Chapter 288: The Damn Land (Part 2)

The New Management Committee was not a formal level of government and therefore lacked an independent fiscal budget. All expenditures had to be routed through the county finance department. Consequently, regarding the issue of resettlement housing, Hou Weidong went directly to Ma Youcai.

Ma Youcai looked up from his documents and said, “I am aware of the situation. Resettlement is no small matter, and it is understandable that the construction party would request additional funds. Submit a formal report to the government.”

The problem was resolved in five minutes. As Hou Weidong left Ma Youcai’s office, he reflected once again on the true meaning of the idiom: “He who ties the bell must be the one to untie it.”

Downstairs, he called the contractor, Mr. Wang. “I have reported to County Magistrate Ma. The county agrees to your request.”

Mr. Wang laughed on the other end of the line. “Thank you, Director Hou, for your concern. I will sell everything I own if necessary to buy the steel back.”

Hou Weidong was not polite to Mr. Wang. He snorted and said, “Mr. Wang, we are all sensible people. Communicate with me first regarding any issues. If there is a next time, do not blame me for turning hostile.” With that, he hung up the phone.

Mr. Wang held the receiver, stunned for a moment, then cursed, “What is this little Director of the New Management Committee so arrogant about?” Although he cursed, Hou Weidong’s tough attitude left a deep impression on him.

Back at the New Management Committee, the staff at the deputy director level and above had already gathered. After assigning tasks, Hou Weidong said, “The New Management Committee is currently in a critical phase of climbing uphill. However, the future will become increasingly bright. As long as we can secure the ten billion loan from the Development Bank, the Committee will achieve a major leap forward. Our leadership team has collectively decided to organize collective housing construction within the Committee, with Director Zhang Jin specifically responsible for this work. The county leadership has agreed to this plan in principle.”

The deputy directors had already heard rumors of this. Hearing Hou Weidong announce it officially in the meeting, they became excited, and many began whispering to each other.

Hou Weidong shifted his tone. “The leadership team of the New Management Committee has resolved your后顾之忧 (worries about the rear). You should now振奋精神 (raise your spirits) and perform your duties diligently. We must effectively drive forward all work. Only then will life be easier for everyone. When the big river has water, the small streams are full. The better the New Management Committee develops, the better your welfare benefits will be, and the brighter your prospects. The reverse is also true.”

The deputy directors listened quietly.

“These are words from the bottom of my heart. Those present are all leaders at the deputy level. Leading the team, daring to fight tough battles, and promoting development—these are no light tasks. The current primary task is to resolve the issue in Su Family Village. Now, let us discuss the specific arrangements…”

After the meeting, Hou Weidong returned to his office. Yang Liu brought a stack of documents. She naturally refilled Hou Weidong’s teacup and said, “Director Hou, your mobilization speech today was excellent. Everyone is inspired. We feel that there is room for achievement within the New Management Committee.”

Hou Weidong smiled. “Stop flattering me. The higher you praise, the harder the fall. Let me stay clear-headed.”

Yang Liu’s face flushed slightly. “I am speaking from the heart. I now believe the proverb that gold will always shine. When we were at the Party School, among the ten civil service recruits, your situation was the worst. Now, you are the only one who has succeeded, while the others have faded into obscurity.”

“Revolutionary work only differs in division of labor; there is no distinction between high and low, noble and humble. Besides, Ren Lindu is now the Deputy Director of the Office of the Wu Hai County Party Committee, and you are the Director of the Office of the New Management Committee. Neither of you has faded into obscurity.”

“I still cannot understand why Qin Xiaohong, after marrying Liang Bifa, decided to resign and become a full-time housewife.”

Hou Weidong knew Liang Bifa well. He said, “Liang Bifa is very much a man of the underworld. Such mature men have a strong appeal to young girls. As his business has grown, he needs help from his family. Now that the concept of a socialist market economy has been proposed, being a cadre is not the only choice in life.”

“I still cannot understand it. If a woman does not have her own career, and if the man changes his heart, the woman loses all support.”

Hou Weidong thought of the three women closely related to him, all of whom were independent and strong. He agreed with Yang Liu’s concern. “I agree with this point. From my personal experience, I understand and respect independent women more.”

In the following days, the New Management Committee assigned over ten cadres. Under the leadership of Zhang Jin, together with Mayor Ma of Chengguan Town, they went door-to-door in the villages to understand the villagers’ demands and conducted patient and detailed ideological work. Several agreements were reached:

First, eligible young people would be prioritized for employment in the enterprises of the New Management Committee. Once the factories were built, labor would be needed anyway. This was a mutually beneficial clause.

Second, the ownership of the ground-floor commercial spaces in the resettlement housing would be determined by lottery, rather than being allocated by village cadres. This clause basically conformed to the principle of fairness, and both parties agreed.

Third, the compensation funds would be paid in full at one time.

Fourth, all villagers would automatically convert their household registration to urban status. In terms of opportunities for military service and employment, they would be treated equally with urban residents.

