At No. 1 Xianzheng Road, Yong'an County, in the County Party Committee Office Building, County Party Secretary Yue Wangbei hung up the phone in his office with a blank expression. "Xiaoshan, have Minister Xiong from the Organization Department come over."
He knew this favor couldn't be refused. Although the person making the request was only a non-Party Deputy Commissioner in charge of agriculture in the Shiliang Region, given the special agricultural funds controlled by the Deputy Commissioner in charge, it was inconvenient for him to offend him.
Although he was not in charge of Finance or Economy, Yong'an County's financial situation was extremely short of funds, something County Mayor Wang Zangfeng had mentioned to him many times, asking him to control expenditures. At such a critical juncture, the last person he should offend was a superior in charge of money.
What's more, according to the Deputy Commissioner, this young man named Chen Donglai had deep connections with the Deputy Director of the Provincial Coal Industry Department.
Yong'an was a major coal county, with over ten thousand employees directly engaged in coal mining. "Perhaps I can use this connection," Yue Wangbei thought to himself.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door. "Secretary Wangbei, you were looking for me?"
"A student from Jingshi Normal University reported to the Organization Department yesterday afternoon and was assigned to the Party and Government Office of Hualang Township." Yue Wangbei rested his elbows on the desk and leaned forward:
"What have you done?!" His voice suddenly rose. "How many university students does the county get in a year? And you waste them like this?"
"Graduate placement is managed by Executive Deputy Minister Chen Zui, who also serves as the Director of the Personnel Bureau," County Party Committee Organization Department Minister Xiong Zhaohui quickly shifted the blame. "I'll go back and ask him immediately." Xiong Zhaohui wiped his sweat, his mind racing:
"Could it be that there aren't enough positions in the county seat, and someone was afraid of being displaced by a university student? Impossible. Although positions in the County Direct Organs are tight, it shouldn't be this competitive. Most likely, this student offended someone. However, the Secretary himself inquired... I wonder whose connection was involved." Xiong Zhaohui suppressed his distracting thoughts. "Secretary Wangbei, are there any requirements for the position?"
"Any position in the County Direct Organs will do; you arrange it. Just don't send him to the Disabled Persons' Federation, Women's Federation, or Federation of Industry and Commerce." Yue Wangbei picked up a fountain pen from his desk, then pulled down a small stack of layered documents from the desktop and began making notes on them.
Xiong Zhaohui mumbled his assent and retreated. He returned to the Organization Department on the Second floor of the County Party Committee Office Building and walked straight to the door marked "Executive Deputy Minister." Without knocking, he pushed the door open. "Old Chen, what have you done?"
Chen Zui didn't react immediately. He only heard Minister Xiong Zhaohui fire off a barrage of questions: "A student from Jingshi University reported yesterday, how did you arrange it?! Why did you send him to Hualang Township?! Why didn't you report to me?!"
"It was Jingshi Normal University; I think he studied geography," Chen Zui's voice sounded somewhat flustered. He suddenly stood up, his chair hitting the wall behind him as his knees struck it. "Hualang Township submitted a request for personnel." He paused, seemingly realizing something. "Minister, are there any instructions from the County Party Committee and County Government?"
"It's all Jingshi University anyway, what difference does it make?" Xiong Zhaohui was clearly not highly educated. He only knew of Jingshi University and Shuiyuan University, followed by Huichuan University and Shiliang Normal College.
"The key point is that you sent a university student to the countryside, and Secretary Wangbei found out." Xiong Zhaohui calmed his anger slightly. "Give me a straight answer, who exactly did he offend?"
"Secretary Wangbei inquired..." Chen Zui's brain seemed to short-circuit, losing the ability to think. After a few seconds, his brain reconnected. "The Luo Family; it's the Luo Family."
Chen Zui reached out and fiddled with the corner of his clothes, then felt it was inappropriate, so he put his hands in his pockets; after a few seconds, he still felt it was wrong, so he grabbed the corner of his clothes again. "Luo Yaozu came to see me the day before yesterday."
