Chapter 311: The Path (Part 2)

Early the next morning, Hou Weidong did about thirty push-ups on his balcony. As he flipped over to stand up, a question suddenly struck him: "Wang Hui’s return visit is clearly intended to add luster to the Yiyang New Management Committee. Should I report this matter to the County Party Committee and the County Government?"

It was a significant question.

Before Zhu Yan was transferred away, under his close care, Hou Weidong and the New Management Committee held a rather detached status. They largely acted on their own, deciding many matters independently. However, with Zhu Yan soon to leave Shazhou, the situation would undergo subtle changes regardless of whether Yang Senlin or Ma Youcai became the County Party Secretary. If he did not adjust his methods in time, both his own development and the construction of the New Management Committee would inevitably face obstacles.

Of course, although the news of Zhu Yan’s transfer was still classified, such major personnel adjustments could never be kept completely secret. Rumors were already circulating.

These rumors varied wildly, emerging from unknown angles and becoming topics for after-meal chatter. Some even absurdly claimed that Zhu Yan had been placed under shuanggui (suspension and investigation). This rumor had even reached Wu County. When Hou Yonggui heard it, he hurriedly called Hou Weidong, leaving Hou Weijiang amused and exasperated.

"Before things become clear, do I need to test the waters? Should I approach Ma Youcai or Yang Senlin?" Hou Weidong pondered silently for a while. He felt Ma Youcai was unreliable; after all, Ma had previously followed Zhu Yan closely and had clashed with him several times.

After arriving at his office, Hou Weidong spent half an hour handling routine work. Watching his subordinates enter in a stream and leave with orders, he felt a faint sense of accomplishment deep within. Once the administrative tasks were finished, he lit a cigarette, read the Lingxi Daily for a while, and waited for Wang Hui’s call.

At 9:30, Wang Hui’s call came in. The caller ID showed a mobile number.

After Wang Hui explained his purpose, Hou Weidong smiled and said, "Welcome. Your previous article powerfully promoted the construction of the Lingxi Province Development Zone. Some development zones were victims, but our New Management Committee was an absolute beneficiary. That is entirely due to your efforts, Reporter Wang."

The previous investigation had indeed played a very effective role, and Wang Hui felt a bit of pride. He modestly replied, "What merit do I have? I merely presented the facts." He laughed and added, "This is a return visit. Don’t make any special preparations. I want to see the most authentic situation."

Hou Weidong said, "Reporter Wang, you have seen much and have a sharp eye. You cannot be fooled by falsification, so I won’t waste that energy."

Wang Hui had a good impression of this young director of the development zone. He accepted the small compliment with a smile and said, "Director Hou, stop trying to charm me. I’m already on the highway. We’ll meet at eleven."

For this return visit to the New Management Committee, since Liu Ruixue had been transferred to another department, Wang Hui assigned Duan Ying to the group. Du Chenglong remained responsible for photography.

Duan Ying wore a high-quality navy blue mid-length coat. The color and style were understated, reflecting a minimalist aesthetic—it was her favorite coat.

Although the trip to Yiyang was official business, she secretly felt a sense of reunion with her lover. Sitting beside Wang Hui, she pretended to look at the scenery outside the highway window, but her ears were tuned to the familiar, intimate sounds leaking from his mobile phone.

After receiving the call, Hou Weidong immediately called Ren Xiaowei. "Hello, Section Chief Ren. This is Hou Weidong, reporting for work."

Ren Xiaowei’s crisp laughter came through the phone line instantly. "Director Hou, what are you saying? What are your instructions? Little Ren will handle it immediately."

"At eleven this morning, Wang Hui, a senior reporter from the Lingxi Daily, will interview the New Management Committee. Wang Hui is the one who handled the previous investigation of the Lingxi Development Zone. Does Secretary Yang have any specific arrangements this morning? If Secretary Yang could meet with Reporter Wang, the effect would certainly be different."

Ren Xiaowei checked the leadership schedule and said, "There are no specific arrangements this morning. He is in his office, alone. He has a symposium scheduled for the afternoon."

Having obtained accurate information, Hou Weidong called a car and headed straight for the County Party Committee.

Yang Senlin seemed to be in a leisurely mood, standing by the window watering a pot of asparagus fern with a spray bottle. When Hou Weidong entered, he said, "Take a seat." He carefully sprayed the fern leaves. When he put down the spray bottle, the fern looked lush and vibrant.

"Wang Hui, a famous reporter from the Lingxi Daily. I know him."

When Yang Senlin was in the General Office of the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee, he had worked on information tasks for a period. He had seen Wang Hui’s name many times in internal references and had a deep impression of him. Recently, Wang Hui’s investigative article had prompted the provincial government to decide to close many unqualified development zones, fully demonstrating Wang Hui’s influence. This had attracted Yang Senlin’s high attention.

"Okay, you take him to visit the New Management Committee first. Arrange lunch at the small guesthouse."

