Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapter 242, Section 241: The Great Examination of Chaobai Town

The weekend is over, time to get back to work.

Under Lin Xiao's leadership, almost half of the cadres in Chaobai Town devoted themselves to the final sprint to welcome the National Day short-distance tourism boom—this was the first major test for Chaobai Town since it launched its rural tourism development work more than half a year ago.

Logically, the town mayor should be the leader of the tourism development task force, while Lin Xiao, the person in charge, is at most a deputy leader.

But Qin Zhenggang has already been transferred.

Moreover, during his time there, all the work of the tourism development task force was entirely under Lin Xiao's direction, as instructed by him.

As the team leader, he only makes a token appearance when decisions and signatures are required.

Tu Hui is currently the acting mayor.

In principle, he should be able to take full charge of the tourism development task force.

But as a seasoned veteran, Tu Hui would only do something so stupid and show off if he were completely out of his mind.

Not to mention that the rural tourism industry in Chaobai Town was built up from scratch by Lin Xiao. Apart from the former mayor Qin Zhenggang, all the cadres in the special task force listened to Lin Xiao alone.

Take Tu Hui for example, he is only the acting mayor now, and his position as the top leader is not yet a sure thing. For the next six months, his work principle can be summed up in one word: stability!

Don’t ask for merit, but ask for no faults!
If it were up to him, he might as well abandon rural tourism altogether. It might produce results, but it could also easily lead to problems.

The credit for achievements doesn't necessarily go to him.

But if something goes wrong, it will definitely affect his ability to remove the "acting" title before "town mayor".

But now there's no turning back. The whole town has been working hard for more than half a year, and there's no way to stop now. We can only go all out and keep pushing forward.

This is no longer just a matter for Chaobai Town.

After celebrities Han Xixi, Yu An'an, and Jiang Xueying took turns visiting the town, and with the sudden emergence of Qin Zhenggang, the internet celebrity hero mayor, Chaobai Town is now receiving attention throughout the province.

Leaders at all levels are watching the tourism market in Chaobai Town closely to see how it fares during the National Day holiday.

Tu Hui considers himself a complete novice, knowing nothing about rural tourism development.

Therefore, he doesn't dare to cause trouble at all now. In fact, the first thing he does every day when he goes to work is to burn incense and pray to Buddha, hoping that Deputy Mayor Lin won't get sick, get upset, or quit his job recently, and that he can lead the special team well and plan all the matters for the National Day holiday.

He, the acting mayor, only sought a smooth transition without making any significant contributions.

Mayor Tu deliberately remained out of the public eye.

Lin Xiao's work was going more and more smoothly, so much so that his subordinates naturally came to him for everything, big or small, and completely ignored Tu Hui, the acting mayor.

Lin Xiao didn't think anything was wrong at first.

Later, she gradually realized that by doing so, she had become an empress dowager ruling from behind the curtain and a regent controlling the court.
Tu Hui hasn't been officially hired yet, so naturally we're being very polite to him, saying "okay, okay, okay, you figure it out."

Once you're officially hired.

Lin Xiao's current actions will be the source of the town mayor's manipulation and targeting of you in the future.

As for Tu Hui's ability to be promoted to town mayor at his age, he ultimately has to thank Lin Xiao.

That's exactly what happened.

But no one can say that, especially Lin Xiao.

After all, the saying "when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked" has appeared far too many times in history. Even now, there is the saying "the first sword to strike upon landing is the one you love."

Lin Xiao was not Tu Hui's ideal type; at most, he was a minor ally.

Once Tu Hui secures his position as town mayor, he'll likely target his former associates. After all, who wants to admit that their success isn't due to their own merit but rather to the support of others?
After Lin Xiao figured out these key points, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

of course.

These are the worst possible outcomes he's thinking about, and they might not necessarily happen to Tu Hui.

However, he still had to be cautious.

Having been in Chaobai Town for almost a year, he could confidently say what kind of person Qin Zhenggang was, what kind of person Jia Minglu was, and even what kind of person Qiao Xuyang, who had already been disciplined and transferred, was.

