Chapter 39 Chapter Thirty-eight

According to the mayor's work schedule, Mayor Li Lilin has several important tasks today: hold the mayor's office meeting from 8:30 to 10:30 in the morning to re-determine the mayor's division of labor; participate in the completion of the anti-Japanese soldiers monument from 11:00 to 12:00 Ceremony; dinner for several important people from 12:30 to 2:30 pm; fly to Beijing after 3:30 to meet the members of the World Bank project inspection team. The deputy mayors all understand that Li Lilin has a completely different work style compared to the former mayor Zhang Guojun. Zhang Guojun is a local cadre. He came up step by step from the grassroots. The higher the position, the less he smiled, so that he talked to everyone with a straight face and a serious attitude.It wasn't until after retirement that everyone realized that Mayor Zhang would also laugh.

Li Lilin came down from the provincial government and was an airborne cadre. When he was working there, he was too depressed and serious.But since he came down, it’s like Sun Monkey came to Huaguo Mountain, acting like I’m the boss and I’m afraid of anyone, drinking happily, doing things neatly, and talking humorously... Many people think that the mayor Li Lilin is like a person, while Zhang Guojun in the past completely packaged himself as a god.To gods, we respect and stay away; to people, we have no distance, just like the big brother next door. Li Lilin arrived at the meeting room at eight o'clock, and all six deputy mayors were present.

Mayor Li saw that there was still half an hour before the official meeting time, and he joked: "How about we play a game before the meeting? Of course, to play games in the meeting room of the government office, we must play games with us today." related to the content of the meeting." When the deputy mayors heard that the mayor was going to play a game, they were very curious and stared at him intently. Li Lilin ordered the secretary to prepare seven balls of paper: "Today, I will study the division of labor among the mayors. I can guess without you saying that everyone wants to be in charge of finance, education, personnel, public security, etc., and these departments are the most lucrative. The least risky; I don’t want to be in charge, I understand better, that is the coal industry and safety production. Although these two fields are the richest in all departments, the most dangerous department is the most dangerous. Blowing away the official hat that I have worked so hard for most of my life...

"The past practice is that whoever ranks last among the deputy mayors and whoever is in charge of this field considers himself unlucky. But I think it's unfair. Let's revise the rules today. Our team includes a total of seven people including the mayor and deputy mayor. Here are seven paper balls with Arabic numerals '1-7' written on them. Whoever draws the 'auspicious' number '7' will be in charge of coal and production safety in the future. How about that? It's fair." After Li Lilin finished speaking, Watch everyone's reactions. "Okay, let's proceed according to the rules of the game." Of course, the deputy mayor who ranked last was most in favor of this fair plan.

One after the other, two people have already expressed their views, and the other five people cannot openly object even though they are ten thousand unwilling in their hearts.Whoever wants to publicly object, everyone may use a show of hands to vote, always agree with Li Lilin's proposal, and directly assign the most difficult job in the world to the opponents. Instead, take a gamble.Everyone believes that today's opportunity is most favored by fate. With everyone's unanimous approval, the mayor's secretary randomly distributed seven tightly wrapped paper balls to each participant, and the last one was handed over to Li Lilin who was sitting in the middle.

Li Lilin did not open his paper ball, but stared at everyone, observing their expressions after reading the paper ball. Everyone showed smiling faces one by one. There was only one person with a gloomy face, and he was Niu Jian, the executive deputy mayor! "Who has drawn the 'lucky' number '7'?" Li Lilin smiled and looked at everyone. Everyone stared at the ashen-faced "Staff Niu". No one expected that "Executive Niu" would be furious: "Mayor Li, I really lacked respect for you in the past, but as the mayor of the city, you are narrow-minded and deliberately retaliated against me! Instead of letting me take charge of coal safety production, you Get rid of me now, lest you look down on me."

"It's not that the mayor doesn't like you, but God doesn't like you." Before Li Lilin could answer, another deputy mayor who had always been at odds with Niu Jian gloated. "You guys are bullying me together. I'll sue you at Secretary Duan!" Niu Jian got up to leave. Li Lilin hurriedly stopped him: "Sit down, sit down, calm down. You are not a child, you should know that I said at the beginning that this is a game, it's not true, so don't take it seriously. Now, I solemnly tell you : You are definitely not in charge of coal safety production!"

