In the government office, it was inevitable to hear various vivid rumors about how Qin Haiji and Shen Zili engaged in verbal sparring, how the other members of the Standing Committee questioned them aggressively, and how it was only after Party Secretary An Dejian spoke up and made a decisive statement that the matter was finally settled.
The leader of the Nantang Industrial Development Zone preparatory working group would be the countyās deputy secretary and executive vice-county magistrate, Cao Gang. The deputy leader would be the vice-county magistrate in charge of industry, LĆ¼ Yuchuan, and the office director would, as expected, be Mao Rong.
However, at the end, Cao Gang pointed out that Mao Rong had too many concurrent positions and might find it difficult to manage both the office of the investment promotion working group and the preparatory working group for the industrial development zone. He suggested setting up a deputy director to assist Mao Rong and proposed that the newly arrived university graduate from the county party office, Lu Weimin, take on this role.
The reason was simple: Lu Weimin had performed outstandingly in handling the kiwi fruit sales project, completing the task perfectly, demonstrating exceptional ability, and it was worth considering giving these young people more responsibilities.
Qin Haiji then very cooperatively supported Cao Gangās suggestion, recommending that Lu Weimin serve as the deputy director of both working groups, responsible for daily operations.
Lu Weimin had been pondering Cao Gang and Qin Haijiās intentions. Why did Cao Gang want to pull him into these two working groups as a deputy director, and why did Qin Haiji support it?
Although these two deputy director positions sounded impressive, Lu Weimin was very clear that these working groups were merely temporary and superficial. However, for him, a fresh graduate, even a superficial deputy director position in a working group was a significant temptation. At least it meant his name could be officially listed in the red-headed documents of the county party and government, even if the position had no substantial meaning. This formal recognition was still very meaningful for him.
Mao Rong was Wang Zirongās person. If Wang Zirong had not left Nantang, Mao Rong would have naturally taken over as the director of the county government office when the current director retired at the end of the year. However, now that Wang Zirong had left, things were different. Although it wasnāt a case of "people leaving and tea getting cold," an adjustment was inevitable. Mao Rong would continue to hold the position of deputy director of the county government office but would be stripped of other powers, cutting off her hopes of becoming the director. This was a natural move, and it seemed that An Dejian and Shen Zili had reached a tacit agreement. It was likely that Zhou Yuming would soon take over as the director of the county government office.
But what did it mean for Cao Gang to pull him away from Shen Zili? Lu Weimin couldnāt quite figure out the intentions of these leaders. He found that after returning to this era, his mind seemed to have regressed a bit. What he used to handle with ease now left him somewhat puzzled.
The most puzzling thing was that after much deliberation, Shen Zili actually agreed to Cao Gangās suggestion, leading to the Standing Committeeās approval of the decision. This meant that his three-month tenure as a secretary seemed to be coming to an end, leaving Lu Weimin, who considered himself to have twenty years of experience in the system, completely baffled.
Accompanying Shen Zili for a walk by Lingxi Pond, the water was crystal clear in November, like a dark green gem embedded in this fertile land. The surrounding lush pine and yellow horn trees intertwined, and there were not many people strolling in the suburbs at this time of year, making the lakeside even more tranquil. As they walked, Shen Zili did not say a word, and Lu Weimin was wise enough to remain silent.
He still hadnāt figured out Shen Ziliās intentions. After only three months, it seemed that he shouldnāt be let go, especially to these so-called working groups. He was unsure about the increasingly shrewd County Magistrate Shen.
"Lu Weimin, are you feeling a bit uneasy?" Shen Zili slowed his pace, gesturing for Lu Weimin to walk alongside him.
"County Magistrate, to be honest, I feel a bit lost and donāt quite understand your considerations," Lu Weimin said frankly, though he had some vague guesses. In this era, peopleās thoughts might not be as complex as they were twenty years later, so he preferred to keep his thoughts to himself.
"Then what do you think about going to the investment promotion office and the development zone preparatory office?" Shen Zili asked, hands behind his back, his tone calm, as if testing Lu Weimin.
The investment promotion office and the development zone preparatory office? Lu Weiminās heart skipped a beat. There was a difference between the investment promotion working group office and the investment promotion office, and similarly, between the development zone preparatory working group office and the development zone preparatory office. The former was a coordinating body of the working group, almost a nominal position, while the latter was a practical executive body. The difference was significant. Given Shen Ziliās meticulousness, it was unlikely he made a mistake, and Lu Weimin even detected a deliberate emphasis in his tone.
"County Magistrate, if itās just about doing some surface work and going through the motions, it wonāt have much meaning. But if we are to do something substantial in these two areas, the significance would be different. The results of these two tasks could be vastly different," Lu Weimin said, having grasped the gist of Shen Ziliās intentions and also having some idea of Cao Gang and Qin Haijiās thoughts.
Cao Gang and Qin Haiji never thought the office under the investment promotion working group had much significance. They probably saw it as a flashy move by Shen Zili after he was elected county magistrate. Even among the Standing Committee members, including An Dejian, it was likely seen as more of a show. No one believed that just a few people could establish an industrial development zone, which was unprecedented in Liyang. So, they agreed to form these two institutions as a strategic retreat.
Mao Rongās appointment was likely a prearranged move by Shen Zili and An Dejian. Cao Gang and Qin Haijiās sudden decision to pull him away from Shen Zili also indicated a recognition of his abilities. His outstanding performance in the kiwi fruit sales project had made Cao Gang and Qin Haiji somewhat uncomfortable, especially when all the credit went to Shen Zili and Zhou Yuming, making them even more uncomfortable.
Thinking about this, Lu Weimin felt a slight sense of satisfaction. In just three months, he had managed to leave a rough impression on several county leaders, which required not just the extra twenty years of experience but also genuine talent.
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