18: Personnel Appointment

Yu Guodong was the first to speak, “County Mayor, I also know a bit about your Secretary, Lin Zifeng.

Not only is he diligent in his work, as you just mentioned, but he is also a very upright person, and he has a good reputation in the County Party Committee and County Government compound.

Moreover, he has been learning by your side, County Mayor, for over a year. As the saying goes, ‘a strong general has no weak soldiers,’ right?

Therefore, he should be given a heavier burden. We should give more opportunities to outstanding young people like him.

Wang Yongfa, the Town Mayor of Heping Town, has repeatedly submitted requests to the County Party Committee to retire due to health reasons to recuperate.

Comrade Wang Yongfa was originally scheduled to retire by the end of the year.

So, let’s approve his application. I propose that Comrade Lin Zifeng be appointed as the Town Mayor of Heping Town.”

Hearing Yu Guodong’s proposal, Zhang Yuhao was stunned. He hadn’t expected Yu Guodong to propose that Lin Zifeng directly assume the position of Town Mayor, directly promoting him from deputy section level to a full section level position.

He felt that something wasn’t right, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Was it because Heping Town is remote and ranks last in all aspects among the county’s eleven townships?

Even so, the Town Mayor of Heping Town is still more valuable than the Deputy Town Mayor of Songshan Town, isn’t it?

He didn’t understand Yu Guodong’s intentions, and he was about to leave anyway. Since it was good for Lin Zifeng, he would just observe the reactions of the other Standing Committee Members first!

Thinking this, he observed everyone, remaining silent and choosing to wait and see.

“Secretary, isn’t Lin Zifeng too young?

From what I know, he is only twenty-four this year. Isn’t it a bit unstable for him to serve as the Town Mayor?”

Executive Deputy County Mayor Qian Dagang raised a different opinion.

“I disagree with County Mayor Qian’s opinion. Age is not a standard for measuring ability.

Youth, to a certain extent, does have shortcomings, such as lack of work experience and being prone to impulsiveness.

But youth also has its advantages! For example, high work enthusiasm, abundant energy, and daring to take on challenges in work.

Everyone here is well aware of the situation in Heping Town. In recent years, its work in all aspects has been at the bottom of the entire county.

The leadership team is severely aging, and it precisely needs outstanding young Comrades like Lin Zifeng to inject fresh blood.

I support the Secretary’s proposal.”

Secretary-General of the County Party Committee Li Huafeng, as Yu Guodong’s chief Secretary, was the first to step forward at a glance from Yu Guodong, clearly opposing Qian Dagang’s suggestion and supporting Yu Guodong’s proposal.

“I also support the Secretary’s proposal and agree with the Secretary-General’s statement.

Heping Town’s leadership team is already severely aging. The current Town Mayor, Wang Yongfa, will turn sixty in less than half a year.

Aside from Town Party Secretary Yu Hualin, who is forty-one, and Deputy Town Mayor Cao Shuang, who is thirty-six, all other team members are over fifty. The entire Heping Town has practically become a nursing home.

With such a stagnant leadership team, it would be strange if Heping Town could develop!

Propaganda Committee Member Hu Minghua will also reach his retirement age in another year, and Heping Town’s propaganda work is currently almost nonexistent.

I hereby propose that the Propaganda Committee Member be relieved of his duties, and that Jiang Yufei, a staff member from our Propaganda Department, be nominated to serve as the Propaganda Committee Member of Heping Town.”

Minister Zhang Yuhan, the only female Standing Committee Member of the County Party Committee, known for her forthrightness, spoke bluntly.

Everyone was momentarily stunned, not expecting this outspoken Minister Zhang to seize such an opportunity.

However, what she said was well-reasoned, and no one could find fault with it.

“Secretary-General, Minister Zhang, I’m not opposing it! I’m just expressing a little concern.”

Qian Dagang, seeing the situation, quickly tried to remedy it.

Both of them smiled and nodded without speaking.

