Chapter 676 In vain
The two walked out of the pub side by side. The breakfast stalls on the street were steaming. The familiar local accent and simple smiling faces, all of these were like an invisible force, pulling at their hearts. Qi Tongwei frowned, turned his head to look at Hou Liangping, and whispered: "Liangping, you said you want to do it, but it's not so easy to do it. Take the introduction of industries as an example. We have a lot of enthusiasm, but how many entrepreneurs are willing to invest real money in our poor place? We must have real preferential policies and supporting facilities. Which of these does not require great efforts to coordinate and strive for?" His steps slowed down unconsciously, and his eyes showed an insight into the difficulties ahead.
Hou Liangping took a deep breath of the slightly cool morning air and looked ahead with a firm gaze: "Tongwei, I know it's difficult, but precisely because it is difficult, someone has to do it. We can't just look at the obstacles in front of us. Our hometown has green mountains and clear waters, and hardworking folks. This is the greatest capital. As long as we find the right market for those specialty agricultural products and build a good brand, there is no need to worry about not attracting investment." As he said that, he reached out and patted Qi Tongwei on the shoulder, as if he wanted to convey strength.
Qi Tongwei gently shook off Hou Liangping's hand, a little excited: "You think too simply! Sales channels? Brands? Which one does not require a lot of money and connections to develop. Take the last time I contacted an agricultural product processing project, the other party backed out on the spot when they heard that our transportation is inconvenient and the logistics cost is high. And the rectification of officialdom, do you think it can be done by just talking? A single move can affect the whole body, so many eyes are watching, so many people are waiting to laugh at us, if we are not careful, both of us will fall into it." His voice rose unconsciously, attracting the attention of several passers-by.
Hou Liangping stopped and looked at Qi Tongwei quietly: "Tongwei, I understand your concerns, but if we back down, there will be no hope for our hometown. The officialdom is not doing well, so we should start with ourselves, strictly demand, and expose those who violate regulations and disciplines one by one, so that everyone can see our determination. The same goes for ecological restoration. We can unite with public welfare organizations and mobilize fellow villagers to participate. By accumulating little by little, we can restore green mountains and clear waters."
Qi Tongwei sneered: "Charity organization? Do you think they are all philanthropists and will just give us money casually? Aren't there many people who use the banner of charity to cheat for subsidies and gain fame? We can't pin all our hopes on these uncertain factors." He crossed his arms across his chest, his face full of distrust.
Hou Liangping sighed helplessly: "Tongwei, when did you become so pessimistic? Haven't we encountered many difficulties along the way? We have survived every time with gritted teeth. Yes, there are many uncertainties now, but as long as we stick to the bottom line and sincerely seek development for our hometown, there will always be people willing to help us."
The two stood on the street, talking back and forth, and the sound of the argument echoed in the morning air. The willow trees on the street swayed in the wind, as if listening to their voices, or as if silently persuading them. After a long time, Qi Tongwei's eyes gradually softened, and he lowered his head, as if thinking about something. Hou Liangping struck while the iron was hot: "Tongwei, when we think back to when we first started working, that original intention and that drive, wasn't it to make the people live a good life? Now the opportunity is right in front of us, and we can't lose our roots."
Qi Tongwei slowly raised his head, a gleam of light in his eyes: "Liangping, it's not that I don't want to do it, I'm afraid I won't do it well and let everyone down. But you are right, if I don't even dare to try, I will never forgive myself in this life." He stretched out his hand and held Hou Liangping's hand tightly. At this moment, the palms of both of them were full of sweat, but also full of strength.
In the following days, they began to work non-stop. In order to introduce industries, Qi Tongwei ran around and contacted various entrepreneurs. He was rejected again and again, and started again and again. He stayed up late to study the preferential policies of various places, and combined with the actual situation of his hometown, he developed a very attractive investment promotion plan. Hou Liangping took root in the grassroots, conducted in-depth research on the current situation in the officialdom, and found several minor officials who violated regulations and disciplines, killing chickens to scare monkeys, so as to boost the atmosphere in the officialdom. At the same time, he actively communicated with environmental experts, formulated detailed plans for ecological restoration, and mobilized villagers to plant trees on idle land.
In this process, they still encountered various contradictions and disagreements. Once, Qi Tongwei was a little loose on the environmental protection clauses in order to promote the implementation of a project as soon as possible. When Hou Liangping learned about it, he had a big quarrel with him: "Tongwei, we can't sacrifice the ecological environment for short-term interests. This is the lifeblood of our hometown!" Qi Tongwei was not to be outdone: "Without this project, how can the villagers find jobs? If they can't even have enough food to eat, what's the point of talking about ecology!" The two refused to give in to each other. Finally, after calming down, they sat together again to find a balance point again.
As time went by, the hometown gradually improved. Industrial projects were implemented one after another, the official atmosphere became increasingly clean, and green mountains and clear waters reappeared. Qi Tongwei and Hou Liangping looked at all this with great satisfaction. They knew that the road ahead was still long, but as long as they worked hand in hand and stuck to their original aspirations, nothing could stop their hometown from moving towards prosperity.
It was another morning, and the two stood at the door of the tavern again, looking at the brand-new streets and alleys, and smiled at each other. The hardships, quarrels, and reconciliations along the way all became their motivation to move forward. Qi Tongwei patted Hou Liangping on the back: "Liangping, I'm glad you held me back and didn't let me give up." Hou Liangping smiled and responded: "Tongwei, this is our common choice. Let's create the future together."
Hou Liangping raised his head slightly, facing the sunlight, with a bright and pure smile on his face: "Tongwei, we are grasshoppers on the same rope, and no one can leave each other. If I didn't have your deep love for my hometown, I wouldn't be able to take this step steadily. Look at it now, the streets are wider, the factories have chimneys, and the schools are full of the sound of reading. How wonderful! But this is just the beginning."
The two walked side by side in the streets, where the newly opened shops were full of dazzling goods. The shop owners greeted them warmly, their eyes full of longing for a new life. Qi Tongwei was filled with emotion: "Yes, Liangping. But we must also be sober. The industry has just started and the foundation is still shallow. We must keep up with the subsequent technological upgrades and market expansion. Although the official atmosphere has improved, we can't guarantee that there will be bad trends one day, and we have to keep fighting. Ecological restoration is a protracted battle. If we slack off, all our previous efforts will be in vain."