81: Chapter 81 Breaking the Education Barrier

Li Dakang used to be frequently taken to the military camp to play by his third uncle, General Li Hongkai, so he had learned a few moves along the way.

In a flash, Su Wu shifted his body slightly; while blocking with his left hand, his right hand had already seized Li Dakang's wrist.

"Good!" Li Dakang withdrew his hand and nodded with satisfaction.

"Start work tomorrow."

Director Su Zhiguo let out a long sigh of relief, a look of gratification appearing on his face.

Su Wu straightened his back and gave a standard military salute: "I guarantee to complete the mission!"

...

That afternoon, two black Santanas drove into the courtyard of the Township Government.

Director Su Zhiguo's efficiency was astonishing; not only had he bought the cars, but he had also completed all the paperwork.

Li Dakang stood in front of his office window, watching Su Wu skillfully reverse into a parking spot, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

This young man might just become his capable right-hand man.

Li Dakang thought to himself that in this treacherous political arena, he truly needed such a loyal and reliable helper by his side.

As night fell, the Township Government gradually quieted down.

But everyone could feel that a new force was gathering and surging within Guantian Township.

The curtain of the era belonging to Li Dakang was slowly rising!

...

The morning sunlight filtered through the window lattice, shining into the office of the Secretary of the Township Party Committee.

Li Dakang stood by the window, steam rising from the teacup in his hand, gazing at the drab teaching building of the Guantian Township Middle School in the distance, his brows furrowing unconsciously.

"Time waits for no one."

Li Dakang muttered to himself, his voice carrying a hint of urgency.

To him, this township was merely a stopover in his official career; he would not stay for long.

But precisely because of this, he needed all the more to achieve results within the limited time and leave behind something truly valuable for Guantian Township.

As the saying goes, "Education is the foundation of a century-long plan."

Whether for the country or the nation, the hope for the future is deeply rooted in education.

Likewise, the prospects of a region also depend on the support of quality education.

Only by solidifying educational work and cultivating a large number of outstanding talents can local development have sustainability and stability.

Although not everyone who succeeds will return to their hometown to build it up, even if only a few people, after achieving success, keep their hometown in their hearts and help it, the future of this place will inevitably be bright.

Just like Brother Qiang from JD.com; regardless of what the outside world says, his hometown has truly benefited from him, and for the folks back home, that is enough.

Thinking of this, Li Dakang turned back to his desk and picked up the phone: "Deputy Township Head Xiao Yan, come to my office for a moment."

A few minutes later, Deputy Township Head Zhang Xiaoyan gently knocked on the door of the Secretary's office.

"Secretary, did you ask for me?"

Deputy Township Head Zhang Xiaoyan stood at the doorway, holding a notebook in her hand, her expression respectful yet tinged with a hint of nervousness.

Li Dakang raised his hand to signal her to sit: "Deputy Township Head Xiao Yan, I asked you here because I want to understand in detail the condition of the school buildings in our Guantian Township."

Deputy Township Head Zhang Xiaoyan's eyes brightened for a moment, then immediately dimmed.

She took a deep breath, her hands unconsciously gripping the notebook tightly: "Secretary, to be honest, I have long wanted to report this issue to you."

Her voice trembled slightly: "Most of the schools in our township are dilapidated, especially the village primary schools; the situation is even worse."

"The middle school in the town is slightly better, but that is only relatively speaking."

Deputy Township Head Zhang Xiaoyan opened her notebook and pointed to the dense records on it: "Secretary, look, this is the data from last month's safety inspection."

"The walls of three classrooms at Su Family Village Primary School are cracked, with the widest point reaching three centimeters;"

"The roof of Li Family Gully Primary School leaks, and students have to use umbrellas to attend class on rainy days;"

"The toilet at Big Willow Tree Village Primary School collapsed by half last year..."

Speaking of this, Deputy Township Head Zhang Xiaoyan's voice choked up: "Sometimes I am really afraid; what if one day there is a strong wind, will those houses just collapse directly?"

Once the floodgates were opened, Deputy Township Head Zhang Xiaoyan poured out her words like a bursting dam.

Deputy Township Head Zhang Xiaoyan herself came from an ordinary rural family; when she was a child in school, every winter she would sit in a classroom where the cold wind blew straight in, and she still vividly remembers that bone-chilling feeling.

Now, seeing so many children in Guantian Township studying in such harsh environments, she was filled with anxiety.

But for one thing, she was just an ordinary Deputy Township Head, not even a member of the Township Party Committee, so she had no say in major township affairs.

Secondly, in the past, Guantian Township was dirt poor; they couldn't even pay the salaries of private teachers, let alone renovate school buildings—that was a pipe dream.

Now that she saw Li Dakang taking this matter seriously, a glimmer of hope ignited in Deputy Township Head Zhang Xiaoyan's heart; having worked together for over half a year, she knew very well that Li Dakang was a man of his word.

Moreover, Li Dakang was now the legitimate top leader; he called the shots in Guantian Township, and there was nothing he wanted to do that he couldn't accomplish.

Li Dakang's expression became increasingly grave; Deputy Township Head Zhang Xiaoyan's words confirmed what he had seen with his own eyes, and it was even more serious than he had imagined.

"Deputy Township Head Xiao Yan."

Li Dakang looked at her with burning eyes: "I understand all the situations you mentioned. Time is tight; we must take immediate action."

Deputy Township Head Zhang Xiaoyan immediately sat up straight, quickly turned to a new page in her notebook, and hovered her pen over the paper, waiting for instructions.

"First, while the winter break has not yet ended, conduct a comprehensive inspection of all school buildings in the township and classify them according to the level of danger."