Chapter 62: Explanations and Arrangements
The corridors of the Anyin Municipal Government building were polished to a mirror shine, figures hurried swiftly across the floor, and footsteps seemed muted by some invisible pressure, so light they were barely audible.
Li Yifei stood outside Sun Guodong's office door, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the sharp corners of two hard-packed cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes in his pocket. The scent of Duogang Town—a mixture of dust, river fish, and poverty—still seemed to cling to the collar of his jacket, utterly out of place amidst the solemn atmosphere of this building.
He took a deep breath, swallowing both the exhaustion from the long drive and the calculations churning in his stomach. When he raised his head again, his face already wore the standard smile common among grassroots cadres—a mixture of humility and a tough, resilient edge forged by hardship.
The door clicked open a crack, revealing Secretary Xu Mingming's template-like face.
"Secretary Li, you've arrived." The voice was low, carrying a formalized politeness.
"Ah, Secretary Xu! Sorry to bother you!" Li Yifei sprang into action like a wound-up spring, taking two quick steps forward with an eager smile, his hands extending naturally. The moment their hands met, the two cartons of cigarettes slipped into Xu Mingming's palm like slippery loaches.
Xu Mingming's fingers twitched imperceptibly, and the cigarettes vanished, presumably into his inner suit pocket. "The mayor just finished a meeting. Please wait a moment." The smile on his face seemed genuine for a fraction of a second as he turned and gently knocked on the heavy door.
"Come in." Sun Guodong's voice drifted through the gap in the door.
The office was quite spacious, with a massive floor-to-ceiling window framing Anyin City's somewhat dated skyline like a faded painting. Sun Guodong sat behind a massive desk. Looking up and seeing Li Yifei, surprise flashed in his eyes, immediately followed by scrutiny: "Yifei? Is it really you? I thought little Xu heard wrong.
"How is it that after a few months away, you've run from a major ministry in the capital to Anyin for a temporary posting? And you ended up in Duogang Town?" He put down a document, leaned back slightly in his chair, his tone neither warm nor cold.
Li Yifei stepped forward, standing straight with a very low posture: "Mayor Sun, please don't tease me. It's an organizational arrangement; they said green shoots like me need to plant deep roots in the grassroots mud before we can grow sturdy.
"And just like that, I was directly 'exiled' to the front lines of Duogang Town to chew on dirt. Now I'm a soldier under your command, and I'm counting entirely on your guidance."
He referred to his "temporary posting" as "exile to the front lines," lowering his posture to the absolute floor while clarifying their superior-subordinate relationship and radiating a drive to "accomplish concrete work."
"Haha, you slippery fellow!" A smile finally broke at the corners of Sun Guodong's mouth as he pointed a finger playfully at him. "Accustomed to the central heating in the capital, suddenly plunging into the windy vortex of Duogang must be quite a shock, right?
"Did you find that 'great achievements' and 'complete obstruction' are separated by mere window paper? It looks like it would tear with a single poke, yet somehow it refuses to break?"
"Mayor, you see right through it!" Li Yifei managed a bitter smile at the appropriate moment, tinged with genuine sincerity. "In the past, reading reports and listening to briefings was like watching a fire from across the river.
"Now, sitting down in Duogang Town, I'm genuinely choked by the smell of poverty! The roads are full of potholes, dusty on sunny days and muddy on rainy days—enough to suck the soles right off your shoes!
"The school windows leak wind, and the kids are shivering with cold! The able-bodied young people have all run away, leaving behind the elderly and the young to guard a few meager patches of farmland, living days as bitter as coptis root! It breaks your heart to watch!"
He paused, his voice not loud but striking like a small hammer against human hearts: "Holding public office, if one cannot carve out a path of survival for the common people, what is even the point of being an official?"
"Well, not bad!" Sun Guodong withdrew his smile, a trace of genuine approval entering his eyes. "To have this mindset and awareness is rare. The grassroots are bitter and difficult, but they are also the places that temper you the most and reveal true capability. The organization sending you down seems to have been a good move."
Changing the subject, he cut through the warming atmosphere like a knife: "You didn't come here today just to pour out your grievances, did you? Speak your mind, what scheme are you brewing?"
