Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 354 Scammers and Brokers

Liao Jinshen is twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, handsome, and a well-known playboy in Qingyan County. He likes to go to nightclubs and chase after women.

Although he got several girls pregnant and caused a scene at his workplace, he had a shield: he was single.

In the end, it's all settled with money; it's just a romantic dispute.

Liao Jinshen was not only responsible for pouring the wine, but also frequently offered toasts.

He has a high alcohol tolerance; half a jin of baijiu (a type of Chinese liquor) is just enough to rinse his mouth.

Liao Jinshen toasted Yuan Jin again: "Secretary Yuan, I'd like to toast you."

You are the person my father admires most, and you are also the pillar of our Qingyan community.

My dad always says, "Without you at the helm, how could Qingyan, this big ship, sail so steadily?" I'll do it; you can do as you please.

Liao Jinshen tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Yuan Jin smiled and took a sip, then said with a smile, "Xiao Liao, you have a good alcohol tolerance, but you should also take care of your health. Work is more important."

"Yes, yes, thank you for your concern, Secretary Yuan. I will pay attention in the future."

Liao Jinshen nodded quickly, then turned to Chen Jimin and said, "Uncle Chen, I respect you."

As the head of the county government, you manage the county's finances and project portfolio, and are extremely busy.

I work in the area under your supervision, so I hope you will offer me more criticism and guidance in the future. I'm young and inexperienced, so please bear with me.

Another glass of wine.

Chen Jimin smiled and clinked glasses with him: "Young man, in the Key Projects Bureau, learn well from Director Ma, manage the projects well, and ensure quality. That will be your greatest achievement."

"Definitely, definitely!" Liao Jinshen toasted Ma Baoping again.

Ma Baoping downed his drink in one gulp and, in front of Yuan Jin, praised him, saying, "Jin Shen is an ambitious young man with a quick mind and many ideas. He's doing well in the bureau."

Although he was brought in through a talent recruitment program and is a "returnee" from overseas, he has no airs whatsoever and gets along well with his colleagues. Like father, like son, Mr. Liao!

Yuan Jin nodded slightly: "It's a good thing for young people to have ideas and be willing to work."

The development of Qingyan County needs these knowledgeable and visionary young cadres.

Liao Jinshen quickly replied, "Secretary Yuan, you flatter me. I will learn more from the senior colleagues in the bureau and consult with Director Ma in the future, so as to be able to take charge on my own as soon as possible."

Liao Chenggong looked at his son with satisfaction.

Although my son isn't academically inclined, he has high emotional intelligence and speaks eloquently in social situations. He'll definitely thrive in the officialdom in the future.

Liao Chenggong then said, "I'm a straightforward person; I say what I mean."

Jin Shen, although he returned from studying abroad, is still a young man and needs more experience in his job.

He is now a permanent employee and has been working for several years. He has always wanted to advance further and contribute more to the development of Qingyan.

Do you think he has a chance of being promoted to deputy section chief next?

Ma Baoping continued, "Jin Shen is very outstanding, but to transfer from a public institution employee to a civil servant, certain conditions must be met."

If the deputy section chief position can be secured first, and then the transfer process can proceed, there should be a pathway available.

Chen Jimin chimed in: "Jin Shen is indeed very outstanding. He is educated, enterprising, and has been tempered in key positions for several years. He is a promising talent."

However, the promotion and appointment of staff members with public institution positions, especially those transferred to leadership positions in the civil service, is highly policy-driven and involves strict procedures.

First, you need to check if the organization has any vacancies or staffing quotas. Then, you need to go through a series of procedures, including strict qualification review, democratic recommendation, investigation, and public announcement by the organization department.

Ultimately, the decision must be made collectively by the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee.

The government certainly hopes that capable young comrades can take on heavier responsibilities, but the specific implementation will depend on the unified arrangements of the county party committee and the opinions of the organization department.

Yuan Jin spoke up: "It's good that Xiao Liao is ambitious. Young people should have aspirations and goals. A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier."

To achieve leapfrog development, Qingyan County needs to continuously replenish its workforce with fresh talent, selecting and employing a group of outstanding young cadres who are willing, capable, and successful in their work.

This is both a necessity for the development of the cause and a reflection of the importance attached to the development of the cadre team.

He paused, then looked at Liao Jinshen: "Jinshen has overseas study experience, broadens his horizons, and has been trained in key engineering bureaus, so he has grown very quickly."

As Director Ma just mentioned, the performance was good.

Liao Jinshen was overjoyed to hear this. The county party secretary's high approval meant that he was likely to become a deputy section chief soon.

His family was not short of money, so his father did not let him take over the company, but instead sent him to a government department.

This is a brilliant move.

Daling Group is a local enterprise in Qingyan County, with businesses including coal mines, cement plants, building materials factories, and hotels.

In Qingyan County, it has a high profile and is a key source of tax revenue, but in the city or even the province, it is virtually unknown.

It's not difficult for government departments to bring down such companies.

Just like some ordinary law enforcement officers from the market supervision administration who boasted online, "I don't have the ability to support a company, but it's too easy to bring one down."

Actually, this isn't entirely bragging; it's the truth.

If a family member becomes an official, they can not only protect the family business, but also bring projects and preferential treatment to it.

This is why many family businesses hope that someone in their family will hold an official position.

Like that vice-ministerial-level official who was investigated for forgery and bribery, his purpose in holding office, besides his ambition for power, was to provide protection for his family business.

