Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

The moment the appointment letter was issued, the air seemed to stand still in the corridor of the entire Jiangnan Provincial Party Committee office building.

This document was not only officially issued, but also urgently requested.

[The Provincial Party Committee has decided to appoint Comrade Liu Ming as the Executive Deputy Director of the Jiangnan Provincial Development and Reform Commission, with benefits equivalent to those of a full-fledged provincial-level official. He will also concurrently serve as the head of the Jiangnan Provincial Economic Structure Optimization and Reform Leading Group (hereinafter referred to as the "Economic Reform Group"), presiding over the province's special work on economic recovery.]

Twenty-eight years old.

A high-ranking official with real power.

The reorganized group leader.

These three labels, when combined, resemble a heavy mountain weighing down on the heads of all officials in Jiangnan Province. If the previous transfers to deputy-department-level positions made everyone think it was due to "having connections at higher levels," then the current substantive appointments to full-department-level positions are a complete "appointment in a time of crisis."

Provincial Party Secretary Chu Tiankuo didn't even give Liu Ming half a day to rest. Just one hour after the appointment was issued, he sent him to the Economic Reform Group office located in the west annex of the provincial government building.

……

The conference room is located on the third floor of the west annex building.

The room was filled with smoke, and the ashtray was overflowing with unextinguished cigarette butts, emitting a nauseating, acrid smell.

A dozen or so middle-aged men with gloomy faces sat around a long, rectangular mahogany table.

These people, even the lowest-ranking among them, are at the deputy director-general level. There's the deputy director of the provincial finance department, the second-in-command of the provincial commerce department, and several chairmen of large provincial state-owned enterprises. Each of them, individually, is a figure who could shake the entire region.

But at this moment, their eyes were filled with resistance, doubt, and even naked contempt.

"Old Sun, have you heard? That 'Little Miracle Doctor of Ningzhou' is here, he wants to diagnose our Jiangnan Province." A deputy director of the Provincial Finance Department exhaled a smoke ring, his tone full of sarcasm.

"Taking pulses? I think he's here to see you to your death." The man called Old Sun sneered. "Twenty-eight years old. When I was twenty-eight, I was still writing reports in the department. Secretary Chu must be crazy to entrust such a big task to a kid who hasn't even grown his hair yet."

"They have powerful connections; they might be holding some kind of 'miracle pill' that can bring the dead back to life."

The crowd burst into laughter, their laughter filled with the kind of biting sarcasm unique to officialdom.

Just then, the conference room door was pushed open with a "bang".

There was no knocking, no small talk, not even the most basic polite pause.

Liu Ming strode swiftly to the head of the table. He casually tossed his briefcase onto the table with a dull thud, abruptly silencing the laughter in the room.

He wasn't wearing a suit, just a simple black jacket with the collar open. His eyes, which had hunted countless powerful enemies in the jungle, now swept across the entire area like two cold, sharp glints.

The murderous aura emanating from the carnage caused everyone present to gasp for breath.

"Have you all laughed enough?"

Liu Ming spoke, her voice steady, yet carrying a chilling coldness that sent shivers down one's spine.

"If you haven't laughed enough, I'll give you five minutes. Go outside, turn left, go downstairs, and laugh in the street for the people to hear."

"Director Liu, you're getting a bit too angry."

A deputy director of the Provincial Department of Commerce pushed up his glasses and said sarcastically, "Everyone has been waiting for you here for half a day for work. It was just a joke to lighten the mood. There's no need to make a big deal out of it, is there? After all, the work in the province is much more complicated than in Ningzhou. We'll all have to work together closely in the future."

"cooperate?"

Liu Ming pulled over a chair, sat down heavily, and placed her hands crossed on the table.

"What's your name?" He stared at the deputy director, his tone as indifferent as if he were asking for directions.

"The Commerce Department, Zhao Jianjun." The other person stiffened his neck, his face full of disdain.

