Chapter 230: The Weather Is Perfect for Communication

At noon, Zhou Ming and Su Han stayed in the town for lunch at He Qi's generous invitation. Upon returning to the factory in the afternoon, Zhou Ming immediately summoned the office director, Sun Jie, and instructed him to donate a Crown sedan to the town's Party Committee on behalf of the factory.

In later times, this situation would definitely not be allowed. Once exposed, it would surely cause an uproar and lead to criticisms of bureaucratic systems. However, in this era of transformation, where all systems were being tested and adapted, Zhou Ming's gesture of donating a car to a local institution could be seen as supporting institutional development. Moreover, it was an era without pervasive networks, so it didn't matter as much what one did.

After arranging this matter, Zhou Ming sat on a chair, massaging his temples. Su Han, ever so considerate, brought him a cup of tea. After Zhou Ming took a sip, Su Han asked, "Zhou Ming, do you want to give Governor Xiong a call?"

Zhou Ming thought for a moment and then shook his head, "Not yet. Let's wait until this matter is confirmed."

"Do you really have confidence in persuading the villagers of Shenglian Village? Although I also think that Old Fang was deliberately put in our way by Wang He to give us a hard time, his reaction does represent a common sentiment in Shenglian Village. We, as factory people, have grown up hearing about the conflicts between the factory and the surrounding villages. This won't be easy," Su Han expressed her concerns.

"I do have some confidence, but the key is that nothing can go wrong. If we go to Shenglian Village and the villagers simply drive us away without any discussion, no matter how big our plans are, it won't help," Zhou Ming replied.

He sighed and continued, "Right now, I'm also worried about this issue. If possible, I'd like to take a year or two to gradually resolve the villagers' grievances through the factory's development. But now, we don't have the luxury of time. News from Governor Xiong and the central authorities suggests that a major event might be imminent, so we have to act quickly and try to get the township industrial park up and running first."

"Will you still use that method?" Su Han asked again.

Zhou Ming nodded, "In extraordinary times, one must use extraordinary measures. Xiaohan, go make some preparations. We'll need to spend money to break through the barriers in Shenglian Village and win over the villagers."

…

A few days passed quickly, and it was soon time for the village meeting in Shenglian Village. At 9 a.m., Zhou Ming and Su Han first went to the town and then, together with He Qi, arrived at Shenglian Village.

Since Zhou Ming had given He Qi a car the day before, He Qi appeared especially happy today: "Mr. Zhou, having a car makes a big difference. It's much more convenient to go anywhere now. Don't worry; the construction of the township industrial park is a major task for our entire town. Today, no matter what, I will do my best to help you. Wang He won't dare to play any tricks in front of me; otherwise, I'll make sure he gets a good lesson!"

Zhou Ming replied, "Thank you, Secretary He, for your support and encouragement. I am prepared for today's events, so it should be fine."

"Good. I wish you success," He Qi said.

As they spoke, Zhou Ming and He Qi walked towards the threshing ground of Shenglian Village, where the village secretary, Wang He, came out to greet them: "Secretary He, Mr. Zhou, you're finally here. I've already organized all the villagers. The meeting can start anytime."

He Qi looked around the threshing ground and asked, "How's the ideological work with the villagers going? The construction of the township industrial park is urgent."

Wang He showed a distressed expression and said, "Secretary He, you're putting me in a difficult position. You saw what happened last time. The conflict between Shenglian Village and Factory 760 has always existed, and the villagers have had significant grievances against the factory. Asking me to persuade them in just a few days is really asking too much."

He Qi snorted, "Don't play tricks in front of me. You should know whether you've done your job well or not!"

"Secretary He, you're wronging me. I wouldn't dare to play tricks in front of you. I've always diligently completed the tasks assigned by you. It's just that the conflict between our villagers and the factory cannot be resolved in just a day or two!" Wang He replied.

Seeing Wang He's poor performance, Zhou Ming couldn't stand it any longer and said, "Alright, Secretary Wang, just make sure the village meeting is organized. But once I'm there, Secretary Wang, you won't incite the villagers to drive me away, will you?"

Wang He gave an awkward smile and said, "How could that happen? Although our villagers have deep conflicts with the factory, they are still reasonable. It's just that Mr. Zhou, persuading them to accept your idea of the township industrial park today might be very difficult."