Because he was not short of money, he did not have the problem of embezzlement or bribery, but only the problem of offering bribes.

Yuan Jin paused, then changed the subject: "But, Jin Shen, you must understand that the organization selects and appoints cadres based on comprehensive standards and strict procedures."

Having an overseas degree is a plus, but it's not the deciding factor.

During your years at the Key Engineering Bureau, what specific projects did you participate in?

What practical problems were solved?

Do ordinary people approve of the work you're responsible for?

These are the real, hard currencies.

Liao Jinshen was somewhat disappointed. Yuan Jin's words were vague, neither saying yes nor no.

He said, "Secretary Yuan's teachings are correct. I will definitely calm down, go to the front line of the project more often, tackle more tough challenges, and let my achievements speak for themselves."

Yuan Jin turned her gaze to Ma Baoping: "Baoping, you are his direct supervisor. You should give him more responsibilities and teach him more methods."

Young people, we must not only help them get on their feet, but also support them along the way.

Ma Baoping understood immediately and nodded quickly: "Secretary Yuan, please rest assured. The bureau has several key projects this year, and I plan to have Jin Shen take the lead in one of them so that he can hone his skills in practice."

Young people need more responsibilities to grow faster.

Yuan Jin picked up an abalone, chewed it, and then said, "The development of Qingyan County in recent years is inseparable from the support of socially responsible entrepreneurs like President Liao."

Private entrepreneurs contribute to the local economy, and their children are willing to pursue careers in government and serve the local community. As long as they are virtuous and talented, the organization should give them special consideration and favor.

This is also a concrete measure to optimize the structure of the cadre team and reflect the orientation of selecting personnel from all over the country.

Deng Haidong immediately chimed in: "Secretary Yuan has hit the nail on the head. Although Jin Shen comes from a wealthy family, he doesn't have the habits of those spoiled brats. He's tactful in his dealings with people and has his own ideas about his work."

During my years at the Key Projects Bureau, although I was young, I was able to stay focused and dedicated, which is truly commendable.

Shi Xianqiang chimed in, "Yes, some young people these days are all talk and no action. Jin Shen is a highly educated talent who returned from studying abroad, and it's really not easy for him to be able to settle down at the grassroots level."

Liao Chenggong was overjoyed.

He also knew that the reason why Yuan Jin and others thought highly of Liao Jinshen was not because Liao Jinshen was really outstanding, but because of his reputation.

To be precise, it's because he gave her money, gifts, and women.

But that's how realistic the officialdom is. No matter how capable you are, if no one speaks up for you at crucial moments, it's all for nothing.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Liao Chenggong raised his glass, stood up, and toasted Yuan Jin and the others: "Secretary Yuan, leaders, Jin Shen is a young man with a long road ahead of him. He will need your guidance and support to help him grow."

If there's anything I haven't done well, please criticize me and give me a good talking-to. Don't hold back. Come on, let me toast everyone!

After the banquet, everyone except Yuan Jin left.

Yuan Jin is a very assertive but cautious person. He has many confidants around him, but none of them have his complete trust.

In short, he is very suspicious.

There were beautiful women at Liao Chenggong's manor, and Yuan Jin had his share of fun with them, but he never let his confidants know.

Of course, the fact that he didn't let his confidants know doesn't mean they didn't know.

In the private meeting room of the villa.

There were only Yuan Jin and Liao Chenggong.

Liao Chenggong smiled obsequiously: "Secretary Yuan, it's a huge honor for me that you could come today."

"I'm also sorry to have troubled you with Jin Shen's matter."

Yuan Jin gave a noncommittal "hmm," took a sip of tea, and then slowly said, "Old Liao, we've known each other for quite some time now. I understand what you're thinking."

As I just mentioned regarding Jin Shen's matter, young people, as long as they are willing to work hard and achieve results, the organization will naturally consider them.

Things are different now than before; procedures and rules are becoming increasingly strict, but ultimately, it's all about human effort.

Liao Chenggong nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

Your words have put my mind at ease.

"I will definitely urge Jin Shen to do his best and live up to your expectations."

He paused, then changed the subject: "Secretary Yuan, there's something else, I'm not sure if I should say it, but it might be of some help to you."

Yuan Jin was slightly taken aback: "What is it? Tell me."

"Secretary Yuan, it's like this, I met a capable person by chance this year, named Qin Jihao."

He used to work in the provincial government's reception office for many years before leaving, and he has a wide network of connections.

In particular, many provincial leaders had connections with him and he was a frequent guest of many leaders.

He was very well-informed about many things in the province.

Moreover, he has influence with provincial leaders.

Although he is no longer in the system, he has a lot of influence and specializes in connecting people with others. He has very powerful connections in the area of ​​cadre promotion and transfer.

I heard from several people who had dealt with him that many people who wanted to advance or make a change of plans all succeeded through his efforts.

He's a very honest person; he won't accept any benefits if he can't get something done.

"Old Liao, this kind of approach, huh." Yuan Jin smiled dismissively. "With the investigations so strict now, let's hope it's not one of those boastful political swindlers who just scheme to make money."

Aren't there plenty of scammers like this? They boast endlessly, but in the end, they fail to deliver, your money goes down the drain, and you get nothing but trouble.

Liao Chenggong quickly explained, "Secretary Yuan, Qin Jihao is definitely not the same person as those swindlers."

I've inquired carefully and verified it indirectly. He's a middleman, not a conman. There's a big difference here.