Chapter 293: The Hard Truth (Part 2)

The exhibition hall was exceptionally quiet; in common parlance, one could hear a pin drop.

Hou Weidong had been tipped off about the provincial newspaper’s actions by Duan Ying in advance. Much like preparing for a debate competition in university, he had done his homework thoroughly and felt fully confident. He spoke with measured precision: “Our country’s administrative system consists of four levels: the State Council, the province, the county, and the township. The Yiyang New Management Committee is an agency dispatched by the county government. At best, it functions at the township level. Township-level governments do not have the authority to formulate policy. Therefore, the New Management Committee is not responsible for historical issues like the price scissors, nor for the various problems arising from current reforms. We only handle matters that fall within our specific rights and responsibilities.”

He continued, elaborating further: “To be more specific, the establishment of the New Management Committee was approved by the Lingxi Province government and filed with the State Council. The land requisition procedures are legal. As the most grassroots department, we are responsible only to the farmers whose land we have requisitioned, not to history. After the land is taken, how do we ensure the farmers’ livelihood? Within the scope of policy, we have formulated five safeguard measures to do our utmost to protect the lives of those who have lost their land.”

Wang Hui asked, “Can I see the materials regarding this?”

Hou Weidong gave a brief instruction, and Yang Liu brought over the records of the symposium held between the New Management Committee and Sujia Village.

As Wang Hui reviewed the documents, Hou Weidong added, “In addition to the points discussed at the time, we must also include two requirements proposed by the county government. First, villagers can form construction teams. The principle is that civil engineering work will be contracted to local villagers at market rates. Second, we encourage the children of land-requisitioned villagers to attend the Yiyang Vocational School. For those who enroll, part of the tuition will be waived.”

Once Wang Hui finished reading, Hou Weidong said, “The path of urbanization is, in fact, the inevitable route for our country’s development. Helping villagers transition into residents is also a duty of the New Management Committee.”

Wang Hui shifted his angle and asked another question: “There are more than fifty counties in Lingxi Province, and almost every county has a development zone. These zones have occupied large amounts of fertile land. Yet, at this stage, projects and capital are scarce commodities. It is certain that most development zones will fail to gain momentum. Currently, the New Management Committee has requisitioned a large area of land, estimated to be around two square kilometers. However, there are very few projects under construction—to be precise, I have only seen two. The vast majority of the land is left to bake in the sun and gaze at the stars, with weeds growing as thick as small forests. I wonder how the Yiyang County Party Committee and County Government view this issue.”

“This is merely a temporary problem,” Hou Weidong replied. “Currently, the Guangdong Xiuyun Pharmaceutical Factory and the Shazhou Beer Factory have already settled in Shazhou. We have also signed an agreement with the Lingxi Bearing Factory. All three are enterprises above the designated scale. I believe that with the opening of the Lingxi Expressway, more and more enterprises will settle in Yiyang.”

Hou Weidong smiled confidently. “There is another piece of good news. With the help of the Lingxi Province and Shazhou City, the Yiyang County Government will cooperate with the Provincial Development Bank. The bank will provide a loan of one billion yuan for the comprehensive development of the New Management Committee. My current concern is that in the future, when more enterprises move in, the requisitioned land may not meet the demand. The phenomenon of land ‘baking in the sun and gazing at the stars’ will become a thing of the past.”

Liu Ruixue thought to herself: This young man has excellent eloquence. He is a worthy match for Wang Hui, a skilled opponent meeting a skilled player. Moreover, from what I see, the article in the CPPCC newspaper can only be considered one-sided.

As the host of the New Management Committee, Hou Weidong naturally did not wish to argue with a major media outlet like the Lingxi Daily. Although truth becomes clearer through debate, in many cases, winning the argument means losing goodwill. Having basically clarified his viewpoint, he said, “Reporter Wang, with this new expressway, the journey from Yiyang to Shazhou takes only half an hour, and to Lingxi, it is one and a half to two hours. The Yiyang New Management Committee now has relatively favorable development conditions. I firmly believe that the Yiyang New Management Committee should be able to succeed.”

He spoke sincerely: “The New Management Committee is always open to the media. Whatever materials Reporter Wang wishes to see, whatever enterprises or households you wish to visit, we welcome you and will fully cooperate. I suggest that the New Management Committee can serve as an observation point for Director Wang. You can take a photo today, and in one year, the Yiyang New Management Committee will undoubtedly undergo tremendous changes.”

Wang Hui had pressed for a long time, but seeing this young leader remain calm and articulate, with substance behind his words, he relaxed. He smiled and said, “I have visited many places in Lingxi, but I rarely encounter leaders who are so open to the media. If all leaders were like Director Hou, the spring for the media would not be far off.”

“This is Yang Liu, the Office Director, who is temporarily serving as the liaison officer. If you need anything, you can contact him directly.” Hou Weidong then turned to Yang Liu and said, “Yang Liu, as the liaison officer, you must serve diligently and provide the best conditions for Reporter Wang and his team.”

As he spoke, he glanced at his watch.

Yang Liu immediately understood Hou Weidong’s intent. He said to Wang Hui, “Reporter Wang, it’s getting late. Let’s have a simple meal.” Before Wang Hui could decline, Yang Liu added, “We won’t go to a fancy restaurant. There is a fish farm near the suburbs where we can eat farmhouse cuisine.”