Li Yifei immediately pulled a plan out of his briefcase and handed it over with both hands: "Mayor, I wouldn't dare call it venting grievances; I'm here to report on my work and seek true wisdom. This is a development plan I've pondered for many days, combining Duogang's meager foundation. It's extremely crude, and I boldly ask for your guidance!"
By calling his own work "scheming" and "crude," he displayed modesty while granting the leader ample room to maneuver.
Sun Guodong took the document, and his expression instantly turned serious. He didn't brush it off; word by word, he read through it slowly and meticulously. The only sound in the office was the monotonous rustle of turning pages, tight enough to make one's heart tense up.
Li Yifei held his breath, his gaze appearing calm as it rested on Sun Guodong's face, while in reality functioning like radar, capturing every slight movement at the corners of his brows and eyes—signals that would determine the fate of Duogang.
Time stretched like taffeta. Finally, Sun Guodong closed the plan, took off his gold-rimmed glasses, massaged the bridge of his nose, and fell silent for a moment. For those few seconds, Li Yifei's heart hung in his throat, his palms slightly sweating.
"Comrade Yifei," Sun Guodong put his glasses back on, obvious appreciation in his eyes like a piece of unpolished jade being discovered, "this plan has substance! The thinking is clear, the goals are definite, and the point of entry is sharp.
"Starting with specialty farming and animal husbandry, stringing together rural tourism and local processing to form a small closed loop... the operability is very strong! You can tell you've genuinely applied your heart and used your brain." He tapped his finger on the plan, as if testing the temper of fine steel.
"Thank you for the affirmation, Mayor!" Joy welled up genuinely on Li Yifei's face, like timely rain after a long drought, which was immediately draped in a layer of worry. "Only... Mayor, every beginning is hard.
"Even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice. Secretary Wei from the county is quite supportive, specially approving 500,000 in startup funds while emphasizing that it must be used strictly for its designated purpose, not a single penny to be misspent. But this funding gap... is still massive."
He rubbed his hands, showing a trace of awkwardness: "I was wondering... given that Duogang is truly impoverished, could the municipal government... tilt things our way just a tiny bit?"
The final few words were spoken with utmost care, carrying the embarrassment of someone who felt deeply apologetic yet utterly compelled to ask.
Sun Guodong looked at him and suddenly let out a chuckle, tinged with a knowing shrewdness that saw through everything: "You slippery fellow! After all that foreshadowing, you were digging a hole for me to jump into? Circling around and around, you're still coming for money?"
Li Yifei hurriedly laughed along, his face showing the awkwardness of being caught out, yet radiating a do-or-die determination: "Mayor, you see all. It's simply that... the common people cannot afford to wait, and development cannot tolerate delay!
"Secretary Wei often says that opportunity is fleeting; miss this village, and there is no such shop."
Sun Guodong收了笑, his finger tapping lightly on the bare mahogany tabletop, producing a dull *thump, thump*.
"The plan is good." His tone shifted again, his gaze growing as deep as a pool. "But you know the situation in Duoshu County well enough. Over the years governing the county, Secretary Wei has developed his own set of development philosophies, which sometimes differ from the municipal government's ideas.
"Even if I sign off on this money, once it reaches the county, might it get stuck or shifted around due to conceptual differences? Can you guarantee every single cent will be used on the project? You need to think clearly about this concern."
He replaced "control" with "conceptual differences," pointing out a divergence in working philosophy rather than an exercise of suppressive power.
A chill ran through Li Yifei's heart; he knew this was the moment to clarify the situation.
He straightened his back slightly, a cautious yet earnest expression on his face, his voice dropping very low: "Mayor, I've turned this concern over in my mind eight hundred times.
"So before coming here, I specifically made a detailed report to Secretary Wei, emphasizing that if this project succeeds, it can not only help Duogang shake off poverty but also add a solid achievement to the county's record. From any angle, it's a good thing."
"Secretary Wei attached great importance to it at the time, making a personal guarantee to me that this special fund—including any subsequent support we might secure—would receive the county's full cooperation, used exclusively for its designated purpose to ensure every penny is spent where it counts.
