Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 405 A Visit to Zhou Qiming of Xunfeng Motors

After the county party committee standing committee meeting was held and before the provincial party committee organization department came to Qingyan County for inspection, Yuan Jin, Wu Zhiyuan and others boarded a train heading south.

They went to the headquarters of Xunfeng Motors for an inspection.

On the train, Yuan Jin flipped through a brochure produced by the publicity department.

The album is beautifully printed, with the cover featuring the green mountains and clear waters of Qingyan County, and the inner pages divided into several sections: "History and Culture", "Ecological Scenery", "Industrial Development" and "New Look of Urban and Rural Areas".

"Zhiyuan, this picture book is quite well done." Yuan Jin closed the picture book. "But the most important thing is the information about Zhoujia Village."

Wu Zhiyuan opened his tablet and opened a folder: "It's all here. Before and after photos of the Zhou family's old house renovation, the renovation status of Zhou Qiming's parents' graves, and an aerial video."

Yuan Jin took the tablet and flipped through the images one by one.

The Zhou family's old house is now just ruins, but the weeds around it have been cleared away, the collapsed walls have been reinforced, and a blue stone tablet has been erected in front of the old house, inscribed with the words "Ancestral Residence of Mr. Zhou Qiming, Founder of Xunfeng Motors".

The weeds on the grave mounds have been cleared away and the soil has been replaced. A gravel path has been laid in front of the graves, and several cypress trees have been planted on both sides.

Zhou Qiming sent the director of the group's president's office to the high-speed rail station to greet him.

Half an hour later, the car entered a spacious industrial park.

The park is large and well-planned, with rows of modern factory buildings arranged in an orderly manner.

Xunfeng Motors' headquarters building is located in the center of the park. It is a modern glass curtain wall building that shines brightly in the sunlight.

The car stopped in front of the building.

Liu Yongnian, Vice President of Xunfeng Motors, was already waiting at the entrance of the lobby.

Liu Yongnian, who was in his early fifties, spoke with a southern accent: "Secretary Yuan, County Chief Wu, welcome, welcome."

President Zhou originally intended to come and pick them up in person, but an important overseas video conference came up unexpectedly, and he couldn't make it. He specifically asked me to apologize to the two leaders.

Yuan Jin smiled and waved her hand: "President Liu, you're too kind. President Zhou is extremely busy, and our visit is already quite an inconvenience."

The group was led to the reception room.

One wall of the reception room is a floor-to-ceiling window, facing an artificial lake where several black swans swim leisurely.

The waiter served tea to Yuan Jin and her party.

"Distinguished leaders, President Zhou's meeting will end in about half an hour."

Please have some tea and relax. President Zhou will host a welcome dinner for all the leaders this evening.

Yuan Jin picked up her teacup and took a small sip: "President Liu, we're here to see the outstanding entrepreneurs from our hometown and learn from their advanced management experience. Please don't make it too grand."

Liu Yongnian smiled and said, "Secretary Yuan, you're too kind. Although President Zhou hasn't been back for many years, he always keeps his hometown in his heart."

I received a letter from County Chief Wu some time ago. General Manager Zhou read it several times and was deeply moved.

Wu Zhiyuan continued, "Qingyan has changed a lot in recent years. We brought some photos and videos with us this time, and we would like to show Mr. Zhou the new look of his hometown."

Liu Yongnian nodded: "President Zhou will definitely be very interested."

During their casual conversation over tea, Liu Yongnian introduced the development of Xunfeng Motors.

Founded fifteen years ago, the company started as an auto parts processing plant and has gradually developed into a comprehensive automotive group integrating R&D, production and sales.

Liu Yongnian remarked with emotion: "President Zhou truly started from scratch."

Back then, he resigned from his state-owned enterprise job and went into business with only 20,000 yuan in his pocket. He rented a dilapidated factory, led seven or eight workers, and managed to produce the first product.

The hardships I endured during those years are unimaginable to most people.

Yuan Jin nodded repeatedly: "It's not easy, it's really not easy. It's a source of pride for the entire county that Qingyan has produced such a person."

Half an hour later, the door to the reception room was pushed open.

Zhou Qiming walked in.

He was in his fifties, dressed in a suit and tie, with a kind face.

"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting." Zhou Qiming stepped forward quickly and shook hands with Yuan Jin, Wu Zhiyuan and others one by one.

Yuan Jin said with a smile, "President Zhou, we apologize for the intrusion and for causing you trouble."

