Cai Runnian removed his presbyopic glasses and took a sip of tea. "I didn't know you the other time, but my student, Lu Yiwei, came looking for me several times, wanting to publish an article in the Internal Reference. For me, an article isn't a big deal, and I only need to scribble a few times. But to publish it in the Internal Reference Manual, one must be extremely cautious; not just anyone can publish it if they want to. Yiwei's topic was good, and it catered to Secretary Huang's taste. I can tell that your political acumen is high, and you're able to be at the forefront in the province. It's rare! "
Receiving Cai Runnian's praise, Zhang Zhiyuan was elated in his heart, but he did not show it on his face. He humbly replied, "I'm not talented. Although I have the intention to reform Nanyang County's state-owned enterprises, I've encountered many obstacles. Results are important, but I hope to learn from the reform so that I won't take any detours in the future. "
"That's right!" Cai Runnian sat up and waved his hand. "What's reform? It's to get rid of the old and outdated. It's to abandon the ideology and rules of this era to create a new path that follows the trend of the times. It's a reform, and it will definitely affect the interests of some people. But can we not reform just because of that? No! Absolutely not! Not only must we continue to move forward, but we must also become more courageous. We must practice in our exploration, innovate in our practice, develop in our innovation, make breakthroughs in our development, and reform in our breakthroughs. The times have given us a new mission, and we must be fearless and unyielding. We must break through the barriers and contribute to the reform. "
Cai Runnian stirred up Zhang Zhiyuan's emotions as he excitedly said, "Professor Cai, listening to your words is better than reading for ten years. Not only have you solved the confusion in my heart, but you've also pointed out the direction for my future development. It looks like I must come here more often in the future to listen to your teachings. With a mentor like you, why should I worry about my development? Now I really regret knowing you a few years later. If I had known you a few years earlier, maybe I wouldn't have to take so many detours! "
Cai Runnian had heard many similar compliments, but he never felt that there was anything wrong with it. He said proudly, "I've been teaching and educating people all my life. It can be said that I have students all over the world, from the central government to the local governments, from state-owned enterprises to foreign enterprises, from scientific research to literature. My students have covered almost every field. Every time I think about it, I feel that I haven't lived my life in vain. What do people pursue in life? Fame and fortune? No, no, no. What's the point of showing off about vanity that can't be brought along in life and death? I don't want my name to be immortalized in history. I'll be content if people still call me Professor Cai in the future. "
What was supposed to be a 15-minute discussion lasted for nearly an hour. Lu Yiwei parked the car in a relatively secluded place and sat alone in the garden, smoking.
The weather was not so cold after entering the third day of the ninth lunar month. Lu Yiwei's mood at the moment was particularly complicated. Although he did not know the purpose of Zhang Zhiyuan's visit tonight, he could not help but suspect that his guess was true when he visited Cai Runnian with such a valuable item.
Could it be that his guess was right? Zhang Zhiyuan had changed. Especially after he returned from Xizhou City, he was completely out of sorts. Even when it came to such an important matter as rescue and rescue, he was quite indifferent. If it was in the past, he would definitely rush to the frontline and supervise personally. But now, he handed all the responsibility to Yang Derong and rarely asked about it.
In addition, Zhang Zhiyuan used to be the most averse and opposed to accepting gifts. But this time, his behavior was unusual. Not only did he accept it gladly, but he also intended to exchange benefits with the other party. He was completely different from the original him. What exactly could make a person who was strict with himself and scrupulously responsible change so quickly? No one knew.
If Zhang Zhiyuan really left, then where should he go? Lu Yiwei dared not think about it, and he did not want to think about it. After experiencing the feeling of being abandoned once, he did not want to repeat the same mistake again. However, could he change the reality?
"It's getting late. I won't disturb your rest any longer. I'll visit you another day when I'm free." Seeing that it was almost time, Zhang Zhiyuan stood up and said goodbye.
Cai Runnian was chatting happily and did not want to end so early. But he still had something to do later, so he had no choice but to let it go. He stood up and said, "Alright then. Call Cai Mao and Zong Feng another day. Let's have a good chat. Zhiyuan, I had a great time chatting with you tonight. "
With Cai Runnian's approval, Zhang Zhiyuan felt that this trip was not in vain. He said, "Thank you for taking your precious time to listen to my complaints. As long as you're happy, I promise to be at your beck and call!"
"Haha …" Cai Runnian laughed heartily again. He rolled up the calligraphy and painting on the desk and stuffed it into Zhang Zhiyuan's hands. He said, "After my appraisal, this is Lan Ying's authentic work. Keep it well!"
Zhang Zhiyuan immediately put it back on the desk and said, "Professor Cai, I don't understand art. Keeping it with me is a waste of the word art. Since it's fated with you, I'll let you keep it for the time being."
