Chapter 395: The Development Environment (Part 1)

Xiaojia hung up the phone and said, "Zhu Yanbing wouldn't have called you unless he had a specific purpose. People don't offer favors out of nowhere."

Hou Weidong stood in the living room, peeling an apple for Xiaojia. His technique was poor; the skin kept breaking, and he sliced away too much of the fruit. "Factory Director Zhu is likely grasping at straws regarding the factory's troubles, but his intentions are good. It shows he still cares about the enterprise."

Xiaojia had always worked in departmental roles and was unfamiliar with local affairs. She asked, "Have all the enterprises in Yiyang County undergone restructuring?"

Hou Weidong finished peeling the apple and handed it to her. "When the province established state-owned factories back in the day, large and medium-sized enterprises were primarily located in cities at the prefecture level or above. Yiyang is a county seat, so it was dominated by county-level enterprises. During the institutional reforms a few years ago, they were all sold off. There was a 'Chen Who Sold Everything' in another place, and here in Yiyang, there was a 'Zhu Who Sold Everything.' Looking back, that decision was correct. Now Yiyang is unburdened, making development much easier."

Xiaojia didn't have much say in this matter. Knowing how deeply her parents felt about the factory, she said, "As long as it doesn't violate principles, we should help if we can. I grew up in a factory environment and have feelings for it. Seeing a once-thriving factory now on its last breath makes me feel terrible. You haven't lived that life, so you might not understand that sentiment."

"I'll keep an eye on Mom and Dad's factory," Hou Weidong replied. "But my influence is limited, and I don't manage specific operations. More importantly, I don't know Zhu Yanbing's bottom line. He hasn't revealed what he actually wants."

Xiaojia took a bite of the apple. This dinner made her feel as though she had returned to her teenage years. "When I was in high school, Zhu Yanbing was in his early thirties and served as deputy director. He was young, spirited, and charismatic. His speeches in the grand auditorium were powerful and resonant. He was almost an idol to all the female workers, who called him the 'Fei Xiang of Shazhou.'"

In her youth, she had been deeply impressed by Zhu Yanbing. He had been her teenage idol. Seeing him today, that dream from her girlhood had shattered with a loud bang.

Hou Weidong smiled. "So Zhu Yanbing was your teenage idol. He still carries himself with dignity."

Every young girl harbors romantic dreams, a fact Hou Weidong understood well. He certainly wouldn't get jealous over something from the past.

Xiaojia sighed, "The feeling is different now. It feels like something is missing. The factory is on the verge of collapse, and his confidence has vanished. He is still handsome, and his Mandarin is good, but he lacks inner strength. Without that spirit, a person loses their luster."

The two sat in the living room, chatting idly and eating fruit. The moment was warm and sweet.

Then, the detestable mobile phone rang again. Hou Weidong sometimes wished he could throw the device away. His role as a secretary required him to keep it on twenty-four hours a day. As he went to answer it, he said to Xiaojia, "I neglected one thing when I joined the Municipal Party Committee Office. I should have changed my number. The current one is already memorized by various leaders, including the Provincial Party Committee General Office. Otherwise, I would have changed it long ago."

"Teacher Hou, this is Tie Ruiqing. My father and I are downstairs."

Hou Weidong was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. "You're downstairs? Wait a moment, I'll come down to get you right away."

"Go get some more fruit," he added, thinking of the former principal of Shangqinlin Primary School. Although the days in Shangqinlin had felt painful at the time, memories automatically filtered out the unpleasantness, retaining only the beautiful parts.

Tie Bingsheng and his daughter, Tie Ruiqing, stood at the entrance of Xinyue Building. Tie Bingsheng, the principal of Shangqinlin Primary School, had always carried an intellectual air when standing at the school gate during their time in Shangqinlin. Now, although he wore a reasonably fitting suit, it clashed with the surroundings of Xinyue Building, making it obvious at a glance that he was from a county town.

Beside him, Tie Ruiqing stood gracefully, looking exceptionally youthful under the lights.

Youth. Hou Weidong had graduated from university in 1993 at the age of twenty-three. In 1999, he was three months away from turning twenty-nine. Theoretically, he was still young. However, having climbed from the Shangqinlin Working Group to the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee Office, he spent his days mingling with officials and businessmen—two groups known for their deepest scheming.

Consequently, Hou Weidong had become increasingly profound and reserved through osmosis. Seeing the youthful girl before him, he suddenly felt that he, too, was growing old.

Tie Bingsheng and Tie Ruiqing sat side by side on the living room sofa. Tie Ruiqing looked curiously at Xiaojia, who was slightly rounding out. "Auntie Xiaojia, please don't trouble yourself. I'll peel the apple."

Xiaojia chuckled. "Don't call me Auntie. I'm only a few years older than you. Just call me Sister."

Tie Bingsheng's hair was slightly graying, and he sat with a straight back. "Over the years, Shangqinlin has developed rapidly. The Tiejianshan Cement Plant, along with several stone and coal plants, have all been profitable. The villagers of Shangqinlin have become wealthy." He concluded, "The development of Shangqinlin is inseparable from Township Director Hou's contributions."

Seeing Tie Bingsheng speak so seriously, Hou Weidong hurriedly waved his hands. "Principal Tie, please don't say that. The completion of the Shangqinlin road was the result of the joint efforts of all the villagers."

