Chapter 298: Reception and Research

Two days quickly passed, and the day arrived for the Jiangnan research team to come to Nanhui County. Even though the mayor of Linyang, Chen Da, had already made arrangements yesterday, early this morning, the Nanhui County Committee was already active. They organized personnel to clean the streets again and instructed local police stations to cooperate with the Public Security Bureau to temporarily remove people with criminal records or those deemed unfit for the occasion.

In summary, when Zhou Ming left for the day, the entire township industrial park and the route to Nanhui County presented an image of a socialist ideal state.

This was a facade, but often, facades are necessary. After all, a provincial deputy secretary was coming for a visit. It would be very impolite to welcome them with a dirty and chaotic appearance. Even ordinary people would clean their homes before guests arrive, let alone a major official from a neighboring province. The image of Nanhui County and even the entire Jingchu Province was at stake.

At 9 a.m., Zhou Ming and Su Han drove to the Nanhui County Committee. By then, many people had gathered on the road in front of the County Committee building. According to yesterday's arrangements, these were the extras hired to welcome the Jiangnan research team. Apart from students, these people were organized by various units.

These people were under the unified command of the County Public Security Bureau and the County Committee Office. For government units, this was a routine matter, and there was no need for Zhou Ming to worry.

Zhou Ming drove directly into the County Committee compound and went upstairs to the County Committee Secretary's office.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Gu Ping on the phone, saying, "Recheck everything for me. There must be no oversight. If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you accountable!"

Seeing Zhou Ming enter, Gu Ping quickly ended the call, stood up, and greeted Zhou Ming. Zhou Ming asked, a bit puzzled, "Secretary Gu, why are you so busy this early in the morning? Didn't you finish the inspection yesterday? Was there any part of the work that wasn't done well?"

"Of course, the inspection was completed. It's just that we're doing another round today to ensure everything is perfect. After all, we've never hosted a provincial deputy secretary before," Gu Ping said.

Zhou Ming nodded, "I understand, but as the saying goes, 'worrying too much can lead to chaos.' Secretary Gu, you should try to stay calm."

Hearing Zhou Ming's calm tone helped Gu Ping feel more at ease. He thought Zhou Ming must be experienced with such events. Even hearing that a provincial deputy secretary was coming didn't faze him. It was not like Gu Ping, who was feeling tense.

However, Gu Ping's calm did not last long. Soon, his secretary, Xiao Zhang, came in to report that the Jiangnan research team had arrived in Linyang and was on their way to Nanhui County. Xiao Zhang also mentioned that this time they were accompanied by the Executive Vice Governor Dai Jinshan.

Although it was expected that Jiangnan would send a high-ranking official to match the status of the deputy secretary from Jingchu, Gu Ping still felt nervous when he heard that Dai Jinshan, ranked third in Jiangnan's provincial government, was accompanying them. Zhou Ming noticed Gu Ping's anxiety and said, "Secretary Gu, there's no need to be nervous. Let's just do our job well. No one will find fault."

"Indeed, we just need to do our job well!" Gu Ping agreed.

After that, Gu Ping picked up the phone and instructed the preparations. The distance from Linyang to Nanhui County was not far, just about an hour. The Jiangnan research team's convoy arrived in Nanhui County.

The convoy was led by a police car from the County Public Security Bureau and one from the City Public Security Bureau. In the middle were two minibuses, and a few cars followed. According to the plan, all members of the Jiangnan research team and officials traveled by the minibuses.

Amidst enthusiastic cheers, the convoy entered the Nanhui County Committee compound. Jiangnan's Provincial Deputy Secretary, Ji Ruiming, and Jingchu's Executive Vice Governor, Dai Jinshan, got out of the car one after another.

The reception was similar to what you'd see on television. When the two provincial officials got out of the car, two children wearing red scarves approached to present flowers. Ji Ruiming and Dai Jinshan happily accepted the flowers and praised the children for their understanding.

After the children left, Zhou Ming and Gu Ping approached to shake hands and greet the two leaders.

Gu Ping was the first to shake hands with Ji Ruiming. This was not only a matter of politeness but also due to Zhou Ming's preference for a low profile. Zhou Ming, by nature, did not want to stand out.

"Welcome, Secretary Ji, to Nanhui County. Your visit is an honor for all of us!" Gu Ping said excitedly.

