Chapter 21 Chapter fifteen

Gu Rong simply took care of a minor illness.On the third day after he fell ill, he allowed Feng Yaozu and others to move him from his home to the most secluded small courtyard in the small guest house of the county party committee. This small courtyard is called "VIP Courtyard".There are several green phoenix trees and several gardens of flowers, and there are two rows of elegant one-story houses dedicated to receiving provincial leaders and distinguished guests.Gu Rong usually occupies a set of rooms here.The office is too noisy and the home is too messy, so he often rests and takes a nap here.During the climax of petitions to implement the policy, and when there was a capital adjustment turmoil, he also worked and rested here in order to avoid the entanglement day and night.

In the past few days, people came and went in this quiet "VIP Courtyard". Some people from the departments, bureaus, offices, and companies directly under the county party committee and county government came to visit Gu Rong.Cadres from some factories, mines and communes also traveled dozens of miles to see him.Often one jeep would go out and another would come in, kicking up clouds of dust on the street.Gu Rong's illness became a major event that spread public opinion throughout the county.It seems that the appointment to visit Gu Rong has become more and more influential in some institutions and offices.

This momentum was completely beyond the expectations of ordinary people, and also beyond Gu Rong's expectations.He had been ill before, and he had never alarmed the Quartet like this.No one has been able to see through the profound reasons for this momentum, but it has already had a powerful impact in Guling County.People watched the cadres in groups of threes and twos enter the "VIP Courtyard" one after another, and small jeeps drove in and out, and they couldn't help thinking: Gu Rong is an old ancient tomb after all. As soon as he lay down, he shook the whole county . Some cadres like Feng Yaozu who felt great pressure after Li Xiangnan came, they saw each other face to face in the "VIP House" where people came and went, and they walked in and out rubbing shoulders, feeling a kind of loud momentum.No matter how indifferent or even hostile they are to each other at ordinary times, when they meet here, they are all very affectionate with each other.I wish more people would come to visit Gu Rong.In fact, they are also persuading and mobilizing more people to come, snowballing and expanding their momentum.As soon as they returned to their unit, they would exaggerate the grand occasion of people visiting Gu Rong.They are happy to see those who were in high spirits at the "provide opinions and suggestions" meeting now show their worried eyes.Gu Rong's illness has virtually become an opportunity for a group of forces to gather publicly, and it has also become a powerful means for them to show their strength and exert pressure on public opinion.It is not that anyone consciously formulated this strategy, but the objective situation dictates it.As some felt the effects of such actions, they contributed more and more consciously.

All kinds of public opinion unfavorable to the secretary of the county party committee spread inside and outside the compound of the county party committee: Li Xiangnan wants to overthrow Gu Rong and change shifts throughout the county, so as to act arbitrarily.Gu Rong kept giving way in consideration of the overall situation, Li Xiangnan will become more and more isolated if he continues like this... More and more people, under the influence of public opinion, began to re-evaluate the balance of power in the ancient tomb with suspicious eyes, and re-examined themselves action to come. The world is both multipolar and often bipolar at the same time.Since Li Xiangnan started a confrontation with Gu Rong after he took office, the multi-polar pattern of the entire ancient tomb seems to have cast the color of these two polar opposites.In the waves of public opinion, the phoenix tree is green. The "VIP House" has become a special center of the ancient tomb.All kinds of people came to visit Gu Rong and report on the situation; Gu Rong calmly observed the situation in the ancient tomb and watched Li Xiangnan's actions.Observing movement with stillness, you are extraordinarily clear-headed, and you are extraordinarily clear when you are in the dark.He handily output one by one to intervene in the situation.These interventions are quiet, few words, and random, but they are the most powerful.

