Volume 2: Phoenix West Chapter 1 New Job

  Wushan, known as the Pearl of Eastern Hebei, is rich in resources and has a natural excellent harbor. Light and heavy industries are equally developed, with good basic construction, and it is an important part of the Beijing-Tianjin Economic Circle.

  After being listed as a coastal open city, Wushan's development has been changing with each passing day. There are already dozens of foreign-funded enterprises, and this number is still growing at a geometric rate.

  In terms of concept, Wushan is also at the forefront of northern cities, such as the first economic and technological development zone in northern cities, the first security company, the first industry chamber of commerce, the first private real estate company, the first law firm, the first taxi service company, etc., all of which were born in Wushan.

  Many northern provinces and cities have started setting up offices in Wushan to facilitate the use of Wushan's development for investment promotion.

  Just after the Spring Festival this year, Wushan Guest Service Company, which was transformed from a tricycle service station, caused a stir by purchasing 100 Nissan sedans as taxis with borrowed money.

  The company also has "Seagull", "Happiness" 250K cars and 11-seat buses, becoming one of the largest and highest-end taxi companies in Wushan. Because the company logo is a big "K" letter, it is commonly known as Lao K Company.

  Also at the same time as Nissin Duke unified the taxi market in Wuzhong, Japan's Toyota Crown quietly landed in Wuzhong City, with a total of around 40 vehicles. Most of them are second-hand cars with mileage over 500,000 kilometers, mainly equipped for foreign-related units and hotels.

  The increasing number of high-end cars on the streets of Wushan can be felt, and the ever-changing world is changing day by day.

  In this tumultuous change, Lu Zhong quietly entered the first period of young and middle-aged cadres training class of Wushan Municipal Party Committee in early March 1985.

  There are 55 students in the class, including 47 male students and 8 female students. Most of the students come from municipal and national or provincial units stationed in the city, with each district and county having a quota of 1-2 people. Guangning has only one student, Lu Zheng.

  At the same time, Lu Zhong is also the youngest student. In this class with an average age of 36.5 years old, Lu Zhong has pulled down the average age a bit.

  The entire class of deputy department-level cadres had only three people, and the other two were idle. After this study is over, they will probably be arranged to work in a real job, and there is only one person with real power, Lu Zheng.

  After all, the middle and young cadres are full-time classes. If real power holders need training, there are short-term cadre training classes at all levels.

  Lu Zhong's level is high, but he can't help being too young, and naturally won't win the favor of his fellow students. This is probably what they mean by "the tall tree attracts the wind". In the upcoming class elections for various positions, from secretary to class monitor, study committee member, sports committee member, and life committee member, Lu Zhong lost one after another.

  It may be that the head of the political work department, Wang Qingfeng, took care of Lu Zhong's emotions and arranged for him to serve as the group leader of the third small group in the study class.

  Lu Zhong was also unusually low-key during his studies, never vying for first place in anything and always sitting silently at the back of the classroom. In fact, many times, he made his classmates forget that he existed.

  ……

  Guo Dali community, a big house with three rooms and two halls, Lu Zhong lives alone.

  Du Xiaohu has resigned from Guangning County Bureau, including Lu Zhong, no one knows where he went.

  Now, Lu Zhong leaned against the spacious and comfortable sofa, with his eyes slightly closed. The classical music of a Roman female soprano was playing, sometimes it seemed to be able to shatter your heart wildly, and sometimes it was gentle and barely audible. The large living room only had dim night lights on, which made it seem even more empty and eerie in the mysterious and sonorous Roman wind music.

  Lu Zheng sat quietly, his eyes slightly closed, and it was unclear what he was thinking about.

  The phone on the tea table suddenly rang. In Wushan, there was no public telephone for borrowing, and Lu Zhong, who was used to modern communication, quickly applied for the installation of a private telephone.

  It wasn't until now that the postal and telecommunications bureau officials were dispatched, Lu Zhong found many people, it took a month's time, only yesterday could communicate with the outside world.

  Lu Zhong reached out and turned off the dual cassette recorder on the coffee table, and the soprano's Roman epic poem came to an abrupt end.

  Picking up the phone, a deep and slightly intimidating male voice came from the other end of the line: "Is that Zhēngzi?"

  Lu Zhong hummed in response, "Uncle Qi?"

  It was obvious that the person on the other end of the phone immediately recognized Lu Zhong and sounded somewhat pleased, "It's me. How have you been doing at the Party School?"

  Lu Zhong smiled and said, "It's okay, calm down and study hard."

  "Take it easy, take it easy." The male voice chuckled twice and then said: "Time is tight, let's get straight to the point. I've heard that your work has been arranged."

  Just half a month ago, Lu Zhong was removed from his posts as a member of the Standing Committee of Guangning County Party Committee, Secretary of the Politics and Law Committee, Vice County Governor, and Director of the Public Security Bureau.

  Ma Yuewu was appointed as Vice County Governor and Director of Public Security Bureau.

