Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 429 The Weeping of the Lost Cao River

Ma Guoliang, Hu Jianhua, and Tan Zhiyong dared not utter a word.

"Let's go down and take a look." Wu Zhiyuan walked down the riverbank slope.

Lu Xinghua quickly followed, saying, "County Magistrate Wu, be careful! These people are desperate criminals. What if..."

"What if what? I'm the county magistrate of Qingyan County. I'd like to see who dares to touch me!"

Wu Zhiyuan's confidence stemmed not from his position as county magistrate, but from his own martial arts skills, which made dealing with a few people a piece of cake. Moreover, he had experience working in the National Security Bureau.

Wu Zhiyuan strode towards the sand dredger.

The workers on the shore stopped what they were doing and watched them warily when they saw a group of people approaching.

A burly man, shirtless and with a blue dragon tattooed on his neck, approached Wu Zhiyuan, sized him up, and asked unfriendly, "What are you doing here?"

Wu Zhiyuan's voice was stern: "I am Wu Zhiyuan, the county head of Qingyan County. Do you have the legal permits for your sand mining?"

The burly man was taken aback, not expecting the county magistrate to personally come to this ditch.

But he quickly calmed down: "County Magistrate Wu, what brings you here? This place is dirty, don't get your shoes dirty."

Wu Zhiyuan asked coldly, "I'm asking you, where are the sand mining permits?"

The burly man scratched his head and took out his phone: "County Chief Wu, don't worry. I'm just a worker. You know who the boss is. I'll call General Manager Yuan right now."

The burly man dialed a number, whispered a few words, and then handed the phone to Wu Zhiyuan: "County Chief Wu, General Manager Yuan would like to say a few words to you."

A man's voice came from the other end of the phone: "County Chief Wu, hello, this is Yuan Xiaowu."

I'm so sorry, my subordinates are incompetent. Please forgive them.

Wu Zhiyuan cut to the chase: "Did you dredge the sand in this river?"

"County Chief Wu, the procedures are complete. The Water Resources Bureau and the Land and Resources Bureau have completed all the necessary procedures."

When I, Yuan Xiaowu, do business, the most important thing is to act legally and in compliance with regulations.

"Legally and compliant? Isn't it currently a no-mining period? What area is permitted to operate on your sand mining permit? Where is your vessel currently anchored?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Wu Zhiyuan thought he would try to argue, act aggressively, or even hang up the phone.

But nothing.

Yuan Xiaowu said with a forced smile, "County Chief Wu, your questions are too technical; I really can't answer them right now."

As you know, I'm a rough man; the specifics are handled by my subordinates.

But don't worry, since you've asked about it, that's the most important thing.

I immediately ordered them to stop work and all the ships to be withdrawn.

"County Magistrate Wu, I had no idea you were here in person for this inspection. I am truly sorry. I will be there immediately."

Wu Zhiyuan was somewhat surprised.

Over the years, he has met all sorts of people, and most of them who are involved in the underworld have one thing in common:

He has a bad temper, gets easily angered, and is always ready to fight or kill.

Those kinds of people are actually easy to deal with because their emotions are written on their faces and their weaknesses are exposed.

But Yuan Xiaowu is not.

These kinds of people are precisely the ones who are difficult to deal with.

Because they know how to be patient, how to back down, and how to pull their fists back at crucial moments, waiting for the storm to pass before thrusting them out again.

What's even more frightening is that these people often have powerful backers and are well-informed.

He knew who he could act against and who he couldn't; what he could handle and what he had to avoid.

His cowardice wasn't genuine cowardice, it was a strategy; his retreat wasn't genuine retreat, it was a test.

Yuan Xiaowu arrived very quickly.

A dozen minutes later, a black luxury sedan bumped along the dirt road by the riverbank.

The car door opened, and a man in his forties stepped out.

He was wearing a casual jacket and a Patek Philippe watch on his wrist.

If Wu Zhiyuan hadn't known his background beforehand, he would have thought he was a successful entrepreneur, not a gangster boss who had been involved in organized crime and served time in prison.

Yuan Xiaowu strode over, extending his hands from afar with a smile on his face: "I'm really sorry, my men are ignorant and have caused you trouble."

You can't hit someone who's smiling.

Wu Zhiyuan symbolically shook hands with him.

Yuan Xiaowu said to the burly man, "Didn't you hear County Chief Wu? Stop work and tow the boat back!"

Yuan Xiaowu took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to Wu Zhiyuan: "County Chief Wu, I have all the necessary permits for the sand in this river. I have the sand mining permit and the river channel occupation permit, nothing is missing. If you don't believe me, I'll have someone bring it over for you to see right away."

