In name only: I will break the chess game in Handong

Deputy Secretary Yuechi smiled and focused on the matter at hand, determined not to let his disappointment with the Xinzhou Municipal Party Committee affect his other work.

“Secretary Yue, it seems that Guangming County has its own unique advantages, but these advantages are difficult to realize due to transportation problems. To get rich, we must first build roads. Transportation arteries are like blood vessels in the human body. If they are unobstructed, things will go smoothly and things will succeed.”

“Road construction… sigh, Comrade Chen Luo, but the investment in a single highway can easily reach billions of yuan.”

If the central government doesn't approve it, our Beiyue Provincial Committee alone simply can't sustain it.

Especially since other counties are facing the same problem, we can't just approve it for Guangming County and not for the others, can we?

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Is Beiyue Province really that difficult? Chen Luo didn't believe it, but since it was an assistance program, it would eventually provide real money.

"What a pity, Secretary Yue. I think Guangming County is very good at developing modern agriculture, especially in the eastern coastal areas, such as Handong, which is relatively lacking in fresh and green agricultural products."

By opening up this last mile, our technical experts and enterprises in Handong can truly help Guangming County, and even several nearby counties, to solve the problem of rural population loss through modern agriculture, and to directly transfer some low-pollution, high-labor-demand industries to Beiyue.

It seems impossible now.

When Yue Chi drew this picture, his eyes widened in surprise.

Looking directly at Chen Luo, he asked, "Comrade Chen Luo, is this really true?"

Chen Luo replied with a smile: "Handong does have such plans. It was originally set in Guizhou Province, but I think it's not appropriate to move some industries to Guizhou Province."

Guizhou Province is a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains, making it suitable for developing a green economy and a tourism economy.

Beiyue has a certain industrial base and a dense population, so it can easily accommodate some low-emission and low-pollution industries.

Chapter 275 Going Deep into the Grassroots, Addressing the Pain Points

"Ahem, Comrade Chen Luo, although our provincial party committee is facing some financial difficulties, you are right. To get rich, we must first build roads. So, I will personally ask the provincial party committee to allocate some funds to improve the transportation in the Xinzhou area."

That will make it easier for entrepreneurs from Handong to invest and build in Beiyue!

Chen Luo squinted and nodded.

"Secretary Yue, this is just one of the difficulties."

In reality, entrepreneurs are particularly averse to government departments constantly coming to their door asking for "tea money." To be honest, the business environment in New South Wales also needs to be addressed.

As an outsider, it might be inappropriate for me to say such things, but I still suggest that you and the Beiyue Provincial Party Committee pay close attention to the situation of extortion and bribery at the grassroots level.

I'm afraid that if entrepreneurs come here and encounter this kind of situation, they won't be able to stay! Something like this happened in Handong before. Different districts treated enterprises differently, which caused large-scale opposition from entrepreneurs and businessmen. They even blocked Comrade Li Dakang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee of Handong and Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee of Jingzhou, at the entrance of the Municipal Party Committee building.

These are all profound lessons!

The subsequent recounting of Li Dakang's case brightened Yuechi's mood somewhat. He remarked that this phenomenon was not unique to Beiyue; everyone experienced it, the difference being who could control it!

"No problem! Comrade Chen Luo, your suggestion is excellent. Our Beiyue Provincial Committee is more than grateful to you!"

Throughout the entire conversation, Ai Xianzhi and Mei Xiaoge remained silent, afraid of disturbing Chen Luo and Yue Chi's conversation.

Half an hour later, Chen Luo and Deputy Secretary Yue Chi exchanged several opinions, all of which addressed some of the current social pain points. Deputy Secretary Yue Chi felt that he had gained a lot, and Chen Luo also heard some valuable insights from Yue Chi.

"Comrade Chen Luo, it's getting late. Let's call it a day and get some rest."

"Thank you for the reminder, Secretary Yue. You've been with us all day too, so please get some rest."

After arriving at the hotel, Chen Luo washed up and went straight to sleep. Meanwhile, in a nearby room, Deputy Secretary Yue Chi was making a phone call to Xue Zheng'an, Secretary of the Beiyue Provincial Party Committee.

