Chapter 17

Liu Baojun never expected that early the next morning, Lu Zheng would deliver a draft of the county reception center reform plan.

Although Liu Baojun found it amusing, he still reluctantly flipped through it out of respect for Lu Zheng.

The main content of this draft, or reform plan, was to standardize employee discipline, implement new employee management regulations, and penalize employees who violated the regulations; the second point was to overhaul the guest rooms to improve hygiene conditions; the third point was to open a side gate by breaking through the wall next to the reception center, making it intersect with the bustling Wuning Road. A prominent sign and a light box would be placed on the side gate, and the fourth point was about reward measures for employees, among other things.

While Liu Baojun was flipping through it, Lu Zheng explained each point, "Actually, the environment of the county reception center is one of the best in Guangning, and the prices are similar to those of state-owned hotels. The main problem is that the county reception center has always served leaders, and they have a condescending attitude towards the working masses. If we want to reform and create economic benefits, we must change this attitude. We need to welcome guests with a smile and make the employees of the county reception center clearly understand that every customer is a god, a breadwinner. I think we can't solve this issue from the root ideologically for now, so we can only use reward and punishment measures to forcibly change their mindset. Therefore, the punishment measures must be strict and effective."

"Once they lower their attitude and the publicity is in place, it won't be long before the place is full of customers."

Lu Zheng took a sip of water and continued, "Speaking of publicity, let's talk about the third point. The location of the county reception center is excellent. In the hearts of the people of Guangning, it is mysterious and high above. Now that it is open to the public, these reputations are key to attracting customers. However, the problem is that everyone knows there is a county reception center in Guangning that only serves leaders, but if you ask where the entrance is, I'm afraid very few people know."

"Therefore, opening a side gate and installing a light box, and to some extent, separating it from the county committee compound, is inevitable. With a sign and a light box on Wuning Road, people passing by will naturally start to remember that there is a reception center here. The location of the county reception center is actually very good, but it has never promoted itself. Even the tourists coming and going from the nearby Workers' Club have never noticed this inconspicuous building."

"As for the reward measures, they should be tangible and visible to the employees, making them feel that as long as they actively play their part, they will have bread and bonuses, and their wages and bonuses will definitely be more than before."

Lu Zheng spoke until he was hoarse, and Liu Baojun nodded lightly, but to be honest, he didn't take it too seriously. The image of Lu Zheng as a "stubborn" and rough person was deeply rooted in many people's minds and was not easily changed.

Lu Zheng could see Liu Baojun's perfunctory attitude but didn't mind. It was enough to have said it, and Liu Baojun would certainly weigh it himself. The suggestions he made were actually very basic, but at that time, not only in Guangning, but in the whole country, there were no business experts. After all, no one had been through the market economy, so the outcomes of the currently popular contracted factory managers and private entrepreneurs were not very good.

Liu Baojun casually flipped through the draft Lu Zheng had completed overnight and was surprised to find a detailed "Employee Management Regulations" in the appendix.

Liu Baojun was slightly taken aback. This "stubborn" person wasn't just writing casually; he was actually serious?

This made him take it more seriously. After a quick glance, he frowned and said, "Deduction of wages for untidy clothing? Deduction of wages for arguing with customers? Lu Zheng, this is still a socialist country, right? If you implement these regulations, won't there be chaos in the reception center?"

Lu Zheng smiled, "Everything has a process of gradual acceptance. The reception center should be an independently operated enterprise, and relying on the government budget is unrealistic. They may argue now, but have they thought about what will happen if the government stops funding and they have to be self-sufficient? So, the worst-case scenario must be communicated, and I believe the employees of the county reception center will consider it."

Lu Zheng added, "If they really have to be self-sufficient, will they be able to pay their wages in the current state of the county reception center? Is it better for them to all be unemployed, or to start changing now? What's the harm in being criticized by the employees? Time will tell, and I believe the employees who criticize the reform the most now will be the most grateful in the future."

Lu Zheng was almost explaining step by step how to "coerce and entice" the employees of the county reception center, using both carrot and stick.

Liu Baojun nodded slowly but didn't say much.

When Lu Zheng left Liu Baojun's office, he happened to see Director Zhang following Deputy Secretary Ma Weiguo up the stairs.

Ma Weiguo was the first deputy secretary of the Guangning County Committee, always eyeing the position of county magistrate, and had significant disagreements with Secretary Qiu. Director Zhang had always been close to Ma Weiguo, and it was rumored that they had connections in the provincial and municipal circles.

Recently, there had been intentions to adjust the leadership of Guangning. Ma Weiguo had strong backing, and it was likely that the position of county magistrate would be given to him after the adjustment. Privately and publicly, he was gradually challenging Secretary Qiu's authority. Ma Weiguo was a full generation younger than Secretary Qiu, with a bright future. He had been transferred to Guangning last year, originally to be the county magistrate, but Secretary Qiu refused to delegate power and used his influence to change the higher-ups' intentions.

The leadership of the Guangning County Committee was clearly divided into two factions, which was well-known among the upper-level cadres.

As for Liu Baojun, his situation in the county bureau was similar to Lu Zheng's, on the fringes. He not only had old grievances with Secretary Qiu but also had conflicts with the first deputy secretary and the county organization minister, Ma Weiguo. This was due to his irreconcilable conflicts with Director Zhang. Between him and Zhang Qingming, Ma Weiguo naturally chose the latter. Not only because of their connections, but also because controlling Zhang Qingming meant controlling the powerful Public Security Bureau. What did Liu Baojun count for?

Feeling he had no place to stand, Liu Baojun had the idea of leaving Guangning.

