Qi Tongwei: Sign-in relationship started during student days

Chapter 1020 Xia Guanglei Wins Over Standing Committee Members (2)

Wu Yingjie sat down opposite Xia Guanglei again. "Secretary Xia, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Xia Guanglei took out a document and handed it over, saying, "This is what I had the secretariat compile this morning. It's some data about our city's publicity work."

Wu Yingjie took it and quickly glanced at it.

This is data on the frequency of media coverage of city leaders in the first half of the year.

The coverage rate for Qi Tongwei exceeded 50%, while that for He Anxia, ​​the municipal party secretary, was 22%. The remaining members of the Standing Committee, vice mayors, and other department-level cadres accounted for less than 25% of the total coverage.

Xia Guanglei said, "Minister Wu, I have discovered some problems with the publicity work in our city."

The allocation of reporting resources in some areas is not balanced enough, and the exposure frequency of individual leaders is not commensurate with the overall work pace of the city.

This is a very serious issue.

We must always remember that, whether it is the central government or local governments, publicity work must always adhere to the principle of focusing on the central task and serving the overall situation, highlighting the overall leadership of the municipal party committee and the collective efforts of the leadership team.

We should try to avoid this situation where we "see the trees but not the forest" and prevent an individual from overshadowing the entire leadership team.

The development of Beishan is not something that can be accomplished by one person or one group of people, but by the entire team.

All media outlets must elevate their political awareness, optimize their reporting structure, and avoid one-sidedness; they must comprehensively reflect the true situation across the city.

Wu Yingjie wasn't stupid; he naturally understood what Xia Guanglei meant.

The goal is simply to suppress Qi Tongwei through publicity, reduce his exposure, turn his personal achievements into collective accomplishments, and diminish his influence.

This was an extremely good move, so why did he play the villain?

What are the benefits?

Wu Yingjie stammered as he explained, "Secretary Xia, you may not know this, but most of the key projects in our city were brought in by Mayor Qi, and he was the one who handled them."

Therefore, there is naturally a certain bias in the publicity.

Moreover, this was not something our publicity department did intentionally.

Instead, it was decided by a collective vote of the previous leadership at the Standing Committee meeting, with the aim of focusing publicity, linking individuals with the city's image, and creating a city brand.

This also helps to improve the city's visibility and project implementation efficiency in the short term.

Xia Guanglei chimed in, retorting, "But in the long run, there is also the risk of transferring personal risks to the city."

There are many such precedents.

The power effect brought about by the binding of individuals to cities is limitless, and this unlimited power will eventually evolve into absolute power.

Once an individual possesses absolute power, there is no one to check or balance them, which easily breeds corruption.

Ultimately, individual corruption can damage the city's image.

A year ago, given the special circumstances in Beishan, your approach was understandable.

However, today, Beishan no longer needs personal business cards, and using this kind of bundled promotion is extremely risky.

We need to gradually reverse this trend, downplaying individual influence and reducing risks to the city's reputation.

Wu Yingjie nodded, paused for a moment, and said, "Secretary Xia, what you said makes a lot of sense, and I personally have no objection."

However, this was a collective decision made by the previous Standing Committee. Do you think we should consult with the other comrades and discuss it?

Otherwise, if we change the collective decision like this, I... I'm in a difficult position.

Wu Yingjie reminded Xia Guanglei.

Having spent nearly forty years in officialdom, how could he be subdued by a young man's few words?

Since you keep talking about the greater good and the overall situation but not about practical matters, then follow the rules and go to the Standing Committee.

He doesn't care how you two young Party Secretary and Mayor fight. Either you reach a consensus, or I'll obey your orders.

Either you can let the East Wind prevail over the West Wind, or the West Wind prevail over the East Wind.

If you really want him to take sides, then show some sincerity.

Xia Guanglei wasn't annoyed. He had expected the other party to say such a thing. He smiled, took a cigarette from the cigarette box next to him and tossed it to Wu Yingjie. Then he lit his own cigarette and nodded.

“Okay, I’ll communicate on this point. I believe the other Standing Committee members will understand my concerns.”

Wu Yingjie looked at the cigarette in front of him, then at Xia Guanglei, picked up the lighter on the table, and lit the cigarette for himself.

The cigarette was Xia Guanglei's way of testing Wu Yingjie, and Wu Yingjie responded to the test.

Seeing that Wu Yingjie did not offer to leave but instead calmly lit a cigarette, Xia Guanglei knew what the other party was thinking: this person was waiting for a better offer.

He tried to recall Wu Yingjie's information, only remembering that the man had a son who did business in Beijing and a daughter who was the deputy head of Xitie District.

He hadn't had time to investigate what kind of business it would be, and he didn't know what the other party needed.

The two men smoked, turning their conversation from work into a probing one.

To show his friendliness, Xia Guanglei changed his form of address, saying, "Old Wu, I'm new here and still figuring out a lot of things. You veteran comrades will have to help me out."

Wu Yingjie waved his hand and said with a smile, "Secretary Xia, you flatter me. I'm an old man who's about to retire. I can help you out, but I can't really say I'm doing any favors."

Wu Yingjie is 56 years old this year. According to the usual practice of organizational personnel and the succession of the old and new, he will retire three years ahead of schedule, which means he will have to step down from an important position at the age of 57.

"Withdraw? Isn't that a bit too early?"

Wu Yingjie laughed and said, "It's getting late. I'm 56 this year. According to the organization's regulations, I should be retired next year."

"You don't look it at all. You still look very young. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you're only in your early fifties. In my opinion, you shouldn't retire so early. You should at least work until you're sixty, if not another term."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yingjie's eyes lit up.

Retirement is a good thing for ordinary people, but for them it's not as wonderful as they imagine, and some even find it repulsive.

To put it bluntly, people like them, who have held high positions for a long time, are actually most attached to power and their own positions.

From being a powerful figure to becoming an obscure old man, who can accept such a huge fall from grace?

Who wouldn't want to stay in this position for another two years?

That's right, retiring to the second line three years in advance has been a common practice in organizations in recent years, but there is no explicit legal provision for it.

And it didn't say that he would definitely retire to the second line at the age of 57.

Some deputy-department-level cadres may have their retirement postponed or delayed due to work requirements, good health, or senior professional titles or special professional abilities, with the approval of the appointing authority.

However, such extensions usually require approval and cannot exceed the statutory retirement age limit, which is generally no more than 63 years old for men.

The approval authority rests with the provincial party committee, but in reality, it is in the hands of the top party and government leaders.

If Xia Guanglei requests permission from the organization to continue in his position, there is a high probability that he will remain in office.

Wu Yingjie asked calmly, "Is this appropriate?"

"What's appropriate or inappropriate? You know what's been going on in Hanjiang these past two months. Too many leaders have been replaced, and people's hearts are unsettled."

When I came down, I communicated with the provincial party committee about personnel issues in Beishan. The goal was to avoid making changes to our comrades in Beishan as much as possible, prioritizing stability.