Me! A high-ranking official!

The room was filled with smoke and the atmosphere was serious. The meeting had not yet ended, and the rectangular conference table was filled with bureau-level cadres on both sides. At the head of the table sat Zhou Qingyan, the county party secretary, and Han Baomin, the county head. Several other county leaders, including Qian Yumin, the executive deputy county head, Lian Wei, who was in charge of culture and tourism, and Sun Haitao, who was in charge of urban construction, were also present.

Deputy County Head Lian Wei emphasized into the microphone: "...This zoo project is the top priority for our county in the second half of this year, and it's also a key livelihood project that the Municipal Party Committee is focusing on. All units must coordinate and cooperate effectively, and we must complete the construction in the shortest possible time and with the highest quality. Anyone who drops the ball on this project will be fired!"

He didn't dare to go in rashly, and instead sent a message to Guo Nanguo from the end of the corridor: "Director Guo, I've arrived."

After waiting a few minutes without any movement, just as his heart was starting to race, the conference room door suddenly opened, and Guo Nanguo squeezed out. Seeing Zhao Jianguo, he didn't waste any words, waved vigorously, and said in a low, urgent voice, "During the meeting just now, when each department was giving their reports, when it was our bureau's turn, I casually mentioned how you secured five million in investment in Luojia Village. County Chief Han was very interested, and even the Party Secretary specifically asked to hear it. Go in, make a good impression, and seize this opportunity!"

His heart skipped a beat, then a surge of joy welled up inside him. Director Guo was practically handing him a ladder right in front of the county magistrate!

He straightened his expression, followed Guo Nanguo into the meeting room, and crouched down to quietly sit in a corner at the back of the conference room.

At this moment, just as Deputy County Head Sun Haitao finished explaining the urban construction and supporting plans, County Head Han Baomin flipped through the materials in his hand, his eyes scanning the crowd, and took over the conversation, saying in a deep voice: "Comrades, to put it bluntly, our county's investment promotion work over the past two years has been our weakest point, ranking last in the city! City leaders have criticized us by name at several meetings, saying that we lack ambition and have a rigid business environment. Investment promotion is not just the responsibility of the Investment Promotion Bureau; it's the responsibility of the entire county's economy, and every unit has a responsibility! Just now, Comrade Guo Nanguo from the Culture and Tourism Bureau mentioned that one of their bureau's village secretaries, dispatched to Luojia Village, single-handedly brought in a 5 million yuan planting investment project in just 20 days. 5 million yuan may not seem like a large amount in a county-level project, but for a backward village, it's a lifeline!"

Han Baomin tapped the table and looked around: "Guo Nanguo, has that comrade from Luo Family Village you mentioned arrived?"

Guo Nanguo hurriedly stood up and reported, "County Chief Han, we've arrived!"

"Okay." Han Baomin nodded, his gaze falling on the back row: "Zhao Jianguo, right? Give everyone a brief report on this project, focusing on how you managed to convince a company from out of town to invest five million in a remote rural area in such a short time?"

He took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to his reporting position. As he passed the front row, he subconsciously glanced at Zhou Qingyan in the main seat.

Zhou Qingyan remained aloof and cold, her head bowed as she wrote something in her notebook, not even lifting her head once, as if she didn't recognize him at all. A bitter smile crept into his heart, and he quickly composed himself, beginning to organize his thoughts.

"Distinguished leaders, I will give a brief report on the medicinal herb planting base project in Luojia Village from three aspects..."

Instead of boasting about how much effort he had put in, he focused on introducing the land advantages of Luojia Village, the closed-loop industrial plan of the medicinal herb base, and the "dedicated funds for specific purposes" contract mechanism that investors value most. His report was concise, detailed, and logically sound.

After the introduction, the entire conference room was silent for a few seconds.

County Head Han Baomin nodded in agreement, then said in a deep voice, "Very good. Five million yuan for five hundred mu of land can directly create thirty to fifty long-term jobs, and during the busy farming season, it can employ over a hundred people. This not only solves the village's economic problems but also provides employment for hundreds of villagers! What do you call this? You call teaching a man to fish!"

County Chief Han's expression suddenly turned serious. He looked at the bureau chiefs present and said, "We have over seventy village-based cadres dispatched throughout the county, and over the years, the total number has reached three or four hundred. However, in the past, many of the people sent down by our units have been doing their work superficially and in a perfunctory manner, with a serious mentality of waiting for handouts! If the bureau allocates some funds, they'll do something; if the bureau doesn't give them money, they'll just lie around in the village! This kind of thinking is a typical example of inaction and laziness!"

He looked at Zhao Jianguo again, his tone filled with obvious praise: "Comrade Zhao Jianguo has only been in the countryside for less than a month, and he has already brought in projects worth millions. What does this show? It shows that as long as you truly integrate yourself into the village collective, there will always be more solutions than problems! Such a cadre deserves praise! County Chief, we should take Comrade Zhao Jianguo's working methods as a model and call on all village-based cadres in the county to learn from them. We should also pass on this spirit of ownership."

Afterwards, County Chief Han praised the Culture and Tourism Bureau, saying that the bureau was good at leading its personnel and was able to send such capable and efficient staff to the front line.

County Party Secretary Zhou Qingyan, who had remained silent until now, closed his notebook. His cool voice echoed in the room as he gave his final summary: "All departments must focus on the zoo project, giving it equal importance and ensuring both are done well. The Culture and Tourism Bureau must not only cooperate in ensuring the success of this major project but also provide solid support for the grassroots village-based work. For high-quality projects like Luojia Village that have already been implemented, the county will continue to monitor their progress. Township and bureau levels must do their utmost to provide services and support, and absolutely no one will be allowed to create obstacles, demand bribes, or obstruct the process. Zhao Jianguo, when you return, ensure the project is implemented with high quality and quantity."

"Yes, Secretary!" he replied loudly.

As he walked out of the conference room, he felt his back was soaked with sweat, but he felt incredibly relieved.

With County Chief Han's public praise and Secretary Zhou's statement that no one would be allowed to create obstacles, Wang Yongchun's dream of coordinating funds was completely shattered.

This project is no longer a small-scale operation in a village; it has become a model village project that has been put on the desk of county leaders. Even if Wang Yongchun had ten times the courage, he would never dare to touch a single penny of that five million!

As he stepped out of the small conference room of the county committee, he felt light on his feet, as if the heavy weight that had been pressing on his heart all day had finally been lifted off his feet.

Instead of returning to the village immediately, he went straight back to the Bureau of Culture and Tourism, where he sat on the sofa in the lobby waiting for Guo Nanguo. He waited until the afternoon when most of the people in the building had left and it was getting dark outside before Guo Nanguo drove his Passat back to the bureau.

As soon as he went upstairs, Guo Nanguo saw Zhao Jianguo standing at the door. He was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Jianguo? Waiting for me here? Come on in."

As he spoke, Guo Nanguo took out his keys and opened the door to the deputy director's office.