"No way? You already have candidates? How long have you been in the Wuzhou District? Do you really understand the power circles there? How do you know which people can be competent after training?" Zhao Hongyan asked curiously.
"One principle is enough to select capable people," Chen Feng replied with a smile.
"What principle?"
"All civil servants in the Wuzhou District who haven't bought a house have been invited to participate in the training. Although this method can't guarantee 100% selection of suitable candidates, it can achieve ninety percent. The principle is simple: if these people only cared about money, they wouldn't be without a house. Secondly, if these people entered the power circles through connections, they also wouldn't be without a house." Chen Feng explained.
"Honey, your method is quite good, but I have a different idea I'd like to share." Zhao Hongyan said earnestly.
"You and your father are the future leaders of the Wuzhou District, so you should definitely voice your differing opinions."
"Honey, your method has a drawback: the absence of any corrupt officials, which could lead to major problems."
"Continue."
"Great rewards beget brave men; this is a true depiction of the power circles. It's fine to do things solely based on conviction, but can this conviction last a lifetime? No! Corruption, however, is different; it can last a lifetime. What I mean is, the group you're cultivating should be people with conviction, people who will do things for the common folk. However, you must include a few people who are very capable but also prone to corruption. Only then will the power circles have vitality. As the saying goes, 'Water that is too clear has no fish.' Think about it, during the era of Emperor Zhu of Huaxia, he executed corrupt officials by flaying them, but did corruption disappear? No, it didn't. It's impossible to eradicate corruption completely from ancient times to the present. We only need to keep corruption within a controllable range. To put it bluntly, corruption can be eradicated, but not now; that's for millennia later!!!" Zhao Hongyan explained earnestly.
"Miss Hongyan, your idea is very profound and beyond my expectations. May I be so bold as to ask who taught you this?"
"My father taught me! Moreover, I've clearly observed the ups and downs of the Wuzhou District's power circles over the past decade. The promotion of officials from one administration to another all point to one issue: 'Water that is too clear has no fish.' Similarly, water that is too turbid also has no fish. The reason why the Wuzhou District has never developed is that it has gone to the other extreme. All officials are corrupt; that's definitely not good."
"Miss Hongyan, to be honest, your remarks have been very enlightening to me. How about this: for this training class, I'll select three-quarters of the people, and you select one-quarter. You are a local to the Wuzhou District, so you should know which people are capable yet prone to corruption. Please help select these individuals for the training class." Chen Feng stated frankly, without pretense.
Zhao Hongyan's statement was profoundly insightful.
The idea of having no corrupt officials at all was an impractical fantasy.
The most ideal, and achievable, state would be to have corrupt officials, but not an excessive amount.
Furthermore, these corrupt officials should be highly capable.
The value they create should far outweigh the value of their corruption.
It's like Emperor Liu Bang of Huaxia; his advisor Chen Ping was quite fond of corruption.
However, Liu Bang wasn't angry at all, nor did he dismiss Chen Ping.
The reason was simple: Chen Ping had made significant contributions to the establishment of the Liu family dynasty.
The money he was corrupt with was but a drop in the bucket.
Of course, this theory is not an endorsement of corruption.
It is certainly not. Those who corruptly prey on the people's livelihood must be killed.
Those who are corrupt but do no work must be killed.
Those who are openly corrupt must be killed.
In a word, only those with strong practical abilities can be corrupt without being executed.
Moreover, they must have powerful backgrounds, being important figures whose removal would cause widespread repercussions, allowing for a blind eye to be turned.
People must accept reality.
Corruption cannot be entirely eliminated.
It can only be controlled.
If one only focuses on eliminating corruption, the Chinese economy would plummet; this would definitely be a loss outweighing the gain.
Perhaps, a century from now, corruption can be eradicated.
But not now, certainly not.
This is a fact that must be acknowledged!
"Chen Feng, you can truly tolerate corrupt officials?" Zhao Hongyan was stunned for a moment.
Logically, Chen Feng was someone who detested evil.
How could he so quickly accept cronyism and corrupt officials?
