In name only: I will break the chess game in Handong

Hearing this, Chen Luo shook his head. "It's not a misunderstanding. I'm just very curious. What gives you the right to instruct Hu Deyang? Now it seems, Comrade Wang Zheng, you have quite the nerve!"

After saying that, Chen Luo smiled and patted Wang Zheng on the shoulder before looking at Xiao Changjun.

"Secretary Xiao, let's not stand here anymore, let's go."

Xiao Changjun slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and nodded.

The group quickly arrived at the banquet hall, as the afternoon's lecture on Party conduct and integrity included not only deputy provincial-level officials but also bureau-level officials.

Therefore, there were an unusually large number of people attending this welcoming banquet, including the top two leaders of various cities and prefectures, as well as the top two leaders of various departments and bureaus.

As Chen Luo and his group entered the banquet hall, the Zhongjiang cadres who had been waiting stood up to greet them.

The group walked to the main table, where Secretary Xiao held a microphone.

"Comrades, it's a rare opportunity to gather everyone here. This afternoon's lecture on Party conduct and integrity will be chaired by Minister Chen. Now, let's give a warm round of applause to welcome Minister Chen, Team Leader Luo, and Director Tian to Zhongjiang!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted.

At this moment, Chen Luo looked at Xiao Changjun and said, "Secretary Xiao, may I also say a few words?"

Xiao Changjun hesitated, somewhat reluctant, but seeing Chen Luo's smiling face, he could only nod.

After taking the microphone, Chen Luo looked around.

"Hello, comrades from Zhongjiang! Please sit down so you can hear me more clearly!"

Upon hearing this, the group of cadres from Zhongjiang looked at each other, and only after seeing that the Standing Committee members at the main table had all sat down did they follow suit and all sit down.

Only Chen Luo was still standing, holding the microphone.

"To be honest, it was a coincidence that we were able to come to Zhongjiang this time. If it weren't for the Xue Mei incident, Team Leader Luo, Director Tian, ​​and I probably wouldn't have come to Zhongjiang together. Since we're here, let me ask you a question first."

Who is Ma Shuai, whom Xue Mei mentioned in her live stream? What is his identity? How arrogant is he? Is he famous?

Three questions in a row made the cadres in Zhongjiang frown; the visitors were up to no good!

Seeing that no one responded and everyone remained silent, Chen Luo showed no embarrassment and continued, "Preaching about Party conduct and integrity is not just about repeatedly issuing orders in the meeting hall; it also needs to be combined with reality."

Is Comrade Su Jin here?

Chen Luo called out names directly!

At a table not far from the main table, Su Jin slowly raised his hand, his face pale and beads of sweat on his forehead.

Chen Luo looked at Su Jin, who had raised his hand, and gestured for him to stand up. Su Jin quickly stood up as well.

"Comrade Su Jin, you are the director of the Provincial Public Security Department. The Xue Mei incident was so egregious. Have your police arrested those men in black who rushed into the live broadcast room and assaulted people?"

Has anyone been interrogated to find out who ordered it?

Several days have already passed!

"This...I..."

Su Jin felt utterly dejected upon hearing this. He couldn't answer the question, and only he knew why: the provincial department hadn't bothered to investigate properly at all!

Seeing this, Chen Luo understood.

"Comrade Su Jin, are you mute? Don't tell me, as the Director of the Public Security Bureau, that your provincial department still hasn't caught these people!"

Is it really that difficult to arrest these few people? Or does your provincial department simply not take this matter seriously?

Mistakes at work can be forgiven, but if it's an attitude problem, you're not a competent department head!

Su Jin stood there numbly, unable to utter a single word, his gaze slowly shifting to Wang Zheng, who remained silent at the main table.

Why didn't the provincial department investigate? Why didn't they arrest anyone? Wasn't it all on Wang Zheng's orders?

Wang Zheng ignored Su Jin's gaze with a straight face, only gently nudging Secretary Xiao sitting beside him.

