The report submitted by Woniu Town quickly received a response. The County Committee Office issued a notice requesting the two top officials of Woniu Town to attend a meeting at the county seat, specifically emphasizing in the notice that Lin Zifeng should attend along with them.
Riding in Tang Ming's official car, the three of them arrived at the County Committee in no time. They first went to report to Cai Dongsheng and waited to be summoned.
"Secretary Tang, Mayor Li, the three of you sit for a moment. Secretary Luo and County Head Ye are currently attending a meeting. As soon as that meeting is over, we will discuss the reconstruction of Qilongao Village right after." With that, Cai Dongsheng picked up the kettle to pour tea for Tang Ming and Li Changhuan.
"Director Cai, let me, let me."
Lin Zifeng was quick-witted and agile, taking the kettle right out of Cai Dongsheng's hands.
"Secretary Tang, you've trained this young man quite well," Cai Dongsheng said with a smile.
Tang Ming replied, "Director Cai, his name is Lin Zifeng. He's a rare talent in our town."
Cai Dongsheng said, "He came to see Secretary Luo last time, so I know him. Secretary Luo holds him in very high regard."
"Secretary Luo has always cherished talented people," Tang Ming chimed in with a smile.
Just then, a comrade from the Committee Office came in to announce that the meeting over there had adjourned.
"The three of you, follow me. I'll go ask the Secretary if we should continue right here in the conference room."
Cai Dongsheng stood up and walked briskly into the adjacent conference room.
"Secretary Luo, County Head Ye, the comrades from Woniu Town have arrived. Should we continue here, or change to another place?" Cai Dongsheng asked.
Luo Zeshen said, "Time is tight. Don't waste time moving around; let's stay right here."
Cai Dongsheng immediately arranged for someone to briefly tidy up the table, had tea served to Lin Zifeng and the other two, and then prepared to withdraw from the conference room.
"Dongsheng, stay and listen in," Luo Zeshen called out, stopping Cai Dongsheng.
"Alright," Cai Dongsheng acknowledged, walking over to sit down beside Tang Ming.
"County Head Ye and I have both read the report you submitted. You've certainly calculated well—using funds from above to resolve the lingering issues in your town." Luo Zeshen went straight to the point. As the top leader of Changzhou County, he was very clear about the situation in every town under his jurisdiction.
Tang Ming gave an awkward smile and said, "Secretary Luo, you know what the situation is in Woniu Town. The town's finances are already impoverished, so this was a desperate measure on our part..."
Luo Zeshen waved his hand and said, "Although County Head Ye and I don't quite approve of this approach, the location you chose is actually quite good. Leaving that plot of land idle would be a waste, so now it's equivalent to turning waste into something useful. Still, I'm a bit curious: does rebuilding Qilongao Village really require so much land?"
Li Changhuan said, "Secretary Luo, let me answer that question. Zifeng found me and brought up the concerns of the ordinary people in Qilongao Village. The 40 acres of land allocated for the reconstruction of Qilongao Village is not entirely for building houses; some of the land will also be distributed to the villagers of Qilongao Village to grow food and vegetables, which can at least guarantee their basic livelihood."
"Very thoroughly considered. But do you think this tiny bit of land can support more than a thousand people?" Luo Zeshen asked.
Tang Ming and Li Changhuan were momentarily dumbfounded; they truly hadn't considered this question.
Lin Zifeng said, "Secretary Luo, the masses in Qilongao Village are all hard-working. I believe they will definitely find other ways to increase their income. Secretary Tang and Mayor Li are also considering how to provide more employment channels for the people of Qilongao Village."
Luo Zeshen chuckled and said, "It seems your considerations are quite comprehensive after all. It was just my unnecessary worry."
Tang Ming said, "Secretary Luo, actually this was also proposed by Zifeng. This young man is truly a rare talent. Our Party Committee has already decided to let Zifeng take the lead in charge of the reconstruction of Qilongao Village."
"Little Lin, this burden is not light. Can your young shoulders handle it?" Luo Zeshen asked with a smile.
Lin Zifeng said, "Please rest assured, Secretary Luo, I will definitely do my utmost to handle the reconstruction work well."
Ye Rui chuckled and said, "Secretary Zeshen, it looks like Comrade Little Lin is very confident about getting the reconstruction work done well."
Luo Zeshen said, "Confidence is a good thing, but our support is also indispensable. Little Lin, if you encounter any problems in the reconstruction work that you cannot resolve, you can come directly to County Head Ye and me."
"Thank you, Secretary Luo. Thank you, County Head Ye," Lin Zifeng quickly expressed his gratitude.
Tang Ming's eyes flickered, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"County Head Ye, shall we settle the reconstruction site just like this?" Luo Zeshen asked, seeking Ye Rui's opinion.
Ye Rui said, "I have no objections to the specific site selection, but regarding the funding, I have an idea."
Saying this, Ye Rui paused deliberately. Seeing that Tang Ming and Li Changhuan were both looking at her expectantly, she chuckled and said, "Don't you worry, we won't give you a single penny. However, the county must keep a portion of these funds. Your town's finances are in difficulty, but the county isn't doing much better."
"County Head Ye, we must take the lion's share," Li Changhuan began bargaining with Ye Rui directly.
Ye Rui gave Li Changhuan a side-long glance. "You wish! Just how big is Woniu Town's budget, and how big is Changzhou County's? I won't even ask Secretary Luo for instructions on this; I'll make the call right now: three tenths for you, and seven tenths for the county."
"County Head Ye, three tenths is far too little! When we originally acquired that land, it cost nearly four million, and the town's finances still have a huge financial hole left unfilled," Li Changhuan complained bitterly right away.
Lin Zifeng inwardly gasped in astonishment nearby. He clearly remembered Li Changhuan saying earlier that the land acquisition cost less than two million, yet Li Changhuan had just doubled the figure on the spot.
Ye Rui said, "Alright, stop complaining. I know how much money was spent better than you do. At most, I'll give you four tenths."
Li Changhuan and Tang Ming exchanged a glance, and Li Changhuan went on to say, "County Head Ye, it's a deal then. You can't cut it down any further."
Ye Rui said, "Rest assured, it won't be a penny less."
Sitting nearby and watching a county head and a town mayor bargain just like people buying vegetables in a street market, Lin Zifeng could not help but smile secretly.
"Then let's consider the matter settled."
Luo Zeshen made the final decision, and the site selection for the reconstruction of Qilongao Village was finalized. This was what Lin Zifeng cared about most. Right at this very moment, he most wanted to return to the village primary school where the ordinary people of Qilongao Village were taking shelter and tell them this good news. As for how the funds from above would be distributed once they came down, it had nothing to do with him whatsoever.
Luo Zeshen said, "Tang Ming, although this matter is being led by Little Lin, the two of you must not stand aloof and stay out of it. The working group that needs to be established must still be set up. Such a massive project cannot be completed by Little Lin alone."
Tang Ming said, "Rest assured, Secretary Luo, we have already set up the working group. Mayor Changhuan and I will serve as dual group leaders, and we have drawn backbone personnel to form a dedicated team, with Zifeng leading that team."
"Alright, you two may head back now. Little Lin, stay behind; I have something else to discuss with you."
Luo Zeshen stood up and motioned for Lin Zifeng to accompany him to his office.