Before the news of my transfer spread, I had several important matters to deal with, the first of which was the issue of Xiang Qianjin's martyr assessment.
As soon as the director of the county civil affairs bureau entered the room, I frowned and asked directly, "Comrade Xiang Qianjin died in the line of duty while fighting floods. Does he meet the requirements to be recognized as a martyr?"
Seeing my kind tone, he hurriedly explained: "Has he been named an advanced individual for courageous acts?"
"Bang!" I slammed my hand on the desk. "The Political and Legal Affairs Commission is responsible for brave acts, and the assessment of martyrs is the responsibility of your Civil Affairs Department! Are these two things in conflict? Let me ask you, does Xiang Qianjin meet the requirements for being assessed as a martyr?"
He put on a smile and said, "County Magistrate Guan, let me be honest. I am the director of the Civil Affairs Bureau and I am responsible for doing practical work. After Comrade Xiang Qianjin died, our bureau did report and prepare to declare him a martyr. But... the leaders above agreed. They believed that he was a driver and was not performing his job when he died, so... it is more appropriate to say that he was a hero."
I stared at him. "Old Qin, don't be careless with me! For this matter, I specifically looked through the new "Regulations on Commendation of Martyrs" that came into effect on August 1 this year. It clearly states: Personnel who sacrificed their lives in disaster relief, or in rescuing and protecting state property, collective property, and the lives and property of citizens meet the criteria for assessing martyrs. What is the necessary connection between this and whether Xiang Qianjin was "on duty" at the time? You are the director of the Civil Affairs Bureau, do you understand the provisions written in black and white?"
Old Qin hesitated to speak, and finally uttered a sentence, aggrieved: "County Magistrate Guan, I am really a rat in a bellows - I am bullied from both sides!"
I looked at him, my tone slow but firm: "Lao Qin, did I embarrass you? Not because Comrade Xiang Qianjin was my driver, but also because he saved my life! As a human being, you should have a conscience! He clearly meets the requirements, why should we apply for him? Yes, I know you have difficulties," I looked at him sharply, "Are you afraid that if you apply for Xiang Qianjin to be a martyr, the materials will be sent to the provincial government, and it will reveal the supervision of Taixiang Coal Mine and even dereliction of duty? Sacrifice justice in order to hide dirt? There is no such reason in the world!"
Lao Qin's face looked uglier than crying. His Adam's apple rolled and he asked cautiously, "Then... shall we apply according to the normal procedures?"
"Okay!" I responded firmly, "Lao Qin, do the right thing! No matter what the result is, at least you have a clear conscience!"
As soon as Lao Qin left, I immediately went to Hu Jia and assigned him another task: "Hu Jia, organize and archive all the documents I have signed and approved. For the documents that have been issued, try to collect the originals; for those that have been collected, make copies for record. Be sure to check each item against the file records, and don't miss a single one!" I paused and emphasized, "Also, take some time to go through it carefully from beginning to end. If you find that I have missed a signature or approved something inappropriate, pick it out and find a way to remedy it."
A trace of doubt flashed across Hu Jia's eyes, and he obviously had some understanding of this task. But his greatest advantage was that he would never ask more questions if I took the initiative to speak.
To make him realize the seriousness of the matter, I added: "I'll tell you the specific reasons when the time is right."
He nodded, and just as he was about to get up and leave, I stopped him again: "Are you used to being the deputy chief of the secretarial department?"
He grinned, revealing his white teeth: "I'll do what I need to do. It doesn't feel the same."
"That's the same." I said seriously, "You have to climb the ladder step by step in your career. If you can always stay by my side, you will spread your wings and fly high sooner or later."
This sentence seemed to touch him. He cleverly connected my exhortation with this sentence, and vaguely sensed something, and immediately said: "Leader, I have already made it clear that wherever you go, I will follow you! If you take me with you, I will immediately resign and go to the South!"
His sincerity warmed my heart, and I immediately responded, "Okay! In order to leave a spark for the revitalization of Northeast China, it seems that I have made a mistake by agreeing to you."
Hu Jia's eyes then lit up, and he smiled and left.
A year later, the wave of strict party governance swept across the country, clearing out all kinds of gangs, including the secretary group that was once criticized. However, we must look at things dialectically: those secretaries who form cliques and seek personal gain must be resolutely eliminated; but those secretaries who are upright and abide by their duties can indeed assist leaders in their work more effectively.
As soon as Hu Jia left, I brought Xiao Yubo to the office.
When he pushed the door open, I was standing in front of the window. As far as I could see, the new urban areas on both sides of the river were like bamboo shoots sprouting out of spring, growing in height and breadth at an astonishing speed. I personally participated in drawing up the blueprint and watched it turn from a blueprint into reality, which was soaked with countless efforts. Now, I am about to leave, how can I not feel any waves in my heart?
Xiao Yubo quietly walked behind me and asked softly, "County Magistrate Guan, do you have any instructions?"
I didn't look back, but just looked out the window, sighing: "The four seasons have changed, and it's autumn again."
He was slightly startled, then smiled tentatively: "Why does County Magistrate Guan seem a little sad today?"
I turned around, smiled, motioned for him to sit down, and returned to my desk: "Director Xiao has been working in the county for quite a few years, right?"
He nodded and said, "Yes, from the government office to the development zone, and then back again, it took several years to complete this cycle."
I looked at his face and said straight to the point: "Have you ever thought about taking another step up?"
His eyes moved quickly, obviously trying to savor the deep meaning of my words, and then he waved his hand, his tone sounding deliberately relaxed: "I've thought about it, let's just go with the flow. I don't have any ambitions."
I stared into his eyes. His casual demeanor clearly concealed his true intentions: "Don't think so. You are in your prime, and there are a lot of opportunities waiting for you."
He seemed to have caught some kind of signal, his eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "That would require a talent scout like you, County Magistrate, to recognize the talent."
I suddenly changed the subject and asked what I really wanted to ask: "I was recovering from my injuries a while ago. Did anything special happen in the county?"
He thought for a moment and lowered his voice even more: "Zhang Qiming from Tongxiang Town is doomed."
I pretended to be shocked: "Oh? What's going on?" My body unconsciously moved a little closer to him.
"I heard that someone leaked the 'information' to the provincial government! The province passed it to the city, and the city passed it to the county. The ball was kicked to the county Commission for Discipline Inspection, and then they took it and played dumb to fool the matter. I'm afraid they have handed it over."
I frowned: "Is it so serious? What does it involve? Tell me about it." There was just the right amount of surprise in my tone.
He leaned closer and almost whispered, "Hey, the rumors are very detailed - he solicited and accepted bribes, but the amount was not large; he had legitimate relationships with many women... and what's even more outrageous is that he neglected his duties! I heard that he gave green lights at random, allowing non-compliant companies to take advantage of the loopholes; he even dared to invest in water conservancy projects to get a share, but ended up with shoddy results! And, the husband of the women's director of Shengli Village, relying on his support and protection, is rampant in the village, it's simply..."
I gasped, "...It's too bad to describe! I never thought that this guy had such a mean heart underneath his beautiful face!"
I sighed, but a hint of joy flashed through my heart - it seemed that the "explosive information" dug up by Hu Jia, which I secretly passed on to Feng Lei, was finally starting to play a role.
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