Qi Tongwei at the start: Not relying on Liang Lu, but winning by a single move against Heaven.

The issue of diverting water from the Bailong River has been basically settled, and the team members are discussing it extensively.

Although this one project would consume five million of the county's budget, everyone was well aware of this.

Water diversion is a vital project for the people's livelihood, affecting the county's agriculture and drinking water. No matter how difficult it is, we must carry it out.

Seeing that everyone was still engrossed in the water diversion project, Qi Tongwei coughed lightly and spoke again.

"The water diversion project is settled. Now let's discuss the second project."

He paused slightly, then said in a deep voice.

"I'm sure everyone has heard some rumors that the county is preparing to use Fuyuan Mine as a base."

"Let's build a small thermal power plant near the Fuyuan Mine... Everyone, what are your thoughts?"

After saying that, he gave a brief introduction to the investment, site selection, and other aspects of small thermal power plants.

Finally, he looked around at everyone and said with a smile.

"If the water diversion project is to solve the livelihood problems of Fuyuan..."

That small thermal power plant is crucial to the future of Fuyuan and is a vital tool for the county's development...

Don't be shy, everyone speak up, what are your thoughts...

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur of discussion erupted in the conference room, even more heated than before.

The benefits of developing small thermal power plants are clear to all the officials.

It is no exaggeration to say that a small thermal power plant can drive the comprehensive development of agriculture, sideline industries, industry and trade.

They just finalized a multi-million-dollar water conservancy project, and now they're going to launch a thermal power project...

The officials couldn't help but feel worried, since the county's finances were really tight.

Seeing that no one was taking the lead, the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission frowned and said softly.

"Secretary Qi, I shouldn't be interfering in the county's development... but I have some concerns."

The county only has a little over nine million yuan available, and half of the water diversion project has already been used...

If we build another small thermal power plant now, the county's disposable income will be depleted... Can we afford it?"

He paused slightly, then decided to be direct and to the point.

"I wholeheartedly support improving people's livelihoods and promoting development... but we must also consider the actual situation."

If funding issues arise and the project becomes an unfinished project, the responsibility would be enormous...

Although his words were unpleasant, they represented the views of many members of the team, and everyone echoed his sentiments.

Qi Tongwei nodded, looked around at everyone, and sighed softly.

"Comrades, I understand your thoughts. Starting two projects at the same time is indeed risky."

He paused slightly, then spoke again, his voice becoming somewhat heavy and tinged with helplessness.

"But everyone should also think clearly that Fu Yuan is participating in a race."

Our opponent is not only the neighboring county, but also time... We are racing against time and against policy.

This is currently the window of opportunity for small thermal power plants, but this window could close at any time...

It could be six months, it could be a year... Fuyuan dares not wait, nor can it wait...

As he spoke, everyone turned to look at him, and the meeting room gradually quieted down.

Seeing that no one was speaking, he paused slightly and then asked another question.

"I have a question for everyone: What are the unique advantages of Fuyuan in developing small thermal power plants?"

Seeing that no one spoke, Qi Tongwei pointed at Wu Shanheng and said softly.

"Minister Wu, although you are mainly in charge of organizational work, you also bear the responsibility of executive duties..."

You know the county's industrial and mining system best, so tell me... what are our advantages?

When Wu Shanheng saw that Qi Tongwei had called his name, he hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"If we're talking about advantages, Fuyuan's biggest advantage is that it owns the Fuyuan Mine, which results in low coal transportation costs..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Tongwei nodded, looked at everyone again, and asked in a deep voice.

"The reserves of Huoshaoliang have been reported to the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources; development is just a matter of time..."

Looking at its geographical location, Huoshaoliang is surrounded by three counties. Does Fuyuan still have a geographical advantage?

If higher authorities were to invest in building a large power plant, would they care about the additional transportation costs of a few dozen kilometers?

He posed two questions in a row, and the conference room fell silent.

All the cadres understood the core of the problem, and Qi Tongwei had no choice but to act rashly; he was trying to secure a position.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Baimaiti glanced at Qi Tongwei and continued.

"Comrades. When Secretary Qi and I first met, I, like everyone else, had my concerns."

