Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 23: The Secretary's Little Wife Recommends Wu Zhiyuan?

After a simple lunch at the municipal party committee canteen, Xu Youwei did not return to his residence as usual, but went back to his office.

"Zhiyuan, do you want to go to the hospital to get checked out? I'll approve half a day off for you."

"Thank you for your concern, Secretary Xu, but it's really not necessary. The swelling has gone down quite a bit." Wu Zhiyuan stretched his arm.

Xu Youwei did not insist further and changed the subject: "Zhiyuan, this afternoon I will speak with the relevant departments to transfer your personnel file to the Municipal Party Committee Office as soon as possible."

Wu Zhiyuan was overjoyed.

This shows that he has passed the test and has officially become the First Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee.

He replied respectfully, "Thank you for your trust and guidance, Secretary Xu. I will work even harder to become familiar with the work as soon as possible and will never let you down."

Xu Youwei took a sip of water and asked casually, "How many years have you been working?"

Wu Zhiyuan replied, "It's been more than four years."

"With this level of experience, you're fully qualified for a promotion to deputy section chief." Xu Youwei nodded slightly, put down his teacup, and said, "Now that you've been transferred to the Municipal Party Committee Office to serve as my secretary, we need to resolve the issue of your rank as soon as possible."

Given the usual practice and your qualifications, getting promoted to deputy section chief is a natural progression.

This not only concerns your compensation, but also your future influence and accessibility in your work.

Wu Zhiyuan suppressed his excitement and said in a calm tone, "Thank you for your concern, Secretary Xu! I will follow the organization's arrangements."

The management of cadres generally follows the principle of "managing one level below", that is, the cadres of the lower-level party committee are managed by the higher-level party committee.

Of course, there are exceptions. For example, the county party secretary may be a provincial-level cadre.

At the county level, cadres at the section level are appointed by the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee.

At the municipal level, such as in the Municipal Forestry Bureau, the Party Committee can directly decide on the appointment of section-level cadres.

With Xu Youwei's word, promoting deputy section-level cadres was a piece of cake.

Xu Youwei continued, "After you are promoted to deputy section chief, you can directly serve as the deputy section chief of the First Secretariat Section of the Municipal Party Committee Office."

The First Secretariat was established specifically to serve the main leaders of the Municipal Party Committee. Your appointment as deputy section chief is perfectly legitimate and will facilitate your work.

Although the deputy section chief of the secretariat is only a deputy section chief, as a secretary who directly serves the municipal party secretary, his actual weight and influence are far greater than those of a deputy section chief in an ordinary department.

"Secretary Xu, I'm afraid I'm too young and inexperienced to shoulder such an important responsibility," Wu Zhiyuan said modestly.

"Experience is accumulated through practice. What I value most is your composure, keen insight, and loyalty."

Your performance on the scene today also proves your ability to handle unexpected situations.

It seems my spouse was absolutely right to recommend you.

Wu Zhiyuan was astonished!

He had always wondered who had recommended him to Xu Youwei.

Now we finally have the answer!

It turned out to be Xu Youwei's lover!

Xu Youwei's ex-wife died in a car accident. His current wife, Liu Qingqing, is a Huangmei Opera actress at the Provincial Grand Theater and is only 27 years old this year.

But Wu Zhiyuan didn't know her at all!

How could Liu Qingqing understand him?

Wu Zhiyuan was completely baffled.

However, he couldn't ask any more questions.

Just as Lang Wenping advised, don't ask what you shouldn't ask.

No matter how much Xu Youwei trusted him, he was still just a subordinate.

Direct subordinates and current superiors will never become friends.

Xu Youwei paused for a moment, then said, "Zhiyuan, that blond guy mixed in with the crowd today seems to have connections."

"Secretary Xu, I think so too. Those guys are instigating trouble and have ulterior motives."

In my opinion, they are likely Zhang Wanlin's men, whose aim is to escalate the situation and force the government to take action against the residents affected by the demolition.

This action may also carry a warning connotation.

Xu Youwei chimed in: "A warning? A warning not to touch the Jintang Resort pie? Not to mess with Zhang Wanlin?"

Wu Zhiyuan cautiously began, "Secretary Xu, Zhang Wanlin used to be a gangster, cunning and ruthless. He owns several villas at the Jintang Hot Spring Resort..."

Wu Zhiyuan talked about Villa No. 5.

Xu Youwei frowned: "It seems that Zhang Wanlin's Villa No. 5 is comparable to Lai Changxing's Red Mansion!"