But the one thing he couldn't see through was what kind of person Tu Hui was.

Lin Xiao had to be wary of people he couldn't understand, after all, it's better to make enemies with a gentleman than a villain.

Having figured all this out, Lin Xiao broke with his usual behavior and began frequently visiting Tu Hui's office, reporting to Mayor Tu in detail everything, from the development of the tourism task force to ideas for economic development.

Tu Hui initially tried to save face, always spouting official jargon like, "You can make the decision yourself. Don't I trust you? You know more than I do..."

But Lin Xiao still sought instructions early in the morning and reported late at night.

Tu Hui's psychological defenses gradually weakened, and he began to occasionally offer some minor opinions and ideas.

These ideas and opinions were all trivial, and Lin Xiao didn't mind accepting them all. Then, at the meeting, he deliberately emphasized that they were guided and advised by Mayor Tu.

Over time, Tu Hui's attitude towards Lin Xiao changed from being amiable at the beginning to admiring and praising him, with his eyes full of "You're such a sensible kid."

Only then could he be completely at ease with Lin Xiao's work and truly let him unleash his full potential.

There's a saying within the system: Being a good person is more important than doing good work!
Lin Xiao had previously dismissed the statement, but after seeing Qin Zhenggang almost get dragged down with him, he realized the significance of the words and understood that simply burying one's head in work was not enough.

Although he is not afraid of trouble.

But some things, once they get involved, will cause trouble even if you don't pee. Why let a hidden worry that can be resolved with a few more words turn into a big disaster and get yourself struck by lightning?

Lin Xiao felt that he had really matured and grown a lot during his year in the countryside.

He simply returned to his office.

Even as Lin Xiao leaned back in his chair, he wondered whether this maturity and progress was a good thing or a bad thing...

However, now is not the time for lamenting the passing of spring and the coming of autumn.

With National Day approaching, the rural tourism industry in Chaobai Town, after more than half a year of development, is finally ready for a comprehensive evaluation.

Not only the special task force members, but all the cadres in the entire town compound were extremely busy.

In fact, by now, all the scenic spots, guesthouses and restaurants are ready and waiting for tourists to arrive as soon as National Day comes.

Chaobai Town today is completely transformed compared to six months ago.

This change is not limited to Jiajia Village and Xiaguan Village.

The early popularity of Laoyashan and the surge in tourists during the May Day holiday have made local vendors and surrounding businesses realize the potential for development in this tourism market.

So after May Day, capital from Anyang, Yizhou, Ninghai, and even other prefecture-level cities and provinces began to pour into this small town, setting up homestays, opening restaurants, and developing entertainment businesses. It can be said that the town is flourishing in all aspects.

During the May Day holiday, there was only one chain brand in town: Kudi Coffee.

It was Han Xixi who generously sponsored the coffee so that her husband could have hot coffee anytime, anywhere; theoretically speaking, it could be considered cheating.

However, just five months later...

Several chain brands, such as KFC, Mixue, and braised chicken, have opened in the town, mainly concentrated on South Street, where the flow of people is the most dense.

Sometimes when Lin Xiao passed by, he would look up suddenly and feel a little disoriented, as if he were on the streets of Ninghai, the provincial capital, instead of in a small town in his hometown.

Besides these well-known brands.

The numerous entertainment and recreational projects that have sprung up throughout the town truly prove the saying, "When you have a phoenix tree at home, the phoenix will come."

Back in the day, when Chaobai Town had nothing at all.

Lin Xiao wanted to revitalize the town's hot springs and kilns, so he went outside to find businesses to invest. He had to beg and plead, but no one believed that rural tourism in Chaobai Town could be successful, and no one was willing to invest.

But since it became a hit during the May Day holiday, this situation has quietly changed.

Aside from the fact that the restoration of the ancient village of Jiajia Village was funded by the town, the commercial development of the kiln industry in Xiaguan Village was undertaken by the town's investors. Currently, the chestnut picking gardens, stargazing campsites, open-air barbecue areas, and tidal river rafting projects under construction throughout the town are all projects that capital from various regions are vying to develop.

