Li Zhonghua was about to sit down when he noticed that Liu Chuanrui actually walked out from behind the large desk, which made him quite excited. After all, leaders only did this for subordinates of a certain level and those who were relatively close to them. As the head of the Water Conservancy Department, he was far from Liu's position.
Therefore, without waiting for Liu Chuanrui to extend his hand, Li Zhonghua nervously extended both hands and warmly shook Liu Chuanrui's hand.
"Director Li, I have read your report. I must admit, expertise has its own domain. Director Li is an expert in water conservancy work and has a wealth of experience!"
Li Zhonghua's heart raced. He had thought Liu would just skim through the report, but he didn't expect him to read it so thoroughly. Although the leader was praising him now, he feared that harsh criticism would follow. Liu often used this method of praising before criticizing.
Rather than let the leader criticize him first, Li Zhonghua decided to criticize himself. At least it would show that he had self-awareness. With this in mind, he quickly said, "Secretary Liu, although the Water Conservancy Department has achieved some results in recent years, there are still significant problems. In the future, we plan to increase our efforts to rectify these issues and push our work forward."
"No work can be accomplished overnight. It is a process of continuous progress through gradual exploration." Liu Chuanrui picked up a cigarette box, offered one to Li Zhonghua, and then smiled, saying, "In my view, responsibility is more important than ability. As long as one has the right attitude and a constant desire for innovation, work can flourish."
Li Zhonghua nodded repeatedly. Liu Chuanrui continued, "There's a saying among the people: villages deceive towns, towns deceive counties, all the way up to the state. The state issues documents, which are read layer by layer, and after reading, they go to the restaurant, and the documents are never implemented. What does this show? It shows that for local officials, reporting good news and hiding bad news has become a habit. Even if they know the situation is dire, they will only smile calmly. This attitude must be changed."
"For example, in afforestation, the numbers reported every year are impressive. If added together, they might exceed the total land area of the province. There would be no barren mountains, and everyone would live in the forest. But in reality? As the people say, 'plant in spring, half destroyed in summer, a line in autumn, all gone in winter, and start again next year.' In one word: fake!"
"Director Li, after reading your report, I am deeply moved. You are not an official who deceives superiors and reports only good news. As the old saying goes, 'born in adversity, die in comfort.' As the head of the Water Conservancy Department, you can think about strengthening water conservancy construction in a stable environment and place it at the top priority. This is excellent!"
"I hope you can continue to maintain this sense of crisis, increase efforts to address potential risks, and work hard. If you encounter any difficulties, come to me!"
The provincial party secretary actually praised his sense of crisis! Li Zhonghua felt his mind momentarily blank. At this moment, he was at a loss for words, but as the head of the Water Conservancy Department, he was not short of wit. He quickly responded, "Secretary Liu, rest assured. After returning, the entire staff of the Water Conservancy Department will earnestly implement your instructions and work solidly on water conservancy."
The warm atmosphere significantly reduced Li Zhonghua's pressure. After a half-hour conversation with Liu Chuanrui, Liu still seemed to be in high spirits. Li Zhonghua instinctively checked his watch; it had far exceeded the scheduled 15 minutes.
Exceeding half the time was enough to show that the leader had a good impression of him. Having been in the political arena for many years, Li Zhonghua was delighted by such treatment.
When leaving, something even more surprising happened. Secretary Liu personally escorted him to the door, held his hand, and said, "Comrade Li, I hope you can continue to implement the sense of crisis for flood prevention as outlined in your report!" Liu Chuanrui patted Li Zhonghua's shoulder and added, "I am waiting to see your actions."
Walking out of the provincial party committee building, Li Zhonghua felt light on his feet. He even ignored the salute from the staff on duty. The fact that he had gained the favor and praise of Secretary Liu made him feel almost incredulous. As he grew older, Li Zhonghua had stopped thinking much about his career, but Secretary Liu's words rekindled his ambitions.
Human desires cannot be easily suppressed. Once a spark is ignited, it can quickly spread.
"Director, where are we going?" the driver asked cautiously.
Li Zhonghua pondered for a moment and said, "Back to the office."