  The secretary of the Political and Legal Committee was transferred from a neighboring county.

  "Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection." The male voice on the phone added, "Office of the Commission for Discipline Inspection."

  Lu Zhong was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly. Was he also going to retreat to the second line at such a young age?

  Of course, Lu Zhong was just joking, but in fact, when he heard that he would be temporarily placed in the Municipal Commission for Commerce, Lu Zhong knew that this was probably an arrangement approved by his father. Uncle Qi might not have made a direct call, but he must have skillfully used some connections.

  The Party's Advisory Committee is a transitional product to solve the problem of cadre handover and realize the transition from lifelong system to retirement system. From central to local, some old cadres with great energy have reached the age of retirement and are temporarily placed in the advisory committee. After retiring from the second line, they also need to contribute to the party's work and protect the young cadres of each leadership team.

  The advisory committees at all levels now have great power.

  Member of the Central Advisory Commission, with a political status equivalent to that of a Politburo member. To put it into perspective, there are only six members in the current Central Politburo, one of whom is a military representative who has just tendered his resignation. In other words, the Central Politburo effectively has only five members, and they are divided into three old men and two young ones.

  Three old men, two young and vigorous ones. Among the three old men, one of them also serves as the director of the Central Advisory Commission, and Lu Zhong knows that among the three old men, another will take over as the director of the second Central Advisory Commission in three years.

  Hebei Provincial Advisory Committee Director surname Jiang, also serves as the second secretary of the provincial party committee. The second secretary here is also a product of a special historical period, common during the Cultural Revolution and before it, not the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee understood by later generations, but a role that is higher than the governor and implicitly on an equal footing with the provincial party secretary. And this Director Jiang, in terms of influence, even surpasses the current provincial party secretary.

  In addition, according to relevant documents, the director and deputy director of the party's advisory committee may attend the standing committee meeting of the same-level party committee as a non-voting delegate.

  It can be seen from this that the party's advisory committee has great power nowadays.

  According to the central document in 1982, the quota for members of the advisory committees at the provincial, municipal and autonomous region levels is 30-40 people.

  At the municipal level, in special circumstances, an advisory committee may be established, subject to central approval, with a membership of 20-30 people.

  Wushan is one of the few prefecture-level cities with a consulting committee.

  Lu Zhong is now temporarily housed in the Ushan City Advisory Committee office.

  Lu Zhong, although based in Guangning, still has some understanding of the power structure of several sets of classes on Wushan. Gu Wei is now also one of the several sets of classes, with a higher status than the People's Congress and even the government, and not much inferior to the Party Committee. The influence of old cadres is extremely terrifying, but after retiring to the second line, they are willing or unwilling to exert this influence.

  But in any case, the Advisory Committee is a secondary institution, and its main work is to conduct research, check for deficiencies in the Party committee's work, etc., without actual decision-making power. Moreover, the Central Committee has explicitly stipulated that the advisory bodies should be streamlined, such as the Central Advisory Committee, which is handled by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee for secretarial, letters and visits, and administrative work.

  The office of the Wu Shan City Gu Wei is said to be an independent establishment, but with a small number of people. It's also said that it's a tough job, and retired veteran cadres are not easy to serve. If there are a few more temperamental ones, some people will suffer.

  It wasn't until "Uncle Qi's" phone call had hung up for a while that Lu Zhong was still in a daze.

  It's actually not hard to understand that I can now be unscathed and even quickly arranged for work, Uncle Qi must have spent some effort.

  If it's said that Lu Zhong is being investigated by the municipal discipline committee, he doesn't think so. After all, he's still young and has just been promoted, and then immediately goes to prison. The municipal party committee leaders who promoted him would also lose face, they wouldn't want to see this situation happen either.

  Moreover, the halos of "Vietnam War Battle Hero" and "Ministry of Public Security First-Class Hero" are not worn on one's head for nothing, and when dealing with oneself, one must pay attention to the impact.

  So it's just that there is no family relationship, this hurdle is not difficult to pass, but how long it will be idle is unknown, it needs one's own efforts and also needs a bit of luck.

  Now arranging myself to enter the municipal CPPCC office is to take care of all aspects of emotions, and from a superficial perspective, I am also idle.

  However, Lu Zhong couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. His father agreed to throw himself into a pile of old men's essence, which was easy to guess, hoping that he could learn patience and some qigong exercises to cultivate his body.

  If I were Sun Wukong, then these old cadres would all be unfathomable gods and goddesses from various realms, while the Advisory Committee would be a gloomy and lifeless underworld. Young people working in such a place and interacting with these individuals must first learn to endure loneliness.

  Father's painstaking efforts, how could I not know?

  Only his father didn't understand was why he had to be Sun Wukong, if it's about personality, in fact he himself had already figured out many things.

  However, today's phone call was good news after all.

  I hope I can "come back" soon, Lu Zhong self-deprecatingly shook his head, this life, it's probably also going to be a three-time rise and fall.