Me! A high-ranking official!

Having worked within the system for so long, he was all too adept at reading between the lines. Since Guo Huaixing had taken the initiative to reveal this undisclosed funding information to him, it meant that as long as Luojia Village had the foundation to apply, Guo Huaixing, the director of the government office, was willing to go along with it and help his old subordinate by putting in a good word for him and pulling strings in the county!

Moreover, Guo Huaixing made it very clear that a portion of the funds would be allocated to the village.

This means that the three million yuan was not distributed equally throughout the county, but was selectively allocated to a small number of villages! This creates a huge room for manipulation. It's not a matter of whoever applies gets it; those who are quick and have connections get the spoils, while those who are slow and have no connections don't even get a morsel!

Even if we can only secure 30,000 to 50,000 yuan, at least a few solar streetlights can be installed on the main road in the village, greatly reducing the chances of tragedies like Aunt Wang breaking her leg while walking at night! This is a real achievement and wins the hearts of the people!

His heart was burning with excitement. Knowing that there was no time to lose, he immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to Guo Huaixing: "Thank you for your guidance, Director! I'll go investigate right away!"

He made an excuse to go to the restroom, quickly ran out of the office, found a secluded corner of the stairs, and immediately dialed the phone number of Deputy Director Wang of the town's Party Office.

"Hello, Director Wang, this is Xiao Zhao from Luojia Village! I have an urgent question for you. Did our Luojia Village apply for any rural public welfare subsidy projects last year?"

The deputy director on the other end of the phone seemed to be outside, his tone perfunctory: "Oh, Secretary Zhao, this matter happened almost a year ago, who would remember it so clearly? I'm out on business right now, I don't have a computer with me. If you want to check, we'll talk about it when I get back to town tomorrow!"

He could tell at a glance that this old fox was making excuses. Speed ​​was of the essence; how could this matter wait until tomorrow?

His mind raced, and he immediately adopted a warm tone, saying cryptically, "Director Wang, this is really urgent! The county government office is pressing for the list. Could you please make a call back to the town and have someone check the system? I happened to be in the county today and brought some local specialties for your wife; I'll bring them to you when I get back tomorrow!"

Upon hearing that the county government office was urging for the list of names and local specialties, Deputy Director Wang's attitude changed instantly: "Well, well, Brother Jianguo's business is my business. Just wait a moment, I'll call someone to check right away and get back to you in ten minutes!"

Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Deputy Director Wang called back.

"Jianguo, I found it! Luojia Village did apply last year for a village road lighting project, which is basically installing streetlights. The funding requested was 80,000 yuan!"

"That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Director Wang. I'll treat you to a few drinks later!"

He hung up the phone excitedly. Eighty thousand yuan! Although it couldn't compare to the five hundred thousand yuan for road repairs, it was still a considerable windfall!

He hurried back to Guo Huaixing's office. This time, instead of rushing straight to the project report, he stood smiling in front of the desk and said in a relaxed tone, "Director, I specifically took leave to come back today. I left in a hurry, and the transfer order came quickly. We had planned to have a proper farewell dinner with our colleagues, but for various reasons, we haven't been able to get together. Do you have time to join us at noon today?"

Having spent half his life navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, how could Guo Huaixing not understand Zhao Jianguo's implied meaning?

If there's time for a meal, it means the investigation we just conducted is promising, and we should discuss the specifics of how to proceed at the dinner table. If we hadn't found anything, Zhao Jianguo would probably have just made up an excuse to slip away.

Guo Huaixing looked at the clever and insightful young man in front of him, smiled with satisfaction, and said smoothly, "Perfect timing. Your sister-in-law went back to her parents' house for lunch today and didn't cook at home, so I'm going to eat at the big restaurant."

He felt relieved, knowing that Guo Huaixing had agreed to help him get the 80,000 yuan, and immediately beamed with joy: "Alright! I'll go tell my colleagues in the department right away, and I'll arrange a place for lunch!"

"Go ahead, go ahead," Guo Huaixing said with a smile, waving his hand.

He walked out of his office, clapped his hands, and announced the lunch gathering to his colleagues in the large office area, which drew cheers.

He then quickly left the county government compound, took out his phone, booked a spacious private room at the Luyuan Hotel, a decent restaurant in the county, and sent the room number to Guo Huaixing and several colleagues with whom he had a good relationship.

After arranging everything, Zhao Jianguo looked at his phone's contact list, his gaze landing on the name of village chief Luo Shuishan.

