The Official Ladder: I ascend to the pinnacle of power, wielding the power of life and death.

A moment later, Chen Xujian arrived at Jiang Yiming's office.

"Secretary Yiming, is this about personnel appointments and removals?"

Chen Xujian inquired.

"You really guessed it right."

Jiang Yiming smiled and said, "It seems everyone is very concerned about this personnel adjustment."

"How can we not pay attention? Apart from major reshuffles, it's rare to see so many vacant positions. Everyone's eyes are on those positions."

Chen Xujian laughed and said, "I'm afraid they've all used every trick in the book to try and get an official position."

"Secretary Yiming, what do you think of the list that has been circulating?"

“Normally, this list should not be circulated without being discussed and approved by the Standing Committee, but it was circulated anyway, which is very unusual.”

Jiang Yiming pondered for a moment and said, "It's very likely that Jiang Xuangui is testing our attitude. He's also letting us get a head start on preparing ourselves mentally."

"But this kind of thing can't be delayed for too long, otherwise a lot of problems will easily arise. If I'm not mistaken, there will be a 'five-person group' meeting tonight. If things go smoothly, the county party committee standing committee meeting will be held tomorrow."

“Currently, Jiang Xuangui has three votes in the five-person group, so there is no problem with the vote passing. However, as the secretary of the county discipline inspection commission, you have the right to veto all of them. If you veto them, the appointment will basically not be approved. I estimate that he will focus on getting you down.”

The five-person group meeting consists of the Party Secretary, the County Head, the full-time Deputy Party Secretary, the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, and the Organization Minister. Personnel issues are first discussed by the five-person group, and only if there are no major problems will they be submitted to the Standing Committee.

The secretary of the discipline inspection commission has the power to veto candidates who are about to be investigated.

If the secretary of the discipline inspection commission says that a certain cadre has a problem and needs further investigation, then it will be difficult for that cadre to be appointed. The appointment can only be postponed or shelved. As for how long it will take to investigate and clarify the matter, that depends on the decision of the secretary of the discipline inspection commission.

Therefore, the vote of the secretary of the discipline inspection commission is also very crucial.

"I was just about to report this to you."

Chen Xujian said, "Yesterday, Secretary Xuan Gui talked to me and offered me a position as a township head, a director, and a deputy county-level official. I didn't agree on the spot and just said I would think about it."

"Three spots? It seems Secretary Xuan Gui is quite willing to invest."

Jiang Yiming laughed and said, "With such generous terms, you didn't agree?"

"I was a little tempted, but I knew that once I agreed, I would have no choice but to go along with his wishes."

Chen Xujian laughed and said, "I can't explain that to you. I'm on your side."

These positions may allow him to win over some people, but they are not very meaningful. He was transferred from another place, and his connections in the local area are all work-related. Even if he promotes a few of his own people, it will not mean much to him.

However, aligning with Jiang Yiming is different. If you stick close to Jiang Yiming, you'll have a chance to advance.

He was very clear about this.

"With your words, I have the confidence to negotiate with Secretary Xuan Gui."

Jiang Yiming said, "I've heard that Xue Dabao, the deputy director of the Gaotai Township Police Station, is of bad character and has been frequently reported by the public. You should have some relevant clues about him, right?"

“There have indeed been quite a few people who reported Xue Dabao to the Discipline Inspection Commission or sent anonymous letters. We have also obtained some evidence, but Secretary Xuan Gui has been suppressing our investigation, so this matter has been dragging on without any progress.”

Chen Xujian shook his head and said, "I didn't expect Secretary Xuan Gui to plan to promote him to the position of director. I'm afraid there will be a lot of controversy about it."

"It's not just Xue Dabao. Zhang Wei, the director of Guihua Subdistrict Office, was originally involved in Xu Hui's case, but he wasn't investigated because of pressure from Jiang Xuangui. Now, he's been directly nominated as the deputy director of the county public security bureau."

Jiang Yiming said, "Luo Zhengyang, the county security brigade captain who was quite capable and made contributions in the Agricultural Bank loan case, was not promoted, which seriously dampened the enthusiasm of the officers."

"To be honest, before I came to see you, Director Du Zhengqiang had just come to me to vent. It's very unusual and unreasonable that the public security system selects cadres without consulting him, the director."

"However, I also understand that he was also affected by the Agricultural Bank loan case. Secretary Xuan Gui had repeatedly given him instructions, but he did not follow them, thus offending Secretary Xuan Gui. In this personnel adjustment, Jiang Xuan Gui bypassed both me and him."

"So I'm going to take the lead. Besides, I'm the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and the appointments of officials in the public security, procuratorate, court, and judicial systems also require my opinion. But he doesn't give me that face, so I can't let him act so recklessly."

"Give me a copy of Xue Dabao's materials. I'll negotiate with Jiang Xuangui and try to reach an agreement."

"Okay, I'll bring it to you in a bit."

Not long after, Chen Xujian delivered the materials. Jiang Yiming took the materials to find Jiang Xuangui, but Jiang Xuangui had gone to the countryside.

He then received a notification to attend a five-person group meeting at 6:30 p.m. in a small conference room.

"It seems we'll have to meet at the conference."

Jiang Yiming originally wanted to talk to Jiang Xuangui privately first, but the other party clearly wouldn't give him that time, so he had no choice but to confront him in front of everyone.

When the appointed time arrived, Jiang Xuangui, Zhang Yuntao, Jiang Yiming, Chen Xujian, and the newly appointed Minister of the Organization Department, Hua Wentao, arrived at the small conference room on time.