"Secretary Xue, you haven't rested yet, have you?"

"No, Lao Yue. So, how's it going? Has Comrade Chen Luo mentioned how much funding he'll provide to Beiyue?"

Upon hearing this, Yue Chi rolled his eyes.

"It can't be that fast, but Comrade Chen Luo did paint a picture of a future for me..."

After listening to Yue Chi's account, Xue Zheng'an was somewhat taken aback.

"Is that really the case at the grassroots level? Are those grassroots staff really so unscrupulous?"

"Secretary Xue, the situation may be worse than you think. In recent years, Guangming County has managed to suppress some issues because of the presence of the new secretary, Mei Xiaoge. However, in other counties, the county party secretaries and the county party committees simply do not care about these issues, and the cadres below them openly extort and demand bribes."

The business environment in Beiyue is indeed very poor. As Comrade Chen Luo said, he can guide some companies to invest in Beiyue, but he cannot guarantee whether Beiyue can retain these companies. Now that we live in the Internet age, the influence of those evil deeds will only become more and more serious.

Right now, it's just a matter of not crossing the Shanhaiguan Pass to invest. What about in the future? If our Northern Mountain is also labeled like this, who would dare to invest in our Northern Mountain?

"I'm so angry I've run away!"

Xue Zheng'an took a deep breath on the phone. "Old Yue, I know about this. It seems our provincial party committee has no choice but to take decisive action to rectify these chaotic situations. We need to focus on the economy, but we also need to focus on the people's well-being. Your trip is very meaningful!"

"Well, that's not urgent. There's another matter, Secretary Xue. I think the current Xinzhou Municipal Party Committee leadership needs some adjustments. I've heard some news since I came to Xinzhou. The Xinzhou Municipal Party Committee Secretary, Gu Wenzhang, and Ma Guangqun have always been at odds. That's fine, but the two seem to be only concerned with their power struggle."

Just a few hours ago, I chaired a meeting, and that Ma Guangqun was still only thinking about infighting, suggesting that I and the provincial party committee remove Mei Xiaoge, the secretary of Guangming County, from his post simply because Mei Xiaoge was promoted by Gu Wenzhang. This is utterly absurd!

“Ma Guangqun? I know this person. A few days ago, Comrade Wen Jun from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection reported to me that the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection had obtained some materials on Ma Guangqun’s violations of discipline and law.”

I was saying I'd discuss it with you after things were confirmed, but now it seems Ma Guangqun is incredibly audacious. You don't need to worry about his problem.

I will call Governor Bai to discuss this.

Our provincial party committee cannot tolerate cadres who violate discipline and the law so recklessly! They must be dealt with severely and swiftly!

"Okay, that's basically it. Secretary Xue, it's getting late, you should get some rest too."

Yue Chi, who hung up the phone, was not moved at all. Removing a mayor was just a piece of cake.

How dare they even try to teach him how to do things? Well then, Yue Chi will teach them a lesson!

It rained tonight in Guangming County, which hadn't seen rain for half a month. Thunder rumbled and the rain poured down. As the saying goes, "a long drought is finally relieved by rain." When Chen Luo opened the window this morning, he could clearly feel that the air was fresher and more delicate.

After having breakfast at the hotel, Chen Luo took a car to the county government. The Coaster picked up Mei Xiaoge and Ai Xianzhi and headed straight to the source of rural agricultural production. The address was randomly selected by Chen Luo after he got up in the morning.

He didn't want to see the idealized lives of ordinary people; he just wanted to see for himself what the farmers in Guangming County were really like.

Inside the Audi, Yue Chi's feelings were quite complicated.

It's around 11 a.m. now. The road they took after they got to the township and entered the village was all muddy, and the car was swaying back and forth. Perhaps because it rained last night, the whole car was covered in mud.

And what about the ordinary people on the road who go about their daily lives as usual?

Wearing faded old clothes, some carried hoes and worked shirtless in the fields, while others carried baskets on their backs.

His basket was full of grain, his trouser legs were covered in mud, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he walked slowly with his back bent.

Even more extreme, some elderly people in their sixties or seventies still carefully walk with the aid of a cane.

