strictlysupreme Chapter 780 - 529: Being Poor Has Its Advantages
Chapter 780 - 529: Being Poor Has Its Advantages
Sister Wei strongly agrees with this point because earning merits and getting promoted are two different things.When it comes to earning merits, how many police officers in the Police Bureau haven’t earned a few third-level merits? There are also quite a few who have earned second-level merits.
As for being awarded the Second-level Model Worker, the Linghai Police Bureau had none before, but Linghai had a National Model Worker.
The National Model Worker is also very impressive, but to this day, they are still a frontline worker at the dyeing factory, going to work as usual, working as needed, without any promotion from the city authorities to become an official.
There’s also a teacher who’s very impressive, with excellent teaching quality, who even served in Nanyun for several years.
They started as a delegate to the Linghai City People’s Congress, then promptly became a delegate to the Binjiang City People’s Congress, climbing the ranks step by step, and now they’ve even become a Provincial People’s Representative, yet they still teach at Linghai Middle School with their highest position being "class teacher". The municipal authorities haven’t promoted them to be the headmaster either.
In short, honors are a recognition of your work performance and achievements but do not imply leadership ability.
Salted Fish’s situation is somewhat unique; although he has certain leadership abilities, they can only be demonstrated on the river, and it’s not every day that something happens on the river...
Sister Wei was unsure what to say next, when Old Ge laughed and said, "Although the City Police Bureau is training Salted Fish to be the future Chief of the Water Police Station, training takes time. Current leader transfers happen too quickly and too often; who knows what the new city bureau leaders will think in the future."
"What do you mean?"
"It means there are many variables, and it’s difficult for Salted Fish to become a Full Department Level officer in the police system."
Old Ge smiled again and continued, "To have him serve as the Development Zone Political and Legal Committee Secretary and Military Minister means not worrying too much about many variables, as the administrative level of the development zone is definitely set to be promoted. Once Linghai Port is built and operational, the development zone will at least be upgraded to a Deputy Department Level unit. Secretary and directors will be Deputy Levels, all deputy positions will be Director level, by then Salted Fish can logically be promoted to Director."
Sister Wei realized the idea then asked, "To make Salted Fish the Political and Legal Committee Secretary and Military Minister, wouldn’t others be jealous?"
"Things in the development zone are different from other units. The relationship between the development zone and Sanhe Street is complex and interwoven. You know, Linghai is a county-level city, not a prefecture-level city with districts. By regulations, there are only county and township levels. But to boost economic development, setting up a development zone is a must, thus creating a three-tier structure of county, development zone, and street."
Old Ge took a bite of his dish and laughed, "Initially, it was thought that the Management Committee should mainly handle economic development, and the street would handle other tasks beyond economic development. That sounded good, but practically, it’s impossible to separate them so distinctly. So, the responsibilities that the Development Zone Party Working Committee and Management Committee need to handle will still be handled, but they can’t manage everything.
After two years of adjustment, the municipal authorities finally decided to transform the development zone into a ’miniature government.’ Members of the Party Working Committee all hold multiple positions, such as being the People’s Congress Work Committee Director, Propaganda Committee, and United Front Work Department Member. For instance, an Organizing Committee Member also serves simultaneously as the Disciplinary Secretary and the vice-director of the Management Committee.
But the specific tasks are mainly handled by the corresponding street cadres. They just hold titles and usually focus on attracting investment and developing the economy.
When inspections from superiors or some other events occur, they show up to show the development zone’s commitment to the related tasks. Salted Fish’s role as the Political and Legal Committee Secretary and Military Minister is similar to other few positions, where politics and military duties are basically not his concern."
Sister Wei somewhat puzzled, asked, "Does he just need to manage the matters along the river and on the river?"
"Pretty much, no, actually it’s the same as before. When it comes to these positions, they’re really inconsequential for Salted Fish. Comparatively, the position of secretary general of the Water Firefighting Association holds more value."
"I know about the Water Firefighting Association. Zikun, Ningning, and Zhang Jiangkun are all members, even Boss Wu from the shipyard and Director Qian from the ship lock are. But isn’t the Water Firefighting Association a civilian organization? How valuable can the secretary general of a water association be?"
"You just don’t understand."
Old Ge laughed, "With so many law enforcement departments on the river and so many enterprises and institutions along the shoreline, what binds these law enforcement departments and institutions together? Previously, it relied on the authority of Sanye and the connections of Salted Fish, but that’s not sustainable. Thus, Wang Xiazhi managed to lead the establishment of this Water Firefighting Association.
Salted Fish, as the secretary general, is responsible for the association’s specific tasks. Every month he has to convene a meeting with the fire safety in-charges from member units, analyze the fire situation, examine firefighting equipment, discuss how to collaborate, and how to jointly conduct firefighting drills."
