Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 399 Composure, Insight, Courage, and Mental Strength

Wu Zhiyuan took a taxi to Lin Xue's house.

Lin Xue wore a well-fitting silk nightgown, her hair was down, and she had a gentle smile, which looked completely different from the serious "Black Widow".

"Zhiyuan, you're here!" Lin Xue welcomed Wu Zhiyuan in. "Have you eaten?"

"I've eaten." Wu Zhiyuan changed into slippers and placed a paper bag on the coffee table. "Sister Lin, I brought you some local mountain products."

Lin Xue glanced at it: "What?"

"I brought some dried bamboo shoots and dried bracken fern, thinking you might like these mountain products."

Lin Xue smiled slightly: "Zhiyuan, you're so kind. I really do like eating bamboo shoots and ferns. Back in my hometown, my mom used to dig up bamboo shoots and ferns too."

Especially the braised salted pork with dried bracken fern, the taste is absolutely superb.

Lin Xue went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Wu Zhiyuan: "Have some water first."

Wu Zhiyuan took the cup and sat down on the sofa.

Lin Xue also sat down, with a seat between them.

"What did Fu Tingting say?" Lin Xue asked.

Wu Zhiyuan gave a brief report on the afternoon's conversation.

After listening, Lin Xue nodded: "Fu Tingting has a very good reputation in the provincial vocational education system. She is down-to-earth and doesn't do anything superficial."

The fact that she can tell you so much truth shows that she truly cares about Qingyan.

"She asked me to send the supplementary materials within a week and suggested that I go to Jiang Haipeng."

"You definitely have to go to Jiang Haipeng's place, but you need to be careful about what you do."

He is a deputy director-general and a native of Qingyan, so this kind of thing is very sensitive.

You can go to report your work and listen to opinions;

But if it gives the impression that you're pulling strings or using back channels, it will only cause trouble for him and create problems for yourself.

"I understand. I will keep things in check, stick to the facts, discuss solutions and feasibility, and avoid any roundabout approaches."

"Zhiyuan, I've noticed that you've made great progress in the past few years."

Not only have their abilities improved, but their political wisdom and fighting skills have also made great strides.

Knowing when to advance and when to retreat;

When to be firm, and when to be soft.

Wu Zhiyuan said modestly, "Sister Lin, thank you for your praise. Actually, I still have a lot to learn."

"Take your time." Lin Xue stood up. "Zhiyuan, let's go into the bedroom. My neck and shoulders have been really sore lately."

Lin Xue sat on a stool in the bedroom.

Wu Zhiyuan first rubbed his palms together to warm them, then gently placed them on her shoulders and neck. Lin Xue's shoulder muscles were tense.

"Sister Lin, you've been working at your desk for long periods, and the stress you're under has caused a lot of blockage in your Jianjing acupoint."

Wu Zhiyuan gently pressed along the inner edge of the scapula with his thumb: "Sister Lin, if you can't stand it if the technique is too strong, just tell me."

Lin Xue hummed in agreement.

Starting from the Fengchi acupoint, Wu Zhiyuan pushed down along the trapezius muscle to the lower angle of the scapula, then back to the Jianjing acupoint. After repeating this several times, he began to massage with the heel of his palm.

Lin Xue closed her eyes and gradually relaxed.

Wu Zhiyuan's fingers pushed and pressed upwards along her cervical spine, one vertebra at a time, with just the right amount of force.

"Zhiyuan, how much do you know about Liang Dongming?"

"I don't know much about him. I've met him a few times at city meetings, and he seemed to have excellent speaking skills; he spoke very eloquently."

"When Liang Dongming served as Wu Bao's secretary, he was known for his photographic memory and meticulous attention to detail."

He had a nickname in the municipal party committee compound—"Living Computer".

He could recite Wu Bao's itinerary, key points of his speeches, and even economic data from several years ago flawlessly.

Wu Zhiyuan listened quietly.

People who come from a secretarial background usually have two characteristics.

First, he is meticulous and leaves no room for error. Not a single punctuation mark is wrong in the documents he handles.

Secondly, he has an exceptional ability to understand his superiors' thoughts. With just a glance from Wu Bao, he knows what to do.

She paused, then added, "But such people also have weaknesses."

Wu Zhiyuan tentatively asked, "Grassroots experience?"

"It's not just a matter of grassroots experience. People who have been around leaders for a long time are used to the work mode of communication from top to bottom and to understanding the world through written materials."

