Me! A high-ranking official!

Town Party Secretary Wang Yongchun smiled slightly, his attitude quite amiable: "Comrade Jianguo, you don't need to be so polite. Director Wang just told me that you've done a great job in Luojia Village, securing an investment of five million yuan to establish a Chinese medicinal herb base?"

"Yes, Secretary, the specific plans are all in the report. The land transfer work urgently needs the town's policy support."

Wang Yongchun nodded, flipped through the materials on the table, and pondered, "Jianguo, this project is very meaningful for the industrial restructuring of Luojia Village and even our entire town. The town government's attitude is very clear: we will definitely give it our full support."

Seeing this, Deputy Director Wang quickly chimed in, "Jianguo, the secretary and I have already exchanged opinions. This is a top priority for the town, and support is a given. However, considering that you've only been here a short time and may still need to accumulate work experience, plus the cadres in the Luojia Village Committee... to be honest, their abilities are indeed limited. Of course, I'm not talking about you; your abilities are obvious to all."

As Zhao Jianguo listened, the smile on his face gradually faded, his eyelids drooped, and he sneered inwardly. With this back-and-forth, the real action was probably about to begin.

He smiled faintly without changing his expression: "Thank you for your recognition, Secretary and Director Wang. Please feel free to give any instructions you may have."

Deputy Director Wang coughed lightly, glanced at Wang Yongchun, and seeing that the secretary did not speak, continued: "In order to do a good job in overall coordination of the work, and also to help you to do a good job in supervision and avoid risks, the secretary's idea is that this investment of five million should first be transferred to the special account of the town's finance, so that the town can do the accounting and supervision in a unified manner."

He gave me a look of concern: "Don't worry, this money is someone else's investment. The town will absolutely not misappropriate a single penny. It's just a special fund to keep an eye on things for you. If you need money for your project in the future, just apply and report it, and the town will approve and transfer the money anytime. This way, our procedures will appear legitimate, and we can also prevent those people in the village from misappropriating this huge sum of money. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jianguo's heart sank, and a chill ran down his spine.

Director Wang spoke eloquently, talking about "overall planning" and "supervision," and even calling it "gatekeeping," but having been in the county for so long, he knows all too well the ins and outs of grassroots work!

If five million yuan really ends up in the town's pocket, it will become the town's ATM. When you need to buy seeds, the town will say that it has to go through the bidding process and delay you for three months. When you need to pay wages, the town will say that the funds in the account are not flowing smoothly and make you wait. Not to mention all sorts of office expenses and management fees that are deducted under various pretexts.

Once this money is put into the town's overall budget, let alone five million, if three million actually ends up in the Luo family village project, that would be considered that these people have shown mercy!

This isn't about protecting your own interests; it's clearly like seeing a piece of fatty meat coming your way and preparing to take it all, meat and all!

He smiled slightly and said, "Secretary, Director Wang, on behalf of the people of Luojia Village, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the town leaders for their concern. The leaders are willing to take responsibility for us and ensure our safety. These words warm my heart."

"However, there is a fact that I must report to the two leaders truthfully." Zhao Jianguo put away his smile: "This money is not a government appropriation, nor is it poverty alleviation funds. It is the company's own investment. The contract clearly states that all funds will go through the company's corporate account and be paid directly to the construction team and farmers without any third-party intermediaries."

He paused for a moment, then delivered his prepared explanation: "Their company's legal department is very strict. All payments are internally audited. During the initial negotiations, their only firm requirement was that the funds be used exclusively for the designated project and that no intermediate links be allowed. If we suddenly change the payment method to be managed by the town, they might think we have unilaterally changed the payment path and that there is a risk of breach of contract. In more serious cases, they might suspect that the supervisory body for this money is unclear and withdraw their investment directly."

He sighed and said with a wry smile, "I've only been in the village for twenty days. I finally managed to get them to come in by virtue of my old reputation. If they back out because of the funding process, it will be a major loss for Luo Family Village. So, to be on the safe side, we should strictly abide by the contract, ensure that the funds go directly to the project, and get the project up and running smoothly."

To ease the tension, he added, "Secretary, Director Wang, the leaders are in charge of the overall situation. Could you give us some policy support? For example, could you help us coordinate the supporting water conservancy facilities for the medicinal herb base, or include the road leading to the base in next year's maintenance plan? With the town helping us solve these important issues, I, as the village secretary, can work with more confidence! As for fund supervision, after the project starts, I've asked them to report every expense to the town on a monthly basis. We welcome leaders to audit and supervise us at any time."

After listening, Wang Yongchun's expression remained largely unchanged. He personally took the thermos, poured Zhao Jianguo a cup of tea, and gently pushed it towards him, saying in a mild tone, "Jianguo, you've been in town for almost a month now, haven't you? To be honest, when the city sent you down here, I was a little worried. You're a young cadre, I wondered if you could adapt to life in the village. I didn't expect you to make such a splash so quickly. The streetlights, the garbage disposal, and now you've secured such a large investment. Even the county leaders know that our town has a capable first secretary. To be frank with Director Wang, you are the most driven of all the village-based cadres."

Zhao Jianguo felt a slight chill. He knew this was a prelude to an announcement: "I admire you. We're on the same side." He quickly said a few words of modesty.

Sure enough, Wang Yongchun changed the subject: "Precisely because I admire you, as the squad leader, I have to tell you something upfront. An investment of five million is one of the largest projects in our town's history. The bigger the project, the greater the risk. If you're the one leading the charge and something goes wrong, the whole burden will fall on your shoulders."

Deputy Director Wang, standing nearby, chimed in at the opportune moment: "Jianguo, the Party Secretary has been through this before. He genuinely wants to help you share the burden. You're charging ahead on the front lines; if there's no support from the rear, what if you stumble and fall? There won't even be a cushion to cushion your fall!"

After listening, Zhao Jianguo's expression became even more sincere, and he leaned forward slightly, as if he were pouring his heart out: "Secretary, Director Wang, your words truly warm my heart. To be honest, during the twenty days I spent in Luojia Village, the most difficult time was when I sat alone in the dormitory at night, feeling truly isolated and helpless. I couldn't be happier that the town leaders are willing to help me share the burden!"

"However," he changed the subject, "there is a fact that I must report truthfully. This five million is not a government allocation, nor is it poverty alleviation funds. It is the company's own investment. It is clearly stated in black and white in the contract that all payments will go through the company's corporate account and be paid directly to the construction team and farmers without any third-party intermediaries. Their legal department is keeping a close eye on it, saying it is to strictly prevent the risk of misappropriation of funds."