"Miss Hongyan, to be honest, deep down, I wish I could eradicate all corrupt officials and cronies. But it's not realistic. It's like wishing to eradicate all the annoying mosquitoes and mice in the summer. Nature has its laws, and society has its laws. I can't have things exactly as I wish. An overly perfectionist person is bound to fail. I must learn to accept imperfection. As long as cronyism isn't rampant, and corruption isn't rampant, I can turn a blind eye." Chen Feng explained earnestly.
"Chen Feng, your thinking is very flexible and pragmatic. That's good. With you in the Wuzhou District, it's hard not to develop." With a sigh, Zhao Hongyan went to find Zhao Wentai.
Chen Feng didn't hesitate and busily organized the training class. For the Wuzhou District to achieve sustained development, it was impossible without a significant improvement in the quality of its power circles. Thus, the entire power circle training lasted nearly half a year, yielding remarkable results. Qin Yan and Cheng Lu were once again impressed by Chen Feng's capabilities, seeing him as someone who could turn rot into magic. Before the training, the Wuzhou power circles were like a lifeless village committee, lacking any ambition, with most people idly scrolling through Douyin in their offices. Even the few who wanted to advance couldn't, as they lacked cooperation. After half a year of training, most people in the Wuzhou power circles were as energized as if they had been injected with chicken blood, working with full enthusiasm every day and actively integrating into the Wuzhou's financial district strategy.
"Chen Feng, the training for the Wuzhou District's civil servants has concluded successfully. What are your plans for the next step?" Qin Yan and Cheng Lu asked tentatively.
"Loan to build the Wuzhou District government building." Chen Feng replied calmly.
"What? Loan to build the Wuzhou District building? Chen Feng, did we hear you correctly? You always disliked government facade projects, didn't you?" Qin Yan and Cheng Lu retorted.
"I still dislike facade projects. Spending a lot of money on building government buildings is worse than building hospitals and schools with that money," Chen Feng replied calmly.
"Then it's strange. You dislike such facade projects, so why are you now planning to loan money to build the Wuzhou District government building? Your approach is no different from anyone else's." Qin Yan and Cheng Lu continued to ask with confusion.
"Let me ask you a few questions, and then this matter will be much easier to understand. First, in the Chinese power circles, is it common for government buildings to be grand and imposing, or is it an isolated phenomenon?" Chen Feng countered unhurriedly.
"It's certainly a common phenomenon. Not to mention other places, just look at Mingshan City; their new government office building has already been completed. It's truly magnificent and imposing," the two women replied truthfully.
"Exactly. Since it's a common phenomenon, even if I'm strongly opposed, I must integrate into it. It's like most people like spicy food; if I don't eat spicy food every day, how can I integrate into this group? Even if I dislike spicy food intensely, I must learn to eat it. 'Water that is too clear has no fish.' Even if I am inwardly noble, I cannot show it. Of course, this is only one reason; there is another reason. Think about what industry the Wuzhou District primarily relies on now." Chen Feng continued to ask the second question unhurriedly.
"It's primarily the financial industry, and the financial industry in the Wuzhou District has developed quite well," the two women replied truthfully once again.
"You've answered well. Currently, the Wuzhou District's economy is indeed dominated by the financial industry. The financial industry thrives on grandeur and a strong facade. Think about it: if merchants come to the Wuzhou District to discuss projects and find the Wuzhou District government building dilapidated, would they still be interested in talking?" Chen Feng asked with a smile.
"Chen Feng, we were too shallow. By the way, what standard will the Wuzhou District government building be built to?" The two women smiled sheepishly.
"Just a little more investment than the Mingshan City office building."
"Ah? More investment than the Mingshan City office building? Chen Feng, isn't that a bit inappropriate? Mingshan City is currently the best-developed district in Jiangcheng. Their office building is magnificent and golden, and no one complains. Developed county-level cities should have grand government buildings. However, the Wuzhou District is the last-ranked district in Jiangcheng. If this gets out, public opinion will be very unfavorable to us..." the two women advised with concern.