Chapter 1 The New Official Takes Office (1)

  The spring of Jiangnan is like a 17 or 18-year-old girl, full of vitality and energy. The fresh air, taking a deep breath, is like the subtle fragrance on a young woman's body, making people feel comfortable to the point where every pore wants to open up and sing. On the trees, blossoms are waiting to burst forth, on the ground, tender green grass, in one's ears, from time to time, come the cheerful calls of small birds... All these things naturally blend together, giving people a feeling of clarity and refreshment, vigor and vitality, spirit and enthusiasm, and an unyielding determination.

  But Gong Zhong, the director of the office of Jiangnan's administrative organ's logistics support center, couldn't feel any of this. In his eyes, Jiangnan's spring could be described in two words: "humid". Even a piece of clothing, held in one's hand, seemed not to have dried thoroughly; worn on the body, it felt somewhat sticky and very uncomfortable. Even on the first floor corridor of the office building, water droplets appeared on the magnetic tiles, and property management personnel had no choice but to lay down red carpets on top to prevent passersby from slipping and falling.

  At a little past seven that afternoon, Gong Zhong walked out of the damp air and stepped onto the eighteen granite steps in front of the Jiangnan Bureau office building. He looked up very seriously at the golden "Badge of Righteousness" hanging high above the main entrance of the comprehensive building, and found that the usually shining scales had some faint rust marks due to the humid air.

  Since Zhao Yizhong, Secretary of the Party Group of Jiangnan Bureau, reported at a meeting of the heads of various units and departments throughout the province that Shu Daming, former director of the Logistics Guarantee Center, and three others were involved in two cases of "suspected discipline violations", Gong Zhong's days have been very difficult.

  Every day, apart from normal work, he had to endure endless teasing from his colleagues and the investigation team's relentless questioning. Especially after Dong Xian, the current head of the center, took office, Gong Zhong's workload became increasingly heavy. He often had to work overtime for temporary tasks assigned by his leaders, sacrificing his own rest time.

  Last night, after 10 o'clock, Gong Zhong was drafting the monthly work "example meeting" materials of the center. Deputy Director Dong Xin called him and said: "Fully cooperate with the inspection team to do a good job in the financial examination of Zhengqi Property Company."

  Gong Zhong had to get up early, arrived at the office ahead of time to make final revisions to the materials he had written overnight, and printed them out to hand over to Deputy Director Dong Xin. Gong Zhong was well aware that if he waited until regular working hours, the investigation team would enter the center and he wouldn't have time to work on this month's summary report.

  Every month, a work summary is conducted and plans are made for next month's work. This is a new initiative since Deputy Director Dong Xin took office.

  Within five days after the end of each month, every cadre and staff member of the Logistics Guarantee Center shall summarize their work situation for this month and plan for next month.

  Each department summarizes its work on this basis and makes plans for next month's work; the center then summarizes the center's monthly work based on the summaries of each department, and makes plans for next month's work.

  All work that needs to be formed into written materials must be carried out at the plenary meeting of all cadres and staff in the center. This is a new monthly "regular meeting" added by Deputy Director Dong Xian after taking office, for the logistics support center of the organ.

  In this way, Gong Zhong only needs to work on the "example meeting" every month, and he has to write three materials each month. The first one is his personal monthly work summary and plan, the second one is the office's monthly work summary and plan, and the third one is the monthly work summary and plan of the agency's logistics support center.

  Gong Zhongbai had to deal with normal office affairs during the day and couldn't calm down to write materials. Some written materials were brought back home at night for overtime work.

  As the director of the central office, one of Gong Zhong's basic responsibilities was to ensure that the leader's decisions were implemented smoothly in the center. Therefore, although Gong Zhong had different views in his heart, he still did his best to complete them.

  Dong Xin, in his forties, of medium build and slightly on the plump side. He is a law graduate from a prestigious university, with excellent handwriting and writing skills, as well as being very articulate. When speaking at meetings, his speeches are always of high caliber, with a perfect grasp of tone, rhythm, and pacing.

  In this regard, former director Shu Daming is not in the same league. According to insiders who are familiar with him, Dong Xin has a deep understanding of the "Thick and Black Theory" passed down by our ancestors.

  Dong Xin was transferred to the Jiangnan Bureau to work on infrastructure projects for less than ten years, and quickly rose from an ordinary clerk to the deputy director of the Infrastructure Office. This position in the Jiangnan Bureau is extremely crucial and is a coveted vice-ministerial leadership post that many people envy. Regardless of which unit's infrastructure person in charge, they are absolutely trusted by their leaders.

  Dong Xin was a red man of former Director Yang Wen, and now he is also a red man of Director Zhao Yi. This time, being assigned to the Agency's Logistics Support Center during this extraordinary period fully reflects the trust and reuse of the Bureau Party Group and Director Zhao Yi on him.

  No matter which unit or city, the benefits of infrastructure work are well-known to everyone. The first benefit is that it can fully demonstrate the leader's political achievements. These superficial image projects are visible and tangible to everyone.

  You don't see those tall and majestic office buildings, those lavishly decorated halls, those expensive squares and green spaces, are actually the result of using up the income of the next few leaders in advance. Anyway, the image is one's own, but the problem is left to the next person. But it's a vicious cycle, and they're not tired of it.

