“Comrades, during my time in Handong, I've been mainly conducting investigations at the grassroots level. What I've seen and heard has deeply moved me. We used to say we should educate the masses, but now we should educate the cadres.”
“Many of our comrades, in pursuit of promotion and wealth, have adopted the ways of the feudal officialdom, turning units and departments into dens of corruption and making people heartbroken!”
“Let me give you an example. Due to my father's relationship, I call Chen Yan Shi, or Old Chen, 'Uncle Chen'. When I came to Handong to take office, Old Chen benefited. He enjoys cultivating flowers and enjoying retirement, so many people kept sending him flowers and birds.”
“They sent dozens of birds alone, turning Old Chen's place into a lively symphony of birdsong, which was a nuisance. He even had to pay for birdseed. What if Old Chen liked pets? Then, tigers, leopards, even pandas, would probably be sent to Old Chen.”
“This is outrageous! Some of our comrades, despite their high positions, still want to climb higher. He's a cadre in charge of science and technology, having served as the director of the Science and Technology Bureau for six years and then as the city’s Party Committee Organization Minister for five years.”
“However, he doesn’t know most of our agricultural scientists or our Academy of Sciences academicians. When they shake his hand, he looks up at them and asks, 'Which unit are you from?'”
“But when it comes to female cadres with some beauty, he knows them all. He even knows the nicknames of female cadres working in remote mountainous areas. This is outrageous!”
At this point, Sha Rui Jin, with a pained expression, paused, giving others the opportunity to speak and take sides.
Li Da Kang knew the pressure test was here, and Sha Rui Jin’s first target was him, to make him uncomfortable first.
Because the person Sha Rui Jin was talking about was the Jingzhou City Party Committee Organization Minister. Combined with Ding Yi Zhen, there were two notorious rats in Li Da Kang's ranks.
This Organization Minister liked to take care of female cadres, frequently eating and drinking with them, putting his arm around them, and being familiar with them. The provincial Party Committee Standing Committee members present knew what was going on and laughed out loud.
Li Da Kang realized that Sha Rui Jin was laying the groundwork, pointing out serious problems among the Handong cadres, so that he could legitimately freeze the list of cadres promoted by Zhao Li Chun.
Gao Yu Liang, however, didn't realize this. He said, “Secretary Sha, I’ve heard about this cadre. He gathers a bunch of female cadres to drink at night, and whenever they drink, he makes sure one or two of them get drunk. It’s a very bad influence.”
Sha Rui Jin said with righteousness, “Can we recommend such a cadre to higher positions and arrange for them to be deputy ministerial officials? Absolutely not! What do you think this Provincial Party Committee is?”
In the drama, Li Da Kang, for the sake of his career, was slapped in the face by Sha Rui Jin and then stepped on by Gao Yu Liang, yet he remained silent, showing his submission to Sha Rui Jin by standing at attention and taking the beating.
The current Li Da Kang wouldn't be so aggrieved. He would not only retort to Gao Yu Liang but also to Sha Rui Jin.
What kind of joke is this? Li Da Kang is not a soft persimmon that people can use to assert their authority.
“Although I’m the Jingzhou City Party Committee Secretary, it’s common knowledge that the city’s Party Committee Organization Minister is under dual management, with the provincial Party Committee having the primary authority. The power to use and appoint them rests with the provincial Party Committee.”
“Since Secretary Yu Liang knew about this person’s problem all along, why haven’t you mentioned it in previous Standing Committee meetings? And why haven't others mentioned it before?”
“I think we should adopt an attitude of correcting past mistakes and treating illness to save people. We should correct problems as soon as they arise, not wait until they become serious before we laugh at them.”
“Secretary Sha, including the Chen Yan Shi, or Old Chen, you mentioned, also has a problem. You said that dozens of birds alone were sent to him, making his place lively with birdsong, a nuisance. Why did Old Chen accept these?”
“Did the gift-givers have too much power, forcing Old Chen to accept them? I doubt anyone would be bold enough to do that. So, did Old Chen think the birds were not worth much and decided to accept them?”
“He accepted them and then pretended to make a phone call to the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission. Did he not know that the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission doesn't want these flowers and birds? He was the Deputy Chief Procurator before he retired. He couldn’t have been unaware of this, could he?”
Li Da Kang fired a direct broadside, not only rebuking Gao Yu Liang but also those who were gloating and laughing, and then rebuking Chen Yan Shi and Sha Rui Jin. He spared no one.
This time, not only Gao Yu Liang’s face turned pale, but the faces of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee members present, including Sha Rui Jin, looked quite bad. Sha Rui Jin finally understood the saying, “Hearing about someone is not as good as meeting them.”
This is Li Da Kang's strength. Having lived twice, he's more forceful than the original owner. Even though the original owner was forceful, he still cared about advancement and dared not disobey Sha Rui Jin.
The Li Da Kang who has transmigrated has no such worries. He would never stoop and bow to those in power. He would rather not advance. What could they do? Dismiss him?
As long as he doesn’t do anything stupid and doesn’t yearn for advancement, he doesn’t need to care about Sha Rui Jin. Just like Li Da Kang can’t help but be removed from that Organization Minister position, Sha Rui Jin can’t help but remove Li Da Kang either.
Of course, Li Da Kang doesn’t want to stop advancing. If he has the chance, he wants to advance. He can do more of what he wants to do if he advances. But he wouldn’t lick anyone’s boots for advancement.
