Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 799 - 755 Breakthrough

Chapter 799: Chapter 755 Breakthrough

“Old Wu, this can’t be false, can it?” Jiang Jingu’s expression was stern as he questioned back.

If a large amount of land in Jinjiang County was pre-contracted, once the land circulation project was implemented, when there was no land left, the situation would become chaotic. More seriously, it could directly affect the pilot results of the land circulation. At that time, within Bashu Province, there would inevitably be intense debates. This consequence was not something he could bear.

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Wu Biao nodded gravely and said, “It was Zhang Baochang from Jinjiang County who called me. Over the past month, several people from the city have been frequenting Jinjiang County. In addition, many towns and villages have local people signing contracting agreements with the local village committees, towns, and some farmers. From this, it’s not hard to see that the operations of those young masters in the city are indispensable.”

Although Wu Biao didn’t say it explicitly, his words were quite straightforward. The young masters in the city, needless to think, were none other than the children of those few people in the leadership.

This kind of thing wasn’t uncommon locally. Relying on insider information from their families, they got ahead of the game, blocked others in the front, and then took the opportunity to make a fortune.

These people were capable of leaving no excuse for faultfinding—for instance, this time, the ones engaging in the land circulation contracts were all locals of Jinjiang. They just stood far behind the scenes manipulating things. Even if you wanted to find fault, there was nothing to pick on.

Yet, such actions had a major impact on the overall situation of the land circulation project. Officially speaking, this would diminish the effectiveness of land circulation. For the major grain growers, it added an extra layer of pricing. Spread over an acre, in reality, the major grain growers would not earn much. What was mainly earned here was scale and prestige.

An acre of land, in the hands of farmers, might yield three to five hundred yuan. In their hands, perhaps two to three hundred yuan. But farmers would see it as unprofitable. With the expanses of land they had, several thousand acres or even tens of thousands, the profits would be substantial. That’s the advantage of scale.

Moreover, the larger the scale, the greater the reputation, and loans, among other things, became easier and more convenient. That’s the benefit. However, now it had been interrupted by someone adding a needless procedure; by the time it got to them, there was no profit to speak of. This greatly dampened the enthusiasm of the major grain growers.

From the perspective of the regular farmers, they didn’t care about the ins and outs. What they valued were concrete and substantial benefits.

After the land was contracted, if they ignored this segment and didn’t pay their dues, given these people’s capabilities and methods, it was certain that they wouldn’t be able to do anything with the land. People who were lazy and didn’t know anything about farming, would they be able to cultivate the land? That was impossible.

As a result, the land would continue to be abandoned. It was very likely that the promised contract payments would be defaulted on, leading to a loss of trust, which would be another heavy blow to land circulation.

The ruthlessness of these people lay exactly here; they grabbed this one aspect, making it impossible for you to investigate or act upon. Their purpose, naturally, was to make a quick buck.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Jingu spoke in a deep voice, “Too arrogant. Too indulgent. If we let this continue, in the future, won’t they interfere in everything? Later on, things could only get worse. In this kind of issue, we must not condone it.”

At this moment, Jiang Jingu also felt somewhat embarrassed. Then he said with a sheepish grin, “Old Wu, my apologies, I was really blinded by rage.”

Wu Biao didn’t mind at all. The reason he was helping Jiang Jingu this time was also out of consideration for his own interests. If Jiang Jingu were to be dealt with like this, it would be bad for him too. At the moment, by joining forces with Jiang Jingu, he still had a certain say in the city committee, but if Jiang Jingu were to fall, the saying ‘a single spark can start a prairie fire’ was something he understood.

After a pause, Wu Biao spoke, “Old Jiang, to tell the truth, we’ve been colleagues for many years. I remember when I was serving as the party secretary of Jinjiang, you were the party secretary of Renzhang County. Over these years, although we can’t say we’ve been particularly close, we still maintained a good overall relationship. Now, with the situation in Jinjiang County being a thorn in your side, I think you should change your mindset. Address the problem from another angle. I recall that Renzhang County had a planting expert who was even commended by the Ministry of Agriculture, right?”

This was a case of the observer being clear-headed while the participant was confused. Jiang Jingu’s thinking on the issue of land circulation had become too rigid.

The province indeed designated Guonan City as a pilot city. However, Governor Nie didn’t say that Guonan City had to implement a comprehensive layout citywide from the start.

Now, with Wu Biao’s enlightenment, Jiang Jingu felt as if he had found a lighthouse in the vast sea. Since Jinjiang County was not viable, then he would take the Renzhang County route and keep other areas on hold. As long as there were tangible results after this quarter, future work would be easier to carry out. The regular farmers may not believe the government’s words, but they would believe the reality right before their eyes. And those people would surely end up suffering losses attempting to steal.

With this thought, Jiang Jingu could no longer sit still and immediately stood up, saying, “Old Wu, I owe you for this favor. Don’t laugh, but I really can’t sit around anymore. This matter has been dragging on for more than two months, and we can’t delay any longer. I must go back and make arrangements to avoid any more complications.”

