Fu Yuanshan's words were harsh, but his expression was beaming with joy. With Zhou Xuan, a strong and capable ally, holding things together, he had nothing to worry about.
Zhou Xuan smiled and didn't say anything more, taking it as tacit agreement. Fu Yuanshan had solved the case, but there were still many things to do and people to use. It didn't mean that his foundation was solid after solving the case and becoming the director. There was still a long way to go. It was not an easy task to completely control the Municipal Bureau. The Municipal Bureau was in charge of the entire public security front in Beijing, and the factions and forces involved were far more complex than those in his previous branch bureau.
In the system, it's already very difficult for a bureau-level cadre to break through to the deputy director-general level. Some people spend their entire lives and still remain bureau-level when they retire, unable to break through that barrier. The deputy director-general level is just a window away, but they just can't get past it. Even if some people manage to get past that barrier, the difference between deputy director-general and director-general, though only one level, is like a mountain. It's extremely difficult to climb over that mountain. Deputy director-general is a hurdle, but director-general is an insurmountable hurdle. Stepping into director-general means officially entering the true center of high-level power. Although there is still a huge distance from the top, entering this circle means stepping into the gateway to the pinnacle of power. It's like going to primary and secondary school, while director-general is like high school. It's the threshold to enter university, the only way to get into university, but it doesn't guarantee admission. Whether you can get there depends on your ability and opportunities. However, being able to enter this level is, after all, getting closer to a dreamlike state.
After informing his subordinates, Fu Yuanshan glanced at Zhou Xuan, who was waiting with his head patted and cheeks pinched, and couldn't help but smile. This brotherly friend had indeed given him a great surprise. But without Zhou Xuan, he might have remained a bureau-level official until the end of his life, never even reaching the level of deputy director. If it weren't for Zhou Xuan, he would never have been among the officials vying for that deputy director position. Fu Yuanshan was well aware of this. This was not a fluke, but a fact. It was because of Zhou Xuan that he was still the director of the branch office.
Fu Yuanshan was the acting director on a temporary basis. Due to time constraints, he did not have a full-time secretary. Instead, a police officer who was in charge of documents was temporarily transferred from the office to act as his secretary. The officer did not actually serve as a secretary but simply relayed Fu Yuanshan's instructions regarding meetings or arrangements.
Fu Yuanshan selected almost all deputy section chiefs and section-level cadres, including two deputy bureau chiefs. The deputy bureau chiefs in the municipal bureau were all deputy provincial-level cadres. After the bureau chief took office, they almost all shared and divided the power vacuum in the municipal bureau. In private, they were all working closely with their former superiors. Whether they could seize this opportunity depended on their individual strategies and the strength of their backers.
Although Fu Yuanshan had Wei Haihe, the municipal party secretary, standing behind him, his situation was actually the most dangerous and unstable. Wei Haihe had made it clear at the Standing Committee meeting that Fu Yuanshan was being proposed as acting secretary because the municipal bureau was a crucial unit and could not be without a leader for even a day. Fu Yuanshan was being proposed as acting secretary because of his personal abilities. However, acting secretary was just acting secretary. The actual appointment would still have to be decided by the Standing Committee. This also depended on whether Fu Yuanshan could gain the trust of the Standing Committee members in this short period of time.
Of course, this is just one way of putting it. These Standing Committee members all have their own agendas. The head of the Municipal Public Security Bureau is a cut above the other bureau chiefs in all units. This position is one of the most important and coveted positions in the city. Holding it is practically equivalent to having command over the city's operations. If one performs well over time, it can further promote their entry into the Standing Committee. Once on the Standing Committee, they will have even more say in the Beijing Municipal Party Committee. Which of these bigwigs in the city wouldn't want that?
Although Wei Haihe has taken up the post of Party Secretary of Beijing, in the past year, due to the fragmentation of power and the presence of numerous factions in Beijing, no matter how capable he is, he has been unable to fully utilize his abilities. Everything he does is constrained. It is naturally frustrating for the top leader not to be able to exercise the power of the top leader, so he has basically not achieved anything. If it weren't for his exceptional abilities and the support of his father and Lao Li, Wei Haihe would already be stuck in Beijing. If things continue like this, it won't be long before he is forced out of the position of Party Secretary of Beijing.
