"A set of purified water equipment, spending so much money on research and development, isn't that a waste?" Qin Yan asked, puzzled.
"Director Qin, if this purified water equipment is for purifying drinking water, it's indeed unnecessary. The existing purification equipment is perfectly adequate. The problem is, this purified water equipment is for chip development, and it's very necessary," Chen Feng explained calmly.
"Chen Feng, as I recall, Mingshan District has purified water equipment prepared for chips. And spending so much time on R&D, isn't that a waste? You mentioned it before, didn't you? The water from Mingshan District's purified water equipment is purer than distilled water and can be drunk directly. Such clean water should be enough for cleaning chips," Qin Yan continued to ask, still confused.
"Director Qin, for developing ordinary chips, Mingshan District's existing purified water equipment is indeed sufficient. But the problem is, China is not like other countries, satisfied with minor achievements. China is a major global power and must have aspirations. The simplest aspiration is to surpass Europe and America. If we want to catch up with and surpass Europe and America in chips, we must have the world's most advanced purified water equipment," Chen Feng patiently explained.
"Chen Feng, with your explanation, I understand. But the problem is, the leadership of Mingshan District doesn't understand. No matter how you explain it, they will oppose it. Once more than half oppose it, this financial appropriation cannot be issued. This is not just a problem in Mingshan District; it's a problem in most parts of China. Visionary officials are a minority, not the majority. What they generally recognize are short-term benefits, for example, investing in real estate, investing in funds, investing in some common high-tech industries... like the purification equipment you proposed this time, they will definitely think it's making a mountain out of a molehill and wasting money..." Qin Yan sighed deeply. To some extent, Chen Feng's foresight would encounter many setbacks in the future. There were too few visionary people in China's officialdom.
"Director Qin, you've hit on a significant issue. If it were a small amount of money, I would pay for it personally. However, with billions or tens of billions, I can't afford it. Even if I had that much money now, I couldn't pay for it. This money is my operational expenses in the officialdom, and it cannot be arbitrarily spent. Therefore, we must find a way to get the Mingshan District leadership to pass this appropriation resolution," Chen Feng said seriously.
"Chen Feng, to be frank, I feel this is very difficult." Qin Yan dared not look up at Chen Feng. She really wanted to help Chen Feng, but the reality was that she couldn't. Mingshan District was a small place with too many short-sighted people. The fatal flaw was that these people were very difficult to communicate with.
"By the way, Director Qin, how many people are usually in a Mingshan District leadership meeting?" Chen Feng asked tentatively.
"Not too many, not too few, about ten people," Qin Yan replied truthfully.
"About ten? Not many, I have a solution." A hint of joy appeared on Chen Feng's face.
"What solution?" Qin Yan asked curiously.
"My solution is very simple: brute force spending. I'll pay for it personally. To put it bluntly, during the meeting, you tell these ten or so leadership members that the Mingshan District purified water equipment project is a huge investment, and there's a bonus for approval. Whoever approves will be rewarded with 500,000 to 1 million yuan from Mingshan District, depending on their support. The earlier they agree, the higher the reward. The maximum reward is one million. This money appears to be from Mingshan District, but in reality, it's from me. This means that even if someone says we're randomly giving out money, we won't be afraid. If it's investigated, it will only result in one conclusion: corporate sponsorship," Chen Feng said calmly.
"Ah? A maximum reward of one million per person, isn't that a bit too high?" Qin Yan was stunned.
"For ordinary projects, a reward of one million per person is very high. However, this time, the Mingshan District purified water equipment is not an ordinary project. Not only are the economic benefits considerable, but more importantly, the technological prospects are even more remarkable, relating to Mingshan District's development for decades to come. To put it hyperbolically, it might even involve the fate of the nation. To elevate China's chip technology to a new level, this money is worth spending," Chen Feng said with a sigh of relief.
