Chapter 48: Well Done

The next day, early morning.

At the Anxing County Party Committee, in the office of the Minister of Propaganda.

Overnight, the internet was flooded with news about the forest fire in Fangshui Township.

Of course, the forest fire itself was just a hot topic; what netizens were mainly discussing and praising was the grassroots official who risked his life to lead villagers in cutting a firebreak.

As the county propaganda minister, Song Shanyong furrowed his brows deeply, troubled beyond measure.

This should have been a positive story and a great benefit for Anxing County. But the problem was, after a brief inquiry, he learned that the county government was not rewarding this man named Lu Hao but instead holding him accountable, even deciding to dismiss him. The county party office was about to issue an official red-headed document, reportedly on the orders of County Mayor Li Zhen.

This completely contradicted the online public opinion, putting Song Shanyong in a very awkward position.

If he instructed his department to continue promoting Lu Hao in line with public sentiment, that would directly oppose Mayor Li Zhen’s intentions.

But if they did nothing, and the leadership later decided to commend Lu Hao, the propaganda department would be the first to take the blame. The leaders would scold them for not gathering information promptly, especially since the city TV station had already reported on it, yet the county propaganda department remained silent.

This dilemma tormented Song Shanyong. If he mishandled it, he would surely be reprimanded.

He chain-smoked cigarette after cigarette, finally deciding he must consult the leadership.

He already knew Mayor Li Zhen’s stance, but the attitude of the newly arrived leader was even more important.

That new leader was, of course, the new county party secretary!

Although Secretary Ye had only met a few county standing committee members once to discuss work, and Song Shanyong still couldn’t gauge his temperament, at this critical moment, the top leader’s intentions were paramount.

...

Meanwhile, at the Municipal Party Committee’s residential compound,

Geng Shanshan was having breakfast with her parents, reading the online news, a hint of pride in her voice.

“Dad, the news I reported this time is pretty good, isn’t it?”

A phone call from Ye Ziyi, combined with Geng Shanshan’s keen intuition and swift action, had enabled her to conduct an in-depth grassroots interview and report on the Anxing County forest fire, highlighting the positive energy of national cadres. This significantly boosted viewership for the city TV station and increased followers on various platforms.

“Indeed, your horizons have expanded. You should report more on these grassroots documentary stories. The civil servant frontline really needs young people like you. By the way, what was his name again?” her father asked approvingly.

“Lu Hao. He is the director of the Poverty Alleviation Office in Fangshui Township, Anxing County,” Geng Shanshan replied.

“Oh, by the way, daughter, do you think Lu Hao might be a propaganda figure deliberately created by Anxing County using this forest fire to attract public attention and draw the city’s focus?” her father voiced a suspicion.

Such things were not unheard of. In the past, some grassroots officials in poor counties staged performances to seek promotion, with county leaders turning a blind eye to false publicity to attract the city’s attention and seize more funding.

Geng Shanshan rolled her eyes. “Dad, the higher the rank, the heavier the suspicion. That’s impossible!

I’ve been to the scene. The villagers all say Lu Hao was temporarily appointed as patrol team leader by the leadership. He happened to be on patrol that day, discovered the fire early, and immediately organized villagers to fight it.

He analyzed the fire’s spread, studied the terrain, and rallied hundreds of villagers to carve out a firebreak. He himself nearly tumbled down the mountain and was almost burned, but was rescued just in time. And you saw the interviews with the villagers — their eyes are sharp.”

After hearing his daughter’s account, Geng’s father nodded twice but didn’t take it too seriously.

Every year, some outstanding grassroots cadres did emerge nationwide. He was pleased and trusted the county could handle the matter properly.

“Dad, you seem unconcerned. But I heard that Anxing County is not praising Lu Hao at all—instead, they are planning to hold him accountable severely. The county government has decided to dismiss him, though the formal notice hasn’t been issued yet. Don’t you think Anxing County is blind?” Geng Shanshan said, pouting.

“Is that so?” Geng’s father paused, chopsticks in hand.

“There’s more. A villager said that when they went up the mountain to fight the fire, they encountered someone sneaking down. Someone also found a gasoline-filled bottle at the fire site. It might not have been a natural fire but a man-made one,” she added.

Upon hearing this, Geng’s father frowned deeply. “What’s Lu Hao’s condition now?”

“I heard he’s injured and hospitalized. But it seems no one in Anxing County cares about his recovery—only the township party deputy secretary has visited him,” Geng Shanshan said, sticking out her tongue.

“Anxing County is a mess, no sense of the bigger picture. Their leader didn’t even visit someone injured fighting the fire? What is the county mayor doing?” Geng’s mother couldn’t help but interject.

Geng’s father’s face darkened completely. He immediately took out his phone and dialed.

“Xiao Zhou, send a commendation letter from the Municipal Party Committee’s Organization Department to Anxing County’s Organization Department. Say that our city’s organization department has designated Lu Hao as one of Jianglin City’s outstanding party members this year. Tell Anxing County to prepare materials for submission. If they still don’t understand the city’s intentions, their jobs won’t be necessary.”

After hanging up, his expression brightened somewhat.

“Dad, well done! You’re perfect for organization work—quick to act, sharp-eyed, and good at recognizing talent,” Geng Shanshan immediately gave her father a thumbs-up.

“You, stop flattering your old man,” he said, putting down his chopsticks but clearly pleased by his daughter’s praise.

...

Back at the Anxing County Party Committee,

After inquiring at the county party office, Song Shanyong learned that Secretary Ye had just entered his office and immediately dialed his number.

Once connected, Song quickly said, “Secretary Ye, is this a good time? I have an urgent matter to report to you and the organization...”

“Come to my office,” came the prompt reply.

Hanging up, Song hurried to Secretary Ye’s office.

Within just two minutes, he succinctly reported the entire situation.

“For such an important matter, where have you been? The city TV station already did a report on our county’s incident, and you only thought to report to me now? What were you doing before?” Secretary Ye’s face was stern as he launched into a sharp reprimand.

“Secretary Ye, the county government initially said they would hold Lu Hao accountable and punish him. How could I dare publicize the fire situation?” Song Shanyong said helplessly, throwing the matter onto others.

He had already prepared his words, willing to take some scolding but refusing to shoulder the blame.

At that moment, someone knocked on Secretary Ye’s office door.