Chapter 1402 - The Crux of the Problem
Why did everyone have to take this path of unlimited expansion? Yi Fan summed it up: the main reason was that the Council of Elders' positioning and assignment of tasks for the overseas stations was quite unclear.
Most overseas stations were institutions that handled intelligence, commerce, administration, logistics, and even military affairs all in one. Although in terms of organizational structure they were under the dual jurisdiction of the Ministry of Colonization and Trade and the Foreign Intelligence Bureau—and in places like Jeju Island and Kaohsiung, also under the leadership of the Civil Affairs People's Committee—in actual operation, almost every organ under the Executive Committee had business ties with the overseas stations.
These business ties were not limited to the Executive Committee level. In fact, the business connections between the various overseas stations and Lingao's ministries and commissions were even more frequent. Nearly all of Lingao's ministries and commissions had issued documents and directives to the overseas stations. In the Lingao governmental system, the overseas stations were a classic case of "nine dragons managing water"—everyone could manage, yet no one was responsible.
Using the opportunity of transaction-ledger audits, Yi Fan had personally conducted a business-relationship survey of the Kaohsiung Station and discovered that virtually all central organs in Lingao had had business dealings with the Kaohsiung Station without exception. Even though Kaohsiung had not currently been assigned any mechanical-industry production tasks, the Kaohsiung Station—in the name of ship repair—had still demanded that the machinery sector establish a considerable-scale machine-manufacturing plant locally.
If one were to speak of violations, the establishment of a machinery repair plant in Kaohsiung was itself a violation—because it did not exist in Kaohsiung's basic project establishment. But the project had still received supplementary approval, because in the tasks assigned to Kaohsiung, it was also an important transshipment base for population and cargo and a major naval port.
Once it had a homeport designation, ship repair and vessel maintenance would inevitably involve some mechanical manufacturing and repair needs. Thus, establishing a machinery plant in Kaohsiung became a logical step, and the Planning Institute had no choice but to add it as a supplementary project.
By extension, there were other aspects as well. The newest industrial construction project for Kaohsiung was a sulfur refinery, which would also require expanding trade with highland indigenous peoples as a matching measure. This project was not originally in Kaohsiung's specific construction plan either. Its sudden proposal actually had a direct connection to the Industrial Sector: the chemical industry urgently needed large quantities of sulfur to expand sulfuric acid production—the supply from Hainan's Wanning pyrite mine was nearing exhaustion. In the short term, apart from the Japan foreign-trade channel, Taiwan was the only other source capable of supplying sulfur in quantity. Thus, Kaohsiung—originally intended primarily as a shipping hub and agricultural development base—was now given an additional resource-gathering task: sulfur collection.
Because the functions and positioning of the overseas stations were ambiguous, and there was no specific regulation governing how contact and cooperation between the overseas stations and the ministries and commissions should operate, this gave the Elders at the overseas stations enormous latitude for maneuvering. The practice of "getting on the train first and buying the ticket later" had become a habitual measure at the overseas stations. And the various ministries and commissions, viewing the overseas stations as "experimental fields" and excellent venues for expanding their own departmental achievements, all gave covert support to this approach. Since the overseas stations had long been in a state of scarcity of talent, materials, and capital, they greeted any "business" from the ministries and commissions with great enthusiasm, and would even proactively seek out projects to feed back to the ministries and commissions.
The tasks the Executive Committee assigned to the overseas stations were too vast and too vague, while the resources provided were quite meager. Some tasks required massive investment of funds and manpower; the small allocations alone were utterly inadequate. But for overseas stations to apply for supplementary investment, the approval process was long and the amounts very limited. Thus, in order to rack up performance metrics, a situation of "if we can't give resources, give policy" emerged. Yi Fan believed this was the most dangerous of all.
History had proven that "if we can't give resources, give policy" was often the breeding ground for many abuses. Many of the problems criticized in that other time-space had accumulated precisely from this loophole of "giving policy."
Although Yi Fan styled himself "Cheka," at heart he was still an accountant. Cook only as much rice as you have; proceed within your means—this had always been his guiding principle. But Lingao's current overall situation was "Great Leap Forward"-style: manpower, materials, funds, and equipment all emphasized "maximum efficiency," when in truth it was all a shell game—eight jars and seven lids—with both central and local governments thinking of nothing but fleecing others. As the saying goes: when the top has preferences, the bottom follows suit.
The problem with the overseas stations lay mainly with the Executive Committee and the Council of Elders. If the basic issues of the overseas stations' subordination, authority, and responsibilities were not straightened out, no amount of rectification would be effective. Replacing personnel and abolishing projects were treating the symptoms rather than the disease. First and foremost, direct business contact between the overseas stations and the central ministries and commissions should be prohibited. Second, the positioning and mission objectives of each overseas station should be clearly defined, with violations and unauthorized projects—especially those "seemingly beautiful" self-financing projects—banned. Sometimes it would even be necessary to scale back some projects.
However, to persuade the Executive Committee and Council of Elders to make large-scale adjustments, one needed ample material. Yi Fan considered focusing this inspection on clearing out the illegal projects at the overseas stations first.
