13: Chapter 13 The "Four Heavenly Kings" of Officialdom

At nine o'clock the next morning, two sedans carried Secretary Man Chaojian, Zhang Huaijing, Municipal Committee Secretary-General Fang Yuan, and others to the vicinity of the selected site for the Cross-River Bridge.

In the two-hundred-meter-wide Chao River, the river water flowed slowly, carrying fine sand, as several cargo ships skimmed across the surface.

The south bank was bustling with heavy traffic, and the sound of car horns could be heard across the river.

On the north bank, newly built high-rises and waving tower cranes extended toward distant mountains; the blue-gray mountain shadows were faint in the morning mist, making the New District appear more open and vibrant.

Standing on a high point covered in mugwort, Secretary Man Chaojian, with his protruding belly, pointed to the opposite bank and said, "Secretary Huaijing, look, Jiangbei New Area is right there. The new Municipal Government building is on the north bank—do you see it? That sixteen-story building is it."

"I see it. It's quite impressive."

The blue glass of the building's exterior walls shimmered, standing out like a crane among chickens.

There is a phenomenon in the country where Municipal Committee office buildings are always low-slung and dilapidated, appearing low-key and inconspicuous, yet profound, mysterious, and dignified; Municipal Government buildings, on the other hand, are often built to be grand and high-end.

Looking at the starkly different scenes on both sides of the Chao River, Zhang Huaijing actually felt as if the Municipal Government and the Municipal Committee were "ruling across the river."

At this moment, Secretary Man Chaojian adjusted the toupee that was about to be blown off by the river breeze and said, "The construction of the New District is in full swing. In a few years, when it's developed, the population might overtake the Old District. Building only four lanes lacks long-term vision."

Zhang Huaijing said, "The selection of this site is quite good. It directly connects the main urban areas of the South District and the North District, which is beneficial for urban development."

"Comrade Huaijing, well said," Secretary Man Chaojian lamented. He suddenly turned to Secretary-General Fang Yuan beside him and said, "Secretary-General Fang, call the 'Four Heavenly Kings' over. We'll wait for them here."

Secretary-General Fang Yuan agreed and took Secretary Yang Yifan with him to make the calls.

Zhang Huaijing asked doubtfully, "Secretary, who are the 'Four Heavenly Kings'?"

"The Transportation Bureau, Development and Reform Bureau, Finance Bureau, and Construction Bureau. For building roads and bridges, these four departments are indispensable; they are all major offices. The four directors have a good relationship and often drink and play cards together, so everyone calls them the 'Four Heavenly Kings'."

Zhang Huaijing chuckled.

"The 'Four Heavenly Kings' aren't enough; there are also the 'The Eight Vajras'."

Zhang Huaijing was stunned. "The The Eight Vajras?"

"Heads of districts, counties, and government units, as well as entrepreneurs," Secretary Man Chaojian said without going into detail.

"With the Four Heavenly Kings and the The Eight Vajras present, who is the Buddha?" Zhang Huaijing found it amusing to think about. He felt as if Haizhou City was turning into a temple, with the Municipal Government as the Main Hall.

"There is no Buddha. This is still the Communist Party's world, after all. However, there is a 'Local Emperor'," Secretary Man Chaojian said with a smile.

Zhang Huaijing understood he was referring to Mayor Niu Panlong.

"It seems the Secretary needs to form a Beifu Army to march north and unify the south and north of the river."

Secretary Man Chaojian laughed loudly. "Then you are my Emperor Wu of Liu Song!"

Emperor Wu of Liu Song referred to Liu Yu of the Southern Dynasties, who once led the Beifu Army all the way to Luoyang and Chang'an, reclaiming the Central Plains and subsequently replacing the Eastern Jin to establish the Liu Song Dynasty.

As they were talking and laughing, Secretary-General Fang Yuan and Secretary Yang Yifan returned.

Secretary-General Fang Yuan said, "Secretary, of the four bureau directors, one can't be reached, one is sick, and one went to the countryside and can't make it back. Only Transportation Director Xie Jiancheng can come, but it will take thirty to forty minutes."

Secretary Man Chaojian snorted coldly. "What about the deputies?"

"For the deputies to come, it will also take half an hour."

"Then we wait."

