Chapter 205: Signing

While other townships were still in a state of anxiety over the agricultural-to-non-agricultural quotas, a notice from the Hengyue Municipal Committee regarding the merging of Suxi Township into a town arrived quietly.

Suxi Township, Chunshan County, was officially changed to Suxi Town, Chunshan County, on September 1, 1998, with three neighborhood committees established: Ancient Town Neighborhood Committee, New City Neighborhood Committee, and Agricultural Trade Street Neighborhood Committee.

Guo Wei was promoted to Suxi Town Party Committee Secretary, and I was appointed Deputy Secretary and Town Mayor. The big red seal of the County Organization Department on the document was particularly eye-catching. Guo Wei was beaming with joy; a Town Party Committee Secretary was a regular section-level cadre who could be named in the national cadre sequence, indicating that from now on, he had entered the hall. As Town Mayor, I was also ranked at the regular section level.

Such a big happy event, of course, had to be celebrated. Merging a township into a town was an epoch-making event, and it must be recorded in the history of Suxi Town in the future. Guo Wei discussed with me, wanting to hold a grand ceremony.

The Suxi Town Government sign had long been wrapped in red silk and placed in the office. I suggested whether we should hang the sign first, but Guo Wei flatly denied it, saying that this sign, which cost more than two thousand, was to be hung at the gate of the new government.

But the new government didn't even have a shadow yet. The piece of land at Laoyingzui where the new government was to be built was still overgrown with thatch and haunted by wild rabbits.

Just when the two of us were worrying about the construction of the new government, Sun Demao came to the town government again. This time, he brought a group of people, from land and earthwork construction to the design of the new government blueprint, to the development of the first phase of the project, and the preparation for the second phase. A whole large bus full of people crowded the large square in front of the town government.

Guo Wei summoned all the cadres to hold a demonstration meeting in the large conference room.

Guo Wei's demonstration meeting implied that this project had already been given to Sun Demao. Before going to the conference room, I kindly reminded him, "Secretary Guo, for such a project, we should hold a bidding to avoid gossip."

Guo Wei glared and said unhappily, "Whoever wants to hold it, let them hold it. I don't have the heart for this."

I didn't understand why he was so angry. Holding a bidding was to protect him. Of course, I had a small thought: as the number one person in the new town government, if something went wrong, I couldn't escape the responsibility.

"I didn't mean anything else, I just wanted to put an end to gossip," I explained, looking at the floating dust under my feet.

"I'm not against it. The key is that to hold a bidding, you have to have money. Without money, you can't do anything. Why did I give it to Old Sun? I think you know clearly. Although we approved the town establishment, in reality, everything is a blank slate. We have no money and no people. What do you want me to do?" Guo Wei sighed and said, "Old Sun, after all, is still a person from the original Suxi Township, and his ancestors' bones are still buried in Suxi. He can't make any trouble! The key is that he can advance the funds."

"How does Old Sun plan to advance them?" I asked. What Guo Wei said was the truth. When the new government was established, the city allocated 500,000, and the county, as a supporting measure, also gave 300,000. With less than a million, wanting to do something big was no different from a daydream.

Relocating the new government required funds of over three million. Where could we get the money for such a big gap?

"In short, he can help us build it first." After saying this, Guo Wei left me and went straight to the conference room.

When I went in, the whole conference room was already full. Except for the old faces, more than a dozen new faces were smiling at me. Among these dozen faces, besides the group of engineering and technical personnel brought by Sun Demao, there were also cadres newly transferred by the higher authorities after the town government was established.

The meeting first listened to Sun Demao's report.

Sun Demao was obviously well-prepared. He took out a document unhurriedly and talked for more than an hour, from earthwork projects to the town government office building project, from the agricultural trade market project to supporting facility projects.

As soon as Sun Demao finished his report, Guo Wei demanded that all cadres raise their hands to vote.

I hesitated for a moment. Seeing that the surrounding cadres were all looking at me, I had to apologize to Guo Wei, "Secretary Guo, since it's a demonstration meeting, should we go through the demonstration procedure?"

My words were actually a negation of his stubbornness. For such a big thing, how could it be decided just by raising a hand!

"Town Mayor Chen, how do you want to go through it?" Guo Wei tried to suppress his anger, but there was a hint of gunpowder in his voice.

I scanned the venue and said calmly, "How about we two go to the office and sit down, and I'll report my thoughts?"

Guo Wei waved his hand and said, "Forget it, if you have something to say, say it here. We are all our own people, there is nothing that cannot be seen."