It is difficult for people who do not have a deep understanding of social and political life to understand the power of a group of people like Gu Rong.They squinted their eyes, walked squarely, were calm and stable, calm in every situation, calm and patient, but they could easily defeat any talented businessman in the midst of talking and laughing. At this time, Gu Rong was sitting on the sofa with his body slightly upturned peacefully, chatting and laughing with a room full of people.The milky white chandelier softly illuminates the living room covered with scarlet carpet, and illuminates his big squinting and smiling face.His left hand was slowly stroking the white porcelain teacup thoughtfully, and his right hand rested comfortably on the shiny maroon sofa wooden armrest.Cigarette smoke curled up between his fingers.The plume of smoke is also peaceful.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to the District Central Hospital," he said slowly, turned around and said "ah" to Feng Yaozu who was sitting beside him, and then turned his head to face everyone, "Go see a doctor again. Tonight, Invite you here to chat casually." He sideways in the ashtray and slowly flicked the cigarette rhythmically, "When we arrive in the district, we must go and see Secretary Zheng of our prefectural committee. The old secretary of Guling. Secretary Zheng I must be very concerned about the situation of our ancient mausoleum, and I will ask many questions. I have been ill for seven or eight days, and I really have to report it when the time comes, but I don’t know the situation. I invite everyone to come today, just to hope that everyone can have an in-depth discussion. I want to pass What the comrades are talking about is to form a relatively complete concept of the situation in the ancient tomb. It is very important to have a general concept. Let’s talk freely. Try to talk in depth.”

"Secretary Gu, you are not allowed to smoke these two days. I have a problem with your smoking." Feng Yaozu's round and fat face was full of concern and love, and he seriously reprimanded.He unconsciously wants to show his closest relationship with Gu Rong in front of people. "Hey, it doesn't matter, I'm holding one as a symbol, not necessarily smoking it." Gu Rong smiled and waved the hand holding the cigarette, "Don't make an episode. Let's start talking." The conversation was lively -- intense, I should say.The people who came here were all chosen by Gu Rong as "representative", and they were all dissatisfied with the new county party secretary.They all tried their best to turn their opinions into Gu Rong's "concept".They didn't see it through: Gu Rong didn't need them to help him form a "general concept"; on the contrary, he wanted to guide everyone to form a "general concept" about the situation in the ancient tomb; and then reflect it to the region as "everyone's opinion" go.

Amidst the smog, a man was always sitting in a corner of the room, with his elbows on his knees and his head bowed, smoking.He is short and thin, with a protruding forehead and a long face, with a straightforward and honest image.This is Long Jinsheng, deputy secretary of the county party committee in charge of agriculture. Gu Rong kept paying attention to him. This Long Jinsheng is a person who does not belong to any faction.For decades, he has been conscientiously engaged in his agriculture, and he is very influential at the grassroots level.How many years of agricultural experience made him have some doubts about some of Li Xiangnan's practices, which Gu Rong felt.He wants to use this gap to win over Long Jinsheng.Such a person is more important than Feng Yaozu.In political struggles, whether or not those impartial and influential people can be won often determines the final balance of power.He thought twice today before deciding to invite Long Jinsheng.

"Old Dragon, the Standing Committee met again this morning to discuss diversification?" He asked with a smile. Long Jinsheng nodded. "Our new secretary is talking about his development of tourism again?" Gu Rong looked around, as if the elders were teasing the young man leniently, "Just expect that to make Gu Ling rich?" He knew that Long Jinsheng was very interested in these things. "Fancy stuff" was the least interesting. "No, at today's meeting, Xiang Nan is not focusing on this." Long Jinsheng said solemnly with his eyes downcast.

"What's the new trick, raising monkeys?" Gu Rong laughed even more teasingly. "He first emphasized the need to get good food." "Oh." Gu Rong was a little disappointed. "He made it very clear. Only when the grain is well managed can we be more free to focus on diversification. He said that with a population of one billion, long-term import of grain is not an option." Long Jinsheng's words are always slow. "This should be the minimum common sense." Gu Rong said. "I think he doesn't know anything about agriculture." Feng Yaozu said from the side, "I know what to appeal for, law and order, and this meeting and that meeting. It's all about the bells and whistles."

