Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 798 - 754 Resistance

Chapter 798: Chapter 754 Resistance

Guonan City

In the city committee and city government office building, the atmosphere exudes grandeur. In Jiang Jingu’s office within the government office area, the director of the Guonan City Agriculture Bureau sat before him like a schoolchild. Beneath Jiang’s silver-framed glasses, his eyes shone with a sharpness that was somewhat intimidating.

“Mayor, the situation regarding the transfer of rural land in the past two months has not been smooth, mainly in three aspects. First, the common people are not buying it; they fail to understand the land transfer policy, believing that we are taking away their land. Even if it lies fallow, they are unwilling to participate in the land transfer. The total land actually assembled for transfer in the entire city is less than six thousand mu. Second, the big grain producers in Guonan City also harbor doubts and hesitations, worrying about policy changes. Everyone is watching and hesitating to make a move. Third, quite a few leaders in the counties and districts subordinate to Guonan City are not taking this matter seriously enough,” the director of the Agriculture Bureau reported with a sense of helplessness.

This caused Jiang Jingu’s brow to furrow. The pilot project for the centralized transfer of rural land was an assignment handed down by Governor Nie. To perform poorly on this task was a minor issue, but more significantly, it could impact Governor Nie’s influence and standing in Bashu Province.

As for the array of issues identified by the provincial committee, Jiang found them inscrutable and unfathomable; the waters were too deep. However, whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to address them now that he had been pushed into it.

Given that Governor Nie had identified Guonan City as a pilot location, Mayor Jiang Jingu certainly did not have the composure of Wang Guofa. The responsibility for the rural land transfer pilot project fell almost entirely on his own shoulders. At this moment, Jiang Jingu was acutely aware that he was in a difficult position. The big shots at the provincial level were waiting to see a slip-up in this initiative. Just imagine—if Governor Nie became the subject of ridicule, then could he, the one carrying out the work, possibly come out of it with any benefit?

After a pause, Jiang Jingu mused, “Regarding the work on rural land transfer, your agricultural department needs to intensify its propaganda efforts. Gather the cadres of the municipal agricultural system, along with the teams from the county and district agriculture bureaus, to hold a study session. Deeply comprehend and implement the instructions from the provincial committee and provincial government. Learn and adhere to the policies of the municipal committee and city government. Truly engage with the people and clarify the policy to the common people. Now, if the people are not buying it, could it be related to your department’s inadequate efforts in policy publicity?”

Jiang’s words left the director of the Agriculture Bureau with furrowed brows and a feeling of dejection. The Mayor’s recent words made it clear that there was an implied reprimand and a suggestion of incompetency. Yet, the director was well aware of the realities within his department; to suggest that their publicity efforts were lacking was truly unjust.

No wonder ancient sayings ring true that serving a ruler is like living with a tiger. Right now, even within a typical hierarchical relationship, he felt so pressured that it was stifling.

With a bitter smile, the director said, “Mayor, in terms of promotional work, our Agriculture Bureau has drawn vehicles from county bureaus across the city and rented four hundred small trucks from the community. We have printed a total of fifty thousand brochures about rural land transfers, which have been distributed to every village-level unit in the city. Moving forward, I plan to intensify publicity efforts, focusing on each village, to ensure that the land transfer policy will be deeply rooted in people’s hearts.”

Listening to this report, Jiang Jingu also remained silent. He could sense the implication in the words. With so many vehicles deployed for publicity and materials printed and distributed even down to the village-level units, to say the promotional efforts were lacking would be quite preposterous. The director of the Agriculture Bureau was subtly indicating that their propaganda was surely sufficient.

Hearing this, Jiang Jingu could not press the issue further. He simply waved his hand and said, “All right, go back to work. The entire city is watching this land transfer initiative. Now, your Agriculture Bureau is the leading actor on this big stage. Not only is the municipal committee and city government watching, but the provincial committee, provincial government, and Governor Nie are also keeping an eye on it. Do well and don’t let me down. Whether you can seize the opportunity is up to you.”

In the end, Jiang both chided and subtly encouraged the director. Such adroitness in handling the situation was quite skilled for Jiang.

Jiang had barely seen the director out when his desk phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, he was somewhat surprised to see it was Wu Biao, the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee. The relationship between Jiang and Wu was not cold, but it was also not harmonious. Their interactions were more of a friend-or-foe relationship, where they would collaborate against the municipal committee secretary Wang Guofa when necessary, and at other times, they vied with each other over conflicting interests.

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As he picked up the phone, Wu’s hearty laughter came through, “Mayor, not getting any rest at noon? People are like iron, and food is like steel—you get hungry if you skip a meal! You can’t work yourself to the bone like this.”

