Chapter 249: The Investigation (Part 1)
Hou Weidong’s appointment passed smoothly through the Standing Committee. Once the official red-header document was issued, his phone became a hotline. Middle-level cadres who considered themselves to have some connection with him called one after another to offer their congratulations, and numerous dinner invitations followed. Since Hou Weidong’s schedule had to align with Secretary Zhu Yan’s, he merely gave perfunctory responses to these invitations, careful not to commit to any of them in earnest.
Zhao Lin, the Deputy Party Secretary in charge of organization, was closely aligned with Zhu Yan. With Hou Weidong taking the post of Deputy Director, Ren Lindu, whose seniority was roughly equivalent to Hou’s, assumed the position of Section Chief of the Comprehensive Section.
Hou Weidong and Ren Lindu swapped offices. Hou’s door now bore the plaque of Deputy Director of the Commission Office, while Ren moved into the Comprehensive Section office. Since both the Section Chief and Deputy Chief of the Comprehensive Section shared the surname Ren, the staff of the Commission Office jokingly referred to Ren Lindu as “Male Ren” and Ren Xiaowei as “Female Ren.”
That year, Hou Weidong was twenty-six years old. He had become a rising star among the middle-level cadres of Yiyang, and the youngest Deputy Director of the Commission Office in the county’s history.
After October 10, Yiyang County launched a study campaign titled “Studying Comrade Zhou Changquan’s Speech and Promoting the Highway Strategy.” Every town and government agency formulated detailed study plans. Most units, following the County Party Committee’s deployment, structured their activities around “centralized study, problem identification, and rectification opinions.” The County Party Committee dispatched inspection teams to various units to ensure these activities were implemented effectively.
By mid-November, the study campaign was gradually drawing to a close.
Following Zhou Changquan’s inspection visit to Yiyang, the contradictions between Party Secretary Zhu Yan and County Mayor Ma Youcai remained intense, though the dynamic had become more subtle.
Zhu Yan stuck to his old tactics, adopting a policy of “any cadre heavily relied upon by Ma Youcai must be moved to a different position by any means necessary.” With this rule in place, Ma Youcai, despite his considerable abilities, could not stir up much trouble.
Ma Youcai’s mindset, however, had shifted slightly. Zhou Changquan’s clear attitude toward Zhu Yan had left him feeling somewhat disheartened. He no longer wished to confront Zhu Yan head-on, nor did he want to contribute to Zhu’s political achievements. The South City New District was Zhu Yan’s biggest political achievement. Ma Youcai adopted a strategy of soft resistance, strictly adhering to national financial regulations to control fiscal investment in the South City New District, causing its construction to proceed at a sluggish pace.
On the surface, Ma Youcai was on solid ground, making it difficult for Zhu Yan to find any leverage against him.
On the morning of November 20, after reviewing the work report from the South City New District Management Committee, Zhu Yan slammed his hand on the desk in anger. He summoned the newly appointed Director of the Management Committee, Yang Dajin. Yang Dajin, formerly the Director of the Development Planning Commission, had been entrusted with this significant responsibility, serving as both the Party Secretary and Director of the Management Committee. He had also been elected as a member of the County Party Committee, transforming from an industry supervisor into a local leader governing a specific region.
Upon receiving Zhu Yan’s call, Yang Dajin seized the opportunity to hastily escape the包围 of a group of villagers. He sped to the County Party Committee compound in his car. During his time at the Development Planning Commission, he had rarely dealt directly with villagers. Now, facing large-scale demolition, he was learning firsthand how difficult suburban villagers could be.
On the way, he sincerely remarked, “Chairman Mao was truly remarkable. He invented the theory of surrounding the cities from the countryside and proposed that the key issue was educating the peasants. His understanding of Chinese society was truly unparalleled.”
Yang Dajin was middle-aged and rarely exercised. By the time he reached the top floor, he was panting heavily. To reach Zhu Yan’s office, he had to pass by Hou Weidong’s office first. He detoured into Hou’s office and said, “Director Hou, I have a suggestion. The county leaders are extremely busy, yet they still have to climb up and down stairs every day. Yiyang should install elevators. It’s a matter of image.”
Hou Weidong and Yang Dajin had a good relationship. He poured a glass of water for Yang and said, “Director Yang, Secretary Zhu is not very satisfied with the progress of the South City New District. You should pay attention to this.”
Yang Dajin looked troubled. “It’s like a skilled cook trying to make a meal without rice. Land acquisition, demolition, infrastructure, office expenses—everything requires money. What am I supposed to do?” His words carried an underlying meaning. Ma Youcai had instructed the Finance Bureau to strictly enforce financial regulations for fund disbursement. The funds needed for the South City New District trickled in like toothpaste from a tube, bit by bit. As the leader in charge of the new district, Yang had reported this to Ma Youcai, but Ma had silenced him with a single phrase: “Strictly enforce financial regulations.”
When Yang arrived at Zhu Yan’s office, Zhu had calmed down. “Director Yang, the progress of the South City New District is a bit slow.”
Although Yang Dajin was a cadre from the government series, he had been promoted by Zhu Yan. He reported the situation honestly.
Zhu Yan listened attentively without interrupting. After Yang finished, he said, “Secretary Changquan’s speech has been printed and distributed. You must study it carefully and grasp its essential spirit. Land banking, although not favored by the central and provincial governments, brings great benefits to local development. Whether Yiyang can realize the highway strategy depends significantly on you and Qin Feiyue. In terms of land resources, the South City New District is clearly superior to the Development Zone. You were formerly the Director of the Development Planning Commission and are familiar with economics. You must be responsible for Yiyang’s future.”