After these four agreements were signed, the villagers’ emotions gradually calmed down.

At this time, the Public Security Bureau’s case investigation also made a breakthrough. The process was accidental. During the conflict that day, Yi Zhongcheng had gone to take photos. Because he was taking pictures, he became the main target of the villagers’ attack. When he was hit by a stone, his finger inadvertently pressed the shutter, and the camera happened to clearly capture the perpetrator.

Yi Zhongcheng was injured, and the camera was still hanging around his neck. He was sent to the hospital together with the camera, so there was no time to develop the film. When the photos were developed, everyone was surprised to find that one person in the photo was throwing a stone.

After repeated discussions, the people of the New Management Committee decided to adopt a policy of combining hardness with softness. They needed to compromise with the villagers while also handling matters according to the law; otherwise, the situation would be difficult to control in the future.

With the approval of the county government, the police station took measures against the middle-aged man who threw the stone late at night. Upon seeing the photo, the middle-aged man confessed without hesitation. He was detained for fifteen days for public security violations, while the civil part of the case was left unresolved.

At this stage, Hou Weidong originally thought the matter had faded into nothingness. However, someone with a penchant for trouble exposed the incident in the newspaper.

On the day of the incident, Su Jiahao, a member of the Shazhou Municipal Political Consultative Conference and a Chinese teacher at Shazhou Middle School, happened to be at his parents’ home in Su Family Village. His father’s nose was broken during the scuffle, and his face covered in blood looked terrifying. Out of righteous indignation, Su Jiahao conducted a secret investigation, incorporating the villagers’ siege of the New Management Committee, the suspension of resettlement housing construction, and the scene of buses transporting New Management Committee staff to work into his writing.

Su Jiahao had excellent writing skills and often published articles in newspapers and magazines. Under the title “Where Will Landless Farmers Go?”, he published the article in the internal publication of the Shazhou Municipal Political Consultative Conference, causing a strong reaction among the committee members.

To expand the influence, a committee member recommended the article to the Lingxi Daily. The editor-in-chief of the Lingxi Daily felt that the article had significant realistic meaning and aligned with the general policy of rectifying development zones. He decided to send someone to the New Management Committee for an in-depth interview. Duan Ying happened to see the manuscript when she went to the editor-in-chief’s office to submit her own draft. She called Hou Weidong in a quiet place.

Upon learning this news, Hou Weidong hurriedly sent Yang Liu to the County Political Consultative Conference. Among a pile of newspapers in the conference office, she dug out this inconspicuous article.

“It is completely a hasty generalization. First, the claim that the compensation is too low—what does this have to do with the New Management Committee? The compensation standards were set by the county government. Did we violate the county’s standards? If the finance department does not provide the money, can the New Management Committee subsidize it? Dare we subsidize it? To put it bluntly, the New Management Committee is merely executing the decisions of the county government.”

“Second, the claim that people were beaten in the New Management Committee courtyard is nonsense. The six people hospitalized were all troublemakers. They only suffered minor scratches. Only Yi Zhongcheng, Director of the Research Office, suffered genuine serious injuries.”

“Third, I will only say this here, not outside. Yiyang County needs to develop and strengthen its industry. Land is absolutely essential. Land is the foundation of development. This contradiction between people and land is a national issue, not unique to Yiyang. Without reform and large-scale development, Yiyang would certainly have fewer contradictions, but it would never develop.”

……

Seeing Hou Weidong’s angry demeanor, Zhang Jin found it somewhat rare. He thought to himself, “Hou Weidong has always been calm and steady. Today, he shows a bit of youthful impulsiveness.” Stroking his slightly balding head, he said, “The New Management Committee is like yellow mud falling into the crotch of trousers—whether it is shit or not, it looks like shit. The influence of the Political Consultative Conference newspaper is relatively small. If it appears in the Lingxi Daily, the New Management Committee will become famous, which will put the work of the County Party Committee and County Government in a passive position.”

Hou Weidong stood up. “I have friends at the Lingxi Daily. I will call her first to find out the details, and then we will formulate a countermeasure.”

“Hello, this is Hou Weidong. Have you found out about this matter? What are the usual rules of the newspaper? I need to be prepared.”

There was only one person in Duan Ying’s office; the other two reporters had gone out early in the morning. She spoke more casually. “I remember this is the first time you have called me proactively in a year.”

Since their second close contact, Duan Ying had dreamed of being intimate with him several times. However, since she was good friends with Xiaojia, she restrained herself from calling him.

Hou Weidong’s feelings for Duan Ying were more complex. When he was with Li Jing, he basically had no psychological burden, enjoying both spiritual and physical pleasure. But when he was with Duan Ying, he always had psychological shadows. Precisely because of this reason, both times he made love to Duan Ying, he approached it with the madness of a final encounter, creating earth-shattering, mountain-swallowing intensity, leaving his little brother twitching.