Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 196 The Town Mayor Who Loves to Talk to His Female Subordinates

Wu Zhiyuan said solemnly, "Rome wasn't built in a day. Director Sun, the fact that you're willing to tell me these things shows your trust in me."

Don't worry, I, Wu Zhiyuan, am not here in Xindian to be a complacent official.

Some abscesses, if not squeezed out, will cause healthy tissue to rot.

But everything requires methods, evidence, and, more importantly, strategy.

The situation at the grassroots level is complex; a small change can have far-reaching consequences.

Sun Dewang quickly said, "Secretary Wu, I understand. I'm just being frank with you so you have a clear understanding of the situation. We'll definitely have to be careful about how to proceed."

We arrived at the entrance of the scenic area.

The gatehouse is beautifully designed, but the words "Qingshan Canyon Scenic Area" have faded, and the iron gate is rusty.

Inside the gate, a cement road leads deeper into the area, but the road surface is cracked, and wild grass grows rampant in the cracks.

The visitor center and ticket office are antique-style buildings, but they are not yet completed.

The cement channel built for the rafting project was only about a hundred meters long.

The sightseeing cableway tower stands alone halfway up the mountain.

The planned boardwalk only had some foundation piles installed and was buried in weeds.

Sun Dewang said with a wry smile, "Secretary Wu, it's such a pity."

Boss Wei was genuinely interested in getting things done back then; I've seen the planning diagrams, and he had some great ideas.

Rafting, cable car rides, boardwalk adventures, Peach Blossom Stream, a mountaintop bandit's lair, bamboo forest relaxation, waterfalls, Qinglongtan (Green Dragon Pool)...

If it can be built, it will indeed attract a lot of people.

Our Qingshan Gorge, putting aside everything else, boasts truly stunning natural scenery.

The two continued forward, gradually moving away from the unfinished man-made buildings, and the real natural landscape began to unfold before their eyes.

A crystal-clear stream meanders from the depths of the canyon, its calm waters shimmering in the sunlight.

The stream was so clear that you could see the smooth pebbles and swimming fish and shrimp on the bottom.

What's most captivating is the sight of peach trees in full bloom along both banks of the stream.

It was the height of spring in March, and the peach blossoms were in full bloom.

Pink, white, and deep red, clusters and clumps of them, weighing down the branches.

The petals covered the stream surface, like a flowing river of rouge, a beauty that seemed otherworldly.

"Secretary Wu, this section is Peach Blossom Creek, one of the most beautiful places in Qingshan Gorge."

The Azure Dragon Pool is just ahead.

The pool water was a deep, dark green, and its bottom could not be seen.

Strange rocks stand tall by the pool, each with a different shape. Some resemble a reclining ox, others a crouching tiger, and there is even a cliff face with a natural depression that looks like a dragon's head. Clear spring water flows gently from the "dragon's mouth" into the pool.

Sun Dewang pointed to the deep pool and said, "Secretary Wu, legend has it that the bottom of this pool leads directly to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, where a green dragon lives and guards this land."

In the past, when there was a severe drought, people from the surrounding villages would come here to pray for rain, and it was said to be very effective.

Some people say that on the night of the full moon, they can hear the roar of a dragon coming from the bottom of the pool.

Of course, these are all stories passed down from the older generation.

Wu Zhiyuan nodded: "The story of Qinglongtan has been passed down through generations. Now, many newly developed scenic spots make up stories and create hype. People don't know this and think it's a story passed down from ancient times."

Further ahead is the Thousand-Foot Cliff Waterfall.

A white ribbon of water cascaded down from the top of the towering cliff, like an inverted Milky Way, with a sound like thunder.

Sun Dewang said, "Although it is called Thousand-Zhang Cliff, it is not actually a thousand zhang, but it is a hundred zhang."

Look at this water level. It's spring now, so it's still relatively low. But during the summer rainy season, it's truly spectacular; you can hear the roar from miles away.

Sun Dewang pointed to the mountain peak in front of him and introduced it as, "Secretary Wu, that mountain peak is Qinglong Peak."

Before liberation, a band of ruthless bandits occupied Qinglong Mountain. Their leader was nicknamed "Rolling Dragon" and was known for his cruelty.

Their stronghold was built on Qinglong Peak in front of them. He kidnapped the beautiful daughter of the local landlord and made her his wife.

If you want to go up the mountain, there is only one treacherous path, and you have to cross a man-made suspension bridge. It can be said that one man can hold the pass against ten thousand.

Back then, the People's Liberation Army spent a great deal of effort to suppress the bandits. In the end, they found an experienced hunter familiar with the terrain to lead the way, taking a more secluded herb-gathering path up the back mountain before finally taking down the bandits' lair.

Wu Zhiyuan observed the terrain and thought to himself: This bandit stronghold ruins are steep and rugged, and are a piece of history and a landscape in themselves.

If developed in the future, with the necessary safety facilities such as cable cars and reinforced walkways, this place could be transformed into an adventure and exploration attraction, telling the story of the bandit suppression efforts of that era. It would surely attract many tourists who enjoy curiosity and adventure.

