Chapter 367: Reception (Part 1)

After dropping Xiaojia off at the Landscape Bureau, Hou Weidong turned the car around at their usual spot. Driving his Bluebird sedan from the East District to the West District, he arrived at the square in front of the Municipal Party Committee compound. Seeing that he still had some time, he drove over to the Southern New District.

Driving on wide, open roads was usually a pleasant experience, but under the howling north wind, the Southern New District felt excessively empty. Wild grasses and scaffolding stood stark and desolate against the cold breeze.

Hou Weidong’s mind drifted back to the briefing meeting held in the Southern New District that day.

Zhou Changquan had criticized the district’s progress without holding back, his words sharp and pointed. He held up a folded copy of the Lingxi Daily and said, “I wonder if any of you have read this issue. The reporter chose not to comment on the Southern New District. This is the ‘Spring and Autumn’ style of writing—subtle, but effectively a criticism.”

“If any of you haven’t seen this issue, it is a dereliction of duty.”

“In Shazhou, the Southern New District should be the model for development zones. Yet currently, the benchmark for all development zones in Shazhou is the Yiyang New Management Committee. In terms of planning, land development, enterprise relocation, and infrastructure, the Southern New District falls short of Yiyang. Don’t you all feel ashamed?”

At this point, Hou Weidong clearly felt several pairs of eyes fixate on him. He quickly lowered his head, doodling aimlessly in his notebook.

After delivering this round of criticism, Zhou Changquan offered some encouragement. “Gao Jian’s work思路 is clear and aligns closely with the Municipal Party Committee’s overall strategy. However, having a clear plan is one thing; executing it is another.” He turned to Hou Weidong and said, “Secretary Hou, remember to buy a few copies of Execution and give one to each leader present.”

After the meeting, Hou Weidong dutifully purchased several copies of Execution and notified the various department offices to come and collect them.

Following that meeting, whenever he had free time, Hou Weidong would drive his Bluebird to the Southern New District to wander around. He had an unconscious feeling that Secretary Changquan placed particular importance on the development zone, so he kept a close watch on the area.

Now, driving through the development zone in the early morning, looking at the waist-high weeds growing in the large tracts of enclosed land, Hou Weidong thought to himself, “To revitalize the Southern New District in the short term, Gao Jian has a heavy burden. He will have to exert tremendous effort.”

After circling the Southern New District, the time approached eight o’clock. Hou Weidong drove to the parking lot outside the compound, parked the car, and walked to the main gate. It was now 8:17.

At the gate, he saw cadres from the Municipal Party Committee entering the compound one by one. Hou Weidong walked about a hundred meters east and stood at a street corner. This was the route Secretary Changquan invariably took when walking to work.

He lit a cigarette. As he was smoking, he saw Ji Daolin, a member of the Municipal Standing Committee and Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection, walking toward him from the opposite street, carrying his bag. Hou Weidong smiled and greeted him, then promptly extinguished his cigarette and tossed it into the trash can.

Ji Daolin stopped and asked, “Waiting for Secretary Changquan?”

“Secretary Changquan does not allow us to drive him to work, so I am waiting here,” Hou Weidong replied.

Ji Daolin spoke with earnest gravity, “Your current position is sensitive, and your responsibilities are significant. You must strictly discipline yourself, study more, and reflect constantly. You are an outstanding graduate of Shazhou University. I hope you can go further and bring honor to your alma mater.”

Hou Weidong nodded quickly. “Rest assured, Secretary Ji. I will remember your words and constantly warn and discipline myself.”

After Ji Daolin left, Hou Weidong couldn’t resist taking out his cigarette again. Before he could light it, Zhou Changquan appeared on the opposite side of the street, carrying his handbag. Hou Weidong hurried over and, without waiting for permission, took the bag from him. “Secretary Zhou, tomorrow I will still come with Ma Bo to pick you up.”

Zhou Changquan waved his hand. “No need. Walking for half an hour every day can add at least ten years to your life. I relied too much on cars in the past. Walking in the mornings these days has really improved my mental state.”

Hou Weidong walked slightly half a step behind Zhou Changquan. This way, he neither overstepped his bounds nor hindered normal conversation.

“Did you buy the copies of Execution?”

“They have been delivered to all the leaders who attended the meeting.”

“At 9:30 this morning, please invite the group leaders and deputy leaders of the ‘Three Talks’ Leading Group to the ‘Three Talks’ Office. Once you are back in the office, contact the ‘Three Talks’ Office again to confirm the time the Supervision Group will arrive in Shazhou.”

As the two men reached the gate of the Municipal Party Committee compound, they saw Hong Ang, a member of the Municipal Standing Committee and Secretary-General, also walking to the entrance.

On November 21, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the Opinions on Deepening the Education on Party Spirit and Party Conduct Centered on ‘Studying, Politics, and Integrity’ Among Party and Government Leadership Teams and Leading Cadres at or Above the County Level. The Lingxi Provincial Committee immediately issued documents to launch the “Three Talks” education. A few days earlier, Zhu Jianguo, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, had traveled specifically to Shazhou to convene a meeting with members of the Municipal Standing Committee, the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the People’s Congress, and the leaders of the government, emphasizing the political background and importance of the “Three Talks.”

