In name only: The land of Handong, I shall rule its fate.

The old cadre compound of the government offices in Handong.

Governor Li Weiguo was the first stop Sha Ruijin visited today, simply because he was the most senior and held the highest position among them.

If someone says he has completely surpassed the other party, well, even Germ Rat Agent himself wouldn't dare to claim that.

"Secretary, he's right here."

Xiao Bai pointed to the small courtyard in front of him.

Sha Ruijin straightened his clothes, not wanting to appear undignified in front of the senior, but as soon as he approached, cheers came from the courtyard, and a buzzing sound could be faintly heard.

Sha Ruijin turned around in confusion.

Xiao Bai looked completely bewildered; he didn't know where to go!

Push open the gate to the courtyard.

A group of elderly men and women with barely any black hair gathered together, while in the middle was another elderly person, each older than the last, whose diabolo danced in their hands like a sprite. Despite being at an age where they could barely walk steadily, they played the diabolo with an artistic beauty.

"Um?"

The sudden sound of the door opening attracted everyone's attention. Under heavy gazes, Xiao Bai, who opened the door, felt his scalp tingle. He forced a smile and made way for Sha Ruijin behind him.

The buzzing stopped.

"Oh, it's Secretary Sha who's come to see us old folks."

Li Weiguo, standing in the center of the crowd, chuckled and put the diabolo away.

"Old Li!"

Sha Ruijin quickly stepped forward to help the old man who was walking towards him. His gaze fell on an even older man dressed simply behind him, and a thought struck him.

"Are you Mr. Chai?"

Sha Ruijin freed one hand and supported Chai Lao's slightly trembling arm.

"Hello, little one!"

Old Chai smiled broadly.

"Eh!"

Sha Ruijin quickly stepped forward to accept the identity of the "little kid." To avoid being secretly harmed by Lin Zhiyuan, he had been frantically studying the identities of the senior figures in Handong for the past two days.

Old Chai's voice.

He has to respond when his father-in-law comes.

"I'm ashamed to admit it!"

Sha Ruijin apologized, saying, "I have only been in office in Handong for two months, and it is only now that I have come to visit you seniors. I am truly at ease."

"There's no need for that."

Li Weiguo waved his hand and said, "As the current leader of the Handong leadership team, you should naturally prioritize Handong's development and social stability. We are aware that Handong has been experiencing a lot of trouble lately."

Upon hearing this, Sha Ruijin finally felt relieved.

He knew that Lin Zhiyuan had invited Elder Li and Elder Chai to speak at the Standing Committee meeting, and he was also aware that Lin Zhiyuan got along very well with the two of them. Given that Elder Li had not visited for a long time, he thought that Elder Li would give him the cold shoulder.

Unexpectedly, unexpectedly, Old Li was willing to help him out of a predicament. He truly deserves to be called a senior figure.

"Sit down and let's talk. We're a bit tired after all that activity."

The small courtyard was cleared out, and other elderly people gathered around it, leaving only three people in the center.

Li Weiguo helped Chai Lao sit down on the other side of the small recliner, while he himself took a small stool and sat facing the uneasy Sha Ruijin.

I feel really uneasy!

This looks like it's about to be a joint trial.

No!

He was afraid; that feeling of being in a meeting was back, and even more oppressive than before.

At least he was the class monitor at the Standing Committee meeting, and his status prevented the provincial government faction from completely breaking ties. But now, he's just a nobody.

They only get criticized and lectured.

"Are you having trouble at work? Look at your spirits, you're so young and you're in worse shape than us."

Li Weiguo's question seemed to be asking a question he already knew the answer to.

"yes!"

Sha Ruijin had no choice but to answer, recounting the recent events and difficulties he had encountered in a relatively objective and impartial manner, without daring to embellish anything.

These are all elderly people from Handong; they probably know more about the place than he does.

"What do you think is the root cause of these problems in Handong?"

Li Weiguo listened attentively and then asked a question in return.

Of course it's Zhao Lichun!

The rat poison roared inwardly, but he couldn't say it like that.

"Since the reform and opening up, Handong has developed rapidly, people's living standards have improved day by day, the finances are abundant, high-rise buildings have sprung up, and Handong's GDP has remained among the top in the country."

Sha Ruijin fully affirmed the development achievements of Handong, which also affirmed the contributions of the senior figures present.

"However, our reform and opening-up situation is also unprecedented, lacking reference, and every step is like crossing a river by feeling for stones."

"Handong was a pioneer in the reform and opening up of the country. Other brother cities were waiting for Handong to deliver a report card. Therefore, Handong's development had to be rushed and a bit more impetuous. Especially in the past 20 years, the proliferation of private enterprises and the entry of foreign capital have made the already murky water even more murky. Under the nourishment of huge interests, the faith of many cadres has become less firm and they have been eroded by the outside world and deviated from the right track. This is why there is a large amount of corruption among cadres in Jingzhou and Chuzhou."

Li Weiguo nodded, indicating his agreement with this statement, but then asked, "Then who do you think should bear this responsibility and fault?"

"I…"

Sha Ruijin was pondering and was about to speak when he was silenced.

"That's right, it's you!"

Li Weiguo said with certainty.

No! I just wanted to speak up, not to accept punishment. This isn't the way to frame Old Li!

The rat poison roared with grief and indignation from the bottom of its heart.

Why do you feel wronged?

Li Weiguo laughed, "It feels like this is a legacy issue from Handong, and you've just taken office; shouldn't you be the one to shoulder it?"

"Mr. Li, I...I didn't."

Sha Ruijin stammered in reply.

"You're not being honest!"

"I feel uncomfortable but dare not say it, I feel resentful but dare not speak out."

Li Weiguo criticized, "You're just like your adoptive father, Chen Yanshi—awkward!"

"Look at how Xiao Lin handled the Dafeng Factory incident. As the executive vice president, he didn't cover it up or shirk responsibility. He brought the matter to light and resolved it perfectly, assigning responsibility to individuals. That way, it wasn't his responsibility. But if he had kept quiet and covered it up, and the 20 tons of gasoline at Dafeng Factory had really exploded, he would have been the person primarily responsible."

Li Weiguo was giving a hint, but also warning him: "So do you understand now? In your position, first Zhao Lichun, then Liao Zhiping, they managed to stay in the same position because that was their method. It's your skill to keep them in check, but if you can't keep them in check, don't dare to confront them, and can't resolve the issue, then that's your fault as the squad leader."

"Don't feel wronged."

"Organization cadres should shoulder greater responsibilities than ordinary people, let alone you, the provincial party secretary."

"You either suppress the problem or solve it; you have to choose one, instead of standing in the middle."

"It's not good if problems can't be contained and will explode, and if the problems can't be solved."

"The people have their own eyes and their own scales of judgment; their evaluations are the standards by which the organization assesses you."

Li Weiguo's words were incisive and insightful, lacking any profound principles; they were more like a political maneuver, perfectly suited for Sha Ruijin to employ.

Sha Ruijin seemed to be deep in thought, then his eyes lit up.