Sail across the sea

Chapter 368 isn't talking about me, is it?

As the saying goes, if you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear.

Meng Zimin spoke with great bravado, but he knew in his heart that what he was doing couldn't stand scrutiny. Just as he was making his tough talk, the phone suddenly rang, which naturally startled him.

"Hello, who is this? Oh, Mayor Yu..."

Meng Zimin stood up instinctively.

Niu Jianping and Tan Rongjiang then consciously avoided the situation. After leaving the room, they helped Meng Zimin close the door and then stood at the door waiting.

The county magistrate was on the phone with the mayor, and those of them, as his subordinates, certainly couldn't listen in. But the discussion with the county magistrate hadn't finished, so they couldn't leave; they could only stand outside and wait for him to finish the call.

About five minutes later, Meng Zimin called out from inside the house. Niu Jianping and Tan Rongjiang pushed the door open again and went in, only to find that Meng Zimin looked somewhat depressed.

"County Chief Meng, what's wrong..."

Niu Jianping asked in a low voice.

Just moments ago, Meng Zimin looked furious, but now he resembles a defeated rooster. It seems the phone call from the city earlier was rather ominous.

Meng Zimin looked up at the two men, pointed to them, indicating that they should find stools to sit down, and then said, "Old Tan, you should hurry up and talk to the provincial fertilizer company about the ammonium-to-urine conversion project, and try to get some more favorable terms for the county."

He used the word "strive" twice in one sentence, and Tan Rongjiang immediately understood its meaning.

The word "strive" sounds quite powerful, but those in the know understand that it implies the speaker has already compromised and is prepared to give up some conditions. In essence, "striving" means doing one's best and leaving the rest to fate.

Tan Rongjiang had already reported the fertilizer company's terms to the county leaders, mentioning that their attitude was firm and there was no room for compromise. Meng Zimin urged him to hurry up and negotiate, "striving" to get some better terms. The subtext was clear: it didn't matter if they couldn't get better terms; just do your best.

Niu Jianping was also taken aback. Combining this with the phone call he had just heard, he asked, "What, County Chief Meng, was Mayor Yu's call also about the ammonium sulfate-to-urine conversion?"

Meng Zimin nodded: "Someone wrote an anonymous letter to the city to complain that some leaders in the county wanted to profit from urea, so they tried their best to obstruct the conversion of ammonium to urea."

"Who's so bored?!" Niu Jianping shouted angrily.

Tan Rongjiang's face turned deathly pale, and he stammered, "County Chief... Mayor Yu... he wasn't talking about me, was he...?"

Meng Zimin rolled his eyes at him and said coldly, "Mayor Yu said that the anonymous letter mentioned some county leaders. Are you a county leader?"

"No, no, of course not," Tan Rongjiang said repeatedly, feeling a great sense of relief.

So it turns out it was a complaint against the county leaders, not about me, Tan Rongjiang. Well, now someone's finally smashing the county government windows. Let Meng Zimin suffer!

These past few days, Tan Rongjiang has been feeling incredibly frustrated.

He originally supported the conversion of ammonium to urea. With an investment of 2000 million yuan, the nitrogen fertilizer plant's synthetic ammonia production capacity would increase from 5000 tons to 2 tons, and its annual urea production would reach 4 tons. His power would be much greater than before, so what reason did he have to oppose it?

The county disagreed because it needed to contribute 1000 million yuan of the funds, and it wanted to save some, which is why it was delaying its decision.

As a result, everyone blamed him for the failure to implement the ammonium-to-urine fertilizer conversion program, and even threatened to smash his windows. What did he do to deserve this? Just now, in front of those farmers who were hauling fertilizer, he really wanted to say: Don't bother me, go find the county magistrate.

But he didn't dare say that. Now, finally someone has spoken up for him, and he really wants to find the guy who wrote the anonymous letter and give him a good kiss.

Niu Jianping was very concerned about the anonymous letter. He asked, "What is the city's opinion?"

“The city still has a high degree of understanding and trust in our work.” Meng Zimin reassured Niu Jianping. The so-called high degree of trust meant that the city did not believe the contents of the anonymous letter.

He then continued, "However, Mayor Yu also said that the conversion of ammonium to urine is related to agricultural production and farmers' income. It should be considered from a political perspective, and we should not be concerned about petty gains."

“But the city government has supported our negotiations with the Chemical Industry Bureau in the past,” Niu Jianping said.

Before Cangyuan County got into a dispute with the Chemical Industry Department, it was essential to consult with the city government. After all, the city government is on the same level as the Chemical Industry Department, and without the city government's backing, Cangyuan County wouldn't have the confidence to stand its ground.

The municipal government tacitly approved of Cangyuan County's actions, for the same reason as Cangyuan County: why not take the money from the province and the ministry? Yuxi City is also a major agricultural city, and under the current national policy, the Chemical Industry Department would be eager to establish a urea plant there. If Cangyuan County simply made a delaying gesture, the Chemical Industry Department would inevitably have to compromise.

But now, the city is telling Cangyuan County to consider this from a "political perspective," which means the city's attitude has changed. Is it all because of an anonymous letter?

"In Yihu City, there was also a conflict over urea, and several people were injured," Meng Zimin revealed.

"Yihu, is that Jingqiao Fertilizer Plant?" Tan Rongjiang asked anxiously.

Meng Zimin shook his head: "Mayor Yu didn't mention the details on the phone, so the news hasn't spread yet."

Tan Rongjiang stopped asking questions, but felt a surge of excitement inside:

It must be that Luo Jiazhen got into trouble. Maybe someone smashed his window and hurt him.

Oh dear, his face is covered in blood, tsk tsk tsk, poor Lao Luo...

Huh, why am I gloating over something like this? I almost got hit by that Li Maoliang with the tractor crank handle just now!
That son of a bitch Gao Yiping, he must be held accountable for this blood debt!
He was lost in thought, his face shifting between smiles and anger. Meng Zimin and Niu Jianping each glanced at him, too lazy to say anything more.

"Old Niu, according to the conditions proposed by the fertilizer company, our county needs to come up with 1000 million yuan. This is no small amount. You need to come up with a plan so we can discuss it at the meeting tomorrow," Meng Zimin instructed.

“Okay, I’ll get ready right away,” Niu Jianping said.

"Also, we need to control the rumors circulating in the county. Now that we've decided to talk to the fertilizer company, we can release the news, and that will dispel any objections from below."

"No problem, I'll arrange for someone to explain it to you in a bit."

"It's definitely not enough to let Lao Tan go to the fertilizer company alone. We need to have the Economic Commission and the Planning Commission each send someone to go with him."

"Let Lao Dong handle things at the Economic Commission. As for the Planning Commission, Liu Biao is good; he's quite adept at negotiating with the higher-ups."

"Let's arrange it like this. Sigh, it's better to handle this this way; leaving it hanging like this isn't a good thing..."

Meng Zimin let out a long sigh.

(End of this chapter)