Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

The Party Secretary's Office, Building No. 1 of the Provincial Party Committee.

The air seemed to solidify, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts. This room, no more than fifty square meters in size, now housed the most prestigious symbols of power in the entire Jiangnan Province.

Provincial Party Secretary Chu Tiankuo sat in a large executive chair, holding the "Strategic Plan for Industrial Structure Optimization and New Growth Drivers Transformation of Jiangnan Province" in his hands. His fingers lightly traced the pages, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well. Sitting opposite him on the sofa was Executive Vice Governor Wenren Mu. This scholarly official adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses; his usually gentle face was now taut, revealing an undisguised scrutiny.

In front of these two truly powerful figures, even the deputy secretaries-general of the provincial party committee office could only stand aside, holding their breath and not daring to even breathe loudly.

"Knock knock".

There was a gentle knock on the door.

"Enter." Chu Tiankuo did not look up; his voice was deep and authoritative.

The door opened, and Liu Ming walked in.

He wore a navy blue suit without a tie, the collar slightly open, exuding a casualness unique to young people. Facing this room full of "regional officials," his face showed no awkwardness or obsequiousness; he simply stood there neither servile nor arrogant, his gaze calmly sweeping across the room.

"Secretary Chu, Governor Wenren."

Liu Ming nodded slightly in greeting, her voice neither hurried nor slow, as natural as greeting an acquaintance at the market.

This composed demeanor caused a flicker of surprise in Wenren Mu's eyes as he sat on the sofa. He had seen many young cadres, and which one of them wasn't trembling with fear and walking on thin ice when they entered this office? He had never seen anyone as calm and collected as Liu Ming before.

Chu Tiankuo finally raised his head. He put down the planning document in his hand, and his sharp gaze, like a searchlight, swept over Liu Ming from head to toe.

"Comrade Liu Ming, did you write this planning document?"

"Yes," Liu Ming answered crisply.

"What a boastful tone."

Chu Tiankuo suddenly sneered and slammed the thick planning document heavily onto the table. The crisp "thud" made the deputy secretaries-general next to him shiver.

"'The excessive proportion of heavy industry is like a giant's legs filled with lead'; 'Emerging industries are fighting their own battles, like a heap of loose sand'... Do you know that these few words of yours negate all the efforts of the successive provincial party committees and governments of Jiangnan Province?"

Faced with this sudden, thunderous rage, Liu Ming's expression remained unchanged. He didn't even flinch, meeting Chu Tiankuo's gaze directly.

"Secretary Chu, if you avoid seeking medical help, your illness will never get better."

Liu Ming's voice wasn't loud, but it carried weight in the quiet office.

"Jiangnan Province's past achievements are undeniable, but this cannot mask the current predicament. If we don't even have the courage to acknowledge the problems, how can we talk about reform? How can we talk about breaking the deadlock?"

"Insolence!" A deputy secretary-general couldn't help but jump out and rebuke, "Liu Ming, how dare you speak to Secretary Chu like that? Who gives you the right to spout such nonsense here?"

"Let him speak!" Chu Tiankuo raised his hand, stopping the deputy secretary-general. He stared at Liu Ming, the anger in his eyes gradually subsiding, replaced by a deeper, more probing look.

"You're right, ignoring problems is definitely not an option." Chu Tiankuo's tone softened somewhat, but he didn't let Liu Ming off the hook easily. "But how do you treat this illness? Isn't your prescription a bit too strong? Using Ningzhou High-tech Zone as the 'chip' to build a digital economy corridor... that's certainly a grand idea, but have you considered the obstacles it will face when it's implemented?"

Just then, Wenren Mu, the executive vice governor who had been silent until now, spoke up.

He leaned forward slightly, his sharp eyes fixed on Liu Ming, and posed an extremely professional and tricky economic question.

"Deputy Director Liu." Wenren Mu's formal address indicated that he had already regarded Liu Ming as an opponent with whom he could have an equal dialogue.

"Your plan mentions using the strategies of 'creating something from nothing' and 'buying and holding' to accumulate initial capital by introducing labor-intensive industries and converting low-quality coal locally. This idea is theoretically feasible."

He paused, his tone becoming as sharp as a knife.

"However, in practice, how do you address the 'crowding-out effect' of capital? When you allocate substantial policy benefits and resources to these introduced industries, local traditional businesses will inevitably face a survival crisis. If traditional businesses go bankrupt en masse, triggering a wave of unemployment and a surge in non-performing loan rates, how do you plan to control this systemic risk? Within the framework of the 'Mundell-Fleming model,' how do you balance the external shocks resulting from this internal structural adjustment?"

