Zhang Xiuquan took a deep breath. He knew that his son-in-law was preparing to make a big bet, risking his own political future.
At this moment, he even regretted whether he should have called Shang Quan Zhi to ask him to take more care of Shen Zile.
If Shen Zile did not take on the role of county magistrate and continued as the deputy county magistrate or the deputy secretary, he could return in a few months. However, now that Shen Zile's organizational relationship had been officially transferred to the Nantang County Party Committee, it meant that he would continue to serve as the county magistrate. To do a good job as the county magistrate, he would have to face this murky and complex situation.
From Zhang Xiuquan's perspective, he was well aware of the many controversies surrounding the development of private and foreign economies in the country, and even some people questioned the joint production contract responsibility system and township enterprises, believing that each additional foreign enterprise added a bit of capitalism, which would threaten the socialist system of our country. They also believed that Sino-foreign joint ventures, wholly foreign-owned enterprises, and Sino-foreign cooperative enterprises were breeding grounds for peaceful evolution; that township enterprises were the source of improper trends, and that private enterprises would change the socialist nature.
These views were not just the musings of some idle literati; they had considerable influence and impact in the country. Even some famous scholars and theorists had come forward to call for action, and there were certainly high-level officials supporting these views, especially after the turmoil of last year. The political cleanup and rectification had already begun to spread to the economic level. Therefore, the risks Shen Zile mentioned were indeed significant.
If it were just a matter of introducing one or two enterprises, there would be no major problem. However, Zhang Xiuquan also knew his son-in-law's personality; once he made up his mind, he would not proceed cautiously step by step but would take bold steps forward.
Introducing foreign investment and encouraging the development of private enterprises were currently very sensitive and hot topics. If they were pushed aggressively, a change in the political climate could mean a disastrous outcome for someone of Shen Zile's age.
After much deliberation, Zhang Xiuquan still could not make a decision. "Zile, I understand your desire to make a big change as the new county magistrate, but under the current political climate in the country and the province, rashly pushing for economic reforms carries too much risk. Changjiang is not in the Lingnan or Jiangsu-Zhejiang regions; it is located inland, and the political atmosphere is very different. A slight misstep could lead to a fall."
"Father, I have thought about this issue. I believe we should seize this opportunity and take a bold step. At worst, I will return to the Propaganda Department and sit on the bench for a few years. I am still young and have opportunities. Otherwise, I feel that spending two years in a muddled state would be a waste of an opportunity and would have little meaning," Shen Zile said firmly.
Seeing his son-in-law's determination, Zhang Xiuquan realized that his son-in-law had already made up his mind. After a brief consideration, he nodded in agreement. "Alright, since you have decided, I won't say more. Remember, do more and talk less. Also, seek the recognition or at least the tacit approval of the main leaders of the prefectural committee. By the way, what is An Dejian's attitude?"
"On this issue, I have only hinted at some ideas to him. He neither confirmed nor denied them, but I feel that he is somewhat interested. The trend of dividing Linyang into two parts is becoming more evident, and the establishment of a new region in the southern counties is inevitable. I estimate that Old An also has his own thoughts. Perhaps he does not want to miss this opportunity to prove himself, or he wants to use this opportunity to showcase himself, so that the main leaders of the new region will have a deeper understanding of him," Shen Zile smiled.
After leaving Shen Zile's house, Lu Weimin kept pondering the intention behind Shen Zile introducing him to Zhang Xiuquan. Perhaps his performance was too outstanding, making Shen Zile uncertain and needing his old father-in-law to evaluate his performance and the feasibility of his views.
It was clear that Zhang Xiuquan approved of him. Shen Zile, who had been sent from the Provincial Propaganda Department for a training position, had now officially transferred his organizational relationship to the Nantang County Party Committee, indicating his intention to make a career in Nantang, which could not have been done without Zhang Xiuquan's influence behind the scenes.
Lu Weimin was pleased with this development. At least Shen Zile was upright, and although he lacked some practical experience in economic work, as long as his ideas were correct and he was willing to break through constraints and seize opportunities, Nantang's development had a bright future.
When he returned home, he saw a familiar bicycle parked at the door. Lu Weimin was delighted; his brother had come.
"Brother, you're back?" Lu Weimin quickly walked into the house. "Why did you decide to come back today?"
Lu Yongjun, sitting on the sofa, smiled as he looked at his younger brother. "Damin, you can come back from Nantang, but your big brother can't come back from Changzhou? Haven't you been to your second sister's place recently?"
Lu Weimin scratched his head and sighed. "I really haven't had time to go to my second sister's place. I've been following County Magistrate Shen to Linyang, so I haven't had the chance. As a secretary, I have no choice. I came back to Changzhou today because County Magistrate Shen has a meeting in the province tomorrow."
Lu Yongjun, six years older than Lu Weimin, had graduated from Tsinghua University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, which was considered a significant achievement for Nantang High School at the time. After graduation, he was assigned to the Hongqi Machinery Factory and is now the deputy director of a workshop.
"You should be content. You just graduated and are already a secretary to a leader. Everyone knows that as long as a secretary follows the right leader, their future is limitless," Lu Yongjun said. He looked different from Lu Weimin, with a broad and fair face, large ears, and a somewhat prosperous appearance, while Lu Weimin resembled his father, with a sharp and angular face. However, the two brothers had similar personalities, both restless and fully committed once they made a decision.
"Where's Dad? He's not at home?" Lu Weimin was surprised to see only his brother at home.
"He and I had an argument. Dad got angry and went out to cool off," Lu Yongjun said with a bitter smile.
"What happened?" Lu Weimin's heart sank.
"It's still about work. The factory's situation is not good, and everyone is just getting by. I find this life meaningless, so I've been doing some side jobs. One of my university classmates has gone into business and started an auto parts factory in Shanghai, mainly supplying parts to Shanghai Volkswagen. The factory is doing well, and he wants me to help him. I also want to go. When I told Dad, he got very upset," Lu Yongjun shrugged. "He said I am a Communist Party member and only think about personal gain, always focusing on money."