He knows how poverty alleviation is described in documents, but he may not know whether impoverished villages in mountainous areas have difficulty accessing drinking water.

He knows how the report describes the business environment, but he might not be able to sit down with the small business owner, have a cup of tea, and listen to his complaints.

Wu Zhiyuan nodded. This is indeed a common shortcoming of cadres who started as secretaries—they often view problems from a top-down perspective, rather than a bottom-up one.

Lin Xue then changed the subject: "However, you shouldn't underestimate him because of this."

During his tenure as director of the Transportation Bureau, Liang Dongming opened up several dead-end roads in Jiangzhou City and significantly accelerated the progress of the ring expressway project.

This person is capable, shrewd, and has connections.

Wu Zhiyuan's palm slid from the outside of her shoulder blade to the inside, his thumb gently pressing along the muscles beside her spine: "Does Sister Lin mean I need to be more careful after he comes to Qingyan?"

"Being careful is necessary, but that doesn't mean you should be timid."

Zhiyuan, do you know what kind of relationship is the most difficult to manage in county-level officialdom?

"The Party Secretary and the County Head?"

"That's right! The Party Secretary steers the ship, and the County Head rows the boat. The helmsman sets the direction, and the rowers set the speed."

If the direction is wrong, the boat will not reach the shore; if the speed is too slow, the boat will not reach the shore either.

A strong Party Secretary plus a weak County Head will only keep the boat spinning in circles.

A powerful Party Secretary paired with an equally powerful County Head—that's a recipe for disaster.

"Sister Lin, what kind of combination is the best?"

"Complementary. One sets the direction, the other ensures implementation;"

One plays the good cop, the other the bad cop;

One is out there sourcing resources, while the other is at home tending to the business.

But this requires both people to be clearly aware of where their boundaries lie.

If Liang Dongming were to step down, his sense of boundaries wouldn't be very strong.

Those who have spent a long time around Wu Bao have become accustomed to the rhythm of "I'm in charge".

What you need to do is not argue with him about who has the final say, but make him understand that—on some things, his decision doesn't count, but yours does, and you can get it done.

"What does Sister Lin mean?"

"Liang Dongming started out as a secretary; he has never been in charge of industry, investment promotion, or agriculture."

If you ask him to run projects for the provincial vocational college, he might not even be able to explain what industry-education integration means.

What you need to firmly grasp are economic work, project construction, and investment attraction.

Once you've achieved something, he can't suppress you no matter what he tries.

Wu Zhiyuan's hands kept moving, his thumb slowly pushing and kneading along the inside of her shoulder blade.

"Of course, Zhiyuan, all of this happened after Liang Dongming arrived. Right now, you still have a window of opportunity."

"Window of opportunity?"

"Yuan Jin is about to be promoted, so he will keep a very low profile during this period."

On the eve of a promotion, people are most concerned about two things: first, not causing trouble, and second, not offending anyone.

Needless to say, something bad could happen; any slight disturbance could cause the duck that was already in hand to fly away.

Why offend people? Because during the assessment and interview, you need others to say nice things to you.

Even if they weren't genuinely saying nice things, as long as they didn't hand you a knife or cause you trouble, you're lucky.

Wu Zhiyuan nodded thoughtfully.

"So, during this time, you'll find that Yuan Jin is very easy to talk to. He won't offend you before he leaves, as that wouldn't do him any good."

If you offer any work-related suggestions, as long as you don't cross his red lines or offend him, he'll most likely agree.

He might even take the initiative to be friendly with you, confide in you, and think of things you haven't considered.

This isn't because he suddenly changed his ways, but because he needs you to say a few good things about him in front of the inspection team, at least so as not to ruin his plans.

In short, Yuan Jin's current mindset can be summed up in one word: seeking stability.

He didn't want any complications at the last minute.

And you can use this psychology to push forward some tasks that are usually difficult to move forward, or you can ask him to step in.

After massaging for a while, Wu Zhiyuan tentatively asked, "Sister Lin, would you like a back massage?"

"Zhiyuan, you must be tired after massaging for so long. Let's rest for a while. Let's talk about other work first."

Wu Zhiyuan told Lin Xue about Zhou Qiming's situation and asked her for advice.

"We have already found out the situation of the Zhou family's old house and cemetery."

I plan to not contact Zhou Qiming right away, but to do two things first.

