Chapter 2339 - Personnel Adjustment

Zhao Manxiong narrowed his eyes. After a long moment, he said: "As I see it, we have no choice but to take a decisive step: ensure that key figures fully understand our goodwill and recognize the benefits of mutual cooperation. Then others with ulterior motives who try to sow dissension won't be able to stir up waves."

His subordinates stared at him in surprise, as if unable to believe what they were hearing.

"You're asking a tiger for its skin," You Guotuan exclaimed.

"Not quite that extreme—at most, perhaps a pinch of fur." Zhao Manxiong said. "Providing a reminder at a critical moment benefits everyone."

"Director Zhao, is this approach reliable?"

"To me, it's very simple. I"—he looked around at them—"am also a Senator. Not Hoover, not Beria. And him? He's neither Roosevelt, Truman, Stalin, nor Khrushchev. If he's smart enough, he'll understand my meaning."

Zhou Botao grasped his intention immediately. He grew slightly excited. "I understand. If they really tear off all pretense and try to destroy the Pol-Sec Bureau, we can turn the tables. Damn it—you know how to manipulate public opinion? So do we."

"The sacred power entrusted to Senators by the Senate—what a waste not to use it?" You Guotuan laughed. "We've been on the mountain so long we can't see the mountain anymore!"

"Our Director Zhao still sees clearly." Wu Fo offered the flattery, though he remained relatively cautious. "But our strength isn't that great."

"Strength can be transformed. After all, things are in constant flux." Zhao Manxiong said. "Of course, I personally have absolutely no wish to go that far. We're all in the same boat, working toward the same cause—just with different views and political opinions. Some contradictions are better left unexpanded."

He muttered to himself for a moment, then said: "There's one more thing I need to inform everyone about. Considering the current situation, our personnel needs adjustment."

The three Section Chiefs looked at him somewhat nervously.

"I've been thinking—my personal background is probably what causes certain people to feel uneasy. Although I never worked in any strong-arm agency, my academic major and research focus likely generate many associations. I hadn't considered this point before." He smiled slightly. "They call us Cosplay Masters, but in their hearts they don't believe it for a second."

"You want to resign?" Several voices spoke at once. Wu Fo rushed to add, "You're the core of this department!"

For a moment the conference room filled with cries of "The King cannot leave."

"No, no—I don't intend to resign, nor will I leave the Pol-Sec Bureau." Zhao Manxiong said. "I'm merely considering that given our current situation, we need to do something to reassure the Senators. So I'm considering making some adjustments to the Bureau's personnel."

"We absolutely support any adjustment you make," the three stated immediately.

"Good. Considering that outsiders view our department as a 'monolithic block'—and I personally sense that tendency developing—now that there's been a decision to strengthen local branches of the Pol-Sec system, I'm preparing to assign comrades to serve as Directors of local sub-bureaus. Wu Fo, you stay—you do technical work, and going local wouldn't give you much room to excel. Better to remain at headquarters. Of course, I'm asking for your opinions."

"I have no objection." Wu Fo had no interest in being dispatched as a Director and answered immediately.

"Nor do we."

"Good. You Guotuan—you're among the youngest in our Bureau besides Comrade Wu Mu. The Senate is preparing to designate Foshan as an experimental field and let the young ones have a go at things..." Zhao Manxiong said. "Originally the Pol-Sec system was going to be handed over to one of them, but the Senate felt that was too risky. So they want us to select and dispatch a Senator to serve as Foshan Sub-Bureau Director. Looking at our options, You Guotuan, you're the youngest among us and have rich experience. You're suitable for this position."

"This is a good sedan-chair-carrying job," You Guotuan laughed.

"Good if done well, bad if done poorly. Foshan's complexity is second only to Guangzhou in all of Guangdong. The Senate has high expectations for the place, and the young ones themselves have political disagreements among them. There will probably be many contradictions in actual administration." Zhao Manxiong said. "You must remember: you're going there as an escort. First, you must guarantee their absolute safety. Second, offer professional advice, but leave the decision-making to them—this is their training. Third, you must act according to regulations."

"Understood." You Guotuan nodded solemnly.

"As for Comrade Zhou Botao, your assignment is Wuzhou. Later you'll also be responsible for managing Pol-Sec work throughout Guangxi. Honestly speaking, your difficulty is the greatest. Guangxi—even under the loose management of the Great Ming—was severely deficient. Going there to take charge of Guangxi work will probably be enormously challenging."

Though he spoke of difficulty, this also meant promotion to a Regional-Level Pol-Sec position. Zhou Botao naturally understood Zhao Manxiong's meaning: going to Wuzhou carried heavy responsibility but boundless prospects. Whether he could master the situation depended entirely on his ability.