This was Hou Weidong's honest opinion. In the first year or two after the road was built, he had attributed it to his own efforts. But over the years, having seen more, he realized that without the support of the seven thousand Shangqinlin villagers—who donated land and provided unpaid labor—the road simply could not have been built.

Of course, Hou Weidong's role as a leader was not negligible. But ultimately, it was the villagers' strong desire to build the road that drove the project. He had merely done the right thing at the right time. Without him, the road would have been built eventually, just later.

Hou Weidong changed the subject and asked Tie Ruiqing, "You've graduated from university, right? Are you working or continuing your studies?"

Tie Ruiqing had been listening obediently to the conversation between her father and Hou Weidong. Hearing the question, she replied, "I am already working, at the People's Bank of China in Lingxi."

"That's a good unit. Once your job is stable, you should bring your parents to the provincial capital. Shangqinlin is nice, but it's too remote and inconvenient," Hou Weidong said, subtly referring to the difficulty of accessing medical care. He phrased it skillfully.

Tie Ruiqing nodded. "That is exactly what I think."

After chatting for a while, Tie Bingsheng took a package from his inner pocket and said solemnly, "This is the money we are returning to Township Director Hou. If you hadn't lent us the money back then, Ruiqing's mother wouldn't have been cured. Our whole family is extremely grateful."

"I don't need money. There's no rush to repay," Hou Weidong said.

"Ruiqing is working now, so the family burden is lighter. Over the past few years, with more enterprises in Shangqinlin, our shop's business has improved significantly." Tie Bingsheng placed the money on the table. "Township Director Hou, I borrowed this money several years ago. I must pay interest. The principal and interest are all here. Please count it."

Hou Weidong hadn't expected Tie Bingsheng to insist on paying interest. He hurriedly said, "This was money for medical treatment. Who would ask for interest? You needed the money most. Please, waive the interest."

Tie Bingsheng exchanged a glance with Tie Ruiqing. Father and daughter stood up in unison. Tie Ruiqing said, "Teacher Hou, please accept it. What you gave us wasn't just money; it was my mother's life. Calculating some interest will make my father feel more at ease."

By then, Tie Bingsheng had already stepped out the door. Hou Weidong had no choice but to let it go. He followed them out, saying, "Principal Tie, where are you staying? I'll drive you there."

After seeing off Tie Bingsheng and Tie Ruiqing, Hou Weidong returned to the room. Xiaojia joked, "I still have some impression of that storefront at Shangqinlin Primary School. It's been a few years, and Tie Ruiqing has grown up to be very beautiful with great temperament. Truly a golden phoenix flying out of the mountain nest."

Hou Weidong said, "The Tie family was originally from Shanghai, so they are different from the native Yiyang people. Although the classrooms at Shangqinlin Primary School were poor, the campus was shaded by green trees. It was of a much higher caliber than other primary schools. That's a matter of mindset."

He looked at the mobile phone on the table. "It's nine-thirty now. If anyone else calls, it will likely be trouble."

Before he finished speaking, the phone on the table vibrated and rang cheerfully. Hou Weidong said helplessly, "Being a secretary means losing personal freedom. I don't even dare to turn off my phone."

"Brother Hou, this is Xiao Zhou from the Maodong Cigarette Factory. I'm so anxious."

Hearing Xiao Zhou's urgent tone, Hou Weidong said, "Don't worry. Take your time and tell me what happened."

"Today, I went to Shazhou with General Manager Zheng and several technicians. In the evening, we met with Director Gao Jian of the Southern New District and drank quite a bit. Last night, General Manager Zheng and a technician were arrested by the police station at the massage center of the Shazhou Hotel."

Hou Weidong was startled. "General Manager Zheng was arrested?"

Xiao Zhou said anxiously, "Our other technician happened to step out to answer a phone call and avoided it. What should we do?"

Hou Weidong comforted him, "Don't panic. I'll handle this matter."

After hanging up, Hou Weidong initially thought of calling Du Zhengdong, the Member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee, Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and Director of the Public Security Bureau. But on second thought, he called Hong Ang first.

Hong Ang was also surprised. "Nonsense. How can the police just go to the Shazhou Hotel to arrest people? This is affecting Shazhou's development environment."

The Maodong Cigarette Factory was a target that the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee and Government were striving hard to attract. With such an incident, Hong Ang understood the severity. He called Du Zhengdong.

Du Zhengdong had been drinking and had just argued with his wife, so his temper was already high. Hearing the news, he called Deputy Director Su, who was in charge of public security. "Old Su, what's going on? You actually arrested the boss of the Maodong Cigarette Factory at the Shazhou Hotel. Do you want to lose your hat?" He raised his voice. "If you don't want to wear it, I still do."

Deputy Director Su replied cautiously, "Which police station made the arrest?"

Du Zhengdong's anger flared again. "You're asking me? I'm asking you! Investigate immediately. You have half an hour to release the person and personally go to apologize."

Deputy Director Su usually had a good relationship with Du Zhengdong, but being scolded made him irritated. "If the police station acted according to the law, there is no need to apologize to a client of a prostitute. If we apologize, how will we carry out our work in the future?"

Du Zhengdong said, "You are the Deputy Director of the Shazhou Public Security Bureau, not a police officer in a small county. How can you lack such political sensitivity? The Maodong Cigarette Factory was personally introduced by Boss Zhou. It is a major project in Shazhou for 1999. If this messes things up, we will all suffer the consequences."