236: Chapter 236 The Attack

The County Magistrate's office meeting was scheduled for nine in the morning. County Mayor Bai Weijun arrived at the conference room ten minutes early, sat in the main seat as usual, opened his notebook, and waited for the Vice County Magistrates to arrive one by one.

Director Zhou of the Finance Bureau, Director Liu of the Development and Reform Commission, and the heads of several other government departments were also in attendance.

The atmosphere was very different from usual.

In the past, at such meetings, everyone would chat and laugh, sharing small talk before the meeting, and the atmosphere would be relaxed.

Today, everyone came in expressionless, put down their folders, sat down, and then opened their notebooks.

Their movements were uniform, as if they had been rehearsed.

County Mayor Bai Weijun took note of this but said nothing, picking up his teacup to take a sip.

Xu Weidong was the last to enter. He sat down to the right of County Mayor Bai Weijun and swept his gaze across those present.

He noticed that the looks the Vice County Magistrates gave him were somewhat subtle; they were no longer the polite, slightly flattering smiles from before, but something indefinable, as if they were appraising or testing him.

He did not overthink it, opened his notebook, and waited for the meeting to begin.

The agenda items were addressed one by one. For the first few routine tasks, everyone spoke in a steady, unexciting manner, and the atmosphere remained fairly normal.

When they reached the third agenda item, discussing the supporting plan for the automobile parts project approved by the province, the situation began to change.

Vice County Magistrate Mi Baizuo, who was in charge of industry, spoke first. His voice was not loud, but it was very sharp.

"County Magistrate Bai, I have carefully reviewed the supporting plan for this project. The county needs to provide twenty million in supporting funds, which puts a great deal of pressure on the finances."

"I believe we should slow down and discuss it again when the conditions are ripe."

County Mayor Bai Weijun's fingers moved slightly. This project was a key investment attraction project supported by the province; the company had already signed the letter of intent, and the preliminary work was completed. All that was left was for the county to finalize the supporting funds.

Slow down?

Slow down until when?

When would the conditions be ripe?

He did not lose his temper; his tone remained steady, but every word carried an unquestionable certainty.

"County Magistrate Mi, the province attaches great importance to this project, and there are clear requirements from the province regarding the supporting funds. If we slow down, how are we supposed to explain it to the enterprise? How are we supposed to explain it to the province?"

Vice County Magistrate Mi Baizuo did not speak, instead picking up his teacup and drinking slowly.

Deputy County Magistrate Chen Guoliang, who was sitting nearby, took over the conversation. His voice was not loud, but his attitude was very clear.

"County Magistrate Bai, I am not against this project. I just feel that twenty million in supporting funds is not a small amount. The county's finances are already tight; if we suddenly take out so much money, what will happen to other projects?"

"Education, healthcare, social security—which one doesn't need money? We cannot delay other projects just for the sake of one project."

County Mayor Bai Weijun glanced at Deputy County Magistrate Chen Guoliang, the anger in his heart already burning up to his throat.

With these heavy labels being placed on him, if he insisted any further, he would become an incompetent official who ignored people's livelihoods and only cared about political achievements.

He took a deep breath and swallowed the words that were about to spill out.

"County Magistrate Chen, for the supporting funds of this project, the province has special fund support; it is not all coming from the county."

"We put up twenty million, and the province provides eighty million—a one-hundred-million project. Where else can you find such a good deal?"

Deputy County Magistrate Chen Guoliang smiled, a smile that carried a stubbornness of "you are right about everything, but I just don't agree."

"County Magistrate Bai, the province's supporting funds are from the province. Our own twenty million is real money that has to be taken out of the county's finances."

"What if the project's returns are poor and this twenty million goes down the drain? Who will take responsibility? You? Or me?"

County Mayor Bai Weijun was choked off. He had served as County Magistrate for so long and had never been confronted like this by his subordinates.

In the past, these people were always polite to him; whatever he said went, and no one had ever questioned his decisions.

What was wrong with them today? Had they taken the wrong medicine? Or was someone backing them up from behind?