Wu Zhiyuan pushed his hand away: "I don't smoke. As for the paperwork, I'll have the Water Resources Bureau and the Land Resources Bureau check it one by one later."

My question to you is, since it's currently a no-mining period, why is your boat still operating?

What is the permitted operating area on your permit, and which section are you currently stopping in?

"County Chief Wu, I really don't understand what you're saying."

As you know, I'm not very educated, and I even spent a few years in jail when I was young and didn't know any better.

These specific matters are all handled by professionals.

"How about this, I'll have my general manager come over right away and have him give you a detailed report?"

Wu Zhiyuan could tell that Yuan Xiaowu was pushing things away and blocking things, using "I don't understand" as an excuse to shirk all responsibility.

Wu Zhiyuan asked coldly, "Then let me ask you a question you can understand. How many years have you been dredging sand from this river?"

Yuan Xiaowu said, "Two or three years, I guess. County Chief Wu, I'm just responding to the county's call to develop the economy. Sand mining is also a contribution to the county's development."

"Of the many housing developments and roads in the county town, half of the sand and gravel used comes from my supply, Yuan Xiaowu."

Wu Zhiyuan pointed to the deep pit in the riverbed and the riverbank that had been eroded and was on the verge of collapse: "Is this your contribution?"

Yuan Xiaowu chuckled and said, "County Chief Wu, sand mining will inevitably have some impact on the river."

But rest assured, I, Yuan Xiaowu, am not the kind of person who only cares about myself and not others.

Every year before the flood season, I contribute money to reinforce the river embankment; you can ask the water resources bureau about that.

Yuan Xiaowu turned his gaze to Hu Jianhua: "Director Hu, am I right?"

Yuan Xiaowu spoke with such confidence that he was not an illegal sand miner who was damaging the river, but a public-spirited entrepreneur.

Hu Jianhua was somewhat embarrassed: "President Yuan did indeed contribute some funds for the reinforcement and maintenance of the river embankment."

Wu Zhiyuan pressed further, "How much money did you pay?"

Hu Jianhua paused for a moment, then said, "I don't remember the exact number, but it's probably several hundred thousand every year."

Wu Zhiyuan sneered, "Several hundred thousand a year? How much money can you make by dredging a boatload of sand? Probably more than several hundred thousand, right?"

How many hundreds of thousands of dollars would it take to repair the damage to the riverbanks and the ecological pollution you caused?

How many hundreds of thousands are the farmlands and health lost by the people along the coast due to pollution worth?

Yuan Xiaowu realized that this young county magistrate was not playing by the rules.

In the past, when leaders came to inspect the Shicao River, Yuan Xiaowu would receive advance notice, and once the boats were removed, the sand was laid down, and the people left, everything would continue as before.

But Wu Zhiyuan came in person, saw it in person, and asked questions in such detail and in such depth.

What's more troublesome is that he's not afraid of offending people.

Yuan Xiaowu had spent twenty years in Qingyan and had met all sorts of officials.

He observed a pattern: the younger the cadre, the more they care about their career advancement;

The more one cares about their career, the more afraid they are of getting into trouble, offending people, and causing problems.

Therefore, young cadres are the easiest to deal with.

If you give them face, give them benefits, and offer them a way out, they will go along with it.

But Wu Zhiyuan is different.

This person showed no desire for a career in government and seemed fearless.

Because everyone knows that Yuan Xiaowu is a gangster.

People who operate in the underworld are two-faced; they may greet you with a smile to your face, but might stab you in the back.

Yuan Xiaowu continued to feign weakness: "County Chief Wu, you are right. I did not think things through. I only cared about the immediate petty gains and ignored the long-term and the interests of the people."

Don't worry, I, Yuan Xiaowu, dare not say anything else, but I will definitely listen to the government.

Starting today, all my sand dredgers will cease operations. I will resume operations only when you declare that sand dredging can proceed legally and compliantly.

"I will rectify what needs to be rectified and impose fines where necessary, without any objection!"

Wu Zhiyuan said coldly, "Anyone can say nice things. What I want to see are actions and results."

All illegal sand mining activities along the Qingyan section of the Shicao River must cease immediately! Otherwise, the consequences will be borne by the perpetrators!

After Wu Zhiyuan and his group left, the burly man approached Yuan Xiaowu and said, "Fifth Brother, what kind of guy is this Wu? A county magistrate who hasn't even grown his first hair yet, coming here to act all high and mighty!"

Yuan Xiaowu lowered his voice: "Starting today, no more ships will be sailing during the day; all operations will be moved to the night. We'll begin work at 10 p.m. and finish before dawn."