Zhou Ming responded, "Don't worry about that, Secretary Wang. You don't understand the power of capital."

Hearing Zhou Ming's words, Wang He was momentarily stunned. The confidence Zhou Ming had shown made his heart beat faster.

Could it be that he really has a way to persuade the villagers to accept his idea?

Wang He quickly dismissed this thought from his mind: Impossible. Zhou Ming is not a god. How can he make people change their minds so quickly? These bosses like to put on airs; he must be just bluffing!

This thought calmed Wang He down, and he led Zhou Ming and the others into the threshing ground. A real village meeting was never as formal as it was on TV. It was just over two hundred villagers sitting around casually, with an empty space left in the middle for the leaders to host the meeting.

Wang He introduced He Qi, Zhou Ming, and Su Han to the villagers. After the introduction, He Qi, as the town leader, spoke first: "Hello, villagers of Shenglian. We're here today to hold this village meeting to introduce the concept of the township industrial park."

"You all know that our country is currently undergoing a wave of reform and opening up, and development is changing rapidly everywhere. Our Jingchu Province cannot lag behind. So, with the care of the provincial government and the support and encouragement of the municipal government, we have decided to establish the country's first township industrial park here in our Menqian Town."

He Qi continued, "The purpose of this industrial park is to center around Factory 760, concentrating advantageous resources, and developing industrial bases. I believe this will mark a significant step forward in the development of Menqian Town. Therefore, I ask everyone to support the development of the township industrial park."

As soon as He Qi finished speaking, a villager immediately asked, "Secretary He, I heard that this township industrial park is going to send us back to the commune era? Is that true?"

Several people started murmuring in agreement: "Yes, we spent many years in the commune era, and Shenglian Village was poor. Now that we've finally become prosperous through the household responsibility system, you want us to go back? No matter if it's a provincial or municipal decision, this is pushing us to our doom!"

He Qi tried to explain, "Please calm down. This township industrial park is fundamentally different from the old communes."

"What's the difference? Secretary He, don't take us for fools. I've inquired, and this so-called township industrial park is just another way of saying that the factory will tell us what to plant, just like the commune. At least the commune had some autonomy. Now it's just…"

Another villager chimed in, causing others to agree: "That's right, Secretary He. The people in Factory 760 don't know anything about farming. They only know how to bully us farmers. We don't want to be controlled by them!"

"Everyone, please listen to me!" He Qi said while making gestures for everyone to quiet down. "I've said that this township industrial park is not what you think. It's managed like a corporate group. Factory 760, due to production needs, will ask you to grow certain crops, and they will buy them at prices slightly higher than the national purchase prices. You won't be at a loss."

There was a chorus of disbelieving sounds from the crowd: "Secretary He, even a three-year-old wouldn't believe that. Factory 760 is a metal factory. When did it need crops? Are we supposed to grow food for their cafeteria? It doesn't seem like they have that many people eating!"

Faced with the discontented murmurs, He Qi became anxious but found himself unable to get a word in.

At this point, Zhou Ming stepped forward and pulled He Qi aside. He Qi looked back and saw it was Zhou Ming. He sighed and said, "It seems that ideological work in Shenglian Village is really difficult!"

Upon hearing He Qi's comment, Wang He immediately came over and said, "Secretary He, I told you long ago. The villagers have a very poor impression of Factory 760 and this township industrial park. Ideological work is very hard!"

He Qi glared at Wang He and said, "This is all because you didn't do your job well before!"

Wang He protested, "Secretary He, you're wronging me. I've already communicated well with the villagers, but they just refuse to accept it. I can't do anything

 about it! So why not end today's meeting here and I'll continue working on the villagers' ideological education? We can try again when they're more receptive to the township industrial park and Factory 760."

He Qi frowned, but Zhou Ming directly waved his hand and said, "No need. I think today is very good. The weather is clear and perfect for communication."

Wang He widened his eyes in confusion and asked, "Mr. Zhou, didn't you hear the villagers' reaction during the speeches? It's obvious that they're not accepting it. Why are we still trying? And what does the weather have to do with this?"

"The good weather makes it perfect for communication," Zhou Ming said. "Moreover, I think the villagers' reactions have been quite positive. And most importantly, as I mentioned before, Secretary Wang, you don't understand the power of capital."