This time, it just so happened that such a thing happened. Wei Haihe was well aware of Zhou Xuan's abilities, so he took this risky step. It was all or nothing. If he failed, his reputation and prestige in the municipal party committee would be further reduced, and it would be even more difficult for him to exert his influence among the standing committee members. It would be certain that he would be forced to leave Beijing.
Of course, it was said to be a risky move, but in fact he still had the old man's tacit approval. With Zhou Xuan helping Fu Yuanshan to hold the mountain, once this move was successful, the whole game would be in motion. And the key to all of this naturally fell on Zhou Xuan's shoulders.
Although Fu Yuanshan had only read Zhou Xuan's notes, which were still just a hypothesis, and it was uncertain whether the case could be solved or even if it would be solved, Fu Yuanshan, based on his trust in Zhou Xuan's abilities, had already seen the dawn of victory just around the corner.
In the second small conference room, Fu Yuanshan gathered nineteen section-level cadres, most of whom were not valued by the bureau leaders and were being ostracized. Fu Yuanshan had called them here, and they were all suspicious, but they understood that Fu Yuanshan definitely wanted to win them over, and that was a fact that was not wrong.
But they all had the same idea: Fu Yuanshan was acting as the director of the bureau, and they all knew perfectly well that Fu Yuanshan was just a temporary figurehead. To make the higher-ups speechless in such a short time would be impossible, unless one was a god. There was only one way to do that: solve cases, solve the major cases that had been piling up and couldn't be solved, and let the results speak for themselves. But to achieve such results would be the same as saying nothing at all.
So, in the meeting room, the nineteen people remained silent, waiting to see what Fu Yuanshan's intentions were. The other two idle people were Zhou Xuan and Zhang Lei, both of whom were without official rank, which displeased the cadres. It seemed that Fu Yuanshan was truly at his wit's end and was just pulling in anyone to help him, as long as they were people who could speak on his behalf.
This made these people's opinion of Fu Yuanshan even worse.
Fu Yuanshan understood, of course, but he wasn't flustered at all. He sat down slowly and said, "Well, everyone's here, right? Now that everyone's here, I'll get straight to the point. First, before I talk about this matter, I want to clarify another point. I assume you all understand that I want to gather you all together to do something practical and important. However, before I make any arrangements, if anyone is unwilling, or afraid of being ostracized after joining me, they can leave. I guarantee they are free to do so. Staying or leaving is entirely up to you. Because of the importance of this matter, I need to ask for your opinions first. Now, everyone, please state your opinions. Those who want to stay, stay; those who don't, please leave."
Fu Yuanshan's words confused these people. Looking at Fu Yuanshan's expression, it didn't seem like he was just talking nonsense. His calm and composed attitude was definitely not that of a bureau chief who could only do the job for three days.
However, they were almost all long-term targets of exclusion. Being excluded was one thing; as long as they had a job and could retire peacefully, that was fine. But if they followed Fu Yuanshan in this commotion, any new director or deputy director who took over would see this clearly. If they didn't follow them, that would be fine; they were just keeping quiet and not causing trouble, and no one was biased. But if they followed Fu Yuanshan in this mess, their future would probably be even more difficult.
Of course, this would only be possible if there was a result that would free them from this predicament: if Fu Yuanshan were to shed the title of "acting" and become a full-fledged bureau chief. In that case, they would be Fu Yuanshan's heroes, and they would naturally reap many benefits in the future. They understood the saying, "A new emperor brings a new court."
But the key point is that they all know very well that Fu Yuanshan's way out is basically dead, there is no way to retreat. Almost everyone knows that Fu Yuanshan can only work for a few days. After a few days, he will be beaten back to where he was. However, it is possible that the original position will no longer belong to him. At that time, Wei Haihe will be busy with his own problems, so why will he have time to care about him?
Fu Yuanshan glanced at the group of people, all of whom were hesitant. He suddenly felt a little anxious. No matter how capable he was, or how well Zhou Xuan had arranged things, he couldn't possibly be the only one to arrest the suspect.
