84: Want to get something for nothing

Some township Cadres, using high-sounding excuses, would call the County Leaders or express their demands in person.

When Wan Guoliang first heard about this, he found it absurd and ridiculous.

One cannot sit in the position of County Party Secretary without a sense of right and wrong. He couldn't help but sneer inwardly, thinking, "How can these people even open their mouths to ask for this?"

Others have put in the effort to make plans, prepare proposals, and go through great hardships to attract investment, yet you want to just pick up the ready-made results? How can such a thing exist? There is no such logic under heaven, is there?

If it were really like this, who would be willing to go through great hardships to attract investment in the future?

Isn't this clearly wanting to reap the fruits of others' labor?

He politely refused everyone who approached him.

However, to his surprise, deputy secretary of the county party committee Xu Yanjun, Executive Deputy County Mayor Xu Minghao, and Standing Committee Member and Deputy County Mayor Li Yang approached him one after another.

They all indicated that many township Cadres had approached them, leaving them overwhelmed. There were even some retired old Cadres from the county who came to their Offices and refused to leave, with only one goal: to get them to agree to the demands of the various townships.

They also hoped that in this matter, the County Party Committee could coordinate the overall situation and find a balance point.

Finally, even County Mayor Qian Dagang came to his Office, and besides a wry smile, he also expressed his own thoughts.

"Secretary, our Yushu County has jurisdiction over eleven townships; they are all our own flesh and blood!"

"Everyone's desire for development is understandable. If we don't weigh this matter carefully, well, regardless of which township those investments land in, aren't they all in our Yushu County?"

"We must consider the big picture of the whole county!"

"I think Comrade Lin Zifeng is not a narrow-minded person. How about we hold an enlarged meeting of the Standing Committee, let the Secretaries and township/Town Mayors of all townships participate, and study it together?"

"Even if we can't let the other townships achieve their goals, it at least gives them an explanation."

"Otherwise, with them being so endless, we will all be annoyed beyond measure."

"County Mayor, there are only the two of us here, so I will speak directly."

"Comrade Lin Zifeng is still on his way back to Yushu County with a few Comrades from Heping Town."

"Other township Cadres, without the ability to attract investment themselves, only think about getting something for nothing. This trend must not be encouraged; otherwise, wouldn't it break the hearts of Comrades who are genuinely working hard?"

"As the main leaders of Yushu County, how are you and I supposed to face the Comrades of Heping Town?"

Wan Guoliang said, suppressing his anger.

"Secretary, how could I not understand this principle? But there are some things we have to do."

"Please don't be angry about this matter. Let's set the tone first and discuss a compromise."

"It should be something that the Comrades of Heping Town can accept, while also making the Comrades of other towns feel that the county has secured opportunities for them. What do you think?"

Qian Dagang said in a consultative tone.

"If the County Mayor has such a way to satisfy both sides, I would like to hear the details."

Wan Guoliang's mood also calmed down quite a bit.

"Do you think this would work: just as I proposed, we hold an enlarged meeting of the County Party Standing Committee to properly guide the direction."

"I called Comrade Lin Zifeng an hour ago; they will arrive at the county seat around 7:00 PM."

"Tomorrow, an Investor will go directly to Heping Town for an inspection. The Cadres and some of the masses in Heping Town are currently preparing for all the reception work!"

"Another Investor will also arrive in our Yushu County the day after tomorrow. After these two Investors brought in by Heping Town conduct their on-site inspections in Heping Town, our county will organize a welcome banquet."

"Let the Secretaries of all townships attend. Whether they can invite the Investors to visit their respective townships for inspections will depend on their own abilities."

"In this way, while prioritizing Heping Town, it also gives other townships a chance. What do you think?"

Qian Dagang deliberated for a moment before stating his idea.

"The County Mayor's method is good, but what if these two Investors, after their on-site inspection in Heping Town, directly reach a cooperation agreement with Heping Town and sign a contract?"

Wan Guoliang nodded and said.

"This is the reason I proposed holding an enlarged Standing Committee meeting. If that really happens, it's because Heping Town has the ability, and the other townships will just have to blame their own bad luck."

"If anyone says anything else, it will be unreasonable, and I will be the first to deal with them."

"We can't just take the investment Heping Town brought in and feed it to them, right!"

"Even if they are unwilling, they still need to save face."

"County Mayor, this is a good idea. Let's do as you said. I will have someone issue the notice immediately; we will hold the enlarged Standing Committee meeting at 7:30 PM sharp."

"Wait a moment, I will personally call Comrade Lin Zifeng, give him a heads-up in advance, and give him a precautionary warning. We cannot let this young Comrade get upset at the meeting!"

"We must protect and cultivate such an outstanding Comrade who dares to think and act!"

Wan Guoliang approved of Qian Dagang's proposal and revealed a faint smile.

"The Secretary is right. Comrade Lin Zifeng is very outstanding, and it is very necessary to properly protect such young Cadres."

"This is also a test for him, which will make him mature quickly in his thinking."

"Secretary, I will head back first. See you at the meeting tonight!"

As Qian Dagang said this, he stood up, and Wan Guoliang rose to see him to the door.

Watching Qian Dagang's departing back, he couldn't help but think that this County Mayor of his was truly someone who appeared rough but was actually meticulous!

The opinion he proposed was quite pertinent. He himself had only been in Office in Yushu County for a short time and had not yet established a firm footing.

This County Mayor had also only been in Office for a little over two months and also had shallow roots. The "acting" in "Acting County Mayor" had not yet been removed; he would have to wait until the meeting in July to remove this "acting" title.

This was also the root cause of his disguised compromise with him!

Otherwise, those guys who wanted to get something for nothing would not have even the slightest chance.

Thinking of this, he put away other thoughts, returned to the Office, picked up the phone, and called Lin Zifeng again.

Receiving a call from Wan Guoliang again, Lin Zifeng was a bit surprised, and upon hearing what the other party had to say, he was even more surprised.

He didn't expect that some people could be so shameless; this was not much different from robbery.

But upon hearing the end, he breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Wan Guoliang and Qian Dagang were still very principled, and the solution they discussed was still within his acceptable range.

He also understood in his heart that Wan Guoliang and Qian Dagang had both only recently taken Office and had to consider the big picture, which was why they would make a disguised compromise with the local faction.

While he understood, he was still somewhat angry in his heart.

After all, no one would be calm when encountering such a situation.

Seeing his expression change several times in a short period and looking somewhat unwell, Jiang Yufei asked with concern: "Secretary, what's wrong with you? Has something happened?"