Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 40: After calming Zhang Wanlin down, Qingqing's mother changed her mind.

Looking at his daughter's expectant eyes, Xu Youwei felt gratified and turned to Wu Zhiyuan: "Zhiyuan, you'll have to work hard for another day tomorrow."

Wu Zhiyuan solemnly promised, "Secretary Xu, rest assured, I will definitely make the arrangements."

After dinner, Xu Yunxi suddenly said to Wu Zhiyuan, "Brother Wu, I forgot to bring my art supplies this time. Where can I buy them in Longcheng? Can you come with me to buy them? I want to go sketching in Longqiao Ancient Town and the island in the lake tomorrow."

Wu Zhiyuan quickly replied, "Of course. There are a few good art supply stores in Longcheng. I'll take you there now."

He turned to Liu Qingqing: "Teacher Liu, is this alright?"

Liu Qingqing smiled and nodded: "Okay, it's rare for Yunxi to be in the mood for sketching, so of course we need to prepare all the necessary tools. Let's go take a look together."

Xu Youwei said, "Qingqing, let Zhiyuan stay with Yunxi. Let's go back to our lodgings."

Liu Qingqing immediately understood Xu Youwei's intention and said, "Okay, you young people go and have some fun. Old Xu and I will go back and rest first."

"Yes, Secretary Xu, Mrs. Xu, don't worry." Wu Zhiyuan solemnly agreed.

Wu Zhiyuan drove Xu Youwei and Liu Qingqing back to their residence first, and then drove to Longcheng Art Supplies Street.

Wu Zhiyuan broke the silence first: "Yunxi, do you usually paint mainly watercolors, oil paintings, or sketches?"

Xu Yunxi calmly replied, "I paint mostly watercolors and sketches. I also like oil painting. But it's not very convenient to bring oil painting tools when I go out to sketch."

"Watercolor is indeed very suitable for sketching. It's lightweight and dries quickly." Wu Zhiyuan is not a professional, but he still has some basic common sense. "The ancient town of Longqiao has blue bricks and gray tiles, small bridges and flowing water. It should be very charming to use watercolor to depict it."

The scenery of the island in the middle of the lake can be captured with watercolors, creating a sense of clarity and ethereal beauty.

Xu Yunxi said admiringly, "Brother Wu, you know so much."

Wu Zhiyuan smiled faintly: "I wouldn't say I understand, I only know the basics. When it comes to actually drawing, I'm completely clueless."

After parking the car, Wu Zhiyuan and Xu Yunxi walked there.

After entering an art supply store, Xu Yunxi selected her art supplies, but when it came time to pay, Wu Zhiyuan insisted on paying for them.

Xu Yunxi said apologetically, "Brother Wu, you've gone to so much trouble."

Wu Zhiyuan smiled faintly: "Yunxi, this is our first meeting today. Consider this a gift from your brother to your sister. I wish you a successful sketching trip tomorrow."

Xu Yunxi lowered her head, a hint of shyness appearing on her face.

……

On Monday afternoon, Xu Youwei went to Jintang Group for research.

Accompanying him on the research trip was Wen Changcheng, member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Executive Vice Mayor.

Wen Changcheng is a few years younger than Xu Youwei. Although his rank is only deputy director-general, a deputy director-general of this age is considered young at the municipal level.

The headquarters of Jintang Group was previously located in Haihe County, because Haihe County is Zhang Wanlin's hometown and the place where he made his fortune.

Without the continuous cash flow provided by Longqiao Coal Mine, it would be difficult for him to enter industries such as real estate and cultural tourism.

A few years ago, Jintang Group moved its headquarters to Longcheng City, with its office building located in Jintang Hot Spring Resort.

Xu Youwei's visit to Jintang Group for research was a well-thought-out move.

This was both a superficial response to the "conciliatory" suggestion from former leader Zhou Mingxuan and a great opportunity to keep Zhang Wanlin in check.

The modern group headquarters building and the antique-style buildings of the hot spring resort complement each other, showcasing the wealth of Zhang Wanlin's business empire.

Zhang Wanlin and the group's senior executives greeted them at the entrance of the building.

This billionaire, a well-known figure in Longcheng, is in his forties, of medium build, wearing a well-tailored suit and an expensive watch.

What's most striking is the scar on his face, which runs diagonally from his left brow bone to below his cheekbone, resembling a dark centipede.

As Xu Youwei got out of the car, Zhang Wanlin immediately stepped forward and said respectfully, "Hello, Secretary Xu! A warm welcome to you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit Jintang Group and guide our work!"

Your presence is a great honor for our group!