First, tidy up the area around his parents' graves. Don't do any major construction; just clear away the weeds and repair the road leading to the graves.

Secondly, clear out the area around his old house, reinforce the ruins, and erect a briefing plaque to preserve it as a memory of his hometown.

These two things didn't cost much, but they reflected an attitude.

After I've finished these things, I'll write him a letter, not about investment or projects, but simply to tell him:

The people back home have renovated your parents' graves and preserved your old family house. If you have time, come back and visit.

Lin Xue nodded: "Zhiyuan, what you did reminded me of a saying—'Where there's a will, there's a way.'"

But I still want to remind you to be careful about the degree when doing these things.

First, you can't publicize it in a big way, and you can't let Zhou Qiming think you're putting on a show.

Secondly, we must respect the opinions of Zhou Qiming's siblings. We cannot allow the county to act unilaterally and then find that their family members disagree.

Third, and most importantly, your motivation for doing these things must be pure.

If you're always thinking about what Zhou Qiming can offer me, then this whole thing loses its meaning.

After chatting for a while, Wu Zhiyuan said, "Sister Lin, let's do a back massage now."

Lin Xue hummed in agreement.

Wu Zhiyuan naturally helped her untie the ties at the back of her silk pajamas.

This isn't the first time.

With her back to Wu Zhiyuan, Lin Xue took off her pajamas, revealing her beautifully smooth back, her skin glowing warmly under the bedroom light.

She casually picked up a cushion from the side, placed it in front of her, and lay face down on the bed.

Wu Zhiyuan poured some essential oil into his palm, rubbed his hands together to warm them, and then firmly pressed them onto the center of Lin Xue's back.

His technique was steady and powerful, starting from the muscles on both sides of the spine and pushing and kneading towards the shoulder blades.

"Zhiyuan, let me tell you something else. At the grassroots level, especially when you're in charge of a region, there are a few things that are very important."

"Please speak." Wu Zhiyuan's palm moved down along her latissimus dorsi muscle with even pressure.

"First, you need to have self-control. There are many temptations and traps in officialdom."

Having composure means remaining unmoved even when the wind and waves are raging.

Do what needs to be done, no matter the difficulty; do not cross the line that should not be crossed.

Secondly, it's about discernment. Not the kind of cleverness that comes from reading people's expressions, but the ability to see people, to assess situations, and to see the long term.

When judging people, you need to see beyond their outward appearance to discern their true nature: whether they are pragmatic or opportunistic, whether they are capable of working together or require caution.

When assessing the situation, one must be able to see both the general wind direction above and the actual path beneath one's feet.

Looking at the long term means not just focusing on the gains and losses of a single city or battle.

For example, if you promote a vocational education park now, the results may be slow in the short term, but in the long run, it will help Qingyan generate its own revenue.

Third, you need decisiveness. Once you've identified the right path, you must dare to make a decision and take responsibility.

Especially when dealing with urgent, difficult, and dangerous tasks, or when faced with opportunities that require breaking with convention, indecisiveness is the biggest taboo.

Of course, courage is not recklessness, but a decision based on the aforementioned composure and insight.

Fourth is morale. This mainly involves uniting people's hearts and minds. You need to make your subordinates feel that working for you gives them a sense of purpose, security, and rewards.

Having something to look forward to means you can provide them with a platform and give them responsibilities, allowing them room to grow;

Having someone to rely on means that you can stand up for them and support them in critical moments, so that you can't just push the responsibility down when something goes wrong.

"If there are benefits, we must maintain a balance and ensure that those who truly get things done receive recognition."

Wu Zhiyuan gently scraped along the inside of her shoulder blade with his knuckles: "Sister Lin, some cadres are indeed good at doing things, but they are not good at handling things. Such people are easily taken advantage of."

"So that's where you put your sharp eyes."

You can use cadres who are good at handling things;

You should make good use of cadres who are good at getting things done but not good at social maneuvering, and you should protect them well.

If you stand up for them, they will become your most reliable base.

"Sister Lin, I've taken note of the four points you just mentioned: composure, insight, courage, and mental strength."

Lin Xue gave a soft "hmm": "These four points are easy to say but difficult to do."

Many people aren't ignorant; it's just that when faced with a situation, they lack composure, insight, and courage, or they misjudge human nature.

You'll have to face more situations independently in the future; think about these things yourself.