"Who is that?" Niu Jian blushed, feeling unwilling. Everyone was puzzled and looked at Mayor Li Lilin one by one.The hidden danger that had just disappeared came back to my mind. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Li Lilin gently unfolded the only unrolled paper ball. The deputy mayors just noticed that just now, due to their mental tension, they only cared about themselves and did not care about others. Coupled with Niu Jian's unexpected gaffe, no one noticed that the ball of paper in Mayor Li Lilin's hand had never been opened. Li Lilin held up the numbers on the paper balls with both hands and showed them to everyone.

"7!" "Why are you also '7'?" Many people don't understand. Li Lilin said solemnly: "Just now, the '7' that Niu Jian got was God's will, it was a game. And I got this '7' ahead of time, and it was specially designed for myself. I declare now: the game is over! " "Today's meeting officially started. Since our city is a huge coal production city in the country, the hidden dangers of coal are the most serious. As the leader of the government, I have an inescapable responsibility for safe production. From now on, I will personally take care of safe production, and other divisions of labor , you continue to discuss..." Li Lilin was calm.

The applause in the venue was louder and louder, and each burst came from the heart, from the heart. Niu Jian, the executive deputy mayor who had lost control of his emotions just now, after another round of brief sharp contrast, his face became even more ugly, but he finally applauded for Li Lilin automatically, and truly admired this daring leader from the bottom of his heart... Mayor Li's second task in the morning was to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Anti-Japanese Martyrs Monument. Near Tianxiong Pass, there used to be a simple Memorial Hall for Anti-Japanese Martyrs. In the early days of the Anti-Japanese War, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party cooperated and fought a big battle with the Japanese near Tianxiong Pass. Both sides invested more than 10,000 people. In the end, the Chinese National Army sacrificed more than 3,000 people, the Eighth Route Army sacrificed more than 2,000 people, and the enemy Japanese were killed or injured. There were more than 3,000 people. Although the Chinese side ended in failure, the heroic spirit of the anti-Japanese heroes who would rather die than surrender inspired the people of the whole country, and also broke the strategic deployment of the Japanese to quickly advance to the rear.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the government buried the remains of more than 2,000 heroes of the Eighth Route Army, and rebuilt the "Meicheng Anti-Japanese Martyrs Cemetery" in a different place. After Li Lilin took office as mayor, according to the development of the current situation, especially the general trend of cross-strait reconciliation, and in the spirit of respecting history and martyrs, he collected the dead bones of the martyrs of the national army scattered near Tianxiongguan, and invested 3,000 Wan, the Anti-Japanese Martyrs Cemetery was rebuilt, and a huge monument was erected in front of the cemetery, engraving the names of all the martyrs of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party on it. On both sides of the monument are huge elegiac couplets. Li Lilin, the mayor of Meicheng City, wrote the most inspiring couplet of the year in his own handwriting: "One inch of mountains and rivers and one inch of blood, one hundred thousand young people and one hundred thousand soldiers." The willow leaves are falling, the yellow flowers are flying randomly, the sound of mourning and music, the white clouds are bleak, and the crying is repeated... "This is a photo of Zhang Pinghua, the major general of the Kuomintang. On the day he died, his wife who happened to be far away in his hometown just gave birth..." Director Sun introduced as he walked. "This is a photo of Liu Chun, the deputy commander of the major general of the Kuomintang. All three of his brothers died on the anti-Japanese battlefield..." Director Sun couldn't hold back his emotions and shed tears. "This is a picture of Huang Guofeng, the head of the Kuomintang colonel. His mother, who was over 80 years old, heard that her only son had been martyred. Soon after, she hanged herself..." Not only did Principal Sun weep, but Mayor Li Lilin, who was always chatting and laughing, also burst into tears. Back at the symposium, Director Sun originally invited Mayor Li Lilin to write an inscription, but because the mayor was in a heavy mood, Li Lilin offered to ask, calm down after returning home, write something carefully, and ask the secretary to deliver it in person... Seeing everyone's excitement at the scene, Li Lilin also felt very heavy: "Comrades, in the past because of partisan disputes, we ignored the existence of more than 3,000 martyrs in the Kuomintang. Regardless of whether they are Communists or Kuomintang members, as long as they sacrifice their precious lives for the War of