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

In late October, Zhao Donglai launched two surprise operations in Xishui.

Both operations targeted areas heavily affected by prostitution, gambling, and drugs, and achieved considerable success.

The county police not only successfully dismantled three illegal gambling dens, but also arrested a large number of scoundrels who frequented prostitutes.

In a short period of time, the public security situation in Xishui County improved noticeably.

This surprised Qi Tongwei.

Despite two consecutive swift and decisive operations, the Jinjing Hotel remained unaffected and remained perfectly safe.

Not only were no drugs, gambling, or prostitution detected at the Jinjing Hotel, but even the guest registration was flawless.

This piqued Qi Tongwei's curiosity, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Was my judgment of Su Yourong wrong, or was someone tipping me off?"

Seeing that the security situation in Xishui had improved substantially, Qi Tongwei began his next move.

He convened a special rectification meeting with the heads of 32 phosphate mining companies.

The meeting was held in the county party committee's conference room, and all the mine owners from the 32 mines were present.

The meeting's theme was simple and direct: a mobilization meeting for the rectification of phosphate mines in Xishui County.

After finishing his opening remarks, Qi Tongwei didn't waste any time and directly announced the rectification plan.

For phosphate mines above a certain size, technological innovation and safety rectification must be completed by the end of the year.

After the technological upgrade is completed, it will be jointly inspected and accepted by the county's safety supervision, environmental protection and other units.

Any facility that fails inspection will be shut down for rectification.

If a mining operation fails two consecutive inspections, its mining license will be revoked.

For smaller phosphate mines, Qi Tongwei did not take a blanket approach and directly announced their complete closure.

He suggested that small mine owners could merge their operations based on the location of their mines.

Merged mines that have reached a certain scale can continue to operate after technological upgrades are completed.

Qi Tongwei also demonstrated a tough stance against smaller phosphate mines that refused to cooperate.

There is no room for negotiation; it must be shut down by the end of the year.

After the plan was announced, questions arose in the meeting room, and even Qi Wang looked worried.

Unlike the panic of the others, Fang Zhengyao remained remarkably calm.

Seeing the crowd making a ruckus, Fang Zhengyao coughed a few times and spoke loudly.

"Secretary Qi, let me state my position first."

Zhengfu Mine and Yaocai Mine are willing to serve as pilot reforms and take the lead in rectification.

The moment he said this, the conference room fell silent, and everyone's eyes were on him.

They couldn't understand what Fang Zhengyao was thinking, or why he would take the lead in agreeing to the technological upgrade.

But these mine owners were used to following the Fang family and all looked to Fang Zhengyao for guidance.

Seeing that he had made his stance clear, although the crowd was still unwilling, the voices of opposition diminished considerably.

After the mobilization meeting ended, Qi Tongwei specifically asked Qi Wang and Fang Zhengyao to stay behind.

Qi Tongwei invited the two into his office and asked with a smile.

"Gentlemen, I would like to ask for your opinions."

I would like to ask the two of you to serve as pilot units for rectification and take the lead in carrying out the rectification...

I don't know what your thoughts are, or what difficulties you're facing...

As soon as Qi Tongwei finished speaking, Fang Zhengyao smiled and said.

"Secretary Qi, my grandfather was a pioneer in the Xishui County phosphate mine."

Like father, like son; I can't let my father down.

It is a kind of inheritance that Fangzhengyao was able to become a pilot unit for technological transformation.

Rest assured, Zhengfu Mine and Yaocai Mine will take the lead in rectification and will not hold others back.

Seeing Fang Zhengyao agree so readily, Qi Tongwei, though still somewhat doubtful, sincerely thanked him.

"Mr. Fang, thank you so much for supporting my work."

So, choose one of Zhengfu Mine or Yaocai Mine to rectify first.

"If you have to work on both at the same time, the pressure on you will be greater, and the difficulty of rectification will be higher..."

Seeing Fang Zhengyao nod, Qi Tongwei turned to look at the silent Qi Wang and continued to ask.

"Awang, what's your attitude? What difficulties and concerns do you have as a pilot candidate?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Wang licked his dry lips, frowned, and replied.

"Yes, Secretary Qi."

The village has held a meeting, and Uncle Shouyi also told me to fully support your work.

