240: Chapter 240 Lin Juncai's Guidance

Secretary Wei Kuan rushed to the city early the next morning; although he had won the battle at the Standing Committee meeting last night, he didn't feel relieved at all.

After the meeting ended and he returned to his office, he sat alone for nearly an hour, the ashtray piled high with cigarette butts.

He repeatedly replayed every word he said and every decision he made, weighing the iron-blue face of County Mayor Bai Weijun when he left, and carefully pondering the bottomless eyes of Xu Weidong when he was silent.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became, tossing and turning all night without closing his eyes, and before dawn, he got up and had his driver take him straight to Lvjiang City.

Secretary Lin Juncai's office was on the third floor, with the window facing the flower bed in the Municipal Government compound; by now, the roses in the flower bed had withered, leaving only a few dwarf pines standing lonely and green.

When Secretary Wei Kuan entered, Secretary Lin Juncai was leaning back in his chair reading documents, a teacup steaming, with several red-headed documents he had reviewed spread across the desk.

He looked up at Secretary Wei Kuan, a trace of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, and pointed to the chair opposite him, his tone as casual as if he were chatting with an old friend.

"Secretary Wei Kuan is here? Sit down. You drove over so early, have you had breakfast?"

"I have, Secretary Lin Juncai."

Secretary Wei Kuan sat down and placed his briefcase on the floor beside his feet.

The secretary came in to pour tea, then withdrew and closed the door tightly.

He didn't rush to speak, but picked up the teacup, took a sip to moisten his throat, then set it down and let out a long sigh.

Secretary Lin Juncai leaned back in his chair, watching his hesitant manner, and laughed: "What's the matter? Looking at you, it's like you've suffered a bellyful of grievances."

"Did something happen over in Changyuan County?"

Secretary Wei Kuan gave a wry smile, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice, as if telling a secret that shouldn't be heard by too many people.

"Secretary Lin Juncai, you asked me to be a whetstone, and I have been."

"At the Standing Committee meeting, the division of labor for those two young masters was adjusted; the responsibilities for science, education, culture, and health were carved out from Xu Weidong's portfolio and handed to Vice County Magistrate Mi Baizuo."

"All the necessary procedures at the Standing Committee meeting were followed, and all the necessary stances were taken."

"But Secretary Lin Juncai, you don't know, I have no bottom in my heart at all."

Secretary Lin Juncai took a sip of tea without speaking, waiting for him to continue.

Secretary Wei Kuan's fingers tapped lightly on his knees, his brows knitted into a knot.

"Secretary Lin Juncai, you might not know, but I look quite formidable in the county; once I sit there at the Standing Committee meeting, everyone has to listen to me."

"But I live in fear every day."

"Those two young men, one is County Mayor Bai Weijun's son, the other is General Manager Xu's son."

"In their eyes, what am I, a mere County Party Committee secretary?"

"You asked me to act as a whetstone, and I did."

"But if I really drive them into a corner, won't they hold a grudge against me? Won't they go to their elders to complain?"

"When that time comes, with just one word from their elders, I, this whetstone, will be ground into powder."

"Secretary Lin Juncai, I'm not afraid of taking responsibility; I'm afraid of ending up pleasing neither side."

"Work in the county must be pushed forward, the two young masters must be served well, and the leaders at the provincial and municipal levels must be satisfied."

"My old bones really can't take it anymore."

Secretary Lin Juncai listened without interrupting, letting Secretary Wei Kuan pour out all his bitterness.

After he finished speaking, he picked up his teacup for another sip, his gaze fixed on Secretary Wei Kuan's face, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepening slightly.

"Secretary Wei Kuan, you've worked in the Municipal Government for so many years, what kind of scenes haven't you seen?"

"What kind of storms haven't you weathered? How is it that upon arriving in Changyuan County, you've lost your composure?"

Secretary Wei Kuan was stunned for a moment; Secretary Lin Juncai leaned back in his chair, his voice low, but every word carried the composure of someone who has seen great storms.

"Let me ask you, do you think County Mayor Bai Weijun and Xu Weidong will go to their elders to complain? Do they dare?"

Secretary Wei Kuan thought for a moment and shook his head.

"Probably... not. They are both smart people and know that this kind of thing cannot be taken to higher-ups."

"That's right."

Secretary Lin Juncai's fingers tapped the desk twice, as if drumming on an invisible drum.

"They won't take it to the higher-ups, and they dare not take it to the higher-ups."

"Why? Because taking it up there brings them no benefit whatsoever."

"When their elders find out, they will only say they are incompetent, that they can't even handle such a small matter, and they expect them to do big things in the future?"

"Do you think General Manager Xu will be furious just because you adjusted Xu Weidong's division of labor?"

"The old gentleman will only ask Xu Weidong, 'What have you been doing in Changyuan County? Why can't you even handle a County Party Committee secretary?'"

"Believe me, Xu Weidong would rather bear it himself than make that call home."

Secretary Wei Kuan remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

Secretary Lin Juncai took another sip of tea, his tone softening, carrying the patient guidance of an old superior to a new subordinate.

"Secretary Wei Kuan, let me say something from the bottom of my heart. In officialdom, what you fear most is not offending people, but not knowing how to end things after offending them."

