Chapter 198: The Cement Plant (Part 2)
Tao proactively reached out and shook Hou Weidong’s hand. "A delegation arrived this morning. Several of the companies are major enterprises from Lingxi. The County Party Committee and the County Government attach great importance to this visit. They toured the Development Zone earlier and are now holding a symposium in the Executive Conference Room. Mr. Zhang Mushan, the CEO of Qingda Company, specifically mentioned you. Secretary Zhu has asked you to attend the meeting as well."
Upon hearing Tao’s words, Old詹 (Zhan) looked Hou Weidong up and down. "Your guanxi network is truly extensive."
Hou Weidong put down his pen and asked Guo Lan, "Section Chief Guo, what should we do about this report?"
Knowing they wouldn’t be eating dinner together, Guo Lan felt genuinely relieved. "Since Secretary Zhu has given the order, Old Zhan and I will have to handle this." She walked over, flipped through the report, and said to Old Zhan, "Let’s divide the work. You handle Tables 1, 4, and 7. I’ll take care of the rest."
Old Zhan wore a grimace of distress. "I’m not familiar with this report."
"Just follow last year’s format. I’ll explain any changes to you."
Ren Lindu, quick to seize the opportunity, remarked, "The hosts have left. It seems tonight’s feast will have to be postponed. Guo Lan, I’ll come back tomorrow to discuss the menu."
The Executive Conference Room featured a large round table surrounded by about twenty people. Most of the county-level leaders of Yiyang County were present, each accompanying an entrepreneur.
When Hou Weidong was led into the room, he saw Zhang Mushan, the CEO of Qingda Company, waving at him from the doorway. Beside Zhang sat Li Jing from the Jinggong Group. Nameplates stood before each seat, displaying the company names and the CEOs’ titles, bordered in gold to show the host’s enthusiasm and sincerity.
Lingxi Province had adopted a policy of encouraging competition among regions, establishing a series of economic indicators to assess local performance. Since the theory that "development is the absolute principle" had taken root, GDP growth became the most critical metric for regional development. Consequently, it was the indicator most valued by local leaders.
Under this policy guidance, every county in Shazhou was striving to boost its GDP. However, GDP growth wasn’t something that could be achieved simply by wishing for it. Most counties were primarily agricultural. To stimulate economic growth, they vigorously promoted investment attraction, making it a top priority for county governments. Large enterprises were scarce, and the natural and economic conditions of the various counties were similar. To succeed in attracting investment, county governments competed fiercely on policy incentives and service quality.
This symposium, bringing together entrepreneurs from Lingxi and Shazhou to the Yiyang County Government, was orchestrated by Secretary Zhu Yan of the Yiyang County Party Committee. He attached great importance to the meeting and had accompanied the entrepreneur delegation throughout, alongside County Mayor Ma Youcai.
Qingda Company of Lingxi was a powerful enterprise and a key target for the county’s investment attraction efforts. Secretary Zhu Yan had seated Zhang Mushan beside himself, engaging him in friendly conversation. When Zhang Mushan mentioned Hou Weidong from the Organization Department, Secretary Zhu immediately instructed Comprehensive Section Chief Liu Tao to invite Hou Weidong to join them.
Zhang Mushan had been impressed by Hou Weidong when they met in Lingxi, but he hadn’t realized Hou was a government official. It was only during the car ride to Yiyang that Li Jing revealed Hou Weidong’s other identity to Zhang. Half-jokingly, she had said, "Mr. Zhang, you are an important guest in Yiyang County. Please look after Hou Weidong in front of Secretary Zhu Yan."
When Hou Weidong approached Zhang Mushan, Li Jing stood up and warmly said, "Weidong, come sit here."
Liu Tao, the Comprehensive Section Chief, was skilled at reading the room. He immediately signaled the waiter to squeeze a chair for Hou Weidong.
Zhang Mushan was giving Li Jing face, and he also held Hou Weidong in high regard. Once Hou Weidong was seated, Zhang turned to Secretary Zhu and said, "Last time I met Weidong in Lingxi, he introduced me to the situation in Shangqinglin and provided some materials. Shangqinglin is rich in mineral resources and is quite suitable for building a large-scale cement plant."
Qingda Company had been scouting locations across Lingxi Province for a cement plant but had yet to make a decision. After meeting Hou Weidong, Zhang Mushan secretly dispatched a vice president to investigate Shangqinglin. This vice president was familiar with Yiyang County and had visited Qinglin Town. He was surprised to find that Shangqinglin was now accessible by road. After inspecting several large quarries, such as Gubeiwan, he returned and strongly recommended Shangqinglin to Zhang Mushan.
Secretary Zhu glanced at Hou Weidong and stated, "The economy in Shazhou has been developing rapidly in recent years, creating a huge demand for building materials like cement. However, there isn’t a single large cement plant in the Shazhou region. Mr. Zhang, your vision is unique. If you build the plant in Shangqinglin, the Yiyang County Party Committee will certainly provide strong support."
Zhang Mushan replied, "To be honest, there is disagreement within the company about whether to build the plant in Linjiang County or Yiyang County. I lean towards building it in Shangqinglin, Yiyang." He turned to Hou Weidong, who was sitting nearby, and said, "When Town Mayor Hou was working in Qinglin Town, he developed the stone resources in Shangqinglin. The conditions for setting up a factory there are mature."
