Chapter 28: Conflict at the Vault Meeting

Qian Dazhi had been placed under "Shuanggui" (a disciplinary measure involving mandatory detention for investigation).

The Standing Committee meeting continued.

During the recent land transfer process, Kong Zhengyou, Liu Dajin, and others from the Land and Resources Bureau had been guilty of dereliction of duty. Wu Yunqiu recommended that the relevant departments conduct an investigation according to the law and hold the responsible individuals accountable.

At the same time, she put forward her stance regarding Jinchang Agriculture: they must restore the original farmland, return the land to the local people, and send representatives to apologize to the public before leaving Ninghai County. However, the pursuit of legal liability against their corporate representative would remain in effect. Ninghai County would never welcome enterprises that suffered from such fundamental flaws in morality, credibility, and conscience.

Sha Junhai and the others had not yet fully recovered from the shock of Qian Dazhi’s detention. Feng Zhikuan, who was specifically in charge of the matter, raised no objections to Wu Yunqiu’s proposal. The agenda item was thus passed.

At the end of the meeting, Sha Junhai suggested that since Qian Dazhi had been detained, they might as well discuss the candidates for the position of Party Secretary of Nanping Town. Wu Yunqiu declined, stating that the Organization Department should follow the standard evaluation process and that the matter would be discussed at the next Standing Committee meeting.

In truth, He Shinian knew that it wasn't that Wu Yunqiu didn't want to consider it; it was that when it came to personnel issues, if she entered the Standing Committee without preparation, the principle of voting by a show of hands meant she likely had no hope of pushing her own candidate into the position.

After the meeting adjourned, He Shinian followed Wu Yunqiu back to her office. She let out a long sigh; there was a hint of fatigue in her features, but her eyes remained as sharp as a hawk’s.

"Sister Qiu, this battle was won beautifully today," He Shinian said.

Wu Yunqiu gave a faint smile and replied, "You did well."

Hearing this, He Shinian felt a surge of joy and said, "This time, it’s all thanks to Mayor Li providing the materials; otherwise, the Disciplinary Committee wouldn't have been able to secure evidence of Qian Dazhi's illegal activities so quickly."

Wu Yunqiu gave a non-committal hum and offered no further comment.

Back at his own office, He Shinian’s phone was buzzing incessantly with messages. Everyone was inquiring about Qian Dazhi’s detention. In the bureaucratic system, there are virtually no secrets; the news had spread the moment the meeting ended. Officialdom is a game of musical chairs—the fall of a single town Party secretary would inevitably trigger a series of personnel changes. It was clear that those calling him were eyeing the vacant position. He Shinian dealt with them all using vague, non-committal responses.

The final call was from Meng Fan, inviting him to the First Comprehensive Division for a departmental meeting. In Ninghai County, the First Comprehensive Division was also known as the Secretary’s Office. Its primary duty was to serve Secretary Wu Yunqiu and handle various administrative affairs.

Upon arriving at the First Comprehensive Division, the room was thick with smoke, and everyone was discussing Qian Dazhi’s detention. Wang Dongge, in particular, was spitting as he spoke, his tongue completely unchecked.

He Shinian thought to himself: No wonder Wang Dongge was removed from his position as secretary after only three months. As a secretary, knowing how to measure one's words, when to advance and when to retreat, and being cautious in speech and action were the most basic requirements. If one couldn't even control one's own mouth, how could one possibly gain the trust of a superior?

When Meng Fan saw He Shinian arrive, he stood up. His attitude was a stark contrast to their first day. Perhaps after these days of internal struggle, Meng Fan had come to a realization: He Shinian was steadily gaining the appreciation and recognition of the County Party Secretary, and the position of Division Chief would eventually be his. Since that was the case, it was better to adjust his mindset and put on a friendly face.

The two exchanged greetings, but then saw Wang Dongge drop the topic of Qian Dazhi and start scrolling through his phone. "I’ve got a joke here, very interesting. They say the greediest Chinese character is 'Huang' (gluttonous), the most direct is 'Kun', the most westernized is 'Yao', the most badass is 'Hao', and the most painful is 'Han' (drought)."

Someone asked why they didn't get it. Tian Mi, however, understood; her ears turned red, and she flushed with embarrassment.

Wang Dongge chuckled mockingly, "You didn't understand, but our 'Empress' understood." By "Empress," he was referring to He Shinian. Historically, once a County Party Secretary’s secretary secured their footing, they usually became the chief of the First Comprehensive Division. From there, they could advance to become a deputy director of the County Party Committee Office—a deputy section-level position—in charge of various departments like the Standing Committee office, the Confidentiality Division, the Confidential Secretarial Division, or the Petition Office.

