Chapter 200: The Cement Plant (4)
Although County Magistrate Yang was vigorously promoting Yiyang as a hub for investment, Rome was not built in a day, nor could a modern city be created overnight. Take the hotels, for instance: only the Yiyang Hotel was presentable, having recently upgraded its facilities to earn a three-star rating.
All the bosses who had come to Yiyang for this inspection were staying at the Yiyang Hotel.
Li Jing was on the ninth floor. When Hou Weidong called, she had just finished showering. Dressed in cool, light sleepwear, she sat by the window, looking down at the town of Yiyang.
The county town was in a state of transition—half new, half old. Walking along the streets, one could still be impressed by the advertisements and lights. But from the height of a high-rise building, the town’s flaws were laid bare. The dominant color was the dull gray of prefabricated concrete, and the clutter on the rooftops gave a sense of disorder.
For a county town to develop into a large city is usually a long road, requiring the efforts of countless people, even spanning one or two generations. It is much like personal development; for a common family to become aristocratic, it takes at least several generations of transformation.
Li Jing silently looked down at Yiyang County, her expression tinged with a touch of melancholy. When the knock on the door sounded, she knew it was Hou Weidong.
She opened the door, and Hou Weidong saw a charming face, slightly damp long hair, and a faint water stain on her chest.
“Weidong, you didn’t come to keep me company last night. Truly, you’ve married a wife and forgotten your friends.”
Li Jing’s words made Hou Weidong shudder. If Xiaojia heard this, he would be unable to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River. He quickly changed the subject. “You’ve really put me in a tough spot this time. Secretary Zhu has given me a strict order. If I can’t get Zhang Mushan on board, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. My career would be ruined.”
Li Jing giggled softly, leaning against the windowsill, and made a call to Zhang Mushan. “Mr. Zhang, this is Li Jing. Have you woken up? What are your plans for this morning? Weidong and I will accompany you for a walk in Shangqinglin.”
The previous night, Zhang Mushan had drunk quite a bit. He slowly got out of bed after receiving Li Jing’s call. As the head of Qingda Company, he had attended countless investment promotion symposiums. He knew the intentions of the Yiyang County Party Committee and Government clearly. He had originally intended to invest in Shangqinglin, but seeing the government’s eager attitude, he decided to make no immediate commitments. He wanted to keep the government guessing, thereby extracting greater benefits from them.
With this idea in mind, Zhang Mushan began his performance. When Hou Weidong entered, Zhang was leisurely drinking tea. He offered a lukewarm greeting but did not stand up.
Hou Weidong sensitively perceived the change in Zhang Mushan’s attitude. He thought to himself, “Last time in Lingxi, Zhang Mushan was very interested in Shangqinglin. Today, with this demeanor, he seems to have little interest in Qinglin Mountain.”
Sure enough, after chatting with Li Jing for a while, Zhang Mushan said to Hou Weidong, “Regarding the investment in Shangqinglin, I have considered it for a long time but still cannot make up my mind. I will go back and consult with several directors before making a decision.”
Hou Weidong’s mind raced. He thought, “The best quarry in Shazhou is in Shangqinglin. If Zhang Mushan wants to invest in a cement plant in Shazhou, Shangqinglin is the best choice. What does he mean?”
Having worked in quarries for several years, Hou Weidong had become an expert. He knew the stone resources in Shazhou inside out. “A cement plant needs to be close to raw materials. Shangqinglin has coal and stone, and convenient transportation. It is the ideal location for building a plant. Zhang Mushan has no reason to give up this place. He is definitely holding out for a better price.”
Having figured out this link, Hou Weidong calmed down. He said calmly, “Mr. Zhang, you are being too polite. We are here today only to talk about friendship, not business. Last time I mentioned that Wangri Village in Shangqinglin is remote, with towering trees, wild boars, pheasants, and hares. I have asked the old hunters in the village to prepare a few muzzleloaders, so we can have some fun.”
Zhang Mushan finally showed some interest. “Speaking of hunting boars, it makes me itch. But muzzleloaders are too boring. Every county’s Armed Forces Department has an arsenal. Let’s go get a few Type 56 semi-automatic rifles. That way, hunting boars will be more exciting.” He was confident in this request. Last time in Linjiang County, the county had arranged for the Armed Forces Department to provide guns, and a group had gone to Yunshan Mountain for hunting.
Hou Weidong had not expected Zhang Mushan to make such a request. He hesitated, “I cannot make a decision on this matter.”
Zhang Mushan deliberately made things difficult for Hou Weidong. “Our country controls firearms very strictly, but if the County Party Committee intervenes, the Armed Forces Department will still support us. If we cannot get the rifles, I am prepared to return to Lingxi. There is still a lot of business to handle at home.”
“Wait a moment, I will go and ask.”
After Hou Weidong left the room, Li Jing smiled and said, “Mr. Zhang, don’t forget what we agreed on last time.” Zhang Mushan replied, “Li Jing, Jinggong Group was established not long ago. Although it is only a subcontracting project, the volume is not small. If you cannot secure it, you must pay compensation as agreed.”
Hou Weidong quickly went to the County Party Committee Office and found Liu Tao from the Comprehensive Section. Liu Tao did not dare to take on such a matter; he brought Hou Weidong to the office of Ji Haiyang, the Director of the Committee Office.
Ji Haiyang was the Director of the Office of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee. Although he ranked last among the standing committee members, his words carried weight. He cursed, “These bosses think they are great just because they have money. Damn them, they even want to use rifles.” He added, “You are Hou Weidong. Why did you think of bringing him to…”
Hou Weidong explained, “If we do not go hunting, he will return to Lingxi. My main intention is to invite Mr. Zhang to Shangqinglin to see the site in person.”
