Seeing off the Japanese guests of the Taisho Foundation, Wu Mingxiong asked Xiao Daoqing, deputy secretary of the municipal party committee, to go to various counties with him, and made it clear to Xiao Daoqing in advance that the main purpose of this trip was to conduct investigation and research, and that the trip might be long, and he would definitely not be able to return within a day or two, so he asked Xiao Daoqing to arrange for all the things at hand to be handled.

Wu Mingxiong also made a joke with Xiao Daoqing, saying: "You, the secretary in charge of discipline inspection, go down with me, and the land lords below probably won't dare to ask for wine unscrupulously, right?" ”

Xiao Daoqing felt both sudden and surprised, and couldn't guess Wu Mingxiong's true intentions. After the Standing Committee re-divided the work, he was still in charge of the former Discipline Inspection Commission, and he did not care about the industry of the eight counties and cities below or the agriculture of the eight counties and cities.

Xiao Daoqing didn't ask directly, but also said with a smile: "Secretary Wu, you won't let me go with you to conduct a clean government inspection, right?" ”

Wu Mingxiong said: "Of course not. There is a very important work related to the overall situation, and I would like to discuss it with you and listen to your opinions. Let's talk slowly along the way. ”

The first stop was the desert county, which was severely drought.

On the way to the desert, Wu Mingxiong asked Xiao Daoqing very casually: "Have you read this issue of the briefing just sent by the Political and Legal Committee?" ”

Xiao Daoqing nodded and said, "I've seen it." ”

Wu Mingxiong asked: "Have you noticed the handling of the weapon fight case in Quanwang Township, Damo County?" ”

Xiao Daoqing was alert and asked, "What's the matter, did the desert side handle it properly?" Didn't the murderer who blew up and killed someone during the fight be caught? It was the people of the Cao family in Xiaquanwang, and many relatives of the Cao family came to intercede with Mayor Cao, but Mayor Cao ignored them. When someone surnamed Shangquan Wangxiao came to me, I didn't care. Liu Jinping, secretary of the county party committee, and Huang Jianguo, the county magistrate, are very clear about this. ”

Wu Mingxiong said: "A tuberculosis patient in his fifties would carry dozens of catties to blow up the river embankment and kill people? Do you Secretary Xiao believe it? Don't you doubt that there is a name for it? ”

Xiao Daoqing smiled bitterly and said, "What did you Secretary Wu say would be famous?" The murderer surrendered on his own, and the evidence and testimony are all there. According to Liu Jinping and Huang Jianguo, under the direct interrogation of the county party committee and the county **, the investigation and evidence collection work of the Damo Public Security Bureau and the procuratorate have been very meticulous. In this way, how will people work in the future? ”

Wu Mingxiong waved his hand and said, "Forget it, you!" The trick in Damo County, who you and I don't know? Every year, the water is fought every year, and there are always the old and sick who are killed, and the old and sick come out and surrender voluntarily. I have long known that County Magistrate Huang has a weak concept of the land legal system, but I didn't expect that Liu Jinping, who was very principled in the past, would follow suit. ”

Xiao Daoqing asked tentatively, "Then what do you mean?" ”

Wu Mingxiong said lightly: "I don't settle accounts with others, I will settle accounts with her Liu Jinping!" She is the secretary of the county party committee, and she has to be responsible for the legal system of the desert! How can such an unprincipled fool be stopped? She thought she was doing this out of kindness, but I don't think so! What if we start fighting again next year? What if you kill someone again?! I ask you. ”

Xiao Daoqing let out a long sigh and said, "Liu Jinping is also difficult." Speaking from the heart, it is really difficult for her to put her as a lesbian in such an arid and poor financial inverted county. If we are still so demanding of her, I'm afraid that our conscience will be a little too much, right? ”

Wu Mingxiong said: "I don't care if she is a gay man or a lesbian, as long as it is a land, she must ensure the safety and prosperity of one party, and she can't be fooled like this!" ”

Xiao Daoqing argued: "Liu Jinping is not the kind of cadre who does not seek progress, to be honest, she can't be blamed for the desert matter." I am a desert person, I know, this water problem is not a day or two, the city does not co-ordinate, who can solve it? Some time ago, Liu Jinping also came to me to talk about the issue of water. ”

Wu Mingxiong came to the spirit a little: "Oh? Does she have any good ideas? ”

Xiao Daoqing shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Where did she get a good idea?" This female secretary of the county party committee was probably also in a daze, and even suggested that we raise funds in eight counties and cities at the same time to raise 600 to 700 million yuan for the water diversion project. I told her at the time that the central authorities had repeatedly ordered that they should not increase the burden on the peasants, and that it would not work for us to do so. I made a settlement with her. The total population of the eight counties and cities is about 9 million, and even if they raise 600 million yuan by themselves, each agricultural population will have to be spread out to more than 60 yuan, and a family of three is nearly 200 yuan, while the per capita income of Damo County last year was only 592 yuan. ”

Wu Mingxiong nodded and said: "Yes, our peasants are too bitter, they have always turned their faces to the loess and turned their backs to the sky, digging from the ground, and we reached out to them to ask for this kind of hard-earned money, it is really difficult to open their mouths." But the problem of water must be solved. Now it seems that this is not a question of development, but a question of survival -- the survival of the agricultural population in the eight counties and cities and the survival of a central city in Pingchuan. That's the problem! Secretary Xiao, what do you say our municipal party committee should do? ”

Xiao Daoqing hadn't realized Wu Mingxiong's true intention of letting him go to the county together until this time, and thought that this matter had nothing to do with him, so he thought about it and said very plainly: "We should still do our best and do more things within our power on the premise of not violating the spirit of the central and provincial party committees." ”

Wu Mingxiong was unhappy and said: "What you said is very principled and correct, but it is equivalent to not saying it." ”

Xiao Daoqing blushed and didn't say anything more.

