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

Provincial TV station, Studio One.

Dozens of high-definition cameras had been moved to their designated positions, their red indicator lights flashing anxiously in the darkness. A dry, tense atmosphere hung in the air as several directors made final confirmations into their walkie-talkies, their voices rapid and urgent, like the beat of a drum.

Tonight, a special program will be broadcast live across the province – "Jiangnan Economy: Breaking the Deadlock or Gambling?"

Liu Ming sat to one side of the live broadcast platform, wearing only a simple white shirt and no tie, yet exuding an aura of sharpness that was impossible to look directly at. Opposite him sat three economists who enjoyed a high reputation in Jiangnan Province and even the whole country.

Professor Li, with his gray hair, is a leading figure in traditional macroeconomics.

Dr. Zhang, who wears black-rimmed glasses, is a staunch supporter of "gradual reform" in China.

There's also that sharp-tongued researcher, Wang, known for his efforts to uphold "systemic stability."

These three individuals represent the theoretical foundation of Jiangnan Province's economic development over the past thirty years.

Tonight, they've come to "hold them accountable."

With the director's command, the live broadcast officially began.

"Director Liu, your 'Jiangnan New Policy' has recently caused quite a stir."

Professor Li struck first. He pushed up his reading glasses, his tone calm, but every word he spoke was menacing.

"The forced closure and relocation of large provincial enterprises—this kind of 'shock therapy' caused enormous social unrest in the Soviet Union and Latin America back then. What makes you think that such a near-suicidal act can bring about a so-called 'new life' in our Jiangnan Province?"

"Professor, the examples you mentioned are essentially examples of power grabs that occur in a systemic vacuum."

Liu Ming didn't look at the script; his eyes were fixed on the camera, as if he were looking at tens of millions of viewers across the province through the screen.

"Jiangnan Province is not Soviet Russia; we have a strong implementation system and policy guidance. What I'm shutting down isn't an industry, but a malignant tumor."

"cancer?"

Researcher Wang, standing nearby, sneered and interrupted.

"Those factories are the cornerstone of Jiangnan Province! They are the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers! You want to cut them off with just a few words? That's irresponsible! That's gambling with the nation's foundation! Your so-called high-tech industries are currently only on paper. If the old ones collapse and the new ones don't take off, who will be responsible for the gap in between? Can you, Liu Ming, afford to bear that responsibility?"

The director outside the studio glanced at the monitor and exclaimed, "Director! The ratings have broken records! Almost every household in the province is watching this debate!"

On the television screen, Liu Ming suddenly smiled.

He stood up and walked to the huge touchscreen in the center of the studio.

"Since all the experts like to talk about the foundation of the nation, let's talk about something real."

Liu Ming swiped her finger across the screen, bringing up a set of intricate and complex dynamic model diagrams.

"This is a curve I derived using the Solow-Swan model combined with nearly ten years of endogenous growth data from Jiangnan Province. As you can see, due to over-reliance on low-end heavy industry, our marginal rate of return on capital began to plummet after 2005."

He pointed to the bleak curve, his voice clear and powerful.

"The cornerstone you're talking about requires over 30 billion yuan in subsidies from the provincial government every year just to keep it running. That money could have been used to build twenty highways or establish one hundred national-level laboratories."

"What you call stability is actually masking a slow, irreversible death."

Dr. Zhang couldn't sit still any longer. He retorted, "But the economy follows certain laws, and transformation must be gradual! Your forceful dismantling will trigger systemic financial risks!"

"Gradual?"

Liu Ming turned her head, her gaze sharp as lightning, piercing straight at Dr. Zhang.

"Dr. Zhang, if your house caught fire, would you plan to extinguish it gradually, sprinkling a bowl of water every day? Or would you plan to immediately put out the fire with a high-pressure water gun and then renovate?"

"The times no longer give us time for gradual progress."

Liu Ming's fingers flew across the screen, bringing up Imperial College London's cutting-edge "Industry Leap Hedging Model".

"The reason I dared to sign that pledge wasn't because I was crazy, but because I had calculated it. By restructuring state-owned enterprises, we can release more than 200 billion yuan of dormant capital. This money will become the seed fund for high-tech industry incubators."

"We are not destroying ourselves, we are restructuring our assets."

For the next hour, the entire studio became Liu Ming's personal lecture platform.

Those three experts, who usually speak with great authority on the podium, were now rendered speechless by a twenty-eight-year-old.

Whenever they cited a classic theory, Liu Ming would casually recite a set of core internal data that even they hadn't yet obtained.

Whenever they questioned a risk point, Liu Ming would directly simulate a precise hedging solution on the big screen.

The all-encompassing, dimensional-reducing intellectual suppression left all the staff on site dumbfounded.

What they saw was not a politician, but a national hero who held the key to the future.

"One last question."

Professor Li's voice was a little hoarse, and he looked at Liu Ming with an extremely complicated expression.

"If you fail, Jiangnan Province might regress by ten years. Aren't you afraid?"

Liu Ming looked at the camera and remained silent for three seconds.

Then, he said, word by word:

"If we choose to stand still because we are afraid of failure, then our generation will be letting down the children who are getting sick because of environmental pollution, the workers who work hard but only receive meager wages, and the rights that this land has given us."

"I came to the provincial capital not to be an official who never makes mistakes. I came to bring this province back to life."

"My life is worthless, but the future of Jiangnan Province is."

The live stream has ended.

The entire Jiangnan province fell into a brief silence at this moment.

immediately.

In the living rooms of countless families, bursts of barely suppressed gasps of amazement erupted.

"This kid... is awesome!"

"These are the officials China should have!"

"Liu Qingtian! He really is Liu Qingtian!"

Liu Ming walked out of the live broadcast room, his body drenched in cold sweat, but his expression remained resolute.

The station director, walking towards us, was flushed and so excited that he was incoherent.

"Director Liu...Director Liu! The ratings...the ratings have broken all records since our station was established! The hearts and minds of the entire province have been won over by just one sentence from you!"

Liu Ming took the warm water Chen Momo handed her, took a sip, and gazed at the bustling night view outside the window.

He knew that the fire of public opinion had been completely ignited.

All that's left is to take up a knife and kill.

He glanced at the deputy head of the propaganda department who was hurrying over and smiled faintly:

"Minister, it seems that our reforms have enough public support."