Xu Weidong sat to the side, his expression also looking unpleasant.

He had also been confronted by a veteran Vice County Magistrate during the meeting. That Vice County Magistrate was surnamed Zhao, nearly sixty years old, and had been in the position of Vice County Magistrate for nearly ten years; he was an old-timer in the county.

When Xu Weidong proposed accelerating the progress of several ongoing projects, Vice County Magistrate Zhao said slowly.

"County Magistrate Xu, you have worked in the townships and know the situation at the grassroots level. The county is much more complex than the townships; it's not something you can just speed up whenever you want."

"Some things cannot be rushed."

Xu Weidong opened his mouth to say something, but Vice County Magistrate Zhao had already lowered his head to read documents, not even glancing at him.

He sat there, holding a pen in his hand, drawing several circles on his notebook.

The subsequent agenda items were even more difficult than the last.

For every plan proposed by County Mayor Bai Weijun, there were people opposing, questioning, or delaying it.

Vice County Magistrate Mi Baizuo, Deputy County Magistrate Chen Guoliang, Vice County Magistrate Zhao, and several other Vice County Magistrates took turns, coordinating with tacit understanding.

It wasn't that they didn't speak; it was that everything they said was aimed directly at County Mayor Bai Weijun and Xu Weidong.

Regarding the projects proposed by County Mayor Bai Weijun, they claimed there was insufficient funding, the conditions were not ripe, or the risks were too great.

Regarding the plans proposed by Xu Weidong, they claimed they were too rushed, too aggressive, or did not fit the county's circumstances.

Director Zhou of the Finance Bureau and Director Liu of the Development and Reform Commission sat in the attendee seats, heads bowed without saying a word, wishing they could hide themselves in the piles of documents.

County Mayor Bai Weijun's expression grew increasingly ugly. He wanted to slam the table, curse, and drag out those who were playing tricks behind his back.

But he couldn't!

He was the County Magistrate, the top leader of the County Government; losing his temper in a public setting would only make him lose face.

He picked up his teacup and took a large gulp; the water had already gone cold, and the chill made him frown.

County Mayor Bai Weijun set down his teacup, closed his notebook, and spoke in a voice as calm as stagnant water, yet every word carried a long-suppressed anger.

"That is all for today's meeting. Meeting adjourned!"

He stood up, picked up his notebook, turned around, and walked out.

The sound of the door closing was not loud, but everyone felt what was hidden behind that door.

The people in the conference room stood up one after another and filed out.

No one spoke, no one whispered to each other, and there was not even any eye contact, like a colony of ants busy returning to their nest before a storm.

Xu Weidong returned to his office, threw his folder on the desk, sat in his chair, and let out a long sigh.

The phone on his desk rang. He picked it up; it was County Mayor Bai Weijun.

"Comrade Weidong, let's have lunch together. Don't go to the cafeteria; let's go outside."

"Okay."

The restaurant was chosen by County Mayor Bai Weijun. It was located in a secluded alley on the east side of the county town, had no sign, and only served regular customers.

County Mayor Bai Weijun was a regular here; the owner didn't greet him when he saw him, but led him directly to the innermost private room.

The dishes were home-style cooking: braised pork, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, fish with pickled mustard greens, and a bowl of egg drop soup. There was no alcohol.

County Mayor Bai Weijun sat down, picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of food, chewed and swallowed, then set down his chopsticks and leaned back in his chair.

"Comrade Weidong, what do you think about today's events?"

Xu Weidong also put down his chopsticks. He had no appetite; from this morning until now, his stomach had felt blocked.

"There is definitely someone playing tricks behind the scenes."

"The things that Vice County Magistrate Mi Baizuo, Deputy County Magistrate Chen Guoliang, and the others said at the meeting today didn't seem like impromptu remarks; they seemed like they had been discussed beforehand."

"The rhythm, tone, and arguments were all coordinated with such tacit understanding; I suspect someone passed them instructions from behind the scenes."

County Mayor Bai Weijun nodded and said, "I know. I am wondering who this person is."