15: Chapter 15 has been changed to an eight-lane road!

Secretary Man Chaojian, after all, had been immersed in officialdom for many years and possessed sufficient refinement or, one could say, extraordinary endurance. He said with a calm expression:

"Government projects need to account for small costs, but even more so for the big picture. We must calculate the investment, but also the social and cultural value it brings, which may be invisible or not immediately apparent. We should broaden our horizons and look further ahead."

Having finished, he smiled and looked at Zhang Huaijing. "Comrade Huaijing, you came from the province and have spent years by the side of leaders. You stand high and see far. Why don't you say a few words?"

This was the first time the young and handsome Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee would voice his opinion in public. Everyone wanted to know his stance and how he would express it, so all eyes shot toward him in unison.

Zhang Huaijing sat up straight. Before speaking, he smiled, appearing easygoing and composed.

"I reported for duty yesterday, so today is effectively my first official day on the job. I don't have a particularly deep understanding of many situations yet. Please criticize and correct me if I say anything wrong."

He first placed himself in a relatively humble position before continuing, "Last night, Secretary Man spoke with me about the Chaojiang Bridge. This morning, Secretary Man took Secretary-General Fang and me to visit the site, and Director Xie Jiancheng gave a detailed introduction, giving me a relatively deep and intuitive understanding of this project. Therefore, my remarks will be devoid of personal bias and based entirely on the facts."

The message he wanted to convey was that regarding the new proposal, the Municipal Party Committee Secretary had already begun lobbying him last night. His speech might be at the Secretary's behest, but he had personally investigated the project and would absolutely not be a mere mouthpiece; he followed reality, not just people.

"Afterward, I spent the whole afternoon reading through Haizhou's plenary reports and government reports from the past few years. I also looked over some economic data that hasn't been made public, giving me a preliminary understanding of the entire city's situation." Zhang Huaijing's tone was clear and powerful, his articulation sharp. "At the same time, I reviewed the reports from the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government from the last two years."

"Secretary Huaijing, you don't need to take such a long detour. Let's have some straight talk," Secretary She Xionghan interrupted him with a hint of mockery.

Executive Vice Mayor Zuo Youfa flashed a contemptuous smile.

Zhang Huaijing smiled faintly and said, "Taking a detour is for seeing more clearly, and also to look at problems more dialectically and objectively."

"The old proposal was conceived and discussed several years ago, and the four-lane plan was finalized early last year. It integrated the situation, thinking, and development planning of the past, making it very appropriate three years ago."

"The problem is that nearly four years have passed since the proposal was conceived. Our city's urban construction, economic activities, population flow, and traffic demands have all undergone significant changes—it's truly changing with each passing day."

"Relatively speaking, the new proposal keeps up with the times and considers the long term, reserving space for future development. Looking at the growth curve for the number of family cars in various cities, we can predict that in the next few years, car ownership in Haizhou City may exceed one million. Cui Jian's song says it well: 'It's not that I don't understand, it's that the world is changing fast.'"

"We must look at problems with an eye toward development; this is in line with dialectics."

His words so far were a bit abstract, but his stance was already clear: he supported the new proposal.

Since Secretary Man Chaojian had already gone this far, if he didn't voice his support, it would be too much about self-preservation, or rather, too cowardly.

The Municipal Party Committee Secretary naturally held the advantage as the head of the Party committee. Supporting him was beyond reproach.

At the same time, Zhang Huaijing wouldn't take sides based on people, but based on the matter at hand.

"Second, we need to step back and look at the problem. The Chaojiang Bridge might be a massive project within Haizhou City, but in the context of the province's large-scale transportation construction, it's just a small project."

His voice resonated through the meeting hall. "In the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government's 11th Five-Year Plan, a plan for 'Major Transportation and Major Construction' was clearly proposed. I'm sure everyone knows that these past two years have been the peak of the era of large-scale infrastructure. One of the three pillars of growth is fixed-asset investment, which has maintained high growth. In the first half of the year, total social fixed-asset investment grew by 25 percentage points. What does this indicate?"

"Increasing fixed-asset investment is correct, especially in transportation. This aligns with the national trend and the developmental requirements of Haixi Province. We shouldn't stay on the sidelines, hesitant and fearful, and we certainly shouldn't miss this window of development opportunity."

As soon as Zhang Huaijing paused, Secretary She Xionghan said in a provocative tone, "Secretary Zhang, you've rambled for a long time without hitting the point. Mayor Niu said it—like a father-in-law wearing his daughter-in-law's shoes, it's tight in the front (money). We can't possibly take the money meant for salary increases to build a new bridge, can we?"

He quoted a folk saying and laughed, but no one else did.

Zhang Huaijing smiled slightly, seemingly not caring about the provocation at all. "Secretary She, I haven't finished. I mentioned the national and provincial trends because I wanted to express a point: if our treasury lacks funds, we can apply to the central and provincial governments. In this context, it will be relatively easy to get approval."

"If we miss the dividends of this round of major transportation construction, it will likely be difficult to apply later. You should know that national fixed-asset investment will exceed 14 trillion yuan this year, and Haixi Province's will be nearly 1 trillion. Haixi accounts for one-fourteenth of the nation. What does a mere thirty or forty million matter?"

Indeed, you bunch of hicks only know how to fuss over Haizhou City every day. You're short-sighted, like frogs at the bottom of a well. Don't you know that looking at the whole country and province, an extra 40 million for this project is just a drop in the bucket?

With the province investing 1 trillion in fixed assets, the possibility of getting 40 million approved was quite high.

Secretary Man Chaojian was very satisfied with Zhang Huaijing's speech; it had exceeded his expectations. What he needed was this kind of broad vision, theoretical depth, and a "dimensionality reduction strike."

The meeting hall fell silent once more. Since the province could support 35 million, why couldn't they support another 30 or 40 million? Even if they only covered 30 million, leaving 10 million, the city could grit its teeth and solve it.

Wasn't the focus of the dispute the fear that the treasury wouldn't be able to handle an increase of tens of millions in the budget?

Zhang Huaijing continued, "So, if possible, I hope it won't be a two-way six-lane bridge..."

At this point, he paused.

Secretary Man was stunned, and everyone else in the hall was also taken aback, all looking at him with confusion.

"I hope to expand it to a two-way eight-lane bridge! Solve the traffic bottleneck issues that may arise in future development once and for all! At the same time, build it to high standards as one of the landmark buildings of Haizhou City and even Haixi Province, as well as a famous tourist attraction! Just like Orange Isle in Changsha City, it should be a must-visit spot in Haizhou. We could even develop some tourism products—bungee jumping, boat tours, glass skywalks, and so on—all of it can be done."

Zhang Huaijing's tone was forceful, then he suddenly smiled again. "Of course, this is just my personal view. I suggest we base our actions on reality and act according to our capabilities."

The hall became chaotic again. Some leaders discussed among themselves, some shook their heads with bitter smiles, and Secretary She Xionghan sat with a dark face, silent.

Mayor Niu Panlong looked at Zhang Huaijing, who was sitting opposite him, with a complex expression. It seemed he had underestimated this kid; he actually had some skill and certainly had guts!

The conference table was oval-shaped. The Municipal Party Committee Secretary sat at the northernmost end, facing south, with the Deputy Secretary and the Mayor seated on his left and right.