"Mr. Zhang, you're too kind." Xu Youwei smiled and shook hands with Zhang Wanlin. "I haven't been in Longcheng for long, but I've heard that Jintang Group is a leading enterprise in our city. I came here today specifically to learn from them and hear what entrepreneurs have to say."

"Secretary Xu, you are too modest! We should be reporting to the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government and requesting guidance!" Zhang Wanlin said repeatedly, and then enthusiastically introduced the senior management team behind him.

Executive Vice Mayor Wen Changcheng seemed to be quite familiar with Zhang Wanlin, and the two exchanged a few pleasantries.

Wu Zhiyuan noticed that the security guards of Jintang Group were tall, stood upright, were all dressed in black suits, wore sunglasses, had earphones in their ears, and scanned their surroundings with alert eyes. They looked more like professionally trained special agents than corporate security guards.

Zhang Wanlin accompanied Xu Youwei on a tour of the luxurious headquarters exhibition hall, where the honor wall was covered with medals and photos of Zhang Wanlin with leaders at all levels, silently demonstrating his "powerful background".

During the report, Zhang Wanlin spoke at length about the group's "huge contributions" to Longcheng's GDP, tax revenue, and employment, and emphasized that he invests more than 10 million yuan in charity every year in an attempt to create an image of a responsible entrepreneur.

Xu Youwei delivered a speech: "Jintang Group is a leading enterprise in Longcheng, and General Manager Zhang is also a well-known entrepreneur who has made significant contributions to the development of Longcheng."

The municipal party committee and government have always attached great importance to the development of the private economy and are committed to creating a first-class business environment…

Then, he changed the subject: "However, enterprise development must be based on legality and compliance. In particular, we must firmly adhere to the bottom line of safe production, which is an inviolable red line."

We hope that Jintang Group can take the lead in setting an example of law-abiding business operations and foster a clean and upright business environment in Longcheng…

The reason Xu Youwei was giving Zhang Wanlin a warning was to make his act convincing.

If we don't mention it at all, it would seem too fake.

Zhang Wanlin remained calm, as if Xu Youwei's words were expected. He stated, "Secretary Xu's words were profound and insightful, providing our Jintang Group with a vivid lesson in politics, the rule of law, and responsibility."

Jintang Group's success today is due to the Party's good policies, the strong support of the Longcheng Municipal Party Committee and Government, and the trust of the people of Longcheng.

I constantly remind myself that no matter how big the company grows, we must not forget our roots or become arrogant.

Legal compliance and safe production are not only requirements of Secretary Xu for us, but also the lifeline for the survival and development of enterprises. They are red lines, bottom lines, and high-voltage lines that must never be touched.

Of course, because the business has expanded so much, it is inevitable that there will be a mix of good and bad people, and some employees are not of high quality, have a weak sense of the rule of law, and behave improperly.

In some projects, the methods used were hasty and simplistic, such as the disputes arising from the demolition and expansion of the hot spring resort in the early stages.

We are deeply reflecting on these issues and are determined to make vigorous rectifications.

Xu Youwei smiled and nodded: "It's good that President Zhang has such an understanding."

This demonstrates that the management of Jintang Group is keenly aware of the problems existing in the company's development. Recognizing the problems is the first step in solving them.

Xu Youwei paused, took a sip of water, and continued, "It is understandable that when a company grows bigger and stronger, especially during the process of diversified expansion, management may not keep up with the pace of development, and various problems may arise."

The key lies in the attitude towards problems. Will they cover things up and gloss over them, or will they dare to confront them and resolutely rectify them? This determines how far a company can go.

Xu Youwei's gaze fell on Zhang Wanlin: "President Zhang does not shy away from the problems and is determined to rectify them, which deserves full recognition."

An entrepreneur's vision and sense of responsibility are often reflected in their courage and wisdom in facing problems.

I hope, and I believe, that under General Manager Zhang's leadership, Jintang Group will truly become a model of law-abiding, honest business practices, and social responsibility in Longcheng's business community! The Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government have high hopes for you…”

Wu Zhiyuan received a phone call from Qingqing's mother.

He quietly left the venue, hid in a corner, and answered a phone call.

Qingqing's mother stammered incoherently on the other end of the phone: "Secretary Wu, I'm so sorry!"

The things we talked about last time, about Qingqing at the villa... I was wrong, I was confused and said things carelessly!

"Qingqing...she wasn't bullied by that scarred man, that didn't happen!"

Wu Zhiyuan immediately understood that someone must have threatened or bribed Qingqing's mother to change her mind, so he asked, "Big sister, you said it clearly before, and Qingqing told you herself, how come it suddenly became a mistake?"

Has someone contacted you? What did they say to you?