Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 193 The Woman in Red Sneakers

Chen Youfu, the person in charge of the canteen, has arrived.

"Secretary Wu, do you like the food? Do you have any suggestions? We will definitely improve it!" Chen Youfu said with a fawning smile.

Wu Zhiyuan picked up a piece of steamed pork with rice flour and said, "Master Chen, the pork in this steamed pork dish is too fatty and overcooked, so it's greasy."

The stir-fried green peppers and shredded pork had a small amount of pork, and the green peppers were a bit undercooked and didn't absorb the flavor well.

The cabbage was overcooked and too much salt was added.

Of course, this is just my personal opinion.

Wu Zhiyuan glanced at the other town officials dining and asked loudly, "What opinions or suggestions do you have about the dishes? Please bring them up so the canteen can improve."

When Wu Zhiyuan took the initiative to ask, many cadres lowered their heads, but no one dared to be the first to speak.

Offending the canteen contractor Chen Youfu means offending his powerful backer. Who would want to be the one to stick their neck out?

Seeing this, Wu Zhiyuan encouraged everyone, "Speak your mind, as long as it's based on facts and your goal is to improve the cafeteria, feel free to speak up."

A young cadre finally spoke up: "Secretary Wu, I have something to say. The menu is too monotonous. It's basically the same three dishes on rotation, which can easily get boring."

Moreover, there's very little meat in the stir-fries; like today's stir-fried green peppers and pork, it's almost just green peppers stir-fried with green peppers.

Once someone started, others immediately followed suit.

A middle-aged female cadre chimed in: "Yes, Secretary Wu, not only are there few dishes, but the taste is also really just average."

Sometimes the amount of oil and salt is inconsistent, resulting in a mixture that is sometimes salty and sometimes bland.

Also, breakfast is just steamed buns, porridge, and pickled vegetables—too little variety. I really lose my appetite after eating it for a while.

Another cadre said, "There's also hygiene. Sometimes you can see yellow leaves that haven't been picked clean, or mud and sand that haven't been washed clean, in the vegetables."

The tableware doesn't seem to be properly sterilized; sometimes it feels greasy to the touch.

"I suggest adding more whole grains or noodles; rice every day gets boring."

"Could you provide some refreshing drinks like mung bean soup in the summer?"

……

Everyone started talking at once.

A man in his thirties said, "I think the canteen should not be contracted out. Businessmen are profit-driven, and contracting out will lead to maximizing profits, making it difficult to balance public welfare and service quality."

I suggest taking back self-operation or implementing a semi-contracting model, with the town centrally purchasing bulk supplies like rice, flour, oil, and vegetables, and the canteen only handling processing. This way, quality and costs can be controlled from the source.

This comrade's viewpoint coincides with Wu Zhiyuan's.

Whether he was working at the Provincial State Security Department or the Provincial Public Security Department, the unit's canteen was semi-contracted, with only labor services purchased and material procurement handled by the Department's Service Center.

Regular assessments are conducted, and irregular supervision and inspections are carried out. The assessment results are linked to the labor fees.

Wu Zhiyuan asked with a smile, "Which department are you in?"

The man answered neither humbly nor arrogantly: "I work in the town's agriculture, forestry and water resources office. My name is Sun Dewang."

A hint of approval flashed in Wu Zhiyuan's eyes, and he made a mental note of the name.

"Comrade Sun Dewang's point of view is very valuable, touching on the core issues of canteen management—operation mode and management mechanism."

He turned to the crowd and said, "Whether we maintain the existing model and strengthen supervision, or explore new models, we must conduct research and demonstration with a pragmatic and responsible attitude."

Chen Youfu's face was very ugly. It was no longer just embarrassment and tension, but also some anger, but he dared not show it. He glared at Sun Dewang fiercely.

Encouraged by Wu Zhiyuan, Sun Dewang became even more uninhibited: "Secretary Wu, I'm not deliberately trying to find fault. Think about it, when the canteen is contracted out, what's the contractor's first thought? It's definitely making money!"

Since our meal expenses are fixed, we can only make adjustments to the cost of ingredients and labor.

If the town could take it back and operate it itself, or implement a semi-contracting system, and the town could centrally purchase safe meat and vegetables, at least the source would be controllable, and everyone could eat with peace of mind.

Many canteens in provincial and municipal units operate on this model, offering both good and inexpensive meals.

Sun Dewang's words were reasonable and well-founded, and many cadres nodded frequently, whispering among themselves:

"Director Sun is right. If we contract it out, the other party will definitely make money."

"Yes, we buy and prepare everything ourselves, so the money is spent transparently, and we can eat with peace of mind."

"People have mentioned it before, but nobody paid attention."

"Now that Secretary Wu is here, maybe things will really change?"

Wu Zhiyuan said: "The problem with the canteen is superficially about the quality, hygiene and variety of food, but the root cause may indeed lie in the management system and operating model."

Whether we maintain the existing contracting system but strengthen supervision and assessment, or take back self-operation, semi-contracting, or introduce internal competition, our goal is the same: to focus on the satisfaction of our staff and ensure that everyone can eat safe, delicious, and affordable meals.

We cannot decide which model to adopt behind closed doors, nor can it be decided by a minority.

We must fully promote democracy, widely solicit opinions from all cadres and employees, and ensure that everyone who eats here participates in the decision-making process.

He paused slightly, then continued, "How exactly should we do it? I have a few ideas, and I'd like everyone to work together to refine them:"

First, we set up suggestion boxes and distributed questionnaires to collect everyone's evaluation of the existing canteen and specific suggestions for future improvements, such as the menu and prices.

The questionnaire design should be scientific, including options and open-ended questions to ensure it truly reflects public opinion.

"Secondly, the Party and government office, with the cooperation of the trade union, will organize a special symposium on canteen management and reform this week, and invite employee representatives to participate, including myself."

"Third, I suggest forming an inspection team to learn from successful neighboring units or county-level departments, and to see their business models and specific operating methods."

"Fourth, based on thorough research and extensive consultation, the Party and government office drafted two to three detailed reform plans for canteen management and operation."

Then these plans are printed and distributed to everyone, and all cadres and employees are organized to vote or evaluate them in due course to see which plan has the highest support rate and best meets the interests of the majority.

The matter of the cafeteria can seem small, but it can also seem big.

It is connected to our stomachs, and even more so to our hearts.

Doing this well is putting the mass line into practice, and it means genuinely working to improve the welfare of cadres and employees and solving their problems.

I hope, and I believe, that through such an open, transparent, and democratic process, we will surely find a solution that best suits the actual situation and satisfies everyone…

Sun Dewang led the applause, which immediately erupted in thunderous applause.

Abolishing private kitchens and reducing entertainment expenses undoubtedly affected the interests of some people.

However, running the canteen well and satisfying everyone can win the support of cadres and employees.

When Wu Zhiyuan first arrived in Xindian Town, he needed to win people's hearts. If he angered the people, even the best policies would be impossible to implement.

As Wu Zhiyuan was about to leave the cafeteria after lunch, he suddenly noticed a girl arriving late. She was pretty and had delicate features.

She was also wearing a pair of red sneakers.

After walking a few steps, Hu Lijin whispered, "Secretary Wu, wasn't that girl nice? She's Yu Yue, our Party and Government Office secretary. Yu Yue doesn't have a boyfriend yet."