Chapter 93

Lu Zheng lit a cigarette, took two deep puffs, and said, "Your focus on Hong Kong capital is very insightful, but if we are going to do it, we must do it on a large scale. The first national high-tech zone with substantial foreign investment, we need to make good use of this advantage and plan carefully. I think, besides setting up an office, we can also hold an exhibition in Shenzhen."

"What kind of exhibition?" Chen San Shui was somewhat surprised.

"Set up a booth, use photos and text to promote our Wushan's culture and investment environment. In short, magnify our strengths and showcase them to the world. Not just in Shenzhen, but also in Beijing and Shanghai. And once we are well-prepared, we can even go to Hong Kong!"

"Hong Kong?" Chen San Shui was stunned. He had never thought that far. Proposing to set up an office in Shenzhen was already the limit of his thinking.

Lu Zheng nodded slightly, "But all of this has to wait until Changming Company has taken shape and our high-tech zone has a clear plan. For now, we need to be down-to-earth. For example, the $75,000 investment from Hengchang Eyewear Trading Company, we need to take it seriously. However, San Shui, you don't need to report the details of these less important investment negotiations to me. I only want to see the results."

Chen San Shui had never expected that Lu Zheng would really listen to him from beginning to end and even remember the name of the Hong Kong company. However, Lu Zheng's last words made his face flush. He had just been used to reporting everything in detail to Deputy Director Gao, not wanting to hear Gao's interference and getting various signatures while Gao was half-asleep. But this new leader was completely different from Deputy Director Gao. He listened to every word of the report and was clearly very proficient in Western economics, far surpassing Deputy Director Gao.

Moreover, the new leader's words subtly criticized him for not distinguishing between priorities and wasting his time, and even showed a lack of interest in these small investments, as if he had never seen the world before.

But the new leader's thinking was truly extraordinary, as if a window had been opened in his mind, a window that allowed him to see the world.

The office door was gently knocked on.

At Lu Zheng's "Come in," a middle-aged man who looked like an old farmer poked his head in. He was wearing faded blue cotton clothes, with his pants rolled up, revealing black shoes. He wore a green hat and carried a black leather bag, a typical image of a Wushan farmer.

Chen San Shui's eyes widened immediately, "Hey, who are you looking for? Who let you in?" He had always looked down on the working class.

The man smiled apologetically, showing his yellow teeth, and said to Chen San Shui, "You must be Director Lu, right? I am the director of the Lingdong County office in Wushan, my name is Wang Xiangyang. Here is my letter of introduction and work permit." He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and a green plastic-covered document from his bag and handed them to Chen San Shui.

Seeing the man's yellow teeth, Chen San Shui wrinkled his nose in disgust and pointed to Lu Zheng, saying, "This is Director Lu." He took the letter and permit and passed them to Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng took a look and confirmed that he was indeed the director of the Lingdong County office in Wushan.

Lingdong County, part of the neighboring Wuxiang region, was the poorest county in Jidong. Because it was close to Wushan, according to the provincial party committee's directive, Lingdong County was a key assistance target for Wushan within the province.

Now, the more developed coastal special economic zones like Wushan were worlds apart from inland cities. Whether in terms of ideology, appearance, or personal attire, the economic special zones that had opened their arms to the world were vastly different from the semi-closed inland provinces, let alone a poor and isolated county like Lingdong.

Wang Xiangyang, a deputy section-level cadre, should have been dressed neatly in various uniforms or suits in Wushan, but he looked no different from an old farmer in the Wushan countryside.

"Director Wang, please sit," Lu Zheng greeted him warmly, leading him to the sofa and personally pouring him a cup of hot water.

Wang Xiangyang was somewhat flustered, repeatedly saying, "No need to be so formal, no need to be so formal." In the grand office of the Wushan Planning and Economy Commission, surrounded by neatly dressed cadres with shiny shoes, he felt inferior even before considering their ranks.

Seeing that Director Wang was stuttering and couldn't say much, Chen San Shui curled his lip. He thought to himself that the selection of this office director was truly impressive. Lingdong County, that particularly poor county? He had heard that brothers in the same family often shared a pair of pants, and more and more women were marrying out, leaving more and more bachelors. Looking at Director Wang, the rumors seemed to be true.