"Deputy Director Zhao," Liu Ming said with a cruel smile, "Since we're talking about work, let me ask you: What was the rate of lost foreign trade orders in Jiangnan Province last month? How many foreign-invested enterprises withdrew their investments? If no measures are taken, what will the province's unemployment rate be next month?"

Zhao Jianjun was stunned, stammering and unable to answer, "Well... the data is still being compiled, the macro situation is quite complex, we can't just look at the numbers..."

"Summary?"

Liu Ming sneered, suddenly pulled a document from her bag, and threw it in front of Zhao Jianjun.

"Foreign trade orders have dropped by 34%, 42 foreign companies have withdrawn, and the number of unemployed is expected to increase by 12 next month. Even I, a newcomer, know these figures. And you, the deputy director in charge of commerce, are telling me these summaries?"

He surveyed the entire room, and wherever his gaze fell, no one dared to meet his eyes.

"I know what you're thinking."

"You're thinking, what merit do I, Liu Ming, have that I should be sitting above you and giving orders?"

"You think that as long as you stick together and play a few tricks like 'soft refusal' and 'passing the buck,' I'll have to slink back to Ningzhou in less than three months."

Liu Ming slowly stood up, placed his hands on the table, and leaned forward. The terrifying sense of oppression made the seasoned veterans sitting in the first row involuntarily shrink back.

"But let me tell you, Jiangnan Province's economy is in the ICU, waiting for surgery. If you want to be doctors, then you'd better hold a scalpel properly. If you want to be viruses..."

He pointed to the ground beneath his feet.

"...I'll dig you all up, along with the lesions, and bury you all."

"Director Liu! You're being way too arrogant!"

Old Sun from the Provincial Finance Department slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "Which of us hasn't dedicated decades to Jiangnan Province? What right do you have to lecture us? Where's the money? The Provincial Finance Department is so strapped for cash that it can't even pay salaries. No matter how good your plan is, without money, it's just empty talk!"

"I'll bring the money."

Liu Ming replied coldly, then took out a pre-written document from her bag.

That was a document he had personally written in Chu Tiankuo's office half an hour earlier.

Without looking at anyone present, he took out a pen from his pocket and heavily signed his name at the end of the document.

Then, he slammed the paper hard onto the center of the conference table.

That was a... resignation letter.

It's also a... pledge of allegiance.

"This is my resignation letter; the date is blank."

Looking at the group of astonished officials, Liu Ming said, enunciating each word clearly:

"Starting today, all approval and fund allocation authority related to economic reforms in Jiangnan Province will be centralized in the Economic Reform Group. Your respective departments and bureaus only need to be responsible for implementation. Anyone who dares to shirk responsibility or engage in underhanded practices will be sent directly to Secretary Zhao Rui, bypassing the Provincial Party Committee."

"I, Liu Ming, here and now pledge my loyalty."

He pointed to the resignation letter, his eyes flashing with a reckless madness and absolute confidence.

"Three months."

"If the province's economic growth rate cannot turn positive within three months, and if I cannot secure more than 50 billion yuan in special investment, I will date this letter on the spot and pack my bags and get out of Jiangnan Province!"

"But during these three months, anyone who dares to block my way, anyone who dares to slack off, will be punished."

Liu Ming's voice became as sharp as a knife, echoing throughout the deathly silent conference room.

"I guarantee that at this moment, he should be considering retiring early."

"Did you understand?"

The final shout made the teacups on the table vibrate.

The entire room fell silent.

Those old bureaucrats who were usually adept at social maneuvering and cunning finally felt a chill run down their spines when they saw Liu Ming's desperate, relentless work ethic.

They understood that this newcomer wasn't there to play games with them.

He's here to risk his life.

Old Sun looked at the resignation letter written in black and white on the white paper, his lips moved, but in the end he didn't dare to utter a single word.

Liu Ming sat back down in his chair, picked up the cup of bitter tea that had long since gone cold, took a sip, and then looked at everyone with a cold expression.

"Now, take out your proposals, and let's begin the meeting."

"If the economic growth rate doesn't turn positive within three months, I'm leaving!"