Chapter 1738: Feng Keqing

The next morning, Xiao Yan went to work, and Wang Yan drove to Duo Jie's home.

At this moment, Duo Jie was helping his wife milk the cows.

"Want some milk? It's still warm." Seeing Wang Yan approach, Duo Jie directly ladled a bowl and handed it over.

"Let me brew some milk tea instead." Wang Yan did not drink this plain fresh milk.

He had been here several times before and was not unfamiliar with the place; he immediately got busy himself, making milk tea with the fresh milk.

In no time, the two were sitting side by side drinking milk tea.

At this moment, the blue sky, white clouds, green grass, and snow-capped mountains created a splendid view.

"What brings you to see me?"

Wang Yan explained the matter regarding Bai Ji, then said, "I was thinking, could we make a plan to find a plot of land for planting trees? Afterwards, we can purchase some saplings and sell them to tourists, letting them plant the trees themselves. Meanwhile, we'll make a plaque recording the tree planter's name, address, and phone number. If that tree survives, we can notify them; this would be a good deed indeed.

On another note, one of our key promotional points is the Bolamula ecosystem; it wouldn't look right if the county didn't plant trees. If they don't survive, we'll find a way, inviting experts from the city or province to come and see what kind of trees we should plant. In the future, when lush green trees provide shade, it will be pleasant to look at and a beneficial legacy for our descendants.

But what is most important? We purchase saplings and sell them to these tourists, earning a price difference in the process. With so many trees, we will definitely need people specifically assigned to guard and tend them, which will create some job positions; the money we earn from selling trees can be used exactly to pay these workers their wages."

Duo Jie frowned and asked, "Will this work? Will they actually buy trees?"

"It will definitely work," Wang Yan said. "Even if we sell the saplings at a slightly higher price, it won't be an issue, after all, money out there is not the same as money here."

"It's all money; how is it different?"

"Out there, people earn more but also spend more. Here, we earn less and spend less. When they earn money out there and spend it here, everything feels cheap. Otherwise, how would all those street stall goods get sold? Some even sell at prices higher than what bulk wholesalers pay?

It's because the goods here go through several hands before being sold, driving the price up significantly. When they buy directly from us, it's already very cheap; this is the benefit of cutting out the middlemen who profit from the price difference and opening up the market ourselves."

Duo Jie thought for a moment, then nodded: "I'll go to the county seat in a while to discuss this matter with Secretary Chen and the others; first, we'll find a piece of land and allocate some funds to try it out. Do you want Bai Ji to be the one selling the trees?"

"No, the reason I mentioned Bai Ji is that he asked me to help him find a solution, so I came up with this idea for our Economic Development Company. Bai Ji's boxed meals are selling quite well; he wouldn't make much money selling trees anyway. It's better for us to sell them ourselves under unified management. If our company employs more people, you will have more weight when speaking in the county."

Duo Jie smiled gently: "I don't care about having 'weight'; I just want to get things done, to make Bolamula and Mazhi County better."

"But to get things done, you need a voice; if no one listens to you and you can't mobilize funds or supplies, how can you do anything?"

"You can do good work regardless. Currently, the situation in the county is excellent, all thanks to your efforts; the county has decided to appoint you as the Assistant Regional Commander Manager of the Economic Development Company, and by then, your housing will also be allocated to you."

Wang Yan already held a cadre status, he just lacked an actual position. This time, because of his article, he attracted attention from higher authorities to Mazhi County, along with resource investment and development opportunities from above, so it was only natural that he should be promoted.

The Economic Development Company is a county-owned enterprise, and the Assistant Regional Commander Manager holds a deputy section-level rank; thus, Wang Yan has successfully transitioned from merely enjoying cadre status to assuming a leadership position.

However, the promotion would be delayed slightly; it was impossible to promote him immediately just because Mazhi County had become lively. Waiting nearly two months like this was actually not slow, considering Wang Yan had been working for less than half a year.

"Duo Jie, we also need to finalize the other staffing quotas; now is the time of growth and prosperity, and with established positions, everyone will have more motivation to work."

"I started requesting staffing quotas back when we captured Daji and his gang, but the county only relented after your article went viral; now, the argument is solely about exactly how many quotas to grant, and we've already argued about it several times."

"Then just keep arguing with the county; argue enough, and the quotas will appear." Wang Yan laughed heartily; these were matters he couldn't really speak on or intervene in.

Staffing quotas involved fiscal budgets and the interests of various departments; Mazhi County was a small county with only over forty thousand people. Every single quota implicated many factors. If Wang Yan hadn't created this situation and allowed the county to make money, dreaming of staffing quotas for the Mountain Patrol Team would have been futile.

