"Vice County Governor Chen, you haven't forgotten that I am also a Vice County Governor, have you? A local Vice County Governor, while not as capable as you, still possesses some abilities." Mu Chiwangmu replied earnestly.
"Miss Mu Chiwangmu, I'm not denying your capabilities. To be honest, if you lacked ability, you wouldn't have served as Vice County Governor in Jiuxian County for so many years. What I mean is, there are better ways to manage the Miao ethnic people..."
"Better ways?" Mu Chiwangmu asked with disbelief.
The Miao people of Huaxia have always been known for their fierce nature, making them difficult to govern. Chen Feng, being an outsider, lacked experience in this regard. Would his so-called better ideas be mere wishful thinking?
"Yes, my method will be more effective than you appearing personally. Moreover, this method has been used by the Han people before," Chen Feng said eloquently.
"Continue," she urged.
"Utilize the clan chiefs! The clan system was commonly used among the Han people in the past. Later, as the Han economy developed, the clan system was gradually phased out. The Miao people, being relatively less developed, still adhere to the clan system. If we have the clan chiefs help us manage the Miao people, then the conflict between the Miao and Han people can be controlled."
"The logic seems sound, but Chen Feng, you've overlooked one point. Clan chiefs can indeed effectively govern the Miao people. However, the Miao elders are also the most stubborn individuals who find it difficult to get along with the Han people. Do you think it's possible to get the Miao clan chiefs to proactively coexist peacefully with the Han people?" Mu Chiwangmu retorted.
This wasn't mere speculation on her part. Historically, Miao clan chiefs, or tribal leaders of the past, were largely at odds with the Han people of Huaxia. Several Miao-Han conflicts in Huaxia were actually instigated by clan chiefs or Miao tribal leaders. Despite their ferocity, the Miao people understood that they could not defeat the Han people.
"In the face of money, nothing is a problem," Chen Feng said with a faint smile.
"What do you mean?" Mu Chiwangmu asked, confused.
"It's simple. We will openly negotiate with the clan chiefs. For every day without an impulsive incident between the Miao people and the Han people, we will reward them with a certain amount of money, and continue these rewards. If you were a clan chief, would you be willing?" Chen Feng asked with a relaxed smile.
"Rewards every day? Over time, that would amount to a significant sum. Isn't the cost too high?" Mu Chiwangmu was taken aback. Chen Feng's thinking was certainly unconventional and bold.
"The cost is indeed high. To be frank, most of our funds are borrowed, and many projects haven't yielded profits yet. Under these circumstances, providing a large sum of money to the clan chiefs daily might feel like a loss. However, from a broader perspective, it's not a loss at all. Our goal is to lift all of Jiuxian County out of poverty. The daily payments to the clan chiefs are minor expenses." Chen Feng explained.
"Vice County Governor Chen, your calculations are convincing," Mu Chiwangmu said, admitting defeat.
"In that case, you will be responsible for the matters concerning the clan chiefs. I will ensure the money is transferred to them on time each day."
"Um, Vice County Governor Chen, may I ask out of curiosity, what will you be doing next?" Mu Chiwangmu asked, full of curiosity.
"I will be leading a team to investigate the deep mountains of the Miao region," Chen Feng replied without reservation. Mu Chiwangmu was not a bad person and was dedicated to Jiuxian County's welfare, so there was no reason to hide it from her.
"Jiuxian County already has so many projects. Is it still necessary to do anything else?" Mu Chiwangmu asked, puzzled.
"Miss Mu Chiwangmu, let me put it this way. The projects that have been initiated in Jiuxian County town can only help Jiuxian County transition from poverty to prosperity. However, it's unlikely to significantly surpass Mingshan Town. The main reason is the substantial difference in development time. Mingshan Town has always been a prosperous town in Yongming County, developing for decades. How long has Jiuxian County been developing? A gap of several decades is not an exaggeration. From this perspective, the gap between Jiuxian County and Mingshan Town is indeed significant. To surpass Mingshan Town, Jiuxian County must find an alternative approach," Chen Feng explained word by word.
"Vice County Governor Chen, your words are making my head spin. Although I don't fully understand, I am willing to believe you. You have genuine capabilities; otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to secure the projects for Jiuxian County, nor would you have managed to raise the funds. Rest assured, I will establish good relations with the clan chiefs. You go ahead and figure out how Jiuxian County can surpass Mingshan Town." Mu Chiwangmu said with admiration. Chen Feng smiled modestly.
After chatting for a while longer, Chen Feng went to find Qin Yan. This time, venturing into the Miao mountains with the geological team would take a considerable amount of time, and he had to inform Qin Yan.
"Chen Feng, why put yourself through this? Jiuxian County is developing very well right now. Although it hasn't caught up to Mingshan Town yet, transforming a severely impoverished Jiuxian County into a developed industrial county is an achievement that is undoubtedly among the best in Huaxia. There's no need to be fixated on making Jiuxian County surpass Mingshan Town." Qin Yan advised Chen Feng.
"County Governor Qin, your words have merit. However, I don't want to be merely excellent; I want to be exceptionally excellent. I want Prince Zihao and Prince Shan to know that I cannot be suppressed, and I will shine wherever I go," Chen Feng replied firmly.
"That's a good aspiration, but it's unrealistic. Mingshan Town has been developing for decades longer than Jiuxian County. How can it be caught up to just by wanting to? Furthermore, Mingshan Town has excellent geographical conditions, being only separated by a river from Jiangcheng City. Jiuxian County is in the mountains. How can they compare?" Qin Yan continued to persuade Chen Feng.
"County Governor Qin, precisely because of this, I've decided to lead the geological team to explore the deep Miao mountains. Following the conventional path, we certainly won't surpass Mingshan Town. Living off the mountain is the only viable option," Chen Feng said calmly.
"The mountains are just trees and more trees; you can't get rich from that. If selling trees could make one rich, Jiuxian County wouldn't have been poor for so many years," Qin Yan patiently advised Chen Feng.
"County Governor Qin, I recall that when you were the town head of Mingshan Town, you conducted an inspection in the southwestern region of Huaxia. You should know something..." Chen Feng probed.
"Know what?"
"There are many small coal mines in Yunnan and Guizhou."
"Indeed."
"Exactly! I have conducted field surveys of the geological conditions in Yunnan and Guizhou and compared them with the geological conditions of Jiuxian County. I can confidently say that Jiuxian County has small coal mines. Once small coal mines are discovered, it will not be a dream for Jiuxian County to become rich overnight," Chen Feng said excitedly.
"That sounds plausible, but are small coal mines that easy to find?" Mu Chiwangmu asked with an expression of belief.
"It's very difficult to find! Small coal mines are not like large ones. Large coal mines can be calculated using mathematical modeling. However, small coal mines cannot; they can only be explored bit by bit..." Chen Feng explained patiently.
"Forget it, Chen Feng. The mountains in Jiuxian County are different from those in other parts of Huaxia. It's better not to take that risk..." Mu Chiwangmu said, her eyes filled with terror.