Chapter 1423: Chapter 221: They Just Had to Test Him!
In the blink of an eye, Han Yu has been in Hanwu for half a month.
During the past half-month, Han Xiangning, reflecting on her mistakes, realized she was too eager for quick success and constantly reminded herself not to aim too high. She should treat her temporary position as training and not worry about achieving great political advancements within these two years.
Having figured it out, she now knew what to do in her work going forward.
Diligently follow the deployment of the City Committee and Municipal Government to do a good job in relocation work, go deep into the homes of the masses with township and park management committee cadres, engage in ideological work with the masses, listen to the demands of the masses, and meet their demands as much as possible within the permissible conditions.
Grassroots work is the most difficult. Every day, she left early and returned late, appealing to emotion, reasoning with them, and sometimes persuading a resident unwilling to relocate could go on until eleven or twelve at night.
While carrying out relocation work, it was also necessary to study the planning of the Bridge Industrial Park based on the transportation and railway departments’ plans.
The park needed significant investments for infrastructure construction, so they had to find ways to align with the superior transportation and railway departments’ plans during planning. For example, if a road needs to be constructed, and it can be connected to the highway or Binjiang City East Transportation Hub, then the highway company or the Binjiang City Transportation Bureau will bear part of the construction cost, allowing Changzhou to save a sum of money.
The reason the two previously discussed projects were intercepted by Luo Wenjiang’s father, and why the shipbuilding and ship equipment matching industries are hard to develop, is because your location doesn’t have the same advantages, the infrastructure construction is not as good, and there isn’t a mature industry.
As Mayor Hou said, you can’t eat hot tofu in a hurry. The urgent matter is to "diligently practice Inner Strength." Only by planting the phoenix tree can you attract the phoenix!
While she was busy to the point of exhaustion, Yu Zhen and Lin Xiaohui drove to the park management committee.
Two best friends suddenly arrived, and one was even a Hong Kong businessman now, so Han Xiangning had to put down her work to greet them, no matter how busy she was.
"Mayor Han, your management committee’s conditions aren’t bad!"
"What conditions are good? Don’t laugh. The management committee now has nothing. Even the office space is borrowed from our Maritime Department."
"You don’t even have office space?" Yu Zhen looked incredulous.
Han Xiangning smiled and explained, "The park is planned by the river, with the current scope covering only one and a half villages. Originally, the plan was to set the management committee in the village office, but because the highway construction unit needed a place to work, we had to give the place to them."
Lin Xiaohui also found it strange and curiously asked, "Besides the village office, isn’t there any decent place by the river?"
"Yes, there was an enterprise before. At first, it had good benefits, but later it went bankrupt. We can use the office building of that enterprise. But now it’s not just the highway that needs to be built, but also the Yangtze River Bridge. Survey and design staff need a place to stay, and the ’Bridge Office’ on-site also needs a foothold, so we had to give that office building to the Bridge Office."
"Having no place to work, this Bridge Industrial Park is in name only!"
"You just found that out." Han Xiangning chuckled, a bit self-deprecatingly, and said, "Although I’m now a member of the Standing Committee and Vice Mayor, in reality, I only manage one and a half villages, equivalent to the village party secretary."
Yu Zhen straightforwardly thought that Changzhou’s leaders were bullying her because she’s a woman, muttering, "Isn’t this just a joke? It’d be better not to be the Vice Mayor at all!"
"I was originally appointed as Vice Mayor for training, or you could say I came to Changzhou for training." Having gone through hardships, having experienced what it means for the human heart to be treacherous, Han Xiangning didn’t feel much grievance, and thinking it over, she smiled and said, "Grassroots work really can train you. The things I’ve encountered these days are things I never imagined before."
"What have you encountered?" Lin Xiaohui asked with a smile.
"Land acquisition and relocation. Some people turn against their family over compensation of tens of thousands, brothers become enemies. Some people truly see money as dirt, refusing to move no matter how much you offer. Others rush to build houses to claim more compensation. Yesterday there was only a solitary two-story building. Today, upon another visit, I’m shocked to see seven or eight more bungalows appeared overnight."
Han Xiangning sighed lightly, with a bitter smile she added, "Those who can rush to build houses, those who can’t rush to set up pigsties, sheep pens, or chicken coops."
Since it’s about land acquisition and relocation, encountering these things is very normal.
While Yu Zhen thought it was funny, Han Xiangning helplessly said, "These aren’t even the most troubling issues. The truly troubling issue is not being able to find the homeowner. They’ve gone out to do business, and you just can’t get in touch. With no one at home, you can’t even have a discussion. If you force a demolition, they’ll definitely sue you once they’re back."
"Have you been busy with this lately?"
"Yes, it’s been driving me crazy."
"Is there a deadline for the relocation?"
"They need to build the bridge over the river, and they need to build the highway on land. If the bridge and highway can’t be built, the Bridge Industrial Park can’t move forward. Whatever we do requires land acquisition and relocation first. The higher-ups have a timetable; the necessary construction land for the bridge and highway must be resolved before New Year’s Day."
It seems being a Vice Mayor isn’t easy.
Lin Xiaohui initially envied Han Xiangning but now, instead of envy, she felt a bit of sympathy. She simply opened her satchel, took out a business card, and placed it in front of Han Xiangning.
"President Lin, what does this Mr. Lu do?"
"Mr. Lu is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dongsheng Group in Hong Kong. Dongsheng Group has a wide range of operations involving building materials, trade, shipping, and finance, even having a dock in Kuiyong, Hong Kong. A few years ago, Mr. Lu visited East Sea and Guzhou after being invited. Because their group’s investment focus was in East Guang at that time, and they didn’t see much potential in East Sea and Guzhou’s development prospects, they missed the best investment opportunity."