"I don't understand, you can learn slowly." Gu Rong seemed to be defending Li Xiangnan, and he said slowly: "It's understandable, students in big cities have only been in the team for a few years, and of course they don't know much about agriculture. I understand very well. However, college students, young and educated, have undergone system reforms, strategic planning, and many new tricks. Old dragon, don’t be behind, you bumpkin.” He clicked on the substantive issues, and put Long Jinsheng aside for the time being.To win over such people, we can only take advantage of Li Xiangnan's mistakes in agricultural policy.Any overt wooing will only backfire. "He's too arbitrary." "Everything has to be managed, and one person presides over several meetings a day." "Whatever he says to do, he must do, there is no room for negotiation." ………… The fierce emotions in the room were still aimed at Li Xiangnan. However, Gu Rong clearly saw the reason behind his emotions: these people all felt great pressure under the situation of Li Xiangnan's rapid advance. After the "Conference for Raising Opinions and Suggestions" was over, the young secretary of the county party committee quickly launched work arrangements, convening several or even a dozen large and small meetings a day to deal with various issues.The county party committee is busy.Agricultural associations, discipline inspection work conferences, commune team cadre meetings, factory and mine work conferences, cultural churches, security committees...Even the problem of raising pigs that was mentioned at the "Suggestion Conference" was resolved two days after the meeting.Gu Rong knew about these situations.Although he felt the pressure of the battle, he calmed down instead.He had the political acumen of a "standard" leading cadre.The more people like Li Xiangnan who plunged headlong into specific work and busy himself, the less scary he would be.They are eager for quick success and instant benefits, and they are dizzy with enthusiasm, unable to take into account the political relations between the upper and lower, left, and right. As a result, they are often easily defeated and end in embarrassment.This is a lesson that Gu Rong has personally experienced. "Don't draw conclusions and label comrades casually." He interrupted people's words and criticized, "You are arbitrary, arbitrary, what is the basis? There must be facts. You have been talking for a long time, what is it specifically aimed at?" The few people who spoke were stunned for a while, unable to answer. "Just because he personally presides over a dozen meetings a day? That doesn't necessarily count as arbitrary, but it can also be said that he is serious and responsible for his work. 'If you say what you want to do, you must do it.' That doesn't have to be arbitrary. When you are a leader What kind of leader is he who says what he says or does not do it? The key depends on whether what he says and what he does is right. You say that there is no room for negotiation in what he does. First of all, has he discussed it with you?" Several people interrogated by Gu Rong were speechless. "It seems that I discussed it with you. After the discussion, why didn't you mention it face to face if you have a different opinion?" "Feeling stressed," someone said. "Pressure? What are you talking about now?" "It doesn't work if I mention it." Another person said. "How many people dare to publicly oppose him?" "It seems that the few who raised their opinions are the minority. The minority obeys the majority, so he is right." Gu Rong said, leaning back a little, "So, the serious attitude does not lie in complaining after the fact, that is useless. I understand ?" "Let me give you an example," Feng Yaozu said. "He said at the Electric Power Bureau that if the cadres have food and drink, the first time they will deduct three months' wages and the second time they will be dismissed. This is inappropriate. Food and drink should be opposed, but what Dealing with it has to be discussed by the Standing Committee, and he cannot make policy alone." "That just shows his principled attitude against eating and drinking." Gu Rong waved his hand disapprovingly. "It's not just a principled attitude. The Electric Power Bureau has already deducted wages like this. This is not Lao Dian, is it?" Everyone's eyes were focused on the ancient city leaning back on the folding chair. "Yes." Dian Gucheng replied expressionlessly. Gu Rong pondered for a while: "It is not appropriate for such a person to have the final say, and the will of the leader is the law... However, this issue is not very typical. Opposing eating and drinking is always right in principle." With such a step-by-step guidance, the conversation naturally went deep quickly.Luo Kui, the organization head of the county party committee who had been sitting by the side holding his breath and smoking a cigarette, straightened up his tall and fat body and let out his voice hoarsely.What he was talking about was one of the shocking things in Guling. Li Xiangnan was working on a plan for system reform at the county level: "The other day, I heard that Zhuang Wenyi of the County Science and Technology Commission was designing a plan for system reform at the county level, and I became