Chapter 10 chapter Ten

The old governor called at 12 o'clock at night, and scolded: "Wu Mingxiong, is your comrade a hero or a bear? Why, Guo Huaiqiu frightened you when he was in office? He didn't even dare to call me Back? Where did you go with your enthusiasm to carry river mud with 100,000 migrant workers? How dare you slander Pingchuan, saying that there is a fire pit! What? Are you afraid that my old man will harm you and push you into the fire pit to be cremated?!" Wu Mingxiong said: "Old governor, don't get angry. I'm really afraid that people will talk behind my back, saying that I used your prestige to run for an official position at your place."

"You didn't come to my place to run an official. Why are you guilty? Take a step back and say, even if you run away, you are not afraid. As long as you are out of a public heart, you really want to get involved in Pingchuan's affairs, and you have the ability, why can't you just recommend yourself? In 1938, Liu Glasses—the father of Liu Jinping, secretary of the Damo County Party Committee, recommended himself to be the temporary secretary of the Damo District, and I approved it. Didn’t he build a team of 800 people for me in one year? Wu Mingxiong Oh, Wu Mingxiong, you have a bad problem, you are too noble, you only have a high school level, but you are as lofty as a foreign doctor. It wasn't for Chen Zhongyang who called in time, I didn't know that Pingchuan's current situation is so bad!"

Wu Mingxiong asked anxiously, "What did Chen Zhongyang report to you?" "It's all a good thing. The unemployed population has exceeded the warning line. 321 enterprises have lost money, with a total of nearly 500 million yuan. The International Industrial Park is suspended in mid-air, and it can't go up or down. On a hot day, tap water is only available for two hours a day. The city's economy The situation is still deteriorating, and the social order is unstable. Today is even better, the waiting workers of the No. 1 Machinery Factory even shouted slogans that the incompetent should resign, right?"

Wu Mingxiong had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "The situation is really serious, and the death of Secretary Guo Huaiqiu was too sudden. I am asking the relevant parties to investigate the background of the riots caused by the waiting workers." "Don't check. I'm not wrong about the slogan of post workers. Incompetent people shouldn't take shit and occupy a latrine. Huaiqiu fell on the post. Comrade Qian Xianghui sympathized and felt very sad, but also He pointed out tactfully: two and a half years ago, people used it wrong! Huai Qiu has a postgraduate diploma, so he can be the president of a university, but he can't be such a feudal official who decides the rise and fall of a party!"

The old governor's tone was serious, Wu Mingxiong was inconvenient to intervene, and he didn't dare to intervene, so he had to hold the microphone and listen quietly. "Now, we have come to the historical juncture that will determine the rise and fall of Pingchuan. We can't make this kind of mistake in employing people again, and we can't afford it! This afternoon, when Qian Xianghui asked me and a group of old comrades for advice, a group of us The veteran comrades made it very clear that we are responsible to the 10 million people in Pingchuan, to the 28,000 square kilometers of land, and to the history of the future. A cadre like Xiao Daoqing who lacks the ability to work must never be placed in an important position. Go to the leadership position!"

The situation has become clear. It seems that the old governor and a group of veteran comrades in the province who are familiar with him recommended him to the provincial party committee with enthusiasm and sincere hope. it is as expected. "The Provincial Party Committee asked us to recommend a suitable candidate. Eight of our old comrades unanimously recommended you, Wu Mingxiong, and two people you couldn't think of also strongly recommended you to us." Wu Mingxiong asked, "Which two comrades are they?" The old governor laughed and said, "It's Chen Zhongyang and Shu Huaru, the current mayor and the oldest deputy secretary of the municipal party committee. Do you want it?!"

This was something Wu Mingxiong didn't expect.On the day of Guo Huaiqiu's death, after the provincial party committee made temporary arrangements, some people speculated that if Shu Hua could be the secretary of the municipal party committee, Xiao Daoqing would be the mayor.Unexpectedly, Shu Huaru recommended him to the old comrades.And Chen Zhongyang's recommendation was even more unexpected.More than a year ago, over the issue of the appointment of Mi Changshan and Cao Wuping, the two had a big quarrel at the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee, and then they did not have much contact with each other.

The old governor was very emotional: "These two comrades are out of public interest! Especially Chen Zhongyang, who fought with you and returned to the fight, and speaks justice when it is time to speak. It is rare! It is precisely because of this that the provincial Comrade Qian Xianghui told me that from this point of view, it may be most beneficial for you, Wu Mingxiong, to form this team.” Wu Mingxiong was very nervous, and the hand holding the microphone was wet and sweaty. The old governor continued: "Now, Comrade Qian Xianghui wants my old man to ask you first. Eight counties and cities in the Pingchuan area, with a land area of ​​28,000 square kilometers and a population of 10 million, what are you going to do? Do you have the ambition? Are you going to do a great cause that will change the world?"

Wu Mingxiong said calmly: "Old governor, this matter happened too suddenly, please let me think about it, let me think about it." The old governor said: "Think about it! More than half of the Pingchuan area is an old revolutionary base area. Among other things, in the decisive battle in 1949, there were 1 million teams in Pingchuan. Now, the poor population is also 1 million. 10,000. These two 1 million are always in my mind, and sometimes when I think about it, I can’t sleep all night, and I feel ashamed.” Wu Mingxiong said: "It's our fault that we didn't do a good job in the work below, and we are ashamed."

