Nominal: The Handong Game, the Energy System's Counterattack

Zhou Chuyi eventually accepted the arrangement to go to Handong.

There was nothing he could do; he was a member of the organization and had to accept its arrangements.

When his father-in-law told him, the process was already underway. What could he do?

The next day, Zhou Chuyi was taken to a courtyard house by his father-in-law.

He was a man in his forties, being lectured by several old men.

Having arrived here, he finally understood what his mission in Handong was.

In general, there are two points.

First, the stance on Comrade Zhao Lichun has already been decided by the higher authorities.

Whether he retires peacefully or goes to Qincheng depends on the situation in Handong.

Or the outcome of the struggle between the Zhong family, Sha Ruijin, and his adoptive fathers against the Zhao family.

His trip to Handong was to reclaim the energy resources from the Zhao family.

As for the conventional practice of allocating the spoils to the new head of the family, Sha Ruijin, or the Zhong family, that's just wishful thinking.

The Chung family is targeting their energy sector, breaking the rules, and they still want to take advantage?

As for Sha Ruijin, who got involved with the Zhong family, the old men were also very unhappy about it.

Secondly, it was to make things difficult for Sha Ruijin and the Zhong family.

Simply put, it means becoming a troublemaker.

The Zhong family and Sha Ruijin wanted to reap the rewards, so they caused trouble, hoping to gain seniority and reap benefits in the process.

As for Zhou Chuyi's political achievements, neither he nor the old men cared.

Their energy department has its own ceiling; Zhou Chuyi's career will end at the ministerial level.

At most, they can receive the retirement benefits of Fuguo after retirement.

The Twenty-Four Heavenly Kings and the Seven Warlords of the Sea are things you can only dream of.

Even if Zhou Chuyi has grassroots experience and achievements, there's nothing that can be done.

It's because he's from the energy sector and married Sun Chunwu's daughter.

The relationships behind him are complicated, and the key issue is that the blood isn't red enough.

Unless the entire energy system works together to support it, which is impossible.

Several old men told him that the coal bosses in several major energy provinces in the west had raised more than 60 billion yuan to establish an investment fund.

As long as Zhou Chuyi wants to achieve political success, he can use this money at any time.

However, they advised Zhou Chuyi not to act rashly upon arrival, since the provincial party secretary was Sha Ruijin, and they didn't want him to benefit from it.

Finally, one of the elderly men mentioned that he had another task assigned by the organization.

It's about taking a look at the situation of state-owned assets related to the energy sector.

Over the past few decades, the wave of reform has been sweeping across the land.

Some of these original state-owned assets rose to prominence, while others struggled to survive.

He needed to investigate the specific situation; not only him, but many others who went down there were also doing this work.

The situation is changing, and the real estate market is booming, but the authorities have long seen the hidden dangers.

As the economy undergoes transformation, many things will still require state-owned assets to take the lead.

Therefore, when he went down to Handong, he wanted to thoroughly understand the situation of state-owned assets in this major economic province.

This work is very important and could become crucial information for higher-level decision-making and planning.

Of course, these old men also knew that Zhou Chuyi should be demoted from his position as director to a vice governor.

Although the administrative rank has increased, the amount of power it carries has indeed decreased considerably.

He used to be a director, and many vice governors had to ask him for favors or line up to see him.

Now that he's become the vice governor, it's not a pleasant feeling.

Besides, there are a few old men in the ministry who can look after him.

Upon arriving in Handong, one encounters Sha Ruijin, who is collaborating with the Zhong family.

Zhou Chuyi couldn't very well go and become the other party's henchman.

So these old men told Zhou Chuyi that they had done some work.

Letting the current second-in-command of Handong Province, Governor Liu Wenzhong, serve another term is a way to support him.

His position is Standing Committee Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Governor of Handong Province.

The former Standing Committee member and vice governor was transferred to Fujian Province as executive vice governor.

It looks like it has risen slightly, but in reality it has reached its limit.

Of course, the position was arranged by the Chung family.

Hearing this, Zhou Chuyi breathed a sigh of relief.

The old men continued, saying they wanted to give Zhou Chuyi a surprise.

They felt that since Zhou Chuyi had protected Zhao Dehan, they should take him with them this time.

Coincidentally, he heard that a deputy mayor of Jingzhou City in Handong Province had resigned, so he went to fill that position.