"Chen Feng, don't you feel a pang of regret doing this? Most people don't consider China, yet you alone consider China, not only considering China but also giving out so much money for free..." Qin Yan exclaimed. To be honest, Chen Feng's mindset surpassed most people in China. Chen Feng, who went from being a subordinate driver to his current position, possessed such a grand vision, which was truly commendable.
"Director Qin, to be honest, I didn't have this mindset at first. I remember when my uncle asked you to bring me into officialdom, I, like others, thought it was a stable job, just a secure way to make a living. Later, as I spent more time in it, I gradually discovered how dark Chinese officialdom was and that it needed to change. If Chinese officialdom continues to be so dark and doesn't change, let alone surpass Europe and America, China will likely fall behind by decades. For economic development, officialdom must undergo significant changes. How to change it? Starting with myself, I'm trying to bring more positive energy to the officialdom I'm in, within my capacity. Then, I'll find a way to enter the higher echelons of Chinese officialdom. Once I reach the higher levels, I will definitely implement reforms with a strong hand. Of course, that's a story for later, something that will happen in decades," Chen Feng said with firm conviction.
"Chen Feng, I just want to say one thing: it's truly wonderful to have you in China," Qin Yan said emotionally.
"Director Qin, you can't say that. Actually, there are officials like me in China, just not many. As long as there are young officials like us who care about China, China will not decline. The rejuvenation of China is not just an empty slogan. Just like back then, when everyone in the world thought China would be occupied by the Japanese, what was the result? Countless Chinese youths used their blood to tell the world that China is unconquerable!" Chen Feng replied passionately.
After chatting for a while longer, Qin Yan went to attend the leadership meeting. Chen Feng, as the head of the Development and Reform Commission, did not have the authority to participate in the leadership meeting and could only attend as a recorder, as before. Just as Qin Yan was about to offer the reward of 500,000 to 1 million, Chen Feng quickly stood up and approached Qin Yan under the guise of borrowing a pen.
"Director Qin, the plan has changed." Chen Feng said in a low voice.
"What do you mean?" Qin Yan was stunned.
"The matter of the leadership members approving the purified water equipment project can be handled without spending money," Chen Feng said word for word.
"It's approved without spending money? How is that possible?" Qin Yan asked, confused.
"Director Qin, I just remembered that Jiangcheng recently issued a document selecting some personnel from each district to go to remote areas for training, for a period of five to ten years. In essence, the intention from the top is to give young people opportunities for training. Theoretically, the leadership members present today do not need to be selected. However, you can use this opportunity to warn these leadership members that if they do not support Mingshan District's economic development, they can consider going to remote mountainous areas for five to ten years of training. Then they can return," Chen Feng explained in a low voice.
"Can this work?" Qin Yan asked doubtfully.
"Director Qin, trust me, it will absolutely work. What do people in Chinese officialdom fear the most? They fear losing their jobs. Transferring these big shots to remote areas for training is equivalent to jeopardizing their jobs. With this move, no one will dare to say no to you," After saying this, Chen Feng quickly returned to his seat.
"Everyone, before we start our special meeting, let me first read out the spirit of the municipal government's document. Recently, the municipal government issued a document selecting a few people from each district to go to remote mountainous areas for training, and the personnel will be determined by the person in charge of each district. To be honest, I haven't finalized the list yet. Of course, this is a minor issue, and I'll just mention it briefly. Now, I will discuss the appropriation for a major economic project in Mingshan District..." Qin Yan said calmly. As Chen Feng predicted, everyone was as obedient as grandchildren. Basically, whatever Qin Yan said, was what they agreed to. And so, the investment project for Mingshan District's purified water equipment was approved.
"Chen Feng, you truly understand officialdom. With a little trick, these old veterans become as obedient as grandchildren. I have to say, there's still much I need to learn about the ways of officialdom," Qin Yan exclaimed.
"Director Qin, these are not problems. As long as you observe officialdom diligently, your abilities in this regard can be improved. Now that the funding for the purified water equipment project has been approved, I need to go find Li Hongling..." Chen Feng said seriously.