Chapter 1827: Important Guests

Li Shuqin nodded and said, "Yes, he used to be the director of our printing factory, then he was the director of the Industrial Bureau, and later he became the vice county magistrate in charge of industry."

Su Xinghui said, "And how was he as a director?"

Li Shuqin said, "He was terrible. He made a mess of the factory, while his own family ate and drank well every day, and he served the leaders exceptionally well. It wasn't long before he was promoted to vice county magistrate; he ran to the city several times to lobby, and then he was promoted."

Su Xinghui said, "Did you ever go to him to solve the problems later?"

Li Shuqin said, "I don't know how many people from the factory went to him for this. Although he was a jerk of a director, he had, after all, been the director of our printing factory. We thought he would at least have some old feelings, but who knew he wouldn't show any consideration at all? He said that layoffs were happening all over the country and that this was the pain of reform. Why should our printing factory be special? County Magistrate Su, you tell me, isn't that nonsense?"

Su Xinghui understood people like Zhao Yangang very well. He was someone who only cared about climbing up. To get promoted, he could kneel on the ground and lick the leaders' boots, but he disdained the people below him. Since those people were of no use to him, why would he care about them?

Li Shuqin continued, "The day County Magistrate Zhao was arrested, in our South Suburb, firecrackers went off for an entire day! That day, many people in the factory got drunk."

Speaking of this, Li Shuqin's eyes welled up again.

Su Xinghui was also moved. The eyes of the masses are indeed sharp; they can see whether a cadre is truly good for the people or not.

Su Xinghui said, "Auntie Li, that's enough. Let's not talk about these things now; better days are still ahead!"

Li Shuqin wiped her tears, picked up her rice bowl, and said, "Yes, County Magistrate Su, you are right. Better days are still ahead!"

During this period, all aspects of work in Changshan County were proceeding very smoothly. Several invested enterprises were under construction, the project for the expressway was being intensively prepared, and the thirteen participating counties of the Tianyue Mountain Range Economic Cooperation Zone had all signed agreements one by one.

The capital contributions recognized by these participating counties had also been successively remitted to the account of the Tianyue Mountain Range Economic Cooperation Zone Development Fund Management Company. Fifty-two million, not a penny short. At that time, many counties had already applied for loans from the development fund, as these counties were all preparing to build roads.

If you want to be rich, build roads first.

At the request of An Dachang, the enterprises previously invested in by Changshan County each recruited some workers. This time, they basically recruited skilled workers, totaling about five hundred people. This had reached the limit of what they could currently bear, but it had already solved a relatively large problem.

The several enterprises under construction were prepared to give priority to recruiting laid-off workers from Changshan County, and the County Labor Bureau had also founded the Changshan County Vocational Training School to provide free training in various professional skills to the laid-off workers of Changshan County.

These professional skills included various metalworking, mechanical repair, electrical work, etc. At Su Xinghui's request, computer skills were also added. Of course, what could be taught now were only some primary computer operations, because in Changshan County, not many people knew how to use computers, let alone more advanced operations.

In Changshan County town, small snack bars and restaurants opened by laid-off workers also appeared on the streets like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. They were all set up by applying for small business startup loans from banks. Su Xinghui was the vice county magistrate in charge of finance, and he specifically called the leaders of the major state-owned banks and the credit union to the county government for a meeting to convey this policy of the county government to them.

These leaders were relatively supportive of Su Xinghui, especially Tang Houde, the president of the County Agricultural Bank, who first expressed his full support for County Magistrate Su's policy and would provide loans to laid-off workers for entrepreneurship with all his might. Naturally, none of the other presidents objected.

These bank presidents were all very clear about Su Xinghui's background. This matter was pushed by him with all his might, and he attached great importance to it. If anyone opposed it, they would become the bird that gets shot, and they would be targeted. Moreover, nominally, they had no reason to oppose this matter.

The country had no money to give to laid-off workers; could they not even provide some policies?

In fact, in their hearts, these bank presidents were unwilling to handle this kind of business. Such small loans involved small amounts, many transactions, were labor-intensive, and required preferential interest rates. It was truly thankless work, but this time they had no choice but to do it.

