Chapter Fifty-Four Final Examination

  Lu Zhengdong and Wu Zhonghe followed Lin Zhehe to the next room, Lin Zhehe knocked on the door, made a please gesture, the two nodded to Deputy Director Lin in gratitude, entered the room. The room is not big, with an office desk, surrounded by a circle of sofas, looking very simple, seemingly Secretary Wen's temporary office place.

  The secretary was holding something and looking at it, saw two people enter, put down the documents in his hand, and nodded.

  "Sit down."

  Lu Zhengdong and Wu Zhonghe sat down, and it was estimated that there were still many people waiting next door for Secretary Wen to talk. In order to save time, Secretary Wen did not say anything polite, but directly said:

  "Comrade Wu Zhonghe, since you took charge of the work in Shanhe Township, there have been great changes in Shanhe Township. The county party committee and government are satisfied with your performance since taking charge of Shanhe's work and fully affirm it."

  The secretary paused for a moment and continued to say:

  "However, the mountains and countryside have only just made a good start. To take the work of the mountains and countryside to a new level and make significant progress, there is still much work to be done. Comrade Zhonghe, this burden is not light, you must shoulder it well..."

  Lu Zhengdong heard Secretary Wen's words, although he didn't say it explicitly, but the meaning was self-evident - Wu Zhonghe becoming the Party Secretary of the Township was already a done deal.

  Wu Zhonghe seemed to be somewhat excited, stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said: "Thank you for the trust of Secretary Wang and the county party committee and government. I will definitely not disappoint the leaders' expectations and lead Shanhe Township to another level."

  "Well, having confidence and determination is a good thing, but it still needs to be put into practice. You'd better get things done. Just simply say your plan..."

  Wen Secretary and Wu Zhonghe talked for a while, basically not talking to him at all, let alone discussing any economic development issues. Lu Zhengdong couldn't figure out why he was called to such a conversation, but since he came, he sat quietly on the side and listened.

  The conversation between Secretary Wen and Wu Zhonghe lasted for about seven or eight minutes. Secretary Wen nodded his head and said:

  "Time is tight today, let's stop here and talk again when we have time..."

  Lu Zhengdong saw that the conversation had nothing to do with him and was about to end, and he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. However, seeing Wu Zhonghe get up, he also stood up, but Secretary Wen waved his hand:

  "Comrade Lu Zhengdong, wait a minute..."

  Lu Zhengdong's heart also moved slightly when he heard this, although he was not clear what Secretary Wen wanted to talk to him about, but as long as he could talk to him, it would definitely not be a bad thing, so he sat down again.

  Wu Zhonghe got up and went out, but Secretary Wen didn't rush to talk to him. Instead, he took out a cigarette and handed it to Wu Zhonghe, who quickly accepted it. Lu Zhengdong then took out his lighter and lit Secretary Wen's cigarette, but not his own, which he held in his hand. This was etiquette - when a leader offers you a cigarette, it's just a courtesy, accepting the cigarette is a sign of respect for the leader. If you don't know better and light up, it would seem somewhat impolite.

  Wen Xiang took a drag on his cigarette, and for half a minute he didn't speak. The smoke curled up in the room.

  Even if Lu Zhengdong had met Secretary Wen before, in such a setting, this silence made Lu Zhengdong feel as if there was an invisible pressure coming at him...

  The county's finances are really too tense, so tense that things that the county magistrate should worry about, even the county party secretary can't help but worry about them.

  Wen Peiyuan is also aware that to break this deadlock, in addition to strengthening institutional development and fully tapping potential, more importantly, we need to focus on the issue of personnel, as people are the decisive factor.

  It is no longer possible to follow the old routine, but rather to dare to break conventions, and put capable and cultured cadres who are eager to take on new challenges in more important positions, giving them full play, so that the county's predicament can be broken through as soon as possible.

  Shanhe Township was able to have Wu Zhonghe after Wang Liben was removed from office, and soon there will be the current situation. Wu Zhonghe was able to bring together a group of people in Shanhe Township, working together, making contributions, and having certain abilities. However, what really made Shanhe's economy develop was mainly relying on this young man in front of us, and also had follow-up development plans. With such a tight financial situation, such a good economic hand should be put in a more important position.

  The county will dig out two shares if they can dig out one share of potential, and the mountains and countryside have the current situation, naturally also want to play the greatest role.

  Lu Zhengdong was one of the people he wanted to use, but Lu Zhengdong's age and experience always made him a bit hesitant, so he didn't express this idea and instead had someone probe the attitudes of the deputy secretary and the standing committee members. The result was not too unexpected, with basically negative opinions, suggesting that he should continue to be tempered as deputy head of the township for another year or two before considering it.

  Other standing committee members also recommended several candidates, who were all pretty good, but he felt that these people seemed to be lacking something compared to Lu Zhengdong.

  The attitude of the Standing Committee members also made him feel a little sentimental. The call for younger cadres has been loud and clear in recent years, but when it comes to actually implementing the selection of talented individuals without restrictions, many people's thinking still falls back on the old routine, and the resistance is still great, the pressure is great. Although the attitude of the Standing Committee members made him cautious, changing the way personnel are used is inevitable, and he was still planning to promote and use Lu Zhengdong. However, he also wanted to observe Lu Zhengdong again today before making a final decision...

  Wen Peiyuan felt that he had sat for about the right amount of time before looking at Lu Zhengdong.

  He knew that sitting there silently would put immense pressure on Lu Zhengdong. Even the old cunning folks in the countryside would feel tense, but the young man in front of him had his legs slightly closed together, with his hands placed on his knees, showing no signs of tension. It was clear that he hadn't been intimidated by his presence. This added to Wen Peiyuan's satisfaction. Only then did he open his mouth to ask:

  "Comrade Lu Zhengdong, you are in charge of finance and trade. Are there any problems with the economic indicators and fiscal revenue plans for Shanhe Township this year? How do you plan to take the economy and fiscal revenue of Shanhe Township to a new level?"

  Lu Zhengdong saw Secretary Wen finally speak up, and so he respectfully said:

  "I and other comrades in the countryside will overcome all difficulties together, ensure quality and quantity to complete the tasks assigned by the county. Secretary Wen, you are aware of the situation in Shanhe Township, where transportation conditions and geographical location are poor, but there are advantages such as mountains, water, forests, and land. The township is working on improving transportation conditions, my idea is to improve unfavorable conditions, based on Shanhe's own characteristics, stabilize basic agriculture, promote animal husbandry, vigorously develop small and medium-sized primary processing enterprises with advantages and characteristics in Shanhe, under the leadership and care of the county party committee and government, and through the joint efforts of all cadres and masses in the township, economic development and fiscal revenue will reach a new level..."

  Wen Peiyuan was very satisfied with Lu Zhengdong's answer, this statement is very level-headed, feasible, clear and hopeful without being blind, but also revealing determination. Wen Peiyuan nodded his head in approval...

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