"Don't worry yet; you'll have plenty to worry about later." Xiong Zhaohui could see his subordinate's panic and embarrassment. "Secretary Wangbei hasn't named you yet. Was this the Luo Family's request? Or was it the request of Secretary Luo Qiyuan of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission? Or perhaps, was it just Luo Yaozu's personal request?"
"I don't know... uh, it should be him personally." Chen Zui recalled yesterday's situation and felt slightly relieved. "He didn't mention Secretary Qiyuan either."
"Then don't worry about it. If Secretary Qiyuan asks, I will speak to him personally." Xiong Zhaohui did not want to offend this Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, much less the family rooted in Yong'an County for over a hundred years behind him. He straightened the chair for Chen Zui. "Are there any vacant positions in the County Direct Organs? What about the Committee Office and the Government Office?"
"The Committee Office and the Government Office are very popular. The Committee Office has one opening left, which Secretary Wangbei reserved for Little Yang, whom he brought from Shennü County. Otherwise, the County Radio Bureau has one, but it's a public institution staffing quota, so that definitely won't work." Chen Zui said while flipping through the ledger on his desk, making it rustle loudly.
"The County Party Committee History Office is too idle, so that's not suitable either. The Education Bureau needs a Deputy Director, but that's Deputy Section Level, impossible. Oh, the Government Affairs Administration Bureau has a vacancy," he mused. "The Director of the County Guesthouse retired, leaving an opening. It should count as, uh, Section Chief Level. The Director's position is under the Government Affairs Administration Bureau."
The Yong'an County Guesthouse was nominally under the County Guesthouse Office, and the Guesthouse Office was concurrently held by a Deputy Director of the Government Affairs Administration Bureau.
"This unit should be suitable. He'll be a Leader right away; he'll be managing dozens of people either way," Chen Zui remarked.
"Don't try to fool me; the County Guesthouse couldn't possibly still have dozens of people," Xiong Zhaohui sneered. "I bet there are only a dozen left. Let's leave it at that for now. I'll find time to report to Secretary Wangbei later."
He was actually quite satisfied with this arrangement. "He gets to be a Leader right out of the gate; it's not treating him unfairly by any means. Remember to have the Cadre Section issue a document later. Have comrades from the Government Affairs Administration Bureau escort him tomorrow; the proper etiquette must be observed."
When Chen Zui heard Xiong Zhaohui say he would report to the County Party Secretary, he quickly reminded him, "Minister Zhaohui, please explain to the Secretary on my behalf that this matter is likely some kind of misunderstanding."
...
"Young comrade, we apologize, we made a mistake with your assigned unit yesterday." The auntie from the Personnel Bureau was extremely fawning, completely lacking the arrogance she displayed yesterday.
The wrinkles on her face sank deep into her flesh. "So young, and a graduate of a prestigious university. Are you dating anyone?" The auntie's eyes seemed to glow. "Would you like me to introduce you to someone?"
Chen Donglai felt a wave of chills. "No need. May I ask where I have been assigned?"
"The Government Affairs Administration Bureau—you're the Director of the County Guesthouse directly!" The auntie boasted, waving the document in her hand toward several colleagues behind her. "A Leader right after graduation." Admiration could be heard from several Organization Department staff members behind her.
"As expected of a university student."
"My son is studying at Jiangan University; he'll definitely be a Leader when he graduates!"
"Oh, stop bragging. Your son is attending Jiangan Agricultural College, and you're already boasting he's at Jiangan University."
The County Guesthouse?
Chen Donglai vaguely remembered that around the year 2000, the Guesthouse was managed by the Guesthouse Office. In the Nineties, many county guesthouse offices were still nominally under the Government Affairs Administration Bureau and had not yet become independent Section Level institutions. However, being able to take the top position directly gave him room to maneuver.
If he could manage an autonomous prefecture with ease in his previous life, wouldn't handling a county guesthouse in this life be a piece of cake?