He added, "If Weidong has time, he should accompany several directors from Qingda Company for an on-site inspection. After all, this is a large plant with an annual output of five hundred thousand tons of cement. We can’t afford to take any risks."
The largest cement plant in Shazhou currently had an annual output of only one hundred and twenty thousand tons. Hearing the figure of five hundred thousand tons, Secretary Zhu’s eyes lit up. He smiled warmly at Hou Weidong and said, "Hou Weidong, since you are friends with Mr. Zhang, please accompany him and his team to inspect Shangqinglin. You must do your duty as a good host."
"Rest assured, Secretary Zhu. I will do my best as the host."
Secretary Zhu observed Hou Weidong’s demeanor. He was composed, neither humble nor arrogant, and his responses were appropriate. Zhu thought to himself, "This young man is quite good. How did he become so familiar with Zhang Qingda?"
Later, a welcome banquet was held at the Government Guesthouse. As the host, Secretary Zhu drank quite a bit. The Deputy Director of the Commission Office, a beautiful young married woman, was very active at the event, keeping the atmosphere lively and warm.
Hou Weidong sat at a table with Zhang Mushan, Li Jing, Zeng Zhaoming, and others. Zeng Zhaoming and Zhang Mushan were meeting for the first time. With Li Jing acting as the matchmaker, the two clinked glasses and drank a large cup of red wine.
Comprehensive Section Chief Liu Tao approached and whispered in Hou Weidong’s ear, "Secretary Zhu is looking for you." Hou Weidong followed Liu Tao to a private room next door. The room was simply decorated, with only a few calligraphy and painting scrolls on the walls, but the materials used were of excellent quality. The flooring was the best brand in Lingxi, Feiyue, which cost several times more than ordinary flooring. When Hou Weidong had renovated his apartment in Xinyue Building, he had dealt with various building materials in Shazhou, so he recognized the Feiyue flooring at a glance.
Secretary Zhu was leaning back on the sofa, reviewing some documents. Liu Tao signaled Hou Weidong to sit down. After a while, Zhu put down the documents, looked up, and asked, "You served as Deputy Town Mayor in Qinglin Town for a year?"
Hou Weidong gave a concise self-introduction.
Secretary Zhu remained silent for a long time, his expression stern. This silence created an invisible pressure, starkly different from his jovial demeanor in the banquet hall. After Hou Weidong finished his introduction, Zhu said nothing, his gaze passing over Hou Weidong as if he weren’t there. Gradually, Hou Weidong began to feel uncomfortable.
This was the so-called "official aura." Having long served as the head of a region, accustomed to issuing orders and deciding others’ fates with a single thought, Secretary Zhu Yan possessed strong self-confidence and outward authority.
After a while, Zhu instructed, "Hou Weidong, the Qingda Company cement plant project is very important to Yiyang. From today on, you will accompany Mr. Zhang throughout the process. Put aside your current unit duties for now."
The Comprehensive Cadre Department mostly involved routine work, which didn’t suit Hou Weidong’s taste. After Zhu directly assigned the task, he continued, "I once met Mr. Zhang by chance in Lingxi. When he learned I was working in Qinglin Town, he expressed an intention to build a cement plant in Shangqinglin. The biggest advantage of building the plant in Shangqinglin is its proximity to raw materials, which saves a significant amount on transportation costs. Moreover, Shangqinglin has large reserves of high-quality ore, making it an excellent location for a large-scale cement plant."
Zhu asked, "What do you think is the likelihood of Mr. Zhang investing?"
Hou Weidong recalled his interactions with Zhang Mushan and said, "From my personal impression, Qingda Company has the desire to invest. Finding a good location for a large cement plant is not easy."
Zhu nodded. "Very good. Focus on tracking this matter for the next period. If the cement plant settles in Qinglin Town, it will be extremely beneficial for Yiyang’s development. You will also be doing a practical thing for the people of Yiyang."
After finishing the business discussion, Zhu stood up. Hou Weidong quickly stood as well. Zhu praised him, "The young man is good. Very good."
The next day, Hou Weidong went downstairs and was about to start his car when he saw Guo Lan coming down carrying a file folder. He called out, "Guo Lan, let’s go together." After getting into the car, Guo Lan smiled bitterly. "I worked overtime last night. Old Zhan messed up all the data in the report, forcing us to redo it. I didn’t sleep until two in the morning."
Upon arriving at the County Party Committee, Guo Lan got out first while Hou Weidong went to park the car. As soon as he parked, he saw Qin Xiaohong walking in with breakfast.
"Has Brother Liang returned?"
Qin Xiaohong looked very tired and yawned. "Old Liang returned last night. As soon as he got back, a bunch of friends came over, and they played until three in the morning." Hou Weidong laughed. "Brother Liang has an iron constitution. If I partied like that, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. If there’s nothing special tonight, I’ll invite you all for drinks." Qin Xiaohong, who was now openly cohabiting with Liang Bifa, said, "I have plans tonight too. Don’t worry about it. I’ll call you when the time comes, and we’ll drink together."
After leaving the courtyard gate, Hou Weidong thought to himself, "Qin Xiaohong is a proper college graduate and a legitimate state cadre. How could she be willing to become Liang Bifa’s mistress? It’s truly incomprehensible."
Days in Qinglin