Although these projects are all very commercialized, apart from the chestnut picking which has some Chaobai Town characteristics, they are all just the same kind of commercial packaging.

It has little to do with the distinctive rural tourism that Lin Xiao initially envisioned.

But after the hectic May Day holiday, Lin Xiao realized that the existence of something is justified, and there's a reason why some projects can make money.

During the May Day holiday, Han Xixi's sudden visit to Laoyashan caused this undeveloped mountain to become an internet sensation.

It has attracted a large number of local tourists to come and take photos.

As a result, people came, but the tourism facilities were not built. Most tourists came with high hopes but left disappointed. Many parents who brought their children even complained that it would be nice to have a fruit picking garden, a barbecue area, or a campsite. They said that there are only a few things for children to do anyway, so it doesn't matter where they play.

Hearing these words, Lin Xiao realized that he had confused the concepts of tourism and travel.

Most people travel to cleanse their souls, usually going to faraway places, seeking out commercialization, highlights, and unique features.

But when it comes to travel, the point is to spend money. It doesn't matter how far or near, as long as you can take photos, eat and sleep, and have a place for the kids to run around, that's enough.

The natural resources of Chaobai Town determine that this place can never become a popular tourist attraction.

Lin Xiao's initial focus was on the cities of Ninghai and Yizhou, aiming to create weekend getaways and short trips for people tired of city life, providing a place to relax.

These people have absolutely no interest in understanding cultural characteristics or historical connotations.

People come here to spend money, to relax, to have a place to stay, and they don't even need to eat or drink well. They just need to be able to eat their fill, sleep, and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Once he realized this, Lin Xiao completely abandoned his unrealistic ideas and began to accept all kinds of investment.

As a result, in recent months, the area under the jurisdiction of Chaobai Town has been undergoing a period of large-scale construction and constant activity.

The influx of this capital has even unexpectedly boosted local employment, providing many unemployed farmers with opportunities for odd jobs and creating jobs for many young people who cannot find work in the city.

Although it's just a front desk or waiter position, the income isn't high.

But in today's economic climate, having a job is already a blessing.

Lin Xiao has recently noticed a significant increase in the number of young faces in the town, which has brought a sense of vibrancy to the entire town.

This feeling made him feel great and further convinced him that his decision was correct.

Of course, short-lived youth and prosperity are not something to be proud of, but rather something to be wary of.

Whether this youthful energy and excitement can continue depends on whether tourists will arrive as expected during this National Day holiday, and whether those who come drawn by the hype will have a great time and enjoy themselves to the fullest.

The town officials are waiting to see, the investors are waiting to see, and the people are waiting to see.

Lin Xiao is under immense pressure and has started having trouble sleeping these past two days.

Even during daytime meetings, I was so worried that I kept scratching my head, feeling that there were still many details I hadn't thought of comprehensively and many tasks I hadn't done properly. If even the leader was in this state, the other cadres in the task force were naturally not much better off. They were all emaciated and pale, as if they had been drained of their life force by a female demon.

Often, the meeting would fall into silence midway through.

That day, after the noisy crows flew over the meeting again, leaving a trail of small black dots,

The young cadres exchanged glances and finally sent Sun Simiao to the front. With gossipy eyes and excited chatter, he began to offer his suggestions.

"Um... Lin Zhen, actually I have a little idea~"

Sun Simiao is a young girl who just joined the school last year. She is young and inexperienced, but she is hardworking, quick-witted, and loved by all the locals.

Lin Xiao also valued her energy, which is why he brought her to the special task force.

Hearing the girl say that, Lin Xiao became interested as well.

However, given that this girl's previous ideas were too far-fetched and often went in a ridiculous direction, he didn't dare to have too high expectations. He just listened to her to clear his head.

“Okay, go ahead!” Lin Xiao nodded.

"hey-hey!"