Of course, Fu Yuanshan had another option: to transfer his trusted subordinates from his original posts to complete the task. However, this was somewhat against the rules. While it was easy to assign people, he couldn't transfer all his subordinates to the Municipal Bureau after the mission was finished. If he really wanted to secure his position, he would have to promote someone from within the Municipal Bureau to a deputy position. Currently, these marginalized cadres were actually the best candidates. The key was that at this stage, he needed to gain their trust.
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Volume 1, Chapter 538: Emergency Action
Chapter 538 Emergency Operation
Fu Yuanshan looked at everyone, then at Zhou Xuan. Seeing Zhou Xuan smiling silently, he felt much more at ease. He had seen all the incredible things Zhou Xuan had done before. The current situation was no different from that time. The only pressure was that back then, he was the only one who trusted Zhou Xuan and relied on Zhou Xuan's abilities to help him.
Now, with the addition of Wei Haihe, it can be said that Wei Haihe is the engine of their chariot, and their relationship is one of mutual prosperity and mutual decline, all for the sake of Wei Haihe's plan.
While it's true that they have their own interests involved, this interest is also intertwined with emotions, making their chain of interests extremely strong. If there's a benefit, no one will abandon the other; if there's disaster, no one will reveal their involvement. Although interests bind them together, ultimately, emotions outweigh interests among them. Therefore, it's absolutely impossible for anyone to try to divide or dismantle this circle.
"Since no one has any objections, I'll speak first," Fu Yuanshan said calmly, his mind at ease. "But before that, I'll ask one last time: those who want to withdraw, you have one last chance."
After Fu Yuanshan finished speaking, he stared intently at the people in the conference room. Everyone quieted down, looked at each other, and two people stood up. They first nodded to Fu Yuanshan to express their humility, and then walked out of the conference room.
Although Fu Yuanshan was very confident about what he was going to do because of Zhou Xuan, it would still be very difficult and unpleasant if he didn't have anyone in the Municipal Bureau to support him and couldn't get any foundation.
Zhou Xuan had also thought about this problem. He was confident in his abilities, but when he thought about the plan he had devised for Fu Yuanshan, which was to win over the cadres who were not in power in the Municipal Bureau and then take control of the entire Municipal Bureau by taking advantage of this opportunity to solve the case, he realized that these cadres were not in power because they had been suppressed for a long time, and everyone could see Fu Yuanshan's situation. Knowing that it was a dead end, they naturally did not intend to follow him. If there were benefits and opportunities to get ahead, why would they not do it?
The key issue is that Fu Yuanshan's path is a one-way street. In a few days, Fu Yuanshan will be demoted and transferred. It doesn't matter if he leaves; at most, he will lose power in the future. But those of them who remain will have even less to say. They were already being suppressed, and now they've followed someone else. No matter who takes over as deputy director of the municipal bureau, they will only continue to be suppressed. So none of them are prepared to work with Fu Yuanshan.
However, Fu Yuanshan had clearly shown he had a trump card, so they wanted to stay and see what he was confident he had. But Fu Yuanshan wasn't stupid; he insisted they make a decision first before discussing anything else, leaving them with no choice but to consider whether to do it or not.
When Zhou Xuan saw that after the first two people got up and left, the remaining seventeen people also braced themselves and prepared to get up, Fu Yuanshan became a little anxious. The expressions and actions of these people were obvious. However, after moving a little, these seventeen people sat back down and waited without moving.
Seeing that the remaining seventeen people hadn't left, Fu Yuanshan felt much better, realizing he still had supporters. He immediately said, "Alright, since there are still seventeen comrades willing to work with me to push the work forward, I'll be frank with you all. I'm very well prepared today. Through other channels, I've already uncovered the details of several cases. The purpose of this meeting is to have you all apprehend the suspects in these cases. Before that, I want to clarify one thing: if there are any wrong arrests or other problems in these cases, I will personally bear all the consequences. I will have a written agreement with you all. But if things are successful, you will all definitely share the credit. I won't hide it; I'm telling you frankly, if possible, I will work with you all to make the Municipal Bureau thrive and achieve significant improvements. What do you all think now?"
