“Chaoshi has a population of several million, and the Chaoshi government distributes welfare, which is definitely not a small sum, and will definitely require loans. However, please rest assured, this loan will be in the name of Jiangcheng government, and it will definitely be an interest-free loan,” Chen Feng replied calmly.
“I know it’s not a small sum, but in government circles, this kind of operation is rare,” Miao Qifeng replied with a complex expression.
“To be honest, there are cases where people borrow money to pay salaries. I did this in Mingshan District before, borrowing money to pay salaries. The government is like a company; if it can’t even afford to pay its employees, how can it expect great development? However, borrowing money to pay subsidies and benefits is indeed rare. This is because benefits and subsidies are optional. Generally, governments with poor economic conditions choose not to offer them,” Chen Feng explained calmly.
“Chen Feng, you said that if economic conditions are poor, benefits and subsidies can be optional. Once again, the provincial government is going to issue subsidies and benefits to the Chaoshi leadership team and a large number of staff. Moreover, the subsidies and benefits start at one hundred thousand yuan and increase with rank. No matter how big a city it is, it cannot withstand such spending. My point is, promoting them to higher official positions is enough; it’s better to save on the subsidies and benefits,” Miao Qifeng said with a troubled expression.
“Elder Miao, you have been in the provincial government for a long time, and your long-term vision should be better than mine. Why is your long-term vision shorter than mine on the matter of annexing Chaoshi? Think carefully, Chaoshi is a prefecture-level city with millions of people. If the connections among government staff are complicated, any slight mishandling could lead to significant resistance. Although the division into three parts can reduce some of this resistance, it cannot eliminate it completely. With resistance, it would take at least two to three years of bickering. In terms of economic loss, two to three years of bickering would definitely cost much more than borrowing money to pay subsidies. To put it bluntly, a leader should have the perspective of a leader,” Chen Feng said softly.
“Originally, I couldn’t make up my mind, as the money spent this time is not a small sum. However, after listening to your analysis, I feel that no matter how much money it is, it is worth it. You said something very true: a leader should have the perspective of a leader and not be bogged down by trivial matters. You can rest assured and go back. I will proceed with your plan to develop the provincial subway, and even the entire provincial highway and high-speed rail systems. We will develop on a grand scale,” Miao Qifeng said excitedly.
To be honest, he was truly lucky to have an extraordinary person like Chen Feng among his subordinates. Chen Feng’s unconventional ideas had elevated his perspective as the provincial leader.
Chen Feng did not hesitate and left Miao Qifeng’s office directly. The matter of him, Qin Yan, and Cheng Lu returning to Mingshan City was settled. The development issues of Sanshui Province had also been preliminarily resolved. It was time to go back and have a good week with Qin Yan and Cheng Lu, and then, grandly return to Mingshan City. Using a popular online saying, “What was lost, I will take back now.”
Unexpectedly, Chen Feng returned to the Wuzhou District Government Office Building with a happy expression, only to find that Qin Yan and Cheng Lu were not in the office. Chen Feng quickly asked the secretary and learned that Qin Yan and Cheng Lu had gone to a newly built residential area. According to the secretary, three new buildings in this complex had collapsed. Qin Yan and Cheng Lu had gone to control the scene immediately. If this matter were to blow up, their government careers would be over.
Chen Feng dared not delay and rushed to the newly built residential area. Qin Yan, as an experienced hand in government, had already quickly cordoned off the entire complex. And she had not used the police. The reason was simple: if the police were used, people who were unaware would be even more panicked. Instead, she had hired several property management companies to help seal off the new residential area. All those who knew about the collapse of the three buildings were arranged in offices and were not allowed to leave the scope of supervision.
“Chen Feng, you’re finally back.” Qin Yan and Cheng Lu’s extreme fear had slightly eased.
“Director Qin, what exactly happened?” Chen Feng asked directly.
“What else could have happened? Three buildings were built with shoddy materials, and they collapsed before they could be handed over,” Qin Yan said resentfully.
“How is this possible? China is such a vast country, and I’ve never heard of buildings collapsing. This is worse than a “tofu-dreg” project. A “tofu-dreg” project can at least withstand a few months, but these three buildings collapsed right after completion. Even an absurd novel wouldn’t dare to write something like this,” Chen Feng said indignantly.