Sun Simiao smiled and said, "I think our preparations are all very thorough. The food, entertainment, and accommodations are all significantly improved and surpassed those during the May Day holiday. We are confident that we will achieve great success this National Day holiday, ensuring that all tourists come and go happily, and that they will linger in our Chaobai Town forever!"

Sun Simiao's flattery was very sincere.

Although Lin Xiao couldn't glean any useful information from those words, he still felt quite pleased, thinking to himself, "No wonder leaders love being flattered."

"Get to the point!" He was secretly pleased, but his face remained serious.

Sun Simiao stuck out his tongue, thinking he had flattered the wrong person.

She hurriedly said, "The most crucial thing right now is whether tourists will come, and how many will come... After all, our Nanzhou Province just suffered from floods, and our Chaobai Town also experienced a dangerous situation. Although it didn't have a major impact on tourist facilities, the fact that this matter has become a trending topic will still make many potential tourists hesitate..."

The more Sun Simiao spoke, the more Lin Xiao frowned, and the deeper the black lines appeared on the faces of the other cadres at the table.

This little Sun is getting more and more outrageous, he's gone completely off-topic!
However, Lin Xiao took these words to heart.

Because what Sun Simiao said was exactly what he was worried about.

During the May Day holiday, no preparations were made, but tourists flocked to the area based on online buzz. The fear is that during the National Day holiday, everything will be prepared, but netizens will hesitate to come because of the recent floods.

That would truly be a disaster.

Seeing that the atmosphere in the meeting room had become even more tense, Sun Simiao realized that he had said the wrong thing again and quickly said, "Now that we know where the problem lies, we just need to target our efforts precisely!"

Lin Xiao chuckled easily. This little girl is even using words!
"Then tell me, how do you aim your attack and exert your force precisely?" he asked.

"It's easy!"

Sun Simiao said smugly, "Isn't the problem that you're worried about tourists not coming? Then we'll just increase our advertising and attract everyone, right?"

These words dashed Lin Xiao's high hopes.

Sure enough, I shouldn't have trusted this kid. He talked for ages and all he said was a load of nonsense!
"We've been promoting it all along, using WeChat official accounts and video accounts to push out updates on the tourism development of Chaobai Town every day. Leng Tao is practically sparking from editing all the footage!"

Lin Xiao said helplessly, "But the only tourist attractions that our Chaobai Town can boast about are written like this, and the same old promotions are being repeated over and over again. The more we promote them, the less original they become. Now the videos are getting fewer and fewer likes; the last few only have a few dozen likes..."

At this point, Leng Tao, who was in charge of the official Douyin account, lowered his head silently, feeling that his lack of ability was the reason for the sharp drop in traffic.

Lin Xiao replied, "Of course, Leng Tao, this isn't your fault. You've done a great job. But even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. With just a few projects, it's difficult to make them fresh and engaging. I know that, and I don't blame you!"

Leng Tao nodded, feeling a little relieved.

Sun Simiao then said, "Mayor Lin, I know all that you're saying. So what I meant by increasing publicity isn't our official WeChat account or video account, but... something else!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao's waning expectations were once again raised high.

However, a quick scan of the room revealed that the gazes of the others weren't filled with curiosity, but rather with blatant, wicked smiles...

Lin Xiao then realized something was wrong.

But he still cautiously asked, "What else... are you referring to?"

Sun Simiao's eyes darted around frantically, as if she couldn't contain her thoughts.

"There are many options, such as inviting Han Xixi over, or taking a photo at Laoya Mountain!"

"?"

"For example, write a theme song for our Chaobai Town. It would definitely be a hit if it were released, right?"

"??"

"Of course, my favorite idea is to invite Han Xixi and Jiang Xueying together for a historic reunion of an ex-girlfriend and her current wife. If that makes the news, it will definitely go viral, and the visitor numbers during the National Day holiday will be huge."

"???"

Lin Xiao inhaled more and more cold air as he listened, feeling a bit uncomfortable in his heart.

He finally understood why these little cuties all had such mischievous expressions, like they were trying to suppress a wicked laugh.