Jiang Jingu’s remark was tantamount to making a serious commitment; within the system, the toughest debts to settle are those of personal favors. Don’t think that just because no one knows, you can fail to acknowledge it. Remember, there are no impenetrable walls in this world. If you really refuse to acknowledge it, your reputation will be ruined. When that time comes, others might just watch you fall into an abyss, keeping their distance.

Working inside the system, minor faults are tolerable, but without credibility, you can hardly move an inch. This was something Jiang Jingu was well aware of, and he dared not violate this principle.

At this moment, Wu Biao readily accepted Jiang Jingu’s gesture of goodwill. He smiled and said, “I knew you, old pal, couldn’t sit still. But then again, if the big boss were to put such heavy pressure on me, I reckon I would’ve collapsed by now. You go ahead with your business. I’ll take care of the bill here.”

Leaving the homestyle restaurant, Jiang Jingu flagged down a taxi and headed straight back to the municipal government’s family compound. Upon entering, he immediately picked up the phone. As soon as he got through, he ordered, “Aichun, it’s Jiang Jingu. Arrange for me to visit Renzhang County tomorrow morning for an inspection of their work. Also, schedule a meeting with Renzhang County’s major grain producer, Qiu Weimao.”

As a former Party Secretary of Renzhang County, Jiang Jingu still had a team of old subordinates there, so such instructions naturally posed no problem.

Next, Jiang Jingu made a call to the director of the municipal government’s secretarial office, arranged the itinerary for the next day, and then finally felt at ease.

The next morning.

In Renzhang County, the streets were adorned with colorful banners, and the city had taken on a fresh, new look in anticipation of the visit following Jiang Jingu’s phone call.

That very night, Renzhang County had hastily called an emergency standing committee meeting to organize a welcoming party. The sanitation, public security, and health departments were mobilized overnight. All direct units of the county went into action, cleaning the streets of Renzhang County in preparation.

Every nook and cranny in the urban area had been tidied up, and some of the more notorious troublemakers in the city had received calls from the local police stations. With senior leadership inspecting the following day, they were ordered to keep a low profile over the next few days.

After shaking hands with each member of Renzhang County’s team, Jiang Jingu listened to the work report in the Renzhang County Party Committee’s meeting room. Then, he received Renzhang County’s grain king, Qiu Weimao, in the office of the County Party Secretary Peng Aichun.

Qiu Weimao was in his fifties. Not particularly tall—around 1.65 meters—his skin was rough and dark. At first glance, he had all the hallmarks of the rather typical image of an old farmer from the countryside. However, who would have thought that he was the renowned grain king of Guonan City, and even the whole Bashu Province?

Qiu Weimao may have looked plain and substantial, but he was carrying quite a few titles. A representative of the provincial legislature, an aura not just anyone could claim for themselves.

In Qiu Weimao’s presence, Jiang Jingu did not put on the air of a mayor, speaking amicably, “Master Qiu, I truly apologize. I should have visited you in person.”

Qiu Weimao had a stubbornness in his bones, characteristic of a farmer. If anyone tried to put on airs in front of him, he might not even bother to look at them straight. However, Jiang Jingu’s words gave plentiful respect to Qiu Weimao.

At this point, Qiu Weimao also smiled and answered, “Mayor Jiang, you’re too polite. May I ask, what brings you here this time, Mayor Jiang?”

This was typical Qiu Weimao—direct and straightforward. With him, the circuitous talk common to bureaucratic systems was utterly useless. Jiang Jingu had figured this out and promptly replied, “Master Qiu, let’s put it this way. I’m here in Renzhang County specifically for you.”

“For me? Mayor Jiang, you’re here concerning the land transfer, aren’t you? I’ve heard about it and looked into it seriously. To be honest, I support Governor Nie’s plan, but I dare not undertake it,” Qiu Weimao said straightforwardly.

Pausing for a moment, he continued as he saw Jiang Jingu’s puzzled expression, “To get me to lead the way, just a few hundred or even a thousand acres won’t make much of an impact. To take on tens of thousands of acres, I’ll definitely need to hire people and acquire equipment and machinery. Then there’s the significant issue of grain production and sales. All those aspects combined would require an investment of at least four million yuan. If I take on the contract this year and can’t get it next year, I’ll be at a huge loss. Mayor Jiang, I need a guarantee from the government, ensuring me a ten-year lease. With that assurance, I’ll do it.”

This statement, however, stumped Jiang Jingu.

PS: Been coding since seven and after two hours and fifty minutes, I’ve finally managed to finish Chapter Two. I’m in a bit of a foul mood, the writing was excruciating. My state of mind hasn’t been the best these past two days. Couldn’t complete my daily goal of three updates this month; I apologize to my brother and sister readers. Previously, I owed five updates and have compensated three, still two to go, and it looks like I’ll be one short again today. I’ll have to make up these three in October. I apologize and wish all my readers a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it, or send in monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)