He stood up. “Let’s go. I’ll take a look at the site myself.”
This was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Zhu Yan took Hou Weidong and Yang Dajin and headed straight for the South City New District. Hou Weidong also called Zhang Yajun, the Director of the Construction Commission, asking him to hurry to the district.
At the temporary office of the South City New District, they saw over a hundred villagers scattered and sitting in front of the office door. Yang Dajin said, “Secretary Zhu, these villagers are unreasonable. Each one is asking for an exorbitant amount. We’d better enter from the back door.”
Zhu Yan had gained a deep understanding of the concept of “clean official consciousness” mentioned by Secretary Zhou Changquan. He did not wish to be the “clean official” in the hearts of the common people. He nodded and said, “Let’s not go into the office. We’ll go to the site to take a look.”
Some villagers’ houses in the South City New District had already been demolished. The entire new district was in chaos, with freshly dug earth everywhere. Yang Dajin explained, “This land belongs to two production teams and has been fully requisitioned. The villagers in the courtyard just now are from these two teams. The main reason is that the land compensation funds have not been disbursed in time.”
Zhu Yan asked, “When will the new residential area be completed?”
Zhang Yajun and Yang Dajin faced the same dilemma. Zhang said, “It will take at least another year for the resettlement housing to be built and ready for occupancy. During this year, we are paying rent subsidies so villagers can rent their own homes. However, the finance bureau cannot allocate the funds, and the villagers are very dissatisfied.”
Zhu Yan did not comment on this issue. He pointed to the messy, excavated land and said, “The latest development zones in the south operate on a model where the government invests first. They complete the infrastructure according to the ‘Three Connections and One Leveling’ or ‘Five Connections and One Leveling’ standards before putting the land up for sale. The land price is at least double what it is now.”
Yang Dajin said, “Currently, the land price sells for at most 100,000 yuan, and many bosses are not interested. However, to improve the infrastructure, it might require an investment of over 50 million yuan per square kilometer. The finance department has strong objections.”
Zhu Yan insisted on walking. He circled the requisitioned land and said firmly, “The South City New District must learn from the lessons of the Development Zone. We must prepare a detailed control plan. Four surrounding counties are also developing zones. Why should Yiyang win out? We must have the most complete facilities and the best service.”
He added, “We must broaden our horizons and not remain stuck at the county level. The best residential building in Shazhou is the New Moon Tower. Yajun, you can take our entrepreneurs to learn from it. Our buildings must reach the standard of the New Moon Tower.”
After touring the area, Hou Weidong received a phone call from Ji Haiyang. The voice on the other end was cold: “Director Hou, are you with Secretary Zhu?”
Hou Weidong sensitively sensed that Ji Haiyang’s tone was off. He consciously moved away from Zhu Yan and said in a low voice, “Director Yang from the New District came to report on work. Secretary Zhu felt the progress was too slow and decided on the spot to come to the new district to inspect.”
Ji Haiyang said “Oh,” and then, “I just received a call from the Discipline Inspection Commission office in Shazhou. Secretary Ji Daolin will come to Yiyang tomorrow morning. Report this to Secretary Zhu immediately.”
After hanging up, Hou Weidong was puzzled. “What’s going on with Standing Committee Member Ji? Why didn’t he call Secretary Zhu directly?” Despite his doubts, he reported Ji Haiyang’s message to Zhu Yan.
Ji Haiyang was a member of the County Party Standing Committee and the Director of the Commission Office. In reality, he was Zhu Yan’s chief secretary, and their relationship was good. They usually communicated directly by phone. So, upon hearing Hou Weidong’s report, Zhu Yan took out his mobile phone and said, “No wonder it was so quiet this morning. My phone was out of battery.”
On the way back to the office, Hou Weidong slowly reflected on Ji Haiyang’s tone, thinking to himself, “Secretary Zhu takes me with him every day. Could Standing Committee Member Ji have an objection to this?”
Ji Haiyang was in his office, feeling a slight discomfort.
He had been revising documents when Qian Zhiguo, the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission and a member of the County Party Standing Committee, entered his office. “Old Ji, where is Secretary Zhu? I have urgent matters to report to him.” Ji Haiyang went to the office but couldn’t find Zhu Yan. He tried calling Zhu Yan’s phone, but it didn’t go through. Qian Zhiguo joked, “Old Ji, how come you don’t know Secretary Zhu’s whereabouts?”
The implication in this sentence was profound. Ji Haiyang felt embarrassed. He called Hou Weidong and immediately located Zhu Yan. In the County Party Committee Office, knowing the whereabouts of the main leader carried rich connotations. Ji Haiyang was a veteran of the bureaucratic system and understood this well.
Although Hou Weidong had explained on the phone that it was a spur-of-the-moment decision by Zhu Yan, Ji Haiyang still felt somewhat dissatisfied with Hou Weidong. After Qian Zhiguo left, he thought to himself, “Hou Weidong is indeed young and inexperienced. When Secretary Zhu goes out, you should at least let me know.”
A short while later, Hou Weidong appeared in Ji Haiyang’s office. Upon entering, he reported, “Standing Committee Member Ji, I have already reported to Secretary Zhu about Secretary Ji’s visit to Yiyang.” He also briefly recounted the inspection situation to Ji Haiyang. As he was leaving, Hou Weidong seemed to casually remark, “Secretary Zhu’s mobile phone has only one battery. He receives many calls, so it doesn’t last long. It ran out this morning. It seems we should get him two more batteries.”
After Hou Weidong left, Ji Haiyang watched his retreating figure and thought, “Am I being a bit petty?”