Qi Tongwei: Sign-in relationship started during student days

Chapter 520 Beishan City’s First Party and Government Conference

He Anxia burst out laughing. He had seen many corrupt officials, but this was the first time he had seen someone like Tian Fengyi.

"Tongwei, we haven't even taken office yet, and already difficulties have come knocking on our door. You have to work hard, otherwise we will really be like what Minister Wang said, the last one he sent off."

Wang Rucheng smiled bitterly and said, "Secretary He, I really didn't mean that."

He Anxia waved his hand, "Okay, I won't joke with you anymore, Minister Wang, tell me the truth, how big is this hole? I mean, apart from Han Steel."

"I don't know the exact number, but I heard it's about five or six million tons."

"Five or six million tons!?" Everyone in the car exclaimed.

"Yes, fortunately, the economic structure has changed in the past two years, and coal prices have continued to fall. The latest price is only 240 yuan per ton. Bulk purchases like this usually cost around 200 yuan."

"So, we owe over a billion yuan just for coal?"

"Yes, Hangang uses even more. They have a high annual output. Although production has declined in recent years, they still use about 7 to 8 million tons of coal each year. Over the years, they have a debt of about 20 to 30 million tons."

Qi Tongwei waved his hand and said, "Hangang's affairs are the responsibility of Hangang. Beishan City will not bear this heavy burden."

Wang Rucheng understood what he meant, "Mayor Qi, do you really want to pay back the debts owed to Beishan City's subordinate enterprises?"

Qi Tongwei said: "Of course it has to be paid back. It's only natural to pay back debts, but definitely not now."

"More than ten billion!" Wang Rucheng asked again, "Mayor Qi, do you know how much Beishan City's annual fiscal revenue is?"

Qi Tongwei replied: "I know. Last year it was 21 billion. Based on the trends of previous years and the current situation, this year should be a little less."

“What about the expenses?”

"Expenditures far exceed fiscal revenues. Since 88, Beishan City has been running a fiscal deficit."

Wang Rucheng nodded. "Yes, it seems you guys really made preparations. It's not easy to get these billions."

Qi Tongwei smiled confidently, "When a boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten out; when a car reaches the mountain, there will always be a road. We came here to build bridges over rivers and to open roads across mountains. If we can't even solve this problem, then we really should go back to selling sweet potatoes."

As if infected by Qi Tongwei's confidence, Wang Rucheng felt that perhaps the two of them could really bring different vitality to Beishan City.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, we arrived in Beishan City.

Four hundred kilometers is nearly a five-hour drive, and along the way, everyone felt a clear distinction.

Needless to say, the provincial capital, as the political center of the province, has political support and financial resources, making it a prosperous and beautiful place.

Wenshan City and Tianzhou City, although they don’t seem to be very developed, are generally acceptable.

It is a different scene once you enter the urban area of ​​Beishan City. Rusty factories can be seen everywhere, black roads that look like they are covered with kerosene, and scattered tractors that drag a long trail of black smoke to continue to beautify the city.

It makes everyone feel like they are back in the 1970s and 1980s.

To describe it with one word from Qi Tongwei's novel I've read before - apocalyptic wasteland.

The whole city was dead.

The permanent population of Beishan City has dropped sharply from more than 88 million in to just over million. With so many people gone, most of them young and middle-aged, it seems like a lifeless city.

Party and government officials attended the meeting in the Great Hall.

Wang Rucheng announced the appointment.

After a set of procedures, He Anxia and Qi Tongwei officially took office.

At the meeting, He Anxia gave a speech looking back on the past and looking forward to the future. He was smiling throughout the whole process, which made people feel that he was a gentle leader, and the atmosphere became much more lively.

But soon, this liveliness was broken by Qi Tongwei.

Qi Tongwei came to the stage and did not speak immediately. Instead, he glanced majestically at the party and government officials gathered in the Great Hall.

No one dared to look him in the eye, and everyone had only one thought in their mind.

This...this mayor is so powerful!

Before coming, the two of them agreed that one would have the white-faced role and the other the red-faced role, and Qi Tongwei would be the red-faced role.

Everyone was frightened by what he saw. Qi Tongwei tapped the table twice to straighten everyone's attitude before speaking.

"Dear leaders and comrades, hello everyone, I am your newly appointed acting mayor Qi Tongwei.

First of all, I would like to thank the provincial party committee for its trust in allowing me to stand here. This is a responsibility and a mission.

To be honest, I feel quite stressed about this new job, and what I saw today made me extremely indignant.

Secretary He and I had not yet taken office, but we were stopped on the way through Wenshan City and asked to pay a debt.

I heard that this is a common practice in our Beishan City. Without this practice, it is not considered as a formal appointment.

I don’t know how everyone feels, but I feel ashamed, very ashamed!”

Qi Tongwei slammed his fingers on the table, making the sound deafening through the microphone.

Hundreds of people suddenly fell silent.

Qi Tongwei paused slightly, and his originally serious expression eased a little, but the weight of his words did not diminish at all: I believe that among all of you here, there must be many who were born and raised in our Beishan City, right?

You must have witnessed countless remarkable moments and glorious history here. Back then, everyone was proud to be a member of Hangang. Unfortunately, I didn't see any of that. All I saw were ruins and the setting sun.

At this point, Qi Tongwei couldn't help but look up with deep emotion, his eyes slowly sweeping across the faces of everyone present. He continued, "Your fathers once used their wisdom and sweat to forge the glory of this city. Yet, this glory has been eclipsed and gradually declined in our hands. Shouldn't we feel ashamed?"

Everyone who was glanced at by Qi Tongwei lowered their head unconsciously, with fear and guilt in their eyes.

Qi Tongwei suddenly raised his voice, slammed the table, and said in a more serious tone: "You should be ashamed!

"After twenty years of reform and opening up, you've been wasting precious time, enjoying the glory of your parents, eating and drinking, without any ambition to make progress!"

There was an uproar as soon as these words were spoken. If they hadn't been intimidated by Qi Tongwei's aura, everyone would have started to argue with him.

Although there was some pressure from the atmosphere, Qi Tongwei's words were so heavy that I couldn't help but whisper among myself.

"What does this guy mean? Is he going to define all of us?"

"I think so. Shouldn't the municipal party committee and government bear the greatest responsibility?"

"Yes, we also acted according to orders."

...

Qi Tongwei knocked on the table again and smiled coldly, "Why, you're not convinced?

Do you know what the achievements of Nippon Steel Corporation in Japan were in the same year? With more than 100,000 employees, its annual output was three times that of a certain large steel plant of ours!

That means the output of the same number of people will be nine times ours!"