It certainly is good when nothing goes wrong on the river, but once a fire breaks out on the water, the leaders of relevant units will be held accountable, and both the police firefighters from Changhang Bureau and the firefighters from several enterprise fire brigades have to go all out to fight the fire! With so many leaders’ official hats and so many firefighters’ lives at stake, who would dare not take it seriously?
That’s why it’s best to collect their membership fees, and it’s crucial to carry out the Association’s work efficiently. Making Salted Fish the Secretary-General in charge of the specific work of the Association is just recognizing Salted Fish’s status as the ’Binjiang Water Army Commander’ through a semi-official form! Compared to that, what’s the chief of the Development Zone Branch, not to mention the chief of the Water Police Station.
Wang Xiazhi really knows how to play tricks, even thinking of setting up this Water Fire Fighting Association to solidify Salted Fish’s title as "Binjiang Water Army Commander."
Sister Wei couldn’t help but ask with a chuckle, "Does he have real power?"
"With a single call, he can mobilize so many departments and enterprises to dispatch numerous law enforcement vessels and personnel; isn’t that real power!"
Old Ge put down his bowls and chopsticks, sighed, and said, "Speaking of being a leader, Sanye has been one, and so have I, but now thinking about it, what’s so good about being a leader? Constant meetings, sometimes several a day, after meetings, there are meals and drinks, and you have to nod and bow when you see your superiors; isn’t it more interesting being the Crownless King on the river like Salted Fish?
Moreover, Salted Fish knows his stuff, and he originally took the professional technical route. Now he’s working in the development zone as the Political and Legal Committee Secretary and Military Minister, without having to deal with anything, just waiting for a promotion on the spot, and can focus entirely on the work he excels at, what’s not good about that?"
Sister Wei nodded, "That’s true."
"It might sound a bit absurd, assigning him the more promising roles of Political and Legal Committee Secretary and Military Minister in the Development Zone isn’t envied by anyone. After all, this appointment is almost nominal, basically not needing to manage anything, hence no conflict of interest with anyone. But if he were to be the Political and Legal Committee Secretary and Military Minister of the less promising Sanhe Street, quite a few people would feel envious since it’s a substantive post requiring management."
"It does seem absurd."
"But it also makes sense. The main aim of the work and the Management Committee in the development zone is economic development. In the development zone, it’s about who can attract investments and create economic benefits for Linghai. Everyone can see Salted Fish’s achievements in economic development; who would dare object? If anyone has objections, let them come forward and prove their worth."
"In that case, Salted Fish not being the chief of the Development Zone Branch isn’t a bad thing."
"Not only is it not a bad thing, but it’s also a good thing. He was previously just a member of the Development Zone Party Working Committee, now with a specific role, there will be no obstacles when promotions are considered later on. If the City Bureau wants to transfer him back to the Water Police Station in the future, Salted Fish will be at the Full Department Level by then, and the City Bureau will have to arrange a corresponding Full Department Level position for him."
"Salted Fish, like Sanye, doesn’t care much about these things."
"I know, but advancing is definitely better than staying in place."
Salted Fish is a down-to-earth kid, just as Sanye said back then, as long as he doesn’t leave the river, he doesn’t need to worry about his future.
Sister Wei didn’t want to talk about Salted Fish anymore and simply changed the subject, "A police officer from Changhang Bureau has a spouse who works in insurance. She came from the city today to persuade Chen Zikun’s family and Zhang Ping’s family to insure their children. They both did, paying thousands a year, saying that when the kids grow up, they can get dividends and won’t need to worry about tuition fees."
Just relying on a fixed salary isn’t enough for living; now, many officials are involved in the "third industry."
In Linghai, there are also officials helping family members sell insurance, and others help sell American ’Li An’ toothpaste, shampoos, and other high-end daily necessities, which are extremely expensive; who could afford them.
Old Ge has encountered this many times and has been pitched several times as well, unable to decline due to face, he ended up buying two insurance policies for his grandson, costing him two to three thousand a year.
He didn’t expect family members of officers at Changhang Bureau to be involved in such activities too, he asked with a laugh, "Did they approach Salted Fish and Zhang Jiangkun?"
"No, everyone now knows that both their families are financially tight, struggling to even pay off bank loans, how could they afford insurance for Han Han and Dongdong."
"It seems there are advantages to not having money; at least no one comes up selling this and that to them."
"You just keep this to yourself; Ningning is coming back tonight. Don’t mention it to Ningning or Han Ning, otherwise, knowing that everyone else has bought insurance for their kids except for her and Han Ning would leave a sour taste in their mouth."
"I got it, I won’t talk recklessly."