Me! A high-ranking official!

After he finished speaking, there was a two-second silence in the courtyard, followed by thunderous applause led by Zhou Qingyan.

Looking at the upright and eloquent young man on the steps, Zhou Qingyan's usually calm eyes finally showed a rare hint of admiration. She knew that after today's performance, Zhao Jianguo's name had finally gained a firm foothold among the county's cadres.

The exchange meeting lasted until nearly noon before it ended. After seeing off wave after wave of visiting groups, Zhao Jianguo felt his throat was about to burst with thirst, but he knew in his heart that this seemingly tedious and tiring half-day would be an indestructible stepping stone for him in the county and even at a higher level in the future.

The groundbreaking ceremony and exchange meeting lasted all morning. After it was finally over, Zhao Jianguo felt parched and his bones felt like they were about to fall apart. However, seeing the enthusiasm on the faces of his fellow villagers and cadres, he felt indescribably at ease.

In the afternoon in the village, he specifically called Zhu Yan and the others together and gave them a detailed explanation.

"Sister Zhu, the village's daily operations now depend entirely on you. Report to me immediately if anything happens." Zhao Jianguo patted Li Gan on the shoulder. "Ganzi, you'll stay in the village for the next few days to help Sister Zhu finish up the environmental bank and recruitment for the base. This is the foundation for Luojia Village's turnaround, and we can't afford to be careless in the slightest."

Li Gan nodded emphatically, patting his chest and assuring him, "Brother Zhao, don't worry about going back to the county to work on the big project. As for things in the village, Director Zhu and I will keep a close eye on them. Not even a fly will be able to get in and cause trouble!"

After making the arrangements, Zhao Jianguo returned to his home in the county that evening.

Pushing open the door to his new house, although he hadn't fully furnished it yet, he breathed a long sigh of relief as he looked at his own quiet place. He took a hot shower, lay down on the brand-new bed, and reflected on the days and nights he had spent working hard in Luojia Village over the past month. He suddenly felt that his spirit and energy were completely different from when he was writing documents in the government office.

Although grassroots work is complicated and challenging, and sometimes requires outsmarting local bullies and scoundrels, it truly hones one's skills. Seeing projects come to fruition from scratch and the smiles on people's faces as they gain hope provides a real sense of accomplishment that you can never experience while sitting in an office.

With this sense of security, he slept soundly through the night.

The next day, he returned to the county's Culture and Tourism Bureau, dressed neatly and looking refreshed.

Sitting in his familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar deputy section chief's workstation, looking out at the familiar scenery of the county committee compound, I couldn't help but feel a sense of vicissitudes of life. In just over a month, the situation in the bureau had changed. Zhang Baocheng was arrested, and Li Dafang was also dismissed. The marginal person who was once trampled underfoot had now become a hot commodity in the bureau.

He spent some time looking through the latest documents from the Culture and Tourism Bureau. Around nine o'clock, the office door was pushed open.

Wang Pingping walked in carrying her bag. When she looked up and saw Zhao Jianguo sitting inside, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed happily, "Director! You're finally back! The bureau was in complete disarray while you were gone!"

He smiled and nodded, about to exchange a few pleasantries with her, when Old Xie from the office strode over with a notebook tucked under his arm and said, "Director Zhao, Director Guo has notified us that there will be a meeting in the small conference room at nine o'clock sharp!"

He nodded, glanced at the time on his wrist—ten minutes to go—and picked up his notebook and pen to head to the conference room.

When he arrived at the small conference room, there were already three or four other department heads sitting inside. When they saw him walk in, these department heads, who used to ignore him or even make sarcastic remarks, all put on warm smiles and took the initiative to stand up and greet him.

"Hey, Brother Jianguo's back! You've done a great job at the grassroots level!"

"Director Zhao, please have a seat, please have a seat. You've worked hard these past few days!"

He smiled and responded to each question, then sat down in a seat near the front. That's how it is within the system; if you have connections and influence, everyone will greet you with a smile.

After everyone took their seats, the directors of other departments soon arrived. At nine o'clock sharp, Guo Nanguo strode in, carrying his signature glass water cup. He looked around the conference room, his gaze lingered on Zhao Jianguo for half a second, he nodded slightly, and then pulled out the chair at the head of the table and sat down.

"Comrades, let's begin the meeting!" Guo Nanguo slammed his water glass on the table and began to speak slowly.

After conveying the county's directives on recent cultural and tourism work and requiring all departments to strictly implement them, Guo Nanguo changed the subject, his expression becoming extremely serious, and the atmosphere in the entire meeting room plummeted to freezing point.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make here. Regarding Li Dafang's violations of laws and regulations, the county discipline inspection commission has officially issued its decision!" Guo Nanguo's sharp gaze swept over everyone present as he spoke, enunciating each word clearly: "Li Dafang has been expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office. The facts of his suspected crimes and related clues have been transferred to the procuratorate for prosecution in accordance with the law!"

When this news came out, although everyone had heard about it privately, the fact that the acting director personally announced the nature of the matter still made the other directors present look at each other in surprise. A suppressed sigh and gasps of cold air echoed in the conference room.

Everyone knows perfectly well that Li Dafang, in order to seize the cultural tourism project in Xiaozhai Village, colluded with Zhang Baocheng to force Zhao Jianguo, the original author, to leave and steal the credit. And what was the result? Now, after only one month in charge, not only has he made a mess of the project and caused a death, but he has also personally landed himself in prison!

If Li Dafang had known that this would lead to such an irreversible consequence, I wonder if he would still have been blinded by greed and tried to snatch this hot potato!

Ignoring the diverse thoughts of the crowd, Guo Nanguo continued emphatically, "Secretary Zhou of the County Party Committee and County Head Han attach great importance to the Xiaozhai Village Ancient Style Experience Project and the Shan Hai Jing Zoo Relocation Project, both spearheaded by our bureau! These two projects are the top priorities for the county's cultural tourism development this year, and key levers for economic transformation!"

"Although Li Dafang has been taken away, the bureau's work absolutely cannot be neglected; not a single day can be wasted!" Guo Nanguo announced loudly, "To ensure the smooth and efficient progress of these two key tasks, the bureau's Party Committee has decided that Comrade Zhao Jianguo will temporarily take charge of the Industrial Development Section and the Tourism Development Section! He will be fully responsible for leading the implementation of the immersive ancient-style experience project and the Classic of Mountains and Seas Zoo project! All departments must, according to their original division of labor, do their utmost to coordinate and promote the project and ensure logistical support. Anyone who dares to falter at this critical juncture will not be tolerated by the bureau!"

After Guo Nanguo finished speaking, without waiting for anyone's reaction, he closed his notebook and announced, "Meeting adjourned!"

After saying that, he stood up and beckoned to Zhao Jianguo: "Jianguo, come to my office!"

Zhao Jianguo immediately stood up, picked up his notebook, and followed Guo Nanguo out of the conference room.