24: Chapter 24 They've Come Based on the Smell

Lüjiang City Municipal Committee Office building, fifth floor, east side.

Secretary Wan Xiaohan stands by the window, watching the official cars pulling into the parking lot below.

This is his habit. Every morning at 7:50 AM, he stands at this spot for fifteen minutes.

Who is sitting in whose car, who said two extra words to whom in the garage, who arrived earlier or later than usual today.

His predecessors didn't care about these details, so they all ended up in trouble.

He is fifty-three this year, transferred here seven months ago from the position of Mayor of Hanzhou.

On the day of the organizational talk, his old leader held his hand and said, "Lüjiang needs someone who can hold the fort."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan didn't dare to ask, "Couldn't the previous two hold the fort?"

Now that the old leader has retired, he has no one to rely on in Lvjiang City.

He is afraid... of course, not afraid of losing his position.

He is fifty-three; even if he moves up, it would only be to a deputy ministerial level. He knows how far he can go.

What he fears is the fate of his two predecessors!

One is under investigation, and the other was investigated after being transferred away.

Whether one is clean or not is sometimes not something one can decide for oneself.

A knock on the door sounds behind him.

"Secretary Wan."

Secretary-General Fang Zhou walks in, holding a folder.

"The summary of cadre deployments from yesterday, submitted by the Organization Department. There are a few items that need your review."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan doesn't turn around.

"Leave it there."

Secretary-General Fang Zhou stands in place, not leaving.

Secretary Wan Xiaohan turns around and says: "Is something the matter?"

Secretary-General Fang Zhou pauses and says: "There is a transfer of a section-level cadre in the Comprehensive Section of the Municipal Committee Office."

"Transferring from the Comprehensive Section to the Youth League Committee of Hukuang Township, Changyuan County, as Deputy Secretary."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan looks at him. A lateral transfer at the section level is not worth the Municipal Committee Secretary-General coming to report in person.

"Who handled it?"

"Minister Sun Ping."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan's brow twitches.

Minister Sun Ping, Executive Deputy Minister of the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department, at the bureau-level. He has been in Lvjiang City for over a decade and has always been someone who only bows to Buddha, never asking for favors.

For such a steady and prudent person to personally handle a lateral transfer at the section level?

"Who is the one being transferred?"

"An old staff member of the Comprehensive Section, surnamed Chen, who has been in the office for eight years."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan doesn't speak. Secretary-General Fang Zhou continues: "Minister Sun Ping did not follow standard procedures."

"The motion was made on Friday afternoon, the letter was issued on Monday morning, and the inspection team went down on Monday afternoon."

"The inspection talk was just a formality, lasting less than twenty minutes."

"The person being transferred knew the news that very day."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan walks back to his desk and sits down.

He opens the cadre deployment summary and finds the page for the Comprehensive Section.

Transferred out: Chen ××, staff member of the Comprehensive Section of the Municipal Committee Office, proposed to be appointed as Deputy Secretary of the Youth League Committee of Hukuang Township, Changyuan County.

A few sparse lines, clean as if nothing had happened.

"Did this person surnamed Chen offend someone?"

Secretary-General Fang Zhou doesn't answer. Secretary Wan Xiaohan looks up at him.

"Minister Sun Ping is not the type to settle personal scores, and he has no connection with this person surnamed Chen."

"Then it must be done for someone else."

Secretary-General Fang Zhou is silent. Secretary Wan Xiaohan closes the folder.

"Get me the file of that newcomer."

By the time the file of Xu Weidong arrives on Secretary Wan Xiaohan's desk, it is already 4:30 PM.

It is a thin volume with a white label on the cover, neatly numbered, with fresh ink. This is a file transferred directly from the Talent Work Division of the Provincial Organization Department.

Secretary Wan Xiaohan puts on his reading glasses and flips through it page by page.

Hanzhou No. 1 High School, science track, 657 points in the college entrance examination.

Civil Engineering University, School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Bachelor of Engineering degree.

During university: Freshman year as Vice President of the University Student Union, sophomore year as President of the University Student Union. In junior year, he won the second prize in the national "Challenge Cup" competition, and in his senior year...

Secretary Wan Xiaohan's fingertip stops on that page: freshman year, Vice President of the University Student Union.

Civil Engineering University!

A deputy ministerial-level university!

