78: Chapter 77 Opening Remarks

The Provincial Party School auditorium was brightly lit.

More than eighty young cadres from the provincial Young Cadre Training Class were seated in an orderly fashion.

They were divided into two formations: the "Lingyun Class" and the "Spark Class."

On the rostrum, a banner with white characters on a red background hung high.

Minister Xiao Dingyu of the Provincial Organization Department sat in the center, with the President of the Provincial Party School to his right and Deputy Minister Qi Tian of the Provincial Organization Department to his left.

Director Song Ping of the Party School's Academic Affairs Office walked quickly to the side of the rostrum.

He leaned over and whispered a few words into the President's ear.

After listening, the President turned and leaned in toward Minister Xiao Dingyu.

He lowered his voice to report.

Minister Xiao Dingyu kept a calm expression and nodded slightly.

He said softly, "Then let it be done that way."

Director Song Ping walked to the podium and tapped the microphone with his index finger.

"Comrades, please maintain order in the venue. We will now begin the meeting."

Below the stage, Zhu Wenhao sat in the center of the first row of the Spark Class formation.

To his left was Class Monitor Liu Yu, and to his right was Study Committee Member Cao Rui.

Although Class Monitor Liu Yu sat in the Class Monitor's seat, he felt extremely uncomfortable, suppressed by the invisible aura radiating from Zhu Wenhao.

He calculated repeatedly in his mind.

How he could find an opportunity to strike during the subsequent study period.

Minister Xiao Dingyu adjusted the angle of the microphone.

He began his speech.

"Young cadres are the foundation of Jiangnan Province's future development."

"We have transferred you all to the Party School this time not for you to be gilded or just go through the motions, but to forge you into real gold and silver."

His gaze swept across the audience, landing precisely on the front row of the Spark Class.

"In the past two days, I have heard some discordant noise."

"Some have reported that the selection criteria this time were too strict and the quota too small. Some even complained that the rules are harsh and lack human touch."

"Being an official is not about hosting dinner parties."

"If you hold the public's rice bowl, you must abide by the public's rules."

"If you want to take crooked paths, the road will only become narrower and lead to a dead end."

After admonishing those with restless minds, Minister Xiao Dingyu switched topics directly.

"Just now, Director Song Ping reported to me the election situation of the Spark Class committee. It is very interesting."

"No seniority, no backroom deals, fully respecting the democratic election of the students. Party Branch Secretary Zhu Wenhao, Class Monitor Liu Yu."

"This team was put together with skill and breadth of mind."

Dozens of eyes in the venue turned in unison toward Zhu Wenhao.

Zhu Wenhao remained calm and composed, not moving a muscle.

Class Monitor Liu Yu, however, felt his face burning, as if sitting on pins and needles.

Being a Class Monitor might seem glorious on campus, but the Party Branch Secretary is the core who oversees the overall situation.

This move by Zhu Wenhao—a promotion in name but a demotion in reality—was putting him on the fire to be roasted.

He was nominally responsible for the specific affairs of the class.

If any mistakes were made, he would be the first to bear the responsibility.

If achievements were made, the Party Branch Secretary would be the one receiving the primary credit.

Calculating this, Class Monitor Liu Yu had suffered a huge loss.

Minister Xiao Dingyu continued, "This shows that our young cadres understand what the big picture is and what checks and balances are. Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; managing a class is fundamentally the same logic as managing an office or a county. Balancing the demands of all parties and getting things done properly—that is wisdom."

"For the first lesson of the class today, I will not talk about empty theories. I will pose a practical examination question."

"In Qingjiang County, located in the south of Jiangnan Province, the fiscal situation has been extremely tight for the past two years, and the debt ratio remains high. To protect people's livelihoods, the county government intends to bundle and sell off several county-owned mines. The request for instructions has already been submitted to the Provincial Development and Reform Commission."

"Selling the mines can solve the immediate crisis, but it is equivalent to smashing the rice bowls of future generations. If they don't sell, the salaries of all the county's government and institutional staff won't be paid by the end of the year."

"Everyone here is an elite selected from various fronts. How would you break this deadlocked dilemma?"

The auditorium was silent.

This was a difficult problem involving local finance, long-term planning, and immediate conflicts.

Study Committee Member Cao Rui kept his head down, trying to piece together a few conventional countermeasures.

Class Monitor Liu Yu's mind was in a mess, and he couldn't find an entry point at all.

Lei Zhenzi sat in the back row, even more clueless about macroeconomic issues, and could only stare blankly.

Director Song Ping spoke up from the side, "Let the Spark Class committee set an example for everyone. Class Monitor Liu Yu, you are the Class Monitor, why don't you share your thoughts first."

Named in public, Class Monitor Liu Yu had no choice but to bite the bullet and stand up.

"Reporting to Minister Xiao, President. I believe that since Qingjiang County's finances are already in dire straits, selling the mines is the fastest way to resolve the current predicament. The government can set extremely strict mining duration limits and environmental access standards, and specifically introduce capable large state-owned enterprises from the province to take over. This way, it can ensure funds are in place quickly and effectively prevent the loss of state assets."

This was the most standard bureaucratic rhetoric—steady and safe.

No major faults could be found, but it was also dull and lacked constructiveness.

Minister Xiao Dingyu neither agreed nor disagreed, waving his hand to signal him to sit down.

"Zhu Wenhao, you are the branch secretary. Why don't you talk about your plan."

Zhu Wenhao stood up, "When in poverty, one must change; when one changes, one finds a way through."