  The second benefit of infrastructure work is the huge economic benefits hidden inside. These economic benefits are invisible and intangible, but everyone can feel them, and ordinary people also understand them in their hearts. On the surface, these economic benefits seem to have nothing to do with leaders, but in fact, they are closely related to leaders.

  Maybe the building materials used on the construction site, the construction team that is under construction, and some workers in the construction team are relatives and friends of the leaders of the construction unit, old classmates, old comrades, and so on.

  This is also the fundamental reason why the vast majority of our leading cadres, once they have the power to make decisions, are extremely enthusiastic about doing infrastructure work. As for whether these infrastructure works are beneficial to the actual work of the unit, whether they are conducive to local economic development, whether they conform to the immediate interests of the vast majority of ordinary people, and whether they have this economic strength, none of these are considered.

  After Dong Xin was transferred to the Security and Assurance Center as director, he conducted a comprehensive cleanup of the center's internal management work and that of the property company in accordance with the instructions of the bureau leaders, and then carried out his work according to his own management thinking.

  He is very clear that the first task currently facing him is to work with the finance department to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the financial work of the agency's logistics support center, Zhengqi Property Company and the staff canteen, and then make a comprehensive rectification based on the inspection situation.

  The second task is to take effective measures to boost the working enthusiasm of employees and change their current depressed mental state due to the two "alleged disciplinary" incidents.

  Every month, he holds a "monthly meeting" to report on his work for the month and plan for next month's work. This is just one of the effective measures he takes. Dong Xian believes that in order to enhance his own prestige and control the thoughts of his employees, apart from keeping a certain distance from his subordinates, he must also brainwash them with his management philosophy.

  This is the knowledge he learned from "Thick Black Theory" and also the experience borrowed from many private enterprises.

  Dong Xin understands that in our real life, many people have a "slave" mentality. If you are only good to him, he will think you fear him and won't feel your kindness and care; if you are only bad to him, it will chill people's hearts and make you lose their support.

  So, it's a combination of beating and stroking, stroking and beating. When it's time to beat, you beat; when it's time to stroke, you stroke. It's like a moving melody, with ups and downs, highs and lows, that can move people.

  Of course, when to hit and when to caress; how much force to use when hitting, and how much milk to give - this is a very subtle matter. Dong Xin understood that only by strictly managing them while appropriately giving them some milk would they fear him and he have authority.

  This mentality is a characteristic of our nation and a summary of the experience of our ancestors. It conforms to psychological principles, does not contradict philosophical ideas, and is also a common phenomenon in social life.

  Less than a month later, the investigation team released a financial inspection report on the administrative logistics support center and its affiliated economic entities. The problems revealed in the report all existed in the property company.

  The report believes that the property company's financial management is chaotic, accounting calculations are not standardized, and basic financial work is poor. Financial data does not reflect the company's true operating conditions, and corresponding rectification opinions were put forward. Deputy Director Dong Xian arranged for Gong Zhong to be fully responsible for implementing the rectification suggestions immediately according to the bureau leader's instructions, and accountant Fang Lihong will cooperate at any time.

  Since Zhongqian's former director, Shu Daming, arranged Fang Lihong to be in charge of the financial management of Zhengqi Property Company, Gong Zhong has not managed the finance of Zhengqi Property Company for almost two years.

  The financial situation of the property company, Gong Zhong had no bottom line in his heart. What's more, Zhao Yijun reported that Gong Zhong was one of the "four-person group", and Gong Zhong was even less willing to get involved with the property company, let alone cooperate with Fang Lihong, a woman.

  But now that's how it's arranged by the organization, Gong Zhong has no choice but to compromise himself and silently accept it, conscientiously carrying out rectification work according to audit suggestions.

  It can be said that for Fang Lihong, this woman, Gong Zhong has now seen through her to the bone. Some were observed by Gong Zhong himself, and some were told to Gong Zhong by Fang Lihong herself.

  In the nearly three years of working together, it may be because of her sincere help at work in the past, or it may be due to the influence of Gong Zhong's character, and also possibly to vent her inner repression in front of "Gong Gege", Fang Lihong had told Gong Zhong some secrets from her private life without reservation.

  So Gong Zhong knew that Fang Lihong had become enemies with her husband, knew that Fang Lihong had a lover in Chengdu, and knew that Fang Lihong wanted to divorce.

  For Fang Lihong, the woman who had once hurt him together with Shu Daming, especially after those two "disciplinary violations" incidents, Fang Lihong tried every means to push herself in front of her and block her, but Gong Zhong didn't have any hatred towards her.

  Fang Lihong is also a victim, she does this just to protect herself. Her abnormal relationship with Shu Daming is also a means of self-protection. When she sells her own body to get what she wants, she loses something even more precious - her dignity as a human being.

  Gong Zhong accepted the task and immediately read through the audit report of the inspection team very carefully.

  Gong Zhongyue was shocked to see that the financial management work he had standardized before leaving his position as a financial manager at the property company less than a year ago had become such a mess in just a few short months.

  Even the most basic accounting calculation principles were executed incorrectly, the clearing of accounts was a mess, cost accounting was in disarray, and there were also some false income phenomena...