Resistance They are all national heroes and the most noble people in our hearts.” The mayor who gave the speech burst into tears: "Our coal city was one of the main battlefields of the Anti-Japanese War. As the mayor of this city, what I am most proud of is that during the eight years of the Anti-Japanese War, there has not been a traitor, a traitor, or a scum in our coal city. .Our land has sacrificed more than 30,000 fresh lives for the dignity of the nation..." The distinguished guests included in the mayor's noon banquet list are mainly former mayor Zhang Guojun and Ms. Shi Jiamin, a Chinese-American. Before Li Lilin arrived, the two of them were already waiting in the luxurious private room of the VIP building. While the two were whispering, Mayor Li Lilin walked in with a heavy face. "If I remember correctly, this is the first time for me to have a small-scale dinner together since I left the mayor, and since you became the mayor. Is it because of Ms. Smith's favor that I have this special treatment?" In the cold, there will eventually be times of trouble. From the special opening remarks of the old mayor Zhang Guojun, onlookers can feel something unusual. "Old man, I am in your favor, not you in mine." Shi Jiamin, a senior beauty, was also surprised by this banquet. Li Lilin could tell that they all had prejudices and opinions about him. "Young people are ignorant, and they didn't respect the elderly enough in the past. Please forgive me." Li Lilin, who has never spoken softly, has become very humble today. "I invite you to come today. I am reporting to you: the government has just It is decided to build several new houses for municipal leaders to completely solve the problem of housing for leaders. I have a suggestion: the new houses are definitely better than the old houses in terms of area, facilities, environment, and decoration conditions. After completion, you and retired The director of the National People's Congress and the chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference will be chosen first. After you vacate the old house, some of our current leaders will live in it. In this way, all problems will be solved. Old mayor, okay?" As soon as we met, the new mayor gave a big gift bag, and the old mayor was immediately happy: "I thought you only knew how to do things impartially, but didn't know how to deal with the world. You are a young man with a brain. Let me tell you, when I took office, I The mayor and the leaders who stepped down were also ten thousand unhappy. I immediately solved the housing problem for them, and then settled the old comrades. I didn't expect that you would do the same thing!" "Didn't I learn from you!" Li Lilin deliberately put on a student attitude, just to please the old man. "As soon as you meet, there will be a big gift. What good will I do?" Shi Jiamin deliberately joked. "You can also live in a big house owned by a city-level leader. But it's an old one, the old mayor and the others stepped down." Li Lilin said seriously. "Really?" Shi Jiamin was surprised. "Of course it's true." Li Lilin told Zhang Guojun next to him with a serious face, he was definitely not joking. "But me, am I not a city leader?" Seeing that the other party was serious, Shi Jiamin was suddenly confused. "It's not a city-level leader who can live there." Li Lilin deliberately looked at the old mayor and secretly cast a strange look. The scheming Zhang Guojun immediately understood the intention. "Yes, I can testify that you are fully qualified to live in the city leader's house." The old mayor Zhang Guojun's expression did not look like a joke. "Old mayor, why are you like this? I trust you completely, don't destroy your perfect image in my mind." Shi Jiamin looked at the old mayor and then at the new mayor, "This guy , has been full of peasant cunning since he was a student, and I never believed him." "Then do you believe me?" Since retiring, Zhang Guojun, who used to be strict, has become kind and amiable, and no one will doubt his sincerity. "I absolutely believe it." Shi Jiamin has been in Coal City for so long, and the people he has dealt with the most are Guo Tianliang and Zhang Guojun. They can all be trusted. "Then there is nothing doubtful about what I said!" Zhang Guojun made a final decision. "I always have self-knowledge, right? Am I the city leader of this city?" Shi Jiamin even doubted himself. Even if one of the two mayors is joking, the other can't be joking.Besides, there was not a particularly tacit understanding between them before. "Although you are not, you can marry the city leader! You can live in a big house." Zhang Guojun solved the mystery, "As far as I know, you are all single now, and you used to be lovers, why not Yes! Besides, it seems that the matter between you two is not a secret in this city. Your classmates and friends all live in this city and are familiar with your history. One of them did not pay attention to what he said and leaked the secret , the whole city knows about it. People of the hour, there is no secret at all." "It turns out that today's meal