Zhou Qiming waved his hand: "Not at all. I'm overjoyed that the officials from my hometown have come."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhou Qiming sat down on the sofa, his gaze falling on Wu Zhiyuan: "County Chief Wu, I received your letter. And I've seen all those photos."

"President Zhou, please forgive any shortcomings in my letter." Wu Zhiyuan said sincerely, "I came here for two reasons: first, to visit you, and second, to show you the changes in our hometown over the past few years."

He took a tablet computer out of his briefcase, opened the photo album, and handed it over with both hands.

Zhou Qiming took the tablet and looked down to look at it.

The first photo is an aerial view of Zhoujia Village.

Surrounded by green mountains and winding streams, the village is small, with dozens of white-walled and gray-tiled houses scattered at the foot of the mountain.

The second photo is of the Zhou family's old house.

The ruins have been reinforced, the weeds have been cleared away, and the blue stone tablet stands in front of the old house, with the words on it clearly visible.

The third photo is of his parents' graves.

The grave mound has been repaired, the tombstone has been wiped clean, the path in front of the grave is paved with gravel, and the green cypresses on both sides are full of vitality.

Zhou Qiming stared at the photo for a long time.

After a long while, Zhou Qiming finally raised his head: "County Chief Wu, you shouldn't have done these things."

Wu Zhiyuan said, "President Zhou, we're not doing this for your benefit."

Zhoujia Village is your root, and your parents' graves are on the land of Qingyan.

The county government simply did what it was supposed to do.

Whether you come back or not, we have a responsibility to protect those places.

Zhou Qiming remained silent for a few seconds before turning his gaze back to the screen.

He clicked on the aerial video.

The video was made with great care.

Aerial view of Zhoujia Village reveals the village nestled peacefully at the foot of the mountains amidst green hills and clear waters.

The scene slowly zooms in, passing by the old house, the cemetery, and the old locust tree at the village entrance, finally settling on the distant mountains.

The background music is a folk song from Qingyan, with a long melody and a touch of desolation.

After the video finished playing, Zhou Qiming placed the tablet on the coffee table, picked up his teacup, and took a sip of water.

Zhou Qiming asked, "Secretary Yuan, County Head Wu, you've come all this way, not to talk about work or projects, just to show me these things?"

Wu Zhiyuan said, "President Zhou, to be honest, your experiences in Qingyan won't be written in the county annals or recorded in the archives."

But those of us who worked in Qingyan have all heard about it to some extent.

In those years, there were indeed many imperfections in grassroots governance, which caused you and your family to suffer injustice.

As the current county head, on behalf of the county party committee and the county government, I would like to express my apologies to you.

He stood up and bowed slightly.

Zhou Qiming quickly stood up and reached out to support Wu Zhiyuan's arm: "County Chief Wu, what are you doing? Please sit down, please sit down."

The two sat down again.

Wu Zhiyuan continued, "President Zhou, we are here today not to attract investment, nor to ask for projects."

I just wanted to see you and tell you how your hometown has changed over the years, and how much better it has become.

If you have time at any time, you are welcome to come back to your hometown for a visit.

"I just wanted to see the old house and pay respects at my parents' graves."

Zhou Qiming remained silent for a long time.

A few minutes later, he slowly spoke: "Secretary Yuan, County Chief Wu, to be honest, I've thought about Qingyan for a long time, and I've hated it for a long time."

The hatred isn't for the land itself, but for the people on it, and for those who oppress the people by abusing their power.

He paused, then gave a bitter smile: "Before my father passed away, he was still talking about how those few plots of land had been taken away."

He said he was sorry for me, that he couldn't leave me a piece of land.

I said, "Dad, I live in the city and have many houses. What do I need land for?"

He said, "A house is a house, and land is land."

To live a truly fulfilling life, one must have one's own feet firmly planted on the ground.

Zhou Qiming took a sip of water and continued, "My father was uneducated and all he knew was farming."

But I've remembered what he said for the rest of my life.

Only when you have your own ground under your feet can you feel at ease.

No matter how difficult it was to start my business, I gritted my teeth and persevered because I knew I had to carve out my own niche.

His gaze fell on the tablet computer on the coffee table: "To be honest, I have mixed feelings about what you've shown me today."

It wasn't that I was moved, nor was it that I wasn't moved. It was just very complicated.

Wu Zhiyuan continued, "President Zhou, I understand your feelings. Some wounds cannot be healed simply by repairing a grave or erecting a monument."

We are not here today to ask you to forgive or let go of anything immediately.

I just wanted you to know that Qingyan has changed. It's become better than before.

And we will gradually change those bad things.