As the car started, Li Zhonghua began to reflect on his conversation with Liu Chuanrui. In the quiet reflection, he quickly understood why Liu Chuanrui had a good impression of him. His sense of crisis in work was the key reason. This made the conversation unexpectedly effective. Thinking about how Secretary Liu had personally escorted him to the door and extended the conversation by almost half the time, Li Zhonghua felt a surge of excitement. If the news of his grand reception by the provincial party secretary spread, his position in the Water Conservancy Department would be even more secure.
Lying back in the seat, the content of the report flashed through his mind. Li Zhonghua suddenly remembered something and quickly sat up, pulling the report out of the file bag.
"Further strengthen the dredging of waterways and do the work solidly..." This text, this very text. When he hurriedly came to report to the leader, this text added by Cheng Jemin had become a source of worry for him.
However, what he never expected was that this text would become the key to gaining the favor of Secretary Liu. Thinking about how, during their conversation, Secretary Liu spent most of the time discussing flood prevention, except for two minutes on water conservancy construction...
After returning, he must do more work in this area and achieve results as soon as possible. With this resolve, Li Zhonghua immediately thought of Cheng Jemin. This young man still had valuable insights, especially since the points that caught Secretary Liu's attention were added by him.
Cheng Jemin had lunch with Tang Zhengshan at a small restaurant outside the Water Conservancy Department. As he devoured a bowl of beef noodles, he earned a scolding from Tang Zhengshan.
For Tang Zhengshan's well-intentioned scolding, Cheng Jemin could only listen. To avoid trouble, he made a self-criticism, saying he had not noticed and had added the points that Director Li had disapproved of.
Although Tang Zhengshan's criticism was harsh, Cheng Jemin knew it was genuine concern. He even found that this simple bowl of beef noodles had further improved their relationship.
"Cheng Jemin, have you finished your self-criticism?" Dong Huacheng asked condescendingly before Cheng Jemin could enter.
Looking at Dong Huacheng's face, Cheng Jemin smiled lightly and said, "Director Dong, I am deeply analyzing my mistakes. Please wait a moment; I still need to continue."
Dong Huacheng's face darkened. He knew Cheng Jemin was just敷衍ing him. Glancing at the inkstone Cheng Jemin used to prop up his desk, he felt even more resentment.
"Director Dong, the apples have arrived," a young man in his twenties said respectfully to Dong Huacheng.
Dong Huacheng waved gracefully and said, "Unload them first; I will check later." Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, "Do you have enough people to unload the apples?"
"Director Dong, we don't need more people..." the young man replied.
However, before he could finish, Dong Huacheng said firmly, "You definitely need more people. I'll send a few people to help you. You've come a long way."
The young man was stunned. He never expected the usually unapproachable Dong Huacheng to offer help. Looking at Dong Huacheng's smile, he suddenly thought, "Is this guy hinting that I didn't give him enough kickback?"
Yes, it must be that. Damn, this guy is really ruthless!
If Dong Huacheng knew what the young man was thinking, he would be furious. But he had no time to deal with the young man's thoughts. Instead, he instructed Cheng Jemin, "Cheng Jemin, it's not easy for the farmers to transport fruit. Go help them unload the truck. You should be able to do this, right?"
Cheng Jemin had seen everything. He knew Dong Huacheng was using this as an opportunity to get back at him. However, since Dong was his superior and had framed it as helping others, he would gain nothing by making a fuss.
With this in mind, Cheng Jemin stood up and said, "Director Dong, I'll go help them unload the apples."
Watching Cheng Jemin leave, Dong Huacheng's face broke into a broad smile. He thought, "Kid, as long as you're under my control, I'll make your life miserable!"
Unfortunately, the kid didn't lose his temper. If he had argued, Dong Huacheng would have reported him to the leadership. Pulling out a cigarette, Dong Huacheng was about to light it when Xiao Huang, sitting opposite, quickly walked over and lit it for him with a blue flame.
Taking a deep puff, Dong Huacheng let the smoke fill his lungs for a moment before saying, "Xiao Huang, you're doing well."
PS: I hope everyone continues to support me. In the new week, we need to strive for the top spot! Let's all work hard together with the little cat!