177: Chapter 177 Poverty Alleviation is Not Like Shopping at a Vegetable Market

Zhao Yang stood at the entrance of the Special Industries Division of the Agriculture Bureau, watching the thirty-something people inside, his anger rising steadily.

Among them were middle-aged men in their forties with greasy hair, sitting with their legs crossed, smoking.

There were young men in their early twenties, but they looked dull and sluggish, not knowing where to put their hands.

There were also several middle-aged women gathered together, cracking melon seeds and chatting, with shells scattered all over the floor.

Only two or three young people sat in the corner, holding small notebooks, looking like they were actually there to learn.

"County Magistrate Zhao, everyone has arrived."

Agriculture Bureau Chief Zheng Maocai accompanied him with a fawning smile.

A man in his fifties, his waist bent like a shrimp.

"Every township attaches great importance to this and has recommended their best and brightest."

Zhao Yang glanced at him and didn't respond.

Best and brightest?

This was clearly township cadres stuffing their own relatives into the program.

He turned and walked out of the office, calling Liu Heng to the end of the hallway.

"Director Liu, please help me screen these people. If they aren't qualified, have them re-selected."

Zhao Yang lowered his voice. "Set three principles: First, no one without a basic education; second, no one who is glib or lacks integrity; third, no one who only knows how to listen but lacks ability."

Liu Heng looked at Zhao Yang, his expression clearly changing.

He had long realized that Zhao Yang was someone who wanted to get things done.

At this moment, Zhao Yang's words made him even more firm in his assessment of him.

Liu Heng nodded firmly: "County Magistrate Zhao, don't you worry, leave this to me. If we do it the way they are doing it, this whole thing will definitely be ruined."

He then lowered his voice: "However... on the township side..."

"If the townships have any objections, direct them to me." Zhao Yang's tone allowed no room for negotiation.

"An online store isn't a street stall selling vegetables; it's about selling Cangyun's goods to the whole country. Those who are just coasting will only be a waste of resources if they come."

Liu Heng was two years older than Zhao Yang, but at this moment, his look toward Zhao Yang was full of heartfelt respect.

When Zhao Yang first arrived, it was just the respect of a subordinate for a superior.

"Also," Zhao Yang added, "those who have ability but are selfish need not apply. Our original intention in opening an online store is to lead the common people to prosperity."

"Understood, I will certainly carry it out." Liu Heng took out his notebook and wrote down everything Zhao Yang said.

He had worked in the Government Office for six years and had seen too many leaders turn a blind eye to such things.

Zhao Yang was the first to set rules before even starting.

Zhao Yang patted him on the shoulder and turned to find County Magistrate Zhou Jianwei.

He looked for him several times but couldn't find him, unsure if he was busy with work.

If the leaders of this poverty-stricken county were all this busy, it would have been lifted out of poverty long ago.

It wasn't until twelve o'clock at noon that Zhao Yang saw Zhou Jianwei.

He knocked on the door and entered the County Magistrate's office.

Zhou Jianwei was hunched over his desk eating a boxed lunch, the sauce from the braised pork splashing onto documents; he pushed it aside with his chopsticks and continued to shovel food into his mouth.

Seeing Zhao Yang enter, he mumbled, "Sit," without even raising his head.

Zhao Yang sat opposite him and waited until he finished the last bite before speaking:

"County Magistrate Zhou, I have something I would like to report to you."

Zhou Jianwei wiped his mouth, pushed the lunch box aside, and lit a cigarette:

"Speak."

"The online store needs some initial startup capital, about fifty thousand yuan, to buy computers, install broadband, and customize packaging. I would like to apply for this money from the poverty alleviation funds."

Zhou Jianwei's hand holding the cigarette paused, and he raised his eyelids to look at Zhao Yang.

That look was exactly like a child from a relative's house coming to ask for lucky money during the New Year—the adult clearly didn't want to give it but couldn't outright refuse.

"Fifty thousand?" Zhou Jianwei exhaled a puff of smoke.

"County Magistrate Zhao, don't you know how the last poverty alleviation funds were distributed? The county only has eighty thousand in total, and you want fifty thousand at once?"

Zhao Yang had anticipated he would say this and handed over the prepared plan:

"County Magistrate Zhou, this money isn't being spent recklessly. Computers and broadband are one-time investments, and the packaging is a customized product; it will pay for itself once sales start.

"Once the online store is running, the tax revenue it can bring to the county every year will be far more than this."

Zhou Jianwei took the plan, flipped through two pages, and threw it on the table without even looking at it carefully.

"County Magistrate Zhao, you are used to being in the Provincial Government and don't know the difficulties at the grassroots level.

"That eighty thousand yuan had its use planned from the day it arrived. How do you expect me to move it? How about this, you find a way yourself first, and we'll talk when the county is better off."

Find a way himself? Zhao Yang sneered inwardly.

He was just a newly arrived Standing Committee Deputy County Magistrate with a monthly salary of fifteen hundred.

Letting him find a way himself, wasn't that just a disguised refusal?

"County Magistrate Zhou, the online store is a supporting project for the logistics transfer center. If it weren't for the fact that Cangyun County was opening an online store, Cenjiang Industrial would never have invested here.

"If the online store isn't set up quickly, it will be hard to explain to General Manager Lin."

Zhou Jianwei's brows furrowed.

In his mind, the beautiful yet domineering face of Lin Xuecen appeared; that woman was not easy to fool.

Seeing Zhou Jianwei hesitating, Zhao Yang struck while the iron was hot:

"Cenjiang Industrial has an agreement to invest fifteen million. If the supporting facilities in Cangyun don't keep up, the subsequent investment..."

"Are you threatening me?" Zhou Jianwei pressed his cigarette butt into the ashtray, his voice dropping.

You, an official demoted from the Provincial Government to a poverty-stricken county, dare to talk to me like that?

Zhao Yang felt a jolt in his heart; this guy wasn't a high-ranking official, but his official arrogance was certainly something.

But Zhao Yang had seen countless high-ranking officials and only found Zhou Jianwei's posturing ridiculous.

"It's not a threat, it's the truth."

Zhao Yang looked him straight in the eye. "What is investment promotion most afraid of? It's afraid that after the project lands, the service won't keep up, leaving investors disheartened.

"County Magistrate Zhou, you've worked in Cangyun for so many years, you should have a deep understanding of this, right?"

Zhou Jianwei's expression changed.

Hitting people without slapping their faces—why did this kid specialize in kicking people's sore spots?

Cangyun County hadn't failed to attract investment before; the year before last, a boss from East Zhejiang came to inspect mineral resources.

The county promised a bunch of conditions, but after the guy came three times, not even a plot of land was approved, and he finally packed up and left.

Zhao Yang mentioning the logistics transfer center invested in by Cenjiang Industrial truly made him wary.

From Zhao Yang's contact with General Manager Lin, the relationship between the two was extraordinary.

Although the project had started construction, the land transfer fees hadn't fully arrived.

What if this kid...

"Thirty thousand." Zhou Jianwei gritted his teeth and held up three fingers.

"Thirty thousand at most, not a penny more!

"Borrow some old computers from the Education Bureau, and for the broadband, talk to the Telecom Bureau and let them install the lines first and get paid later."

Zhao Yang sat in his chair without moving, his gaze fixed on Zhou Jianwei:

"County Magistrate Zhou, poverty alleviation is not shopping at a vegetable market; bargaining is not the way to do it. I have carefully calculated all this money."