Seeing this, Xiao Changjun understood the deeper meaning in Wang Zheng's eyes: "They're bullying the cadres of Zhongjiang like this, you, the secretary, can't just ignore it!"

"Ahem! Comrade Chen Luo, isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to embarrass us comrades in Zhongjiang by doing this in public?"

Xiao Changjun said this with a forced smile. He felt that no matter what, he was a provincial party secretary, and Chen Luo couldn't possibly give him no face at all.

But Chen Luo really wasn't scared at all!

"Secretary Xiao, you're a veteran Party member, you should understand what the Xue Mei incident means. The online public opinion hasn't subsided yet. What are the people saying? They're saying that the sky over Zhongjiang is dark, and that the cadres in Zhongjiang are just loafing around waiting to die!"

At first I didn’t believe it. Everyone took an oath under the Party emblem before starting work. Even if there is corruption and depravity, it’s impossible for everyone to be like that, right?

But now I've found the problem!

A cowardly soldier is just one cowardly soldier; a cowardly general leads to a whole army of cowardly soldiers!

"Secretary Xiao, you are the leader of Zhongjiang. If even you, the secretary, are just muddling through, how can the comrades below have the patience and diligence to work diligently? How can they treat the people's affairs as their top priority?"

On either side of Chen Luo, Luo Shanhe and Tian Guofu exchanged a glance, their pupils filled with shock. They had just opened fire?

Feeling the gaze of everyone present, Xiao Changjun felt his face burning. As the top official of a province, he was being reprimanded like this... It was too humiliating!

In a flash, Xiao Changjun stood up!

He looked directly at Chen Luo.

"Minister Chen, my position as Secretary of the CPC Zhongjiang Provincial Committee was appointed by higher authorities, not by you, Minister Chen!"

You have no right to criticize me like that, much less the right to think I haven't done my job properly!

Chen Luo smiled faintly at this.

"Secretary Xiao, don't be angry. Getting angry is bad for your health. I'm just stating the facts."

As far as my position is concerned, I certainly cannot criticize you, but Secretary Xiao, don't forget that I am also a citizen and have the legal rights of a citizen!

Secretary Xiao, even if you are the Party Secretary of a province, you are still subject to the supervision of the people!

If the people feel that there is something wrong with your work, they have the right and the qualification to recognize it.

If you have faults, correct them; if you don't, strive to improve, instead of proclaiming that you are right.

Could it be that Secretary Xiao, you don't care about the people?

Chapter 462 A Tough Guy Forged in the Fire

Chen Luo's words were nothing short of earth-shattering; almost everyone in the room stopped what they were doing.

Everyone looked towards the main table, dumbfounded. The secretary, who usually had the final say, was being strongly challenged by someone from above.

Xiao Changjun also felt the gazes around him, gazes that contained shock, dejection, and the collapse of his authority!

His expression changed abruptly, turning pale and then flushed, and Xiao Changjun's anger suddenly erupted.

Bang!

He slammed his large hand on the table and stared directly at Chen Luo, saying, "Minister Chen! Are you trying to pin a label on me?"

When did I ever say I didn't care about the people? On the contrary, Minister Chen didn't give us a friendly welcome as soon as he arrived in Zhongjiang. Are the cadres in Zhongjiang really that incompetent? Are they so disrespectful to Minister Chen?

"I am the Party Secretary of Zhongjiang. The 80 million people of Zhongjiang are under the jurisdiction of our Zhongjiang Provincial Party Committee and our cadres, not you! You have no right to criticize us!"

Looking at Xiao Changjun, who was panting heavily, Chen Luo remained calm. He shifted his gaze from Xiao Changjun to the other cadres of Zhongjiang Province and said calmly, "Comrades, do you think what Secretary Xiao said makes sense?"

Silence, dead silence.

Wherever Chen Luo's gaze swept, the cadres of Zhongjiang all lowered their heads.

This made Chen Luo sigh heavily.

"It seems you agree with Secretary Xiao's statement. You think you are the managers of the 80 million people of Zhongjiang, but do you understand that the power we hold comes from the people? We are not officials, and we should not have such corrupt ideas. We are public servants of the people!"