“Besides you, who else is going to Shangqinglin Mountain this time?”
“Director Jin from the Development and Reform Commission will go with us.”
Ji Haiyang thought for a moment and said, “Wait here for a while. Using firearms is a serious matter. I need to report to Secretary Zhu.”
Hou Weidong was not familiar with Liu Tao, and Liu Tao was an introverted and silent person. The two sat awkwardly in Ji Haiyang’s office.
After a while, Ji Haiyang returned to the office and said, “Secretary Zhu has specially approved this matter. I will contact Minister Yang first, and then Liu Tao and Hou Weidong will go to the Armed Forces Department. Comrades from the Military Section of the Armed Forces Department will accompany us throughout to ensure safety.”
Secretary Zhu Yan’s quick approval actually increased the psychological pressure on Hou Weidong. He cursed in his heart, “Damn capitalist, give you a little sunshine and you bloom.”
With the highest instruction from Secretary Zhu of the County Party Committee, things were handled very differently. As the saying goes, “The boss is difficult, the boss is difficult; when the boss steps in, it is no longer difficult.” A section chief and three staff officers from the Military Section of the Armed Forces Department all mobilized, driving an off-road vehicle, and soon arrived at the Yiyang Hotel.
The hunting convoy consisted of four vehicles: one military vehicle carrying guns, one pickup truck driven by Hou Weidong, one special car for Zhang Mushan, and a Santana carrying Liu Tao and Director Da Jin from the Development and Reform Commission.
Upon arriving at Wangri Village, Village Party Secretary He Hequan and several village committee cadres were already waiting in the office. Seeing the convoy approach, several village cadres came forward to greet them. Hou Weidong introduced He Hequan to the guests.
He Hequan had specifically bought a pack of Hongtashan cigarettes. When Zhang Mushan and others got out of the car, he handed out cigarettes one by one. In He Hequan’s mind, Hongtashan was the best cigarette. Because Hou Weidong was coming, he had reluctantly gone to the Shangqinglin Forestry Farm to buy the best cigarettes available there.
Zhang Mushan’s car also carried his accompanying secretary, Xiao Jia, who was also a smoker. However, he smoked with a sense of style, only smoking 35-brand cigarettes, and looked down on domestic Hongtashan. When He Hequan offered him a cigarette, he waved his hand and said, “I do not smoke.”
Zhang Mushan had been an educated youth, so he felt a sense of kinship with this village secretary whose feet were stained with mud. He took the cigarette, lit it himself, and said to He Hequan, “Secretary He, we will trouble you today.” He Hequan had been a rural cadre for many years and was skilled at reading people. He could see that Zhang Mushan was an important figure. He smiled honestly and said, “Township Mayor Hou’s friends are all honored guests. We usually cannot even invite them.”
Several village cadres gathered around Hou Weidong. Two of them had bought large trucks specifically to transport goods to Goubewan. Seeing the main person in charge of Goubewan, they were naturally very affectionate. To show their warmth, they smoked vigorously, and soon the meeting place was filled with thick smoke, which drifted away with the wind, dissipating like cooking smoke in the fields and forests of the farmhouses.
When several soldiers in camouflage uniforms appeared in front of the villagers, carrying Type 56 semi-automatic rifles, these hunters, who had long held muzzleloaders, were stunned. Looking at the well-maintained gun bodies, they unconsciously swallowed their saliva.
Hou Weidong said, “Old He, you lead the way. We are going up the mountain to hunt wild boars.”
Led by several village cadres, the group gradually walked into the deep mountains. The forest protection in Shangqinglin was excellent, with high mountains and dense woods. As they walked through the forest, the sound of birds chirping was constant.
After walking through the dense forest, Zhang Mushan took a rifle. His handling of the gun was standard, and his actions in checking the weapon were very neat. The serious expression on the face of the military section chief finally relaxed. “Did Mr. Zhang serve in the army?”
“I was a soldier in ’72. I used this kind of gun in the army.” He patted the gun body and said with great interest, “Although this gun is a bit old, its accuracy is high, and the range is also good. I like it very much. If we can shoot a wild boar today, we will find a farmhouse, slaughter and eat it fresh, and enjoy a good meal.”
Hou Weidong had hunted with pistols when he was a child, following his father, Hou Yonggui, but he had never touched a rifle. He originally wanted to shoot a few rounds for fun, but seeing the nervous expressions of the staff officers, he held back his words.
Li Jing, Hou Weidong, Liu Tao, and Director Da Jin did not have guns, so they trailed behind the hunters. The forest became denser, and the path became more difficult to walk. Although Li Jing was enthusiastic, her stamina could not keep up. Hou Weidong held her hand, and the two became the tail of the group.
After walking for about half an hour, shouts were heard from ahead, followed by a crisp gunshot.
“Tch, not knowing how to use a rifle is really embarrassing.” Hou Weidong also had masculine blood flowing in his veins. Hearing the gunshot and the shouts, he felt his self-esteem was hurt.
“Let’s rest for a while.” Li Jing put one hand on her hip and pulled the other hand away from Hou Weidong’s, fanning herself constantly. Sweat was on her face, along with some black marks from somewhere, turning her into a big spotted cat. Hearing Hou Weidong’s unwilling complaint, she said, “There is a shooting club in Lingxi. I will take you there next week. Find a good coach, and you will learn quickly.”