The old governor said: "Just know it. The ancients said: Knowing shame is close to being brave. Don't be ashamed, don't be ashamed, always emphasize objective factors, and work can't be done well. So, my old man reminds you, Qian Xianghui wants to talk to you At that time, you should not emphasize objectivity, just like you did on the water conservancy construction site back then, you have to take over the heavy burden, and you have to be prepared to bet your life and wealth on it! You have to base yourself on fighting a decisive battle in the 1990s!" The blood all over Wu Mingxiong's body became hot all of a sudden, as if watching the old governor standing in muddy water on the water conservancy construction site of Daze Lake, staring at him with piercing eyes, giving him orders.

One of the old governor's favorite sayings is to bet your wealth and life on it. Now it seems that he may really want to put his life on the line. insomnia. Standing in front of the bedroom window on the fifth floor, facing the July summer night in Pingchuan, Wu Mingxiong smoked one cigarette after another. The night sky outside the window is starless and moonless, a boundless darkness.The whole city was dark, and it was rare to see a few bright spots.Due to the depth of the night, the roar of trains at the distant train station could be heard clearly, reflecting the surrounding silence even more.Unexpectedly, I really did not expect that at an important juncture in determining the future history of Pingchuan, Wu Mingxiong, who is already 56 years old, would be solemnly pushed to the front stage by a group of respected old comrades represented by the old governor, to use an advertising term , which means "Grand Launch".Now that it was launched grandly, he had to stage it grandly on the stage where fire and smoke were everywhere.He really doesn't know whether he will leave history with a drama, a drama, or a tragedy or a farce. More than two years ago, it was decided that Xie Xuedong would be promoted to the provincial capital. The provincial party committee had considered him when planning the candidate for the party secretary of Pingchuan City.In addition to Xie Xuedong's factors, the final decision to use Guo Huaiqiu was mainly due to the issue of the knowledge of cadres.After graduating from high school, he worked as a village clerk and accountant, worked as a township head, county magistrate, and secretary of the county party committee, and gradually became the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee.Because of the busy work, in 38 years, except for six months of advanced studies at the Provincial Party School, he never stepped into the gate of the school.I thought that the scenery of life was basically fixed, but I didn't expect that there would be this last spectacular scene.When this spectacular scene appeared, in addition to the original intellectualization problem, he also had an age problem, and if the provincial party committee approved it, it would be enough to show how much the provincial party committee had placed in him. However, it was precisely because of this that Wu Mingxiong felt more and more how heavy the burden he was about to take was.Had it not been for him to be the only one, Qian Xianghui, the secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, who has always been known for his prudence, would never declare to the old governor that he should be an aggressive worker and peasant cadre.Thoughts are like a river that has opened its gates, and it can't be stopped.The people and things on Pingchuan's 28,000 square kilometers of land, one pile after another, flood my heart like a tide.History and reality, difficulties and hopes, are tightly intertwined and intertwined, cut constantly, and the reason is still chaotic... Thinking of the later, Wu Mingxiong couldn't help laughing: What happened to me?Qian Xianghui hadn't talked to him on behalf of the Provincial Party Committee yet, so what was he thinking so much about? !Maybe the Provincial Party Committee will change its mind at the last minute. It's not good for him to be known as the protagonist of the stage because of his wishful thinking. Just at this moment, my wife, who hadn't fallen asleep, brought a bowl of noodles to the living room. When Wu Mingxiong was eating noodles, his wife said: "How old is this official? You are already the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee, do you really want to be the secretary of the municipal party committee? In this poor place, Guo Huaiqiu can't handle it. You Wu Mingxiong Is it done?! I see, the best thing you can do is to push this errand.” Wu Mingxiong smiled, and said: "Why are you pushing? The provincial party committee has not made a final decision on what to do with me!" The wife said: "It's not that I poured cold water on you. If you make trouble, you are the second Guo Huaiqiu." Wu Mingxiong looked at his wife and said seriously: "You're wrong, I'm not Guo Huaiqiu! I don't want to be the secretary of the municipal party committee. If I do, I must do something famous, not only to change the city of Pingchuan The image of our Pingchuan people also needs to be changed. The reform and opening up has made it to this day, and we Pingchuan people have to have a new image, and we can’t always be so disheartened and make people look down upon us, don’t you think so?” The wife nodded: "That's the truth." But Wu Mingxiong said: "However, if the provincial party committee does not let me do it in the end, and history does not give me this opportunity, then I can only applaud others. Even if Xiao Dao is upright, as long as he does something big and difficult with all his heart , I will fully support him.” The wife sighed and said, "It's good if you can think like this." Unexpectedly, as soon as the words were finished, Qian Xianghui, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, called. Wu Mingxiong looked at his watch subconsciously, and it was already 2:10 in the middle of the night. Qian Xianghui said on the phone that the enlarged meeting of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee on the allocation of Pingchuan's team has just ended, and after careful study, it has been decided that Wu Mingxiong will be the secretary of the Pingchuan Municipal Party Committee.Qian Xianghui asked Wu Mingxiong to work hard, and immediately rushed to the provincial capital to meet him. He also specially confessed that he didn't even need to bring his secretary, but came alone.