The meeting was chaired by Jiang Xuangui, who designated Hua Wentao, the Minister of the Organization Department, to take the minutes.

According to regulations, the "five-person group" meeting is a deliberation form for discussing matters related to the appointment and removal of cadres and the handling of cadres before submitting them to the Standing Committee for research and decision. It is not a first-level decision-making body, and the results of the "five-person group" meeting cannot replace the collective research and decision of the Standing Committee on personnel matters.

In reality, however, if a personnel appointment is approved by the five-person group, it is unlikely to be rejected at the Standing Committee meeting.

Therefore, this five-person group basically decided on the appointment of cadres.

"Some time ago, some cadres in our county were involved in an Agricultural Bank loan case and were taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission for investigation, which left some positions vacant and affected the normal operation of relevant departments. The Organization Department did a lot of work in advance and prepared a report and a list of candidates for evaluation."

Jiang Xuangui said, "Today we'll discuss these candidates for consideration."

"Minister Wentao, could you please introduce the candidates to be promoted to everyone here?"

"Yes, Secretary Xuan Gui."

Hua Wentao said, "According to the regulations on the selection of cadres, the Organization Department strictly adheres to the principle of selecting candidates based on both moral character and ability, with moral character as the priority. We have conducted a preliminary review of the materials and made preliminary assessments of the candidates who are eligible for promotion. Now I will introduce the list of candidates to be considered one by one."

"Zhang Wei, born in March 1970, former director of the Guihua Subdistrict Police Station, is a candidate for deputy director of the county public security bureau; Xue Dabao, born in May 1967, formerly..."

"Secretary, all reports are complete."

"Alright, now I'll speak about Comrade Zhang Wei's promotion."

Jiang Xuangui looked at Zhang Yuntao.

"Comrade Zhang Wei is an upright person with strong work ability, full of enthusiasm and courage. I agree to recommend him as a candidate for deputy director of the county public security bureau."

Zhang Yuntao spoke first.

"I agree."

Hua Wentao, the Minister of the Organization Department, was the second to give his opinion.

"I object."

Jiang Yiming said, "Comrade Zhang Wei is involved in Xu Hui's case. Although it has not been verified, there is still a certain risk. At present, Xu Hui's case is at a critical stage of investigation. If we promote a cadre who is suspected of being involved, it will inevitably cause unnecessary trouble. I personally oppose it."

Upon hearing Jiang Yiming's words, Jiang Xuangui frowned and said, "Secretary Yiming, if it hasn't been verified, then it means it didn't happen. We can't let these unfounded rumors affect a cadre's promotion and appointment, can we?"

"The fact that it has not been verified does not mean that it does not exist."

Jiang Yiming said, "My personal advice is to be cautious."

Jiang Xuangui ignored Jiang Yiming and instead looked at Chen Xujian, saying, "Secretary Xujian, what's your opinion?"

"As a discipline inspection department, I have the responsibility to strictly vet cadres. Although Comrade Zhang Wei has not been taken away for investigation, his relevant materials are still in the discipline inspection department and need to be further verified. Before the verification is clear, our discipline inspection department thinks it is better to put it off for a while to avoid the situation of promoting someone with problems. If problems are found right after promotion, it will affect the credibility of our Xinping County Party Committee and Discipline Inspection Commission."

Seeing Chen Xujian once again stand firmly on Jiang Yiming's side without hesitation, Jiang Xuangui's face darkened considerably.

He didn't force the raised hand to pass, after all, he knew Zhang Wei did have a problem, and if he forced it to pass, it would provoke Jiang Yiming's retaliation and cause more trouble.

"Zhang Wei's promotion will be put on hold for now and discussed later. Now, everyone, please give your opinions on Xue Dabao's appointment."

As soon as Jiang Xuangui finished speaking, Jiang Yiming said, "Before everyone expresses their opinions, let me show you some information."

He then sent the information about the report against Xue Dabao to the people present.

The group glanced at it briefly, then closed it without saying anything more.

They are waiting for Jiang Xuangui to make a statement.

Jiang Xuangui only flipped through two pages before closing the document; he had already been informed of these circumstances.

"As you have all seen the relevant information, I oppose the promotion of Xue Dabao. We must be extremely cautious about promoting cadres who are highly controversial and frequently reported. I urge you all to make your decisions carefully."

Jiang Yiming spoke up.

"Let me share my opinion. I have met Xue Dabao. He is a very energetic and driven person who acts decisively. It is precisely because of this personality that he has offended many people in his work, which is why there are so many people reporting and slandering him. My personal suggestion is not to pay attention to these minority voices, but to listen to the voices of the vast majority. As far as I know, most of the people in Gaotai Township support him. Therefore, I agree to promote him to the position of police station chief."

Zhang Yuntao once again strongly supported Xue Dabao, as requested by Jiang Xuangui.

"I agree."

Hua Wentao once again uttered three words briefly.

“I object. Xue Dabao’s situation is quite special, and there are still many things that haven’t been investigated. I suggest that his promotion be put on hold for now, and that we, the Discipline Inspection Commission, make a decision after we have thoroughly investigated their issues.”

Chen Xujian spoke up.

"Then put it aside for now."

Seeing that the two sides were still arguing, Jiang Xuangui had no choice but to put the matter aside once again.

After all, he was in the wrong because he had not followed the regulations and asked the Organization Department to consult the Discipline Inspection Commission in advance.

Without the disciplinary committee's review, the promotion would not be in accordance with regulations. He originally wanted to finalize the personnel first and then complete the formalities, but he underestimated Chen Xujian's determination to support Jiang Yiming.