Chapter 270: Management (Part 2)

Hou Weidong kept a close watch on Zhu Yan’s expression throughout the meal. However, Zhu Yan spent the entire dinner chatting with Su Mingjun. Even after the guests had departed, he offered no hint of his true feelings.

Only after Jiang Jiang and Su Mingjun had gotten into their cars did Zhu Yan’s smile gradually fade. “I didn’t expect you to be so familiar with Minister Su,” he remarked.

Hou Weidong replied in a casual tone, “Minister Su and I both live in the Xinyue Building. His wife and my wife, Xiaojia, are card partners. The women often gather together to play mahjong.”

Zhu Yan did not press further. Watching the taillights of the departing cars, he said, “The candidate for Vice Mayor has been finally decided. It’s a section chief transferred down from the Provincial Government.”

Rumors of Zhu Yan’s promotion to Vice Mayor had long circulated through the streets and alleys of Yiyang. Hou Weidong had also received this news through semi-official channels on several occasions. Yet, matters of promotion were as fickle as a child’s face, changing from laughter to tears in an instant.

Hou Weidong observed that Zhu Yan remained remarkably calm despite losing the opportunity. Zhu Yan is a veteran cadre who has stood the test of time, he thought. His psychological resilience is truly impressive. If it were me, how would I feel?

Not knowing how to comfort him, Hou Weidong simply said, “How could it be like this? It’s too unfair.”

Zhu Yan, however, offered comfort instead. “There are too many disappointments in life. I’m an old hand at this; it doesn’t matter to me.”

When Old Liu’s car pulled up beside them, Zhu Yan glanced at Hou Weidong’s briefcase. “You won’t need this item for now. Put it back.” As Hou Weidong opened the car door for him, Zhu Yan added one more instruction: “Remember, all important matters in the unit must go through the financial staff. You must choose the right people for those positions.”

On the way back, Hou Weidong pondered Shen Guanghua’s demeanor, particularly the way he wore his arm sleeves. This Shen Guanghua is a character I can utilize, but whether he is trustworthy is another question. Since his tenure was short and his pool of reliable personnel was small, he had no suitable replacement for Shen Guanghua in the immediate future. He made up his mind: I have no intention of using the New Management Committee’s finance office to get rich. As long as I act with integrity, I have nothing to fear. I doubt a small fish like Shen Guanghua can stir up much trouble.

In the car, Hou Weidong mentally reviewed the key figures in the New Management Committee one by one—Zhang Jin, Zhang Xiangyu, Yang Zhong, and others. Although he had not spent much time with them, he had formed a general impression of their personalities based on their expressions and speech. Whether his assessments were accurate would require time to verify.

Lost in these thoughts, the car soon arrived at Shawanzi.

Zhu Yan had been resting with his eyes closed. As they entered the Yiyang county boundary, he opened his eyes and asked, “Do you have any ideas regarding the development of the New Management Committee?”

As the top leader of Yiyang County, Zhu Yan’s words carried significant weight. Whenever he was present, subordinates naturally focused their attention on his expressions. Often, he didn’t need to name anyone explicitly; his subordinates understood who he was addressing. Over time, he had developed a habit of speaking without using subjects.

Since they were sitting one behind the other in the car, conversation was somewhat inconvenient. Hou Weidong turned his body slightly and reported three key points: first, the positioning of the New Management Committee and the proposal to invite top domestic experts for planning; second, the suggestion to build a small road connecting the Development Zone, the New Management Committee, and the new highway exit; and third, the proposal to create a three-square-kilometer enterprise cluster on the southern side of the New Management Committee.

After listening, Zhu Yan said, “I think the planning issue and the small road construction are worth considering. However, the southern side of the New Management Committee is very close to the Development Zone. If we build another industrial park there, wouldn’t it duplicate the functions of the Development Zone? Is that necessary? If it is, why not let the Development Zone handle it?”

Hou Weidong had prepared for this question. “The industry in the New Management Committee is planned to focus on high-tech enterprises with low pollution. This aligns with the future positioning of the committee and is the biggest difference from the Development Zone.”

Yiyang was located inland, lacking geographical advantages and special policies, making investment attraction difficult. The Development Zone’s thirst for enterprises was like that of a veteran soldier in the desert craving a woman. Regardless of the nature or industry of the enterprise, as long as they were willing to come, they were welcomed with open arms. Consequently, the enterprises in the Development Zone were a motley crew, including machinery, small chemical plants, and processing factories.

Zhu Yan was well acquainted with the situation in the Development Zone and asked, “Why would high-tech enterprises be willing to come to Yiyang?”

Hou Weidong answered honestly, “I haven’t figured it out completely, but I feel this should be the direction of development. Currently, there is a pharmaceutical factory preparing to invest in Lingxi. I have contacted them, and they will come to Yiyang for inspection tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Zhu Yan said, “If the pharmaceutical factory settles in Yiyang, you will have made a significant contribution.”

However, he did not hold high hopes for this matter. He added, “Your most urgent task is to finalize the planning. Whether the high-tech park can succeed can be discussed in the next step. If you are willing to try, I support you.”

At this point, Zhu Yan’s expression darkened slightly. “I will soon be going to the Party School for study. Turn the matters you just mentioned into written materials as soon as possible and present them at the Standing Committee meeting. Then, implement them boldly. This year will be a tempering experience for you. I hope you do not disappoint me.”

“Rest assured, I will work hard and not bring shame to the County Party Committee Office,” Hou Weidong replied.

In his heart, however, Hou Weidong wondered, Didn’t they say I was going to the Young Cadres Class? Has that changed too? He glanced back and saw Zhu Yan rubbing his temples, so he suppressed the doubt for the moment.