"He also said... although we might have different ideas on the specific pace of implementation, the grand direction is consistent: everything is for the development of Duoshu."
Li Yifei cleverly packaged the "guarantee" as a commitment based on shared objectives, highlighting that differences in philosophy coexisted with unity of purpose, avoiding any appearance of a compromise in power dynamics.
A flash of genuine surprise instantly crossed Sun Guodong's eyes, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake. He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping until it was almost a whisper: "Oh? Secretary Wei... really said that? Willing to provide full cooperation on the funding?" This genuinely exceeded his expectations regarding their conceptual differences.
"Absolutely true, Mayor!" Li Yifei said with ironclad certainty and an open gaze. "Secretary Wei said it right to my face, with ringing conviction! I think... no matter how different our specific approaches may be, developing the locality and letting the common people live better lives are points we share."
He attributed Secretary Wei's actions to "conceptual coordination under shared goals," rather than a retreat following a power struggle.
Sun Guodong stared at Li Yifei for a full ten seconds, his gaze seemingly sweeping through the young man inside and out once more. The office plunged into a suffocating silence, broken only by the faint hiss of the air conditioning.
He seemed to be weighing and judging how credible Li Yifei's "conceptual coordination" was, and whether Secretary Wei would truly set aside differences for the sake of shared goals.
Finally, he let out a long breath, leaned back into his large leather chair, and recovered the decisiveness unique to a mayor: "Yifei, to speak frankly with you, the municipal purse is also tight, and everywhere is waiting for funds. Your plan has potential, but coughing up too much all at once isn't realistic either.
"How about this? In view of your sincerity, and considering you've genuinely put in the effort, I'll have the finance department specially approve 1.5 million for you! Dedicated specifically to launching those core projects in your proposal!
"This is already my maximum authority; anything more would require a committee meeting to discuss. You rascal, you'd better manage and use this money well and make some noise with it! If Duogang Town can truly pull off a turnaround, it will make those comrades in the county with differing views truly acknowledge this path!"
1.5 million!
A massive wave of joy struck Li Yifei like an electric current, making his scalp tingle slightly.
Yet he forcefully suppressed it, letting just the right amount of excitement and gratitude show on his face, like long-dry seedlings welcoming a soaking rain: "Mayor! Thank you so much! With this 1.5 million, plus the county's 500,000, the preliminary launch will definitely get off the ground!
"You can rest assured one hundred and twenty percent—I will manage this money with an iron grip, spending every single penny in plain sight and producing results! By then, whether it's the city or the county, once everyone sees the effects, even past differences will gradually twist into a single strand of rope!"
He replaced "tied to the same chariot" with "twist into a single strand of rope," highlighting the resolution of differences through results rather than a forced consolidation of power.
"Alright, alright, save the pretty words and show me real capability." Sun Guodong waved a hand as if shooing away a fly. "Leave the report here, I'll sign off. Coordinate the disbursement process with little Xu. Get back down there and work hard!"
"Yes! Thank you, Mayor! Then I won't disturb you any further!" Knowing when to quit while ahead, Li Yifei respectfully retreated.
The heavy door closed behind him, cutting off the atmosphere of the mayor's office. The cool air from the corridor's AC rushed over him, instantly cooling his heated brain. 1.5 million was in hand! This was the crucial spark to ignite the dead waters of Duogang!
A faint curve, sharp as a flash of a blade, touched the corner of his mouth.
Secretary Wei's "guarantee" was essentially the result of a temporary coordination of development philosophies. This money was meant to prove, with solid results, that Duogang's path was viable amidst conceptual disagreements. Meanwhile, his true trump card remained firmly in his own hands.
Instead of heading for the elevator, Li Yifei walked with steady strides toward the other end of the corridor. There lay the office of Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Chu Jianghe.
That "report" just now was merely the prelude; this was the other critical location he needed to engage with on this trip.
Chu Jianghe's office furnishings were exceptionally simple, dark furniture radiating a cold and hard majesty. The calligraphy scroll on the wall reading "Upright and Clean" possessed immense strength, like four hanging sharp swords.