is a grand banquet!" Shi Jiamin was very upset, but because of the old mayor's face, he didn't leave. "Li Lilin, I told you about the relationship between us: it's impossible!" "Why is it impossible?" Before the new mayor could speak, the old mayor couldn't help it. "If he is a commoner and not the mayor, everything is possible. It is because he is the mayor, so it is impossible!" Shi Jiamin repeated his point of view. "There doesn't seem to be much difference between the mayor and the common people in terms of marriage." The old mayor is an experienced person, and he thinks women are particularly ridiculous. "I'm an intellectual woman, and I don't want to have a reputation of clinging to the powerful. Besides..." Shi Jiamin was emotional. "What more?" The old mayor was very concerned about the following content. "Besides, because we have a sincere relationship in the past, I don't want him, the mayor, to have a bad reputation of being morally corrupt, corrupt in life, indulging in women, and not enterprising!" Shi Jiamin finally said what was in his heart, "Now Gossip and gossip are formidable. Especially in this prestigious position, he is most likely to be attacked by gossip." "If you two hadn't been rehearsed and directed beforehand, it would be great love! True love! The most selfless love!" At this time, Zhang Guojun was not like a veteran cadre, but rather like the sociologist who preached all day on TV. "I used public funds to entertain you, and I blatantly included it in the mayor's important weekly schedule. It was definitely not to persuade the old man to be my marriage consultant!" Li Lilin said seriously. "What are you going to do?" Shi Jiamin didn't understand. "Isn't the house finished? What else is there to talk about?" Although the old mayor didn't understand, he knew in his heart that behind the big gift, there must be something important to do. Li Lilin took out two letters of appointment that he had prepared a long time ago from his bag: "The mayor's office decided to hire two comrades, Zhang Guojun and Shi Jiamin, as full-time consultants for the city government's World Bank Project Office. Do you accept it?" The old mayor Zhang Guojun immediately stated: "Of course I accept. This institution, this major project, was something I dreamed of doing when I was mayor. Later, they falsely accused me, and this major event was delayed. Lilin, your work The center of gravity is right, right. You, the mayor, are on track!" "I have carefully studied the old mayor's original plan, and changed my opinion of you. To be honest, when I first came, you were under investigation, and I had doubts about you." Li Lilin said frankly, "After reading your project application report to the World Bank, I changed my view." "The current coal city is just like the analysis in your report: individuals have money, but the government lacks money. The city is too small, the buildings are too short, the roads are too dilapidated, the degree of modernization is too low, and the lives of ordinary people are too miserable. .As an old revolutionary base area, it has developed into such a state today, and I feel sorry for the dead martyrs. I participated in the inauguration ceremony of the Anti-Japanese Heroes Monument this morning, and I feel that we must speed up the pace of our city's development." The old mayor Zhang Guojun patted the young man on the shoulder: "Good boy, you have entered the role so quickly. It seems that the spring of Coal City's development has really come. Since you are open and honest, I will tell the truth: the way is right, but we have to go Take a step forward and remind you: it is more difficult than climbing to the sky, and you must be prepared to fight a fierce battle. To improve the situation of the coal city, in the first stage, at least more than 30 billion World Bank loans need to be obtained, which is not a small number, no Schoolchildren do arithmetic." "So, I want to hire the old mayor to be my consultant." Li Lilin was worried, "The World Bank is not easy to deal with. The World Bank deals with the Chinese, that's called mosquito bites. Chance." "Heroes see the same thing!" The old mayor lamented loudly. "What are you talking about?" Shi Jiamin was very curious seeing the two people shaking their heads. "I said Americans are the best at monitoring Chinese people," Li Lilin replied. "What do you mean?" Shi Jiamin is currently an American. "If only Jiamin was a World Bank project officer, we would be able to pass the test immediately." The old mayor also realized that there was an American citizen sitting in front of him. "If she wants to be a project officer, she must be sent to Taiwan or Japan." Li Lilin figured out the special way of thinking of Americans. "Yes! It's definitely possible." Once again, the old mayor felt that it was very, very easy to communicate with Li Lilin. "You play charades, tell me the answer quickly. Otherwise, take back the letter of appointment." Shi Jiamin also has restrictive means. "Then let me tell you: In order to avoid investment risks, the World Bank dispatched a