132: Chapter 132 Live Streaming E-commerce

Rainwater snaked down the windowpane like transparent snakes. Xiao Bei felt a chill crawl up his spine.

"Then she handed the poverty alleviation work to me..."

"Killing with praise!"

Qin Ruoxi said decisively, "Poverty alleviation funds are a hornet's nest; whoever touches them is doomed. She is pushing you into a pit of fire. If there are problems, you'll be the scapegoat; if there are achievements, she'll come to reap the rewards."

Xiao Bei recalled Team Leader Zhang Yining's warning, which coincided exactly with what Qin Ruoxi had said.

"Then what should I do?"

"There are two paths."

Qin Ruoxi's voice carried a tone of shrewd calculation, "Either find a way to get rid of this hot potato, or..."

She paused, "Handle this matter beautifully so she has no opportunity to exploit."

Xiao Bei smiled bitterly: "I can't push it away now. Secretary Ma has already expressed his support at the meeting today, so I... I will just go with the flow..."

"Then do a good job."

Qin Ruoxi's tone softened slightly, "Remember, report to me immediately if there is any movement. I want to know every move County Magistrate Lin Ruohan makes."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Bei stood in front of the window, motionless for a long time. Qin Ruoxi's warning still echoed in his ears, and County Magistrate Lin Ruohan's unfathomable eyes seemed to be watching him still.

His phone suddenly vibrated; it was a message from Su Yun: [The soup is cold. Are you still coming for dinner or not?]

Xiao Bei realized he had forgotten to reply to Su Yun. He checked the time; it was almost one o'clock.

[I'll be there soon.]

He replied and grabbed his coat, heading out.

The rain had eased, but the air was filled with a damp scent...

The doorbell rang once, and the door opened. Su Yun was wearing an apron, her hair tied loosely behind her head, with a few stray strands hanging by her cheeks, making her look exceptionally domestic.

"I thought you had been whisked away by some bureau chief."

Su Yun took Xiao Bei's umbrella and teased.

Xiao Bei smiled forcedly: "The meeting this morning dragged on a bit."

Su Yun keenly sensed that his mood was off, but she didn't ask further, simply pulling him to the dining table to sit down:

"Drink the soup first; we can talk about whatever it is after eating."

The steaming yam and pork rib soup was fragrant, and Xiao Bei realized he was indeed hungry. He scooped a spoonful of soup into his mouth; the warm liquid slid down his throat, dispelling some of the chill.

"Is the station busy today?"

Xiao Bei asked casually, trying to divert his own attention.

"Busy to death; I almost thought I wouldn't make it back in time to make the soup."

Su Yun picked up a piece of pork rib for him, "We are preparing a Livestreaming E-commerce program to promote the county's specialty agricultural products. The station head attaches great importance to it and says it's a key task for this year."

"Livestreaming E-commerce?"

Xiao Bei raised his head, "How does it work specifically?"

"It's about inviting influencers or county leaders to the livestreaming room to introduce products on the spot, and viewers can place orders directly."

Su Yun explained, "For the first episode, we plan to promote the organic rice from Qingshan Township, and we have already contacted a few local minor influencers."

Xiao Bei put down his chopsticks, his eyes brightening. The most difficult part of poverty alleviation work is the issue of sales channels for agricultural products. If he could open up sales through Livestreaming E-commerce...

"Can this model be replicated in other townships?"

He asked eagerly.

Su Yun was a bit surprised: "Theoretically, yes, but it requires the products to be distinctive and to have a stable supply chain..."

She suddenly understood Xiao Bei's idea, "You want to use this for the poverty alleviation project?"

Xiao Bei nodded, saying excitedly: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Instead of waiting for poverty alleviation funds from above, it's better to teach the farmers to make money themselves!"

Su Yun's eyes also brightened: "That's a great idea! We can start with one or two villages as a pilot, and if the results are good, we can promote it further."

She took out her phone, "I have a plan for the Livestreaming E-commerce project here; take a look..."

The two huddled together to study the plan, and Xiao Bei temporarily forgot about the morning's political turmoil. Looking at Su Yun's side profile as she explained earnestly, he suddenly felt a wave of warmth. In this officialdom filled with scheming, there was at least one person who genuinely supported him.

"Oh, by the way,"

Su Yun suddenly remembered something, "I heard the new female County Magistrate in your county is very formidable, is that right?"

Xiao Bei's smile stiffened on his face. He hesitated for a moment but decided not to tell Su Yun about Qin Ruoxi's warning: "Yeah, we just had a meeting today, and she handed the poverty alleviation work to me."

"That's a good thing!"

Su Yun said pleasantly surprised, "Haven't you always wanted to do something practical for the common people?"

Xiao Bei smiled bitterly: "It is a good thing, it's just..."

His phone suddenly rang; it was a call from Team Leader Zhang Yining.

"Leader, something happened!"

Team Leader Zhang Yining's voice was filled with anxiety, "The people from the Poverty Alleviation Office are back from the city, and they said Deputy County Magistrate Liu told them not to come to work tomorrow, but to go directly to Lishan County for some inspection!"

Xiao Bei's expression darkened instantly. This was Liu Fuzhi's revenge, openly undermining him.

"I see. I'll be back at the office immediately."

He hung up the phone and looked at Su Yun apologetically.

Su Yun had already stood up and brought him his coat: "Go ahead, work is important. I'll save the soup for you; you can heat it up and drink it tonight."

Xiao Bei hurriedly kissed her on the forehead: "Thank you. We'll talk more about the livestreaming later."

Walking out of the residential complex, the rain had stopped, but the sky remained overcast. Xiao Bei walked quickly toward the County Government, his mind racing with countermeasures. This move by Liu Fuzhi was indeed vicious; without the staff from the Poverty Alleviation Office, the poverty alleviation work he had taken over could not be carried out at all.

But at this moment, he already had a bold plan in his heart.

Since conventional methods wouldn't work, he would take a different path—starting with the Livestreaming E-commerce that Su Yun mentioned, bypassing Liu Fuzhi's obstruction, and connecting directly with the townships and farmers.

His phone vibrated again; it was a text message from an unknown number:

[Deputy County Magistrate Xiao, the 3 PM meeting is cancelled. County Magistrate Lin has gone to the city temporarily. The rescheduled date will be notified later.]

Xiao Bei stared at this text message, his brows furrowed tightly. County Magistrate Lin Ruohan went to the city suddenly; who was she going to see? Was she going to report work, or... was there another scheme?

He looked up at the County Government building. Behind the window on the far east side of the fourth floor, a figure could be vaguely seen. Although he couldn't see the face clearly, Xiao Bei knew that it must be County Magistrate Lin Ruohan watching his every move.

This political game had just begun, and he had already, unknowingly, become a pawn on the chessboard.

Returning to his office, Xiao Bei immediately locked the door. The post-rain sunlight from outside the window cast mottled shadows on the floor through the blinds. He opened his computer, his fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard.

The title "Rural Revitalization Specialty Agriculture Development Plan — and Poverty Alleviation Work Implementation" leaped onto the screen. Xiao Bei's train of thought was exceptionally clear. The Livestreaming E-commerce mentioned by Su Yun had given him inspiration. He decided to bypass the traditional poverty alleviation fund allocation model and start directly from the industry, letting the villagers learn to make money.