Chu Jianghe himself sat behind the desk, his face square, his gaze as deep as an ancient well, carrying unangered authority, as if no problem could remain hidden before him.
"Secretary Chu." Li Yifei sat down without superfluous pleasantries, getting straight to the point with the respect a subordinate owed a superior: "I am Li Yifei, Deputy County Magistrate of Duoshu and temporarily posted as Secretary of Duogang Town. Provincial leadership instructed me to report on my ideology and work situation upon coming down, and today I am primarily here to pay my respects."
He mentioned only that the provincial leadership told him to "report" and "pay respects," completely omitting everything else. Some matters did not need to be spoken of until the proper time arrived.
He then briefly mentioned securing 1.5 million in special funds from the mayor, deliberately glossing over unnecessary details, focusing instead on how Secretary Wei "supported" and "guaranteed," as well as his own dedication to "throwing himself entirely into Duogang's development." Finally, he expressed his hope that the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission could "provide ample guidance for Duoshu County's work."
Chu Jianghe listened quietly without a ripple on his face, his index finger tapping rhythmically and unconsciously against the bare tabletop. The *thump, thump* sounded like a ticking second hand, striking against Li Yifei's heart.
"Mm, not bad." Chu Jianghe finally spoke, his voice low but every word clear, carrying unquestionable weight: "Provincial leaders mentioned sending down a young comrade with drive and vision. Looking at it now, the energy is indeed strong."
A flash of approval seemed to pass through his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as an illusion, replaced instantly by a deeper solemnity: "However, you must remember that you are a servant of the people, and your primary task is to do your job well and seek well-being for the common people.
"Never be anxious for quick success or forget your original aspiration. Anyin's development requires steady and solid progress."
"Yes! I will firmly remember your instructions, keep my feet on the ground, and never advance rashly!" Li Yifei made a solemn promise, adopting an extremely low posture.
Inside, however, his mind raced: Was this a sincere warning, or merely a reminder regarding grassroots work?
Chu Jianghe pondered for a moment, as if reaching a certain resolution. He stood up, walked over to the dark file cabinet against the wall, selected an inconspicuous small bronze key from a ring, and unlocked a middle drawer.
Reaching inside, he pulled out a blank sheet of paper with no identifying marks and extremely neatly trimmed edges, then quickly and silently locked the drawer again.
"Working in the county, it is inevitable to encounter mismatched ideas and poor communication." Chu Jianghe walked back to his seat, gently pushing the slip of paper to the edge of the desk in front of Li Yifei with the casualness of handing over an ordinary business card. "This person has worked in the county for many years, is familiar with the situation, and perhaps can help you coordinate some differences.
"When you encounter hurdles in your work that you truly cannot bypass, you can try contacting him. Consider it a bit of organizational support for comrades on temporary posting." His tone was flat, revealing no personal inclination.
Li Yifei's heart contracted slightly, though outwardly calm, as he picked up the paper. Printed on it in Song typeface was a single line of text: *Ma Weiguo, Member of the Standing Committee of the Duoshu County Party Committee, Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and Director of the Public Security Bureau.* Below it was a tiny string of handwritten digits, clearly a private contact number.
Ma Weiguo?
Li Yifei immediately recalled the middle-aged man who always sat in the corner during county meetings, his face as cold and hard as weathered granite, silent to the point of near transparency.
So it was him! No wonder during meetings chaired by Secretary Wei, he occasionally raised differing views; though his voice was quiet, his attitude had been resolute.
A faint stir of emotion bubbled up, only to be instantly suppressed by rationality—was this truly someone capable of coordinating differences? Or just a colleague with frequent work interactions? Chu Jianghe's goodwill was something he would have to savor slowly.
"Old Ma," Chu Jianghe said, his tone still flat, devoid of praise or criticism, "is a pragmatic man. He does things according to his own principles, and sometimes because he insists on those principles, differences in work methods with other comrades are inevitable, making him seem somewhat unsociable.
"However, he knows Duoshu's situation inside and out. If you have any problems, chatting with him might yield new perspectives." He stopped right there, elaborating no further.