A freshman who had just enrolled, without any prior experience in student affairs, was directly appointed as Vice President.

Secretary Wan Xiaohan has been in officialdom for decades and has never seen such a thing.

"Go and check who his mentor was at Civil Engineering University, this Xu Weidong."

Secretary-General Fang Zhou is taken aback for a moment and says: "Mentor?"

"The Vice President of the University Student Union doesn't just fall from the sky. Who was the person guiding him?"

Secretary-General Fang Zhou goes out. Half an hour later, he returns with a strange expression on his face.

"The President, President Chen Bing."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan's hand holding the teacup pauses. President Chen Bing.

President of Civil Engineering University, deputy ministerial level!

A deputy ministerial-level university president personally guiding the student work of a freshman.

All the competitions Xu Weidong participated in during the second semester of his freshman year had "President Chen Bing" written in the faculty advisor column.

Challenge Cup, President Chen Bing.

Internet+, President Chen Bing.

Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Competition, still President Chen Bing.

A deputy ministerial-level president personally served as a competition advisor for an undergraduate student more than a dozen times over four years.

Secretary Wan Xiaohan leans back in his chair, watching the deepening twilight outside the window.

"Secretary-General Fang Zhou, do you think anyone gave him special treatment when he was at Civil Engineering University?"

Secretary-General Fang Zhou doesn't answer. Secretary Wan Xiaohan answers himself: "I suspect there was, and it was even written out in the open."

"That is the most formidable part."

Not even bothering to put on an act!

"What about his parents?"

Secretary-General Fang Zhou shakes his head and says: "Not in the file. Household registration is in Ankang County, and parental information is classified."

Once the word 'classified' comes out, Secretary Wan Xiaohan does not ask again.

"Secretary Wan, do you need me to check again?"

Secretary Wan Xiaohan is silent for a long time. If it's already classified, what could you possibly find out?

"No need."

He closes the file and puts it back into the folder.

"When it's time to know, I will naturally know."

Two days later.

The Municipal Committee Office receives a notice: A provincial-level on-site meeting on the business environment will be held in Lvjiang City soon, and Secretary Wan Xiaohan needs to make an exchange speech on his experience.

The task of drafting the speech is assigned to the Comprehensive Section. The Section Chief of the Comprehensive Section distributes the task to Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan.

Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan assigns it to Xiao Zhou. Xiao Zhou stays up all night and submits a draft.

The Section Chief is not satisfied. Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan revises the draft and submits it, but the leadership is still not satisfied.

On the morning of the third day, Secretary-General Fang Zhou comes to the Comprehensive Section in person.

"Who drafted the speech?"

The Section Chief says cautiously: "Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan led it, Xiao Zhou wrote it..."

Secretary-General Fang Zhou doesn't look at them; he looks at the desk in the corner.

"Xu Weidong, you write it."

The office is quiet for a moment. Xu Weidong stands up.

"Secretary-General, I just arrived, I'm not familiar with the situation..."

"Learn if you aren't familiar."

"The Secretary needs to see the draft the day after tomorrow afternoon."

Secretary-General Fang Zhou places a stack of materials on Xu Weidong's desk and says: "Economic development data of Lvjiang City for the past three years, key points of business environment reform, and a compilation of the Secretary's speeches from his time in Hanzhou."

"Submit the first draft to me before getting off work tomorrow afternoon."

Secretary-General Fang Zhou turns and leaves. No one in the office speaks.

Xiao Zhou lowers his head, pretending to look at documents.

Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan's pen stops in mid-air, not falling for a long time.

Xu Weidong sits down and opens the stack of materials.

He writes for an afternoon and another night.

At 4:30 PM the next day, he submits the first draft to Secretary-General Fang Zhou's office.

Secretary-General Fang Zhou reads it once, not saying anything.

He reads it again, then puts the draft down.

"Leave it here."

Xu Weidong nods and turns to leave.

"Wait."

Xu Weidong stops. Secretary-General Fang Zhou looks at him and says: "When you were at Civil Engineering University, did you ever write speeches for leaders?"

Xu Weidong pauses, then says: "I did."

"How many times?"

"I can't remember."

"During my sophomore and junior years, the work reports of the University Student Union, speeches at opening ceremonies, and defense statements for several competitions were all revised by leaders."

Secretary-General Fang Zhou nods and doesn't ask further.

