258: Chapter 258 Changing the Plan

On the second floor of the Town Government, the wooden door to the conference room was not yet fully closed.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang sat at the head of the table, staring at the cold tea in front of him.

The capital had left.

General Manager Zhou Shutong, with her impeccably dressed team, had left without a single word of unnecessary pleasantries, exiting the scene decisively.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang turned his head to look at Zhu Wenhao, who was sitting on the side.

"Comrade Zhu Wenhao."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang pressed his hands against the edge of the table. "Heishi Mining is a massive operation, and the town is currently scraping by, begging for funds just to buy cement to fill potholes. With such a large investment, you've set the conditions so rigidly. Three funds, and you're asking for tens of millions in hard cash right off the bat. Isn't this threshold too high?"

Zhu Wenhao closed the meeting minutes notebook in front of him.

"High?"

Zhu Wenhao looked levelly at Town Mayor Luo Xingbang.

"When South Street collapsed, Old Sun was left lying in the hospital, and the town had to cover his medical expenses."

"Can the town's finances even afford these historical debts?"

"But when attracting investment, there must be room for negotiation. They are here to make money, not to fill holes," said Town Mayor Luo Xingbang, assuming the posture of a leader. "If you scare the capital away, who will cover the tax revenue and employment for Heishi Town? The county wants economic indicators, not empty ledgers."

Zhu Wenhao stood up and picked up the documents on the table.

"Town Mayor Luo, are we attracting investment, or are we kneeling to receive a handout?"

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang's face tightened.

"Capital can make money, but it cannot suck blood," said Zhu Wenhao, buttoning his suit jacket. "When the granaries are full, people learn etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame. If you hand over the mines while the common people are going hungry, just to trade for some superficial political achievements, years later, when the mines are hollowed out, leaving behind a land of pollution and ruins—at that time, who will clean up the mess for Heishi Town?"

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang was left speechless.

Zhu Wenhao did not linger and stepped out of the conference room.

Director Xu Jie followed behind him and closed the door.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang sat alone in the chair, his expression shifting.

Secretary Lu Guoliang had asked him to preside over the work on an acting basis, and he desperately needed this investment to remove the "acting" title.

However, Zhu Wenhao's attitude had completely sealed off any room for compromise.

He stood up and strode back to his office as Town Mayor.

He closed the door and dialed the phone number of an acquaintance in the county government's economic department.

"Old Chen, it's me, Old Luo. What is the wind blowing regarding the economy of Heishi Town from the city and the county?"

On the other end of the line, the official from the economic department lowered his voice: "Town Mayor Luo, Secretary Lu has said that the economy of Heishi Town needs to show results. The county needs a large investment to boost confidence. However, this political achievement cannot be monopolized by one person."

Cannot be monopolized by Zhu Wenhao.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang caught the subtext.

The county wanted him to hold the initiative and facilitate the landing of the investment.

Hanging up the phone, Town Mayor Luo Xingbang pressed the intercom: "Have Old Liu from the Finance Office and Old Li from the Economic Development Office come to my office."

Town guesthouse, business suite.

General Manager Zhou Shutong was flipping through the geological survey maps on her tablet.

"General Manager Zhou, I've found it." The assistant pushed the door open and walked in. "Zhu Wenhao's background in Jingjiang City."

"Speak."

"He has a close relationship with Study Committee Member Cao Rui, the nephew of Deputy Secretary Cao Hang of the Jingjiang Municipal Committee. Additionally, several young staff members from the Provincial Department of Water Resources and the Development and Reform Commission are also in his circle. The Department of Water Resources recently approved a flood prevention fund for the restoration of the old river embankment, and the entry point was right here in Heishi Town."

General Manager Zhou Shutong's fingers paused on the screen.

Provincial Department of Water Resources, Deputy Secretary of the Jingjiang Municipal Committee.

"Does he have alternative capital in his hands?" she asked.

"Currently, no clear contact with investors has been found. However, he has cast a wide net in provincial-level agencies, and his policy resources are quite abundant. If he makes an issue out of the old river embankment and the deep-processing industrial park to apply for transformation subsidies from the province, or introduces the Jingjiang state-owned capital platform, it's not impossible."

