Right path to power

After visiting the injured at the hospital, Lin Xiao returned to the county.

"Mr. Zhao, I made it clear from the beginning that no one in the county is allowed to interfere with the project or make any requests to any company. But I heard that the subcontracting of the riverside walkway project was at the request of county leaders. Who exactly is behind this?"

He had a suspect in his mind—Tang Meiyun.

After all, she was in charge of the project, and she had a "previous record" in road maintenance bidding.

Even if she managed to pull back from the brink and avoid being implicated, old habits die hard, and no one can guarantee that she won't try anything underhanded.

"Don't worry, County Magistrate Lin, I will give you an explanation as soon as possible."

Zhao Binyuan was also very frustrated.

He accompanied his wife to Shanghai for surgery some time ago, staying there for more than a month, and then handed over the project to Li Lei to take full charge.

Unexpectedly, this resulted in a safety accident.

The two then discussed the follow-up work resumption, mainly focusing on quality and safety.

The riverside scenic walkway, in particular, will not be open to the public in the short term.

Upon returning to the project site, Zhao Binyuan first dismissed Li Lei from his post.

Then a quality inspection team was transferred from the head office to begin quality inspection of the entire trail.

At the same time, the qualifications of several subcontracting companies were verified.

Soon, quality inspectors discovered two more quality issues in the unopened section of the river.

Zhao Binyuan was so angry that he started cursing at Li Lei on the spot.

He then declared all subcontracting contracts void, not only refusing to pay any project fees but also demanding compensation from the subcontracting companies for quality issues.

After figuring out the situation of the subcontracting company, he immediately called Lin Xiao:

"County Chief Lin, the company's quality inspection department has discovered two more quality issues. These three issues were handled by three different subcontracting companies, but they were all introduced by County Chief Tang."

According to Li Lei's confession, County Chief Tang said it was Secretary Zhu's instruction. "I have already voided all subcontracting contracts and am currently seeking compensation from them."

After a pause, he continued, "Regardless of the circumstances, we are the project manager, and the primary responsibility lies with us. It was our inadequate supervision and internal control that caused the problems. I have already arranged for a comprehensive overhaul of the Fuchuan project team; those who should be dismissed will be dismissed, and those who should be laid off will be laid off. I will personally take over from now on and guarantee that no more problems will arise."

After listening, Lin Xiao remained silent for a moment: "Thank you for your honesty, Mr. Zhao. I have always trusted you, otherwise I wouldn't have invited you to Fuchuan."

"Thank you, County Chief Lin."

"By the way, I heard your sister-in-law had surgery? How is she?"

"It's better than expected. Thank you for your concern, County Magistrate Lin."

"That's good. I'll find some time to visit my sister-in-law once I'm less busy."

"No need, Lin..."

"We are partners, but also friends. Criticism is necessary in our collaboration, but it's only natural for friends to care for each other."

"Alright, I won't say any more. Just wait and see the results."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Xiao took a deep breath, a surge of anger welling up inside her.

How did Juliet get involved?

Why did they go through Tang Meiyun to make the request when they had already stated that they would not interfere with the project?

Lin Xiao brought in Dayuan Real Estate, but he never contacted any other company beforehand. His intention was to set an example by establishing rules to prevent the project from being subject to too much interference and causing uncontrollable issues.

Who would have thought that Juliet would break this rule on her own initiative?

Has the honeymoon period of their collaboration come to an end?

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Hu Qingqing pushed open the door and came in: "County Chief, are you free? The Party Secretary would like to invite you over to discuss something."

"Okay, I'll be there shortly."

"Oh, right, Mr. Shen from Fengdu Industry is here too."

Lin Xiao was taken aback, then nodded and said, "I understand."

A little while later, when Lin Xiao knocked on the door and went in, he saw Zhu Lishu and Shen Xueying chatting happily. Shen Xueying let out a crisp laugh and looked up at Lin Xiao, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes.

"County Chief Lin, we meet again." Shen Xueying greeted him with a smile, but did not get up, and seemed to have an expression on her face that said "you can't escape my grasp".

"Mr. Shen, you're so busy, how come you have time to come to the county?" Lin Xiao said casually.