"In short, the problem with the overseas stations is a systemic problem." Yi Fan roared in his cabin, his words meant to shake the deaf and rouse the dumb.
"Sir, here is a notice from the General Affairs Office." Feng Hua delivered the latest batch of letters and telegrams to his desk.
"Thank you. Go and fetch Zhao Tong."
"He's already here, waiting outside."
"Let him in."
Zhao Yingong looked with some dejection at the "circular telegram" from the General Affairs Office to the overseas stations lying on top. Without even opening it, he knew it was a notification that the inspection team had departed.
He had known for a long time that the inspection team was coming: private letters from Lingao had been keeping him in the loop, and he had always been well informed about developments in the Executive Committee and Council of Elders.
Overall, the situation was looking rather unfavorable. In particular, the prime culprit Hao Yuan had still not been apprehended.
He sighed, opened the telegram, and when he saw that the team leader was Yi Fan, immediately felt a chill run down his spine.
He was not familiar with Yi Fan personally, but the man's famous dictum—"Drag the Elders out and shoot them"—had long been thundering in his ears. A man clearly determined to dye his cap button red with blood was the most terrifying of all. Then he saw Dai Xie and immediately made an unpleasant association with his duties. Finally, he saw a relatively insignificant name, but upon seeing "Political Security General Administration," his heart gave a lurch.
This lineup was really impossible to face calmly. "This isn't building up to putting me under double detention, is it?" Zhao Yingong worried privately.
He read on. The inspection team's reported itinerary was: Kaohsiung – Hangzhou – Shandong – Jeju Island – Japan – Guangzhou – Leizhou.
The first inspection stop was not Hangzhou. Before Zhao Yingong could chew over the implications, Zhao Tong entered.
"What's the progress?"
"We still haven't found the wanted person." Zhao Tong said. "All our men have been sent out; the government arrest warrant has been issued; posters with his image are being put up everywhere for capture. However, the Office of Sticky Poles has found some valuable leads on Jia Le, Cao Guangjiu, and 'Stone Elder,' and we're following up."
"If he stays in hiding in Hangzhou and doesn't come out, no matter how hard we try, we won't catch him." Zhao Yingong frowned. "What about the escort lead?"
"We've found some materials on them in Hangzhou and sent them to the Beijing Station, but we haven't received a specific response yet." Zhao Tong hesitated and then added, "However, it would be best if we sent our own people to investigate this."
"Write a report to the Intelligence Bureau explaining the current situation and our plans, and apply to send people to the capital. Whether or not recent efforts succeed, the paperwork must be complete!"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Go on now. These matters must be pursued urgently!" Zhao Yingong rubbed his head—not a bit of progress. He thought for a moment, then picked up the pile of private letters beneath the telegram. For confidentiality reasons, the names of sender and recipient were never written on the envelopes of private letters between Elders; only code numbers indicated the recipient.
He had never received so many private letters before. Zhao Yingong had quite a wide circle of acquaintances in Lingao, and after being posted overseas, he had tried to maintain contact with acquaintances in Lingao. Thus, correspondence back and forth was considerable. But recently, the volume of private letters from Lingao had suddenly surged. There were ones from people he knew, ones from people he didn't know, and even outright anonymous letters.
One signed "An Honest Elder" launched directly into a scolding:
"Well, well, Zhao Yingong, Eunuch Zhao, Emperor Zhao—what kind of mess have you been making in Hangzhou? You've lost sight of priorities, put the cart before the horse, acted on your own, and been self-righteous! Wining and dining those native officials and gentry, scheming and sycophanting—don't forget your identity, and don't forget your mission! Feel your pig head and think hard: what is your real task? All right, let's not even talk about other tasks—you, Eunuch Zhao, sitting in Hangzhou, the most resource-rich area for Jiangnan beauties, have accomplished absolutely nothing in female servant procurement! You, on the other hand, have been enjoying the advantage of proximity—I hear you've got several hundred young girls in your so-called charity school, training them? What do you mean by that? Trying to hog it all for yourself? Trying to cultivate a personal cult and set up your own faction? Why haven't these hundreds of children been sent to Lingao? Is Lingao's Fangcaodi teaching quality worse than your charity school? To say you're sitting on the latrine without producing is really no injustice to you. Look at Quark Qiong—a slave trader who traveled thousands of miles and in the same amount of time delivered nearly two hundred 'great ocean horses' to the Council! And you? You have the nerve to boast and cry injustice..."
There were ones offering "constructive suggestions":
"For the smooth development of the Hangzhou Station's work, to reduce unnecessary resistance from Lingao and gain more people's support, it is recommended that Comrade Zhao Yingong vigorously procure virgins who meet the aesthetic tastes or special preferences of the Elders. Hire famous Jiangnan courtesans and veteran madams as trainers (preferably keep one or two with bound feet—some Elders have a taste for that). Our goal is to protect classical Chinese beauties and preserve traditional high culture of world-heritage significance. You know the specific requirements and standards..."