Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 236 Nightclub Corpse Pickup Artist

As dusk settles, the city lights begin to twinkle.

The street food stalls were steaming hot, emitting the aroma of spicy hot pot, kebabs, and barbecue.

In the nearby public square, middle-aged women were dancing with great enthusiasm.

Lin Xue murmured, "Zhiyuan, the warmth of everyday life is what truly comforts the human heart."

I've been to some county towns, and in some of them, in the name of creating a civilized environment, many sections of the streets are off-limits to street vendors.

Walking down the street at night, it was quiet and deserted. It looked neat and clean, but something felt missing – a lack of warmth and vibrancy.

Wu Zhiyuan echoed, "Yes, the creation of a civilized society is not about a one-size-fits-all approach, much less about eradicating the human touch."

Those of us who work at the grassroots level are, in essence, serving the people. Street vendors need to make a living, and shoppers need convenience; there has to be a balance between the two.

Lin Xue said with feeling: "Zhiyuan, when you become a local official in the future, you must grasp this balance."

Cities need to look good and have a bright future through civilized development, but they also need substance, so that ordinary people can make a living in peace and security.

Look at these street vendors, aren't they all supporting elderly parents and young children, relying on this business to make a living?

If we block their livelihoods just to make the streets look tidy, then the creation of a civilized society becomes a superficial and misguided form of formalism.

Wu Zhiyuan had a distant relationship with County Magistrate Geng Dongqing, but he appreciated Geng Dongqing's tolerance towards street vendors.

Of course, this is related to Geng Dongqing's background.

Geng Dongqing's father died early, and his mother used to be a street vendor, pushing a 28-inch bicycle with a wooden box tied to the back rack, selling tea eggs and boiled corn from street to street. She worked hard in wind and rain and managed to support him through college.

Qingshan is an ancient city. Although it was not a strategically important location in ancient times, it was the site of many wars.

Some sections of the ancient city wall are well-preserved. The ancient city is a highlight and a major selling point for Qingshan County's development of its cultural tourism industry.

Inside the walls are rows of antique-style buildings.

Not far outside the wall, the Qingshan River flows quietly, and on the opposite bank, the lights of modern buildings twinkle.

Ancient and modern coexist here in a peculiar and harmonious way.

Wu Zhiyuan explained, "The ancient city wall is quite well preserved. Although you can see signs of repair, at least it wasn't demolished and rebuilt, preserving the historical framework."

Lin Xue continued, "Developing the cultural tourism industry requires more than just a framework and a sense of history."

Popularity, business format, unique features, and management are all indispensable.

How to transform the cultural and tourism potential of the ancient city into tangible benefits, so that ordinary people can truly benefit from its development, rather than simply building a bunch of beautiful but deserted imitation ancient structures, or allowing a few to profit from it, is a skill that requires careful study.

The alley ahead is a street lined with antique shops.

Both sides are lined with antique and calligraphy shops, offering everything from porcelain and jade to copper coins, old books, wood carvings, and other antiques.

Lin Xue smiled and said, "Zhiyuan, is it possible to snag a bargain?"

Wu Zhiyuan shook his head: "It's harder than ascending to heaven. There are basically no artifacts unearthed from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, but there are countless replicas of ancient artifacts made last week."

As we walked through the antique street, a sudden commotion arose ahead.

Colorful lights flash, deafening music blazes, and neon signs vie for attention—"Dream KTV," "Passionate Nightclub," "Blues Bar," "857CLUB"...

Fashionable men and women come and go, and the strong smells of perfume, alcohol, and tobacco fill the air.

This is a nightclub street that has sprung up in Qingshan County in recent years, and it is very close to the antique street.

These seem like two completely different worlds, one showcasing the weight and mystery of history, and the other venting desire and restlessness.

Lin Xue said, "Zhiyuan, look at these two streets. They seem completely unrelated, yet they coexist peacefully side by side. Don't you find that strange?"

"Yes, many people from other places are quite surprised when they see this scene."

As far as I know, this is the result of a difference in ideology between the former county party secretary and the county head.

The former county party secretary, Lao Chen, was a history major and was determined to build the ancient city into a pure cultural landmark. He believed that the ancient city should have ancient city walls, bluestone slabs, old calligraphy and paintings, and a slow pace of life.

But the county magistrate at the time, Lao Zhou, had worked his way up from the township level and valued tangible benefits for the people. He said that the ancient city should not just be a decoration, but should make the people's pockets bulge.

Old Chen wants to designate the area around the antique street as a cultural protection zone, strictly prohibiting the development of the entertainment industry, saying that the bright lights and revelry of nightclubs will ruin the charm of the ancient town;

Old Zhou insisted on a mixed business model, targeting the young consumer market and advocating for the construction of this nightclub street next to the antique street.

The two argued several times at the Standing Committee meetings. Old Chen said Old Zhou was "killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, ruining culture," while Old Zhou retorted, "Talking about culture on an empty stomach is like building castles in the air."

Lin Xue asked, "Did Lao Zhou win in the end?"

Wu Zhiyuan nodded and said, "Yes, at first glance, Qingshan Ancient City does have a bit of the feel of Lijiang Ancient City."

On one side are small bridges and flowing water, green tiles and white walls, which hide the charm of history;

On one side, there was a lively atmosphere with singing and crowds, full of the everyday life of the place.

Isn't that what Lijiang is all about?

On one side are the stone-paved streets and old teahouses of Sifang Street, and on the other side are the sounds of folk songs and laughter from the bar street.

What seems contradictory is actually a perfect blend, allowing visitors to find traces of history while also enjoying the vibrancy of the present.

Looking at the scene before her, Lin Xue nodded gently: "That's true. It turns out that good cultural tourism development is never a choice between two options, but a fill-in-the-blank question that embraces all possibilities."

The two strolled slowly along the neon-lit street, deafening music blasting from the shops, the air thick with the scent of hormones.

Their trip was not for leisure, but rather as an observation of another side of the city.

As they walked, Wu Zhiyuan introduced Lin Xue to the street's business types, customer flow characteristics, and management challenges—noise complaints, security risks, and conflicts with surrounding residential areas.

As I approached the entrance of a bar called "Blues," I saw two blond men wearing black T-shirts and covered in tattoos on their arms, flanking a young woman with long, flowing hair that covered most of her face and wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt.

The woman's face was covered in wine stains and tear tracks, and she was limp like a lump of mud, clearly unconscious.

"We're lucky today, we picked up a hottie!" The blond guy on the left grinned. "We'll take her to the hotel next door later, she'll have a blast."

"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and get going, don't let anyone see us!" The blond guy on the right glanced around furtively, then dragged the woman by the arm into the shadows by the roadside.

Such "picking up corpses" is not uncommon at the entrance of nightclubs.

The so-called "corpse picking" refers to targeting women who are drunk and out of their minds, taking advantage of their inability to resist, and then abducting them to commit illicit acts. In short, it's about taking advantage of someone's intoxication to do dirty and shameful things.

Lin Xue frowned, and subconsciously tugged at Wu Zhiyuan's arm, whispering, "Zhiyuan, look at those two blond guys, their eyes are darting around, they're up to no good."

Wu Zhiyuan stared at the unconscious woman. The evening breeze ruffled her hair, revealing a very familiar face.

It was her!