General Manager Zhou Shutong stood up and walked to the window.

No wonder Zhu Wenhao dared to flip the table.

He was certain that Heishi Mining was a piece of fat meat and wasn't afraid that no one would bite. He not only wanted to attract capital but also intended to use policy resources to put a bridle on that capital.

"Zhu Wenhao is a tough nut to crack," said General Manager Zhou Shutong, turning around. "But after all, he is only a Deputy Secretary. The person currently in charge of Heishi Town is the acting secretary, Town Mayor Luo Xingbang."

The assistant immediately understood: "Do you mean to bypass Zhu Wenhao and find a breakthrough through Town Mayor Luo Xingbang?"

"Town Mayor Luo Xingbang is anxious to have his position confirmed and needs political achievements. He is more afraid of this investment falling through than Zhu Wenhao is." General Manager Zhou Shutong tapped on the table. "You go and make contact with Town Mayor Luo Xingbang. Probe his bottom line. Tell him that the conditions can be negotiated, but the three funds must be reduced. If the Town Government is willing to make concessions, the capital side can fully cooperate with him on subsequent publicity and political achievements."

"Understood, I will handle it tonight."

As night fell, the lights in the Heishi Town compound were sparse.

The Director of the Economic Development Office and the Director of the Finance Office, Liu Zhiqiang, sat in Town Mayor Luo Xingbang's office.

"Town Mayor Luo, the three funds proposed by Secretary Zhu, if paid in full, really do not align with commercial logic," said the Director of the Economic Development Office, flipping through his calculator. "The initial five million for the environmental fund, plus the road and medical expenses, won't be less than ten or twenty million. Since when does capital pay out so much money before work has even begun?"

Liu Zhiqiang also chimed in: "Town Mayor, if we really force General Manager Zhou's team away, even paying next month's salaries will be a problem. The funding gap for the South Street emergency repairs hasn't been filled yet."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang lit a cigarette and took two puffs.

"We cannot stubbornly oppose this. Secretary Zhu is angry, and we must consider the overall situation," Town Mayor Luo Xingbang set the tone. "Old Li, you draft a compromise proposal overnight. Cut the environmental fund in half, to be paid over three years. The town will cover the bulk of the road repairs, and the capital side will make up the difference. The resettlement of miners will be handled via the county's human resources and social security subsidies. Balance the books."

"This way, we can retain the investment and also provide an explanation to Secretary Zhu."

Old Li quickly took notes with a pen: "This proposal is feasible. I'll go do it."

The two men left.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang snuffed out his cigarette butt.

He was not trying to oppose Zhu Wenhao; he was simply looking for a balance point that all parties could accept, above the bottom line. The way of officialdom lies in blending in with the world.

The phone on the table vibrated; it was an unknown number.

"Hello, Town Mayor Luo. I am the assistant to General Manager Zhou Shutong."

A flash of light appeared in Town Mayor Luo Xingbang's eyes, and he glanced at the closed door. "What is the matter?"

"General Manager Zhou is still very sincere about the investment in Heishi Town. It's just that in the meeting during the day, Secretary Zhu's conditions were slightly too harsh. General Manager Zhou wants to ask if there is still room for discussion on the restructuring proposal from the Town Government's side?" The assistant's voice was probing. "If Town Mayor Luo can mediate and facilitate the landing of the project, General Manager Zhou indicates that the groundbreaking ceremony for the deep-processing industrial park will certainly be led by you."

The bait of political achievement was cast.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang held the phone, two forces pulling back and forth in his mind.

On one side was the path to promotion and confirmation of his position, and on the other was Zhu Wenhao's unquestionable bottom line.

"Regarding attracting investment, the Town Party Committee has always maintained an open attitude," said Town Mayor Luo Xingbang, playing tai chi. "However, matters in Heishi Town must be decided collectively by the Party Committee. If General Manager Zhou is sincere, we can discuss it in detail at the conference table tomorrow. As for a compromise proposal, our town will also present a stance."

He didn't agree, nor did he seal off the path.

The assistant understood: "Understood, Town Mayor Luo. We look forward to tomorrow's meeting."