He Shinian’s current rank was still that of a second-tier staff member. Even if he became the Chief of the First Division, it would only be a stock-level position, or a first-tier staff member. Wang Dongge’s remark was another attempt to set a trap for him. He was dressed up like a gentleman, yet his mouth was full of nonsense, never missing a chance to dig a hole or plant a thorn.

He Shinian warned himself to keep his distance from this man. However, if He Shinian were the "Empress," then Wang Dongge was the "Empress in the Cold Palace," his spite and resentment for being locked away in the lonely depths of the palace clearly visible. Human emotions are sometimes very strange; people often only see the tragic fate of Empress A-Jiao, but fail to see that her tragedy was of her own making.

Meng Fan, seeing that He Shinian ignored Wang Dongge, said, "Come, everyone, let's sit down and discuss our work."

Meng Fan mainly spoke about two things—or rather, one thing: generating revenue for the department's "small treasury." That is, where to get money. Almost every county-level department had a small treasury—non-tax income not included in the financial budget, intended for employee benefits.

After Meng Fan introduced the situation, he said, "Division Chief Wang previously made a bold claim that he would single-handedly generate 100,000 yuan in revenue for the year, but so far, the figure remains at zero."

Wang Dongge snorted, displeased, and said, "When you’re on a mountain, you speak of the mountain; when you’re in a latrine, you do what you must. That’s all in the past; what’s the use of talking about it now?"

Meng Fan did not intend to let him off the hook, saying, "This is what you promised in front of everyone in the department."

Wang Dongge retorted, "Division Chief Meng, I don't like the way you’re talking. Didn't the former County Party Secretary Jin Yuxiang also say on television, in front of the county’s 1.1 million people, that he would build Ninghai into a beautiful, prosperous, and modern city? Why don't you go ask him why he didn't fulfill his promise?"

Hearing this, Meng Fan’s face darkened. He shot Wang Dongge a cold look and snorted. Jin Yuxiang was the former County Party Secretary—a high-profile, aggressive man who had come from the provincial level. After arriving, he had launched grand reforms and power plays, even going so far as to unscrupulously undermine the County Magistrate Sha Junhai. However, he eventually lost the political battle against Sha and left Ninghai County in disgrace for an idle department.

Meng Fan said with some anger, "I am currently only presiding over the work of the First Comprehensive Division temporarily; my position is not exactly official. If Division Chief Wang has any objections, why don't you suggest to Director Ou that you take over as Chief and preside over the work yourself?"

Wang Dongge’s expression shifted. When he was Wu Yunqiu’s secretary, he had assumed the position of Chief was his, which was why he had made the boast about generating revenue single-handedly. He hadn't expected to be kicked out after only three months. This incident made him unable to hold his head up in the County Party Committee Office, and his gaze subconsciously fell on He Shinian, his eyes inevitably filled with resentment.

"The position of Chief is reserved for the Secretary’s secretary. I am not the Secretary’s secretary, so what work would I preside over?"

There truly is no pure land in officialdom; it is filled with contradictions everywhere. Even within a single department, these tensions persist. Currently, neither Wang Dongge, Meng Fan, nor He Shinian was the Chief of the First Division; their positions were all tenuous.

He Shinian certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to boast about generating revenue for the department. If he actually succeeded, others would say he was using the Secretary’s influence to show off and climb the ladder. Moreover, his own position was still unstable. If he were swept out the door one day just like Wang Dongge, wouldn't he be a laughingstock? Therefore, for the current He Shinian, doing and saying nothing was the safest path.

However, watching the two of them, sparks flying, it seemed inappropriate to remain silent.

"Division Chief Meng, Division Chief Wang, may I say a few words?"

Everyone turned their eyes toward He Shinian.

"Secretary He, we are here to hold a meeting and have a discussion; please, speak your mind."

"The purpose of establishing a small treasury is to provide benefits for the department’s personnel. Since that is the case, then generating revenue should be the task of the entire department. Could we quantify the revenue targets? Perhaps everyone could claim a task, and we can all brainstorm ways to handle the rest?"

Hearing this, everyone looked at He Shinian, their hearts tightening.

He Shinian continued, "As for how to quantify it, based on everyone's different circumstances, Division Chief Meng could come up with a plan. Personally, I have no objections."

Wang Dongge wanted to say something, but Meng Fan pondered for a moment and said, "Good. I agree with Secretary He’s proposal. The revenue-generating task is a responsibility for everyone in the First Division."