The Acting Director

In late July, the General Office got its permanent director.

Director Wang Lihua, who had been acting since April, was — confirmed. The confirmation was — uncontested. The Mayor's office had, over the previous months, allowed the appearance of an external search. The external search had — produced no candidate the Mayor wished to appoint. Director Wang was — formally elevated.

Lin observed the announcement without surprise. He had — by Director Wang's revelation in May, when she had given him the promotion — understood she would be confirmed.

What surprised him was what came next.

#

On the afternoon of August fourth, Sun called Lin into the small inner office.

"Lin. Director Wang has — requested you for a small matter."

"What kind of matter."

"She is reorganizing the General Office. As part of the reorganization, she is — establishing a small Policy Implementation Unit, which will track the implementation of policy decisions made in coordination meetings. The unit will need a Section Chief. The Section Chief should be — someone trusted, someone with experience in both research and operational matters.

"She has — asked me whether I would object to your secondment to her unit for six months. The secondment would be — half-time. You would retain your position here, with reduced responsibilities. You would spend — three days a week in the General Office, two in this office.

"The secondment would put you — at the rank of Section Chief on the General Office side, while remaining Deputy Section Chief here."

Lin sat very still.

He said, after a moment: "Section Chief on a half-time basis."

"Yes. The acting rank would apply only to the secondment. When the six months end, you return to Deputy Section Chief in this office. Unless the secondment is — extended or made permanent."

"Why is she doing this."

Sun looked at him.

"Because she has — observed that the implementation of the May framework on the Western Industrial Park required — substantial intervention to keep on track, and she has decided that the General Office should have a unit dedicated to — exactly this kind of monitoring. The unit will track — among other things — the Maotai aquifer protections that were nearly narrowed away in June.

"She also, I believe, has — observed your work over the past three months, and has decided that you are the appropriate person to — establish the unit. She wants it to start on the right foundation."

"Did she — discuss this with the Mayor."

"Yes."

"Did the Mayor approve."

"Yes."

"Lao Wei. Has he been — informed."

"He suggested it."

Lin did not — respond.

Sun said: "The decision is yours, Lin. You are — early in your career. A secondment of this kind is — unusual. It will — accelerate your trajectory further. It will — also — place you more visibly in the Mayor's network. Liu Aijun, when I spoke with her this morning, was — concerned about the visibility. She thinks you are moving too fast."

"What do you think."

Sun said: "I think — the secondment is a real opportunity to do work that matters. The Maotai-and-Beishan kind of work. Tracking implementation is — not glamorous, but it is — what determines whether the formal frameworks actually do their work in the world. You would be — good at it. The unit would be — needed.

"I also think — Liu Aijun is correct that the visibility is — a risk. You will be, at twenty-three, doing work that most cadres don't do until thirty-two. People will — notice. Some will — resent.

"My recommendation: accept. Take the six months. Establish the unit. Do excellent work. At the end of six months, decide whether you want to — return to this office full-time, or make the secondment permanent, or something else.

"But — only if — you are willing to accept the additional weight."

Lin thought.

He said: "I'll accept."

"Good."

#

That evening, on the canal bridge, he told Lao Wei.

Lao Wei said: "I knew Sun would ask. I suggested it three weeks ago."

"Why."

"Because — the Maotai narrowing in June showed that the May framework cannot — implement itself. It needs — someone watching. The someone who watches has to be — both close enough to the Mayor to act on his authority and detached enough from the operational machinery to notice when things go wrong. Director Wang's General Office is — exactly the right institutional location. You are — the right person."

"You think I can do it."

"I think you have — already done it once. The June episode. You handled it correctly, through the right channels. The unit will — formalize what you did informally."

"Six months is — short."

"Six months is — long enough to establish the unit's pattern. After that, whoever runs the unit can be — anyone competent. You will not — necessarily — run it forever."

"And the visibility."

"The visibility is — real. Liu Aijun is correct. You will — accumulate enemies, slightly faster, in the next year. The accumulation will be — manageable, if you remain disciplined.

"Lin. There is — one thing I want to say. About this arrangement and about — what you will be doing in the next several years."

"Yes."

"You are — on a trajectory now. The trajectory is — visible. It will — continue. Each rung will — come slightly faster than the previous. By the time you are twenty-eight, you will be — at a level that most cadres reach at thirty-five. By the time you are thirty-five, you will be — at a level most reach at forty-five.

"The acceleration will — also — bring you to your first real fall, sometime around your thirty-fifth year. Most cadres on accelerated trajectories — fall at some point. The fall is — survivable, if the cadre has prepared for it. Most cadres do not prepare. They believe their acceleration is — proof of inevitability. They do not consider that — the same factors that produce acceleration also produce — vulnerability.

"I want you to begin — now — preparing for the fall. Not — by slowing your trajectory. By — building the conditions under which a fall, when it comes, will not — destroy you. Save money. Keep your family relationships strong. Maintain your relationship with Su Wanyin. Keep — small things outside the system. The boarding house room. The walks. The brushes on the desk. The wall above the desk. These — small things — are what catch you when the system fails."

He paused.

"This is — the most important advice I will give you this year. The acceleration will — come. The fall will — come. The catching will — be the small things. Build them now. Maintain them deliberately."

"Yes, Lao Wei."

"Walk safely."

#

That night, in the boarding house, Lin sat at the desk for a long time.

He looked at the wall: 成. The grandfather's brush. The 心如止水 brush. The walnut swallow. The fountain pen.

He thought: *Lao Wei has just told me — the most important sentence of the year.*

He thought: *Build the small things. Maintain them deliberately. The catching will be the small things.*

He did not — that night — write a new character.

He simply — looked at the wall.

He went to bed.

He slept.

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