Huangfu Kun wanted to make a big splash, and this was also a good thing for Ji Yang.
Since becoming the county party secretary, Ji Yang had felt his vision broaden substantially; where others saw a bit of power, Ji Yang saw his future.
Whether or not one could wield significant power in a county was not the real issue; the key was whether that county was developed.
If he could develop the entire county, Ji Yang believed his achievements would not be few.
Since Huangfu Kun had some energy, it was fine to let him stir things up a bit.
As for the say in the team, with the support of Liu Piaoxue and Chu Zhendong, the foundation was secured.
In fact, even if no one supported him, he still wielded substantial influence.
Ji Yang thought of his last visit to Kuzhu Town and planned to go there again.
Wearing a straw hat and accompanied by his secretary Su Zhiping and driver Gao Changjun, the three set off for Kuzhu Town.
Walking this difficult road again, Ji Yang felt more and more that this road was an issue that must be addressed.
This time, Ji Yang did not feel the exhaustion that had overwhelmed him before; since the eleven meridians had been cleared, his body was filled with a sense of strength.
Looking at the two people following him, the secretary seemed worse off, nearly fainting from exhaustion, while Gao Changjun looked spirited, serving the role of a bodyguard with a sharp gaze sweeping around.
Indeed, this Gao Changjun was a usable man.
After observing him for a while, Ji Yang confirmed Gao Changjun was a person worth cultivating.
As for Su Zhiping, he was largely usable, though his loyalty still needed further consideration.
As they walked further, Ji Yang saw mist rising from what looked like a valley ahead.
Ji Yang was very familiar with such a scenario. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel fire.net
There were hot springs!
Ji Yang’s eyes lit up.
Since his arrival in Chunshui Village, he had not seen any hot springs; unexpectedly, this place had them. If true, it could be considered an investment opportunity.
"Leader, this place is called Wen Valley; heat escapes from underground here," Su Zhiping explained. "Later, a county leader’s relative secured this place for very little money, built a mountain resort here, and it’s said that they often arrange for people to invite leaders or wealthy individuals from the county town to visit."
Ji Yang asked, "Do those people willingly come here?"
"Not really; they usually use bridges to carry people over. It’s said that there’s a fish pond below where they keep tropical fish or something, and some leaders like to hunt here and then take a bath or relax."
At this point, Gao Changjun added, "I know a bit about this place; it was organized by a former county mayor’s brother-in-law, specifically to serve leaders. Sometimes even leaders from the city are invited here, but outsiders are not allowed to enter. Even local villagers have no access, and no one knows exactly what happens inside. After the county mayor ran into trouble, this place was sealed off and its current status is unknown."
Ji Yang then turned to Su Zhiping and asked, "Does this place still fall under the jurisdiction of Kuzhu Town?"
"Yes, even though it’s sealed off, Kuzhu Town still has jurisdiction."
Ji Yang felt that there was a problem; if this was the case, why hadn’t Kuzhu Town listed it as a resource that could be developed?
Thinking about this, Ji Yang felt there might be a problem with Kuzhu Town’s leaders; they might also have a ’rule-the-mountain’ mentality.
Ji Yang had encountered such situations before, where some people deliberately create an isolated atmosphere, making it difficult for leaders to enter, and then they make their own rules in such a place.
If Kuzhu Town was in such a situation, then was there some risk in his own visit?
"Leader, shall we go and get a feel of the situation first?" Gao Changjun suggested.
Shaking his head, Ji Yang replied, "Since we are here, let’s go and see for ourselves; I want to see what the situation is and why Kuzhu Town has not developed."
He suspected that besides the issue with the roads, there might be other situations he was unaware of.
Su Zhiping said, "This town has a population of over three thousand, and the town government is located in Kuzhu Village, the largest village with over a thousand people. Almost all the town leaders are locals, and outside officials who are posted there soon request transfers, as the conditions are said to be very harsh, making it almost impossible to find officers willing to serve there."
Ji Yang knew that the local Party Secretary of the town was Huang Song, a persuasive speaker, who complained bitterly to him every time they met about their lack of roads and difficult conditions.
Su Zhiping, who was most familiar with these leadership issues, continued, "Huang Song has great prestige locally; their Kuzhu Village is a Huang-family village, and the town’s officers are almost all from the Huang family, wielding significant influence."
It appeared that the problem was not minor, as officials could serve so long in their hometown!