angry. This is a matter for the county party committee and the organization department, and they should not take care of it. Zhuang Wenyi said that Secretary Li encouraged them to do it. I asked Li Xiangnan for advice, and he said it was brainstorming. What brainstorming? Our county party committee does not have such a big matter Is it appropriate to take it outside the party after deliberation? He said, you can listen to the opinions of people outside the party. This is called consultation. Besides, Zhuang Wenyi is a party member and a member of the county party committee. What kind of party member? A petty bourgeois intellectual. Li Xiangnan is too self-righteous and doesn’t respect veteran cadres.” Gu Rong knew about the conflict between Luo Luokui, Zhuang Wenyi and Li Xiangnan.He looked at Luo Kui and smiled humorously: "The secretary of the county party committee is getting younger, Lao Luo, let's just retire early." "I still need to pass it on. I don't know if I can trust it to such a young man." Rod Kui said with his eyes wide open. This cadre who has been engaged in political work all his life is most afraid of being asked to retire, and Gu Rong understands this.Mobilizing people should be tailored to individual conditions. "It seems," Gu Rong looked around at everyone as if discussing, "Is our county party secretary eager to streamline? He has already planned it without even saying hello. Don't you become the redundant staff he wants to eliminate?" He frowned thoughtfully, slowly twirled and put out the cigarette butt in the ashtray, and said with emotion as if talking to himself: "When a new leader takes office, he often feels that the old cadre team is not easy to lead. To re-promote a group of our own people, to find out the same color, it seems that this is the only way to go....It’s not normal.” These few words of advice seem to be an understatement, and their weight can be compared with the defeat of an army on the battlefield.Everyone here is clearly aware of the somewhat hazy threat. "There are a lot of abnormal things. That's not it, someone calls him Lord Qingtian now." Rod Kui slammed the matchbox on the coffee table. "If you leave the party, what kind of Qingtian is there? It's very dangerous for a person to be called Qingtian." Gu Rong said. Long Jinsheng, who had been smoking with his head down, raised his head slightly at this time, and said fairly: "That was called by the peasants spontaneously. Li Xiangnan has indeed solved many practical problems." "Why are the masses shouting that? Shouldn't the leader think about it? What is the relationship between himself and the entire organization?" Gu Rong sat up, showing a hint of displeasure for the first time. Long Jinsheng lowered his head and smoked again, and the room was silent for a moment. "Reporter Liu from the People's Daily wants to write a report to praise him, titled... oh, 'A young county party secretary who pays attention to efficiency', isn't this engaging in personal heroism?" Feng Yaozu said. "Oh, young man." Gu Rong seemed to be sighing for Li Xiangnan earnestly, "Lao Long and I are old comrades, and it is easy to forgive young people, but we still have to consider the thoughts and emotions of most cadres." He turned his gaze to Hu Xiaoguang who had been sitting at the desk without saying a word, "Little Hu, why don't you talk about it?" "I can't talk." Xiao Hu's glasses flickered, and he was very emotional, holding a red and blue pencil in his hand and scratching vigorously on the paper.He was called by Gu Rong on purpose, and now he is going to use him to warm up the conversation tonight. "Speak out what you have to say, and advocate democracy within the party now." Gu Rong encouraged kindly. "What democracy? It's purely a lonesome route." The young man's voice was loud, and the room suddenly fell silent. "Calm down, little Hu." "Why am I calm? Don't let me do it. What's wrong with me? Not young enough? I'm old? Educated? I'm illiterate? He's from Beijing, so he likes Beijingers. Guling How many are there in Beijing? Isn’t it just one and a half?” Everyone knew he was referring to Kangle. "In order to establish yourself, defeat others, and in order to defeat others, completely deny the past." Xiao Hu took out a printed material from his pocket and put it on the desk. It was the "Why can't the approved case be resolved", " What is the purpose of this material? It is to completely negate Gu Ling's work in the past few years. Secretary Zheng's leadership is not good? Can he be transferred to the local party secretary?" Speaking of Secretary Zheng as a symbol of the ancient mausoleum was what Gu Rong felt most unhappy in the past; but now these words are exactly what he thinks are the most level. The phone on the desk rang, and Feng Yaozu walked over to answer it. "Little Hu, don't get too angry. How about this, go to the area with me tomorrow to see Secretary Zheng and calm down." Gu Rong comforted. "I will not go." "Secretary Gu, Secretary Zheng's phone number." Feng Yaozu held up the microphone and said. The call came so timely. "I'm Gu Rong." He walked to the desk and took the receiver. Old Zheng's voice came from the phone, and the room was very quiet.Several people sitting by the phone could hear Lao Zheng's