High and mighty… “officials”… put that attitude aside?
Hearing Li Yi’s words, Jiang Longyin knew something must have upset his brother-in-law.
He looked at Li Yi and asked, “What’s going on? Are the lower-level officials giving you a hard time?”
Li Yi shook his head and said, “It’s not exactly that they’re giving me a hard time, but the barriers to entry at the Pengcheng City Government are really high. It’s incredibly difficult to get a meeting with you, the Secretary!”
“I’m your brother-in-law, and even I was grilled several times on my way in. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for others. But you’re a government agency—acting like this isn’t exactly appropriate!”
To be honest, Li Yi felt very uncomfortable about what had just happened.
Although he knew it was still too early to talk about a “service-oriented government,” seeing the city government run like a military base with such tight security made him feel very uneasy.
Jiang Longyin immediately understood what was going on. He sighed and said, “Brother-in-law, you’re talking about this, right? Actually, it wasn’t like this before. The situation has been unusual lately!”
“What’s so special about it?” Li Yi pressed.
“A lot has been happening in the city lately. People come to the city government building to cause trouble almost every day. If we don’t keep them in check, we won’t be able to get any work done!” Jiang Longyin explained.
“Who dares to come to City Hall and cause trouble?” Li Yi asked curiously.
“The local residents!”
“Ordinary people… causing trouble?”
Jiang Longyin immediately replied, “Yes. With all the construction and development going on throughout Pengcheng right now, we need to expropriate a lot of land from the locals. Because of issues with resettlement and compensation, many villagers often gather to cause disturbances at City Hall…”
Before he could finish, Li Yi cut in: “I get the gist of it, but that’s no excuse for setting up roadblocks all over City Hall. The more you do this, the more it shows you lack confidence and that you’re in the wrong.”
“Brother-in-law, you really can’t blame the government for this. We’re all following the compensation standards set by higher authorities based on policies and regulations. We absolutely have no intention of shortchanging the people. But there are always some who feel they’re getting the short end of the stick and want more compensation. How can we arbitrarily change the uniform standards?” Jiang Longyin said with a hint of resignation.
“Second Brother, if the city government is in the right, what are you afraid of?”
Li Yi continued, “Conflicts aren’t scary. If you act this way, you’ll not only undermine the government’s credibility but also create even greater conflicts, which will further fuel foreign investors’ concerns about the local investment climate.”
Jiang Longyin nodded and said, “Yes, we understand the principle that it’s better to resolve issues than to suppress them. That’s why we’ve been discussing how to resolve this matter over the past few days.”
Li Yi immediately replied, “The current problem boils down to two core issues: first, some residents feel they’ve been shortchanged, and second, a small minority is trying to take advantage of the situation to gain more for themselves.”
“You simply need to analyze each situation on its own merits. If the people have truly been shortchanged, correct it immediately and make up the difference. If there are indeed those trying to exploit the situation to embezzle or seize more than their share, you must not indulge them—arrest those who should be arrested and sentence those who should be sentenced.”
Jiang Longyin shook his head and said, “It’s not as simple as you think. The clan influence here is far stronger than in the north, and these clans are particularly protective of their own. If one person gets into trouble, the whole village comes to their aid. If the government dares to make arrests, they’ll definitely cause an even bigger uproar.”
“You represent the government—you can’t just say you’re ‘afraid’ so easily. If you’re afraid, what about the foreign investors who’ve come here to invest?”
“Well…”
Li Yi looked at Jiang Longyin and said, “Second Brother, your approach is like the fool in the fable of ‘covering one’s ears to steal a bell’—thinking that covering your own ears is enough. In reality, there are countless people waiting to see how you’ll resolve this matter!”
“As long as you have a clear conscience, there’s nothing to fear. As the old saying goes, ‘Strike first to ward off a hundred blows.’ The municipal government should set an example for the towns, townships, and counties below!”
“You’re right, brother-in-law. We can’t let this kind of trouble-making get out of hand. I know what to do!”
Then Jiang Longyin changed the subject and said, “By the way, brother-in-law, you mentioned earlier that if you couldn’t attract investment, you’d fund the construction of the expressway from Pengcheng to Yangcheng yourself. Were you serious about that?”
“Of course I’m serious. Besides, Second Brother, you should know I have the means to do it!” Li Yi replied.
