Ji Yang had made up his mind and felt at ease; these two investments were worth about three billion, and he believed he could get the work done.
When he arrived at Shisong County Town, Ji Yang observed this ancient county town.
The town was quite dilapidated and at a glance, represented poverty and backwardness.
He glanced at the few leaders accompanying him; had he not investigated their affairs, he would have really thought they were all corrupt. This team had just been put together and they were relatively honest individuals. However, their vision and courage were indeed lacking.
He sighed inwardly and felt it inappropriate to criticize them any further. Follow current novels on N()velFire.net
"Mayor Ji, have you noticed? This county town actually has its own unique charm," Feng Xiaozhi whispered to Ji Yang.
Ji Yang looked earnestly, and, sure enough, the town had a flavor of the cities in the Jiangnan water region, with a small river flowing through the entire town under guidance.
However, from the state of this river, it seemed likely to be heavily polluted, as it emitted a foul smell, casting an odd odor over the whole town.
"How has your county been dealing with this river?" Ji Yang asked County Mayor Cui Mingwu.
"Mayor Ji, we’ve studied it too. The people in the county are dissatisfied with this river, and they often criticize it. We’ve considered cleaning it up several times, but financially, the county just doesn’t have the funds to do anything," replied Cui Mingwu.
Secretary Wen Zhonglin also said, "Mayor Ji, the key issue still lies upstream with a paper mill discharging waste directly into it, along with a chemical plant, which is also dumping waste into the river, and these are the primary sources of the pollution."
"Hasn’t anyone tried to solve this problem?" Ji Yang was genuinely puzzled.
Wen Zhonglin said, "Those two factories have always been major tax contributors. If they were shut down, our county would almost lose its financial source."
Cui Mingwu added, "Another cause of the pollution is the residents’ habits; they dump a lot of sewage directly into this small river."
Ji Yang realized that the taxes from the polluting factories were very important for the county, making it difficult for everyone to make a firm decision, and the second issue was the pollution from the residents, both complex problems for the county.
"Give me some data about the people living around this river; I want to take a look."
They did have the statistics readily available and soon presented the data to Ji Yang.
Sitting on the sofa in the guesthouse, Ji Yang studied the files earnestly.
In fact, Ji Yang had noticed earlier that there weren’t many houses around that river; many people had moved to another area, which, although inconvenient for accessing water, helped them avoid the foul smell. Even the government offices had avoided that area, likely a decision made by later leaders in redeveloping this place. Therefore, if there were plans to comprehensively manage that area, it was indeed possible.
Sure enough, after looking at the data, Ji Yang had a clear idea, just as he had suspected. Due to the foul smell, families who could afford it had sold their houses. Eventually, when the houses couldn’t be sold, they were left vacant, with anyone having a bit of money moving to the newly developed northern district, called Xincheng.
Feng Xiaozhi came in and said, "I just inquired again, that area originally had thirty thousand households, but now having two thousand there is quite a lot; many people, although complaining, actually don’t live there, but have moved to the northern district."
"Do you have a plan?" Ji Yang looked at Feng Xiaozhi.
Feng Xiaozhi said, "Actually, with the development of those attractions you’re planning, this city will definitely have new value. By then, just by developing that old small town district, it could be turned into an attraction. I’m thinking, we could build a new Xincheng, and swap with the residents here. Also, while everyone is still pessimistic, we could quietly buy up some properties; they’re hard to sell anyway, so a house would probably cost only about ten thousand or so."
Ji Yang understood human nature very well; despite the current commotion, if there were profits to be had, people would definitely raise their prices, and even government compensation might not work. Feng Xiaozhi’s plan, while somewhat exploitative, was indeed an easy method to acquire property.
"If we proceed this way, could it cause any issues?"
"We will operate quietly, and I believe many people will sell their properties. If some really don’t sell, then we can swap with them later."
Ji Yang nodded slightly: "I can’t give you too much time."
"It won’t take too long, two months should be enough, maybe even less."
Ji Yang wanted to see what Feng Xiaozhi and her team were capable of, so he nodded in agreement: "Alright, my focus will be on the city for the near future. I’ll leave this place to you."
Ji Yang didn’t say more and left Shisong County, and Feng Xiaozhi also departed with her team, leaving many who were curious about Ji Yang’s intentions unaware of any insights.