Chapter 393: Chu Manzi

"Seeing the thriving development of the township industrial park in Linyang, I am very pleased. Concentrating superior resources and new policies may seem like following the old path of special zones and high-tech development zones, but the content is actually similar yet different. After all, the resources and support for this industrial park are much smaller, and the difficulty in development is much greater."

"In the past, when people mentioned Jingchu, they would say 'Chu Manzi.' This was not a derogatory term but a reference to the courage and pioneering spirit of the people from Jingchu. It was this characteristic that led us to victory in the revolution. Today, I see this same characteristic in all of you, which aligns perfectly with our reform and opening-up pace—daring to innovate and advance."

"Now is an extremely rare opportunity for development, and the future will be a time of great global economic growth. Our country has been poor for too long, and we cannot fall behind now. We must seize this opportunity to focus on boosting the economy. Development is the hard truth, and the development model of Linyang's township industrial park needs bold experimentation and innovation."

"I understand that due to recent changes in domestic and international situations, comrades' thoughts are quite unstable. Many people, including those in the central government, are debating issues of nomenclature. But I believe this is not important. Regardless of what we call it, the purpose of reform and opening-up is always to liberate and develop productive forces and eliminate exploitation to make everyone prosperous!"

"From this trip to Linyang, I feel it has been very worthwhile because I have seen the vibrant energy of the township industrial park. Such an environment and development, even many prefecture-level cities cannot match, has strengthened my belief in reform and opening-up!"

…

Standing on the steps of the 760 Factory monument, Yang Dingguo spoke to the hundreds of factory leaders and workers below, with accompanying officials from the Central Office and Provincial Secretary Jiang Wen by his side. As Yang Dingguo finished his speech, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause.

At this moment, Zhou Ming stood beside Yang Dingguo, feeling extremely surprised. Zhou Ming's astonishment wasn't about Yang Dingguo's sudden decision to speak to the factory leaders and workers, but about the content of his speech.

Zhou Ming didn't have any legendary memory chips and couldn't remember every detail, but he did recall some major events, including Yang Dingguo's southern inspection.

He clearly remembered that in his previous life, the core idea of Yang Dingguo's southern inspection speech was to encourage local innovation and accelerate reform and opening-up, focusing on economic construction and balancing two hands—both economic development and political stability.

So, Yang Dingguo's speech to the hundreds of factory leaders and workers at the township industrial park essentially conveyed the same message. If Zhou Ming had only slightly altered the course of history before, now he had completely changed it—Yang Dingguo's speech, originally planned for the Lingnan region, had been delivered early at the industrial park.

One could easily guess that Yang Dingguo's actions were influenced by the industrial park's development. Just as in his previous speeches in Lingnan and Binhai, perhaps Yang Dingguo had tried to keep things low-key, but such a significant event would hardly remain hidden. The more Yang Dingguo tried to be modest, the bigger the resulting impact would be.

Transforming the 1992 Southern Inspection into the 1989 Southern Inspection was already thrilling. Now, with the focus of the inspection shifting from Nanjing to the industrial park, although it was unrealistic to say that Zhou Ming's survival had made this possible, it was still enough to make one dream with a smile.

After the speech, Yang Dingguo descended the steps with assistance from his family and officials from the Central Office, while bodyguards from Zhongnanhai cleared the way. Yang Dingguo walked steadily forward.

Seeing a national leader in person is exciting for anyone. Thus, the factory leaders and workers of the 760 Factory desperately tried to get close to Yang Dingguo and shake hands with him.

This situation alarmed the officials from the Central Office and Provincial Secretary Jiang Wen, as well as Governor Xiong Qingping. Faced with the surging crowd, they didn't know what to do. After all, these were real people, not temporary actors. Considering Yang Dingguo's advanced age, any incident would be their responsibility.

Fortunately, their worries did not come true. The factory leaders and workers, accustomed to Zhou Ming's leadership, were psychologically resilient and less prone to impulsive behavior that might lead to a stampede. Additionally, the Linyang Public Security Bureau and Propaganda Department had prepared for a long time.