Having experienced the frantic years of the Cultural Revolution, Zhou Changquan possessed keen political sensitivity. He attached great importance to the “Three Talks” education campaign. In addition to following normal procedures, he initiated a call within the municipal leadership organs to “start the ‘Three Talks’ education with small, practical deeds.” He was the first to propose abolishing the system of official cars picking up leaders for work and walked home that very evening.

With the Party Secretary taking the lead, and under this atmosphere, other municipal leaders in Shazhou quickly followed suit, walking to and from work. Soon, this practice spread, and all division-level cadres in departments and counties began walking to work. This became a unique sight in Shazhou. Of course, opinions varied; the public had mixed reactions, though most believed this trend would not last long.

Once, while having dinner with his older brother, Hou Weiguo, Hou Weidong heard him treat the matter as a joke. “Secretary Zhou walks to work, but he has made our security colleagues suffer. Every evening after work, plainclothes officers are sent to guard the outside of the Municipal Party Committee compound, providing full-process protection for Secretary Zhou.”

Hou Weidong spoke frankly in front of his brother. “Secretary Changquan did not make such a request. It was your bureau chief trying to curry favor.”

Hou Weiguo laughed. “My status in the Public Security Bureau has risen sharply. Our boss is usually in a rush, coming and going quickly. In the few years I’ve been transferred to the municipal bureau, I barely exchanged a few words with him. The other day, I ran into him in the hallway, and he insisted on chatting with me for several minutes. I suspect I will be promoted in a few days.”

After chatting for a while, Hou Weiguo fell silent, eating his vegetables with a troubled expression. Hou Weidong knew what was on his mind and advised him, “Sister-in-law is just temporarily infatuated. Once this phase passes, it will be fine. If she quits her job, so be it. In Shazhou, we can always find her a suitable position.” Since becoming the secretary to the Party Secretary, leaders from the municipal organs had been very polite to Hou Weidong. He secretly estimated that asking for a temporary job for her would not be difficult.

Hou Weiguo’s prediction proved accurate. Yesterday, the Party Committee of the Public Security Bureau announced an appointment: Hou Weiguo had transformed into the Deputy Captain of the Economic Crime Investigation Detachment. This appointment did not cause much stir in the bureau because Hou Weiguo was a capable backbone of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, having solved many major cases. He had long been due for promotion, especially since his younger brother, Hou Weidong, was the secretary to the Party Secretary.

In Lingxi, becoming an official depended one-third on ability, one-third on connections, and the remaining third-plus on various unexplainable methods. Hou Weiguo had both ability and connections, so he was promoted. No one in the bureau raised objections; they were accustomed to this mode of personnel selection, subconsciously viewing it as a normal pattern.

Hou Weidong followed behind Zhou Changquan, walking up the stairs step by step. He thought to himself, “The idiom ‘a fox borrowing the tiger’s might’ is so vivid and penetrating when describing the secretary beside a leader.”

At 9:30 in the morning, Zhou Changquan, Liu Bing, Huang Zidi, Hong Ang, Gao Yonghong, and others collectively visited the “Three Talks” Office to greet all the staff.

The “Three Talks” Office was located in the Municipal Government Guesthouse. The guesthouse was divided into the “Large Reception” and the “Small Reception.” The Small Reception handled important guests and usually only accommodated figures of the level and stature of Zhou Changquan, Liu Bing, Huang Zidi, and Hong Ang. The Large Reception served as a venue for official receptions, featuring spacious meeting rooms and numerous rooms with a decent environment. This time, it was specifically designated as the “Three Talks” Office.

The Lingxi Provincial Party Committee had dispatched a “Three Talks” Supervision Group to each region. The Supervision Group’s residence was also in the Large Reception, occupying a separate building. Zhou Changquan and the others were not only visiting the staff of the “Three Talks” Office but, more importantly, waiting for the Supervision Group to move into the Large Reception.

The Supervision Group was led by a department-level leader who had stepped back to the second line, but the actual person in charge was Director Yi from the Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee. Hearing this surname, Hou Weidong felt a tightening in his heart. He couldn’t help but think of Yi Zhongling, the private entrepreneur who had recently returned to Yiyang.

The reception ceremony was grand, evidenced by the attendance of all Standing Committee members at the symposium. During dinner, Director Yi spoke seriously, “Respected Secretary Zhou, Mayor Liu, and Secretary Huang. Before we left, Secretary Jianguo specifically instructed us that this supervision work should help rather than cause trouble, and must be honest and simple. We will not drink alcohol.”

Huang Zidi was quite familiar with Director Yi and smiled. “We won’t serve baijiu. Let’s have some red wine. It is a Lingxi tradition that no banquet is complete without wine. Drinking a little red wine will not interfere with matters, nor will it violate discipline.”

Director Yi hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

Hou Weidong happened to notice the brand of the red wine: Xibona, costing over four hundred yuan per bottle. After the banquet ended, he secretly counted the empty boxes—there were more than ten.

After drinking, Director Yi’s face broke into a smile. Shaking hands with Zhou Changquan, he said, “When I returned to my hometown in Yiyang for the Spring Festival this year, I could hardly find my way. The development speed of Yiyang really exceeded my expectations.”

Zhou Changquan pointed to Hou Weidong behind him and said, “Secretary Hou was formerly the Director of the Yiyang New Management Committee. He has made contributions to the construction of the New Management Committee.”