Chapter 353: Drawing a Clear Line

The income of native officials was divided into three parts: one part was the “position salary”—the salary received for holding a particular office; another part was the “rank salary”—this part was unrelated to the native official’s position and was only related to his years of service and contribution to the Transmigration regime. The total income of a senior grassroots clerk could be higher than that of a junior mid-level official. Xiao Zishan believed that this would allow native cadres to feel at ease in grassroots and professional work, and would not create a situation where the more skilled they became in grassroots and professional work, the less future they had. As long as their work was outstanding, their income would not be less. The last part was “allowances and benefits,” which were issued according to the nature of the work, favoring dangerous, arduous, and difficult positions.

Next, the meeting held a long discussion on a series of issues. This plenary meeting of the Executive Committee lasted for a whole night. In the end, everyone felt exhausted and starving, but before the meeting was adjourned, the members of the Executive Committee had to study the meeting communiqué word by word—not only to solve the problems left over from before the general assembly, but also to take into account the reaction of the masses. The taste of democracy was indeed not easy to savor.

Thus, in the final stage of the meeting, everyone unanimously decided to add a Secretary-General to the Executive Committee. He would not be a member of the Executive Committee, but would be responsible for the clerical work of the Executive Committee.

“I think Mu Quan is a good choice. His meeting minutes are very well done…” Ma Qianzhan had just started when he was interrupted by Wu De.

“Director-General, don’t forget we just established the cadre system—”

“Oh, right, we should have an open recruitment,” Ma Qianzhan remembered. “Then let’s recruit. Post the news on the internal BBS.”

“Alright, I’ll take care of this,” Xiao Zishan agreed. “I also need a Director of the Organization Department. Let’s recruit for both at the same time.”

“You can handle it,” Wen Desi said. “The position of Director of the Organization Department is not for everyone, and it’s a very key position. The selection must be careful.”

“I know.”

After the meeting, the members of the Executive Committee turned off the lights and came out of the conference room in a daze. The sky was already slightly bright, and the morning bugle was sounding in the barracks. Several members of the Executive Committee were in a hurry to get something to eat and go to bed, so they left without a word.

Ma Qianzhan, on the other hand, felt a little refreshed by the cold wind. For a moment, he felt that he couldn’t sleep, so he went back to his office.

Hou Wenyong had already come to work and had cleaned the large office used by the native clerks and scribes outside Ma Qianzhan’s office. Like all the natives who had been taken in, educated, and employed by the Transmigration Group, he was extremely grateful to the group. He did not simply regard himself as a paid “employee” or a “cadre” in the “new language,” but as a master-servant relationship with a closer personal attachment.

If it weren’t for the strict system of native entry and exit in a place like the Executive Committee compound, Hou Wenyong would have almost slept in the office—he thought this was a matter of course.

Except for a very few, all the natives who could live in Bairen City lived in a special courtyard in the city. Every night after 21:00, all natives had to return to their dormitories, and the doors were locked by the sentries. They could only come out after 6:00 in the morning. Some workaholic elders were already starting to work at this time. There was no entertainment in Lingao, so everyone went to bed early and got up early.

Ma Qianzhan instructed Hou Wenyong, “Make a cup of tea, make it strong!”

“Yes, Chief!” Hou Wenyong responded and was about to leave, but he stopped. “Chief, you haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Should I call the cafeteria and ask them to send it over?”

“No need. Just sort out the materials on the table first.” Ma Qianzhan felt that his thoughts were a little confused. He needed to sit down, drink some tea, and sort them out.

Hou Wenyong brought him hot tea and carefully closed the door when he left. He could already tell what Chief Ma was thinking from his expression. Ma Qianzhan opened one of the countless drawers next to him and took out a lunch box containing Russian-style black bread baked by the cafeteria. This was originally intended for the army because it was filling and did not spoil easily, but the cafeteria found that it was particularly time-consuming to bake, and the wheat production was too low to even feed the Transmigration members themselves. So, only a small amount was produced for the elders to enjoy, but the sales were very average. Most elders were not interested in this sour and hard thing.

He took out a chessboard from the drawer, set up a game in progress, and began to study it. This was his usual method when he had to consider some major issues.

Ma Qianzhan gnawed on the black bread, his fingers moving on the chessboard, but his mind was racing.

Although many of his plans had been rejected, he was very happy that this Executive Committee meeting had determined the status and remuneration of native cadres. A large number of social reforms had to be implemented by native cadres. He had always firmly believed that the key to building a new society was to rely on “cadres,” and a large number of them.