With the loans, Su Xinghui also had staff help these laid-off workers find affordable storefronts. In the old city, such storefronts were not hard to find. Now that more and more government agencies were moving to the new city, the old office buildings they left behind were reclaimed by the county government and converted into storefronts for rent. The preferential policies set by the county government included this part; as long as they were county government storefronts, they would be rented to laid-off workers at preferential prices.

Added to the tax incentives, it became much easier for these laid-off workers to do business.

Time passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye, it was the end of April. Su Xinghui was busy every day. Just at this time, Changshan County welcomed two important guests: Mi Mingquan, the father of Mi Xiuyuan, and Xie Maosong, the father of Xie Junqiang.

Mi Mingquan and Xie Maosong were both important members of the Mi Group and the Xie Group. They were the eldest sons of the eldest branch of the Mi and Xie families, and in a few years, they were very likely to become the heads of the two groups. Their status was extraordinary. This time, the two came to Changshan County together, but they did not disturb the county leaders of Changshan County. They said they were visiting Su Xinghui in a private capacity.

Su Xinghui attached great importance to their visit, but since they were visiting in a private capacity, it meant they did not want to disturb the officials. Su Xinghui then received Mi Mingquan and Xie Maosong as private friends.

Su Xinghui and Lu Xiaoya hosted a banquet for Mi Mingquan and Xie Maosong at a Huaiyang restaurant in Changshan County town. Of course, Yu Ruizhi and Yu Sister Sister Ruoqiu also accompanied them.

Mi Mingquan and Xie Maosong were born and raised in Hong Kong. They were used to Cantonese cuisine and liked light flavors. However, in Changshan County at that time, there were no authentic Cantonese restaurants, only this Huaiyang restaurant, which had relatively authentic and light flavors, fitting the tastes of the two.

This Huaiyang restaurant was also a place where Yu Ruizhi often ate, and they all liked it.

Mi Mingquan and Xie Maosong were both in their fifties, but they were well-maintained and looked like people in their forties. Their appearances were also very similar to Mi Xiuyuan and Xie Junqiang, and one could tell at a glance that they were the fathers of Mi Xiuyuan and Xie Junqiang.

Since Mi Mingquan and Xie Maosong were not young, they basically did not drink high-proof baijiu in Hong Kong, so Su Xinghui ordered two bottles of yellow wine and filled the glasses for the two. Then he poured wine for himself, Yu Ruizhi, Yu Sister Sister Ruoqiu, Mi Xiuyuan, and Xie Junqiang. Lu Xiaoya was pregnant, so she drank tea.

Su Xinghui raised his glass and said, "Mr. Mi, Mr. Xie, you have come from afar; you are our honored guests. I toast you!"

Mi Mingquan and Xie Maosong raised their glasses together, nodded and smiled, thanked Su Xinghui, and drank the yellow wine in their glasses.

After finishing a glass of wine, Mi Mingquan smiled and said, "Mr. Su, I have always heard Xiuyuan praise you, praising you as rare in the sky and non-existent on earth. I have always been curious: is someone younger than my son really as excellent as he says? But today, meeting you, I realized that there really is such an excellent person in this world."

Su Xinghui laughed and said, "Mr. Mi, you are overpraising me, aren't you? You only met me for the first time today; how can you tell what kind of person I am?"

Mi Mingquan said, "Mr. Su, you are handsome and full of righteousness, but that is not the main thing. The main thing is that we have been in Changshan County for most of the day today, and Xiuyuan and Junqiang took us around. The development of Changshan County over the past year or so is truly amazing!"

Su Xinghui said in surprise, "Can you tell that this is all development from the past year or so?"

Xie Maosong smiled and said, "First, it's the introduction by Xiuyuan and Junqiang, and second, of course, we can tell. These roads are all newly built, as is the new district of the county town, and those factories are also newly built. Compared with the inland county towns we saw on the road, the development of Changshan County is obvious."

Su Xinghui did not expect that Mi Mingquan and Xie Maosong had observed so carefully on the road, and after arriving in Changshan, they had specifically wandered around the county for most of the day. This could be considered thoughtful.

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "You two are laughing at me!"