When this question was raised, the secretaries in the office were all completely baffled.

This is no longer an ordinary policy discussion; it is clearly a high-level macroeconomic debate!

Wenren Mu, a top economics expert in China, posed a question that directly hit the weakest and most fatal flaw in Liu Ming's plan.

Chu Tiankuo remained silent, leaning back in his chair and watching Liu Ming with great interest. He wanted to see if this young man possessed genuine talent or was merely a theorist.

Liu Ming smiled.

That was a genuine smile from the heart when you meet a worthy opponent.

He didn't panic at all, and didn't even have time to think before giving his answer.

"Governor Wenren, your concerns are very valid. Under the traditional economic model, the 'crowding-out effect' is indeed an unavoidable problem."

Liu Ming walked to her desk, picked up a pen, and drew a simple coordinate axis on a whiteboard next to her.

"However, what we are facing now is not a closed, static market, but an open, dynamic system."

His speech quickened, and his languid demeanor vanished, replaced by a powerful, captivating confidence.

"The reason I emphasized 'supply chain integration' in the plan is to hedge against this risk. The new industries we introduce should not form a simple competitive relationship with traditional enterprises, but rather a 'symbiotic relationship'."

He drew several interlocking gears on the whiteboard.

"For example, the electronic component assembly plants we introduced can completely outsource some non-core component processing businesses to local traditional machinery manufacturers. This not only reduces the costs for the introduced companies, but also provides new orders and transformation opportunities for traditional companies. This is what I call 'industry empowerment'."

"Regarding the 'Mundell-Fleming model' you mentioned..."

Liu Ming tossed the pen back into the pen holder with a crisp sound.

"That's based on the assumption of a fixed exchange rate and perfect capital mobility. In reality, during the process of attracting investment, we can artificially create capital havens in certain areas by establishing 'industry guidance funds' and implementing 'targeted tax incentives,' thereby achieving a smooth transition of the internal structure."

Liu Ming looked at Wenren Mu with an air of domineering confidence that seemed to be looking down on the whole situation.

"In short, we are not doing a 'either/or' multiple-choice question, but an addition question of 'making the pie bigger.' As long as the incremental increase is large enough, the growing pains of the existing stock can be completely absorbed and digested."

silence.

A deathly silence.

Apart from the hum of the central air conditioning, there was no other sound in the office.

Wenren Mu stared blankly at Liu Ming, then at the simple coordinate axis and gear diagram on the whiteboard. His eyes, hidden behind his gold-rimmed glasses, gleamed with disbelief.

This argument is not only logically rigorous and impeccable, but more importantly, it completely breaks away from the conventions of traditional economics, demonstrating a breathtaking macroeconomic vision and practical ability!

This is the true strength of a "double PhD from Imperial College London"!

"Great! What a brilliant idea to 'empower industries'! What a brilliant idea to 'make the pie bigger'!"

After a long while, Wenren Mu suddenly slapped his thigh, so excited that he almost lost his composure. He stood up, walked to Liu Ming, and tightly grasped his hand, his tone filled with undisguised admiration.

"These young people are truly formidable! Old Chu, you've really struck gold this time! This young man's talent is outstanding, not only in our provincial Development and Reform Commission, but even in the National Development and Reform Commission!"

Chu Tiankuo also smiled.

The gloom on his face vanished, replaced by a relieved ease.

He stood up, walked to the two of them, looked at Liu Ming, and his eyes were full of expectation.

"Little Liu, you've really taught me a lesson today."

Chu Tiankuo patted Liu Ming on the shoulder, his tone becoming unusually serious.

"The game in Jiangnan Province has reached a point where a change in strategy is necessary. Your plan, though bold and even somewhat radical, is, in my opinion, exactly the drastic measure we need right now."

He turned around, looked at the planning document on his desk, and waved his hand as if a general had given the order for a general offensive.

"I've made up my mind!"

"The Provincial Party Committee has approved this plan in principle! You, Comrade Liu Ming, will lead the establishment of the 'Jiangnan Province Economic Structure Optimization Pilot Working Group' to be fully responsible for the implementation of this plan!"

"I'll give you money if you want money, and manpower if you want manpower! As long as you don't violate your principles, go ahead and do it!"

Chu Tiankuo looked at Liu Ming and said, word by word, "Do you dare to accept this military order?"

Liu Ming did not hesitate.

He met the expectant gazes of Chu Tiankuo and Wenren Mu, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask."

"I accept this pledge."