Yu Guodong spoke again, asking, “Comrades, do you have any differing opinions on the two personnel appointments that Minister Zhang and I just proposed?

If there are no other opinions, let’s vote by show of hands!”

“Secretary, the personnel appointment proposed by Minister Zhang fully complies with organizational procedures.

However, Comrade Lin Zifeng has been promoted from staff member to deputy section level for less than a year.

According to organizational procedures, a deputy section level Cadre must serve for two full years before being promoted to full section level. What do you think about this?”

Organization Minister Zou Dekai spoke. Even if he supported it, he had to bring this point up due to his responsibilities.

“Minister Zou, didn’t the superior department just issue the ‘Trial Regulations for the Younger Cadres and Exceptional Promotion of Outstanding Young Cadres’ a while ago?

In my opinion, Comrade Lin Zifeng is suitable for these trial regulations.”

Yu Guodong said, neither too lightly nor too heavily.

“With your words, I have no other opinions.”

Zou Dekai quickly said.

Everyone understood that Yu Guodong was determined to promote Lin Zifeng!

It seemed that with Zhang Yuhao’s transfer to the Provincial Department of Finance, Yu Guodong had put all unpleasantness aside and was trying to mend their relationship!

Even Zhang Haoyu had this misconception.

What they didn’t know was that this was a tactic by Yu Guodong to set Lin Zifeng up for failure. It all depended on whether Lin Zifeng could handle it, otherwise, Zhang Yuhao would also be affected.

But man proposes, God disposes. Yu Guodong’s elaborate plan went awry, and his time in Yushu County would not be long. But that’s a story for another time.

No one else raised any opinions, so they proceeded to the vote by show of hands.

Yu Guodong spoke again, “Those who agree with Comrade Lin Zifeng serving as the Town Mayor of Heping Town, please raise your hand.”

After saying this, Yu Guodong was the first to raise his right hand, followed closely by Zhang Haoyu.

Everyone else also raised their hands one by one, with only Head of the Armed Forces Department Zhou Xiong casting an abstention.

Thus, with ten votes in favor and one abstention from the eleven Standing Committee Members, Lin Zifeng’s appointment was approved.

After the first vote, Yu Guodong spoke again, “The proposal for Comrade Lin Zifeng’s appointment has passed with ten votes in favor and one abstention.

Next, we will proceed with the second personnel appointment vote. Those who agree with Comrade Jiang Yufei serving as the Propaganda Committee Member of Heping Town, please raise your hand.”

This time, he did not raise his hand first but looked at the other Standing Committee Members.

He was somewhat displeased with Zhang Yuhan’s sudden and cunning move, so he did not explicitly express support.

Zhang Yuhan was the first to raise her hand, then looked at everyone.

Organization Minister Zou Dekai looked at everyone and was the second to raise his hand, showing support.

Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission Li Minghao and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission Qiao Zhenyu raised their hands simultaneously.

Standing Committee Member and Deputy County Mayor Xu Minghao also followed suit, raising his hand.

Currently, only five people supported it, which was not yet half, creating a six-to-five situation. If no one else raised their hand in support, Zhang Yuhan’s proposal would fall through.

Yu Guodong remained calm. Secretary-General Li Huafeng followed his lead, and if he didn’t raise his hand in favor, Li Huafeng would absolutely not raise his hand in support.

And Executive Deputy County Mayor Qian Dagang, annoyed by Zhang Yuhan’s earlier statement, showed no intention of raising his hand.

Deputy Secretary Xu Yanjun also remained calm. He did not want to offend Yu Guodong at such a crucial moment because of Zhang Yuhan.

Zhou Xiong from the Armed Forces Department usually abstained, and this time was no exception.

This created a five-to-five situation. In this scenario, if one of the five affirmative votes belonged to County Party Secretary Yu Guodong, it could be decisive.

But now, if no one else raised their hand in support, it would have to be shelved and brought up again in a future Standing Committee meeting.