Zhang Qingming and Ma Weiguo both saw Lu Zheng coming out of Liu Baojun's office. Zhang Qingming frowned slightly, having heard that the "stubborn" Lu from the county bureau was getting closer to Liu Baojun.

As they quickly climbed the stairs, Ma Weiguo asked, "Is that Lu Zheng?" Seeing Zhang Qingming nod, he didn't pay much attention. Lu Zheng was just a small fry, like Liu Baojun, a minor character, both unimportant and frustrated, so they naturally sympathized with each other.

...

When Lu Zheng returned to his office in the industrial and commercial building, Du Xiaohu, his face flushed with excitement, came to report that the enforcement team had just caught a speculator.

After a few incidents of violent resistance, the enforcement supervision team was now led by the police, with the industrial and commercial department as a secondary force. Du Xiaohu was the captain of the enforcement supervision team.

Lu Zheng took the statement and glanced at it, sighing inwardly.

The captured speculator was a local from Guangning named Wan Dewu, who had secretly brought over twenty electronic calculators from Shenzhen and sold them in Guangning, mainly to individual traders and accountants of some units.

From the statement, Wan Dewu was just a bit clever, with no background and not involved in fraud or selling fake goods. However, if the charges were confirmed, he would definitely be sentenced to prison.

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "I'll go see him."

Du Xiaohu, excited about his first lead, said, "Sure, Comrade Political Commissar, this guy is cunning. I think he might be involved in bigger cases."

Lu Zheng shook his head helplessly, walked out of the office, and then whispered to Du Xiaohu, "Xiao Hu, let me tell you something. The enforcement office will be disbanded soon. Some of the people we catch aren't bad. Sometimes, you can just turn a blind eye."

Du Xiaohu was taken aback, not quite understanding, but he always followed Lu Zheng's instructions, so he nodded, "I understand."

The interrogation room was not far from Lu Zheng's office. A short, fat man, handcuffed to a radiator, sat against the wall, looking like a ball, which made people dislike him at first sight.

But Lu Zheng was not one to judge by appearance.

The on-duty police officer greeted them as they entered, "Comrade Political Commissar, Comrade Du!"

The short, fat man's body trembled, looking up with a bruised face, clearly having been beaten.

Lu Zheng pulled a chair and sat in front of the man, staring down at him. The long "squeak" of the chair legs on the cement floor scared the man, thinking he was about to be beaten again. It was no wonder; Lu Zheng's posture was condescending and dismissive.

It wasn't that Lu Zheng was to blame. Coming from the military and working in the police for over a year, he often dealt with vicious criminals. Treating such criminals as human beings simply didn't work. Being ruthless to enemies and warm to comrades was an ideal state.

"How old are you?" Lu Zheng asked casually.

"R... Report, I, I am thirty-two," Wan Dewu trembled, fearing Lu Zheng would torture him. It was his first time in custody, and he had been beaten so badly he wanted to die. The terror of the law enforcement agency was truly bone-chilling.

Lu Zheng, seeing his swollen eyes, frowned and reached out to touch them, but Wan Dewu screamed and almost shrank into the radiator, yelling, "Don't hit me, don't hit me! I'll tell you everything, everything!"

Indeed, in Wan Dewu's statement, he even confessed to secretly watching a widow bathe when he was young.

The on-duty police officer, Xiao Li, kicked him and scolded, "Be quiet!"

Lu Zheng waved his hand and said to Du Xiaohu, "Xiao Hu, make a new statement for him. If he was just a middleman, confiscate the goods and have him lead us to the source."

Du Xiaohu, though not very clever, was not stupid. Lu Zheng had already given him a heads-up, so he understood and agreed readily.

Lu Zheng returned to his office and reviewed the documents of the enforcement office, shaking his head from time to time.

Just before the end of the workday, someone gently knocked on the office door.

When Lu Zheng said, "Come in," to his surprise, a small round head appeared, belonging to Wan Dewu.

At first, Wan Dewu refused to admit he was just a middleman, insisting he was the seller, that all the calculators were from Shenzhen, and he was a speculator and a criminal.

Du Xiaohu, angry, beat him again, and he finally confessed to being a middleman and agreed to help the enforcement team catch the "mastermind."

When his handcuffs were removed and he was told to report back the next day, Wan Dewu gradually realized he was probably safe. Perhaps, if they couldn't catch the "mastermind" soon, he would only be detained for a few days.

Thinking about it, the turning point came when the "Comrade Political Commissar" arrived. But why did the "Comrade Political Commissar" help him?

Wan Dewu was puzzled, standing outside Lu Zheng's office, rubbing his bruised wrists, and recalling the nightmare of the past few days.

Seeing Wan Dewu, Lu Zheng didn't invite him in, frowning, "What's the matter?"

Wan Dewu, thinking Lu Zheng might have some intention, wanted to probe, but seeing Lu Zheng's expression, he didn't dare say much, hurriedly saying, "Nothing, nothing, Comrade Political Commissar, your great kindness..."

Lu Zheng interrupted him, "If there's nothing, you can go."

Wan Dewu didn't dare say more, turned back, and seeing a uniformed person passing by, hurriedly rushed down the stairs, eager to escape.

A little while later, Du Xiaohu came to find Lu Zheng, asking if he wanted to have dinner.

After returning from Beijing, Lu Zheng found the cost of staying at the reception center too high, so he rented a house in the suburban Zhaozhuang. Now, he and Du Xiaohu lived and ate together.

Lu Zheng shook his head, "I'm going to Aunt Cuihong's house." After returning from Beijing, he hadn't visited his adoptive parents. He had shown up once and then disappeared again, so he needed to give Aunt Cuihong an explanation. He also planned to tell her about his military service and current work, as there was no need to hide anything from his adoptive parents.