Nominal: Starting with an entrance exam for a PhD in Economics at Peking University

At this point, it's no longer feasible to relentlessly pursue Gao Yuliang.

Sha Ruijin didn't expect that a single Standing Committee or Yi Xuexi could bring down this deputy secretary of the provincial party committee who had been working for many years.

But today's actions have already demonstrated their stance.

The rest is up to time to catalyze and ferment.

Sha Ruijin concluded, "I found everyone's remarks very insightful. We have always had strict rules and regulations for the appointment of cadres, but they have not been effectively implemented for a long time."

His tone turned serious: "Why? Because at certain times in Handong, the Organization Department was no longer the Party's Organization Department. In fact, or to some extent, it had become the Organization Department of a certain top leader."

Sha Ruijin's words carried great weight and were very clear in their direction.

It almost came close to being associated with the former Party Secretary Zhao Lichun.

But what is Zhao Lichun's current status?

Everyone in the room held their breath; no one dared to speak.

Sha Ruijin then uttered some official jargon and platitudes, raising a bar for value.

"We must adhere to the principle of the Party managing cadres, uphold the principle of selecting cadres based on both moral character and competence, with moral character as the priority, and adhere to the principle of appointing people from all corners of the country based on merit..."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the Standing Committee members applauded enthusiastically.

The applause echoed in the conference room and lasted for a full half minute.

After the applause subsided, Sha Ruijin began, "Therefore, I suggest that Comrade Yi Xuexi be listed first on the list of ten outstanding district and county cadres to be commended by the Provincial Party Committee."

He paused, then emphasized, "Next, I recommend that Comrade Yi Xuexi be promoted to Deputy Secretary of the Lüzhou Municipal Party Committee and Acting Mayor, making an exception for the usual procedures."

He then added, "Of course, this still needs to be discussed and approved by the Standing Committee, and then publicized."

That's what they say, but no one would disagree.

Even though Luzhou is the stronghold of the Han Da Gang, at this moment, no one dares to speak out against it.

Gao Yuliang maintained a smile on his face, but he knew very well what was going on in his mind.

Once Yi Xuexi becomes the acting mayor of Lüzhou, it means that his influence in Lüzhou, which he has cultivated for many years, will be weakened.

But he had no choice.

He could only nod: "I agree with Secretary Sha's suggestion. Comrade Yi Xuexi is indeed outstanding and should be promoted."

Other members of the Standing Committee also expressed their agreement.

Sha Ruijin nodded in satisfaction: "Then it's settled."

The atmosphere in the meeting room eased a little.

Everyone thought the Standing Committee meeting was about to end there.

After all, the issue of ease of learning has been resolved, and everything that needed to be said has been said.

But Sha Ruijin spoke up again: "There's another agenda item today."

Everyone looked up at him.

"The previously frozen appointments of cadres have dragged on long enough," Sha Ruijin said. "Let's discuss them all today."

This is the main event of today's Standing Committee meeting.

Previously, due to Li Dakang's case, many cadre appointments were frozen.

Now that Li Dakang's problem has been resolved, these appointments should be initiated.

The most crucial element was Dong Dingfang's proposal to concurrently serve as vice governor.

This personnel arrangement was jointly promoted by Gao Yuliang and Qi Tongwei, and it was also an expansion of the power of the Handa gang.

Sha Ruijin had been holding back approvals, but now it's finally time to bring it up for discussion.

The atmosphere in the meeting room became tense again.

Just as Sha Ruijin was about to move on to the next agenda item, Qi Tongwei spoke up.

"Secretary Sha," his voice was calm, "we previously consulted with Secretary-General Qian regarding the personnel system issues in Handong Province through Yi Xuexi. Now that we're discussing specific cadre appointments, shouldn't we ask Secretary-General Qian to recuse himself?"

He paused for a moment, then added with a smile, "After all, the Z Association has many complex affairs. Without Secretary-General Qian, it wouldn't be good if things couldn't function properly."

This was said very politely, but the meaning was very clear.

Secretary-General Qian, it's time for you to go.

The next step is to discuss cadre appointments, which are not something you at this level can participate in.

Qian Wenzhao's expression changed slightly.

He knew that Qi Tongwei was trying to get rid of them.

He was at the forefront attacking Gao Yuliang just now, but now Qi Tongwei wants to ask him to leave and stop him from participating.

But he had nothing to say.

After all, he was just a retired department-level official, and it was already an exception that he was allowed to attend the Standing Committee meeting.

Sha Ruijin glanced at Qi Tongwei, then nodded: "Comrade Tongwei is right. Secretary-General Qian, thank you for your hard work today. Do you still have work to do with the Z Association?"

Qian Wenzhao could only stand up: "Then I'll take my leave. Thank you, Secretary Sha, for giving me this learning opportunity."

He packed his things and left the conference room.

The door closed, leaving only the Standing Committee members in the meeting room.

Chapter 156 Another Standing Committee Meeting (Part 3)

Qian Wenzhao left.

Even if Qi Tongwei didn't speak, he would still leave when the meeting required a vote on each item.

But for Qi Tongwei to take the initiative to expel him was an insult.

But he deserves it.

At the Standing Committee meeting of the Handong Municipal Committee, you, a retired secretary-general, were singing and dancing around. If you were kicked out, you can't blame anyone else.

Even if Qian Wenzhao underestimated his opponent and acted rashly, causing the attack on Gao Yuliang to fizzle out, even if he had really made Gao Yuliang look bad, and Gao Yuliang and Qi Tongwei took their anger out on him afterwards, Sha Ruijin wouldn't have said anything.

If you're going to be a knife, you have to be prepared for this.