Wasn't Wu Zhiyuan supposed to be on patrol? Let him patrol, he'll come patrol at night?

"Hehe, as long as he doesn't come in person, there won't be any problems."

The burly man asked, "Fifth Brother, does this mean we can only dig sand secretly at night from now on?"

Yuan Xiaowu glared at him: "Stop asking such stupid questions! We're in a very sensitive situation right now; we can't go against the grain! We can't walk into the line of fire!"

……

On the way back to the city, Wu Zhiyuan was heavy-hearted and said to Lü Xinghua, "Xinghua, green mountains and clear waters are invaluable assets. Today, standing on the banks of the Shicao River, I truly understand the weight of this saying."

Green mountains and clear waters are not just a matter of money, they are a matter of life and death.

Ordinary people can't drink clean water, can't grow crops, and are getting cancer and strange diseases. What is this? This is a matter of life and death.

Lu Xinghua nodded: "County Chief Wu, the problem of the Shicao River has been a long-standing issue, it didn't develop overnight, and it won't be solved overnight either."

Wu Zhiyuan said, "I know, but I can't not do it just because it's difficult."

I told that villager from Liuzhuang Village in the petition reception room that I would ask him to take another photo for comparison in three months.

I'm not just saying this casually; I'm serious.

Lu Xinghua hesitated for a moment before asking, "County Chief Wu, isn't three months too short?"

There are over a dozen polluting companies along the river, some of which are major taxpayers, and some involve cross-regional coordination. Even just the issue of the upstream area of ​​Jiangdong City might not be resolved within three months.

Wu Zhiyuan said firmly, "It all depends on human effort. Three months is a promise to the people, and also a pledge we've made to ourselves."

Of course, it's impossible to make the Shicao River clear in three months.

My promise is that the water quality should improve within three months.

After a pause, Wu Zhiyuan shared his thoughts.

"Xinghua, within one month, all enterprises in the county that discharge sewage into the Shicao River must stop discharging."

Those with the necessary conditions should install the facilities; those without should shut down or switch to other production. There is no room for negotiation on this matter.

Lu Xinghua cautiously replied, "County Chief Wu, what I'm worried about is that some companies may not have this intention."

After all, installing environmental protection facilities is a significant investment, and the results are slow to materialize.

Some business owners prefer to spend their money on things that yield immediate results.

"Then let them do the math. Installing environmental protection facilities costs money, but not installing them costs even more."

Let them weigh the pros and cons: fines, production suspension for rectification, or even shutdown.

Of course, the county can allocate some funds to subsidize enterprises that proactively carry out environmental protection technological upgrades.

You should ask the Finance Bureau to come up with a specific plan, but the principle is that the county cannot take on everything; the enterprise must bear the primary responsibility.

"Furthermore, the sewage discharge problem of those farms must also be addressed."

Large-scale farms must build supporting manure treatment facilities; small-scale farms should be closed down or integrated as needed.

The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau was tasked with leading the effort, with the Environmental Protection Bureau providing support, and a remediation plan was to be developed within a month.

Lu Xinghua reminded him, "County Chief Wu, the farmers might have some resistance."

Especially for small-scale farmers, whose profit margins are already thin, asking them to invest more money in environmental protection might be unacceptable.

"Conflicts are inevitable. But we must explain things clearly to them and make the reasons clear."

The Shicao River is not anyone's sewer; it cannot be drained by anyone who wants to.

As for the future of small-scale farmers, they can be guided towards ecological farming methods, or they can integrate resources and share costs through cooperatives. There's always a solution to every problem.

Lu Xinghua tentatively asked, "County Chief Wu, how do you plan to resolve the upstream sewage problem?"

The polluting enterprises in those counties and districts of Jiangdong City are not within our jurisdiction.

The county had sent several letters before, but they either didn't reply or replied that they were making rectifications, but in reality, nothing had changed.

Environmental enforcement across administrative regions has always been a major challenge.

"If sending a letter doesn't work, we'll go in person. Make the arrangements; I'll be going to Jiangdong City in a few days."

If coordination fails, I will go to the provincial environmental protection department. If the provincial department also fails to coordinate, I will report it to the central environmental protection inspection team.

Now, people at all levels are paying more and more attention to environmental protection, and the intensity of environmental protection inspections is increasing.

I simply don't believe that those counties and districts in Jiangdong City would dare to joke about their own official positions.

Of course, this is a last resort. Issues that can be resolved through negotiation should be resolved through negotiation whenever possible.

We're all neighboring counties/cities, we see each other all the time, and I don't want things to get too tense.

But if the other party doesn't know what's good for them, then don't blame me for turning my back on them.