Chapter 532

Within just half a month, 26 bureaus issued normative documents supporting the construction of Nanyuan City as a provincial sub-central city, with unprecedented intensity.

This is due to three reasons: first, the emphasis of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, Provincial Party Secretary Tang Bing and Governor Liu Linghao repeatedly stressed the importance of Nanyuan's development, demanding all departments fully support Nanyuan's construction and issuing specific guidance opinions; second, Nanyuan City spared no expense in coordination and docking efforts, Municipal Party Secretary Lu Fan took the lead, each divisional leader took charge, each bureau chief stationed in the provincial departments, not resting until the goal was met, otherwise they could not give an account to Secretary Lu; third, rumors spread that Lu Fan was about to be promoted, heard that he would join the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government leadership team, and would likely become the leaders of these bureaus, so they needed to "burn incense" in advance to avoid future discord. Resources belong to the unit, but connections are one's own.

Through this intensive coordination work, Lu Fan established good cooperative relations with many provincial department leaders, and his network quickly expanded.

From late March onward, central and provincial projects were heavily poured into Nanyuan; 825 infrastructure construction and industry quality improvement projects left each county and department dazed, putting Nanyuan's leaders in the happy predicament of being overwhelmed!

Lu Fan repeatedly said in research and meetings that the construction of the provincial sub-central city is the greatest opportunity history has given Nanyuan, an unprecedented development opportunity, and moreover a rare chance. If we do not strive, we will be historical sinners of Nanyuan! We must resign in apology to the Nanyuan people! Whoever shirks responsibility, passes the buck, or perfunctorily handles work related to Nanyuan's development, with oily shoulders and slack effort, turning into a "roller" that pushes things and a "slide" that avoids responsibility, will not only be investigated for dereliction of duty but also have their economic issues probed, going back twenty years!

April 1, the Provincial Geology Bureau signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Nanyuan City, supporting ecological civilization construction, provincial sub-central city construction, rural revitalization, cultural tourism, geological disaster prevention, energy and resource security, and promotion of economic and social development, implementing 12 projects.

April 2, the Director of the Provincial Agriculture Department came to Nanyuan for research, and Municipal Party Secretary Lu Fan accompanied him throughout.

Director Tang Qingfeng showed great goodwill toward Lu Fan, supporting Nanyuan's accelerated construction of a modern provincial sub-central city from seven aspects including increasing grain and livestock production capacity; supporting Nanyuan in building a national characteristic industry, consolidating the "five specials" economy of flowers, fruits, medicine, fungi, and tea, keeping roses, magnolias, shiitake mushrooms, mugwort, cornelian cherries, and magnolia buds at national first place, and steadily expanding the export scale of advantageous agricultural products such as edible fungi, tea leaves, roses, and mugwort; supporting Nanyuan in perfecting its modern agricultural industrial system, vigorously developing eight industry clusters—meat, grain and oil products, edible fungi, traditional Chinese medicinal materials, forest products, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and liquor—and allocating one-third of the Agriculture Department's special funds to support Lu Fan and Nanyuan.

After the research ended, Lu Fan hosted a banquet for Director Tang Qingfeng to thank him for his support of Nanyuan; over drinks, they conversed happily.

April 5, Director Zheng Fengyu of the Provincial Market Supervision Bureau came to Nanyuan for research, accompanied by Lu Fan.

Afterwards, both sides held a symposium, Director Zheng Fengyu said the Provincial Market Supervision Bureau would support Nanyuan's development from seven aspects with 22 items. Support Nanyuan City in formulating provincial local standards for characteristic fields such as mugwort, beef cattle, roses, and special forest fruits; support the planning and construction of the mugwort product quality supervision and inspection center project, increasing equipment, technology, and financial support; support Nanyuan City in creating national and provincial quality infrastructure "one-stop" service pilot...

In the evening, Lu Fan warmly entertained Zheng Fengyu, getting drunk as mud! Director Zheng could hold his liquor!

In mid-April, under the meticulous preparation of Zhang Bolí, chairman of the preparatory committee for Zhang Zhongjing National Medical University, the Nanyuan Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government held the Zhang Zhongjing Forum at the Medicine Sage Cultural Garden's Zhang Zhongjing Academy.

Since the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government appointed Academician and National Medical Master Zhang Bolí as chairman of the construction steering committee, president, and chairman of the strategic consultation committee for Zhang Zhongjing National Medical University, Academician Zhang has been devoted to Nanyuan, taking root there, pouring great effort into the university's construction, inheriting and promoting Zhang Zhongjing culture, and developing the traditional Chinese medicine industry, achieving remarkable results.

This forum, themed "Internationalization and Industrialization of Zhang Zhongjing's Classic Formulas," was attended by domestic experts, representatives from international organizations and related academic organizations, representatives from traditional Chinese medicine industry colleges, enterprises, research institutions, and medical institutions, as well as renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioners from Nanyuan.

National Medical Master Tang Zuoxuan struck the forum's opening copper gong, and as everyone sang the Medicine Sage Ode, the curtain rose; invited guests delivered excellent topic reports. The holding of the forum opened a window for Zhang Zhongjing's culture and the essence of classic formulas to go global, and also provided an excellent platform for communication and cooperation in inheriting and promoting the Medicine Sage's academic thought.

Academician Zhang said this Zhang Zhongjing Forum had been long planned; he intended to secure 25 discipline leaders to lay a solid foundation for the development of Zhang Zhongjing National Medical University.