In the original story, none of these Mountain Patrol Team members received staffing quotas either. Although, when the nature reserve was first decided upon, the patrol members were supposed to be converted into Forestry Public Security officers, but because the incident of the patrol team selling sheepskins was exposed, none of them received quotas.

As for the quotas this time, while it was hard to say for others, He Qingyuan and Zhacuo would definitely be included. The former was originally the deputy captain of the patrol team, while the latter was the only person injured when the patrol team was ambushed and killed; in this regard, they inevitably had to be taken care of.

The remaining members, such as Samba, would depend on how Duo Jie allocated the spots, after all, the Mountain Patrol Team was not just this one group, and not everyone was idling their days under Duo Jie's command. Everyone had gone months without wages, and each patrol mission lasted ten days to half a month; deciding who gets a quota and who doesn't was a problem in itself.

But this was Duo Jie's problem and had little to do with Wang Yan...

Ever since accompanying Wang Yan on that mineral exploration tour around Bolamula last time, Zhaxi had changed considerably; he had become fond of studying, was no longer at odds with Duo Jie as before, and the father-son relationship had suddenly become much more harmonious.

On another hand, there were economic reasons; previously, Duo Jie always subsidized the Mountain Patrol Team from his own pocket, taking resources from his own family, which made Cairen suffer immensely. Since Wang Yan arrived until now, although the patrol team's funds were not abundant, wages could be paid and supplies purchased, so it was no longer like before; Cairen's life had improved significantly, and the husband-wife relationship had become harmonious as well.

Duo Jie truly had to thank Wang Yan; for his family's harmony, Wang Yan had silently contributed tremendous effort...

After chatting with the couple for a while, Duo Jie tidied up and went to the county seat to argue, while Wang Yan, having no serious business, wandered boredly around the county, taking photos with his camera, appearing just like an outside tourist blending into the crowd.

Of course, in reality, he was impossible to hide, because his attire was completely out of place.

Nowadays, his clothing had long since taken on the style of the Mountain Patrol Team, the style of Mazhi County. On his upper body was a robe of ethnic attire, his trousers were military-style pants obtained by Duo Jie, and on his feet were ordinary yellow rubber shoes; altogether, he looked thoroughly rustic, and he hadn't washed his hair today, planning to wash it together when he went for a bath later.

In fact, he had already integrated into Mazhi County; if one had to find a difference, it was that his skin was very good. It lacked the roughness and darkness found here, and there was no highland redness on his face.

Bai Shao greatly envied Wang Yan's skin, asking several times how exactly Wang Yan maintained it, but after confirmation from other patrol team members that it was indeed natural beauty, she finally gave up. Yet, every time she saw Wang Yan, Bai Shao would still feel jealous of his good skin.

This was brought about by Wang Yan's bodily transformation, making his skin both tender and resilient, something others truly could not envy...

After two months of fermentation, the county's main thoroughfare had become very lively. Under the county's conscious planning, various stalls were scattered along this street.

Some featured ethnic characteristics, some offered local specialties, and others sold various foods, agricultural and sideline products, small handicrafts, and so on; there were even religious features, as the county had brought out the lamas from the temple to sell religious products, while the Living Buddha sat in the temple discussing dharma all day long.

This realm was truly full of vitality, with all things striving to flourish.

It really takes Old Chiang; eight characters exhaustively describe the world's prosperity.

Wang Yan walked, stopped, and took photos along the way, occasionally chatting with people, and was even recognized by some, causing a small stir; after all, he was a genuine cultural celebrity.

"Wang Yan, will you write articles in the future?"

"Yes, I will." In response to the tourists' inquiry, Wang Yan answered, "Just look at how lively Mazhi County is now; recently everyone has made money and is happy. I plan to travel around various places again, chat with the masses here, and then write another article about development, especially regarding the important impact of cultural tourism on urban growth..."

After chatting with everyone for a while, Wang Yan finally found an opportunity to slip away, and then went to the bathhouse to take a bath. At this time, Samba and the others were already comfortably soaking in the tub.

Every time they returned, this was always the routine. Samba and the others often said that if the Mountain Patrol Team developed successfully, they would have their own office building, and at that time, they would build their own bathhouse, and so on.

They were always fantasizing about how prosperous the Mountain Patrol Team would become in the future...

"Have you been waiting long? There was a difficult childbirth, and I stayed to help."

At the hospital, Xiao Yan happily trotted out, linking arms with Wang Yan.

Like Dean Zhang, she worked in obstetrics and gynecology. However, since medical staff in the county were scarce, everyone was a generalist, going wherever needed; accompanying Dean Zhang, Xiao Yan had experienced everything below the neck except for the head.

