Chapter 36

"Are you the mayor of Heishan Town, Mr. Su?"

Just as Su Mu appeared in the corridor in front of the office, a figure suddenly appeared from the side. This was a man with a very proper appearance, neatly combed hair, and wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. Su Mu, who had worked in the county government office for half a year, immediately recognized him as Lin Shuang, the secretary of County Chief Zhao Rui'an.

To this top secretary of the county government, Su Mu did not dare to be the slightest bit negligent and hurriedly walked forward with a smile, saying, "Yes, I am Su Mu!"

"Mayor Su, County Chief Zhao is waiting for you inside. Follow me!" Lin Shuang had a businesslike demeanor.

"Alright! Thank you, Director Lin." Lin Shuang held the position of Director of the County Government Office, and according to the rules of the political arena, it was normal for Su Mu to address him by his highest position.

"County Chief, Mayor Su has arrived!" Lin Shuang knocked on the door and respectfully said.

"Hmm, take a seat first!" Zhao Rui'an sat behind his desk, not even lifting his head, just giving an order and then continuing to read the document in his hand. Lin Shuang, seeing this, tactfully turned and left, leaving Su Mu alone.

"Is this a show of authority?"

Seeing Zhao Rui'an's actions, Su Mu recalled a similar scene from when he was in Yang Song's office in Heishan Town, and couldn't help but smile wryly.

Do these people in power really like to test people's patience through this so-called learning time? Although he hadn't interacted much with Zhao Rui'an, Su Mu had experienced and heard of similar situations. So he didn't get impatient and just sat on the sofa, not moving an inch.

Zhao Rui'an didn't keep Su Mu waiting for long. After finishing the document in his hand, he smiled and looked up, "Su Mu, you came so early, I bet you haven't had breakfast yet, right?"

Stunned for a moment!

Su Mu never expected Zhao Rui'an's opening words to be so down-to-earth. But after a brief moment of surprise, he quickly recovered, stood up from his seat, and said with a smile, "County Chief, I'm used to getting up early in the town, and I did have breakfast before coming."

"That's good. Don't let it be said that I, Zhao, called you here but didn't even provide breakfast." Zhao Rui'an smiled and joked.

Su Mu's mind was already working rapidly, analyzing every word Zhao Rui'an said, but he couldn't figure out why it was like this.

Before becoming the mayor, Su Mu and Zhao Rui'an had almost no interaction. After becoming the mayor, he had only reported work once. At that time, Zhao Rui'an wasn't as gentle as he was now, not cold but certainly not close.

But what's going on this time? Could it be that this guy really misunderstood him, thinking that the two major figures of the Qinglin City Party Committee's stance on the Daliu Primary School incident was because of him? If that's the case, County Chief Zhao, you're going to be disappointed.

"How could it be! Others would be lucky to have this opportunity. Who doesn't know that the County Chief is very busy? County Chief, shall I report now?" Su Mu said with a smile.

"Good, sit down and talk!" Zhao Rui'an nodded.

"County Chief, the Daliu Primary School renovation project is the biggest issue in Heishan Town. Our town government's work plan is..."

Zhao Rui'an lit a cigarette and, in the rising smoke, watched Su Mu report in a well-organized manner. As the county chief, he could tell from Su Mu's words that he was indeed very familiar with the matter, not just putting on a show. After Su Mu finished his report, Zhao Rui'an nodded in satisfaction.

"Good, the Daliu Primary School renovation is the top priority for Heishan Town. This matter has already attracted the high attention of the city party committee and government. Heishan Town must not mess up again. Whoever dares to meddle with this will be severely punished if found out!" Zhao Rui'an said.

"Yes, County Chief, I guarantee that Heishan Town will complete this task well under the leadership of the county government!" Su Mu said loudly.

As soon as the words were out, a hint of joy flashed in Zhao Rui'an's eyes, but he quickly controlled it. As a seasoned politician, he could naturally hear the meaning behind Su Mu's words—mentioning the county government's leadership but not the county party committee. Wasn't that obvious enough?

Su Mu is definitely a promising talent!

As Su Mu knew, Zhao Rui'an's days in Xingtang County were not easy. The standing committee did not have power, the county's various agencies paid lip service but acted differently, and the towns did not follow orders, making Zhao Rui'an feel very constrained. Although he had achieved some results in half a year, compared to the dominance of the Xie family, it was still insignificant.

Now, encountering a mayor like Su Mu who doesn't follow the usual rules, if he could be won over, it would be greatly beneficial for Zhao Rui'an to gain control of Xingtang County.