That was a black hole that swallowed up countless cadres!

If Zhang Wanlin's Villa No. 5 also becomes Longcheng's "Red Mansion," then the problem will be extremely serious!

Xu Youwei looked at Wu Zhiyuan: "Zhiyuan, what other specific details do you know about this Villa No. 5? For example, who are the people who frequently come and go from it?"

Wu Zhiyuan replied, "Secretary Xu, this place is heavily guarded; please do not enter without permission."

It is said that only high-ranking officials frequent Villa No. 5, and some say that Mayor Iain is a regular visitor.

However, this is just hearsay; there is no evidence.

Xu Youwei remained silent for a long time before finally speaking: "Zhiyuan, let's leave it at that."

What you say goes into my ears; don't tell a third person, especially before you have solid evidence.

Comrade Ai Kun is the mayor, my comrade. We cannot draw conclusions based on a few rumors; that would affect the unity of the leadership team.

After a pause, perhaps worried that Wu Zhiyuan might feel guilty, Xu Youwei added, "Zhiyuan, as a secretary, one should be observant and attentive to all situations. I admire your keenness and loyalty."

But officialdom is complex. There are some things you need to be aware of, but you need to keep them to yourself. Understand?

Wu Zhiyuan immediately understood that Xu Youwei was protecting him and also advising him on the strategies and limits of the struggle.

He nodded solemnly: "Secretary Xu, I understand. I will be careful with my words and actions, and will only report the information I have to you."

"Okay, that's good. By the way, Song Leyi, the Party Secretary of Longdong District, hasn't shown up yet, nor has he called me. Has he ignored what I said?"

Said Cao Cao, Cao Cao.

Song Leyi called Xu Youwei: "Secretary Xu! This is Song Leyi! I'm so sorry!"

I just heard about the incident at Jintang Resort. You went to the scene in person, and I'm so sorry you had to go through that ordeal! I apologize!

Xu Youwei asked sternly, "Comrade Leyi, such a big thing happened, where have you been? Why haven't I seen you all this time?"

Song Leyi quickly explained, "Secretary Xu, you may not know, but I have a habit of working overtime at night. I work overtime almost every night. Last night, the district committee standing committee meeting did not end until the early hours of the morning."

Perhaps it's due to my age, but my body can't handle it. I woke up this morning with a high fever, almost 40 degrees Celsius, and I felt dizzy and lightheaded, unable to even stand steadily.

My wife insisted on taking me to the city hospital emergency room. The doctor said it was a high fever caused by a severe cold and that I needed to get an IV to bring the fever down immediately, otherwise it might develop into pneumonia...

After I started my IV drip, I was in a daze, and somehow my phone was on silent. That's when I saw several missed calls from Comrade Zhao Qiang and his secretary...

Upon inquiring, I learned that such a serious matter had occurred! Secretary Xu, this is a grave dereliction of duty on my part! I let things fall apart at a crucial moment; please punish me!

This explanation was flawless.

He fell ill from overwork and collapsed at his post – this is the epitome of an outstanding leader.

Moreover, he proactively admitted to "dereliction of duty" and requested "disciplinary action," adopting an extremely humble attitude.

Actually, this was a carefully staged performance by Song Leyi.

His lover, who was nearly thirty years younger than him, was a nurse at the city hospital.

Song Leyi was a nurse I met when I was hospitalized for minimally invasive surgery to remove a polyp in my esophagus a while ago.

Soon after, he coaxed the nurse into his bed.

Last night and this morning, he seemed to experience a resurgence of youth, engaging in a passionate rendezvous with the young nurse, leaving him utterly exhausted.

Unexpectedly, a mass incident occurred, and the municipal party secretary contacted him multiple times.

Although he was close to Mayor Ai Kun, Xu Youwei was the top official and he dared not offend him easily.

Fortunately, the nurse had a quick wit and came up with a trick to make him pretend to be sick.

To make the performance more realistic, he actually went to the hospital and posed for photos of himself receiving an IV drip.

Song Leyi's explanation of "working while ill and suffering from overwork" sounds perfect, but it is precisely because it is too perfect that it appears suspicious.

However, water that is too clear has no fish, and a person who is too discerning has no followers.

Without solid evidence, to severely criticize or even hold accountable a district party secretary based solely on suspicion not only makes the leader appear petty and inhumane, but also easily pushes centrists to the opposite side.

Xu Youwei was well-versed in this.