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

There was a very lonely person in the provincial party committee; this person wasn't a name, but a position.

She seems to have a good relationship with everyone, but she is also like a completely independent third party who wanders around everyone, familiar with everyone, but not close to anyone.

This person is Wen Yiyan, the Minister of the United Front Work Department.

"Why!"

Wen Yiyan let out a heavy sigh.

"Boss, what's wrong with you?"

Xiao Ye, the secretary who was organizing documents, had lost count of how many times she had heard her boss sighing this morning.

All he does all day is sigh and complain; he's squandered all his good fortune.

No wonder the other bosses' secretaries are all doing so well, while Xiao Ye is always busy and can only do trivial things every day.

Xiao Ye's inability to get promoted is entirely due to the boss's incompetence.

"It's nothing..."

Wen Yiyan sighed again, but then turned around and waved to Xiao Ye, signaling him to come over.

"Boss, you didn't have a fight with your wife, did you?"

Xiao Ye cautiously probed.

"Go! Go! Go!"

"My relationship with my wife is very good."

Wen Yiyan glared at him coldly.

Everyone knows that men from Sichuan Province listen to their wives the most, and you can't reason with a local like Xiao Ye from Handong.

"Please move your chair over and sit down. I have something on my mind that I want to talk to you about."

Wen Yiyan pointed at the person, then at the chair.

"OK!"

Xiao Ye had been eyeing the boss's chair for a long time. Although she couldn't sit in it now, at least she could move it from one side of the table to the other, which was still a step forward.

"Although I've been in Handong for six years and know quite a few comrades and friends, there are very few I can truly talk to."

"You are my secretary."

"We share both glory and loss. Listen to my honest thoughts. If you have any ideas, just say them. If you really don't want to say them, just treat it as a dream and forget about it as soon as you leave the office."

Wen Yiyan doesn't act like a big shot.

"Boss, wait a moment, I'll go check if the door is locked properly."

Xiao Ye, however, was not one to stay put. He keenly realized the seriousness of the matter and the opportunities hidden within it.

Watching his secretary run back and forth, Wen Yiyan's lips twitched.

When he first came to Handong, he chose Xiao Ye because he thought she was outgoing and lively, and suitable for united front work. But now it seems that she is a bit too lively.

Secretary Xiao Ye is thirty years old this year. She is a fourth-level researcher and deputy director-level official, and a father of two children. But she is always thinking about something mysterious.

"Xiao Ye, I'm so worried!"

To show his affection, Wen Yiyan tried to take Xiao Ye's hand, but Xiao Ye seemed to have seen something dirty and immediately took a half step back. After all, men in Tianfu have certain standards.

"Look, since Executive Director Lin arrived, Standing Committee Member Fang has been busy with industrial restructuring and the integration of the new energy vehicle industry chain. Secretary Li has the Guangming Peak project. Secretary Yang's overseas inspection trip is basically finalized and he will be returning to China soon. Minister Wu flew to Beijing in a mysterious manner. I don't know the specifics of Minister Pan, but he definitely has something important to do. Even people like Fang Wu from Jingzhou, Yuan Liang from Lüzhou, and Qi Tongwei from the Provincial Department have their own special tasks to do. If they succeed, it will be a huge achievement."

Wen Yiyan showed no embarrassment at being disliked and skillfully withdrew her hand:

"Let's look at the others."

"Secretary Gao is cleaning house, and Secretary Tian went on an inspection with Secretary Sha, but it seems like I'm just standing still."

"You've been my secretary for six years, so you should know that in this position, if you don't advance, you fall behind, especially when everyone else is reaping the rewards and cleaning up their tracks. If you do nothing, that's also a mistake."

"My position puts me in a difficult position, where it's hard to take sides, but unlike Commander Shen, I'm not detached and can't care about anything. It's really awkward for me!"

"If this continues, I'll fall behind."

Wen Yiyan poured out her pent-up frustrations, which had been building up for almost a month, to her trusted secretary.

"so what?"

Xiao Ye listened very attentively, nodding from time to time, but then asked a question that almost broke his guard.

"Boss, I know you're in a hurry, but please don't rush."

Xiao Ye knew her boss's temper very well, so she immediately muted him and asked, "Boss, have you decided which path you want to take? Or rather, what is your career goal? Is it the still undecided position of Provincial Party Committee Secretary-General, or are you going to fight tooth and nail with Secretary Gao, Secretary Tian, ​​or even Minister Wu for the full-time Deputy Secretary position?"

Ok?

Wen Yiyan sensed something was wrong.

Isn't this supposed to be a time for people to confide in each other and share their innermost thoughts? How did it turn into the secretary turning around and questioning the secretary?

But upon closer reflection...

Every question Xiao Ye asked hit the nail on the head regarding his current situation.

The first question is undoubtedly about his position.

Today, Handong resembles the late Eastern Han Dynasty, a time of three kingdoms standing in a tripartite balance of power.

The provincial government faction represented by Governor Liu and Executive Vice President Lin is undoubtedly the most powerful. Having taken over Jingzhou and Luzhou, the major task is accomplished. They have also gained control of the province's finances, shattering the old chessboard, yet making steady progress step by step, and revitalizing the province with new vitality.

The arrival of the Shatin group, nominally the squad leader of Handong, signifies Sha Ruijin's prestige, even though his first meeting at the Standing Committee was not particularly respectable.

Secretary Gao may seem to be struggling alone, but as a professor from the Department of Political Science and Law at Wuhan University with countless students, he fully embodies the spirit of a local faction. Furthermore, former Secretary Zhao Lichun has not fallen, and with Executive Director Lin's ambiguous attitude towards the Zhao faction, even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse.

Sha Ruijin's initial defeat and retreat gave him a chance to catch his breath, but his return would inevitably be fraught with difficulties. As the Minister of the United Front Work Department, he would no longer be able to remain independent and detached.

To put it bluntly, the United Front Work Department is also an organizational department and is subject to organizational leadership; it is not at the same level as the provincial military region.

Those are the two real systems.

A loyal minister cannot remain a loyal minister; none of the three parties can tolerate a fence-sitter, so he will inevitably have to side with one of them.

Since they've come to us for help, they must have something in mind.

If you don't ask for it, you're demeaning yourself by offering yourself up to others. If you actively fawn over them, everyone will look down on you and at best, you'll be their follower. Hence, the second question follows:

What does he want most right now?

As a cadre in the organization system, the position of full-time deputy secretary, the second-in-command, is undoubtedly the most tempting. Everyone wants it, including the discipline inspection commission, organization, propaganda, united front, and even the municipal party secretary, but the competition is also the fiercest.

He knew he couldn't win in a direct confrontation, and no matter which side he sided with, he wouldn't be the first choice.

Especially Secretary Gao…

What's the difference between telling him, "Old Deng, I want to hold this position for a few days?"

Tall plants can kill him!

So the question comes back: what options would maximize his benefits and minimize his risks?

He just couldn't understand this, which is why he was so depressed.

Wen Yiyan looked up and found his little secretary wearing a smug and unfathomable smile.

"explain!"

Wen Yiyan raised his hand and smacked Secretary Ye on the head. "I brought you here to give me advice, not to laugh at me!"

"You scoundrel!"