Chapter 227: Township Industrial Park Inauguration

On March 19th, the second day of the second lunar month, known as the "Dragon Heads-raising Day," a bright red stage was set up in the open space in front of the office building of Factory 760. A dragon and lion dance troupe had been brought in from the county, performing energetically, with firecrackers crackling like it was New Year's. In front of the stage, several large balloons rose into the sky, each bearing banners. From the various celebratory slogans, it was clear to everyone that today was the day of the official inauguration of the Nanhui Township Industrial Park.

At 9:00 a.m., several vehicles with license plates from the municipal and county committees arrived at the factory, escorted by police cars. Soon after, many familiar faces frequently seen on television and in newspapers stepped out of the cars.

Many factory workers gathered to watch. Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Look! Isn't that Secretary Gu Ping of Nanhui County? And that short, chubby middle-aged man—isn't that Mayor Chen Da of Linyang? Why have all these high-ranking officials from the county and city come to our factory today?"

The person next to him immediately scorned, "It's obvious you never pay attention to factory affairs. Let me tell you, today is the big day when our factory's industrial park is inaugurated! And what about the mayor and the county committee secretary? With our boss Zhou in the factory, even the provincial governor would come down in person!"

Speaking of Boss Zhou, someone nearby immediately praised him, "That's right. Ever since Boss Zhou took over the factory, our lives have gotten much better than before. Not only do we get our wages on time every month, but if we work hard, we earn a lot more than before. If we used to have to tighten our belts, now we can eat meat at every meal!"

"Exactly! And Boss Zhou even came up with an Eight-Treasure Congee product that saved dozens of people at the Xiling Cannery, selling it to coastal cities. Even the provincial governor was impressed! Who doesn't give a thumbs-up when talking about Boss Zhou?" Someone else chimed in.

This praise quickly gained others' approval, "Yes, it's Boss Zhou who revived our Factory 760! Boss Zhou is an idol to everyone in our factory!"

…

The discussions among the crowd reached the backstage. Mayor Chen Da said to Zhou Ming, "It seems that you, Boss Zhou, have quite the reputation among the factory workers. This shows that the city's decision to entrust Factory 760 to you was the right one."

"This is all thanks to the city's decision," Zhou Ming replied. "However, it's not that the collective system is bad; it's just that private contracting tends to be more motivating for ordinary enterprises."

"Boss Zhou, you are very modest!" Chen Da said to Zhou Ming.

Time quickly passed 9:30 a.m., and the inauguration ceremony of the Nanhui Township Industrial Park officially began. Introduced by the host from Linyang City TV Station, Chen Da, Zhou Ming, and County Committee Secretary Gu Ping took the stage together. Although the mysterious relationship between Zhou Ming and Xiong Qingping left Chen Da and Gu Ping uncertain, some rules couldn't be broken, so Chen Da and Gu Ping spoke first.

As officials within the system, Chen Da and Gu Ping's speeches were essentially formalities. Chen Da began by speaking about adhering to the spirit of national reform and opening up, following the unified deployment of the provincial government, and then discussed the city's considerations and plans. Gu Ping expressed his commitment to supporting the province's unified plan, promising that the county would support the development of the township industrial park in every way, making a strong contribution to local construction.

Finally, it was Zhou Ming's turn to speak. Taking the microphone, Zhou Ming said, "I am very happy about the inauguration of the Nanhui Township Industrial Park today. Ever since I bought Factory 760, I've dreamed of leading all our factory workers to prosperity. Now, with the establishment of this industrial park, I feel that I'm one step closer to my goal."

"Today is Dragon Heads-raising Day, an important day of hope for a good harvest. The fact that the industrial park was established today is a good omen. I also believe in all of you," Zhou Ming said passionately, pumping his fist. "I believe that with our efforts, this industrial park will march towards a brighter future!"

Zhou Ming's words ignited the crowd's enthusiasm like a fuse, instantly triggering a wave of cheers from the Factory 760 workers below.

Although Zhou Ming's speech was much shorter compared to Chen Da and Gu Ping's, it was clearly more stirring. After all, the officials' empty rhetoric was something they had heard too often on television and in newspapers; they didn't want to hear any more of it. Zhou Ming's words, in contrast, were much more grounded.

After the speeches, Mayor Chen Da unveiled the industrial park's plaque. As the golden plaque was revealed, the crowd erupted in applause.

With the unveiling ceremony over, Chen Da then read out a series of measures from the Municipal Committee and Government regarding the Nanhui Township Industrial Park. While terms like "resource integration" might have been incomprehensible to the average person, they understood the significance of the industrial park becoming a management committee, with County Committee Secretary Gu Ping personally serving as its first director.