"It hasn't been long; chatting with them was quite nice too."

Immediately, the two headed towards a restaurant not far away.

He had passed by it earlier; the restaurant was called Fuyunlai, located in a two-story small building that was originally used as offices for the Minzheng Bureau and other departments. This time, to have a decent restaurant, they directly relocated those offices. Afterwards, it was rapidly renovated and became a large restaurant. In fact, Mazhi County hardly deserved such a grand restaurant.

There were truly many people eating here; before even entering, the clamor rushed out, with accents from Tiannanhaibei creating an incredible noise. It was already past the lunch peak hour, yet the head-gathering effect was quite obvious.

If this shop weren't also the most expensive in the county, the various newly opened restaurants would likely be suffering dismal business to an unknown degree.

"Hey, Wang Yan, what are you doing here?"

Wang Yan and Xiao Yan were examining the doorway decorations when they heard someone calling from behind. Turning at the sound, they saw Secretary Chen, County Head Lin, Duo Jie, and other cadres, accompanied by three strangers standing politely to the side. The one who had spoken was none other than Secretary Chen.

"Greetings, leaders. Hearing that the county's investment promotion efforts have been so effective, opening such a grand restaurant in less than a month, I brought Xiao Yan over to taste the food."

"You went to apprehend the criminal gang involved in illegal mining and missed the opening. I know all about it; you have achieved another new merit. Incidentally, your personnel adjustment was approved at today's meeting; henceforth, you will be the Assistant Regional Commander Manager of the Economic Development Company. The housing matter has also been settled for you, right next door to your father-in-law's home. An old comrade showed great style and vacated the place for you; you must thank them later."

"Many thanks to the organization for nurturing me. Rest assured, Secretary, I will redouble my efforts, struggle hard, and add bricks and tiles to our county's construction."

"Ah, you are not merely adding bricks and tiles; you are a pillar of support." Lin Peisheng chimed in. "Truth be told, this grand restaurant is also entirely your doing."

"I merely threw out a brick to attract jade. It was mainly due to Secretary Chen's wise leadership, County Head Lin's excellent economic management, and the restaurant owner's keen eye that we have such a grand establishment."

"You manage to offend no one."

Lin Peisheng smiled faintly, then pointed to a long-haired man nearby wearing a jacket. "Let me introduce you; this is Owner Feng of this restaurant."

"Feng Keqing."

Feng Keqing actively extended both hands, introducing his full name with a brilliant smile, saying, "I have heard of your great reputation for quite some time; today I finally meet the real person. The restaurants and hotels I've opened in our county are all thanks to your blessing. Oh dear, that's not right—Secretary Chen, County Head Lin, look at me, I just don't know how to speak; my mouth is truly clumsy."

Secretary Chen and the other man laughed heartily, while the others joined in with playful banter.

Wang Yan also smiled and said, "It is just that my humble brick was thrown well enough to draw out Owner Feng, this precious piece of jade."

"Then we have mutually achieved each other, hahaha..." Feng Keqing said. "In that case, let me treat you and your girlfriend to this meal today. Henceforth, whenever you couple come to dine, it will be free. When you two marry, I will certainly present a generous gift."

"Wouldn't that be inappropriate, leaders?" Wang Yan asked, seeking counsel from Secretary Chen and the others.

"Just eat." Lin Peisheng waved his hand. "Alright, you two go on your date; we old folks won't get in your way. Secretary, let's go inside."

"You two get along well and marry and have children soon." Secretary Chen offered the organization's care, after which the group entered the restaurant.

Feng Keqing pulled the restaurant manager over, instructed that Wang Yan's bill be waived, ordered all the restaurant's signature dishes to be served, and further directed that many dishes be packed for takeaway; his attitude was truly impeccable.

"This owner seems like a nice person," Xiao Yan remarked, giving a positive review as she watched Feng Keqing depart.

"Is that so?"

"Does he have something he wants to ask of you? Otherwise, why would he be so obsequious?"

Sipping his tea, Wang Yan smiled and said, "Who knows? Although my reputation is considerable, when all is said and done, I am just a minor cadre recently promoted; what influence could I possibly wield? Never mind him; anyway, one might as well eat when it's free."

This Feng Keqing was one of the masterminds from the original drama; Duo Jie was the one he had arranged to make the move. He was also an old acquaintance of Wang Yan from the distant past, though this time he appeared clearly less amiable.

Judging by the current situation, Feng Keqing had evidently already established contact with Lin Peisheng; perhaps they had already begun making money together...

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