Chu Jianghe's gaze fell on Li Yifei's hand as he put away the paper, his eyes bottomless: "Keep this paper safe. Unless necessary, do not use it lightly."
"Yes! Secretary Chu! I understand! Not until the absolute last resort will I ever invoke it!" Li Yifei carefully tucked the paper into the innermost layer of his wallet, pressing his fingers against the cold leather.
It felt like gaining a channel for consultation, yet also like acquiring a colleague who needed slow understanding. Was it a boost? Or just a routine work contact? He would have to see with his own eyes.
"In addition," Chu Jianghe added casually, though his gaze swept sharply across Li Yifei, "County Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Ji Genbao—you need to pay more attention to this person."
"Secretary Ji? Isn't he sent down by the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission?" Li Yifei manifested a fitting degree of confusion.
The corners of Chu Jianghe's mouth twitched upward ever so slightly, the arc so faint it was barely visible: "He is from the province. But working in the county, he must both implement provincial spirit and combine it with county realities, which sometimes makes it inevitable for him to have his own considerations regarding specific work criteria, potentially failing to completely synchronize with our municipal commission's thinking."
He paused, his tone carrying the experience of one who had been there before: "This person is thorough in his actions and meticulous in considering problems. In a place like Duoshu County, his work style might differ somewhat from others.
"Toward him, just maintain normal working interactions. If there are differences, talk about them openly and honestly without hiding anything. Grassroots work, after all, involves different trains of thought quite normally."
The understated remarks addressed differences in working methods and criteria rather than anything else.
Li Yifei's mind cleared instantly, accompanied by a fresh surge of sobriety. In Duoshu County, and even Anyin City, differing trains of thought and distinct methods in work were everyday occurrences.
Secretary Wei had his ideas, and Ma Weiguo and Ji Genbao had their respective principles; everyone's goal was local development, but their routes varied. What he needed to do was find the breakthrough point for Duogang Town's development amidst these diverse approaches.
And his mission was precisely to act as that "driven grassroots secretary seeking political achievement" amidst these normal working disagreements, letting results do the talking.
"Secretary Chu, I understand." Li Yifei's gaze was sharp and resolute, like quenched steel: "No matter how different everyone's ideas may be, the common people of Duogang Town are yearning to shake off poverty, and Duoshu County needs development—those are solid facts!
"Who genuinely works for the common people and who puts on a superficial show, everyone has a clear count in their hearts. Right now, I simply want to down-to-earthly execute Duogang's projects well, using results to prove this path is viable. Regardless of any differences, as long as things can be accomplished, I am willing to communicate and coordinate more!"
These words carried both the sobriety to respect differences and the determination to execute practical work pragmatically.
Looking at the young man before him, the square-faced Chu Jianghe finally revealed undisguised expectation, his gaze weighty: "Good! Remember your original aspiration and keep your composure!
"The Anyin Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission will support grassroots cadres who do practical work, but specific conceptual differences in work must still be resolved through your own communication and coordination.
"Go ahead, develop Duogang Town and make it your best report card! And watch your safety!" The final four words were spoken with exceptional heaviness.
When he left that disciplined-looking discipline inspection building, night was falling. The neon lights of Anyin City were coming on one by one, and traffic flowed like a woven web, the bustling noise wrapped in the unique vitality of a metropolis.
Li Yifei walked briskly toward the unassuming old car in the parking lot, feeling both exhilarated and grounded.
The 1.5 million approved by Sun Guodong was the driving force to push projects forward in the open; Chu Jianghe's words and the slip of paper bearing "Ma Weiguo" constituted potential assistance for coordinating working differences—whether it would prove a blessing or a connection remained to be unraveled slowly over time.
Duogang Town's development plan was like a newly ignited spark that needed careful tending to start a prairie fire.
And facing the differences in work philosophy among Secretary Wei and the others, this path requiring patient communication and results-based proof had only just taken its first step.
Li Yifei pulled open the car door, sat inside, and didn't start the engine immediately. His fingers unconsciously touched the hard lump in the innermost layer of his wallet—the slip of paper with "Ma Weiguo" written on it.