I was extremely embarrassed. Guo Wei, as a Party Committee Secretary and a regular section-level cadre, actually had no organizational awareness at all. I knew he was already fanatical. Whether the relocation of the new government was successful or not directly determined his next promotion. He didn't want to fight a protracted war in terms of time; he needed a breakthrough, but this breakthrough was betting on the future of Suxi Town.

"Since that's the case, I abstain." I also had a fire in my heart. Guo Wei's impulsive decision was actually planting a bomb. He wanted to die, but I didn't want to die!

"You are irresponsible to your work." Guo Wei lowered his voice and said fiercely to me, "If there is anything, can't we discuss it after the meeting?"

I delayed raising my hand to express my position, so the other cadres were also timid, deliberately pretending not to see or hear, their eyes drifting everywhere, not daring to look directly at us.

Sun Demao was a smart man. Seeing that things had developed into a situation of confrontation, he leaned close to me and said with a fawning smile, "Town Mayor Chen, it's my fault, I didn't report to you beforehand."

My expression darkened, and I said unhappily, "Boss Sun, I am younger than you, how could I be an old man? Do you think I'm not mature enough?"

Sun Demao smiled awkwardly, waving his hands and saying, "I didn't mean that, Town Mayor Chen, don't misunderstand."

He raised his voice, seemingly deliberately for others to hear, "I, Old Sun, left Suxi Township at sixteen, starting by moving steel and transporting bricks for construction sites outside. Later, I met my master, who taught me a good hand at masonry, and I suffered a lot. Although I have a construction company now, everyone knows how hard it is to get work now. If you do it, you might not get the money; if you don't do it, you can't wait to die.

Actually, I stopped doing projects with advanced funds a few years ago. However, I have feelings for Suxi, the place that gave birth to me and raised me. So, I am doing this project without wanting to earn a penny, which can be considered a small contribution to my hometown."

He spoke with great emotion, and his voice even choked during the process.

Guo Wei interrupted him and said, "Old Sun, I still believe in you. Making contributions to your hometown is the dream of many successful people now. Old Sun, don't have any psychological burden. The Suxi Town Party Committee firmly supports you and welcomes you."

I could only smile bitterly. Guo Wei had pushed me to the edge, and if I fell, I might be smashed to pieces. I knew the government had no money, and investing in relocation was originally a game. I originally thought Guo Wei was just making a gimmick for future plans, but I didn't expect him to take it seriously and be determined to make the relocation work well, big, and strong.

"I'll express my position." Sun Demao took out a check and shook it in the air. "This is a check for one million. I am taking it out as a quality guarantee for the construction of the new Suxi Town."

He solemnly held the check with both hands and handed it to Guo Wei. Guo Wei waved his hand and said, "Town Mayor Chen is responsible for finance, Old Sun, give it to him."

Huang Qishan hesitated for a moment, then presented it to me again with a face full of smiles.

Things had come to this, I had no choice! The key was that I couldn't let people misunderstand that our Party and government were at odds!

I beckoned to Old Zhao and said, "Old Zhao, record it!"

Seeing that I was extremely straightforward, Sun Demao's face showed a trace of ugliness. He hesitated for a long time and said, "I have another request, please agree, leader."

I said without hesitation, "Speak, what request?"

Sun Demao looked at me, then at Guo Wei, and said hesitantly, "I want to sign a contract that all construction projects of the new Suxi Town can only be done by my company, is that okay?"

"Eating alone?" I tilted my head and looked at him with a half-smile.

"It doesn't count. I just think that for such a new city development, it's more appropriate for one company to do it. After all, if other units are mixed in, it won't be easy to coordinate." Sun Demao was an old fox, and his reasons were high-sounding.

"What if we don't sign?" I asked, calm and composed.

"Then this guarantee cannot be paid. Town Mayor Chen, we rely on our skills to eat. We don't take a penny from you, we advance funds to do it, and we even pay a guarantee. Such a good thing, even if you look for it with a lantern all over the world, I'm afraid you won't find a second one." Sun Demao held the check, hesitating whether to hand it over.

"That's true." I said with a smile, "Since Boss Sun has such feelings for his hometown, if we still refuse, it would be unreasonable."

Guo Wei echoed, "Exactly, it's a heart of a red child."

Old Zhao stood in front of Sun Demao for a long time. Seeing that he had no intention of handing over the check, he turned his head and was about to go back when he was stopped by Sun Demao, who handed the check to him, chattering incessantly, "It's a guarantee, it's a guarantee."

Old Zhao laughed, "I know it's a guarantee, it needs to be guaranteed."

There was a burst of laughter in the conference room. After receiving the guarantee, it meant that the matter of starting the construction of the new government was settled.

Everyone stood up, and the chairs under their butts rattled. ===== CHAPTER 206 =====