Moreover, standing on Qinglong Peak, overlooking the entire Qingshan Canyon Scenic Area, one can see all the mountains below and enjoy boundless scenery.

"Secretary Wu, as far as I know, some businessmen from the south are interested in taking over the Qingshanxia Scenic Area. They have visited the town twice and talked with Mayor Zhang Ping."

"Oh? That's great news. If the deal goes through and this project is revitalized, it will be a huge benefit for Xindian Town and Qingshan County. But without hundreds of millions of yuan, I'm afraid it won't make a difference, right?"

"I feel that the businessman is not very reliable. Generally, companies that attract investment are very cautious. It seems that the businessman is eager to invest in the Qingshanxia cultural tourism project, as if he is afraid that someone else will snatch it away."

Before deciding to invest, Wei Guochun conducted multiple on-site inspections and even hired a professional tourism planning team and surveying team, spending a whole week in the mountains.

This businessman only cared about how much matching funds the town and county could provide and how much bank loan they could coordinate, and didn't care much about the specific plans for revitalizing the scenic area and attracting tourists.

Moreover, the people he brought didn't seem like a professional planning team; they looked more like street vendors.

Generally speaking, after Wei Guochun's previous failure, investors would be extremely cautious and hesitant to invest again, fearing they might fall into the same trap. However, this businessman seemed oblivious to these concerns, praising Qingshan's business environment—a blatant lie.

Wu Zhiyuan nodded thoughtfully. Sun Dewang's suspicions were not unfounded.

Some scammers take advantage of local officials' eagerness to achieve political achievements and attract large projects, posing as powerful businessmen, promising huge investments, and then defrauding local governments and construction companies of their funds under the guise of needing "start-up funds," "security deposits," and "facilitating relationships."

Then they abscond with the money, leaving behind a mess. Local governments often suffer in silence, afraid to report the incident to the police, because making a scene would be very detrimental to local government leaders.

This situation is like a corrupt official whose home has been burgled; he knows he's been robbed, but he's too afraid to report it to the police.

"What's Mayor Zhang's attitude?" Wu Zhiyuan asked.

"He's very proactive and wants to achieve great political results, but he can't just pick anything that comes his way."

Wu Zhiyuan had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

It's understandable that Zhang Ping is eager to use a large project to prove his abilities, solidify his position, and even seek further advancement.

But if this customer really has a problem, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Not only is there no hope of revitalizing the scenic area, but it may also worsen the town's already strained finances and even trigger new debt disputes and social conflicts.

Wu Zhiyuan instructed, "Director Sun, this matter is best kept between you and me. Don't spread it around, and especially don't show any doubt in front of Mayor Zhang."

After all, without solid evidence, we cannot draw conclusions easily based on feelings and doubts alone, and we must not let it affect the town's normal investment promotion work.

However, necessary vigilance and covert investigation are still required.

Director Sun, you are a local and have worked in the town for many years, so you have a wide network of connections.

Keep an eye out for other ways to learn about the true situation of this customer or the company behind him.

But you must be careful with your approach and avoid alerting the enemy.

Sun Dewang nodded solemnly: "I understand, Secretary Wu. I will keep an eye on it."

If it really is a scam, the people of Xindian will be the ones who suffer in the end.

Wu Zhiyuan nodded: "Yes. Revitalizing the scenic area is a big deal, but we must not rush into things and resort to desperate measures."

We are looking for truly capable, sincere, and sustainable partners, not short-sighted, self-destructive ones.

As the two walked back, Wu Zhiyuan asked Sun Dewang about his opinion of Zhang Ping.

"Secretary Wu, Zhang Ping suppressed me and transferred me from the Party and Government Office to the Agriculture, Forestry and Water Resources Office. But when I said he was bad, it wasn't out of revenge; he was just bad to begin with."

Zhang Ping is mediocre. His promotion was due to two reasons: he had powerful backers and he was good at currying favor; it had nothing to do with his abilities or political achievements.

He lacked effective methods and decisiveness in handling specific matters, promoting economic development, and resolving complex conflicts. Often, he simply maintained the status quo or treated problems only as they arose.

Zhang Ping was very good at handling things. When the county leaders came down, the reception arrangements were impeccable.

When reporting on work, one can exaggerate three points of achievement to ten points, and three points of difficulty to ten points, making it seem like one has worked hard and diligently.

He is particularly good at understanding what leaders are thinking and saying what leaders want to hear.

Furthermore, Zhang Ping is extremely lecherous.

Wu Zhiyuan feigned surprise: "Really?"

"This is no secret in the town. Zhang Ping is particularly attentive to female cadres, especially those who are somewhat attractive."

For example, he would often find various reasons to ask female cadres to come to his office alone to report on their work and have heart-to-heart talks, which would last for half a day.

When going out for business dinners, they like to bring pretty female cadres along, claiming it's to "showcase the demeanor of Xindian Town cadres" or "work requirements."

Some female cadres, in order to advance their careers or under pressure, had no choice but to feign compliance; others actively offered themselves to them.

"Really?" Wu Zhiyuan pressed, "Any specific examples?"