"Farmers suffer!"

Yue Chi sighed, the deep wrinkles between his brows never smoothing out. He had truly seen the real situation below, which was completely different from when he came down to inspect work in the past.

Chen Luo nodded.

"The road leading to town is really bad."

However, a new round of policy support came down soon, ensuring access to every village and every road.

"When the time comes, if Secretary Yue focuses on the implementation of the policies, they will bring tangible benefits to the people."

Yue Chi felt a little better. He knew about the policy, but it had not yet been fully implemented in Beiyue Province.

The vehicle swayed and bumped as it arrived at a small village with a population of only forty or fifty households.

After getting off the bus, Chen Luo's shoes were covered in mud, but he didn't care. It was just an inspection tour, so what was a little mud?

Chapter 276 The Cancer at the Grassroots Level, Chen Luo's Anger

Understanding the true living conditions of ordinary people is a rare privilege for high-ranking officials like Chen Luo.

After all, some people stay in the atmosphere for too long and then stop looking down to observe the earth... or they see it but pretend they don't!

There are few young people in this village. Most of them have left their hometown to work elsewhere, leaving behind only the elderly and children.

Chen Luo and the others visited and investigated, and found that a lot of land had been abandoned and was still being cultivated, except for some private plots near the front and back of houses. This phenomenon was the same all over the country.

Professional staff accompanied them in the fields, measuring the soil's pH level, pollution levels, and so on. Meanwhile, Chen Luo and Secretary Yue Chi led the others to a farmer's house.

The house was made of stone, with a tiled roof. The yard was unpaved, just firm mud where a few hens roamed freely. When Chen Luo and Yue Chi arrived in the yard, the accompanying staff understood without being told and gently knocked on the wooden door.

Is anyone home?

The wooden door was slowly opened after being called three times. An elderly woman with a limp in her left leg opened the door, followed by a little girl who looked to be about seven or eight years old.

The old lady looked bewildered and anxious. She unconsciously tensed up as she looked at Chen Luo and his group, and instinctively blocked the entrance, showing great vigilance.

Secretary Yuechi smiled and tried to make his expression as kind as possible. He stepped forward and said, "Sister, we are from the government. We've come to see if you have any difficulties in your life. Don't be afraid, we are not bad people."

Yue Chi is sixty years old after all, with a full head of white hair, so it's perfectly acceptable for him to call the old lady "elder sister".

Upon hearing this, the old lady, still somewhat doubtful, pulled the little girl aside to clear the way for the entrance.

"Are you all officials?"

The old lady asked casually, and Secretary Yuechi nodded, "Yes! We are all cadres! We are all Party members!"

Only a few people entered the room, as it was cramped. There were only five people: Chen Luo, Secretary Yue Chi, Mei Xiaoge, Ai Xianzhi, and the Deputy Secretary of the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee.

The other staff members waited in the courtyard.

Upon entering the house, there was a musty smell in the air.

Secretary Yuechi asked the old lady in a calm tone, while Chen Luo smiled and took out a lollipop from his pocket, tore open the wrapper, and handed it to the little girl in front of him.

This lollipop was given to Chen Luo by Chen Zhengxi in his pocket before he came to Beiyue.

"Girl, what's your name? How old are you?"

The little girl looked at Chen Luo warily, but seeing the unusual gentleness in his gaze, she finally replied, "My name is Lin Xiaojun, and I'll be eleven years old soon!"

Hearing this, Chen Luo felt a pang of sadness. This girl was about the same age as his daughter, but she looked like she was only six or seven years old, probably only as tall as Chen Zhengxi's chin.

Chen Luo sighed inwardly, then took the little girl's palm in his hand; her little hand was slightly dirty.

Besides some old dirt, there were also scabs and wounds on his fingers, clearly from work injuries.

At this time, Secretary Yuechi also started talking to the old lady about Lin Xiaojun's parents.

"Grandma, where are your granddaughter's parents?"

Mentioning this old man brings tears to my eyes.

"They're not coming back... The villagers all said they went to work in Southeast Asia, but it's been six years and there's been no news of them. They're not coming back..."

This answer left Secretary Yuechi speechless for a moment.