You've completely forgotten this principle!

Secretary Xiao, you are a senior, but your theoretical thinking has become skewed. You don't need to slam your fist on the table to intimidate people all the time. You may scare others, but you can't scare me, Chen Luo!

One-man rule? Unwarranted protection of one's own? Secretary Xiao, you are the top leader of Zhongjiang. Do you still have the magnanimity to listen to different opinions? Do you still truly put the people first? You and I both know the answer to that!

I can make it clear to everyone that my purpose in coming to Zhongjiang is not to insult people, but to wake up certain people!

Remember, no matter how high your position or rank, the power you hold is given to you by the people.

Anyone who dares to ride roughshod over the people is standing against the Party and the people, and such cadres will one day face the judgment of the people!

At that moment, Xiao Changjun felt extremely powerless. He mustered up his courage to slam his fist on the table, but after just a few words from the other person, Xiao Changjun's face burned with embarrassment.

Even though he hadn't actually laid a hand on him, the pain was far worse than if he'd been slapped. He felt powerless, pale, and in a daze, Xiao Changjun saw the golden Party emblem on Chen Luo's chest shimmering under the light. The last bit of spirit in his heart vanished completely.

He had to admit that he, as the leader, was indeed weak and had not led Zhongjiang well.

In silence, Xiao Changjun slowly sat back in his chair, leaning back with his eyes slightly closed, his rapid breathing revealing a sense of defeat.

This scene made Wang Zheng, who was standing next to him, feel a pang of unease. Was the usually decisive and authoritative secretary suddenly back down?

However, Wang Zheng glanced at Chen Luo, who was still sharp-tongued, and swallowed hard. Well, facing this guy was indeed quite stressful.

Wang Zheng thought he was moving very quietly, but Luo Shanhe and Tian Guofu still noticed him.

The two exchanged a glance, took a sip of tea, and Tian Guofu gave the other a meaningful look before looking away. Time passed by, and Chen Luo continued his lecture for more than ten minutes before finally ending.

"That's all I have to say. If none of you here change your bureaucratic mindset and still want to continue to act arrogantly, then don't cry and whine when the Discipline Inspection Commission comes knocking."

"If you dare to do something, you must dare to admit it. It's getting late, and everyone's hungry. Let's eat!"

At this moment, Xiao Changjun finally opened his eyes and looked at Chen Luo, who had put down the microphone and sat down. He had a strange feeling that he, the secretary, was a fake, and Chen Luo was the real one...

On his first day in Zhongjiang, at their first meeting, he reprimanded all the cadres in Zhongjiang, whether they were at the bureau level, the deputy provincial level, or even himself, the secretary.

The key is that no one dares to provoke him, since even the Party Secretary is being criticized to the point of being unable to lift his head.

The main table fell silent for a moment, mainly because the members of the Zhongjiang Provincial Party Committee were embarrassed.

Dishes were served one after another. Tian Guofu and Luo Shanhe were already starving. The late-night snack they had last night was just to fill their stomachs. They had come directly to the Zhongjiang Provincial Party Committee this morning, and the performance had also taken a toll on their appetites.

"Comrade Shanhe, try this. It's Zhongjiang's specialty stir-fried beef with yellow peppers. It's just a little spicy."

Luo Shanhe picked up a piece with his chopsticks and tasted it. Immediately, his mouth watered uncontrollably. It was spicy!

She looked at Tian Guofu with a resentful gaze.

"Director Tian, ​​you can really handle spicy food!"

"Haha, I used to be unable to eat spicy food either, and my teeth weren't very good. Unless beef is stewed until it's very tender, it's easy for my jaw to hurt when I eat it."

However, after I started working in Handong, especially working with Minister Chen, he said that people have to experience all kinds of flavors, whether it's sour, sweet, bitter, or spicy. If you don't learn to eat, you'll never be able to eat properly; if you don't try to chew, you'll never be able to chew well. Thinking about it now, he really makes sense!