"Mines are inanimate objects; selling them or not is just a one-off deal, treating the symptoms but not the root cause. The crux of Qingjiang County's problem is not whether to sell the mines, but that its industrial structure is extremely singular and its own ability to generate revenue has been completely lost."

"My method to break the deadlock: asset securitization, using debt to resolve debt."

"Separate the ownership of the mines from the concessionary mining rights. Ownership must remain in the hands of the county government. Bundle and integrate the mining rights, and establish a specialized mining urban investment company."

"Use the equity of this urban investment company as the underlying asset for collateral to apply to provincial financial institutions for the issuance of special guidance bonds. Sixty percent of the funds raised will be used to fill the gap in the county's finances and pay salaries to ensure people's livelihoods; the remaining forty percent will serve as an industrial guidance fund to fully support Qingjiang County's advantageous characteristic agricultural product processing and light textile industries."

"In this way, the mines remain, and the rice bowls of future generations are not lost. The working capital is revitalized, and salaries can be paid on time. As long as we endure the three-year industrial growing pains, subsequent real economy tax revenue will gradually recover, forming a virtuous cycle, and this debt will naturally be resolved."

This was not empty talk on paper.

This was a top-level design that struck directly at the heart of the matter.

The depth and breadth of this analysis exceeded everyone's expectations of a young section-level cadre.

There was undisguised admiration in Minister Xiao Dingyu's eyes.

"A wonderful 'using debt to resolve debt'!" Minister Xiao Dingyu commented loudly.

Immediately, his tone changed, "The method is good, but when implemented, there will be heavy resistance. Why would provincial financial institutions dare to lend to a debt-ridden Qingjiang County?"

Zhu Wenhao met Minister Xiao Dingyu's gaze, not giving an inch.

"Human effort is the decisive factor."

"Did the Provincial Organization Department not gather us here to cultivate a group of people who dare to think, dare to act, and are brave enough to break the deadlock?"

"If there is targeted policy support from the Provincial Party Committee, coupled with special credit support from banks, this dead game of chess can be completely brought to life."

In front of everyone, he took the opportunity to ask for policy support.

The President laughed, clapping his hands from the side, and turned his head to say, "Minister, you have been put in check by the student below."

Minister Xiao Dingyu reached out and pointed at Zhu Wenhao twice in the air.

"You kid, your appetite is really not small. Fine, as long as you can produce a detailed, feasible, and rigorously argued implementation plan, it's not that the policy cannot be given."

Liu Ruobing sat in the second row.

Watching the figure standing resolutely in front, she—her father was Deputy Director Liu Qiang of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission—had been influenced by what she saw and heard since childhood and was very familiar with the veins of the macroeconomy.

But these few words from Zhu Wenhao directly struck the lifeblood of the local economy.

Lei Zhenzi's face was livid, and he complained in a low voice to Zhou Xu beside him, "This kid is showing off too much; he will stumble sooner or later."

Zhou Xu pushed up the black-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose and said nothing.

He was a smart man.

He could see Minister Xiao Dingyu's undisguised favoritism toward Zhu Wenhao; going up to cause trouble at this time was purely seeking his own death.

The opening mobilization meeting ended successfully.

The crowd gradually dispersed, heading to the cafeteria in twos and threes.

Zhu Wenhao walked alone on the tree-lined path.

A person followed up beside him. It was Study Committee Member Cao Rui.

"Zhu Wenhao." Study Committee Member Cao Rui's attitude was humble.

"The speech just now in the auditorium really taught me a lesson. My relative is a Deputy Secretary in Jingjiang City and often worries about the mess of local finances. Hearing your words today, I have truly had my eyes opened."

Zhu Wenhao turned his head and sized him up.

Study Committee Member Cao Rui was a shrewd pragmatist.

Winning this person over was equivalent to driving a useful nail into the local forces of Jingjiang City.

"Study Committee Member Cao Rui, talk on paper is always shallow."

"In the future, the burden of the Study Committee Member in the class will not be light. The work of the Class Monitor is too miscellaneous, and some mistakes are inevitable. You should help out more on the side and don't let the class's daily work go wrong."

The meaning of the words was clear: he wanted him to use his position as Study Committee Member to keep Class Monitor Liu Yu in check.

Study Committee Member Cao Rui was a total schemer and immediately nodded to show his stance.

"Zhu Wenhao, rest assured. Since the Party Branch Secretary has pointed out the direction, I will definitely do my part of the work beautifully."

The two walked side by side, and a beautiful figure approached from the front.

It was Liu Ruobing.

She had taken off her trench coat, revealing a slim-fit light-colored cashmere sweater underneath.

Her temperament was outstanding, causing passing students to glance at her frequently.

"Zhu Wenhao." She called out to stop him.

Study Committee Member Cao Rui, being very perceptive, found an excuse about saving seats in the cafeteria and walked away quickly.

"Ruobing, do you need something from me?" Zhu Wenhao stopped and maintained a social distance.

Liu Ruobing stepped closer and looked directly at him.

"Yesterday at Grandpa Li's house, your calligraphy was very arrogant. Today in the auditorium, your speech was equally arrogant."

"I used to think you were just a playboy who relied on your family background, but now it seems that outside rumors have no credibility at all."

"Rumors are terrifying; it is better to see for oneself," Zhu Wenhao replied steadily, leaving no room for criticism.

Liu Ruobing bit her lower lip gently and hesitated for a moment.

"Teacher Gao asked me to inform you that the class committee will hold a meeting tonight to discuss the schedule for the next few days."

After speaking, she turned and left, leaving behind a faint scent of perfume.

Zhu Wenhao watched her retreating figure and slowly shook his head.