It turns out these people had planned this all along.

This wave of attacks is aimed at him!
Lin Xiao was speechless for a moment.

Sun Simiao got carried away and, with an innocent, childlike face, launched a final sprint: "Town Lin, the whole internet has been saying that Han Xixi's husband is Ma Yao, the one who wrote songs for her, and this mysterious teacher Ma Yao lives in our Chaobai Town... Isn't that you?"

As soon as the question was asked, everyone at the table turned to look at him, seven or eight pairs of eyes sparkling with a thirst for knowledge... no, I mean a fervent desire for gossip.

Lin Xiao was speechless.

Weren't we in a meeting discussing National Day? How did it get onto our own lives?

"Even if I'm handsome, that doesn't mean I'm Han Xixi's husband, right?" he said helplessly.

"Lin Zhen, that's where you're wrong!"

Zhou Baoping said excitedly, "We always say that we're all young people, and we should just say what we think without holding back. But now that we're asking you directly, you're not telling us the truth..."

As soon as he said that, the crowd below immediately started to jeer.

"That's it!"

"Lin Zhen, just admit it, we all guessed it!"

“Someone saw your sister-in-law go to your office before, it was Han Xixi!”

"And during the breach in Zhoujia Village, someone also saw Han Xixi appear in the village!"

"Besides you, there is no one else in Chaobai Town with the charm to make Han Xixi give herself to you!"

"Lin Town..."

The group of people started chatting away, and the office, which had been silent just moments before, immediately became a lively and bustling place.

Lin Xiao was having a real headache.

It's all my fault for not putting on airs as a leader and getting along well with these young people. As a result, they've spoiled me so much that they've started gossiping about me.

"Stop, stop! You're all so noisy! You're all reincarnated crow spirits!"

"..."

Everyone immediately fell silent, but the gossip gleam in their eyes remained undiminished.

Lin Xiao was helpless.

"You all want to know?"

"Yes!" Everyone nodded vigorously.

"You really want to know?"

"Uh-huh!"

"You've been dreaming about this?"

"Mmmmmmm!"

"Keep dreaming! Stop meddling in other people's business. Have you finished your work?!"

Lin Xiao's expression suddenly changed, and the gossip fire that had filled the room was instantly extinguished.

Seeing everyone's disappointed looks, Lin Xiao couldn't have been happier.

Although the young people didn't get a satisfactory answer, he had an unexpected gain.

Sun Simiao's suggestions just now, though malicious and deliberately intended to induce him to admit that he was Ma Yao and Han Xixi's husband.

But it's not entirely useless.

To suggest that Han Xixi should return to Laoyashan is utter nonsense.

His wife is five months pregnant, and Lin Xiao is extra careful even when she goes out for a walk at night. Letting her go hiking? Are you crazy?!
In addition, he was unwilling to use his wife's fame in the first place.

It's not that I'm so high and mighty, or that I have to prove my abilities myself!

Instead, every time Han Xixi gained a certain amount of popularity, she was inevitably followed by a backlash from that popularity.

Lin Xiao was unwilling to let his wife be scolded for no reason.

It's good that we're being slowly forgotten by the public like this.

As for having Han Xixi and Jiang Xueying go mountain climbing together...

Sun Simiao dared not even listen to such a terrible idea, let alone think about it.

Before anything had even happened between him and Jiang Xueying, his wife would bring up their past from university every now and then. Given that his wife had always remained chaste and had never even been attracted to any other man, he was quite concerned.

Lin Xiao's relationship, which wasn't really a romantic one, became a moral stain, causing him to be at a disadvantage whenever it was mentioned.

Just mentioning it has such a huge impact.

Lin Xiao still dares to let Han Xixi and Jiang Xueying appear in the same frame? And even go hiking together?
What, you're tired of living?
Lin Xiao was so frightened by the thought that he quickly stopped and then focused on Sun Simiao's last plan.

"I'm good at writing theme songs, and my wife doesn't even have to get involved... This is a great idea!"

(End of this chapter)