"Very good, if you have any difficulties, report them to the county government, and I will try to solve them for you!" Zhao Rui'an said with a smile.

"Yes, County Chief. Besides the Daliu Primary School renovation, I have a plan for Heishan Town's poverty alleviation. Would you like to take a look?" Su Mu took the opportunity to hand over the plan.

For Heishan Town to develop, it absolutely needed the support of the county party committee and government. If he couldn't get past Zhao Rui'an, no matter how much Su Mu tried, it would be greatly discounted. If Su Mu bypassed Zhao Rui'an and submitted the plan to higher authorities, it would break the rules of the political arena. This was something to be absolutely avoided.

At first, Zhao Rui'an didn't take it seriously, thinking Su Mu's plan was just a formality, like those of other mayors.

But who would have thought that after reading for a while, Zhao Rui'an was completely absorbed by the plan. As an economics major, Su Mu's plan was very detailed. It wasn't full of empty words; each point was as real as possible, and each plan was highly operational.

In short, as long as the plan was followed, the rise of Heishan Town would not be difficult.

During this time, Lin Shuang came in to refill Zhao Rui'an's water, which was something a qualified secretary should pay attention to. If Zhao Rui'an's attitude toward Su Mu wasn't good, he would have used the excuse of other people needing to report to make Su Mu leave. Don't underestimate these small details; often, they are fatal.

"Xiao Lin, cancel all the appointments outside. Let them all go back. I will talk with Su Mu this morning. Also, make a cup of tea for Su Mu." Zhao Rui'an said calmly.

"Yes, County Chief!" Lin Shuang's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly replied.

It seems I misunderstood. Zhao Rui'an is very interested in Su Mu. Since becoming Zhao Rui'an's secretary, Lin Shuang had never seen him chat with anyone for half a day, let alone cancel all other appointments. Not to mention, the only people Zhao Rui'an had ever asked to make tea were the county party committee members. This was a special treatment!

"Thank you, Director Lin, I can do it myself!" Su Mu smiled and quickly took the teacup, doing it himself. It would be a joke to let Lin Shuang make the tea; although Zhao Rui'an didn't say anything, who knows what he might think. These small details, Su Mu could handle just as well as Lin Shuang.

Seeing this, Zhao Rui'an's smile grew wider, and he continued to read the plan. Lin Shuang smiled at Su Mu and then left the office.

Su Mu's "Heishan Town Scientific Ecological Park Pilot Report Plan" was twenty pages long, all typed, with every word carefully thought out. Although some phrases were lacking, the plan was highly operational. Each point was based on the actual situation in Heishan Town, making it easy to read without feeling stifled.

When Zhao Rui'an finished the last page, he took a deep breath and looked at Su Mu happily, "Su Mu, your plan is very good and detailed. Apart from some points that need improvement, there are no major issues. I want to know, if we follow your plan, have you calculated how much funding is needed?"

"County Chief, I have done the calculations. If we build the entire ecological park, it will cost at least two billion yuan!" Su Mu said conservatively.

"What? Two billion yuan?" Zhao Rui'an's scalp tingled at the number. You, Su Mu, don't know the value of money. Two billion yuan? Even if it's not Heishan Town, Xingtang County's annual fiscal revenue is only eight million yuan, which is not enough to fill your teeth.

Indeed, if Heishan Town, the poorest and most remote place in Xingtang County, could really develop as Su Mu said, it would have already turned into a gold mine. Why would it still be so poor?

Thinking about this, Zhao Rui'an's enthusiasm quickly cooled down, and he looked at Su Mu calmly, "Su Mu, you know the county's financial situation. For Heishan Town to develop, you need to think of more practical methods."

"County Chief, I know the county's financial situation. I just want to know your stance. If I can push this plan, what will the county government do?" Su Mu asked.

"If it can be initiated, the county government will support it unconditionally!" Zhao Rui'an made the decision on the spot. This is a good thing, a political achievement, and he had no reason to oppose it.

"Great!" Su Mu smiled, "County Chief, we will think of ways to raise the funds in Heishan Town. If we successfully attract investment, I will report to you immediately."

"Good!" Zhao Rui'an nodded, not placing much hope in Su Mu's words but thinking of the instructions from above, he took a letter from the table.

"Su Mu, this is an invitation for a recent investment promotion conference in Qinglin City, inviting our Xingtang County to participate. Since you have this plan, go and take a look. Report to the county