The electric fan hummed in the office, and Lu Weimin carefully gathered and reviewed all the documents related to the economic development of Nantang County over the past three years.
Since he was going to start as a secretary, he had to act like one. Although he had no experience as a secretary in his previous life, he had seen enough to know the basic requirements: keen eyes, quick hands, and diligent legs. The most important qualities, however, were intuition and insight, which many secretaries might never truly master even after a lifetime of service.
To be a good secretary, one must first understand what the leader is thinking and then make targeted preparations, rather than just following the leader's instructions. Lu Weimin was not interested in being that kind of secretary.
Shen Zilie was not a man content with obscurity, and Lu Weimin was well aware of this. Being appointed as the vice-county magistrate was a clear signal, though many people had yet to realize it. As a secretary, he needed to understand his leader's intentions, and Lu Weimin was confident he could do this well.
Shen Zilie wanted to make a difference in his role as vice-county magistrate, and economic work was unavoidable and the most direct area to focus on.
Nantang lacked an industrial foundation and mineral resources. Apart from being a populous and agricultural county, it had little to offer. Township enterprises were mainly concentrated in a few towns near the provincial road, mostly small-scale businesses such as printing, papermaking, packaging, machinery repair, ceramics, and brick manufacturing.
The Nantang County Food Factory was in trouble, the County Printing Factory was barely surviving, and the County Packaging Materials Factory was doing well, mainly due to the good performance of the Liyang Distillery in recent years. The Packaging Materials Factory primarily produced bottles, caps, and packaging boxes for the Liyang Distillery. The performance of the three major state-owned enterprises in Nantang County largely depended on the Packaging Materials Factory, which kept the county leaders' spirits up.
For Liyang, the largest and most populous but also the poorest region in Changjiang Province, the situation among the 63 counties was somewhat like the confrontation between the seven southern provinces and the six northern provinces described in old martial arts novels.
North of the Yangtze River, the six counties and cities, including Liyang City, had a significantly stronger economy than the seven southern counties. The three northernmost counties, in particular, had abundant coal, phosphate, and limestone resources, and Liyang City had a national highway passing through it. Rumors suggested that the Beijing-Kowloon Railway would soon be built and would pass through Liyang.
The situation in the seven southern counties was much worse. They lacked mineral resources and an industrial base and were primarily agricultural and fishing counties. Although they had a large labor force, they were mainly labor-exporting counties. However, with the national macroeconomic adjustment and economic contraction this year, a large number of workers returned home, putting considerable pressure on local governments.
As the southernmost county among the seven southern counties, Nantang's situation was similar to the others, a typical middle-of-the-road case. Lu Weimin looked at the documents issued by the county committee over the past few years regarding economic development. They neither leveraged the county's unique characteristics nor implemented more bold and open policies. Instead, they followed the regional policies step by step.
"Lu Weimin, what are you looking at? You're sweating like a pig. Are you writing something?" Guo Huaizhang walked in, looking very relaxed. He handed cigarettes to the other two colleagues in the office and sat down in the wicker chair next to Lu Weimin.
"No, it's not my turn to write yet. I just started, and I'm still in the dark about everything. I couldn't answer Shen Secretary's questions, so I'm reviewing the county's documents from the past two years to understand the situation better." Lu Weimin smiled, closed the file, and put it aside. "By the way, isn't County Magistrate Wang out today?"
"Yeah, County Magistrate Wang went to a regional meeting and didn't take me along. I'm glad for the break." Guo Huaizhang paid close attention to what Lu Weimin was doing, picked up the file Lu Weimin was reading, and flipped through a few pages. "Why are you looking at old files for inspiration?"
"Hehe, as I said, I haven't been in Nantang for seven or eight years, and I'm not familiar with the place anymore. Plus, I just graduated and don't know much. I need to learn and read more so that I can answer the leader's questions. It wouldn't be good to be clueless when asked." Lu Weimin noticed this and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Guo Huaizhang was also an ambitious person. He didn't do well in the college entrance exam and only got into Liyang Normal College. After graduation, his father went to great lengths to get him a job in the county government office. He then became Wang Zirong's secretary when Wang's previous secretary was transferred to Chadian Township as the township head. Guo Huaizhang was determined to make a name for himself in politics.
In his previous life, Guo Huaizhang followed Wang Zirong for a few years and then became the township head of a town in Huai Shan County. He gradually rose through the ranks and, when Lu Weimin was the acting district head of Wuyou, Guo Huaizhang was already the vice-mayor of Liyang City, a prominent young official in Changjiang Province.
"You're really dedicated. Do you have any plans for tonight?" Guo Huaizhang patted Lu Weimin's shoulder, feeling a mix of admiration and caution. Lu Weimin had some talent, and it was said that he was highly regarded by Shen Zilie. Knowing that Shen Zilie was not easy to get along with, it was impressive that Lu Weimin had won his trust so quickly.
"What plans?" Lu Weimin leaned back in the wicker chair and smiled.
"Well, a few of our old classmates from Class 2, Grade 3 are getting together tonight. It's also a welcome back for you in Nantang." Although he had only been working in the government for a little over a year, Guo Huaizhang already spoke with a certain official tone.
"Hehe, Guo Huaizhang, isn't this a bit much? I just started working here, and I don't think I deserve such a welcome." Lu Weimin was a bit surprised.
The classmates from Class 2, Grade 3 were scattered after high school. He himself didn't continue his studies in Nantang, and Guo Huaizhang, who was average in junior high, became very active in high school. However, he only got into Liyang Normal College due to poor exam results. After graduation, he successfully entered the government and became the county magistrate's secretary, naturally making him the leader among his classmates.
"Come on, don't be modest. You're Shen Secretary's secretary, and you and I are the only ones from our class working in the county government. The others are either workers or doing small businesses, and the best of them are just in some county departments. If you don't come to dinner tonight, the other classmates might think you're too proud." Guo Huaizhang patted Lu Weimin's shoulder, stood up, and said firmly, "It's settled. The dinner is at Tan Cheng Hotel. Come early after work. Many classmates haven't seen you in years."
This is the sixth update. Brothers, do you still have any recommendation votes? I'm currently in 14th place. Can we move up a couple of spots? I don't want to wake up and find myself off the list. Brothers, develop the habit of voting. Votes are automatically generated every day, and not using them is a waste. I beg for your support!
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