Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 199 Suspected Investment Promotion Fraud

Li Changfu remained silent for a few seconds, then smiled apologetically and said, "Secretary Wu, you are new here and may not be very familiar with some aspects of the situation at the grassroots level."

The amount of money allocated to nursing homes is limited, making it very difficult to keep them running.

Liu Xiaojuan is also trying her best to maintain the status quo. Alas, grassroots work is difficult.

Secretary Wu, could you please be lenient?

"Have her conduct a thorough self-examination, make immediate rectifications, improve what needs improving, and fill in what needs filling. What do you think?"

Wu Zhiyuan's mind was racing.

He knew very well that in a new place with an unstable foundation, it was not the best strategy to act recklessly and make enemies everywhere.

Principles must be upheld, but methods can be flexible; bottom lines cannot be compromised, but strategies require wisdom.

He said calmly, "Chairman Li, you are right. Grassroots work is complex and multifaceted, and everyone has their own difficulties. Tight funding and insufficient manpower are objective realities, and I can understand these situations."

Li Changfu breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, it's good that Secretary Wu is understanding. We're all just doing our jobs..."

Wu Zhiyuan then changed the subject: "However, Chairman Li, understanding and consideration cannot be a reason to cross the bottom line, harm the interests of the masses, or violate policies and regulations."

The problems exposed by nursing homes are shocking. This is no longer a simple matter of methods; it infringes upon the right to survival and health of vulnerable groups, crosses the red line of Party discipline and national law, and chills the hearts of ordinary people!

Li Changfu fell silent again, presumably weighing the weight of Wu Zhiyuan's words.

Wu Zhiyuan continued, "Chairman Li, you are a senior leader in the town with rich experience. You must have a more comprehensive and far-sighted view of issues than I do."

Covering up or trying to smooth things over in this kind of situation is just self-deception and will only lead to endless troubles.

With the public watching closely and media information so readily available, if we don't proactively and thoroughly resolve this issue, it will escalate, get reported to higher authorities, or be exposed.

In that case, it won't just damage the reputation of one person, but also the credibility of our Xindian Town Party Committee and government, and may even affect the image of the county.

That would truly be a case of penny-wise and pound-foolish, benefiting no one.

Wu Zhiyuan's words actually implied to Li Changfu that if he insisted on protecting him, he might get himself into trouble.

Having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for many years, Li Changfu was well aware of Wu Zhiyuan's implied meaning. He chuckled awkwardly and said, "Secretary Wu, you're right. In your opinion, how should this matter be handled?"

Wu Zhiyuan proposed a solution: "My idea is: First, the town government should temporarily take over and renovate the nursing home to ensure the basic living and medical care of the elderly."

Second, the town established a joint investigation team, focusing on the nursing home's accounts and the actual number of residents, to clarify responsibilities;

Third, based on the investigation results, appropriate actions should be taken, and a long-term regulatory mechanism should be established…

Li Changfu said helplessly, "Secretary Wu, I have no objection. Let's do it your way. As for Liu Xiaojuan, I will make sure she fully cooperates with the investigation, and any necessary rectifications will be carried out immediately."

The town's People's Congress will also fulfill its supervisory responsibilities in relation to the investigation team.

Hopefully, this matter will ultimately have a positive outcome, both resolving the issue and allowing the nursing home to learn from its experience and improve its operations.

After finishing the matters at the nursing home, it was already close to dusk.

Wu Zhiyuan returned to the town government and went to the canteen.

The dishes for dinner tonight were slightly different.

The meat dish was braised chicken pieces, which seemed to be more substantial than at lunchtime. The stir-fry was garlic sprouts with sliced ​​pork, the vegetable dish was stir-fried bok choy, and the soup was tomato and egg soup.

The dishes have improved in both color and taste.

Not many cadres and staff dine in the canteen in the evening; other cadres either have dinner parties or are having dinner with their families.

Of course, many cadres are commuters, returning to their homes in the county town.

As soon as Wu Zhiyuan sat down at the dining table, a faint, elegant fragrance wafted over.

Wu Zhiyuan looked up and saw Yu Yue, the secretary of the Party and Government Office, sitting opposite him with a tray of food.

Most girls would keep their distance from their superiors, but Yu Yue clearly had a natural ability to get close to them.

"Secretary Wu, will I be disturbing you if I sit here?" Yu Yue's voice was clear and her eyes were bright.

Wu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "No, please have a seat, Xiao Yu."

He subconsciously glanced under the table and saw that Yu Yue was still wearing those red sneakers.

"Secretary Wu, you've handled so many things on your very first day here. You've worked so hard."

The news has spread to the market, the nursing home… everyone’s talking about it.”

Wu Zhiyuan smiled but didn't say anything.

Yu Yue eats very slowly, as if she's counting grains of rice.

"Secretary Wu, this afternoon I followed Director Hu's instructions and compiled statistics on recent years' entertainment expenses, charter bus fees, and gift purchase costs. I'll work a little longer tonight and the figures will be sorted out."

"Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Yu. Don't rush it, but the data must be accurate and clear, especially the categorization must be clear."

For example, in the entertainment expenses, how much is for hotel expenses and how much is for gifts? Which are for people coming from the county or city, and which are for internal town meetings or exchanges with other units? Try to distinguish them as much as possible.

The specific person who signed the contract should also be listed as much as possible.

"I understand, Secretary Wu."

"Director Hu told me that you have excellent writing skills and have published many articles in newspapers and magazines?"

Yu Yue chuckled and said, "Just some short pieces, including news articles, essays, and poems. I studied Chinese literature."

Wu Zhiyuan nodded: "That's right. Xindian Town has mountains and rivers. No matter what form we take, whether it's news reports, essays, or poems, we can promote the natural scenery, culture, and development of Xindian."

Places like Qingshan Gorge, in particular, offer both natural scenery and historical stories, making them excellent sources of creative material.

Yu Yue's eyes lit up. She put down her chopsticks and said earnestly, "Secretary Wu, you're right. I actually wrote an essay about Qingshan Gorge, which was published in the city's evening newspaper. It was about Peach Blossom Creek and Qinglongtan in spring."

Unfortunately, the project was abandoned later, and when I tried to write again, I always felt a sense of regret and helplessness in my writing, so I became less willing to put pen to paper.

"Regret can be turned into expectation, and helplessness can be transformed into motivation."

Aren't we trying to change this situation now?

Revitalizing Qingshanxia is not just an economic project, but also a way to rediscover a lost beauty in our Xindian Town.

"At that time, you, a talented woman, will have a great opportunity to use your abilities."

"Hehe, I wouldn't call myself a talented woman, Secretary Wu, you flatter me!"

However, a businessman from the south came to the town to discuss the project and expressed interest in taking over the tourism development of Qingshanxia.

"It would be great if the project could get off the ground."

Wu Zhiyuan's heart skipped a beat, but he asked calmly, "Oh? Have any businessmen come to contact you? Do you know the specifics?"

"I know a little. Once, when Mayor Zhang met with businessmen, I was in charge of logistics, serving tea and water and such."

"Xiao Yu, is that businessman interested in investing in Qingshanxia?"

"Yes, the businessman's name is Lin Guofu. Judging from his business card, he seems to be the head of a subsidiary of a central state-owned enterprise."

There were three or four of them in a group, and they were driving an Audi, but it had a Jiangzhou license plate.

Mr. Lin said that he had visited many places and felt that Qingshan Gorge had unique natural scenery, rich cultural heritage, and huge development potential.

He also said that city dwellers now yearn for nature and ecotourism, and as long as it is well-planned and equipped with supporting facilities, it has a very promising future as a regional leisure and vacation destination.

Wu Zhiyuan nodded, signaling Yu Yue to continue.

"Mayor Zhang was very enthusiastic and introduced the preferential policies that the town and county could provide, such as land and taxes."

Mr. Lin listened and kept nodding, saying that the policy was very favorable and they were very interested.

He also said that he came with sincerity and that once the terms were agreed upon, the project could start quickly.

Wu Zhiyuan asked casually, "Did this Mr. Lin mention their specific development strategy?"

Yu Yue thought for a moment and shook her head: "The specific development plan seems to be rather general. It's something like developing high-end ecotourism, building resort hotels, and developing unique projects."

They didn't bring a dedicated planning and design team to conduct on-site surveys. That visit mainly involved Mayor Zhang's introduction, followed by Boss Lin expressing his investment intentions.

The more Wu Zhiyuan listened, the more he felt something was amiss.

It is illogical for a project that claims to invest over 100 million yuan to not have a professional team conduct on-site evaluation.

Wu Zhiyuan continued to guide the discussion: "Did Boss Lin ask in detail about the project's unfinished status, such as debt disputes, the original planning and design, completed works, and legacy issues?"

"They seemed to have asked about this a bit, but not in great depth. What Mr. Lin was more concerned about was how much matching funds the county and town could provide and how much bank loan they could help coordinate."

Mr. Lin hopes to use the scenic area's land as collateral to secure a loan. It's clear he's eager to sign a contract with the town.

Wu Zhiyuan's doubts grew stronger.

For genuine investors, especially those taking over abandoned projects, the primary task is to thoroughly understand where the problems lie, the risks involved, and the costs, rather than rushing to ask how much money the government can provide or how much loan it can coordinate.

Using land as collateral for loans is just getting something for nothing, isn't it?

Not long after Wu Zhiyuan returned to his dormitory, someone knocked on the door. He looked and saw Hu Lijin.

Hu Lijin changed into a well-fitting fuchsia silk dress, with a thin knitted cardigan of the same color over it, outlining her mature and voluptuous curves.

She was wearing perfume. The perfume wafted in as soon as the door opened.