The New City Grand Hotel, built according to a four-star standard after the establishment of the township industrial park, was the best hotel in Nanhui County and the only one capable of hosting Yang Dingguo in the industrial park. Yang Dingguo himself mentioned that staying in the industrial park would help him better understand the development pulse of the area.

Regarding the old man's stubbornness, neither the Central Office officials nor Jiang Wen and Xiong Qingping had any other choice but to comply. As a result, Chen Da not only mobilized the entire city police but also dispatched a team of armed police. Ensuring the safety of a national leader was paramount.

After a long journey, the elderly leader had a simple dinner and retired for the night. Jiang Wen and others could only comply with his wishes.

At 8 p.m., a secretary from the Central Office knocked on Zhou Ming's door, saying that Yang Dingguo requested him to come over. Zhou Ming, already prepared, nodded and followed him to Yang Dingguo's room.

At the door of Yang Dingguo's room, Zhou Ming saw Jiang Wen and Xiong Qingping leaving, looking surprised to see him. Obviously, they hadn't expected Yang Dingguo to request Zhou Ming so late.

However, both Jiang Wen and Xiong Qingping were seasoned officials, quickly regaining their composure. Jiang Wen advised Zhou Ming, "Yang Dingguo is quite old, and after traveling by train for a day and night, he is very tired. Control the time and don't delay his rest."

Zhou Ming agreed, and after Jiang Wen and Xiong Qingping left, he followed the secretary into Yang Dingguo's room.

Yang Dingguo's room was elegantly furnished. Zhou Ming was led into the reception room and saw two cups of tea in front of Yang Dingguo, which explained Jiang Wen and Xiong Qingping's surprise. The tea was still steaming, suggesting that they had not been there for long. They must have thought Yang Dingguo was actually resting, which made their reaction understandable.

Zhou Ming greeted Yang Dingguo respectfully and then sat across from him under the guidance of the Central Office secretary.

Yang Dingguo, sitting on the sofa, was lost in thought. The Central Office secretary removed the cups from the table and served Zhou Ming a new cup of tea. Zhou Ming thanked him and took a sip.

"Actually, the date for the southern trip could have been postponed, whether by a day, two days, or even a year or two," Yang Dingguo suddenly said, as if to himself. Zhou Ming knew he was speaking to him and quickly replied, "But Yang Dingguo, you chose to come south now."

Yang Dingguo nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, I came out just to take a look because of you."

Zhou Ming found this remark both amusing and absurd. As the actual leader of the country, Yang Dingguo's schedule and decisions were not really influenced by him. The comment seemed illogical.

After the jest, Yang Dingguo continued, "If possible, I would not have rushed to come out. However, the impending events in the north force me to prepare in advance. If I waited until the global situation changed, it might be too late. Many things are better done ahead of time."

Yang Dingguo's words surprised Zhou Ming. The major event in the north, which could alter the global situation, seemed to be the one he had in mind.

In his previous life, Zhou Ming would have been indifferent to such events. But now, having accomplished so much, he was no longer the same person. Especially with Yang Dingguo discussing these matters in front of him, it clearly had a purpose.

"I didn't expect the situation there to deteriorate so quickly," Zhou Ming said. "I'm just not sure what you need me to do."

"Some things should have been broken long ago. Sticking to old ways would make us the next victims. The situation over there is a warning for us."

Yang Dingguo expressed a brief sense of regret, but it quickly passed. He then told Zhou Ming, "However, seeing the development of your industrial park makes me very happy because it proves that our development direction is correct. As long as our overall direction is right, the final result will definitely be good."

He added, "In the next few days, please prepare a report on how to develop the industrial park and the key points to watch out for, and submit it to the Central Office."

"Okay, Yang Dingguo."

Zhou Ming agreed, but his eyes narrowed slightly, sensing something. He asked, "Is Yang Dingguo asking me to go abroad?"

Yang Dingguo nodded and said, "Yes, there will be a confidential meeting in Hong Kong City after the New Year. We need to send a representative, and after considering it, I think you, Chu Manzi Zhou Ming, are the most suitable candidate."