This is the Zhong family's resource. After all, Zhao Dehan was framed and wronged, so some compensation is due.

In addition, they didn't want Zhao Dehan to continue sitting in his position as director of the approval department.

Zhao Dehan, who was in his fifties, was finally promoted for the first time.

He was promoted two ranks, from a division-level cadre to a department-level cadre.

When Zhou Chuyi heard that Zhao Dehan wanted to go down with him, the corner of his mouth twitched.

Damn, this isn't a surprise, it's a shock!

However, considering Zhao Dehan's current situation, Zhou Chuyi understood.

Zhao Dehan was one of these old men who acted as his henchmen, and they would never dare to betray him, so he accepted it.

A few days later, comrades from the Third Bureau of Cadre Management of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee formally conducted a pre-appointment interview with Zhou Chuyi.

The conversation took place in a conference room at the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and he was received by a vice minister in his fifties surnamed Zhang.

The meeting room was small, but it was decorated in a very solemn manner.

A red banner hanging on the wall read "Serve the People" in large characters, and the whole room exuded a solemn and orderly atmosphere.

"Comrade Zhou Chuyi," Minister Zhang said, opening the folder.

"With the approval of the Central Committee and the decision of the Party Group of the Ministry, you are appointed as a member of the CPC Handong Provincial Committee, a member of its Standing Committee, and the Vice Governor of the Handong Provincial People's Government."

"This is the organization's trust and responsibility, and it is also the responsibility on your shoulders."

"Thank you for the organization's training and trust."

"I will fulfill my duties in my new position and live up to the trust placed in me by the organization."

Minister Zhang nodded in satisfaction and began to explain the organizational discipline and cadre management regulations.

The conversation lasted about forty minutes, covering everything from the procedures for handing over cadres to precautions after taking office.

"Another cadre will be taking up his post at the same time as you. During your time in Handong, the Organization Department of the Central Committee will continue to monitor your performance."

Upon returning to his workplace, Zhou Chuyi began the handover of his duties. His replacement was his deputy, also from the energy department.

After that, it was a matter of handover, departure audit, and all the procedures were completed in an orderly manner. It was time for him to head to Handong.

The date for taking office has been set.

On the morning of our departure, the sky over Beijing was gloomy, and the distant horizon was blurred like an ink painting. The chill of deep winter was even stronger than in the previous days.

Zhou Chuyi, dressed in a dark executive jacket, dragged two large suitcases with both hands and left the house with his wife, Sun Huayu.

Her transfer order has also been issued: Vice Chairperson and Party Member of the Women's Federation of Handong Province, at the deputy provincial level.

The two children are still in school, in their teens, and they don't seem to mind their parents going to Handong for work.

Zhang, the deputy minister of the Third Bureau of Cadre Management of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied him to Handong to assume his post.

"Director Zhou, from now on I will call you Vice Governor Zhou."

Vice Minister Zhang made a joke to him in the car.

"However, once we arrive in Handong, we must still respect the order of the Party Secretary and the Governor."

"You rank third in the provincial government leadership and have relatively little seniority among the provincial party committee standing committee members. You should learn more from the veteran comrades in the future."

Zhou Chuyi smiled but didn't reply.

He was well aware of the political structure within the provincial leadership.

The ranking is not solely determined by seniority, but more importantly by the division of responsibilities and the power struggles behind it.

The position of Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee member and Vice Governor is a typical "advanceable and defensive" position.

They can participate in the highest decision-making of the provincial-level core leadership team.

Retirement allows one to hone their administrative skills through practical work within the government system.

If he only wants to be a stable and reliable vice governor, doing his job well in his assigned area is enough.

But given his current status and situation, it would be difficult for him to remain a stable and reliable vice governor.

After all, like Secretary Sha who was parachuted in, he came down with a mission.

Upon arriving at the Capital Airport, Zhou Chuyi and Vice Minister Zhang were preparing to go through security when they heard footsteps behind them.

"Director Zhou!"

A familiar voice.

Zhou Chuyi turned around and saw Zhao Dehan running over, panting.

Zhao Dehan was wearing a brand-new dark gray suit, and his hair was styled meticulously with hair gel.

Dragging two suitcases, he looked much more energetic than when he was in Beijing.

He excitedly shook hands with Zhou Chuyi, his face full of barely concealed nervousness and excitement.