It was strange that a county yamen in the Ming Dynasty, with only a few officials, could manage its administrative affairs well by relying on a group of “petty officials” with the status of commoners. Ma Qianzhan had always admired the bureaucratic system. He firmly believed that the reason why modern society could achieve a powerful social control and execution that ancient and traditional societies could not was that it had established a huge bureaucratic group.

If the Transmigration Group wanted to build a modern society, it would be impossible without cultivating a large number of its own cadres.

Since Wu De had already left his post, the Civil Affairs Committee had fallen directly into his hands, and the appointment of native cadres was under the jurisdiction of the Cadre Department of the Civil Affairs Committee. This gave him greater initiative in the reform of the civil administration system of the entire Lingao.

Although Ma Qianzhan had lost the position of the Planning Committee, which had once given him great power over the Transmigration Group, as the Secretary of State, he had become the “premier” of the Transmigration Group in name, and to a certain extent, he had more freedom of action. Through the State Council meetings, he could effectively impose his own will and ideas on various ministries and commissions, rather than relying on the past power of resource allocation to indirectly achieve his goals.

What Wu De handed over to him was a stall that was beginning to show results, but many things had just begun and needed to be carried on. He wondered, who would be the People’s Commissar for Civil Affairs?

Open recruitment? Ma Qianzhan couldn’t help but sneer. Isn’t it absurd to directly recruit cadres without long-term training and observation? While eating bread, he was mentally arranging the personnel files in his heart when the office door was suddenly pushed open.

Dugu Qiuhun barged in without even looking at Ma Qianzhan in the room, and sat down in the grand armchair.

“This job is impossible to do. They’re all coming at me,” he cursed angrily, not at anyone in particular. “Is it easy for me? Who am I doing this for? Isn’t it for everyone’s benefit…”

Ma Qianzhan didn’t even raise his head. He carefully tore the bread and put it into his mouth in small bites.

“Now they’re treating me like a criminal and even convicting me of ‘being guilty’! What is this?! They want me to be an agricultural technician! I’m not going to be a farmer who rakes the ground and scoops up manure!”

Ma Qianzhan said nothing, took a sip of hot tea, shook the hard bread crumbs that had fallen on his body to the ground, and picked up the newly published “Lingao Times, Internal Edition” on the table.

Dugu Qiuhun was a little restless, and his tone softened, “Big brother Ma, you have to stand up for me. I did all this listening to you…”

“I only told you to be a good sentry for Bairen City and manage the security outside,” Ma Qianzhan interrupted him coldly. “I didn’t tell you to lead the police team into the city.”

“Weren’t I afraid that the rioters would storm the Executive Committee?” Dugu Qiuhun said aggrievedly. “You don’t know how many people were spreading bad words about you behind your back in those days. I was afraid that the rioters would take the opportunity to harm you…”

“I’m upright and honest. What do I have to fear from rumors?” Ma Qianzhan snorted. “Your actions have only confirmed many of the rumors.”

“This… this… I didn’t mean to…” Dugu Qiuhun was at a loss. “I didn’t expect to be used by others. This old and cunning…”

“Are you planning to be convicted of spreading rumors and slander?” Ma Qianzhan interrupted him sharply.

“Then you can’t just stand by and watch me die,” Dugu Qiuhun couldn’t help but get a little angry. “We’re in the same boat.”

“All 521 of us are in the same boat.” Ma Qianzhan moved another chess piece, unhurriedly. He turned his head, “You honestly go to Wu Nanhai’s place for a month of confinement and write a deep self-criticism. Old Wu is a good person and will take care of you. In the future, work hard under Ye Yuming to atone for your crimes. Don’t say any more. I’ve already spoken to him and will try to arrange some administrative work for you.”

“Big brother Ma, you…” When Dugu Qiuhun heard that his future was to deal with mud, a look of despair appeared on his face.

Ma Qianzhan waved his hand, signaling him not to interrupt. “You clean up the mess you made yourself.”

Dugu Qiuhun’s face was a little pale, it was hard to say whether it was fear or anger, but either emotion was enough to make him jump up and shout:

“Ma Qianzhan, don’t think I don’t know what tricks you’re playing. You’re sacrificing the chariot to save the king! You used me as a gun before! Now you want to draw a clear line with me!”

Ma Qianzhan just looked leisurely at the chessboard in front of him, chewing on the black bread, pretending not to hear his roar. After he had vented his anger, he said slowly:

“Qiuhun! Remember, never label yourself as a faction—that will lead to mistakes.”

“Alright! I’ll take responsibility for what I’ve done! I’ll do it myself in the future!” Dugu Qiuhun finished speaking and rushed out.

Ma Qianzhan’s face was wooden as he put away the chessboard. Losing Dugu Qiuhun was a major loss for him, but after this incident, if he didn’t draw a clear line with him, it would become a fatal wound to his political life.