Chapter 62

Chapter 18: Four Trillion and Three Minutes

Since ancient times, the bureaucracy has been a place of strict hierarchy. No matter how frustrated Li Yi was, he couldn't lose his temper; after all, the other person was the Deputy Governor!

"Hello, I have an urgent matter to report to Governor Lu on behalf of Secretary Gu. I can't afford to wait. Could you please inform him? If Governor Lu really can't see me, I'll go back and ask Secretary Gu to come," Li Yi said politely.

The secretary was in a difficult position, hesitating.

Subordinates needed to make appointments to see Governor Lu. If everyone acted like Li Yi and just barged into the Deputy Governor's office, how could the leaders get any work done?

Li Yi said a few more kind words, and the secretary began to waver.

At this moment, a deep, middle-aged male voice came from inside: "Xiao Liu, what's going on? It's so noisy out there?"

Xiao Liu quickly made a shushing gesture to Li Yi, walked to the door, and gently opened it, saying, "Governor Lu, there's someone from the Advisory Office named Li Yi who says he needs to report something to you."

"Li Yi from the Advisory Office? Is there such a person?" Lu Zhibang pondered for a moment and said, "Since he's here, please ask him to come in. He's an old comrade, we can't let him make a trip for nothing."

Li Yi heard this from outside and nodded inwardly. The word "please" showed Governor Lu's broad-mindedness and respect for talent.

Xiao Liu wanted to explain that Li Yi wasn't an old comrade, but Li Yi squeezed in through the door, first smiling at Xiao Liu, "Thank you, Brother Liu!" Then he bowed slightly to Lu Zhibang, "Governor Lu, hello. I'm Li Yi from the Advisory Office, and I'm here to report on behalf of Secretary Gu."

"Ah!" Lu Zhibang was clearly taken aback, then chuckled, "Li Yi! I remember now. Old Gu once mentioned that a young man had joined the Advisory Office. That's you, right? Please sit down!"

"Thank you, Governor Lu!" Li Yi sat down opposite the desk, "Governor Lu, recently, our office conducted a survey on water safety hazards. Here is our report, please take a look."

Li Yi respectfully placed the document in front of Lu Zhibang.

Lu Zhibang didn't seem eager to read it. He pushed the document to the side and said indifferently, "Good!"

Li Yi's heart skipped a beat, wondering what he had done wrong. Little did he know, this was just the usual behavior of a high-ranking official, not a personal slight.

Li Yi knew that Lu Zhibang was about to dismiss him, so he hurriedly said, "Governor Lu, our survey concluded that water safety hazards are very serious throughout the province. Secretary Gu's idea is to form a special inspection team, drawing capable personnel from various departments of the provincial and municipal governments, to conduct a comprehensive inspection of all water projects in the province."

Lu Zhibang, holding a pen, drew lines on the document in front of him. Hearing this, he looked up and said, "A comprehensive inspection of the entire province? Is that necessary? And to form a special team, how much funding would that require? I know you found some issues in the Three Rivers, but you can't generalize from one case. You can't suspect all the water projects in the province just because one reservoir is old and in disrepair. This kind of sweeping condemnation is unacceptable! Have you considered it further?"

Lu Zhibang spoke politely and reasonably, but to Li Yi, it boiled down to three words: "No agreement!"

"Governor Lu, the accident at the Malin Reservoir in Sanjiang City is not an isolated incident. Malin was lucky to avoid a disaster, but that doesn't mean other projects will be as fortunate!"

Li Yi knew that Lu Zhibang wouldn't give him much time and could dismiss him at any moment. He had to quickly convince this provincial leader!

Li Yi spoke calmly and carefully, "Most of our major water projects were built during the Great Leap Forward era. The tools and concepts of the 1950s and 1960s were relatively backward, and many of these projects no longer meet the growing needs of the national economy. Under the new economic conditions, we must conduct a thorough inspection of the old water projects, repair those that can still be used, renovate the old and outdated ones, and build new projects, re-planning them..."

Li Yi spoke confidently, his face calm, as if he were addressing an old friend or a trusted elder, not a provincial leader.

At first, Lu Zhibang was dismissive, his eyes fixed on the document, his red pen occasionally drawing bright red lines or writing comments on the side.

Gradually, he stopped writing and looked up, watching the young man in front of him, who was about the same age as his son, speaking fluently. Even his own son couldn't be so composed in front of him! Even high-ranking officials from various departments, when reporting, were usually very nervous, and even those who were usually eloquent would become hesitant!

He was first drawn in by the young man's performance, and then gradually became interested in what he was saying.

But it was just interest!

Secretary Xiao Liu knocked lightly on the door, poked his head in, and said softly, "Governor Lu, Deputy Mayor Ge Heming from Xizhou City has been waiting outside. He made an appointment with you last week."

Lu Zhibang gave him a cold look, and Xiao Liu immediately lowered his head like a student who had made a mistake, quietly closing the door and turning to Ge Heming, who was standing by, "Mayor Ge, please wait a moment. Governor Lu is busy."

Ge Heming looked at his watch, "Director Liu, I scheduled from 8:30 to 9:30, only an hour. It's already been 15 minutes!"

Xiao Liu made a helpless gesture, "Please wait a moment."

"Who's in there?" Ge Heming asked.

"A counselor from the Advisory Office," Xiao Liu replied casually.

"Oh! No wonder. I'll wait then! Old comrades should be given priority," Ge Heming chuckled.

Xiao Liu's mouth twitched in discomfort.

After finishing his explanation, Li Yi looked at Lu Zhibang expectantly, waiting for his comments.

As the deputy governor in charge, Lu Zhibang's attitude would largely determine the fate of Li Yi's proposal.

"I'll keep the draft. You can go now," Lu Zhibang said indifferently, then lowered his head to continue reading the document, his red pen once again scribbling and drawing lines. It seemed he had no interest in Li Yi or what he had just said.

Li Yi sighed inwardly. The current government leaders didn't realize the importance of water projects. In the year before Li Yi's rebirth, the Central Committee and the State Council issued a No. 1 document, "The Decision of the Central Committee and the State Council on Accelerating Water Reform and Development," focusing on water management and planning to invest four trillion yuan over five to ten years to improve the lagging state of water projects.

Four trillion yuan!

Equivalent to twice the current national GDP! It was an unimaginably large sum!

The central government's determination to improve water management came from recognizing its importance!

If this policy were implemented now, it would cost less and achieve more, preventing many future water disasters!

"Governor Lu, please give me three more minutes!"

Li Yi stood up, walked to the door, and then resolutely turned back, sitting down opposite Deputy Governor Lu Zhibang!