This arrangement undoubtedly elevated the political status of the industrial park significantly. Although it might not have meant much to the average person, there was a certain satisfaction in knowing that the industrial park was directly led by the County Committee Secretary. It was like being praised by the company's boss or the class teacher—everyone knew it didn't have any practical impact, but it just felt good!

After all this, the day's inauguration ceremony was still not over. The group then moved to an intersection in front of Factory 760, where a large pit had been dug in the middle, and a stone monument as tall as a three-story building stood in the pit.

When Zhou Ming and Chen Da arrived, firecrackers were set off first. Then, picking up a shovel, Chen Da said to Zhou Ming, "This stone represents the new spirit of reform and opening up. We also hope that Factory 760 will develop well as the core of the industrial park. Boss Zhou, keep up the good work and lead the way, driving the economic development of the entire Nanhui County!"

Amid the constant clicking of cameras from surrounding journalists, Zhou Ming took the shovel handed to him by Chen Da and said, "I promise you, Mayor Chen, that Factory 760 will strive to innovate. Whether in our own development or in driving the development of the surrounding areas, we will continue to climb to new heights!"

As Zhou Ming finished speaking, there was a burst of cheers from around. Zhou Ming, Chen Da, and County Committee Secretary Gu Ping then took up their shovels and threw several scoops of dirt into the pit, symbolically laying the foundation for the township industrial park.

The entire ceremony ended, but Chen Da, Gu Ping, and other county committee leaders did not rush to leave. Instead, they had lunch with the factory workers in the Factory 760 cafeteria. In the afternoon, they held a short meeting in the factory conference room, discussing the future development of the industrial park with the reporters present. It wasn't until 4:00 p.m. that everything concluded.

Zhou Ming and all the cadres of Factory 760 saw off the officials. Before getting into the car, Chen Da shook Zhou Ming's hand and said, "Boss Zhou, this township industrial park is not only of great economic importance but also of significant political meaning. Its development must be a success."

"Please rest assured, Mayor Chen, the Nanhui Township Industrial Park is a large collective project centered around Factory 760. To borrow your words, the five fingers can only exert maximum power when clenched into a fist. I believe our industrial park is like a clenched fist, and we will definitely overcome all difficulties and achieve success!" Zhou Ming confidently replied to Chen Da.

Only then was Chen Da satisfied, giving Zhou Ming a pat on the shoulder before turning and getting into the car.

Zhou Ming and Su Han watched as Chen Da and the county officials left. When they returned to the office, Zhou Ming let out a long sigh, while Su Han was as excited as a child who had finally seen the New Year arrive.

Pulling on Zhou Ming's arm, Su Han said, "This is great, Zhou Ming! Our township industrial park is finally established today, and with Secretary Gu from the county personally serving as the director of the management committee, it means that from now on, any issues we have can be resolved directly through the county. We won't have to deal with the old problems like not being able to find the supply and marketing cooperative!"

"Yes, the industrial park is finally established, and we've taken the first step towards becoming an industrial group," Zhou Ming said.

"And so many journalists were here today. Your speech on stage will definitely be on TV and in the newspapers. I must watch the news and read the papers tomorrow. I'm sure you'll look great on TV and in the newspapers…"

Su Han's words abruptly stopped, noticing Zhou Ming's expression. Although she was so happy, Su Han, being attentive, still noticed something off in Zhou Ming's demeanor. She curiously asked, "But Zhou Ming, it seems like something is still bothering you."

Zhou Ming smiled and pinched her cheek, saying, "It's not that something is bothering me; it's just that I'm worried about the future of our industrial park."

"Worried about the future? What's there to worry about? Now that the County Committee Secretary is the director of the management committee, we can

 just go to him if anything comes up," Su Han asked, still puzzled.

"For ordinary matters, it's fine to go to Secretary Gu Ping, but the key issue we'll face in the future is one that not even he, and perhaps not even Mayor Chen, can handle without headaches."

Seeing that Su Han still didn't understand, Zhou Ming reminded her, "Do you remember the investigation we conducted a few days ago?"

At these words, Su Han immediately fell silent, her excited expression fading into one of worry. "Zhou Ming, I almost forgot about that. It really is a tricky issue!"

"That's why some things aren't as easy as they seem on the surface. If we don't resolve this issue, developing the township industrial park will be nothing but an empty dream," Zhou Ming sighed.

Su Han thought for a moment and said, "Maybe we could use the same method the factory has used before?"

"Let's see how things go. We'll head down tomorrow and have the township officials accompany us. If we can resolve it, it'll save us a lot of trouble," Zhou Ming said.

Su Han nodded, "That's all we can do."