Ji Ruiming responded, "Thank you, Comrade Gu Ping. However, I am here on a mission to learn from Nanhui County's experience with township industrial parks. I hope Comrade Gu Ping and the other comrades in Nanhui County will generously share their knowledge."

Gu Ping was somewhat anxious, "Secretary Ji is too kind. Jiangnan Province is our role model. We have always aimed to learn from and develop based on Jiangnan's experience. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, and we will answer them."

"There's no good or bad. The ability to develop is what counts!" Ji Ruiming said, "We are here to learn from each other."

Ji Ruiming then turned to Zhou Ming and shook his hand, saying, "I've heard about an economic genius in Linyang named Zhou Ming. Meeting you today, it's clear that heroes come young. It seems Jingchu Province's revolutionary old areas are hiding dragons and tigers!"

Zhou Ming casually replied, "Secretary Ji overstates my abilities. Compared to Jiangnan Province, the economic foundation of Jingchu Province is much weaker. We can't even compare."

Ji Ruiming disagreed, "It is precisely because of the weaker foundation that your development efforts are even more valuable. Especially your idea of the township industrial park might become a mainstream economic development model in the future. We are mainly here to learn about this. I hope Comrade Zhou Ming will not keep secrets."

"Of course not. It is not enough if the township industrial park only succeeds in Nanhui County. My greatest pride and satisfaction would be seeing it flourish across Jiangnan Province and even nationwide," Zhou Ming said. "I will definitely share everything I know about this."

At this point, Dai Jinshan also appropriately added, "Secretary Ji, Comrade Zhou Ming is an outstanding figure in Jingchu Province. He recently oversaw the construction of the Chuling Expressway. He is a responsible representative with a strong sense of the big picture and the ability to prioritize."

"It's because Comrade Zhou Ming is so exceptional that I feel envious. If he were in Jiangnan, I believe our province would advance even further," Ji Ruiming said.

After some initial greetings at the entrance, Dai Jinshan and Ji Ruiming, along with everyone, proceeded into the County Committee building. The Jiangnan research team and Nanhui County's main leaders first went to the conference room, where Zhou Ming and Gu Ping briefly introduced the situation of Nanhui County and the township industrial park. Ji Ruiming immediately stated, "Centering on the 760 Factory, utilizing policy advantages, and referring to the development model of Nanjing City, creating an economic special zone for Jingchu Province through investment attraction and independent development is truly a genius idea!"

"Secretary Ji praises me too much. I merely referred to the development model of Nanjing City. I am just standing on the shoulders of giants," Zhou Ming said.

After learning about the industrial park, Ji Ruiming asked, "I know the highway connecting Lingnan and Jingchu has recently been bid out and is about to start construction. The important thing is that this highway project breaks away from the old model of government-only investment and introduces a new model of private investment. Can Comrade Zhou Ming share some details?"

With Ji Ruiming's question, everyone in the conference room focused on Zhou Ming.

While this might make some people nervous, Zhou Ming was accustomed to it. He smiled and said, "Secretary Ji overestimates the situation. There's nothing private about it. It's quite simple, really. It's a matter of shareholding reform. We don't view road construction as road construction but as a company. All the road construction costs are treated as shares, and the toll revenue is distributed as dividends. It's that straightforward."

Ji Ruiming applauded Zhou Ming, saying, "Impressive! I have heard that Comrade Zhou Ming created the Nanjing Stock Market in Lingnan, and even international financial experts were left speechless. Now it seems that Comrade Zhou Ming has integrated financial thinking into his very soul, allowing him to solve problems in unconventional ways."

The meeting continued from morning until noon. At one o'clock, everyone had a simple meal at the Nanhui County Committee guesthouse. According to the news, this involved sitting together with ordinary people in the guesthouse cafeteria. During the meal, Ji Ruiming did not forget to consult Zhou Ming on economic development issues, and Zhou Ming provided detailed answers.

After lunch, the afternoon schedule included a tour of the township industrial park for the Jiangnan research team.

Looking at the bustling construction sites, Ji Ruiming remarked, "A few years ago, when I visited Nanjing, it was built like this. Now, it's still in such a state of vigorous production. No wonder you compare yourselves to small Nanjing. You truly have the capability!"

In the evening, including Ji Ruiming, the Jiangnan research team stayed at the Nanhui guesthouse, and both Dai Jinshan and Chen Da, the mayor of Linyang, had to stay with them.