"How confident are you?" Shen Zile, sitting on the sofa, seemed to have a flame dancing in his eyes as he stared directly into Lu Weimin's eyes.
"It's hard to say. The Jam and Jelly project has a relatively high chance of success. I've met with the investors, who are Hong Kong residents, but in fact, they are mainlanders who have sneaked across from Bao'an. They are now engaged in food trade in Hong Kong and have channels for re-export sales. They feel that the current domestic policies are very favorable to foreign investment. Moreover, they have some family ties with my classmate, which is why they are interested. The investment scale is between 2 to 3 million yuan. He seems to have contacted two sets of second-hand processing equipment from Italy, originally planning to set up the factory in Lingnan, but the high cost of raw material transportation has prevented the project from being finalized. After my classmate learned about our situation, he introduced this project to me."
Lu Weimin always maintained a cautious attitude towards matters without absolute certainty, especially in the current situation where many people were waiting to see Shen Zile's downfall. He needed to be even more cautious.
"An investment of 2 to 3 million yuan is quite substantial for us. Our county has yet to attract any investment project worth over a million yuan. If this project can be finalized, it will be the first successful case of attracting investment to Nantang. Weimin, you must ensure this happens. The landing of a Hong Kong-funded enterprise in Nantang will demonstrate the improvement in our investment environment and the deepening of our reform and opening-up policies. The political significance is also significant." Shen Zile took a deep breath, clearly excited.
Lu Weimin thought for a moment and then said, "County Chief, the key issue is that our county's infrastructure is too backward, and the industrial development zone is still only on paper. My idea is that if this project can be finalized, we can use this opportunity to advance the development of the zone, truly establishing it. This will further enhance our efforts to attract foreign investment, creating a virtuous cycle. I have a feeling that the central government will eventually clarify the current ambiguous situation, and this will not take more than a year. This year is crucial for Nantang. Once the situation becomes clear, it will be much harder for Nantang to compete with other places."
Shen Zile stood up and walked around the office twice.
He understood Lu Weimin's thoughts. The construction of the development zone was urgent and could not be delayed any longer. This investment project could serve as a catalyst to officially launch the development zone and attract more projects, creating a mutually beneficial situation. However, this was a double-edged sword, and its potential harm could even backfire.
The resistance to peaceful evolution and the counterattack against bourgeois liberalization were high-pitched from the central to the local level, but in practical matters, especially in economic work, these slogans were often downplayed. Although some people continuously used this to launch attacks, the ups and downs in public opinion did not significantly impact substantive work, and Lu Weimin was even stricter in this regard.
"Weimin, I have thought about it. It might be time to make a decision. I plan to discuss this matter with Secretary An and push for the development zone construction as soon as possible. However, I think you need to propose a more detailed and comprehensive plan for the development zone's establishment to truly convince the majority to support it." Shen Zile finally made up his mind.
"County Chief, I believe that at the county level, we don't need to overly consider the higher-level considerations. From the central to the provincial and county levels, the policies and directives take time to be implemented. We just need to ensure that what we are doing is not against the principles. In fact, before 1989, we were also promoting these initiatives, but the sudden turmoil affected our development. However, as you may know, the central government still emphasizes the firm implementation of the major policies and guidelines established since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the Twelfth National Congress, and the Thirteenth National Congress. I think this is a signal."
Lu Weimin understood the concerns of people like Shen Zile and An Dejian. As someone who had worked within the system, it was impossible for him to ignore the trends at the higher levels, so he paid close attention to the attitudes from the top.
A few days ago, Cao Lang had hinted over the phone that the elder of the Yang family had explicitly stated that the direction of reform and opening-up would not change, and the economic policies since the Twelfth and Thirteenth National Congresses were sound. This made Lu Weimin acutely aware that such statements would inevitably be reflected in the media. He searched through newspapers and magazines like the People's Daily, Qiushi, and Half-Monthly Talks, and finally found some clues.
"Look, this is the People's Daily from November 27th, which published the General Secretary's speeches during his inspection in Guangxi and his participation in the 10th anniversary celebration of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. The wording is identical, and he has twice emphasized the need to adhere to the major policies and guidelines established since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the Twelfth National Congress, and the Thirteenth National Congress. This is quite rare, and I believe it clearly indicates the central government's stance is becoming more transparent."
Shen Zile's face showed a hint of surprise. Although he had long known that his former secretary was sensitive to political trends, the ability to find signs from the words in newspapers and magazines was not common. He took the People's Daily from Lu Weimin and read it carefully.
As someone who had come from the provincial propaganda department, Shen Zile was well aware of what the voice from the People's Daily represented.
While the views and attitudes of the People's Daily were not absolutely accurate, as Lu Weimin pointed out, the General Secretary's use of the same words to emphasize the continued implementation of the major policies and guidelines since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the Twelfth National Congress, and the Thirteenth National Congress in both Guangxi and Shenzhen was a strong signal. This was hidden in the General Secretary's other words, but Lu Weimin could detect the unusual implications.
"Very good, Weimin. It's rare to have such keen observation and sensitivity. I think our county's cadres lack this spirit of combining learning with practice. They usually just sit in their offices, drinking tea and chatting, too lazy to read the newspapers. When they go to the grassroots, they can neither write nor fight, and they just spout empty talk. How can such cadres handle the new situation?" After reading the article, Shen Zile said with a sigh, "The pragmatic and progressive style in many government departments has become a formality."
"County Chief, I have some more ideas." Lu Weimin hesitated for a moment before continuing. He couldn't help but mention that the butterfly effect had already brought changes, and many subsequent issues could not be guaranteed to follow the original trajectory. If his misjudgment led to problems, he would not be able to forgive himself.
It's incredibly tragic, just a little bit more. Brothers, can you give a recommendation after reading?