He sneered and dialed the number.

"Hey? Secretary Zhao, what are your instructions?" Luo Shuishan's hoarse voice came through, tinged with a hint of wariness.

He said enthusiastically, "Village Chief Luo, I'm going back to the county on business today. I've arranged to have lunch with some county leaders and friends, and I'll also be helping our village with some funding. If you don't have anything urgent to do in the village, why don't you take a taxi to the county? We can keep you company, and you can become a familiar face to the leaders, right?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Luo Shuishan's voice, a mix of annoyance and complaint: "Oh, Secretary Zhao, what you've done... why didn't you tell me sooner! I left early this morning and am currently visiting relatives in a neighboring county; I can't possibly get back in time! Next time something like this happens, could you at least let me know a day or two in advance?"

"Oh dear, that's such a pity." Zhao Jianguo pretended to be extremely regretful. "This meal is crucial, it concerns our village's construction funds. Alright, you go out and do your work, I'll take care of this meal myself."

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Jianguo's lips curled into a mocking smile.

He never intended for Luo Shuishan to come; this phone call was purely to shut Luo Shuishan up.

During their previous battle of wits, Luo Shuishan kept bringing up the 500,000 yuan to try and put him down. If Luo Shuishan had come today, he could have easily reimbursed the meal at Luyuan Restaurant using the village's accounts. But he didn't come? Even better! Out of sight, out of mind! Once the 80,000 yuan is approved, Luo Shuishan won't be able to find any fault with it and can only watch helplessly as Zhao Jianguo establishes his authority in the village!

The midday sun shone through the clouds onto the streets of the county town, bringing with it a refreshing clarity after the rain.

Zhao Jianguo arrived at Luyuan Hotel more than half an hour early. He confirmed the private room at the front desk, ordered several of his signature dishes, and specially instructed the waiter to prepare two pots of good tea. Then, he stood properly in the lobby downstairs and waited.

At 12:20, the automatic door outside the hotel slowly opened, and Guo Huaixing led several of his former colleagues from the government office in, chatting and laughing as they walked in.

"Director! Everyone, we've been waiting for you!" He immediately greeted them with a big smile.

"You little rascal, we're going to make you pay today!" a few old colleagues joked.

The group exchanged pleasantries as they entered the luxurious private room upstairs. As soon as they sat down, Guo Huaixing gestured for them not to rush to have the food served. He turned to Zhao Jianguo and said with a smile, "Jianguo, I've also invited another friend to dinner today, Li Xing, the section chief of the Agriculture Section of the County Finance Bureau. He just finished a meeting and will be here shortly!"

When he heard the words "Li Xing, the head of the agricultural department," his heart skipped a beat, and his mind instantly clicked.

The three million yuan in rural public welfare subsidies, the designated approval and disbursement unit is none other than the Agricultural Section of the Finance Bureau! Guo Huaixing's invitation to Li Xing at this critical juncture is no ordinary suggestion; it's practically handing him a meal, personally acting as a go-between!

"Director... thank you so much!" he said gratefully. The old director really helped out at a crucial moment, and he knew that this was a great favor.

Guo Huaixing smiled and waved his hand, giving him a look that said, "You know what I mean."

He immediately got to work, taking the teapot and adopting an extremely humble posture, pouring tea and water for Guo Huaixing and his former colleagues one by one, making witty remarks and creating a very lively atmosphere in the private room.

A few minutes later, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and carrying a briefcase walked in with a smile. He was Li Xing, the head of the Agricultural Section of the Finance Bureau.

"Oh, Section Chief Li, you're such a busy man! Come on over!" Guo Huaixing immediately stood up and greeted him with a smile.

"Director Guo, you flatter me. How could I dare to call myself a busy person in front of my old leader?" Li Xing shook hands with Guo Huaixing with a smile, appearing very familiar with him.

After exchanging pleasantries, Guo Huaixing pulled Li Xing over to Zhao Jianguo, patted Zhao Jianguo on the shoulder, and introduced him: "Section Chief Li, let me introduce you. This is Zhao Jianguo, a scribe from our county party committee office. He's been assigned to Luojia Village as the first secretary stationed there. He's a reliable and hardworking young man!"

Zhao Jianguo immediately stepped forward, grasped Li Xing's hands with both of his, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "Hello, Section Chief Li. I've heard so much about you. I'm Zhao Jianguo. I hope you will give me more criticism and guidance in the future."

