In name only: I will break the chess game in Handong!

In the office of the district head of Guangming District, Chen Hai looked at the dejected Yi Xuexi and chuckled, "Secretary Yi, I knew the Continental Group couldn't possibly be losing money to gain publicity, could I?"

Yi Xuexi rubbed his temples and sighed heavily.

"Alas, some people have long forgotten their vows and ideals, becoming nothing more than complete capitalists!"

Chen Hai did not deny this.

"Secretary Yi, since the Continental Group is not a viable option, should we consider making a compromise?"

After all, Mr. Wang was right about something he said.

They are a business; they need to make money. If they can't, then let them make some.

Without even thinking, Yi Xuexi refused.

"No!"

"Then why don't we do it ourselves?"

"I would like the government to take the lead, but... the treasury can't afford it."

If the fiscal budget is sufficient, our government can build the houses ourselves without worrying about quality or construction schedule. We can even increase fiscal revenue by selling the new houses at prices slightly below market value.

"Secretary Yi, do you think it's possible for Guangming District to continue taking out loans from banks?"

Anyway, the interest rate isn't high. Once the renovation and upgrade project is completed within a year, the proceeds from selling the new house can be used to pay back the bank, and there might even be some left over. The only downside is... there's a slight risk, since any investment or construction project carries risk.

This approach is not an isolated case; some bold local governments have done it this way. If they succeed, it becomes a political achievement; but if they cause problems, it affects the future prospects of those in power, and they may even be expelled from the Party and imprisoned.

It can be said that projects undertaken by the government are where the top two leaders are gambling with their own futures.

Yi Xuexi was clearly moved by Chen Hai's words, and the impulse in his heart was hard to suppress.

"Chen Hai, I understand what you mean, but the risks of doing this are huge. If we succeed, it will certainly be a political achievement, but if something goes wrong, neither of us will need to be held accountable by our superiors. Even being executed cannot make up for the country's losses."

"Secretary Yi, what are you afraid of? I believe that as long as we serve the people wholeheartedly and as long as we implement every step of the process effectively, we will definitely succeed!"

"Let's do it!"

Yi Xuexi made a decision as soon as he slammed his fist on the table.

The two quickly did the math. Currently, the housing prices in Jingzhou are around 13,000 to 14,000 yuan per square meter. Based on this calculation, demolishing two old residential areas with an average of five or six floors would require nearly 2 billion yuan in demolition compensation. In addition, building a new residential area would require at least 1.5 billion yuan, and at the very least, they would need to borrow 4 billion yuan from banks.

This isn't like resolving the Dafeng Factory incident with a simple loan of 100 million. 100 million could be scraped together by Guangming District through various means, but 4 billion...

As the saying goes, the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish.

For two consecutive days, Chen Hai and Yi Xuexi sought bank loans, since it was impossible for a local bank like Jingzhou City Bank to provide 4 billion yuan to Guangming District.

It's not that the bank doesn't have money, but that the local bank manager knows exactly what kind of people Chen Hai and Yi Xuexi are.

It's hard to refuse a loan of 100 million.

If something goes wrong with the 4 billion yuan, everyone from the bank president to the rank-and-file employees will be dismissed.

In the end, the deep-pocketed China Construction Bank was willing to lend 5 billion yuan to support the construction of Guangming District.

With funding secured, the plan can now be discussed at the district committee meeting.

At the enlarged meeting of the district committee, Yi Xuexi was in high spirits, and Chen Hai was even more confident. But what about the comrades below?

Some were fiddling with their hands, others were playing with their pens; they had already given up and become indifferent.

"Comrades, there is only one topic for today's meeting, and that is the renovation of old residential areas."

Currently, two old residential communities in our district are extremely dangerous, and continuing to live there poses certain safety hazards. Therefore, after careful consideration, District Chief Chen and I have decided to demolish the old communities and build new ones. What do you all think of this proposal?

As soon as Yi Xuexi finished speaking, the other members of the team sat up straight, thinking to themselves, "You two have finally done something worthwhile since you took office."

"Secretary Yi, District Chief Chen, this is a good suggestion. In fact, our district wanted to demolish and rebuild these two old residential areas last year, but it was delayed until now because Vice Mayor Ding Yizhen decided to invest the district's financial funds into the Guangmingfeng project."

Of course, it's not too late to resolve this now. Each household in the old residential area can contribute some funds, and the government will oversee the use of these funds. Reconstruction can be completed in just six months, with the main structure finished.

The director of the Land and Resources Bureau had barely finished speaking when Yi Xuexi interrupted him before he could continue to state his other opinions.

"No way! How can we let ordinary people pay for it?"

"But...Secretary Yi, our district doesn't have any money!"

"No money? Who said that? District Chief Chen and I just talked with the Construction Bank yesterday, and they are willing to provide Guangming District with a low-interest loan of 5 billion yuan."

boom!

As soon as he finished speaking, all the cadres widened their eyes in surprise.

Are Yi Xuexi and Chen Hai crazy to take out a loan of 5 billion? The risk is too great!

"Secretary Yi! District Chief Chen, I think this is inappropriate. A loan of 5 billion is simply too outrageous. This is a major project, and if any problems arise, the members of both leadership teams in Guangming District will likely have to bear the responsibility."

As soon as the Finance Bureau Director finished speaking, other members of the district committee joined in to express their dissatisfaction.

The entire meeting was chaotic, and the smiles on Yi Xuexi and Chen Hai's faces gradually disappeared, replaced by coldness.

"You all disagree with this project going ahead? You need to understand, if the project succeeds..."

"We disagree!"

"Yes, I strongly oppose it!"

The opposition from several members of the leadership team gradually ignited Yi Xuexi's anger.

"I'm the district party secretary, I'm the top leader. District Chief Chen and I agreed on the decision!"

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

"Secretary Yi, District Chief Chen, if you insist on going your own way, we will have no choice but to report the situation to the Municipal Party Committee!"

They are not adventurers like Chen Hai and Yi Xuexi. Why would they take risks when they can live a peaceful life?

If things go well, the credit goes mainly to Yi Xuexi and Chen Hai; if things go wrong, they get punished too. Who would want that?

"Hmph! Then go ahead and report it!"

The harmony was completely shattered, and the meeting ended on a sour note, with some taking advantage of the situation.

The news that two old residential areas were about to be renovated was spread without anyone noticing. The residents of the two old residential areas were overjoyed when they heard the news, and then they hired steel and cement construction workers overnight to speed up the construction of the new buildings.

Add two floors to a five-story building, and two floors to a six-story building. The cost of tens of thousands of yuan could be factored in when it's demolished, which would amount to millions of yuan in revenue. It's a win-win situation!

But how can an already old residential area withstand the weight of such an additional addition?