Zhang Zhiyuan's words were very tactful. Cai Runnian rejected it a few times and finally said reluctantly, "Since you insist on keeping it, I'll keep it for you for a while. But let's make it clear that you must take it back when the time comes."
"Alright, alright, alright!" When Zhang Zhiyuan was about to leave, Cai Runnian suddenly said seriously, "Go back and prepare well. When you're free, I'll arrange a suitable opportunity for you to report to Secretary Huang."
"Oh!" Zhang Zhiyuan heard this and was instantly overjoyed. It seemed that this trip was not in vain.
Zhang Zhiyuan did not stay in Jiangdong City and rushed back to Nanyang County overnight. When he said goodbye to Lu Yiwei, he realized that he had made a serious mistake. He should not have asked Lu Yiwei to accompany him on this trip. Looking at his sullen face, Zhang Zhiyuan seemed to realize something and comforted him, "Yiwei, I've said it before, we're brothers. We are brothers now and we will be brothers in the future."
It would be the Spring Festival in ten days or so, and the county leaders had a lot of activities. Every unit had to hold a summary meeting, and they scrambled to invite the leaders in charge to attend. However, there were too many units, and they could not get a chance to attend. The leaders seemed to be rushing from one unit to the next as soon as they finished the meeting. They were so busy that they wished they could split into several units.
There were also all kinds of condolences. Condolences were given to retired cadres, veterans of the founding of the People's Republic, veterans of the Red Army, poor households, families of eugenics, martyrs, military families, armed police officers stationed in Nanyang, and people affected by disasters.
In addition, there were all kinds of symposiums and tea parties. There were retired cadres, overseas compatriots, members of the Chinese Political Consultative Conference, representatives of the National People's Congress, people from the literary and sports circles, and so on. None of them could be left out.
There were meetings in the day, and there were no breaks at night. All the leaders were lined up at their doorsteps, waiting to give their gifts. After they entered, they put down their gifts and chatted for a while before leaving to make time for the next person. Most of the gifts were cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and some local specialty shopping cards. There were also a few people who gave them cash, and the leaders accepted them without hesitation. For the leaders from other places, the chauffeur acted as the spokesperson, and he would send a car full of gifts to their homes. When business was good, the chauffeur would make several trips a day. The chauffeur was also happy to send more gifts to the leaders, so there was no reason not to.
The most surprising was Zhang Zhiyuan. If it was in the past, don't even think about giving gifts. But this year, his attitude had changed, and he even started to accept gifts. But he had his principles. Cigarettes, alcohol, and tea could be accepted, but other things were off the table. In the beginning, he could still control himself, but as time went by, he could no longer control himself. Some people mixed the shopping cards with the cigarettes, alcohol, and tea, and left immediately. Some even gave the cards to the chauffeur to make a phone call. The reason why Zhang Zhiyuan changed, was it because of the conversation he had with Qin Xiuwen?
The county leaders' houses were crowded, and so was Lu Yiwei's house. After all, he was the vice-minister of the Organization Department, and he was Zhang Zhiyuan's favorite. There were many people who wanted to curry favor with him. Whether he knew them or not, they all came to visit. Even the leaders of some units came to visit personally with gifts, which made it hard for Lu Yiwei to refuse.
Chinese people were very particular about human relationships, especially during the Chinese New Year and festivals. If you went, the leaders might not remember what you gave, but if you didn't go, they would definitely remember you. Human relationships had changed, and it had become a competition. Whoever walked in front had more room for improvement.
Lu Yiwei didn't refuse as he usually did. After all, people were giving him gifts because they thought highly of him. If he rejected them at the door, it would be inhumane. Who knows what kind of gossip would be left behind? However, he was more careful. He recorded what people gave him in a small notebook, so that he could return the favor in the future.
He had received gifts from others, but he still had to give them out. At the very least, he had to visit the county leaders one by one. The gifts could not be too light or too expensive. Lu Yiwei put a lot of effort into giving gifts to different people.
The local leaders all gave two bottles of Zhonghua and two bottles of 20-year-old Xijiang red wine. Most people liked this. If it were someone else, they might not buy it. Ma Feifei, the deputy secretary of the County party committee, was a woman. There was also a female deputy mayor. He asked his sister, Lu Ling, to get two sets of high-end cosmetics for them. He was very happy. Yan Dongsen, the head of the Organization Department, was his direct superior. Of course, he had to give him a gift. He asked his classmates in Jingdezhen to buy a set of good purple clay teapot and tea set according to his preferences. Pei Qifeng, the head of the Publicity Department, liked strange things. He bought a screen from the Dark Circle and gave it to him. As expected, he loved it.
Most leaders were easy to deal with, but the ones who made him suffer the most were Zhang Zhiyuan and Yang Derong. Putting Zhang Zhiyuan aside, Lu Yiwei thought about Yang Derong for several nights, but he couldn't come up with any good ideas.
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