The next day, Hou Weidong called Shen Yonghua to his office and handed him the fifty thousand yuan. “This money wasn’t used. I’m returning it to you.”

Shen Yonghua had fully expected Hou Weidong to bring invoices for reimbursement. He was surprised that the money hadn’t been spent at all. Seeing Hou Weidong’s serious, unsmiling face, he was momentarily at a loss.

“From now on, the financial system must be strict. Whoever borrows money must provide an IOU, and it can only be lent out after my approval.”

Shen Yonghua hurriedly said, “Director Hou, please rest assured. Our financial system is quite sound. Yesterday, because you needed money urgently, we didn’t complete all the procedures.”

Hou Weidong finally showed a slight smile. “How is your relationship with the Finance Bureau?”

Seeing Hou Weidong’s smile, Shen Yonghua felt half of his anxiety ease. “I am quite familiar with the Section Chief of Administrative Finance and the Divisional Leader at the Finance Bureau. However, Director Gui, who recently transferred from the Government Office, is not yet familiar to me.” He flattered, “Director Hou, you are the Director of the Committee Office, and Director Gui is the Director of the Government Office. With you leading the work at the New Management Committee, the Finance Bureau will certainly not choke us.”

Hou Weidong smiled bitterly inwardly. If it weren’t for Gui Gang being at the Finance Bureau, communication might have been easier. However, he did not show weakness in front of his subordinate. He waved his hand and said, “It’s fine. Keep a close watch on financial matters. If anything goes wrong, you will be held responsible.”

Hearing the last sentence, Shen Yonghua’s face lit up with joy. Holding the fifty thousand yuan, he hummed Jacky Cheung’s “The Kiss Goodbye” as he went downstairs.

Deputy Director Zhang Xiangyu happened to be coming up the stairs. Hearing Shen Yonghua’s cheerful tune, he asked, “Section Chief Shen, what good news do you have that you’re humming while going downstairs?” He noticed the money in Shen Yonghua’s hand and asked, “Didn’t you say yesterday that there was no money? How did you get so much today?”

Shen Yonghua was quick on his feet. “Director Hou contacted the Finance Bureau, and they released part of the arrears from last month. I will have Cai Lin come upstairs to deliver the money shortly.”

Zhang Xiangyu knew that Shen Yonghua was the type to judge people by their status and always kept his eyes on the top leader. He gave a forced smile and said, “Then we must thank Section Chief Shen for his care.” Shen Yonghua replied, “Director Zhang, this is the duty of the Finance Section. If we haven’t served well, please criticize us.”

As they passed each other, the smiles on both Shen Yonghua’s and Zhang Xiangyu’s faces disappeared almost simultaneously.

Zhang Xiangyu entered Hou Weidong’s office, his face brightening again. “Director Hou, what’s up?”

“Director Zhang has a meeting at the County Government all day and won’t be back for lunch. The two of us will accompany a guest at the Yiyang Hotel. He is from Lingxi and works in the pharmaceutical industry. He has a wide network of connections. I think there might be an opportunity to introduce a pharmaceutical factory from the coastal region.”

Zhang Xiangyu said excitedly, “Half of Yiyang is mountainous, and our medicinal herb resources are extremely rich. It would be an excellent base for producing traditional Chinese medicine.”

Hou Weidong stretched and said, “I don’t have a clear idea yet. Let’s see when we meet. But regardless of whether it’s traditional Chinese medicine or Western medicine, as long as it comes to the New Management Committee, it’s good medicine.”

At 11:30, Hou Weidong, Zhang Xiangyu, and Du Tiejun from the Project Section waited in the Huangshan Pine room at the Yiyang Hotel. A few minutes later, a small convoy of four cars arrived at the hotel.

Jiang Dali was wearing a traditional Chinese jacket with a mandarin collar. His hair was cut very short, but he had a ring of beard around his lips. Seeing Hou Weidong, he was in the middle of a traditional拱手 (greeting with clasped hands) when Hou Weidong unexpectedly gave him a bear hug. Jiang Dali exclaimed, “Winter Melon, you are a person of status now. Why are you still so barbaric?”

Hou Weidong and Jiang Dali had been the closest friends in college. Jiang Dali’s initial remittance of thirty thousand yuan had played a crucial role in Hou Weidong’s ability to open the quarry in Shangqinlin. Ignoring Jiang Dali’s pretentious act, Hou Weidong hugged him tightly and patted his back vigorously.

Jiang Dali gasped in pain as he introduced, “This is my best friend, Hou Weidong. He is currently the Director of the New Management Committee in Yiyang County.”

“This is Mr. Gao, the general manager of Xiuyun Pharmaceutical Factory. He has been my business partner for many years.”

Mr. Gao had the typical appearance of a Cantonese. He was thin, his hair combed meticulously, and he spoke with a Cantonese accent in Mandarin. “Director Hou, I am Old Jiang’s good friend, and I also have business in Lingxi. It is my honor to meet you today. I hope you can help us.”

Hou Weidong quickly scanned the Cantonese boss in front of him. Noticing his plain attire, with no thick gold necklace around his neck or large rings on his fingers, he felt a sense of goodwill toward him.

After taking their seats, Hou Weidong said, “Old Jiang already conveyed Mr. Gao’s intentions yesterday. We in Yiyang welcome your inspection. Let’s have a light lunch first, and you can rest at the hotel until two o’clock. I will pick you up then to visit the New Management Committee.”

Mr. Gao replied calmly, “Old Jiang has told me many stories about Director Hou, and I am very impressed. Let’s have a good drink at noon. You can leave the inspection details to them. The main purpose of my trip this time is to make friends.”