"Chen Feng, it's comfortable working with you. Although you're just a town mayor, you have rich experience in the political arena and can see the root of issues at a glance. You're right, the biggest problem in Liangfang Town right now isn't money, but political cooperation."
Dai Feng looked at Chen Feng with admiration.
Being with Chen Feng felt like being with provincial leaders. In simple terms, many things didn't need much explanation; a hint was enough for Chen Feng to understand. This showed Chen Feng's exceptional political acumen. A grassroots official at the town level possessed qualities comparable to high-level provincial leaders.
"Alas, if this were a big city, the problem wouldn't be that significant. But in Liangfang Town, it's quite problematic," Chen Feng replied with a dejected expression.
"Then tell me, why is it so problematic?" Dai Feng probed.
"People in small towns are generally conservative in their acceptance of new things. For projects like intercity railways and helicopters, they would be approved in a large city within a short time. Liangfang Town is a small place. I estimate that for these projects to be approved, it would take about five years, a slow process of grinding through approvals," Chen Feng replied, frowning.
"Five years? Absolutely not! The business world is like a battlefield; speed is paramount. Forget five years, even five months could see a business opportunity slip away. Honestly, this is also why Hengdian Group isn't keen on collaborating with small towns. If things drag on for too long, even the best projects can be ruined. My point is, if it's truly difficult to get approval in Liangfang Town quickly, perhaps we should just drop it?"
"Director Tan, Liangfang Town has finally encountered such a rare development opportunity; we absolutely cannot miss it. Rest assured, according to conventional approval speeds, it is indeed very slow. However, we can make an exception for urgent matters. As the mayor, I can establish a special task force. Matters related to the Liangfang Town influencer tourism base can bypass the usual approvals and be implemented directly. We won't waste a single day."
Chen Feng's words stunned Dai Feng.
"Damn, this decisiveness is comparable to that of a major political figure in the provincial capital. With Chen Feng's boldness, the Liangfang Town influencer tourism base project is guaranteed to succeed this time."
"Chen Feng, your idea is excellent. However, as someone with experience, I must remind you. This kind of decisive action is absolutely beneficial for project advancement. But for you personally, it's very dangerous. Once someone accuses you of overstepping your authority, being overbearing, or acting against regulations... it will be difficult for you to extricate yourself."
Tan Feng spoke frankly. Such incidents were far too common in grassroots politics. Many capable grassroots talents were ruined this way. With so many ruined, no one dared to step forward anymore. They would rather the grassroots remain impoverished than dare to use their decisiveness to change the status quo.
"Director Tan, thank you for your reminder. Since I've decided to do this, I will never regret it. If Liangfang Town becomes prosperous, I will be happy regardless of the outcome." Chen Feng said calmly.
On one hand, Chen Feng truly didn't care about facing difficulties or being targeted. Nowadays, it was almost impossible to achieve anything in grassroots politics without facing backlash. If one chooses to act, one shouldn't fear criticism! Without such boldness, one can only drift along in the political arena! Who is it that never faces criticism in politics? Those who drift along, who offend no one, are the ones who won't be targeted.
On the other hand, Chen Feng had strong connections above. Even if he faced difficulties at the grassroots level, they could be quickly resolved.
"Chen Feng, I've been a vice president of Hengdian Group for decades. Young people like you, who maintain their original intentions in politics and possess such decisiveness, are truly rare. Most people are opportunistic and prioritize self-preservation. In you, I see hope for China's development." Tan Feng exclaimed.
"Director Tan, please don't say that. This is all what I should be doing. Liangfang Town is so poor; since I've become mayor, it's my responsibility to make it prosperous. Of course, I do have a slight personal motive." Chen Feng smiled knowingly.
"You have a personal motive?" Dai Feng asked curiously.
"I am human, not a god, so I can't have a heavenly perspective. My personal motive is that if Liangfang Town develops rapidly, I can then transfer back to Mingshan Town. The position in Liangfang Town has its limitations; once the economy reaches a certain level, further advancement becomes difficult. If I stay, my own development will be hindered. Mingshan Town is different; its geographical location is excellent, separated from Jiangcheng by only a river, with boundless development potential. It could become a district of Jiangcheng or even an independent town-level city." Chen Feng spoke truthfully.
Hearing Chen Feng say this, the last stone in Tan Feng's heart settled. It turned out that as he got to know Chen Feng, Chen Feng's vision, ability, and original intentions were too perfect, so perfect that they seemed fake, like he was pretending. When working with someone who seemed too fake in politics, one must be vigilant; a slight slip could lead to utter ruin. Now that Chen Feng said he also wanted to be promoted to a town with better conditions, it indicated Chen Feng wasn't perfect and had personal ambitions. With personal ambition, Chen Feng suddenly seemed more real.
"Chen Feng, you don't need to say more. Since you can expedite the approval process, I will be responsible for the planning of the Liangfang Town influencer tourism attractions." Dai Feng replied excitedly.
"No problem. Then let's start preparing separately now." With that, Chen Feng returned to his office to prepare. As for Dai Feng, he also returned to an office specially prepared for him by Chen Feng, then opened his computer to begin designing the Liangfang Town influencer tourism attractions. Most current projects are designed as blueprints on computers and then developed according to those designs! The larger the project, the more it requires pre-designing the blueprint on a computer!
"Town Mayor Chen, will it just be the three of us in this task force?" The two deputy mayors asked in confusion.
"More people lead to slowness and infighting. Liangfang Town has been poor for so long; we don't have much time to waste. Of course, a three-person working group carries risks. You two think carefully; I'm not forcing you," Chen Feng stated frankly.
"Town Mayor Chen, don't worry. We've been in such a poor town as Liangfang for decades. What could be worse than this? We must take the gamble!" The two deputy mayors expressed their commitment after a moment of thought. They were already half a year behind on their salaries and had nothing to fear. Furthermore, deputy mayors, especially in poor towns, were already at the bottom of the political ladder; how much further could they fall?
"Very good. Since you two trust me so much, rest assured, I won't let you down. Now, I declare the task force's first work directive: the intercity high-speed rail and small helicopter projects are officially approved by Liangfang Town." Chen Feng said with a serious expression.
"Town Mayor Chen, approving these two projects through the task force isn't a major issue. But what if Yongming County and Jiangcheng investigate us? We two deputy mayors don't care; we're already at rock bottom. You are the mayor, and your future in politics is bright. Are you sure you want to do something this risky?" The two deputy mayors asked cautiously.
"Don't worry, actually, there's no danger from Yongming County and Jiangcheng," Chen Feng said confidently.