Right path to power

In the afternoon, Zhu Lishu called Lin Xiao and said that she had reached an agreement with the Municipal Finance Bureau and that the special agricultural subsidy funds would be allocated soon. She asked Lin Xiao to communicate more with the Municipal Finance Bureau in the future.

Sure enough, Wei Wenjuan reported the next day that the funds had been disbursed.

Lin Xiao instructed her to use the funds strictly according to their intended purpose and to conduct thorough monitoring.

"Rest assured, County Head, the Finance Bureau has established a performance evaluation mechanism for fund expenditures and conducts irregular follow-up checks on various project funds to ensure that the use of funds is standardized and the flow is clear," Wei Wenjuan said solemnly over the phone.

Lin Xiao nodded: "Very good. With this system, we can achieve maximum supervision. In addition, you should also maintain regular business communication with the corresponding departments."

"Yes, County Magistrate."

After resolving this matter, Lin Xiao focused his work on promoting two major projects.

This is not only a major project for Fuchuan County, but it is also included in the city's list of key projects. It is one of the two largest investments in the city so far, accounting for 60 percent of the city's total investment attraction in the first half of the year.

Among them, the Zhongdingyuan Minerals project, led by Qi Mingchen, is progressing rapidly. He sets an example by working on the front line, essentially moving the company's one-stop service center directly to the project office, which greatly improves efficiency.

The Changning River cultural tourism project started early, and all work is progressing according to the established plan. Zhao Binyuan is also often on-site to oversee the project.

Deputy County Head Tang Meiyun has kept a low profile lately and has put some effort into two projects.

However, Lin Xiao's judgment of her remained unchanged, and he would conduct surprise inspections from time to time.

"County Chief Lin, the water stage is expected to be completed by early August. We plan to organize a series of cultural and artistic activities at that time. Chen Mo and I have already discussed this matter."

By the end of August, the renovation of the entire Changning Ancient Street will be completed, and shops along the street are actively seeking tenants. At the same time, the riverside scenic walkway will also be maintained and repaired.

By late September, the Changning River rafting project and Pengning Township Leisure Resort will also be completed. There shouldn't be any problem with Huajiang TV filming a program during the National Day holiday.

Listening to Zhao Binyuan's introduction, Lin Xiao said happily, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Zhao. I believe this project will be a huge success. I do have a suggestion: once the stage is up and running, don't just invite professionals like Chen Mo. You can also organize some activities that the general public enjoys and can participate in, such as square dancing."

Zhao Binyuan laughed and said, "County Chief Lin really understands the mass line! This suggestion is excellent. Only when the people participate can the project truly attract attention. We can start by organizing the local residents and then expand to the surrounding areas."

Lin Xiao nodded and said, "Yes, we can also cooperate with TV stations and broadcast regularly, which will have a better effect."

As they chatted, they came up with a number of good ideas.

The next step is to implement the selected projects.

In an instant, Fuchuan County regained its long-lost vitality.

Lin Xiao watched as Fuchuan improved day by day, and her mood became increasingly pleasant.

Of course, the approaching wedding date is also a factor.

However, her good mood was quickly dampened by the problems reported by Wei Wenjuan.

"County Chief, this is our fourth application. Each time we have revised it based on the issues they raised, but the Municipal Finance Bureau still refuses to disburse the funds on the grounds that the data is not standardized, and each time the response is delayed for a long time."

I went twice to try and find out what was going on, but they always evaded the question. Section Chief Wang of the Economic Construction Section told me privately that the higher-ups had intervened, and even if our documents were perfect, the bureau wouldn't process it; we had to find our own way.

"Okay, I'll handle this. You continue with your work."

Afterwards, Lin Xiao dialed the phone of Wang Honghui, the deputy director of the Municipal Finance Bureau. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he got straight to the point: "Director Wang, the county has some special funds for river maintenance recently. Could you help coordinate to get them allocated as soon as possible? There has been a lot of rain recently, and I'm worried about potential dangers. The county bureau said they've encountered some difficulties with the application, so I can only trouble you, brother."

As soon as Wang Honghui received the call, he knew what it was about. He smiled wryly and said, "Xiao Lin, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about this. How should I put it... I'm just the deputy director. Director Luo personally oversees all the important arrangements in the bureau. I can only offer some support from the sidelines."

He paused, then lowered his voice and continued, "The one who tied the knot must untie it. If the problem isn't solved at its root, even if I manage to get this payment for you, there will likely be other issues next time. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Lin Xiao frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Thank you, brother, I understand, but I'd still appreciate it if you could help me coordinate this first. I'll try to find another solution."