The effect was obvious. The strength shown by Li Da Kang intimidated all the Standing Committee members present. No one dared to answer, afraid of being rebuked.
There was no way to answer. They couldn't say that the Jingzhou City Party Committee Organization Minister was Zhao Li Chun’s man, and that the previous Provincial Party Committee Secretary was Zhao Li Chun, so no one dared to speak, could they?
Even Tian Guo Fu, who was closest to Sha Rui Jin, dared not respond. Tian Guo Fu was the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary. The Discipline Inspection Commission was responsible for disciplinary supervision. He clearly did nothing in this matter.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Sha Rui Jin had to say, “Secretary Da Kang is right. Our aim is to correct past mistakes and treat illness to save people. We should find problems promptly and rectify them.”
Then, he changed his tone: “One of our comrades, the Provincial Public Security Department Director, has a heavy burden on his shoulders. But this comrade doesn't do his job. He goes to a nursing home to dig up the ground. Good heavens, he's sweating profusely. If this year there's a rural grassroots model worker selection, I’ll vote for him. What a good comrade! He’s great at farm work!”
Because Li Da Kang had also rebuked Chen Yan Shi earlier, Sha Rui Jin intentionally avoided mentioning Chen Yan Shi and only mentioned the nursing home, to avoid Li Da Kang picking holes and rebuking him again.
Li Da Kang was too strong. Sha Rui Jin, having just arrived, didn't want to clash with Li Da Kang. His pressure test on Li Da Kang had failed. Sha Rui Jin decided to target Qi Tong Wei and conduct a pressure test on Gao Yu Liang.
This was also an opportunity to give Li Da Kang a chance to retaliate against Gao Yu Liang for his earlier attempt to kick him when he was down, further deepening the rift between the Handong University Clique and the Secretary Clique. The two major factions in Handong being at odds would undoubtedly be beneficial to Sha Rui Jin.
The undisguised sarcasm in Sha Rui Jin's words made Gao Yu Liang very embarrassed. Gao Yu Liang could only pick up his cup of water to take a sip, using it to conceal his embarrassment. Everyone present knew that the Provincial Public Security Department Director was Qi Tong Wei, and they also knew that Qi Tong Wei was Gao Yu Liang’s favorite student.
Li Da Kang smiled and said nothing. In the drama, Li Da Kang took this opportunity to kick Gao Yu Liang when he was down, publicly mentioning Qi Tong Wei’s weeping at the grave, to show his unquestioning obedience to Secretary Sha. This kind of behavior was a bit petty and flattering.
The current Li Da Kang wouldn’t stoop to such petty behavior. He wouldn’t flatter himself into becoming Sha Rui Jin’s gun. He couldn’t be like Gao Yu Liang, flattering Sha Rui Jin one moment and being publicly slapped in the face by him the next.
At this time, Tian Guo Fu, who was always ready to obey Sha Rui Jin, finally dared to speak. He said with a chuckle, “This Director Qi mentioned by Secretary Sha, I heard that he cried at the grave when he accompanied Comrade Zhao Li Chun to pay respects. Comrade Da Kang should have been there at the time.”
It can be said that everyone present was an old fox, and Tian Guo Fu was no exception. The matter of Qi Tong Wei weeping at the grave for Zhao Li Chun had spread throughout Handong. Anyone in the know was aware of it.
Tian Guo Fu deliberately mentioned that Li Da Kang was present at the time to force him to testify to Qi Tong Wei’s weeping at the grave, making Gao Yu Liang even more embarrassed and further deepening the conflict between Gao Yu Liang and Li Da Kang.
Unfortunately, Li Da Kang refused to play along. He pretended not to hear Tian Guo Fu's words and didn't respond. He understood Tian Guo Fu’s intentions and would not be foolish enough to cooperate.
However, Sha Rui Jin understood Tian Guo Fu’s intentions and wouldn’t let Li Da Kang get away with it. Sha Rui Jin pretended to be curious, “Comrade Da Kang, is it true that Director Qi cried at the grave?”
Li Da Kang said calmly, “It’s true. But I think Director Qi was probably overwhelmed with emotion. After all, everyone has deceased ancestors. It’s normal.”
Sha Rui Jin was stunned. He thought Li Da Kang would seize the opportunity to criticize Gao Yu Liang’s favorite student.
Even Gao Yu Liang was surprised. He couldn’t believe Li Da Kang would say that.
Li Da Kang smiled. He wasn’t defending Qi Tong Wei, but he didn’t want to be Sha Rui Jin’s gun.
Sha Rui Jin could deal with whomever he wanted. He shouldn’t expect to use Li Da Kang as a weapon.
Sha Rui Jin might seem like a good person, but in Li Da Kang’s eyes, he was essentially the same as the Li Da Kang in the drama.
He only cares about himself and never considers others’ feelings. He wouldn’t think he was wrong.
For example, in the drama, Sha Rui Jin himself admitted that he had done a lot of things, from county Party Committee Secretary to city Party Committee Secretary.
Every task he accomplished was another achievement. As long as he wanted to do something, no one dared to oppose him.
The scary thing about this type of person is this: as the saying goes, “Even the wisest person makes mistakes.”
Does everything Sha Rui Jin wants to do have to be right?
If it’s wrong, who can stop him?
…