"Minister Xu, the position of deputy head of the security section has been vacant for so long. Shouldn't we fill the vacancy?"
After the study session of the Armed Forces Department concluded, Ma Dabao suggested to Xu Damao that the department be equipped with deputy section chiefs.
Theoretically, the selection and recommendations for the deputy head of the security section are proposed by the department and submitted to the political department. After review by the political department, the decision is made by the factory leadership meeting. However, in reality, for a deputy section chief position, as long as there are no major problems, the factory leadership and the political department will respect the department's opinion.
"Oh, do you have any good candidates in mind?" Xu Damao asked.
"I think Mei Jinpeng, the current captain of Team Three, is a good person. He has the most seniority among the captains, his abilities are equally outstanding, and his character is highly recognized by his comrades. He is the one everyone wants to promote. Therefore, I suggest that Mei Jinpeng be promoted to deputy section chief." Ma Dabao said at length.
"Mei Jinpeng? Hmm, I know him. But isn't he a bit old? I think he's over 50. I wonder if he still has the energy?"
"Your security department is different from other departments. You often work day and night, which is very hard. You can't let people of your age have to work so hard with the young people," Xu Damao said with a smile.
“Minister, he just turned 40 this year, he just looks a bit older than his age. How about we decide on him in our meeting?” Ma Dabao tentatively suggested.
“Okay. Lei Min, please include this matter in the meeting agenda as soon as possible.”
"By the way, you should first screen the candidates suitable for promotion, conduct a preliminary assessment, and propose a few suitable candidates. Oh, and make sure to include Mei Jinpeng," Xu Damao added.
When Xu Damao said it was possible, Ma Dabao was quite excited. He didn't expect that the selection of the deputy section chief would be so easy. But he later learned that Xu Damao had only told half the story. His recommended candidate had only entered the preliminary selection.
"Can't you just finish what you're saying all at once?" Ma Dabao thought to himself.
"By the way, the pool of candidates for evaluation can be expanded appropriately within the ministry, including the militia and reserves as well. We need to strengthen internal communication and avoid working in the same ministry without any interaction between us."
"If other departments need staff in the future, the security department can also transfer personnel," Xu Damao said.
Upon hearing Xu Damao's words, the other department heads present at the meeting were so excited they almost stood up. They knew that while there were people in the militia and reserve forces, there were no available positions. The reserve personnel, in particular, desperately wanted to transfer to the security department.
In the factory, the security department was arguably the most desirable position for these roughnecks—it offered power, a promising future, and didn't require them to do any manual labor in the workshop. However, they weren't interested in being ordinary security officers; they weren't even considered for team leader or deputy section chief positions, which was quite awkward.
"Minister, is that true? Then I must recommend someone! We have quite a few young cadres in the reserves who are very suitable for the position of deputy section chief," Guo Yongfa said loudly, afraid that if he spoke too late, someone else would take the position.
“Old Guo, telling me won’t work. You should talk to Lei Min. This director of the General Office is the first person to receive the award, so you should at least treat him to a meal,” Xu Damao joked.
“That would be great. Not just one meal, but we can eat there every day. If not, you can come to my house and eat on my kang (heated brick bed),” Guo Yongfa said.
"Do you really think this is a proper meal?" Xu Damao thought to himself.
“Minister, this doesn’t seem to be in accordance with the rules, does it? The positions in the security section have always been held by security personnel, veterans, or personnel transferred from the branch bureau. If this is the case, we brothers will definitely have objections,” Ma Dabao said.
He was now somewhat regretting bringing this up with Xu Damao in front of so many people. He had thought that Xu Damao wouldn't be able to refuse in front of others, but he hadn't expected Xu Damao to drag everyone else into it. Now, if he voiced his objection, he would offend everyone else present, but if he didn't, he would offend the security personnel.
"Why doesn't it fit? Aren't you a retired or transferred soldier? Our reserve and militia members are trained just like soldiers, and many of them are retired soldiers or possess the qualities of soldiers. Besides, as I just mentioned, this is a measure for everyone to exchange ideas, and security personnel can also take up positions in other departments."
"If anyone has any objections, then Lao Ma, you should first do some communication and explain the purpose of our work," Xu Damao said.
Seeing that it was truly unacceptable, Ma Dabao was reluctant to leave.
"Minister, Director Lei, how about we have dinner at our place tonight? I have some lamb there today, how about we go for roast whole lamb?" Guo Yongfa invited.
"Old Guo, when did you get this sheep?" Xu Damao asked casually.
"It took about a month. It was given to us by the leaders of the military region," Guo Yongfa replied.
"Why didn't you treat us to a meal before? You really don't act until you see the benefit. Here's what we'll do: you raise that sheep for another month or so, and we'll talk about it after we've chosen our people."
"Otherwise, if the candidate isn't one of your reserves, I can't just give this sheep to you, can I?"
"No, no."
Despite saying this, Guo Yongfa did not invite anyone else, seemingly genuinely worried that things would end up being a complete disaster.
Shortly after the meeting ended, Xu Damao's office was bustling with people. Those who believed they met the criteria for promotion to deputy section chief began reporting on their work and trying to become acquainted with him. The usually quiet armed forces department office experienced a brief period of liveliness.
As a result, Xu Damao's departure time was delayed by a few minutes. It's worth noting that he usually arrives at the gate by the time he's supposed to leave work.
Outside the courtyard, as Xu Damao and Wang Minzhi were pushing their bicycles, a jingling sound came from behind them.
"Excuse me, do you know which family Jia Geng belongs to?"
The speaker was a young woman with a scholarly air. Xu Damao recognized her immediately—wasn't this Ran Qiuye, the teacher at Hongxing Elementary School? But he dared not speak; if he called her by name, Wang Minzhi would skin his little brother alive.
"Jia Geng? I don't think there's such a person." Wang Minzhi realized belatedly.
“He’s Banggeng, from the same courtyard as us. What’s your relationship with him?” Xu Damao asked.
Like Shazhu, Banggeng's nickname is so well-known that everyone has heard of him, and his real name is often forgotten.
"Oh, that's great. I'm Jia Geng's teacher, and I'm here for a home visit today. My surname is Ran," Ran Qiuye introduced herself.
"Hello, Teacher Ran. Why didn't you come with Teacher Yan? He's from the same department as us." Wang Minzhi was very enthusiastic as soon as she heard that she was a teacher.
My son is about to start elementary school. Getting to know another teacher means having another acquaintance in the future, and who knows, he might even become my son's or daughter's teacher.
"I'm going to visit many students' homes today. I came all the way from over there, and I just happened to be here," Ran Qiuye replied.
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