More than thirty minutes later, several official cars hurried over and parked by the roadside. Several men looking like cadres jumped out of the cars, stepped through the wild grass and mud, and arrived before the Secretary, drenched in sweat. They all called out respectfully, "Secretary Man, Secretary Zhang, Secretary-General Fang."

Standing at the very front was a tall, thin middle-aged man with a look of deep bitterness on his face.

Secretary Man Chaojian pointed at him and said, "Comrade Huaijing, let me introduce you. This is the great Director of the Municipal Transportation Bureau, Xie Jiancheng. I just don't know if this cross-river bridge can be 'built' under your hand."

"Secretary, you flatter me too much. I'm just the one running errands and doing the work."

Zhang Huaijing reached out and shook hands with him. "Director Xie, your bureau is the lead unit, responsible for project planning, project application, and construction management. At the critical moment, you mustn't drop the ball."

"Hello, Secretary Zhang. I am truly fearful and apprehensive," Xie Jiancheng said with a somewhat bitter smile.

Secretary Man Chaojian said, "Introduce the project."

Xie Jiancheng then gestured and introduced the project situation. In fact, Zhang Huaijing already understood the basic situation.

"Focus on the new proposal," Secretary Man Chaojian said.

Xie Jiancheng took the design drawings handed over by the staff behind him and said, "Leaders, I'll speak briefly. The new proposal expands to a two-way six-lane bridge, with a main span of 420 meters and approach bridges of 50 meters at each end, which will involve land acquisition and demolition. The bridge width is 38 meters, whereas the original design was only 16 meters. Therefore, the budget will increase significantly, conservatively estimated at 38 million."

As he spoke, the tone began to feel off. Secretary-General Fang Yuan glared at him displeasedly and said, "You were asked to report on the design proposal, not to mention difficulties."

Xie Jiancheng thought to himself that he hadn't raised difficulties, just stated facts, but he refrained from arguing. He said 'alright' and continued, "The new proposal also considers a scenic bridge. It's not only a forward-looking layout for traffic needs but also an opportunity to turn the bridge into a city landmark."

"First, in the deck design, three-meter-wide scenic walkways will be reserved on both sides, paired with a nighttime light and shadow system. During the day, one can overlook the river view, and at night, once lit, it will be a ribbon of light on the river;"

"Second, the bridge towers will adopt a streamlined design, incorporating our Haizhou 'Sea Charm' cultural symbols to form a scenic bridge with local cultural characteristics;"

"Third, once built, this bridge will directly connect the Xiaoqingshan Scenic Area in Jiangbei with Paifang Street, the Ancient County Government Office, and other historical and cultural attractions in Nanzhou District, greatly shortening travel time and forming an interconnected scenic area."

"In the future, whether for locals commuting or tourists visiting, this bridge can withstand traffic pressure and become a scenic spot for people to take photos, truly realizing a dual success as a traffic artery and a scenic landmark. Leaders, that's the general situation."

"Xie Jiancheng, you've even memorized this passage. Why then do you disagree with the new proposal?" Secretary Man Chaojian asked.

Xie Jiancheng's brow furrowed into a knot, and he sighed. "Secretary, I'm only in charge of the preliminary work and subsequent operations. The intermediate links must keep up. If Development and Reform doesn't approve the project, Finance doesn't allocate funds, and the Construction Bureau doesn't conduct the final inspection, isn't this just a castle in the air?"

Zhang Huaijing couldn't help but smile. This director had a face like a bitter melon, but he spoke very realistically.

On his first field investigation, three of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' had made excuses not to come. Xie Jiancheng's presence was a show of respect to him, the new Deputy Secretary. Therefore, he helped him out of the predicament, saying, "Secretary, this matter really needs to be pushed forward as a whole. All four units are indispensable."

Secretary Man Chaojian said in a mild tone, "Director Xie, don't you Four Heavenly Kings stick together every day? Why don't you do some ideological work on them?"

"Oh, my Secretary Man, what's the use of me doing work on them? Without instructions from the Municipal Government, they wouldn't dare move."

"Are instructions from the Municipal Committee not enough?" Secretary Man Chaojian had a smile on his face, but it was a bit cold.

Xie Jiancheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Secretary, I suggest the Municipal Committee and Municipal Government first unify their thinking so that we subordinates can do our jobs properly."

"Fine. For this afternoon's Standing Committee meeting, you, Xie Jiancheng, and several of your deputies should attend as non-voting members."