."

"I don't believe a good project can be suppressed to death by him."

Xu Weidong nodded and said nothing more.