project officer named Zhang Zhaozhong, a Taiwanese with deep grievances against the mainland. Representative Zhang is in his forties and is full of hostility towards the mainland. Let such a person come to review You can see how difficult our declaration materials are." Li Lilin said here, with a sad face, "I met him once, and I feel that everything we said was fake in his eyes. But what should I do?" "If it's so difficult, I'll quit first." Shi Jiamin was a little scared. "If everyone in the coal city withdraws, this city will really become a 'ghost town'. If you want to develop, you can only get a loan from the World Bank. Other banks can't get so much money at once. Huashan is a road, and we must go on! Besides... ..." The old mayor knew everything. "What more to say, hesitating." Shi Jiamin felt that men were very rich. "Zhang Zhaozhong, although he is an ideological enemy, but his ancestral home is our coal city, after all, there is a glimmer of hope. Right?" The old mayor had a preliminary understanding of them when he had a banquet at the Beijing Hotel. "Coal city people? Enemies? Project officials who hold the power of life and death? What a coincidence!" Shi Jiamin was full of curiosity about these dramatic plots. "It's not surprising." The old mayor talked about history, "When the Kuomintang was in power in the past, our Shanxi fellows were the ones who followed the central bank's words. Don't forget that Kong Xiangxi, one of the "four big families" of the Kuomintang, is our Shanxi People from Taigu, he has a meticulous mind, and the most capable generals he uses are "eating noodles with a knife"! Later, Kong Xiangxi followed Lao Jiang to Taiwan and took away many people. Now he is in Taiwan's financial circles, and even later he was admitted to a major American bank. The people in power are all the second generation of the Confucian Gang.” "They're here for revenge!" Li Lilin looked through the negotiation records, and the aggressive words of the other party were all recorded. "Tell me specifically, what is the mission of my consultant?" Shi Jiamin has always been very interested in challenging things. "You are an American, not a Chinese. This way of communication can easily resolve hostility and gain their trust. Only you are the card that is sure to win by surprise." Li Lilin replied. "No more?" Shi Jiamin felt that it was not that simple. "It's really gone, there's only one task." Li Lilin said with a smile, and sneaked a glance at the old mayor, who deliberately pretended not to see it.But the other party's "too intentional" demeanor was captured by the sensitive woman. "During the negotiation, what if..." Shi Jiamin deliberately tested the two of them. "It's nothing in case..." Before Li Lilin finished speaking, the old mayor couldn't help but suddenly laughed. "There is no chance, what is the old mayor laughing at?" Shi Jiamin suddenly found a breakthrough, "I am an American, and I understand American psychology best. I think Mr. Zhang Zhaozhong has lived in the United States for many years and has also been influenced by American culture. Wan One... what should I do?" "We really didn't think of playing the 'beauty card'. If we really had that idea, wouldn't it be better to just find a young and beautiful girl! Besides, you are also a senior beauty, there is nothing wrong with it!" Li Lilin harbored malicious intentions to answer. "Really? Don't regret it." Shi Jiamin specially turned her face away, thinking seriously about what happened in front of her. "Lilin, what Xiao Shi said is not unreasonable. Americans are different from Chinese. China has been imprisoned by sex for many years. The greatest affair of Chinese men is to meet young and beautiful beauties; while the greatest affair of American men is to fall in love with each other. I don't really care about age and marriage. If it happens, the loss is too great..." The old mayor became worried when he saw Li Lilin playing for real. "I know, I knew it a long time ago." Li Lilin remained calm. "Then you still dare to play the 'beauty card'?" The old mayor asked, "Have you assessed the risks?" "Ms. Shi is the best at grasping the risks involved." Li Lilin remained calm and calm. "My answer is, follow fate." Shi Jiamin suddenly realized something, and deliberately added, "I have never been polite to those who have malicious intentions and those who play with fire and set themselves on fire!" "As long as you play hard, this big event will be accomplished." Li Lilin seemed to have seen the result. "It's done, you..." The old mayor felt that young people were too adventurous. "It's really only at that time that I will understand what is great love, true love, and the most selfless love. This sentence seems to be what the old man said just now." Li Lilin said casually, "I hope there is an ending that has the best of both worlds." "You wait." Shi Jiamin's tone became extremely relaxed, "The things I like to do most are beyond the imagination of ordinary people." "It's too cruel! It's too cruel! No one would bet on love." The old mayor couldn't bear it.