"No matter how busy you are, you can always find time to see old friends. Besides, I'm nowhere near as busy as County Chief Lin. Fuchuan County is thriving right now, congratulations County Chief Lin."

Lin Xiao smiled and said, "President Shen, you flatter me. As long as we work together and treat each other sincerely, things will always turn out well."

Seeing that the two were somewhat at odds, Zhu Lishu interjected, "County Magistrate Lin, sit down and talk slowly. Have some tea first."

Lin Xiao nodded slightly, but inwardly she wondered—why were Zhu Lishu and Shen Xueying getting so close? Could it be that Shen Xueying also wanted to gain some benefits from the cultural tourism project through Zhu Lishu?

In fact, Lin Xiao had told Zhu Lishu more than once that he welcomed any normal investment, but he wouldn't allow any shady ideas.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhu Lishu smiled and said, "After conducting market research, President Shen has decided to invest in and develop a coal mine in Fuchuan. County Chief Lin should also know that Xinyuan Coal Mine has been losing money for several years, becoming a major burden on the county."

This time, General Manager Shen intends to reform the coal mining industry in Fuchuan and integrate the surrounding small and medium-sized private coal mines for unified development. I think this is a good opportunity for Fuchuan and a good thing for the mines. It will not only improve operations but also solve the livelihood problems of miners. Furthermore, the reform will revitalize the coal mining industry, making it a win-win situation.

Xinyuan Coal Mine is the largest coal mine in Fuchuan County. It is a state-owned enterprise under the county government and controls most of the county's coal resources.

However, due to low operating efficiency, outdated mining technology and equipment, output has always been unstable, and with the fluctuation of coal prices, it has hardly ever made a profit.

Today, burdened by various factors, even daily operations are becoming a problem.

Most of the miners had long since found their own way out. Some went out to work, while others, without connections, could only wait by the factory. Some of the bolder ones even engaged in illegal mining. Although they were punished several times, they had no choice but to return to their old ways to make a living.

It is precisely because Xinyuan Coal Mine failed to form an effective overall plan that many small mines and private coal mines have emerged. These small coal mines have incomplete permits, chaotic management, and safety hazards.

Previously, when planning the county's mining reform, especially after introducing Zhongdingyuan, a large central enterprise, Lin Xiao also had an overall plan for the development of Fuchuan Coal Mining.

"Secretary Zhu, we are currently developing a plan for the restructuring of Xinyuan Coal Mine. It will be fully integrated with the industrial layout of Fuchuan County to ensure that it plays its maximum role. Once the plan is finalized, we welcome General Manager Shen to participate."

He only gave a general outline, without revealing any details—he was very curious as to why Shen Xueying had suddenly set her sights on the county's coal mines, and what Zhu Lishu was trying to achieve.

Shen Xueying smiled and said, "That's great! Look, we have the same goal. In that case, I think we can discuss and improve the reform plan together to maximize efficiency and allow the miners to be resettled as soon as possible."

Lin Xiao smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about that, Mr. Shen. We will announce the specific plan soon."

Juliet interjected, "I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to let President Shen give his advice beforehand."

Lin Xiao gave her a cold look and said seriously, "If Fengdu Industry, as a potential partner, participates in the discussion in advance, it would be unfair to other interested parties."

He was clearly annoyed; judging from Zhu Lishu's words, she intended to hand over the Xinyuan Coal Mine directly to Shen Xueying.

Shen Xueying's lips curled into a smile: "Besides our Fengdu Industry, I don't think anyone else would be willing to take on this burden, right?"

"I'm not sure about that, but I think there must be more than just one or two responsible and accountable companies. Of course, according to the rules, we will publicly solicit partners and select the best ones to ensure openness and fairness."

Zhu Lishu frowned: "County Chief Lin already has his eye on it?"

"Yes, I'd also like to know which company has won County Magistrate Lin's favor," Shen Xueying said.

Lin Xiao glanced at the two women again, his tone calm but firm: "Please rest assured, Secretary Zhu, the county government will treat all companies equally until the plan is finalized."

Shen Xueying sneered: "I hope so."

The atmosphere finally froze at this point.

Juliet's smile had faded, and displeasure was building in her heart.