We even had a fight about whether to turn on the water or the electricity...

At the time, I said, "The finances have just started to improve, and we're already launching two projects in a row. It's such a waste..."

His voice was soft and his tone relaxed, as if he was trying to lighten the mood of the meeting.

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased slightly, Baimaiti spoke again in a deep voice, his tone becoming solemn.

"But now, my thinking has changed. Not only should we build thermal power plants, but we should build them as soon as possible."

Water and electricity are like the two legs of Fuyuan. Water is related to agricultural development and is a matter of people's livelihood.

Electricity is Fuyuan's future; a small power plant can revitalize agriculture, industry, and trade...

"We're under pressure right now, but the future of Fu Yuan is in its relaxed state... What do you all say? Should we go for it?"

After saying this, he looked around at everyone and made a solemn statement.

"I'd like to state my position: I support building small thermal power plants, even if it means reserving a spot in advance."

After the Party Secretary and the County Head made their statements, no one else could say anything more.

Even if they had some concerns, they chose to keep quiet and reserve their opinions.

Seeing this, Qi Tongwei exchanged a glance with Baimaiti and said in a deep voice.

"Now that we've set the direction, let's talk about practical issues, like how to solve the funding gap..."

The county currently has enough money, just enough to get by. But we can't really be spendthrifts...

The county's daily operations and emergencies also need to be considered...

Everyone, please tell me, where else can we get funding...?

His voice faded, and the conference room remained completely silent.

Seeing that no one spoke, the full-time deputy secretary frowned slightly and tentatively spoke.

"The fiscal revenue is transparent, that's all there is... but the townships still have 1.4 million..."

Is this the "three levies and five unified payments" policy for this year? If all else fails, could we use this money?

As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Tongwei waved his hand and declined with a wry smile.

"Township-level budget allocations cannot be touched; that's money for people's livelihoods and education. Village-level retention funds, however, can be..."

However, when Fuyuan Mine was established, all the townships invested in it. Where do you think they got their money?

After Qi Tongwei finished speaking, the conference room fell silent again.

The county's revenue sources are limited to just a few items; with the "three levies and five unified regulations" already blocked, there's no other way...

After a meeting of the leadership team, the construction plan was reached, but no one was happy.

The huge funding gap has caused great concern among everyone.

They felt that Qi Tongwei was walking a tightrope, and on a cliff edge at that...

......

After the meeting, Baimaiti didn't rush to leave but followed Qi Tongwei back to the conference room.

As soon as he entered the door, he slumped onto the sofa, sighed, and asked in a deep voice.

"Tongwei, regarding Li Guofu's case, approximately how much of his assets were seized by the city?"

Qi Tongwei tossed Baimaiti a cigarette and casually replied.

"The exact amount is unclear, but judging from the report, it must be at least four or five million..."

However, most of what was seized were raw jade stones; it depends on how the city calculates their value...

Baimaiti didn't respond, took two deep drags on his cigarette, and said through gritted teeth.

"No matter how you calculate it, it's still the hard-earned money of Fuyuan's people... it has to be returned..."

Qi Tongwei glanced at him, grinned bitterly, and said something meaningful.

"Brother Bai, I don't have that ability... You're the only one in the whole county who can handle this..."

However, you'd better be prepared, it's going to be very difficult to get this done..."

Baimaiti didn't respond, but he knew exactly what was going on in his mind.

Once the meat is in your mouth, it's really not easy to pry it out.

As they were talking, there was a gentle knock on the door, and Wu Shanheng appeared in the doorway.

Seeing that Baimaiti was also in the room, he smiled awkwardly and tentatively asked a question.

"County Chief Bai is here too...Secretary, how about I come back another time?"

Baimaiti immediately understood that Wu Shanheng wanted to report to Qi Tongwei alone.

He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, immediately stood up, and said to Qi Tongwei with a smile.

"Tongwei, I'm going to the city first. I'll let you know as soon as I have any news..."

Qi Tongwei didn't get up, but waved to him with a smile.

"Then I wish you all the best, and may you achieve great success... I look forward to hearing your good news..."