Nominal: Intercepting Zhong Xiaoai, Dominating Handong

Gu Mingyuan answered: "Hello, this is Gu Mingyuan."

"Mingyuan, haven't you rested yet?" Pei Yihong's voice came.

"Governor Pei! Why are you calling so late?"

"I just finished a meeting, and I have some good news to tell you," Pei Yihong said with a cheerful tone.

"The results of the national selection of outstanding county party secretaries are in, and you've been elected! And unanimously!"

Gu Mingyuan's heart skipped a beat, and his grip on the phone tightened: "Really?"

"Would I lie to you?" Pei Yihong laughed.

"The document has been distributed to the provincial level."

"You're going to Beijing in March to receive your award."

"Secretary Liu Huanzhang personally wrote the recommendation letter for you; the evaluation is very high!"

Gu Mingyuan's eyes welled up with tears: "Governor Pei, this...this is too sudden."

"What? You deserve it!" Pei Yihong said earnestly.

"Your work in Liping has been seen by everyone, from top to bottom. This honor is an affirmation of your two years of dedication to the grassroots and your hard work for the people."

He paused, then said in a more serious tone, "You are now a national role model, so you must be more careful in everything you say and do."

"You'll be going to Beijing in March. You'll not only be receiving an award, but also attending a symposium and possibly giving a speech. You need to prepare well."

"I understand, thank you for the reminder, Governor Pei."

"In addition, we need to speed up our efforts to become one of the top 100 counties," Pei Yihong said.

"If you can produce a few more significant achievements before and after receiving the award, it will be even more perfect, and the province will fully support you."

I will definitely try my best!

After hanging up the phone, Gu Mingyuan paced back and forth in his office, his heart pounding with emotion.

National Outstanding County Party Secretary... This honor is too heavy.

He recalled when he first arrived in Liping two years ago, the dilapidated county town, the impoverished villages, and the apathetic people.

Two years have passed, and everything has changed.

With roads opened, industries flourished, people smiled, and hope was restored.

Today, this honor is not only a summary of the past, but also an impetus for the future.

He walked to the window and gazed at the night view of Liping.

The lights of the construction site in the distance twinkled, while the streetlights nearby shone warmly and brightly.

This small town is transforming at an astonishing pace.

He was both a participant and a driving force behind this transformation.

My phone rang. It was a text message from Zhong Xiaoai: "Mingyuan, haven't you replied yet? Pengpeng said he misses his dad."

Gu Mingyuan replied, "I'll get back right away and tell Pengpeng that Dad has good news."

He turned off the lights and walked out of the county government building.

The cold wind blew on my face, biting me to the bone, but my heart was warm.

On January 24th, the news spread throughout Liping like a spring breeze.

"Have you heard? Secretary Gu has been selected as a National Outstanding County Party Secretary!"

"Unanimously approved! A great figure has emerged from Liping!"

"Secretary Gu truly deserves this honor! Without him, Liping wouldn't be where it is today!"

In the county government compound, the officials were all smiles, and the first thing they said to each other was, "Congratulations, Secretary Gu."

Gu Mingyuan appeared in the office at six o'clock in the morning, as usual.

Just as he sat down, Liu Zhijun pushed open the door and came in with a big smile: "Secretary Gu, congratulations! You're the first National Outstanding County Party Secretary in Liping's history!"

"Old Liu, have a seat." Gu Mingyuan poured him some tea.

"The honor belongs to everyone. Without your support and the people's struggle, what can I do alone?"

"You're just being modest," Liu Zhijun remarked.

"However, Secretary Gu, this news comes at just the right time. Our push to become one of the top 100 counties is exactly what we need for encouragement."

"Yes." Gu Mingyuan nodded.

"But we can't be complacent. Please inform everyone that there will be a short meeting this morning, and I want to emphasize a few points."

At 8:00 a.m., an enlarged meeting of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee was held.

Gu Mingyuan's first words immediately cooled everyone down: "Comrades, I know you are all very happy, and I am happy too. But this honor is a summary of our past work, not the end, but a new beginning."

His expression was serious: "From now on, we must be more clear-headed and work even harder. The race to become one of the top 100 counties has reached a critical stage, and we cannot afford to slacken in the slightest."

He announced three rules: "First, no celebrations of any kind are allowed, and no extravagance or waste is permitted."

"Second, no one is allowed to make exceptions in my name; everything must be done according to the rules."

"Third, we must not relax our work requirements; all tasks must be carried out more tightly and effectively."

The room fell silent.

Gu Mingyuan continued, "This honor is both a pressure and a motivation. The whole province and the whole country are watching us. Whether Liping can become one of the top 100 counties is not only related to the well-being of 400,000 people, but also to the value of this honor."

"We will prove with concrete results that we deserve this honor!"

The applause was enthusiastic and prolonged.

After the meeting, Gu Mingyuan went to the construction site of the third phase of the industrial park.

The workers were making final adjustments when they saw him and they all gathered around him.

"Secretary Gu, congratulations!"

"You are now a nationally recognized outstanding county Party secretary, the pride of Liping!"

Gu Mingyuan waved his hand: "Comrades, the honor belongs to everyone."

"Without your tireless efforts day and night, and without the joint efforts of all the cadres and people in the county, what could I have accomplished by myself?"

He walked into the workshop and carefully checked the equipment's operation: "Production will begin on the eighth day of the first lunar month, is that alright?"

The project manager was brimming with confidence: "No problem! All equipment is debugged, raw materials are in place, and workers have been trained. We guarantee production will start on time on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year!"

"Okay!" Gu Mingyuan patted his shoulder.

"This is a New Year's gift to all the people of the county, and also the first shot in our sprint to become one of the top 100 counties. We must make it a success!"

After leaving the industrial park, Gu Mingyuan went to the tea processing plant.

Factory manager Liu Ming is organizing workers to pack goods in preparation for shipment to Japan.

Upon seeing Gu Mingyuan, he excitedly said, "Secretary Gu, Neon's orders have increased again! They've requested a 50% increase in monthly supply!"

"Can you catch it?"

"Yes! We just added two new production lines, doubling our capacity."

"The biggest problem now is transportation—the logistics costs from Liping to the port are still high."

Gu Mingyuan immediately called the director of the Transportation Bureau: "Old Li, you need to look into this right away and open a dedicated freight line from Liping to the port to reduce logistics costs. Give me a plan within three days."

After hanging up the phone, he told Liu Ming, "The county will handle the logistics issues. You just need to focus on production and ensuring quality."

"Once the international market opens up, we must establish a firm foothold and build a brand."

"Don't worry! We will definitely make Liping Cloud and Mist Tea a well-known brand!"

In the afternoon, Gu Mingyuan received a call from Gao Yuliang.

"Mingyuan, congratulations!" Gao Yuliang's voice was filled with genuine joy.

"National Outstanding County Party Secretary, that's a very prestigious honor. I've heard about it all over Handong. I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you, Professor Gao! It's all thanks to your excellent teaching back then."

"Here we go again," Gao Yuliang said with a smile.

"It's because you've proven yourself," Gao Yuliang said with emotion.

"Mingyuan, keep up the good work, you have a long road ahead of you."

"Be prepared and do not let down the organization and the people."