Hou Weidong followed up immediately: “Reporter Wang, having a simple meal doesn’t violate any principles, does it? Tasting the farmhouse flavors of Yiyang can also be considered going deep into the grassroots.”

“We still have…” Wang Hui started to say, but trailed off. “Let’s not take up more of your time.”

Yang Liu said, “You can’t leave. We still have a belly full of grievances to share with Reporter Wang.” Yang Liu, who was naturally petite, blocked Wang Hui’s path, displaying a somewhat coquettish demeanor.

Wang Hui, a man in his forties, could not bring himself to be stern in front of her. Under the combined persuasion and gentle urging of the New Management Committee staff, and wanting to have a deeper conversation with Hou Weidong, Wang Hui agreed to join them for dinner.

The dinner location was not far from the New Management Committee. It was a small, third-class reservoir built in the 1950s, located at the front of a small valley. The area was not wide, but the average depth reached six or seven meters. Because the water was cold, farmers were unwilling to raise fish in net cages there. In the 1990s, when net cage fish farming was ubiquitous, this remained a patch of clean water.

The mountain wind swept across the lake surface, bringing a hint of coolness. The negative oxygen ion content in the air was far higher than in the county town, making Zhang Hui feel completely relaxed. Hou Weidong did not follow closely behind Zhang Hui but enjoyed himself, picking up a fishing rod. He asked, “Old Yang, have you baited the old nest?”

Old Yang was a water-dwelling family from the inland region, spending most of his time by the lake. His face was dark from the sun. He carried a small bucket filled with small granules of cooked sweet potatoes and other bait. He grabbed a handful and threw it into the water. The sweet potatoes and bait created ripple after ripple on the surface.

Hou Weidong had heard Liu Ruixue and Du Chenglong address Wang Hui as Director Wang, so he adjusted his address accordingly. Holding two rods, he said, “Director Wang, it’s not dark yet. We can still cast a few lines and satisfy our craving.”

Old Yang stood by the shore, helping Liu Ruixui attach earthworms to her hook. Then, with his hands on his hips, he said, “The reservoir is full of clear-water fish. They are fed mostly with grain, so they taste much better than fish from ponds.” He held up three fingers to indicate the size. “They are all native crucian carp, about three fingers wide.”

Wang Hui was a half-hearted fishing enthusiast. Seeing the clear water, he moved to Hou Weidong’s side. The two stood by the water holding their rods, naturally closing the distance between them.

“Did Director Hou return from the military, or did you graduate from university?”

“I graduated from the Law Department of Shazhou College.”

“Where did you work previously?”

“After graduation, I worked in a township, then was transferred to the County Party Committee Office. I only arrived at the New Management Committee last year.”

After chatting about daily matters for a while, Hou Weidong spoke candidly: “What Director Wang said in the exhibition hall makes sense. In the inland areas, projects and capital are always scarce. According to the nature of capital, it will automatically seek out the most suitable places.”

Wang Hui understood the implication and said, “In short, every locality builds development zones to build a nest to attract phoenixes.”

“Exactly. Now every locality understands this principle, so building development zones is an inevitable choice, and the encroachment on suburban areas is also inevitable. I can responsibly say that the resettlement of farmers by the New Management Committee is quite good compared to the rest of the province.”

As a senior reporter for the provincial newspaper, Wang Hui had traveled across the province and, in his heart, agreed with Hou Weidong’s point of view. However, his perspective was broader. He said, “The central government ranks provinces every year based on GDP, and provinces rank counties based on GDP. GDP and local fiscal revenue determine the promotion of leaders. These are performance projects and face-saving projects. Under this baton, counties ignore their own conditions, vigorously build development zones, and desperately attract investment. This has brought about various social problems such as environmental pollution and farmers losing their land. Sooner or later, it will become unmanageable.”

Hou Weidong said, “Introducing a competitive mechanism can objectively promote economic development in various regions. This mechanism is better than stagnant water. Compared to the past, it is a progress, after all, because there are relatively hard indicators.”

Wang Hui said, “I am not so optimistic. I hold a skeptical attitude.” Just as he spoke, he saw the float on the water surface suddenly sink.

“It’s biting!” He pointed at the float on the water and shouted loudly. Hou Weidong had already seen it clearly and quickly jerked the rod upward. A fish was pulled out of the water—it was indeed a crucian carp about three fingers wide.

Soon, Wang Hui also caught a crucian carp.

Happy times are always short. As the sky darkened, everyone began to reel in their lines. Wang Hui had caught six or seven fish, and combined with Hou Weidong’s catch, there were about ten fish in total. Holding them in his hand, they felt heavy, giving him a sense of accomplishment.

After having dinner by the reservoir, the three returned to the hotel and gathered in Wang Hui’s room.

“I originally wanted to find a sparrow to dissect and identify the problems existing in development zones. Based on today’s investigation, the Yiyang New Management Committee is not a good typical case. It has no outstanding problems, nor does it have outstanding achievements.”

Liu Ruixue said, “I also feel that the Yiyang New Management Committee lacks typicality. We can’t dig out an article with depth.”

Wang Hui thought for a moment and said, “The issue of development zones is a key topic for the newspaper. Since we have started, we cannot give up. The next step is to conduct secret visits to Linjin County and Wu Hai County.”