I have no problem with technological upgrades, and I'm fine with pilot projects, but the funding is too tight...

The village spent a lot of money to buy the mine initially, and with subsequent investments, the village invested nearly one million yuan.

The money all came from village collective fundraising. Now, with the technological upgrades underway, it's unclear how much more money will be needed.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to recoup the costs after the technological upgrades...

Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei nodded and said in a deep voice.

"Awang, technological upgrades are an inevitable trend, and no one can escape them."

Since you have chosen to continue mining in Xishui, you must abide by local policies and regulations.

This is a red line; no one can cross it.

As for when you can recoup your costs, you can talk to Mr. Fang about that...

I don't know how much profit a phosphate mine actually makes.

But I believe that after the technological upgrade, the mine's production will only improve, not worsen...

After saying that, he thought for a moment and continued.

"Since you two are being chosen as the pilot candidates, the county should indeed provide some policy support..."

Here's what I'll do: I'll coordinate with the bank to get each of you a 500,000 yuan interest-free loan.

The rest is up to you two to solve..."

After the mobilization meeting for technological upgrading concluded, mine owners of all sizes in Xishui County expressed their dissatisfaction.

These people, used to living a lawless life, are now under restraint and are suffering terribly.

The first one to jump out was Fang Mingyi, Fang Dezhong's father.

Fang Mingyi had worked as a commune member for half his life, and after the phosphate mine was opened in Fangshan Township, he also benefited from it.

Through Fang Mingli's connections, he and his son Fang Dezhong also contracted a rich mine.

By the time he turned sixty, he had finally amassed a considerable fortune and transformed into a wealthy man.

It's said that men become bad when they have money, and Fang Mingyi is a typical example; he's getting older and his heart is becoming more fickle.

With money in hand, Fang Mingyi's mind started to wander.

He not only bought a house in Luzhou, but also started dating a 20-year-old girl.

He became a hands-off boss and lived a shameless, carefree life.

Upon learning that his son had been arrested, he immediately rushed back to Xishui and returned to Fangshan Township.

When the technical upgrade mobilization meeting was held, he was the one who shouted the loudest and jumped the most enthusiastically.

However, Fang Zhengyao made his stance clear on the spot, and he didn't dare to continue challenging him, so he didn't cause any trouble.

But after the meeting, he felt increasingly uneasy.

He suspected that Fang Zhengyao had probably received some benefits and reached some secret agreement with the county.

Having made up his mind, he first went to Fang Mingli to complain and lodge a grievance.

As a result, he was severely reprimanded by Fang Mingli and truly met with a cold shoulder.

He remained indignant ever since leaving Fang Mingli's house.

"If they say they'll rectify something, they'll do it. One order and a year's work is wasted."

Since Fang Mingli is so terrified, I'll take the lead in opposing it myself...

Fang Mingyi and Fang Mingli are both of the "Ming" generation. Although they are twenty years apart, they are of the same generation.

Although he wasn't highly respected in the clan, he was undoubtedly an elder.

Through his efforts, he quickly gathered a group of mine owners who were unwilling to upgrade their technology.

Since everyone shared the same goal, they naturally hit it off immediately.

Immediately, some people said they would petition the county government and demand an explanation from the county.

Having lived in Lüzhou for several years, Fang Mingyi had broadened his horizons considerably and immediately voiced his opposition.

What's the point of petitioning the county government?

The police are from the county; would I get away with it if I went there?

If we're going to make a scene, we'll go to the city; if that doesn't work, we'll go to the province...

Qi Tongwei made a rash decision to close the mine, robbing ordinary people of their livelihoods. So we went to the municipal party committee to beg for food...

A group of mine owners were plotting to petition higher authorities, but Qi Tongwei was completely unaware.

Hou Liangping invited him and Xiao Ai to a small gathering tonight; he has already returned to Jingzhou.

The restaurant Hou Liangping chose has a great ambiance; it's one of the newest and most popular Western restaurants in Jingzhou.

The four of them sipped red wine and reminisced about their youthful days, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

After discussing his school experiences, Hou Liangping suddenly changed the subject and asked with a smile.

"Tongwei, you and Xiao Ai have such a good relationship, when are you getting married?"