"Director Wang, do you have something to discuss?" Lu Zheng asked kindly, a stark contrast to his demeanor with Yang Wenxue. Who could blame him for his temper?

"Yes, yes, I do. I heard that if our office has any issues, we can come to you?" Director Wang said, possibly feeling hot, he took off his green military cap and scratched his head, further provoking Chen San Shui's disdain.

"Right, I am responsible for coordinating with the offices of our sister provinces and cities in Wushan," Lu Zheng nodded.

"That's good, that's good," Director Wang scratched his head and said, "It's like this, one of our young men from Lingdong was arrested by your police station. Director Lu, can you help?"

Lu Zheng was slightly taken aback and asked, "Is he a relative of yours?" If there was no connection, why would the office get involved in a public security issue?

Director Wang waved his hands frantically, "No, I'm not related to him, no, I mean, I am a little related." He looked flustered, as if being related to the arrested young man would make him a terrible person.

Lu Zheng smiled, "Director Wang, don't worry, have a drink of water and take your time."

Director Wang grabbed the cup and gulped down a few mouthfuls, wiped his mouth, and said, "He was a soldier, and after discharge, he was the militia captain of Liu Store Commune. I worked in the commune at that time, so I knew him. That's the extent of our relationship."

Lu Zheng nodded, "So why was he arrested?"

Director Wang sighed, "He came to look for his brother. Last year, his brother came to Wushan for work as part of our assistance agreement, but then he lost contact. So he insisted on coming to Wushan to find his brother. On the way, his food coupons were stolen. He heard that some restaurants in Wushan don't require food coupons, so he went there. But after eating, he got into a fight with the restaurant staff. It seems the restaurant charged exorbitant prices, and he accused the owner of being a petty bourgeois exploiter. Then they got into a fight, and he was arrested by the Hongqiao police station."

As Lu Zheng listened, he already knew what had happened. In Wushan, many restaurants and hotels no longer required food coupons, but the price of staple foods would increase several times. For example, two ounces of rice at the Wuzhou Hotel would cost three cents with a food coupon, but without a food coupon, it would cost fifteen cents, a fivefold increase. The young man, unaware of this, would naturally feel cheated.

"Hongqiao police station, right? I'll check the situation," Lu Zheng picked up the phone and called the head of the Public Security Bureau's Public Order Department, Mr. Zheng.

When Lu Zheng was in the Guangning police system, he was quite familiar with Old Zheng. Now, when he called, Old Zheng was initially surprised but then warmly laughed, "Oh, Director Lu, no, I should call you Director Lu now. Hello, hello. Oh, why did you think of me, Old Zheng?"

Both were deputy section-level cadres, and Old Zheng was in charge of one of the largest and most important departments in the Wushan police system, but compared to Lu Zheng, he was a minor figure.

Lu Zheng explained the situation as described by Director Wang and concluded, "Director Zheng, it's not easy for people from other regions to make a living in Wushan. If it's not a criminal matter, could you help coordinate? Just a warning would be enough, no need to detain him."

Old Zheng laughed heartily, "Sure, no problem. You calling me, Old Zheng, is a sign of trust. I'll check it out right away. Just wait for my call."

Lu Zheng, the youngest bureau chief in the Wushan police system, had risen like a meteor and quickly fallen, but within a few months, he became one of the most influential mid-level cadres in Wushan. With such a background, who would dare to look down on him?

Putting down the phone, Lu Zheng looked at Director Wang, whose eyes were full of hope, and said, "It's probably nothing serious, don't worry."

Director Wang's face lit up, "Thank you, Director Lu, thank you so much."

Lu Zheng waved his hand, "It's my duty, no need to be so formal."

Director Wang hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a black leather bag from under the coffee table, fished out a stack of documents, and said cautiously, "Director Lu, please look at this. Can we apply for it?"

Lu Zheng took the documents and flipped through them. It was a request from the Lingdong County government for 20,000 yuan in assistance funds. The description was vague, seemingly about renovating a farmers' market with county funds and assistance funds, but it was unclear what they actually wanted to do.

Lu Zheng closed the file and said, "I'll put it aside and discuss it with the relevant departments later."

Director Wang's small eyes blinked rapidly, realizing that this Director Lu, though friendly, was not easy to persuade.

It seems he would have to resort to the old ways.

Director Wang thought to himself.