Yang Senlin readily agreed to Hou Weidong’s request. As Hou Weidong left, Yang Senlin watched the young subordinate’s straight back thoughtfully. He thought, "Hou Weidong rarely comes to report work proactively. The fact that he came today suggests the rumors have some truth to them." He considered calling several elders to inquire about the matter but restrained himself after thinking it over.

At eleven, Wang Hui’s Volkswagen Santana exited the Yiyang highway toll booth. The car stopped at the entrance. Within sight was a large, leveled plot of land, with cement roads crisscrossing it, dividing the flat area into a grid-like pattern. Six buildings had already been completed, and workers were applying red wall tiles.

Du Chenglong picked up his camera and adjusted the lens. Hou Weidong, leading the entire team of the New Management Committee, appeared in the frame. They walked briskly, their faces bearing bright smiles. Du Chenglong swiftly pressed the shutter and had already thought of a title for the photo: "The Advancing New Management Committee."

Wang Hui shook hands warmly with Hou Weidong. Hou Weidong pointed to the rising buildings of Bugao and the construction site of Li Jing, saying with pride, "Director Wang, how is this answer sheet from the New Management Committee? What score would you give it?"

"It looks good, but I can only evaluate it accurately after seeing everything." The New Management Committee’s development in such a short time had exceeded Wang Hui’s expectations, but he still habitually left room for further assessment.

After Hou Weidong appeared, Duan Ying pretended to admire the construction achievements of the New Management Committee, but her peripheral vision remained fixed on Hou Weidong. She thought, "His beard is shaved close, giving him a more mature masculine aura than before."

She shook hands politely with Hou Weidong and exchanged a few courteous greetings.

When Duan Ying worked at the Yiyang newspaper, Zhang Xiangyu had dealt with her several times, so they were somewhat familiar. Zhang Xiangyu greeted her warmly: "Reporter Duan, it’s been two years since I last saw you. I remember you were at the Shazhou Daily. When did you transfer to the Lingxi Daily?"

"A little over a year ago," Duan Ying replied warmly.

After the brief meeting, Hou Weidong led Wang Hui and his team along the ring road under construction in the New Management Committee. They first visited the development zone, touring the Xiuyun Pharmaceutical Factory where equipment was being installed, and then moved on to the Beer Factory, the Bearing Factory, and the Tongyuan Machinery Factory. These factories all featured modern workshops with uniform colors and specifications, neatly arranged on the north side of the New Management Committee’s inner ring road, presenting an impressive sight.

Wang Hui nodded and said, "After the Southeast Asian financial crisis, many development zones across the country saw a surge in unfinished projects. Most of the projects recruited by the New Management Committee are under normal construction. That’s good."

After touring the construction sites of the New Management Committee for over an hour and walking through all the ongoing projects, Hou Weidong said, "Director Wang, Deputy County Party Secretary Yang Senlin heard you were coming and has specially prepared a simple meal at the small guesthouse. Shall we head over now?"

Wang Hui did not decline. "I was planning to interview Secretary Yang anyway. Since we can meet at noon, I’ll conduct a random interview with him in the afternoon."

After getting into the car, Duan Ying said to Wang Hui, "The small guesthouse is specifically for receiving Shazhou municipal-level leading cadres. It seems Secretary Yang attaches great importance to news publicity."

As the two cars arrived at the small guesthouse, they saw Yang Senlin’s car pulling up. Accompanying him was the Propaganda Department Minister, Old Liu.

"Director Wang, we are old acquaintances. I used to work on information tasks at the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee. Our articles were published together in an issue of the internal reference." Yang Senlin shook Wang Hui’s hand warmly.

Wang Hui had published many articles and couldn’t recall which one it was at first. Reminded by Yang Senlin, he remembered and said, "That was an interview conducted according to the Provincial Party Committee’s requirements. There were over ten reports. Secretary Yang’s article was the only one selected from the region and received high praise."

Duan Ying had not met the Liu family since leaving Yiyang, so she felt a bit awkward upon seeing them. Instead, Minister Liu took the initiative to greet her and asked about her recent situation with concern.

Hearing their exchange, Yang Senlin asked with interest, "Did Duan Ying work in Yiyang before?" Minister Liu replied, "Little Duan used to work at the Yiyang newspaper."

Hearing that Duan Ying had previously been a reporter for the Yiyang Daily, Yang Senlin happily said to Minister Liu, "Who says our Yiyang newspaper has no talent? Reporter Duan’s ability to work for the provincial newspaper shows two things: first, that Reporter Duan is capable; second, that the Yiyang newspaper is able to cultivate talent. The key is that we must have confidence in ourselves."

Wang Hui picked up on Yang Senlin’s remark and said, "Duan Ying works very diligently and is highly capable. Her article submissions ranked second in the entire newspaper this month." Yang Senlin then said, "Since Reporter Duan worked at the Yiyang newspaper, as a local, you should voice support for Yiyang’s reform and opening up."

With Yang Senlin and Old Liu present, Hou Weidong naturally stepped back from the spotlight. Watching Yang Senlin talk eloquently, he thought, "I hope Yang Senlin can successfully become the full Party Secretary."