Lu Fan naturally cooperated wholeheartedly, together with Academician Zhang exchanging glances with experts and scholars, he unveiled an extremely superior talent recruitment policy, promising 200-square-meter luxury homes at the wave of a hand, with salaries and benefits far surpassing those of top domestic universities; Lu Fan was willing to spend the money, yet worried he couldn't spend it all, given that Nanyuan's appeal and competitiveness cannot match those of first-tier cities.

After several days of courting, Academician Zhang beamed with joy, having secured 12 experts and scholars, discipline leaders, laying a solid foundation for the university's discipline construction. As for the logistical support of R&D funding, laboratories, and other hardware, Lu Fan said that any problem solvable with money is no problem; he would settle everything for the school!

Late April, Qinchuan Province brought the shocking news that Si Daiqiang concurrently holds a seat on the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee!

After receiving the news, Lu Fan sat in his office pondering for a while, then took Secretary Chenghaohao to Yingjiang City, for such a major matter must be celebrated in person to show sincerity.

Along the way, Lu Fan felt a myriad of emotions; this was his first return to his hometown since taking office in Huayuan Province.

As the saying goes, wealth and honor do not return home like a brocade robe at night; having become Municipal Party Secretary already counts as having ample confidence.

Regarding Si Daiqiang getting ahead of him again, Lu Fan felt indescribable; although he has the backing of the Li family, his achievements are impressive, and Provincial Party Secretary Hong Tao also cares about his growth, yet he simply cannot suppress Si Daiqiang, leaving him helpless; the distinction between close and distant, internal and external, is truly not just empty talk.

Driving into Yingjiang's urban area as night fell, seeing the familiar streets, Lu Fan recalled working here for over a decade, filled with emotion.

Entering Yingjiang Grand Hotel, seeing Si Daiqiang waiting in the lobby, Lu Fan hurried a couple steps, smiling and saying, "Such a high-ranking leader, how could I let you wait here?"

Si Daiqiang replied with a smile, "Having run over six hundred kilometers back, how could I relax sitting in a private room? You say you too, there's no need to rush back; we can meet in Jingcheng when the chance arises!"

"Being a Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee member—this is a qualitative leap; can I come back to congratulate? Don't stand here, it's too conspicuous; I'm about to starve!"

Upon entering the private room, Lu Fan saw Ceng Ming, Liu Jin Zhu, Xia Li, and Yang Mnghao, showing that Si Daiqiang meant well!

After sitting down, Lu Fan heartily ate a bowl of mutton, still that familiar taste; only by returning to Yingjiang could he enjoy the longed-for chili pepper mutton!

After eating half his fill, the drinking session began; after six cups of opening alcohol, Lu Fan separately clinked six cups with Si Daiqiang.

Si Daiqiang could hold his liquor; today it was impossible to let Lu Fan leave walking. As soon as Lu Fan had taken a few bites, Si Daiqiang immediately returned the favor with another six consecutive cups.

In less than twenty minutes, eighteen 53-degree cups went down, Lu Fan's stomach churned; since becoming Municipal Party Secretary, he had never drunk so freely.

According to Yingjiang custom, everyone must take turns, meaning each person toasts one by one in a round.

Si Daiqiang was the first to take turns, deliberately toasting two cups with each person, then passing the relay baton to Lu Fan.

Back in his hometown, how could he back down? Lu Fan without a word began taking turns, and in a few minutes another ten cups went down.

Know that Si Daiqiang used first-generation maozi cups today, 15 milliliters each; in less than half an hour, Lu Fan had already drunk thirty cups, approaching one jin.

Midway, while Ceng Ming and the others were taking turns, Si Daiqiang continually clinked cups with Lu Fan, who had already prepared himself for sacrifice, refusing none.

When the drinking session had gone on for an hour, Lu Fan passed out slumped over the table!

Ceng Ming calculated that Old Brother Lu had nearly drunk two jin; the brothers felt sorry, but out of respect for Secretary Si's face they couldn't speak up or bring more alcohol, only able to watch helplessly as their boss was knocked down by Secretary Si.

Si Daiqiang personally carried Lu Fan back to the room, left Ceng Ming and the others to attend to him, then went to the adjacent room to rest, also reviewing documents for a while.

The next morning, Lu Fan opened his eyes, feeling dry-mouthed and weak-limbed.

Ceng Ming immediately brought over a cup of plain tea, saying, "Old Brother Lu, drink some hot tea to feel better!"

Lu Fan took the tea cup and drank it all in one go, saying weakly, "This Si Daiqiang is practically a liquor barrel; I simply can't outdrink him!"

Xia Li said, "Old Brother Lu, none of the city's leaders have ever seen Secretary Si at a loss; at last year's New Year banquet, with over forty people seated, he alone had two cups and went around the table; after that he can do anything, just don't try to outdrink Secretary Si!"

Just as they were speaking, a knock came at the door, and Yang Mnghao and Liu Jin Zhu entered with breakfast.

Lu Fan saw millet porridge, buns, small dishes, tofu pudding, and fried dough sticks—all foods he loved.

After a sip of porridge and a bite of a bun, Lu Fan laughed, "Haijing buns, delicious! Coming back, everything tastes fragrant! Thanks for your hard work, getting up early to run so far to buy buns!"

Yang Mnghao said, "Old Brother Lu being able to return makes us so happy; lunch has already been arranged!"

Brothers among men are as lofty as mountains, as deep as seas, as fervent as wine, as long as rivers; a lifetime needs only three or five.

In your glory, he does not envy you; in your downfall, he does not despise you.... After weathering the waves of calamity, brothers remain!

When you win, I see you ruling the world; when you worry, I accompany you in drunkenness to the ends of the earth!