"Okay, remember my words, addressing the root cause is the most crucial thing."

"Okay, thanks bro."

The municipal finance bureau has many ways to control the districts and counties below it, such as delaying payments and deducting allocations.

As for why Wang Honghui emphasized "addressing the root cause," there are three main reasons: First, he did not have the final say; second, he wanted to move forward, after all, he had been in his current position for three years; and third, he knew that Lin Xiao had the confidence to clean up the situation, because Lin Xiao was deeply trusted by the municipal party secretary Wang Yuanze and was fully capable of dealing with Luo Jinlian.

Of course, this is not retaliation, nor is it the elimination of dissidents.

Lin Xiao was well aware of what Wang Honghui meant by "curing the root cause," but a suitable opportunity was needed to completely solve the problem.

Fortunately, the county's finances have improved, so this payment can be delayed a little longer.

Therefore, he did not intend to ask Juliet to mediate again.

After all, having the top leader handle everything makes him, as the second-in-command, seem incompetent.

He instructed Wei Wenjuan to regularly liaise with the Municipal Finance Bureau to stay informed about relevant developments, and to keep detailed records of each meeting, reporting any issues that arose.

This is a pre-determined special fund, and it's okay to delay for a while, but we can't keep delaying it indefinitely. If it really comes to that, Lin Xiao will have no choice but to go directly to the leaders.

As a result, Fuchuan County did not come to ask for money again, which made Luo Jinlian suspicious.

She knew that Wang Yuanze was behind Lin Xiao, so she was always adjusting the "degree" – enough to give Lin Xiao a warning, but not enough to make the big boss intervene.

In her heart, she already had a latest time for the allocation.

However, she couldn't help but remark on Lin Xiao's composure, "He's quite calm."

Soon, Juliet also learned of the situation.

She spoke to Luo Jinlian privately about this matter, hoping that she would prioritize her work and allocate the special funds as soon as possible.

However, Luo Jinlian subtly told her that Lin Xiao was too young, and young people shouldn't be too arrogant; they still needed to temper their temper.

Juliet was also helpless about this.

Although she had a good relationship with Luo Jinlian, it wasn't good enough for her to influence Luo Jinlian's decisions.

Moreover, she knew that Luo Jinlian had been holding back her anger.

She planned to find an opportunity to have a proper talk with Lin Xiao again—after all, being in the system, it's impossible to see things in black and white, and appropriate concessions are for better development.

Of course, such compromises must be based on fundamental bottom lines.

As soon as she arrived at work in the afternoon, Zhu Lishu went to Lin Xiao's office.

She first inquired about the progress of several recent tasks and affirmed the county government's work achievements during this period. Then, she subtly advised Lin Xiao to find an opportunity to ease the relationship with the Municipal Finance Bureau, pointing out that the municipal and county finances are in a coordinated relationship, and that a change in one aspect would affect the whole situation.

Lin Xiao understood the implication and also learned from Wang Honghui that Zhu Lishu had specifically sought out Luo Jinlian. Therefore, he said he would handle it as soon as possible so as not to affect the county's work.

After returning to her office, Zhu Lishu called Luo Jinlian and said that she had communicated with Lin Xiao and that as long as the quality and progress of the project could be guaranteed, the county would welcome responsible enterprises to participate in the construction of Fuchuan.

"Secretary Zhu, you've really put a lot of thought into this. This is the first time I've seen the top two leaders so harmonious. I'm sure the Fuchuan County leadership team is a model team," Luo Jinlian joked.

Zhu Lishu smiled and said, "Since we're a team, we need to focus on the big picture and take a broader perspective. County Chief Lin is still young, and as someone with experience, it's only right that I lend a hand at this crucial moment."

"That's right, the world isn't simply black and white."

"However, Director Luo, I must remind you again that Fuchuan County adopts a unified standard for all enterprises: quality and quantity assurance. Without this, there is no basis for cooperation."

"Okay, I understand."

Although Julie had previously let Lin Xiao handle some important matters without interfering,

But she is, after all, the top leader, and she has to exercise her decision-making power at crucial moments.

Immediately afterwards, she called Tang Meiyun into her office, gave her some instructions, and reiterated the basic principle of ensuring both quality and quantity.

"Don't worry, Secretary, I know how to handle it. I guarantee that the main structure of the project will be unveiled before National Day."

Tang Meiyun readily agreed.

Juliet's intervention was a result she was happy to see—once Juliet got involved, Lin Xiao could no longer make decisions on her own, and her room for maneuver would naturally increase.