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

Governor Liu couldn't help but sigh when talking about the appointment and removal of these 125 cadres.

"If the new secretary fully approves of this batch of appointments and removals, it is tantamount to accepting Zhao Lichun's old faction, structure, and old political ecology."

"Handong may remain stable afterward, but it will be bound and coerced by the old forces, unable to innovate, and it will take a long time to reshape the political landscape."

"Normally, a new provincial party secretary will communicate with the previous secretary and understand the situation before taking office."

"As soon as Comrade Sha Ruijin arrived in Handong, he did not have any individual communication or meeting with any of the Standing Committee members. He went to conduct research at the grassroots level immediately."

"This situation is very rare in officialdom; it can be described as extremely unusual."

Zhou Chuyi nodded slowly, understanding dawning on his mind.

Shrewd and cunning, extremely treacherous – this is the strategic ability Zhao Lichun has cultivated over decades in the political arena.

Before leaving, he also left Handong with a mess, leaving his successor in a dilemma and constrained by both sides.

If the new provincial party secretary respects Zhao Lichun, he will definitely tell him how to resolve the issue.

Zhao Lichun might even just ask Gao Yuliang and Li Dakang to cooperate.

If the newcomers don't get along with you, then the list of 125 cadres will be a hot potato.

"Therefore, Comrade Zhao Lichun did not discuss specific issues in his communication with Comrade Sha Ruijin."

"In other words, neither side trusts the other."

"Comrade Sha Ruijin's actions in Handong show that he doesn't seem to trust our cadres in Handong very much."

Old Liu tapped the table, squinting as he analyzed all the information.

"Tell me that the newly arrived Sha Ruijin has come down with the mission of stabilizing Handong and rectifying Handong."

"So, he set his sights on Comrade Zhao Lichun?"

"His first move could very well freeze the appointments and removals of 125 officials?"

Zhou Chuyi nodded. "Based on our understanding of Comrade Sha Ruijin, I have this guess."

"Comrade Sha Ruijin was entrusted with a mission from his superiors. His core task upon being parachuted into Handong was to rectify official corruption, eliminate long-standing malpractices, reshape the political ecology, and sever the chain of interests among factions."

"Tian Guofu, the former secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Handong Province, has been here for several months and may know about the issue with this list."

"This group of 125 cadres, who are heavily influenced by factionalism and harbor numerous problems, is the most direct and typical evidence of the corrupt political ecology in Handong."

"Comrade Sha Ruijin may well take advantage of the negative impact of the Dafeng Factory incident to raise the tone and characterize it as an ecological problem."

"This move to freeze personnel appointments and removals is justified and perfectly legitimate."

"Firstly, it will be able to completely sever the legacy of Comrade Zhao Lichun, break Comrade Zhao Lichun's factional monopoly, and reclaim the core personnel power."

"We must truly and firmly grasp the power of discourse, decision-making, and appointment and removal within the cadre ranks in the hands of the top provincial party committee leader;"

"Secondly, it can send a signal to higher authorities and the entire province, demonstrating our determination to rectify Handong, eradicate corruption, and strictly govern officials."

"But this move is a double-edged sword. Can Sha Ruijin handle it?" Governor Liu had some doubts when he heard Zhou Chuyi's certainty.

"Freezing the appointment and removal of 125 cadres may seem like a swift and decisive move to establish authority, but the drawbacks are obvious in the long run."

"If we really do that, it would be equivalent to offending hundreds of provincial and ministerial-level officials at once, cutting off the promotion path of countless people, and also disrupting the interest chains of many people."

"These cadres, although most of them are affiliated with factions and have problems."

"But its roots are spread across all departments, cities and systems throughout the province, with a complex and intertwined network of connections."

"As soon as he takes office, he may instantly lose a large number of mid-level officials and the public's support, causing many cadres to feel resentful, become passive and uncooperative, and secretly resist him."

"The key issue is that there are many elderly comrades who are due to retire, and this blanket approach is unfair."

"He might end up with a reputation for lacking organizational care, being overly ruthless, being eager to seize power, and negating his predecessor."

"His future governance and team building in the province will face great hidden dangers. He will encounter resistance at every level in policy implementation, work progress, and team management. He is not afraid."

"Hehehe, of course he's not afraid." Zhou Chuyi laughed. "He has several adoptive fathers and a good father-in-law."

"He once said that since he entered politics, he has basically succeeded in doing whatever he wanted to do."

"If he doesn't want to do something, no one else can do it. Unless they risk their own positions, no one dares to oppose him."

"Hahahaha..." Governor Liu burst into laughter upon hearing Zhou Chuyi's words.

He thought that this Sha Ruijin was a ruthless person with superb political skills, like Comrade Zhao Lichun.

Unexpectedly, after Zhou Chuyi said that, it turned out that the other party was a reckless man who had never suffered a loss in a fight.

This relieved Governor Liu.

As for what Zhou Chuyi said, the other party has several adoptive fathers and a powerful father-in-law.

The people behind Lao Liu don't have much influence anymore, but the people behind Zhou Chuyi are afraid of them?

No wonder Zhou Chuyi dared to think of giving Sha Ruijin a piece of his mind at the first provincial party committee standing committee meeting.

At this point, Lao Liu had a clear understanding of many things. His political wisdom, strategic vision, and game-theorizing skills as a veteran senior cadre were far superior to those of ordinary officials.

Decades of experience in officialdom have made his judgments incredibly accurate.

Handong was also a place where Liu Wenzhong had devoted a lot of effort. He really wanted Sha Ruijin to stabilize Handong and gradually improve its political environment.

Old Liu can cooperate well with the new Secretary Sha, after all, although Old Zhao did a good job, many problems in Handong were indeed caused by him.

Old Liu still has a sense of the bigger picture. As long as it's good for Handong, he doesn't mind helping the new provincial party secretary.

According to Zhou Chuyi's speculation, this Sha Ruijin is strong but unreliable, domineering but lacks real skills.

Old Liu didn't want someone with ulterior motives to cause trouble in Handong.

After all, both he and Lao Zhao put in a lot of effort to get Handong to where it is today.

"So, the core strategy for our provincial government's meeting tomorrow is to sit back and observe, and adapt to changing circumstances?" Zhou Chuyi asked softly.

Governor Liu nodded slightly, his tone calm, having already planned the whole situation: "Yes, it boils down to four words: adapt to changing circumstances."

"The list of appointments and removals of these 125 cadres doesn't have much to do with our provincial government," Governor Liu said slowly.

His eyes were deep and his tone was calm as he set the tone: "At tomorrow's meeting, regarding the Dafeng Factory incident, we support the provincial party committee's decision on how to handle it."

"The only goal is to take down Zhao Donglai."

"As for personnel issues, if Sha Ruijin really wants to take a one-size-fits-all approach, we still need to weigh our stance."

"However, as I just said, you shouldn't take the lead in anything; let this old man be at the forefront."