"What you are doing now to County Mayor Bai Weijun and Xu Weidong, on the surface, looks like suppression, but in reality, it is helping them."

"You are letting them know that the world does not revolve around them, and that just because their surnames are Bai or Xu, everyone doesn't have to yield to them."

"You are teaching them to grow through setbacks and move forward under pressure. Their elders won't teach them these truths, and they don't have the time to teach them."

"Only you, only you, the County Party Committee secretary acting as the whetstone, can teach them."

Secretary Wei Kuan's fingers twitched slightly; he looked at Secretary Lin Juncai's calm face, and the unease in his heart was pressed down by something, though it hadn't completely disappeared.

"Secretary Lin Juncai, what you say is correct, but I am still worried."

"If the whetstone grinds too hard and breaks the blade, what then?"

"When the blade is broken, the whetstone is still there, but what use is the whetstone?"

"No one uses it anymore, and it can only be thrown into a corner, waiting to be forgotten."

Secretary Lin Juncai shook his head, stood up from his chair, walked to the window, and opened it.

"Secretary Wei Kuan, the whetstone is not there for you to break the blade, but for you to sharpen it."

"You must master the art of balance, knowing when to apply force, when to hold back, when to give them a little sweetness, and when to apply a little pressure."

"You can't just know how to press without knowing how to pull; that's not sharpening a blade, that's smashing it."

Secretary Wei Kuan stood up and walked behind him.

Secretary Lin Juncai turned to look at him, his gaze carrying the unique insight of someone who has been through it all.

"Don't just blindly apply pressure; you must also provide appropriate assistance."

"At this critical juncture, this is exactly when they need a helping hand the most."

"Think about it, they have been pressed so hard by you at the Standing Committee meeting that they can't lift their heads, and the deputy county magistrates have one by one turned to your side; who else is left by their side?"

"Secretary Liu Qingfeng?"

"There is still Secretary Liu Qingfeng standing on their side."

"What does this show? It shows that not everyone follows the wind, and it shows that there are still people willing to stand up and speak for them when they are in their most difficult times."

"Such people are ones you should accommodate, not attack."

Secretary Wei Kuan nodded in realization; Secretary Lin Juncai walked back to the desk and sat down, picking up a pen and twirling it between his fingers twice.

"I suggest that, at the appropriate time, you concede one or two Standing Committee members to them."

"Let them feel they haven't been completely abandoned, let them feel that you, Secretary Wei Kuan, are not their enemy, but are helping them in another way."

"In this way, they won't hold a grudge against you, and they will be grateful to you. Why not do something that kills two birds with one stone?"

Secretary Wei Kuan's eyes brightened as he said: "Secretary Lin Juncai, do you mean..."

"We haven't said anything; you must grasp the specific balance yourself."

"Remember, let them feel you are testing them, training them, and doing it for their own good."

"You understand this balance better than I do."

Secretary Wei Kuan remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Secretary Lin Juncai, I understand. Pressing alone isn't enough; you also have to pull. When pressing, be ruthless, and when pulling, be precise."

Secretary Lin Juncai laughed, that smile carrying a sense of satisfaction.

"Secretary Wei Kuan, you really are from the Municipal Government office; you get it at once."

"Secretary Lin Juncai, there is one more thing I would like to ask your advice on. There are a few major projects in County Mayor Bai Weijun's hands that he has been wanting to push, and I have been holding them back."

"Do you think I should continue to hold them back, or let them go a little?"

Secretary Lin Juncai put down his teacup and tapped his fingers on the desk twice.

"Regarding the projects, don't rush, but don't hold them back for too long either."

"If you hold them for too long, he will think you are deliberately making things difficult for him, not testing him, but strangling his progress."

"My advice is, you can release one or two less sensitive projects first to let him see hope."

"As for the rest, wait until the timing is right to release them."

"Even when fishing, you have to use bait; how much more so when you're 'fishing' for a county mayor?"

Secretary Wei Kuan smiled and said: "Secretary Lin Juncai, now that you've said this, I have a bottom line in my heart."

Secretary Lin Juncai stood up, walked over to him, and patted his shoulder.

"Secretary Wei Kuan, you are doing a great job in Changyuan County; both the provincial and municipal levels are watching."

"Don't have too many worries; just do what you need to do."

"You are a cadre of the Party, and also a cadre of the organization."

"Everything you do, as long as it is for the work, for the big picture, and for the development of Changyuan County, there is nothing to be afraid of."

Secretary Wei Kuan nodded heavily, a flash of emotion in his eyes.

"Secretary Lin Juncai, thank you. With these words from you, I feel much more at ease."

Secretary Lin Juncai nodded and said: "Alright, you go back. Keep a close eye on the affairs in Changyuan County."

"If there are any situations, call me at any time."

Secretary Wei Kuan turned and walked to the door, then stopped and looked back.

"Secretary Lin Juncai, are you free tonight? I would like to invite you to dinner to express my gratitude."

Secretary Lin Juncai waved his hand and said: "No need for dinner; just go back, work hard, and handle the affairs of Changyuan County well—that is the greatest gratitude to me."

Secretary Wei Kuan responded with a smile, opened the door, and walked out.