Zhou Botao was steady by nature; he nodded silently.

"Then there's the adjustment within our Bureau. Obviously, we need to bring in some outsiders who won't make comrades uneasy when they sleep, to fill important positions..."

"Whom do you plan to choose? Someone outside the Bureau?" You Guotuan was deeply concerned about the Bureau's future; hearing about bringing in an outsider, he asked immediately.

"Comrade Guo Yi."

Zhao Manxiong had been calculating this move for some time—precisely speaking, since before the Liangguang Strategy began, when he learned that Guo Yi wouldn't be staying in Guangzhou but would receive another assignment.

The Senators' wariness of him personally was a problem he couldn't solve. The only solution was to bring people into the Bureau who could put them at ease. This was an extremely difficult candidate to find. First, the person had to reassure all parties. Second, they needed certain professional abilities—at minimum, they had to appear "capable" enough to create the impression that this person could "check and balance" him.

His first choice had actually been Ji Xin. Ji Xin's "indifferent to worldly affairs" and detached attitude, free from entanglements with any faction, had left a deep impression among Senators—a candidate acceptable to all sides. He had handled thorny case investigations many times and came from a legal background; he could be considered "professional personnel." And through private conversations, Zhao Manxiong believed this person possessed sufficient public spirit; cooperation was entirely possible.

He had considered asking Ma Jia to resign, yielding the Chief Director position to Ji Xin. But he realized that once Ma Jia left office, he would lose his most direct supporter at the highest levels. Ma Jia was an excellent leader—not only commanding political resources sufficient to shelter the Pol-Sec Bureau from storms, but also serving as a crucial intermediary for his contacts with the upper echelon. If Ma Jia lost the Director title, many future matters would become difficult to broach.

After much deliberation, he abandoned Ji Xin as a candidate and turned his attention to Guo Yi.

Speaking purely of profession, Guo Yi was the most professionally qualified Senator in the entire Senate. Yet since D-Day, he had consistently done business work unrelated to his specialty.

First, he was professional enough to leave a deep impression on everyone. Second, he was an independent figure—like Ming Lang, a thoroughgoing outsider. Having spent many years in Guangzhou, he had no power base in Lingao. Usually cautious and timid, the impression he left on everyone was quite favorable. In other words, a person acceptable to all sides.

"He's a suitable person—certainly nothing to fault on the professional side," Wu Fo said somewhat worriedly. "But he hasn't touched his specialty for many years. If we nominate him now, Senate opinion..."

"Comrade Guo Yi has been in Guangzhou for many years and has long since proven his loyalty." Zhao Manxiong said. "The impression he's left on everyone is quite good. So if I nominate him to serve as Second Deputy Director of the Pol-Sec Bureau, concurrently serving as Reconnaissance Section Chief, there's a high probability it will pass."

"Making him Second Deputy Director?" Zhou Botao was somewhat uneasy. "Isn't that rising too fast? Will the Senate agree?"

"His rank and seniority in the Senate are completely sufficient. Besides, if he can't be Deputy Director, he won't serve the function of reassuring certain people."

"I understand."

"As for Action Section Chief, I'm considering asking Comrade Zhou Dongtian to serve. He's actually somewhat professional too—though his focus isn't quite the same as ours. He has a long-standing cooperative relationship with both us and the National Police."

This candidate could be accepted by all sides and would also serve as a liaison with the National Police. Critically, he had a long-term cooperative relationship with the Pol-Sec Bureau; joining wouldn't create obstacles in cooperation. No one objected.

"Finally, our Office Director position has been vacant ever since Comrade Wu Mu went to Guangzhou. This post shouldn't remain empty for long, so I'm considering asking Comrade Chen Baibin to serve. He performed very impressively in the recent Wuzhou Incident investigation work."

Chen Baibin had actually participated in investigations many times. Going to Wuzhou with Ji Xin for this investigation, he had formed a friendship with Ji Xin and joined the Indigenous Protection Association after returning. Though he was also an "old person" of the Pol-Sec Bureau, Zhao Manxiong's influence on him was slight—Ji Xin's influence was much greater. Having him serve this key post was equivalent to indirectly establishing a connection with Ji Xin.

Next, Zhao Manxiong made some "oral arrangements" regarding the next phase of work. After everything was properly arranged and the attendees had dispersed, he picked up the telephone handset and cranked it several times:

"This is Zhao Manxiong. Please connect me to Comrade Xiao Zishan at the Senate General Office."

He waited silently for a few minutes until the call connected.

"Comrade Director, this is Zhao Manxiong. I have a matter requiring your assistance."

Whatever Xiao Zishan said on the other end, Zhao Manxiong smiled slightly. "You worry too much. It's like this—I'd like you to help me arrange a meeting..."

(End of Chapter)