“Cheng Lu and I have investigated thoroughly. It was this real estate company that, relying on its connections in the Wuzhou District Housing Management Bureau, unscrupulously cut corners, leading to the collapse of the three buildings. Now that it has happened, dwelling on it is meaningless. Paper cannot wrap fire. All three buildings were pre-sold. When the owners don’t receive their homes, they will definitely protest. Once this matter escalates, it will become a major issue. We are all experienced in government, and we should know that once a major incident occurs, some leaders will fall,” Qin Yan said with a worried expression.
“Therefore, we must absolutely prevent this from happening. How about this: Cheng Lu will be responsible for communicating with the owners of the three buildings, telling them that the three buildings were demolished by the Wuzhou District Housing Management Bureau due to quality issues. The losses will be borne by the real estate company and the Housing Management Bureau. They will either compensate with equivalent housing or with corresponding cash, at the owner’s choice. The key is to emphasize that these three buildings were demolished by the Housing Management Bureau,” Chen Feng said with a serious expression.
“Understood, Chen Feng. I’ll go now. Regarding the funding, should it be channeled through the Wuzhou District Finance Department…” Cheng Lu asked tentatively.
“The current Wuzhou District is not what it used to be. The money for appeasing the owners can be directly channeled through the Wuzhou District Finance Department, using the reason of ‘maintaining stability.’ Every year, during the financial audits of governments in various regions, there is a special fund for ‘maintaining stability,’ and the amount is substantial. We can spend nothing, or we can spend tens of millions. I will have the accounting department prepare the ledger, so you can proceed with confidence,” Cheng Lu reassured Chen Feng.
Cheng Lu wasted no further time and immediately went to find the owners.
“Chen Feng, Cheng Lu has been assigned her tasks. What should I do?” Qin Yan asked anxiously.
“Director Qin, you should go to the Wuzhou District Public Security Bureau now. Arrest everyone involved with the three buildings, whether they are from the business or government circles. Punish them swiftly, severely, and strictly, sentence them, and send them to prison,” Chen Feng said concisely.
“But if we proceed according to your plan, the scope of involvement will be very wide. Will this lead to unrest in Wuzhou District?” Qin Yan asked with concern.
“Director Qin, you can rest assured about this. The collapse of the three buildings is indeed a major incident. However, it does not involve the majority of officials. In the Wuzhou District government or business circles, those who disregard human lives are ultimately a minority. By imposing heavy sentences on these people who disregard human lives, everyone will applaud, and it will not lead to unrest in Wuzhou District. Although the Chinese government is chaotic, it still has basic moral principles,” Chen Feng explained calmly.
“By the way, when making arrests, do so secretly. Do not make a big fuss. Such matters must be handled discreetly, so that the outside world is unaware that this incident has occurred. However, after the matter is handled, I will write a detailed internal report to let the higher authorities know the whole story,” Chen Feng continued seriously.
“Chen Feng, are you crazy? After managing to keep the matter under wraps, you’re actually writing an internal report to the higher authorities? Isn’t that walking into a trap?” Qin Yan asked with confusion and worry.
“Director Qin, let me put it this way: no matter what major event happens below, the higher authorities know about it. No matter how the lower authorities handle it, the higher authorities will not make a statement immediately. If the lower authorities handle it poorly, the higher authorities will seize the opportunity to act as benevolent figures and impose severe penalties on us. If the lower authorities handle it well, the higher authorities will pretend that nothing happened. To put it bluntly, no matter what major event occurs, in the end, if a leader goes to prison, it is not because that leader did something wrong, but because that leader did not handle the major event well, causing public outcry, and the higher authorities could not protect them. Therefore, this internal report must be written.”
“Chen Feng, you are becoming more and more astute.” Qin Yan looked at Chen Feng with admiration, then rushed to the Wuzhou District Public Security Bureau. The number of people to be arrested this time was quite large, so speed was essential.
After Qin Yan and Cheng Lu left, Chen Feng pondered at the site of the collapsed buildings. On the surface, it appeared to be a major accident due to shoddy construction. However, upon closer consideration, it was definitely not that simple. Real estate developers are not fools; how could they make such a low-level mistake as building a building that then collapses? Even a fool would not make such a mistake…