Me! A high-ranking official!

To be fair, what Lao Du said outside wasn't entirely wrong. A human life shouldn't be taken so easily. But when it comes to official business, the law is the standard. The one million offered by the investment group wasn't an attempt to bully or haggle, but rather the maximum amount calculated strictly according to the law. If conditions allowed, he would certainly be willing to help this widow and her child get more compensation.

However, considering Xiaojuan's situation, fighting for her rights is only one aspect. The most critical issue is whether she can protect her family's assets. Otherwise, no matter how much money she fights for, it will eventually be divided up by those ravenous relatives, and she will be doing all the work for someone else. Xiaojuan is a smart woman, and with just a little guidance, she understood the danger. For a rural woman who has lost her husband and has two underage daughters, it is harder than climbing to heaven to protect millions of yuan in this complex environment.

Therefore, the two additional conditions he offered were the real trump cards. With the strong legal team of the investment group as a backing, plus a stable job with social insurance and housing fund, this not only helped her solve her long-term life difficulties, but also gave her a protective shield. It provided sufficient compensation and protected her money. This was the fundamental reason why Xiaojuan finally signed the contract without hesitation.

After resting in the office for a short while, Guo Nanguo returned from reporting his work to the county party committee.

As soon as he entered, Guo Nanguo called Zhao Jianguo to the deputy director's office, personally poured him a cup of tea, and said with a smile, "Well done, Jianguo! I only knew you were good at your job, but I didn't expect you to be such a versatile person. Your negotiation skills are really sharp! The family had been making a big fuss for days, and you resolved it in no time!"

"Director Guo, please stop praising me. If it weren't for the strong support from the leadership behind the scenes, who made the decision to resolve the family's worries, no matter how much I pleaded, they wouldn't have listened," Zhao Jianguo quickly said modestly with a smile.

Guo Nanguo laughed and waved his hand, saying, "With this major problem solved, our ancient city project can immediately apply to resume work. Otherwise, who knows when the construction will be delayed. I just reported this to the Party Secretary, and he instructed us to submit the resumption report as soon as possible. In addition, the Party Secretary has also officially approved your matter, telling you to hand over your responsibilities in the next couple of days and get back to the bureau to prepare to take on a major role!"

Upon hearing this, he immediately nodded in agreement.

Guo Nanguo took a sip of tea, leaned forward slightly, and said in a somewhat mysterious tone, "Jianguo, Secretary Zhou really praised your work ability today!"

He was suddenly taken aback. Zhou Qingyan would praise him to his face? Could it be that Director Guo was making up lies to elevate him in order to win people over?

Before he could think further, Guo Nanguo continued with admiration, "During today's report, I also reviewed your previous work. These two core projects of the Culture and Tourism Bureau were both planned and proposed by you, and I also detailed the practical things you've done in Luojia Village recently. After listening, the Party Secretary immediately set the tone, saying you're pragmatic, flexible, and a capable and practical cadre! Moreover, the Party Secretary even proactively stated that she would personally attend the groundbreaking ceremony for your village's planting base!"

At this point, Guo Nanguo patted Zhao Jianguo on the shoulder heavily: "Jianguo, I've been following the Party Secretary for so long, and this is the first time I've heard her praise someone so frankly. Keep up the good work, and your future achievements will definitely be much greater than this!"

He outwardly feigned surprise and delight, but inwardly he was in turmoil. Zhou Qingyan, that cold and aloof woman, actually praised him in public? This was like the sun rising in the west.

However, after a little thought, he realized that it was probably because he had saved her life and helped Zhou Mingyuan cover up such a huge hole. Although this woman usually kept a high and mighty attitude, she felt that she owed him a huge favor, so she was trying to compensate him in various ways with this kind of political resource.

He sneered inwardly. It seemed that this iron-fisted female secretary was also worldly-wise and knew how to reciprocate favors.

It was already late when he came out of Guo Nanguo's office. He went downstairs, got in his car, and headed straight for Luojia Village.

Along the way, he held the steering wheel with both hands, his mind racing with plans for the groundbreaking ceremony of the planting base. His original plan was simple: for a village-level industrial project like this, it would be considered a very high-profile event if the deputy county head could come down and make an appearance. But now, the county party secretary, Zhou Qingyan, was going to personally attend.

When the top leader is present, the nature and scale of the event completely change. Not only must it be done properly, but the balance must also be maintained. It must appear simple and solemn, avoiding extravagance and giving others cause for criticism, while still creating a grand spectacle within a limited budget.

This needs to be planned carefully.

By the time he drove into the village committee compound, it was already past seven o'clock in the evening. He didn't even have time to drink some water when he got back to his house. He immediately took out his phone and dialed Zhu Yan's number.

"Zhu Yan, the groundbreaking ceremony is tentatively scheduled for next Thursday. I've checked, and there aren't any major meetings in the county that day. But there's something important I need to tell you: County Party Secretary Zhou and Deputy County Head Qi will both be attending."

Zhu Yan on the other end of the phone was clearly quite surprised. Without waiting for further questions, he immediately began assigning tasks: "Since the big leader is coming, our infrastructure needs to be in place. Go get a sound system and microphones, make sure they're properly tuned so they don't malfunction. Also, for the flower baskets for the site, don't waste money buying them from the county. Take some people to our fields and mountains and find some brightly blooming wildflowers and weave a few flower baskets yourself. This will decorate the site, fit the theme of our green planting base, and save a lot of money. Get these things sorted out in the next few days."

After instructing Zhu Yan, he immediately called Wang Yongchun, the town's Party Secretary.

As soon as the call connected, Zhao Jianguo reported, "Secretary Wang, there's something I need to tell you. The groundbreaking ceremony for our village's planting base is scheduled for next Thursday. County Party Secretary Zhou just said he'll be attending in person."

When the top leader goes down to the grassroots to participate in activities, it is by no means a trivial matter. For the town, it is an excellent opportunity to show off and demonstrate its achievements, since the planting base in Luojia Village is, in essence, a key industrial project promoted by the town.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yongchun's tone instantly rose eight octaves, and he immediately took full responsibility over the phone: "Jianguo, this is a great thing! Your village has limited resources, so don't let the village worry about the ceremony's planning, the stage setup, security, and reception preparations. Leave everything to the town! I'll arrange for someone from the town office to go and coordinate first thing tomorrow morning!"

With Wang Yongchun's promise, he felt completely at ease. The town's resources and manpower were far superior to those of a village. With the town government taking the lead, Luojia Village would no longer need to waste energy on red tape. As long as they followed the town's unified arrangements and did a good job in on-site coordination and logistics, everything would be foolproof.

After giving his report, he breathed a sigh of relief and lay down on the bed to rest.