Chapter 318: This Isn't a Pie-in-the-Sky! This Is Our City!

Stepping out of the municipal party building, the daylight outside was somewhat glaring.

Lu Qingshan's steps were steady and forceful, each footfall feeling as if he were treading solid ground. Lu Qingjun followed behind, his face still bearing unspent excitement and shock, feeling as if he were walking on clouds, light and airy.

"Brother, Secretary Zhang... this is... this puts the entire Baishan City's future on you!"

Lu Qingshan did not turn around, merely humming a low, powerful sound.

Inside him, however, it was far from the calm exterior; instead, turbulent waves seemed to be churning.

Zhang Zhidong's contribution was not merely support, but a heavy burden of responsibility and trust that could crush anyone.

A benchmark.

A benchmark for the whole province, even the entire nation.

Those four characters weighed as much as a thousand pounds. It meant that every step he took would be watched by countless eyes, leaving no room for error. Yet the fire burning in his chest was an unprecedented blaze.

Returning to the Shanwan Village office, the familiar wooden desk and the air tinged with earth's scent allowed Lu Qingshan's tense nerves to relax a bit.

He did not sit down, but spoke directly to Lu Qingjun.

"Go, call Zhao Tiezhu, Liu Fugui, Zhao Er Zhuang, Zhao Qiang, Zhao Lei, and Zhao Fei, none missing."

"Not a single one may be left out."

Lu Qingjun was startled, then immediately understood: brother was about to hold a core mobilization meeting! He nodded heavily, his chest burning, turned and hurried out.

Before long, the creaking wooden door of the office was pushed open.

Zhao Tiezhu's towering figure was the first to squeeze in, asking in a deep, resonant voice, "Brother Qing Shan, what's the hurry? I was just thinking of heading up the mountain this afternoon to check the traps."

Liu Fugui, also known as Liu the Monkey, poked his head out from behind, chuckling, "Brother, is there another good thing?" Behind him followed Zhao Er Zhuang, Zhao Qiang, and Zhao Lei, their faces showing a hint of doubt and curiosity.

The last to enter was Zhao Fei, who appeared far calmer than the others; after coming in he said nothing, merely standing silently in the corner, habitually observing every nuance of Lu Qingshan's expression.

Lu Qingshan scanned the room.

These people were the earliest core team he had assembled upon arriving in Shanwan Village, the most reliable group forged through countless life‑risking hunts and trust.

He walked to the wall, where a hand‑drawn simple map was hung, showing only Shanwan Village and a few surrounding peaks.

"Today, I'm going to the city."

His voice was flat, as if stating a routine matter.

Everyone's gaze fixed on him, even their breathing softened.

"Secretary Zhang has approved our proposal."

Lu Qingshan picked up a thick red pencil from the desk and, on the vacant ground surrounding Shanwan Village on the map, drew a large, slightly sloppy circle, encompassing the surrounding valleys and wastelands.

"We are not merely expanding factories."

He turned, looking at the plain faces before him, speaking deliberately, word by word.

"We will build a city here."

"A city?"

Liu Fugui's dry Smoke Pipe clattered to the floor with a 'Pat', yet he seemed oblivious, eyes wide and round, his face full of disbelief.

Zhao Tiezhu's mouth formed an 'O' big enough to fit an egg, his Adam's apple bobbing, unable to speak for a while. Zhao Er Zhuang and the others exchanged puzzled looks, doubting their own hearing.

To them, Jiangyuan County town was already a remarkable big place; building a city was something their ancestors never even dared to dream of.

Lu Qingshan ignored their astonishment; his voice carried an undeniable authority, as if unveiling a grand, sweeping vision of the future before everyone.

"Within this circle, there will later be more and larger factories—food plants, beverage plants, medicinal herb factories—all expanded, scaling up tenfold!"

"There will be dormitory buildings for workers, rows of red‑brick houses with canteens and bathhouses; in winter the rooms will have heating, and even in a single shirt one will sweat!"

"There will be buses running from here to the county town and then to the city, with daily schedules! Want to go anywhere, just lift a foot and go!"

"There will also be schools."

Lu Qingshan, at this point, deliberately emphasized his tone, his gaze sweeping over each person.

"Not the current handful of mud‑brick village schools, but a real school! With a spacious playground, basketball courts, a library, bright classrooms! Our children, the children of Shanwan Village, and in the future the children of all workers who come here, will be able to attend from primary through secondary school and receive the best education! No longer will they have to endure winter with cold heads, shivering in drafty classrooms!"

"We will also build a theater and a cinema, so that after the big guys finish their work, they can watch plays and movies and live like city dwellers!"

The office was dead silent.

Only the heavy breaths of a few people rose, like a bellows.

They stared at Lu Qingshan, at the massive circle he traced on the map, their eyes shifting from initial shock to bewilderment, then from bewilderment to a mutual search for affirmation.

This is not a fanciful promise to stave off hunger.

Zhao Tiezhu's mind buzzed; he recalled months ago when Lu Qingshan promised to get everyone meat, and they indeed ate meat daily; when Lu Qingshan said they'd build a factory, now everyone in the county knows the smokestack belching white smoke. Lu Qingshan's words have never missed. With that thought, the bewilderment in his eyes was instantly replaced by a scorching flame.

That flame simultaneously ignited in the eyes of the others!

Their gazes shifted from fervor to outright worship and trust! Zhao Tiezhu, the tower‑like man, had slightly reddened eyes; he thought of his mother who had been on medication for years, wondering if she could someday live in a warm new building and receive treatment in a bright, spotless hospital.

Lu Qingjun added from beside, his voice trembling, "Later tens of thousands of workers will arrive here, and their families will need livelihoods. Open a small restaurant, a grocery shop, a barbershop, a cobbler, a breakfast stall, a bike repair… providing services for the factories and workers; everywhere will be a chance to make money! Gold will be everywhere!"

Those words struck each person's heart; Liu Fugui's eyes instantly lit up like two hundred‑watt bulbs, as if he already saw a constant stream of customers at his grocery shop's doorway, money pouring into his pockets.

The ever‑silent Zhao Fei suddenly stepped forward, pointing at the circle on the map, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor: "Brother Qing Shan, an area this vast requires new planning for roads, water, electricity… the workload… is astronomical." He wasn't doubting, but was, in his own way, beginning to consider how to turn the blueprint into reality.

"Brother Qing Shan..." Zhao Tiezhu's voice was thick with nasal tone as he stepped forward, too excited to speak clearly, "I… I never imagined in my life I'd have days like this, my mother… she can also live in a building now…"

"Yes, Brother Qing Shan, whatever you say we'll do! We'd even stake our lives on it!" Zhao Er Zhuang shouted.

"Right! Through knife‑mountains and fire‑sea, we follow you!" The crowd shouted in a cacophony, each plain face showing resolute determination to risk everything.