It's possible that Qian Wenzhao's impetuous behavior at the meeting, and his sarcastic remarks about the top officials of Handong whom he usually looked up to, gave him the illusion that he had returned to the center of power.

But sorry, the trial card will eventually expire.

Moreover, given his situation, it's very likely he'll never be able to make another purchase.

The meeting continued.

Wu Chunlin distributed lists of personnel arrangements, clearly indicating that he had prepared them in advance.

Although the Standing Committee holds significant power, it does not vote on every specific provincial-level cadre position individually. The list is determined well in advance in meetings of the five-person group, or even in closed-door discussions with fewer members.

The saying goes, "Major issues are discussed in small meetings."

After the meeting, the Standing Committee members may raise questions and discuss a very small number of individuals, but overall the list will be passed according to the pre-agreed list.

The list of 125 cadres that was previously frozen has been revised quite a few times, but the Standing Committee members will not offer any opinions on the list as a whole—this is the core power of the Party Secretary.

Once this list is approved, Sha Ruijin will officially and completely control Handong.

Several Standing Committee members raised questions about specific individuals, which Wu Chunlin answered one by one. Some were to be promoted further, while others were to have their promotions postponed.

After the vote was passed, the main event began.

Sha Ruijin opened the document in front of him: "The next item on the agenda is the proposal for Comrade Dong Dingfang, Secretary of the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee, to concurrently serve as Vice Governor. This proposal was recommended by Comrade Tongwei at the last meeting, but it was shelved at the time due to some issues. Now let's discuss it. Minister Wu, please give us an introduction."

Wu Chunlin: "Let me first introduce Comrade Dong Dingfang's resume. Dong Dingfang, male, 54 years old, is from Jingzhou City, Handong Province. He holds a bachelor's degree from Handong University and a postgraduate degree from the Handong Provincial Party School. He started working in 1985. He has served as..."

When Wu Chunlin read out "undergraduate degree from Handong University," many people gave him subtle glances, seemingly lost in thought.

Wu Chunlin continued: "Following the last meeting, the Organization Department conducted a focused assessment of Comrade Dong Dingfang. He is politically sound and possesses outstanding abilities. The Organization Department's Party Committee meeting approved the recommendation of Comrade Dong Dingfang for a vice-provincial-level position."

Gao Yuliang sat up straight.

This was a personnel arrangement pushed by Qi Tongwei and tacitly approved by him, and it was also an expansion of the power of the Han University gang.

Previously, we were held back by Sha Ruijin, but now it's finally time to bring it up for discussion.

"Let me say a few words first," Gao Yuliang began, his tone calm. "Comrade Dong Dingfang has worked in Lüzhou for many years, with outstanding achievements and a very good reputation within the leadership team. Moreover, Lüzhou is the second largest economy in our province, so promoting him to vice governor is appropriate."

Tian Guofu immediately chimed in, "Secretary Yuliang, I have a question. Comrade Dong Dingfang has indeed done an excellent job, but in recent years, Luzhou has faced strong public complaints regarding environmental issues. The pollution problem at the food court remains unresolved. As the Party Secretary, shouldn't he take responsibility?"

Gao Yuliang smiled and said, "Comrade Guofu, problems that arise during development should be solved through further development. Luzhou's GDP has grown rapidly in recent years, but it has fallen behind in environmental protection, which is understandable."

"Understandable?" Tian Guofu raised his voice. "The water in Crescent Lake has turned black, and the local residents are very unhappy about it. Is that understandable?"

Gao Yuliang was about to retort when Sha Ruijin raised his hand, interrupting them.

"Alright, we'll talk about environmental issues later," Sha Ruijin said. "Let's discuss Comrade Dong Dingfang's appointment first."

He paused for a moment, then looked at Qi Tongwei: "Comrade Tongwei, you are the recommender, what are your thoughts?"

Qi Tongwei nodded, his tone calm: "Comrade Dong Dingfang worked in Lüzhou for ten years. Lüzhou is the second largest economy in Handong Province, and its development has steadily improved in recent years. Its industrial transformation has also been quite successful, an achievement that is evident to all. Moreover, during his tenure in Lüzhou, the leadership team was stable, the cadre ranks were united, and there were no problems with the leadership's efforts to promote integrity, which is also very commendable."

Li Dakang's face darkened.

"Regarding environmental issues," Qi Tongwei continued, "I think Comrade Guofu is right; they do exist. But this isn't just Dong Dingfang's problem; it's a problem of the entire development stage. We can't negate a cadre's achievements because of problems in development."

After listening, Sha Ruijin nodded: "Okay, I've heard everyone's opinions. Now I'll share my thoughts."

The meeting room fell silent, and everyone looked at him.

"I acknowledge Comrade Dong Dingfang's work achievements," Sha Ruijin said. "I have no objection to his promotion to vice governor."

Gao Yuliang's eyes lit up.

But Sha Ruijin's next words froze his smile.

"However," Sha Ruijin continued, "I don't think it's a standard arrangement for a vice governor to concurrently serve as the municipal party secretary."

Gao Yuliang frowned: "Secretary Sha, other provinces also have this kind of configuration, for example..."

"I know there's precedent for this," Sha Ruijin interrupted him, "but I think it's unreasonable. A vice governor has to oversee the work of the entire province, and their energy is limited. If they also have to serve as the municipal party secretary, they can't manage both, which is bad for both the province and the city."

He paused for a moment: "Therefore, my suggestion is that Comrade Dong Dingfang be promoted to Vice Governor, working full-time in the provincial government, in charge of science and technology and education. The position of Secretary of the Lüzhou Municipal Party Committee will be filled by another comrade."