Lin Xiaohui smiled, continuing, "Didn’t you ask me to keep an eye out for any Hong Kong businessmen interested in investing? Our company has business dealings with their group’s trading company. Last month, I was invited to their group’s 30th-anniversary reception, and I took the opportunity to mention it to Mr. Lu. When he heard that Changzhou is close to East Sea and looks across the river at Guzhou, he became interested in investing in Changzhou."
"Really?" Han Xiangning asked excitedly.
"Yes, really," Lin Xiaohui confirmed with a smile, "Contact him later, ask when he’s available, and invite him for an on-site visit."
Han Xiangning didn’t expect such good news, and eagerly asked, "Xiaohui, if Mr. Lu truly wants to invest in our Changzhou, what industry does he plan to invest in? Is he coming to set up a factory, or is he interested in investing in port terminals?"
"Neither."
"Then what will he invest in?"
"It’s a big corporation, they want to invest in a park."
"Invest in a park?"
"You’ve probably been to the development zone in Guzhou, several industrial parks there are funded by Taiwanese and Singaporean businessmen. Mr. Lu also invested in a park in East Guang. They built factories and even managed part of the infrastructure, and then sold or rented the factories along with the land to small Hong Kong businesses."
"Playing the sublandlord?"
"They’re into big business. If this deal goes through, it’s like they’re helping you attract investment." Lin Xiaohui paused and emphasized meaningfully, "Besides, there are risks in their investment. You currently have nothing on offer here; they mainly look at future development prospects."
There are Taiwanese and Singaporean industrial parks across the river, but none in Binjiang.
This is such a major issue that Han Xiangning didn’t dare to make a decision on her own and urgently reported to Mayor Hou in front of the two.
Mayor Hou was very interested and said on the phone that he was planning a trip to Hong Kong next month for investment promotion and would personally visit Dongsheng Group then.
With the mayor taking over personally, there was nothing more for Vice Mayor Han Xiangning to do, so the three naturally started chatting about the two fish studying far away in Hanwu.
"San’er said that on the way to Hanwu together, Xiao Yu confidently claimed he’d borrowed a car from the police academy and would drive to the party school every day to hang out with San’er and Chen Zikun, even offering to be their driver."
"Xiao Yu didn’t go?" Lin Xiaohui asked with a laugh.
Before Han Xiangning could complain, Yu Zhen said, laughing and crying, "Brother Salted Fish has many friends in Hanwu, and Xiao Yu also has quite a few friends there. Not only friends but also many fellow townspeople doing clothing business in the market. This one invites him today, that one invites him tomorrow. He’s even busier than I am, busy with social obligations every day!"
Lin Xiaohui, catching on, couldn’t help but laugh, "He’s been working in Hanwu for two years, knowing more people than Salted Fish is quite normal."
"He’s not just busy with social obligations but also busy playing computer games."
While helping to refill the tea, Han Xiangning said with a smile, "Hanwu is a big city with more people playing computer games than in Binjiang. Xiao Yu is in his element in Hanwu; he used to only play Red Alert or chat online. San’er said this time he’s learned to play StarCraft, and if the police academy leaders weren’t watching, he’d even skip classes to go to the internet cafe."
Lin Xiaohui turned back to ask, "Does Xiao Yu like playing computer games that much?"
It’s all tears to speak of.
Yu Zhen sighed, smiling bitterly, "He’s like a child who hasn’t grown up, just knows how to play, almost obsessed."
"This can’t go on, you should have a good talk with him."
"What use is it if I talk to him?"
"Let Salted Fish talk."
"San’er talking is equally useless. Now, only Instructor Li has any effect. But now he’s in Hanwu, far from power, Instructor Li can’t reach him even if he wanted to."
"Wait till he comes back, then let Instructor Li handle him."
"That’s the only way."
"What about Salted Fish, what’s he busy with these days?" Lin Xiaohui continued to ask.
Han Xiangning immediately responded, "Busy with social engagements, having dinners every day, if it’s not this person inviting him, it’s that person inviting him. Tonight, it seems the shipyard is hosting him. Those unaware would think he’s not there to study but to mooch free meals."
"The shipyard is treating Salted Fish to dinner?"
"He was in charge of the design and construction bid for the Big 001, which cost over ten million yuan. According to them, he saved a shipyard. They remembered him and, knowing he’s studying in Hanwu, insisted on treating him to a meal." Han Xiangning paused and continued, "He originally didn’t want to go, but having already visited several others, not going would seem disrespectful, so he’s biting the bullet and going."
As a man, there are naturally many social obligations.
Yu Zhen thought nothing of it and smiled, "Sister Ningning, Brother Salted Fish doesn’t drink alcohol; people shouldn’t be forcing him to drink, so there’s nothing to worry about."
This topic made Han Xiangning annoyed, she muttered, "No one urges him to drink in Binjiang, but that’s Hanwu, not Binjiang!"
"Brother Salted Fish got drunk again?"
"More than just drunk again, it’s practically every day. I have acquaintances at the Yangtze River Maritime Bureau, and they said on the phone that many leaders don’t believe he can’t drink, don’t believe he’s one-shot drunk, and insist on testing it out. The result was predictable."
"Getting drunk every day is too damaging to his health!"
"Yes, Chen Zikun said he lost a few pounds."
"What should be done then?"
"I called him this morning, he promised he won’t drink again, no matter how much people urge him, he won’t drink to death!"
...
PS: I don’t know how I got through the past few days, getting old means you really can’t catch colds. Today I’m finally feeling a bit better and getting back to regular updates. I’ll gradually make up for what’s been missed once I’m fully recovered. Once again, I ask for the understanding of my dear brothers and sisters.