"Secretary Zhao is young and promising. It's a good thing for him to go to the grassroots level to gain experience." Li Xing nodded with a smile, his eyes revealing a hint of shrewdness.

Everyone then took their seats, and the dishes were served to begin the meal.

Because of the tight schedule at noon and the fact that everyone had work to do in their respective departments in the afternoon, and because the government is now very strict about drinking alcohol at lunchtime, no alcohol was served on the table. Everyone substituted tea for wine, clinking glasses and exchanging toasts. Guo Huaixing intentionally helped out, and Zhao Jianguo, being very tactful, kept offering Li Xing tea and occasionally throwing out a few conversation starters, making Li Xing feel comfortable without appearing obsequious. The atmosphere in the private room was extremely harmonious.

After finishing their meal, everyone went downstairs together. When they arrived at the restaurant, Guo Huaixing didn't get into the car immediately. Instead, he held Li Xing's arm with one hand and Zhao Jianguo's arm with the other in a very affectionate manner.

"Old Li, Jianguo is an old subordinate I trained, like a brother to me." Guo Huaixing, with a slightly tipsy smile, made his point very clear: "He's currently stationed in that poor village of Luojia, and it's not easy for him to carry out his work. In the future, as the elder brother, you'll have to help him out and take care of him in your agricultural department's work!"

Li Xing glanced at Zhao Jianguo, then immediately smiled and patted Guo Huaixing's hand: "Director Guo, don't worry, your old subordinate is like my little brother. As long as it complies with policy and doesn't violate principles, the Agricultural Department will absolutely give its full support!"

"Good, that's enough!" Guo Huaixing smiled with satisfaction, then waved goodbye to everyone, got into his car, and drove away.

The other colleagues were also quite tactful, knowing that Zhao Jianguo definitely had something else to say to Li Xing alone, so they all said goodbye and left.

At the restaurant entrance, only Zhao Jianguo and Li Xing remained. Li Xing picked up his briefcase, glanced at his watch, and said with a smile, "Brother Jianguo, I'll head back to the bureau now. I have a meeting this afternoon."

"Section Chief Li, it's truly an honor to meet you today." He greeted him with a beaming smile, shaking Li Xing's hands again. "Luo Family Village is poor, and we'll inevitably cause you trouble in the future. Please take good care of us, Section Chief Li."

Taking advantage of the opportunity to hold the other person's right hand with both hands and lean forward slightly to block his view, Zhao Jianguo deftly flicked his thumb and quietly slipped a neatly folded piece of paper that he had prepared in his palm into Li Xing's palm.

The note contained a 2,000 yuan shopping card from an anonymous chain supermarket.

He just asked the hotel to help him buy this quickly. It's the rule, and it's also a stepping stone. The allocation of 80,000 yuan can't rely solely on the old leader's connections; every bit of the necessary "lubricant" must be provided.

Li Xing's palm was slightly poked by a hard object, but his eyes remained unchanged, and his face maintained that warm smile. With his right hand, he subtly and naturally slipped the note into his sleeve without even a thud.

"No problem, no problem." Li Xing smiled at Zhao Jianguo, squeezed his hand back firmly, and nodded meaningfully: "As long as the materials are ready, we'll proceed according to procedure. Brother Jianguo, you go ahead and do your work, please wait a moment."

"Please take care!" Zhao Jianguo stood respectfully on the curb.

After watching Li Xing get into the car and disappear around the street corner, he straightened up and let out a long sigh of relief. With things having progressed to this point, the 80,000 yuan for the lighting project was basically in sight!

In the afternoon, he didn't linger in the county and boarded a bus to the city.

Upon arriving in the city center, he visited Lin Jiaojiao's gynecology clinic. The clinic was in an excellent location, in the bustling city center. It had two floors and was over 400 square meters in size. The clinic was clean, bright, and exuded professionalism and warmth. Lin Jiaojiao's family had inherited traditional Chinese medicine gynecology skills, and she herself had studied modern clinical gynecology in college. Now she ran a clinic that combined traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and she was quite well-known in the city.

When he entered, Lin Jiaojiao was wearing a white coat and busy seeing a patient who was coming for a follow-up visit. When she saw him, Lin Jiaojiao took a moment to pull him aside and chatted briefly: "Jianguo, I've had the equipment and sterile room prepared in advance. It's all kept secret. Tell your friend to come over without worry. He can start treatment as soon as he arrives."

"Jiaojiao, thank you so much this time. I owe you a huge favor." He was full of gratitude.