Zhou Qiming looked at Wu Zhiyuan and said, "County Chief Wu is very young. I searched your resume online, and you are only thirty years old."

Becoming a county magistrate at thirty is no easy feat. I've read what you wrote in your letter several times.

To be honest, I've met many officials and written quite a few letters, but few write like you.

There's one sentence in your letter that I remember very well.

You said, "No matter how far a wanderer travels, his roots are still in the soil." That's a good saying.

"Mr. Zhou, you flatter me. I was just stating the facts."

"The truth is the most valuable thing. I appreciate your sincerity in coming today. May I keep those photos and videos?"

Wu Zhiyuan quickly replied, "Of course."

Zhou Qiming changed the subject: "On a side note, I was quite surprised that you didn't discuss investment or projects this time. It also puts my mind at ease."

Yuan Jin smiled and said, "President Zhou, we really came to visit you."

Although you don't have many relatives left in Qingyan, the people of your hometown all remember you.

Zhou Qiming nodded but did not reply.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "Secretary Yuan, County Chief Wu, you've come all this way, you can't just have tea."

"Come on, I'll take you on a tour of the factory. Let's see how our Xunfeng cars are made."

Yuan Jin and Wu Zhiyuan exchanged a glance and both smiled.

"Alright, let's broaden our horizons then." Yuan Jin stood up.

Zhou Qiming personally led them on a tour. From the stamping workshop to the welding workshop, from the painting workshop to the final assembly workshop, he explained everything along the way.

The visit lasted for more than an hour.

Zhou Qiming personally explained everything from the production line to the R&D center, from quality control to market layout, as if he knew it all by heart.

Wu Zhiyuan asked some professional questions, which Zhou Qiming answered one by one, a hint of surprise on his face: "County Chief Wu has expertise in the automotive industry?"

"I know a little bit about it. When I was studying in Jiangzhou, I read some materials about the automotive industry."

Xunfeng has made significant and steady strides in its development of the new energy sector over the past few years.

Zhou Qiming nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

Dinner was arranged in the small restaurant at Xunfeng headquarters. The round table was small and could seat about ten people.

The dishes mainly consist of local specialties.

During the meal, Zhou Qiming suddenly asked Wu Zhiyuan, "County Chief Wu, how many people are left in Zhoujia Village?"

Wu Zhiyuan replied, "The permanent population is about 500 people. Most of the young people have gone out to work, and those who remain are mainly the elderly and children."

Zhou Qiming nodded thoughtfully: "I remember when I was a child, there were more than a thousand people in the village, and it was very lively."

During the Lunar New Year, more than a dozen tables are set up in the ancestral hall. Adults drink, and children set off firecrackers, making a ruckus from the first day of the lunar new year to the fifteenth.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Liu Yongnian recounted the story of Zhou Qiming's early entrepreneurial days.

One winter, there was no heating in the factory. Zhou Qiming wrapped himself in a military overcoat and stayed by the machine all night, just to wait for the first batch of products to come out.

"That morning when I went to open the door, I saw Mr. Zhou leaning against the machine asleep, with a wrench still in his hand."

The batch of products passed inspection, but General Manager Zhou himself fell ill with a fever of 39.5 degrees Celsius. He refused to go to the hospital, saying he couldn't afford to spend the money.

Zhou Qiming waved his hand with a smile: "Why bring up those old stories? Come on, let's drink."

Wu Zhiyuan raised his glass: "President Zhou, I'd like to toast you. The things you did in Qingyan may not be written in the county annals, but the people of Qingyan will never forget them."

You came from Qingyan, and no matter how far you go, Qingyan will always be your home.

After dinner, Zhou Qiming escorted them to the factory gate.

"Secretary Yuan, County Chief Wu, it's a pleasure to meet you today." Zhou Qiming shook hands with them one by one. "I will keep the things you brought safe and sound."

Qingyan is my hometown, the place where I was born and raised.

I will go back and visit. Not now, but I definitely will.

……

Spring goes and summer comes.

A lot has happened in Qingyan County in the past few months.

The Song Group Logistics Industrial Park officially commenced construction.

The wildlife park project has been officially announced and will be located in Wuhe Town.

Wuhe Town, as one of the candidate sites for the new campus of the Provincial Vocational College, has entered the final competition.

Yuan Jin was promoted to deputy director-general level and served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangdong Municipal Party Committee and secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission.

Tomorrow, Qingyan County will hold a meeting of all county-level leaders.

Liang Dongming officially took office as the secretary of the Qingyan County Party Committee.