Chapter 318: The Wind Rises from the Duckweed (Part 1)

Ma Youcai was startled the moment he read the opening of the whistleblowing letter. Accepting bribes from Yi Zhongling had become a persistent thorn in his side, so the mere sight of the letter triggered immediate anxiety. However, after reading through the contents, he let out a long sigh of relief, a faint smile even touching his lips. He turned to Mayor Liu Bing and said, "Mayor Liu, this matter is quite absurd. The letter is full of baseless nonsense. Even if someone wanted to frame me, they should have used something with a bit more sophistication."

Liu Bing stared intently at Ma Youcai’s face. "Tell me the truth. What is the real situation regarding the allegations in this letter?"

Earlier that morning, Liu Bing had met with Ji Daolin and Huang Zidi in Comrade Chang Quan’s office. Ji Daolin had reported on the investigation results, confirming that the allegations were false. Nevertheless, Liu Bing still wanted to hear Ma Youcai’s explanation directly.

"I can guarantee with my Party spirit and personal integrity that all five points listed in the letter are complete fabrications," Ma Youcai said earnestly. "When Zhu Yan was in charge of the county, I cooperated fully with his work. Now that Yang Senlin has taken over the County Party Committee, he is young, eager for reform, and full of drive. I don’t necessarily support some of his initiatives, but for the sake of unity within the leadership team, I often swallow my objections."

His tone grew indignant as he continued, "I’ve played the role of the nice guy, compromised on principles, and yet I’m accused of running a one-man show. It’s a huge injustice. As for the transportation projects and the Yiyang Native Produce Company, everything was done for the development of Yiyang. If we are to be criticized for every action we take, grassroots civil servants will never be able to get anything done."

Seeing that Liu Bing’s demeanor remained calm, Ma Youcai added, "Some people will stop at nothing to climb the ladder of officialdom. But this time, their methods were too clumsy."

Mayor Liu Bing replied, "It is human nature for young cadres to seek progress, but they must not become obsessed with power. People of such low moral character are taken into consideration by the organization. Capability is important, but political quality is even more so."

Liu Bing had a good relationship with Ma Youcai, so he naturally assumed the letter was the work of Yang Senlin.

Hearing the subtle dissatisfaction toward Yang Senlin in the Mayor’s words, Ma Youcai felt secretly pleased. "This time, Yang Senlin has lifted a stone only to drop it on his own foot."

After a few more exchanges, Liu Bing received a phone call and stood up. "The general manager of Lingxi Third Construction Company is preparing to invest in real estate in Shazhou. The Third Construction Company is an established firm in Lingxi with strong technical capabilities. Since its restructuring, it has developed numerous residential projects in Lingxi and possesses considerable strength. If Yiyang is to become the 'back garden' of Shazhou, we must attract external capital, technology, and management experience. Relying solely on local Yiyang companies will not suffice to complete this task."

Ma Youcai followed closely behind Liu Bing. "Currently, the domestic economy is sluggish. Investment attraction in Yiyang has not been optimistic this year. The projects currently under construction were signed early last year; there have been virtually no major new projects recently. If the Third Construction Company is willing to invest in Yiyang, I welcome it with open arms."

Ma Youcai had heard that Liu Bing’s cousin was involved in real estate in Lingxi, though they had never met. Today, they finally crossed paths.

Three cars headed straight for Yiyang.

Although the content of the whistleblowing letter was false, it had struck a nerve in Ma Youcai. Accepting two million yuan from Yi Zhongling was like accepting a time bomb, or rather, a pair of handcuffs. The key to those handcuffs was in Yi Zhongling’s hands. "I should learn from Liu Bing," he thought. "I need to find a way to set up a legitimate real estate company. After completing a few projects, I’ll have enough to last a lifetime. Why take the risk of bribery?"

He began to ponder suitable partners. Having served as county magistrate for many years, he knew plenty of bosses. However, when it came to serious cooperation, he distrusted these men who always had grandiose words on their lips. His own brother-in-law was involved in construction in Yiyang and seemed like a suitable candidate, but the man was incompetent. He could handle small-scale operations, but he was not material for big business. He was more likely to ruin a deal than to succeed. This was Ma Youcai’s assessment of his brother-in-law.

Based on this judgment, Ma Youcai had only helped his brother-in-law secure some minor projects and was unwilling to engage in deeper cooperation with him.

After exiting the highway, Liu Bing and Ma Youcai got into the car of Na Yong, the chairman of the Third Construction Company. Na Yong was in his early thirties, wore glasses, and appeared refined and scholarly. He handed a business card to Ma Youcai and said, "County Magistrate Ma, please look after me."

Ma Youcai glanced at the card. In addition to the title of Chairman, it also listed the professional title of Senior Engineer. He formed a good impression of Na Yong, thinking to himself, "Why doesn’t my family have such high-intelligence talent?"

Na Yong sat in the front passenger seat, enjoying a clear view. As he looked at the land that had already been leveled by the New Management Committee, he praised, "County Magistrate Ma, the New Management Committee in Yiyang is doing an excellent job. I have visited all sixteen development zones approved by the Provincial Government for retention. The two best are the Lingxi High-Tech Development Zone and the Yiyang County Development Zone. For a county-level city to develop its zone to this extent, County Magistrate Ma, you are remarkable."

