Chapter 554
We Are Here
Chapter 554 We Are Here
After three consecutive heavy snowfalls, Anning County was covered in a blanket of white.
This winter is more lively than in previous years. Three months before the Spring Festival, various units in Anning County began to prepare programs for the county's Spring Festival Gala and select personnel for rehearsals.
The county government building was bustling with activity as staff members speculated about their year-end bonuses.
Will your company give you money, gifts, or shopping cards from Pang Donglai Supermarket?
No matter what, no one will mind.
"Have you heard? Fengdong County next door came to our county to borrow 300 million yuan to pay civil servants a month's back salary."
"What? Fengdong County came to our county for a visit and study last time, and they even set up a special enterprise reform team. The city approved 500 million yuan in special funds for them. Their starting point and treatment are much better than ours back then."
In the county government canteen, several new staff members from the secretariat got their meals and sat together.
With the color TV base taking shape, the county is getting busier and busier. County Chief Tian and the top leader are extremely busy, and the original team is no longer sufficient.
However, due to the scarcity of available positions, the county organization department could only recruit temporary staff from outside the county through a dispatch system.
These new employees are temporary workers who are only responsible for handling basic paperwork and have no access to confidential information.
There is an invisible barrier between temporary staff and permanent staff; they don't even sit together at meals.
Among this group of people was Old Zhang's son.
He wasn't a temporary employee, but an intern: "Fengdong County? My uncle lives there. Since the city is so supportive, why are they coming to us to borrow money? Did our county lend them any?"
A pretty girl glanced at him and whispered, "Do you think enterprise reform is such an easy thing? It's like a tangled ball of yarn; pulling one thread affects the whole thing. If it weren't for Director Lin, our county would be in a worse situation than Fengdong County."
Old Zhang's son frowned. This was different from what he had learned in school: "This isn't difficult, is it? Just break up the poorly performing factories, keep the high-quality assets, and sell the low-quality assets, isn't that enough?"
The pretty girl pursed her lips, slightly displeased, and said, "Who would buy these inferior assets? Aren't older workers considered inferior assets? Our factory director Lin and the leadership of Anning County have always insisted on properly arranging for laid-off workers and improving the supervision system. They went to great lengths to convey this idea to the higher-ups, but you think it's too simplistic."
The pretty girl finished her meal quickly, got up and left, ignoring Old Zhang's son completely.
The others at the table quickly tried to smooth things over: "Hey, Xiao Zhang, don't mind her. Sister Hui graduated from Harbin Institute of Technology. The reason she volunteered to come to our county is purely because she admires Director Lin. Her parents were both workers at the cannery in our county. Because they refused to associate with the former director, they were almost laid off. Fortunately, Director Lin... cough cough, everyone understands."
"With Sister Hui's education and personal abilities, she will definitely be promoted once the secretariat's staffing is finalized."
Old Zhang's son scoffed, "With that kind of personality, she'd never get anywhere in the system. The Anning County Secretariat is the pinnacle of her career: 'Why would I be so petty? By the way, did our county lend money to Fengdong County?'"
"No. Our County Chief Tian and the top official are on a business trip and not in the county. The people from Fengdong County have booked a room at the guesthouse and are just waiting."
Where have the leaders gone?
"Who knows? They took away top secrets; they wouldn't tell us."
The county head and secretary, who were being discussed by everyone, were sitting in a Hongqi car.
The car has been fitted with snow tires, so it won't slip on icy or snowy roads.
The top official rubbed his throbbing temples, looked at the stern-faced County Chief Tian, and sighed helplessly: "I can handle this matter. Why are you getting involved?"
County Chief Tian's eyes crinkled slightly: "More people mean more strength. Xiao Lin has finally asked for help, so we must do this well. Otherwise, how can I tell her that Anning County will always be her support?" The top official sighed deeply.
He's getting old and will retire next year, so whether this matter succeeds or fails, it won't really affect him much.
But Lao Tian is different. He is not yet 50 years old and has achievements like the Changhong Factory. He is very likely to be promoted to the next level.
"Sigh, this is too offensive. You have to think about yourself."
County Chief Tian's eyes were sharp, like a drawn sword: "In this world, who doesn't offend a few people? I just can't stand those people in the city. They're too selfish and have no sense of the big picture. They wanted to reap the benefits before, and now they want to take advantage of Changhong Factory's difficulties to bring up old issues again. Ha, I'm too embarrassed to tell Xiaolin these dirty things, afraid of offending her ears."
I'm also afraid she'll feel hurt. What if she stays abroad and never comes back?
County Magistrate Tian looked out the window.
The chimneys in Tiexi District were still emitting smoke, but the smoke was cold and lazily clung to the gray sky.
It was only a little past 4 p.m., but it was already completely dark. The tram clattered past, its windows covered in frost, making it impossible to see the people inside.
Several people were standing under the bus stop waiting for the bus, stamping their feet and rubbing their hands, their breath quickly dissipating in the wind.
At 4:30, the streetlights all turned on, casting a yellow glow on the untouched snow.
The old houses in the distance silently peeked at the pale gray sky, and the whole city seemed like an old man clinging to life, waiting for something.
County Chief Tian recalled the phone calls he had received recently and the implied meanings in the person's words, and suddenly burst out laughing.
The top leader asked in confusion, "What are you laughing at?"
County Chief Tian breathed out the car window, and the water vapor instantly condensed, obscuring the view outside.
"I remember a joke I heard from customers when I was shopping at Pang Donglai Supermarket."
"What joke?" As the car drew closer to the provincial party committee building, the top leader felt uneasy and desperately needed to relax.
County Magistrate Tian said quietly, "A man once obtained a magic lamp by chance. The genie said, 'You now have three chances to make a wish, and I will grant it.' The man said, 'I wish there would be no more corruption in the world.' The genie asked, 'Are you sure?' The man was very sure. After a long while, the genie finally spoke, 'Then you now have nine wishes.'"
The leader was stunned for a while before he realized what was happening: "There were originally 10 wishes, and the genie lamp took 7 of them? Haha, which mischievous devil rewrote the story of Aladdin's lamp?"
After laughing, the top leader felt a pang of sadness.
Art comes from life.
Aren't works like "The White-Haired Girl," "Crescent Moon," and "Blessing" all works that reflect the social phenomena of that time?
So, just how widespread must corruption be for people to come up with such a joke?
The Hongqi car stopped in front of the provincial party committee building.
County Chief Tian straightened his clothes, like a soldier preparing for battle: "Let's go. There are magic lamps in jokes, but there are also us in reality. We have to let everyone know that not everyone is a magic lamp."