Wu’s teasing made Jiang bristle with irritation. It sounded as if he had called specifically to mock him. Yet with such a trivial matter, Jiang couldn’t afford to lose face. They were both leaders of the same rank, and it would seem petty to get upset over such a small thing.

Still, Jiang couldn’t help but reply with a bitter smile, “Old Wu, you’re always so carefree. You’re well aware of the current situation—the land transfer issue. The big boss’s gaze is constantly upon us. It’s been over two months without any progress. I’m so worried, my hair’s turning white. If he gets angry, just look at Yang Hengqiu from Yangde City and Wuliang City for an example. I don’t know whether the old man will speak up for me, and even if he does, it might not make any difference. Tell me, you always have a reason for your visits. What’s the matter this time?”

The “big boss” was how the leaders of cities in Bashu Province referred to Nie Zhenbang, and “the old man” referred to Zeng Taiping.

Sometimes, such nicknames are useful for communication in other contexts. This habit is also a common local custom.

Old Wu’s voice also came through from the other end of the phone, “Mayor, are you free tonight? Let’s get together, I’ve been thinking about the promise you made.”

This remark made Jiang Jingu laugh and scold, “Look at you, Wu Biao. The Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, when did you become so mercenary? It’s just a meal I owe you. How about this, let’s meet at the entrance of Dongquan Seafood Restaurant at seven o’clock tonight.”

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Jingu’s expression turned solemn and thoughtful. Wu Biao was said to have been promoted by Lu Yong back in the day. Since he himself was from Sun Jialuo’s camp, there was no harmony between the two sides, but they were not enemies either. This was also the reason why the two of them could get along harmoniously.

Yet, Wu Biao’s unexpected words today were definitely not as simple as Jiang Jingu could ascertain. After work in the afternoon, Jiang Jingu went back home, changed his clothes, and took his bank card before heading to Dongquan Restaurant.

Just as he left the house, Wu Biao called again, “Old Jiang, you haven’t arrived at Dongquan yet, have you? If that’s the case, let’s eat something special in the suburbs. Places like Dongquan are too high-end and expensive, completely unnecessary for just the two of us.”

Jiang Jingu didn’t mind, and in accordance with Wu Biao’s instructions, he hurried to a local farmhouse restaurant in the suburbs.

The whole restaurant, from the outside, had a distinctive character. The exterior walls were entirely decorated with wood. From the main entrance, the inside was composed of several private rooms, just like a courtyard house. The signs on each private room also had a rustic touch, such as Red Flag Production Team, White Horse Commune, and so on.

After several dishes of special farmhouse cuisine were served, the door of the private room was closed. Wu Biao then opened a bottle of Wuliangye on the table. After pouring a cup for Jiang Jingu, he began, “Old Jiang, you’ve had a tough time lately.”

Looking at Jiang Jingu’s calm demeanor, Wu Biao was unconcerned, as he could understand Jiang Jingu’s mindset very well. With such a heavy burden on his shoulders and the situation unresolved, anyone would likely be anxious and agitated.

To be honest, Wu Biao was impressed that Jiang Jingu could remain so composed at this time. After a pause, Wu Biao spoke seriously, “Old Jiang, let’s not beat around the bush. This time, many in the team are ready to laugh at your misfortune.”

Jiang Jingu also deeply felt this sentiment. Those looking forward to his misfortune were mainly led by Wang Guofa and his faction.

After the formal operation of the land lease project began, he had already felt an invisible resistance from the shadows. As the mayor, Jiang Jingu was no fool; he quickly realized where this resistance was coming from.

After a moment, Jiang Jingu replied indifferently, “Let nature take its course. The land lease is a project directly supervised by the big boss. I don’t care, and soon you’ll understand. This time, someone is definitely going to hit a snag.”

This statement left Wu Biao somewhat startled, with a complex look on his face. After a moment of silence, Wu Biao looked at Jiang Jingu and said, “Old Jiang, there’s something I just found out about. I heard that now, in Jinjiang County, many people are contracting land. You should take note of this.”

The Party Secretary of Jinjiang County was Wu Biao’s man, and he was clear about these matters. Initially, Wu Biao had no intention of sharing this news with Jiang Jingu. However, at the last moment, Wu Biao suddenly changed his mind. Drawing closer to Jiang Jingu at this time would definitely be beneficial to him.

At this moment, Jiang Jingu was visibly shocked, standing up immediately, no longer able to remain composed. It was important to note that Guonan City was the leading grain-producing base of Bashu Province, and Jinjiang County was Guonan City’s largest grain-producing county. The land in the entire county was also the most abundant in Guonan City. If there was a problem in Jinjiang County, then the entire land lease project would inevitably become an empty talk!(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes, your support is my greatest motivation.)