He turned to Liu Bing and said, "Brother, the Communist Party should promote cadres who get things done. The masses will not be satisfied with those who only know how to speak pretty words."

The New Management Committee was formed by merging the original committee with the development zone. After the merger, Hou Weidong had strongly advocated for the construction of a main avenue connecting the old and new zones. Once the loan from the Provincial Development Bank arrived, the project commenced. Now, the roadbed had been widened to sixty meters, with ten-meter sidewalks reserved on both sides. Although the avenue had not yet been paved, its outline was clearly visible.

Liu Bing asked, "How much fertile land did this road occupy? Did the People’s Congress and the CPPCC raise objections?"

In the design plan for Shazhou’s new urban area, there was a proposal for a hundred-meter-wide main traffic artery. After the plan was submitted, it faced fierce opposition from the People’s Congress and the CPPCC. Seeing the avenue in the New Management Committee stirred similar concerns in him.

Ma Youcai replied, "The People’s Congress and CPPCC raised many objections. They also felt the road was too wide and occupied too much fertile land. However, we believed it necessary to build it wider. The roads in Yiyang county town are too narrow, which restricts the city’s upgrade."

"Those old comrades are severely constrained in their thinking," Liu Bing remarked. "Urban planning must have a forward-looking perspective. You cannot build a city with small hands and small feet. The newly built urban roads in Shazhou are only about ten meters wide, and they are already very congested. Houses are densely packed on both sides, making expansion impossible. That is a lesson."

Na Yong added from the side, "These old comrades are mostly of peasant origin and have deep emotional ties to the land. They have never seen modern cities and are unaware of global development trends, so their minds cannot turn easily. When we were renovating Lingxi, old revolutionaries from the Provincial People’s Congress and CPPCC came to the Provincial Party Committee with canes, cursing and shouting."

Liu Bing laughed. "Chairman Mao said that the most important issue currently is educating the peasants. We must eliminate the petty-bourgeois mindset among cadres."

As the car passed the gate of the New Management Committee, a group of people was seen blocking the entrance. Ma Youcai’s face fell, and he muttered to himself, "What is going on this time?"

Na Yong said from beside him, "No need to guess. It’s about the land. Which development zone hasn’t been blocked? It’s normal."

Na Yong’s words served to ease Ma Youcai’s embarrassment.

Inside the New Management Committee office building, Hou Weidong was in a heated argument with farmer representatives when the phone suddenly rang. He initially didn’t want to answer, but out of habit, he glanced at his mobile phone.

Seeing Ma Youcai’s name, he picked up the phone, stood up, and walked to the window. "Hello, County Magistrate Ma."

Ma Youcai said, "I’m passing by the New Management Committee. Just checking in."

Hou Weidong walked out of the conference room and returned to his office, reporting the situation to Ma Youcai. Upon hearing that a villager’s ear had been beaten deaf, Ma Youcai said, "You must educate your cadres. How could they resort to violence? It’s no use blaming anyone now. You need to handle this properly and ensure it doesn’t escalate into a mass incident."

Hou Weidong replied, "The Public Security Bureau has already intervened. Whether the ear is actually deaf cannot be determined solely by the villagers’ word. I plan to have the villagers undergo a judicial appraisal."

Ma Youcai interrupted, "Let’s not discuss the details. Grasp the main principle—do not let this turn into a mass incident."

Hou Weidong hung up the phone and looked outside. His gaze swept across the courtyard, searching for Ma Youcai’s car, but he did not see it.

The brother of Su Jialin waited until Hou Weidong returned and shouted loudly, "The thirty-year contract for land is unchangeable. We signed the agreement. You officials want to requisition the land whenever you please, taking it away for a few thousand yuan, only to sell it for hundreds of thousands. People should not have such black hearts."

Hou Weidong had thought deeply about the land issue.

For cities to develop, large amounts of land must be requisitioned. This is a necessity of social development and an inevitable path for urban growth. There is ample experience both domestically and internationally.

Farmers driven off their land are forced to become urban residents. Some capable farmers quickly adapt to city life and become true urbanites; a few even become wealthy bosses, as exemplified by Zeng Xiangang. However, most rural people have low levels of education and are unprepared for urban life. Once the land compensation funds are exhausted, their lives become immediately precarious.

Most county-level governments operate on a "payroll budget." To develop, they must requisition land, but their financial resources are insufficient to truly guarantee the livelihoods of landless farmers. The land issue has become a major headache for county-level governments.

Hou Weidong, as a cadre on the front line of reform and opening up, had the most direct feelings about this problem. Although rationally he believed that the current method of land requisition was open to discussion, as the head of the New Management Committee, he had to maintain a clear stance. When the spokesperson for the Su family slightly lowered his voice, Hou Weidong said, "When the big river flows, the small streams fill up. When the New Management Committee develops and enterprises increase, your lives will naturally improve. It is better than leaving your hometown to work as migrant laborers. Land in Yiyang is scarce, with less than one mu per person. Agricultural taxes, the 'three extractions and five unifications,' plus the costs of pesticides and fertilizers, mean that farming the land really yields little benefit."

"As long as we have land, we have a bowl of rice to eat."

A woman from the Su family shouted hoarsely, "Stop with that nonsense. The cadres beat my sister-in-law’s ear deaf. There must be an explanation for this."