“I know you’re wealthy, but this is, after all, a government public infrastructure project—and such a massive sum of money. If we end up losing money on it, I’m afraid I’d feel guilty for the rest of my life!” Jiang Longyin said.
“It won’t lose money!”
Li Yi continued, “Second Brother, if you weren’t the top official in Pengcheng, I wouldn’t even bother looking for other investors for this project—I’d just pay for it myself!”
“Why?”
“To avoid any appearance of impropriety!”
“To avoid the appearance of impropriety?”
“Right. Let me put it this way: if this project is done right, the profits will be at least ten billion!” Li Yi said, making a startling claim.
“Ten… ten billion in profits? How is that even possible?”
Hearing Li Yi’s words, Jiang Longyin was completely stunned. He simply couldn’t imagine that profits from building roads and collecting tolls alone could be so high.
Li Yi smiled and said, “Why not? And 10 billion is just a conservative estimate. If we really crunch the numbers, it could easily reach several hundred billion!”
Li Yi wasn’t just talking nonsense; this had actually happened before.
The highway they were discussing was none other than the renowned Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway. In his previous life, this highway had been built in the 1990s as a joint venture between a Hong Kong businessman and the Pengcheng municipal government.
At the time, the businessman had taken out a 12.2 billion yuan bank loan and invested the entire sum into the highway. Once completed, the annual revenue far exceeded everyone’s expectations; at its peak, daily toll revenue reached tens of millions, earning it the title of “the most profitable highway.”
In just 15 short years, this highway had earned the Hong Kong businessman 41 billion yuan—a truly staggering profit.
It was precisely because the profits were so staggering that Li Yi hesitated about investing himself; after all, he had to guard against the appearance of impropriety.
Jiang Longyin could tell his brother-in-law wasn’t joking. He leaned back in his chair, lost in deep thought.
Li Yi knew he was surely analyzing the situation, so he didn’t disturb him but instead began thinking about Long Zhanjun.
The reason he suddenly thought of Pengcheng today wasn’t for Jiang Longyin’s sake, but to check on Long Zhanjun.
On the one hand, Li Yi wanted to see how the restaurants Long Zhanjun had set up here were doing.
On the other hand, Li Yi wanted to have a chat with him. After all, his third sister was due to give birth in a few months, and the couple couldn’t possibly remain separated like this forever.
Compared to making money, he cared more about his third sister living a happy and fulfilling life.
Just as Li Yi was thinking about this, Jiang Longyin suddenly spoke up: “Brother-in-law, if this venture really is that profitable, Second Brother hopes you’ll invest in this project!”
“Second Brother, I already made myself very clear just now. We need to avoid any appearance of impropriety—this is for your protection as much as it is for mine!” Li Yi replied.
“Brother-in-law, I understand what you mean, but rather than worrying about what others might say, I’d much rather see you set an example for the entire city, the province, and even the whole country!”
Jiang Longyin continued, “You’re well aware of the state of our country’s infrastructure. From the central government down to local authorities, everyone recognizes the importance of transportation and wants to improve our outdated infrastructure, but they’re constrained by funding and have been unable to turn things around quickly.”
“If you can build the expressway between Pengcheng and Yangcheng and ensure it doesn’t run at a loss, then the significance goes far beyond just a few billion yuan for a single road.”
Upon hearing this, Li Yi immediately grasped Jiang Longyin’s intent: he was being asked to set a national precedent, so that other provinces, municipalities, and directly administered cities could follow suit, thereby accelerating infrastructure development.
One couldn’t help but admire Jiang Longyin’s keen political insight—if this project succeeded, it would be a tangible political achievement!
However, after considering a few things, Li Yi said, “Second Brother, I promise you this road will definitely be built, but I still stand by my original plan: I’ll try to secure investment for you first, and if I can’t find anyone, I’ll fund it myself.”
Jiang Longyin thought for a moment and said, “Alright, then. I’ll have the Transportation Bureau and the Investment Promotion Bureau get started on planning this right away!”
“Great. After I go to the mainland this time, I’ll help you look for investors too!” Li Yi said.
“Then I’ll leave this matter in your capable hands, brother-in-law!”
“We’re family, so let’s not be so formal!” Li Yi said with a smile.
“You’re right…”
…………