Fu Yuanshan was unaware that these people had actually been preparing to leave. Faced with the choice of staying or leaving, almost all of them chose to leave. When Zhou Xuan saw the critical situation, he immediately used his ice-based ability to freeze the seventeen people without hesitation. However, he only froze their ability to move, while their thinking, hearing, and vision remained intact. Therefore, they could clearly hear what Fu Yuanshan said afterward.
Zhou Xuan's actions were quite ingenious. In that instant, all seventeen people felt as if their bodies were suddenly congested, a cold sensation twitching through their bodies, and their bodies suddenly went numb. Only after Fu Yuanshan finished speaking did their mobility suddenly return. This made them completely unaware of any other reason, simply assuming it was just a muscle cramp and would pass naturally.
To be honest, before hearing Fu Yuanshan's later words, these seventeen people had no choice but to leave. However, Zhou Xuan's actions, which had initially silenced them, led Fu Yuanshan to mistakenly believe they had all stayed voluntarily. Hearing Fu Yuanshan's confident words, their minds started racing again. They thought this sudden change of heart was a good thing; if Fu Yuanshan was truly so confident, it might be an opportunity for them. If they succeeded, they would become Fu Yuanshan's founding fathers, their futures bright. Furthermore, Fu Yuanshan had Wei Haihe, the Party Secretary of the Municipal Committee, the most powerful figure in Beijing. Regardless of his current situation, someone of his status naturally had extraordinary connections. With such a powerful background, Fu Yuanshan's competition with his rivals was a foregone conclusion.
Zhou Xuan secretly withdrew his supernatural power. None of the seventeen people knew that such a thing had happened, nor did Fu Yuanshan. Of course, Zhou Xuan could not reveal or explain it to Fu Yuanshan at this time. Since it was a sudden event, Zhou Xuan did not have the opportunity or time to tell him, and Fu Yuanshan was unaware of it.
Because he didn't know, Fu Yuanshan's expression became even more natural. He continued driving, unaware of anything.
Zhou Xuan was just secretly observing the expressions of the seventeen people. They were basically just giving it a try and would see how things went before making any decisions. They were just doing their jobs as usual, as if they were just doing a casual task.
After saying this, Fu Yuanshan asked, "If there are no objections, then I will proceed with the arrangements?"
None of the seventeen men moved, having essentially accepted Fu Yuanshan's intentions. Seeing that no one objected, Fu Yuanshan excitedly explained the action plan. The seventeen men listened quietly to Fu Yuanshan's instructions, not uttering a single word. Fu Yuanshan was an extremely capable person, and he was very familiar with public security work. Therefore, when he arranged the action plan, it was logical and well-organized, leaving the seventeen officers with no surprises. Basically, Fu Yuanshan had already reasonably instructed them on the conditions and arrangements they needed, leaving them with no room for worry or additions in the plan and action.
This reassured the seventeen people and strengthened their trust in Fu Yuanshan. Fu Yuanshan's personal abilities had already been demonstrated at this moment. Since he could put their minds at ease in these matters, then everything else would be the same.
The seventeen people were divided into six groups of three, with one group consisting of only two officers. Fu Yuanshan personally led that group. There were a total of eighteen people in six groups. After the arrangements were made, Fu Yuanshan waved his hand and instructed, "Now, everyone, immediately gather the police officers. Each group should bring ten police officers, and all equipment should be ready to go."
Everyone took out their phones and immediately notified the police officers to assemble downstairs. This action clearly signaled to the others that Fu Yuanshan had taken action on his first day in office, but no one knew exactly what that action was.
After everyone was settled, Fu Yuanshan was about to set off when he suddenly remembered that Zhou Xuan and Zhang Lei's group hadn't made any moves. Zhou Xuan was new here and not a leader, so he had no one under him and couldn't be called upon. Zhang Lei wasn't a leader either, and she didn't know what the situation was. Seeing everyone actively making arrangements, she assumed that she and Zhou Xuan were also acting with the seventeen people, rather than acting alone.
The seventeen people, plus Zhou Xuan, Zhang Lei, and Fu Yuanshan, made a total of twenty. With Fu Yuanshan's approval, they all went to the weapons and equipment department and received a pistol and ten rounds of ammunition.