12: Chapter 12 Taking office in a poor village, aiming for a better future.

Minister Huang Lixin guessed that Li Dakang's background must be extraordinary, but he also knew it was beyond his reach.

The greatest wish of his life was to become a county magistrate, but now that he was nearly fifty, time was running out.

During a brief pause, Li Dakang stood by the window, staring blankly at the sycamore trees in the County Party Committee Compound.

From today on, he could truly be considered to have embarked on his official career in this lifetime.

Although he could not utilize his family's resources for the time being, the identity of being a "member of the Li family" was, in itself, an invisible power.

What he needed to do was to prove his worth through his abilities on this unfamiliar land.

...

On the other side, in the office of the Secretary of the Guantian Township Party Committee.

"Secretary, we just received a notice from the County Party Committee Organization Department. Minister Huang is bringing the new township head to assume office. He will arrive in about an hour, and we are to make preparations," Director Su Zhiguo of the Party and Government Office reported in a low voice.

Secretary Sun Wei was slightly taken aback: "Minister Huang is coming in person?"

"Yes," Director Su Zhiguo replied.

Secretary Sun Wei pondered for a moment: "In that case, notify all township cadres immediately to gather in the conference room in half an hour to prepare for the reception."

"Also, arrange for people to clean up the inside and outside so we can leave a good impression on Minister Huang."

"Very well, Secretary, I will go right away." Director Su Zhiguo nodded and turned to make the arrangements in a hurry.

...

Guantian Township is located at the easternmost tip of Anjiang County, bordering Hengshan County of the neighboring city of Yuyang, like a corner forgotten by time.

This place is little known to outsiders, and a bumpy dirt road is the only passage connecting it to the outside world, acting like a natural barrier that blocks out prosperity and noise.

The township administers eleven administrative villages with a population of over thirty thousand, yet the annual per capita income is less than one hundred yuan.

This figure is a glaring disparity compared to the average level of over nine hundred yuan in Xinying City.

Even compared to the average of over five hundred yuan in Anjiang County, it is only a fraction.

Behind these cold figures lies the bone-deep poverty of this land.

From the Anjiang County seat to Guantian Township, the straight-line distance is no more than twenty kilometers, but the winding mountain road is like an impassable chasm.

The car bumped along it, the tires making a "clanging" sound as they rolled over potholes, each vibration seemingly telling of the hardships here.

Li Dakang sat in the car, his brow slightly furrowed, looking at the dusty road outside the window.

No wonder Guantian is so poor; just looking at this road makes it clear.

To change this place, building a road is the first step.

This thought took root in Li Dakang's heart, and a heavy sense of responsibility pressed upon his shoulders.

"Every time I travel this road, I fear the axle will break from the bumps," Minister Huang Lixin said with a bitter smile, gripping the handle tightly as his glasses slid down his nose again and again.

Li Dakang's gaze swept across the barren mountains outside the window, and his brows locked even tighter.

This dilapidated county road is the lifeline connecting Guantian to the outside world, but it is also a shackle binding its development.

A mottled road sign caught his eye by the roadside.

"The People of Guantian Township Welcome You," with most of the red paint peeled off, revealing the raw wood underneath.

It took them nearly two hours to travel the twenty-plus kilometers of road.

"Comrade Dakang, you studied economics. What are your thoughts on the development of Guantian?"

Minister Huang Lixin straightened his glasses, his tone carrying a hint of probing.

"If you want to get rich, first build a road."

Li Dakang's gaze was firm: "As long as the county supports us in fixing this road, I guarantee that within three years, Guantian will shed its label of poverty."

A flash of surprise crossed Minister Huang Lixin's face: "Building this road will cost several million at the very least, and the county's finances..."

"Minister Huang, there are always more solutions than difficulties. As long as the county provides the policy, I will find a way to secure the funds," Li Dakang said.

Minister Huang Lixin nodded thoughtfully.

The confidence in this young man reminded him of himself over twenty years ago.

When he first went to the grassroots level, he was also this sharp and aggressive, determined without a shred of hesitation.

It was just that the years had worn down his sharp edges, while this one before him...

Minister Huang Lixin knew clearly in his heart that the possibility of the county paying to build the road was minimal.

But he understood even better that Li Dakang was fighting for the greatest interests of the township.

Asking for the moon and negotiating on the spot—this is the rule of officialdom; every bit extra he could secure would reduce the burden on the township by that much.

At this moment, Li Dakang was already considering problems from the position of the head of Guantian Township.

...

At the same time, inside the Provincial Party Committee building in Jiang Province, Secretary Gao Yuliang of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission was reviewing documents.

On the office wall, the banner reading "Tranquility Yields Transcendence" shimmered with a soft light in the sunlight.

Suddenly, the red dedicated telephone on the desk rang.

Secretary Gao Yuliang did not look up; he picked up the receiver and said calmly: "Hello, this is Secretary Gao Yuliang."

A steady and powerful voice came from the other end of the line: "Yuliang, it is Li Hongji."

Upon hearing this name, the calmness on Secretary Gao Yuliang's face instantly faded, replaced by complete respect.

He immediately stood up, his back straight, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible excitement: "Old leader! How is your health?"

If this scene were to be witnessed by those familiar with Secretary Gao Yuliang, they would certainly be shocked.

Secretary Gao Yuliang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Jiang Province Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, a figure standing at the pinnacle of the province's power pyramid, had never shown such an attitude, even when facing Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Lichun.