voice. "Old Gu, how's your health? Doesn't matter?" "It's okay, it's not time to fully confess." "Pay more attention to your health. I should have gone to see you. I just came back from a meeting in the province for a few days. How is Gu Ling doing now? Xiangnan is doing well, right?" "Young people are very motivated...but..." "Don't be hesitant. Xiangnan is the child of our old chief, what's the point?" Old Zheng also worked under Li Xiangnan's father. "Some cadres below have some opinions on him. Maybe he is not very familiar with the work of the county party committee." "There must be a familiarization process... What do the cadres think of him?" "Mainly because he lacked a correct estimate of Gu Ling's work over the past few years?" "Oh, what's going on specifically?" Old Zheng paid attention. "They think that Xiangnan has basically denied the work of the Guling County Party Committee in the past few years. Bureaucracy, party conduct, and lack of concern for the suffering of the people are the conclusions of Xiangnan." Lao Zheng was silent on the other end of the phone, and there was no sound for a while.The people in the room held their breath and looked at each other. They all felt the weight of these words on the hearts of the former secretary of the county party committee. "I heard that there are many people in your room..." After a while, Lao Zheng said on the phone. "There are a lot of people here, Yaozu, Lao Luo, Lao Long, and Xiao Hu. The young man has been a little emotional recently, and he really wants to see you. Let Xiao Hu talk to you a few words?" "Secretary Zheng," Xiao Hu answered the phone, full of grievances and complaints in front of the old leader, "I can't do it anymore." "what happened?" "Because I objected to his complete negation of Gu Ling's work in the past few years, he cleared me from the county party committee office." The young man summed up the matter to such a high level all of a sudden. The revelation of a weighty answer. Old Zheng was silent again. "Don't be too impulsive, huh?" After a while, his voice came from the phone again. "Secretary Zheng, let me go to the district to work with you." "Think about it slowly." "I want to go and see you first, and reflect the situation of the ancient tomb." The call is over.The timely call has achieved timely results.After a moment of silence, all the people in the room started discussing excitedly.The one-night "casual talk" reached the sublimation of the theme. Gu Rong leaned back on the sofa very comfortably, with his hands resting loosely on the armrests of the sofa like two grain bags filled with millet during the war.At this moment, he felt that his buttocks were extraordinarily big, and his body was extraordinarily heavy. His whole body sank deep into the sofa like a huge sandbag, and the sofa also seemed extraordinarily stable, like a ten-meter-square steel ingot pressed against the floor, pressing down on the entire ancient tomb. county ground.Milky white lights, blue smoke, loud chatter and jokes, the shadows of trees dancing in the moonlight outside the window... everything floats and sways briskly around, only myself sits in the middle like a huge boulder.His intuition told him that just this casual conversation was more than enough to destroy Li Xiangnan's entire arrangement.Because he was sure of winning, not only did he not have a trace of trouble and resentment, but he also felt some pity for Li Xiangnan.After all, he is the son of the old chief.What's more, I also experienced the faint fever of rushing forward desperately when I was young.He waved his hand and stopped people's discussion: "Comrades, no matter what opinions you have, you must talk about it as frankly as today, so as to solve the problem. On the other hand, you must be kind to others, and you must divide your comrades into two. Comrade Xiang Nan is still very enthusiastic about his work." These words not only showed his subtlety and scheming, but also somewhat comforted his newly developed sympathy. "What kind of work enthusiasm?" Xiao Hu picked up the "Why can't the approved case be resolved" trembled on the table, "Why did you specifically use the case of the Kuomintang lieutenant colonel as an example, isn't it just to target Secretary Gu?" The people in the room focused their attention on Xiao Hu. At this time, Xiao Li gently opened the door and came in.No one noticed her. "Who is this Kuomintang Lieutenant Colonel Wei Zhen, do you know?" Xiao Hu continued, and people looked at each other, waiting for him to continue, "He is Lin Hong's uncle." Gu Rong was also a little surprised, he didn't know this situation yet. "But what is the relationship between Lin Hong and Li Xiangnan, do you know?" The suspense is too strong.People are watching Xiao Hu.Xiao Li also looked at Xiao Hu with wide eyes. "The two of them were classmates at the same school in Beijing more than ten years ago, and the relationship must be very unusual." "Oh." Gu Rong slowly extinguished most of the "Qianmen" cigarettes in the ashtray, got up, took two steps, and stopped in front of the window.After pausing for a while, he turned around to look at the crowd, and also looked at Xiaoli, and said coldly: "It's really a series of links, there is no coincidence without a book."