Xu Weidong leaves. Secretary-General Fang Zhou sits in his office and reads the draft from beginning to end again.

Three thousand seven hundred words, clear logic, plain writing style, elevating where it should be elevated, and grounding where it should be grounded.

No empty words or clichés, no common "under the guidance of..." or "taking... as the guiding principle."

Secretary-General Fang Zhou puts the draft into a folder and delivers it to the fifth floor in person.

Secretary Wan Xiaohan finishes reading and takes off his reading glasses.

"He wrote it?"

"Yes."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan puts the draft on the table and says: "This child has been taught by someone."

Secretary-General Fang Zhou doesn't speak. Secretary Wan Xiaohan leans back against his chair, looking out the window.

"Secretary-General Fang Zhou, do you think it's appropriate for me to transfer him over?"

"He is only twenty-three years old and has been in the job for less than a month."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan chuckles and says: "Some people move fast, not because they run fast themselves."

"Secretary, if you really have this intention, you need to think clearly about a few things."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan looks at Secretary-General Fang Zhou, waiting for him to continue.

"First, Minister Sun Ping's side."

"Xu Weidong hasn't been in Lvjiang City for a month, and Minister Sun Ping has already gone to great lengths for him."

"If you transfer him away at this time, what will the person behind Minister Sun Ping think?"

"Second, what is this child's background? We still haven't figured it out."

"Being able to let Minister Sun Ping take the stage voluntarily, being able to let the President of Civil Engineering University guide him for four years... this kind of background might not be something we can handle."

"Third, what he himself thinks."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan is silent for a moment, then says: "Do you think he won't be willing?"

"I don't know."

"But he came to Lvjiang City by taking the exam himself."

"If he really wanted someone to arrange things for him, Minister Sun Ping wouldn't have waited until now to appear."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan sighs with emotion: "Secretary-General Fang Zhou, how many years have you been with me?"

"Eleven years."

"Eleven years, have I ever made you do anything against your conscience?"

Seeing Secretary-General Fang Zhou shake his head, Secretary Wan Xiaohan says lightly: "This time is different."

"What kind of place is Lvjiang City? You know better than I do."

"Two Secretaries have fallen in two years. Who will be the next one?"

"I don't know."

"The old leader has retired, and no one can protect me."

"I heard that the Discipline Inspection Commission already has three whistleblowing letters suppressed. Although I don't know the content, I generally understand what they might be writing."

"The previous two predecessors also thought they were fine before they got into trouble."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan wipes his glasses and says: "I am not trying to climb the social ladder; I don't have the qualifications for that."

"I just want to... in case someone wants to move against me one day, at least there will be someone who can speak up for me."

"Is this request excessive?"

"It is not excessive."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan nods and says: "Then let's try."

Three days later, the Municipal Committee Office notifies Xu Weidong.

Secretary Wan Xiaohan is very satisfied with that speech draft and invites him over to discuss suggestions for revision in person.

When Xu Weidong knocks and enters, Secretary Wan Xiaohan is on the phone.

Secretary Wan Xiaohan signals for Xu Weidong to sit down first. The call lasts for seven or eight minutes, and the content seems to be about the approval of a project in the province.

Secretary Wan Xiaohan's tone is steady, occasionally saying "uh-huh," neither humble nor arrogant.

After hanging up the phone, he turns to Xu Weidong.

"I read the draft, it is well written."

Xu Weidong leans forward and says: "Secretary, you flatter me, there are still many shortcomings."

Secretary Wan Xiaohan doesn't pick up on that. He picks up the stack of drafts and flips to the third page.

"Here, regarding the data on the xx reform, you used last year's."

Xu Weidong pauses, then says: "Yes, this year's semi-annual report has not been released yet."

"The Statistics Bureau has a preliminary report. Although it hasn't been officially released, you can ask by phone."

"As a secretary, one cannot wait for documents."

"By the time the document comes down, others will already know."

Xu Weidong looks at him, and Secretary Wan Xiaohan is also looking at him.

The gaze is very calm, like an elder looking at a junior, and also like an examiner looking at a candidate.

"Secretary Wan, are you asking me to be your secretary?"

Secretary Wan Xiaohan doesn't say yes, nor does he say no.

"The Comprehensive Section is tiresome. Three years, five years, endless materials to write, endless phone calls to answer."

"Are you willing to stay there?"