Wu Mingxiong said again: "Secretary Xiao, you are a native of the desert, you grew up drinking the muddy soup water of the desert river, just now when you spoke for Comrade Liu Jinping, I thought, you are very fair, you also have a conscience, you know the crux of the desert very well. Now, I have to ask you, as a conscientious communist, the son of a desert peasant, have you not thought of fulfilling your responsibilities? Can you bear to watch our peasants fight for water year after year, and die year after year? You must know that a little mercy to the peasants who are fighting with weapons and empty words that are always correct will not solve any practical problems. My comrade! ”

Xiao Daoqing's face blushed even harder, and he was also shocked in his heart, and he had realized in a hazy way that Wu Mingxiong dragged him down to the county to conduct investigation and research this time was by no means a whim, but he was afraid that there would be a big article, and if it was not done well, it would affect his future future and fate.

Sure enough, Wu Mingxiong picked out everything clearly: "Secretary Xiao, I'll tell you the truth, I decided to let you go down to the county with me this time." What does Xia County do? It is to solve the problem of water fundamentally. In the past few days, we have to walk all the way along the Damo River to Daze Lake, watching, listening, and studying, and finally come up with a plan and report it to the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee to discuss and make a decision. This south-to-north water diversion project is no longer a question of whether to do it, but how to do it. I, the secretary of the municipal party committee, intend to take charge in person, and you are the youngest deputy secretary in the team of our municipal party committee, and I would like to recommend that you take full responsibility for this historic project. ”

Although he had a certain amount of psychological preparation, Xiao Daoqing was still taken aback and asked, "Secretary Wu, then, who will I hand over the mess I was in charge of?" ”

Wu Mingxiong said: "No one will hand it over, you are still in charge." You are different from Secretary Chen Zhongyang, you are in the prime of life, you can and should do more work, do some big things, and create some great causes. It's hard, but it's a workout for you. I, Wu Mingxiong, am 56 years old this year, and I won't be able to do it for a few years, so I will always have to do the work of you younger comrades in the future. You should have played a few successful plays earlier. ”

Xiao Daoqing's mind spun away quickly, and the first thing he thought of was two words: conspiracy. Wu Mingxiong is playing a conspiracy against Xiao Daoqing. The matter is clear, the ambitious Wu Mingxiong wants the people of the eight counties and cities of Pingchuan to tighten their belts and create political achievements for him, but he does not do it himself, but pushes him, a promising young deputy secretary, to the front line. Well done, the credit belongs to him Wu Mingxiong; If there is a mess, the responsibility is all his Xiao Daoqing, and he will pay a heavy price for it.

Wu Mingxiong said: "Secretary Xiao, think about it, if you are fully responsible for such a high-profile key project, will it be good for you?" Another point, I said ahead, this project is well done, and the results are yours; If something goes wrong, it's all up to me, the secretary of the municipal party committee. ”

Now it seems that it is not a question of grades at all, but a question of how much trouble has gone wrong. Secretary Xie Xuedong's biggest worry has already appeared, he Xiao Dao is going to follow Wu Mingxiong to do this, ruining his future is still a trivial matter, and overturning the big ship of Pingchuan is a big deal.

So, Xiao Daoqing suppressed his emotions and asked in a calm tone as much as possible: "Secretary Wu, such a big matter, I'm afraid we still have to report it to the province, right?" In addition, we can also think about whether there is a way to carry out this project without increasing the burden on the peasants. ”

Wu Mingxiong smiled: "Your brother is right, we not only have to report to the province, but also to get more funds from the province." The old governor said that he would personally talk about it with the Provincial Water Conservancy Bureau, and the idea would be tens of millions more. Secretary Xie Xuedong, you go there, he is the old secretary of our Pingchuan, he doesn't care about our Pingchuan's affairs. I also figured it out, you have a classmate from the Central Party School who is now the president of the Provincial Agricultural Bank, right? You can also ask him for some loans. In this way, it is estimated that the total funding gap is about 400 million, and according to the three-year construction period, it is only more than 100 million per year. Let's go down and see if self-financing might be feasible. The current severe drought situation may be beneficial to our work. ”

Xiao Daoqing asked: "Are you so sure about fighting for provincial funds?" ”

Wu Mingxiong patted Xiao Daoqing on the shoulder and said, "The old governor is an old water conservancy, and he promised me on the phone, there will be no problem." It's even more okay with your Secretary Xiao's side. I may not be able to ask Xie Xuedong for money, you will definitely be able to get it, and the Agricultural Bank of China will have to go to you. So, you are the commander-in-chief of this project. I know how to use good steel on the edge of a knife! ”

These words made Xiao Daoqing hear it a little deeply. If Wu Mingxiong's original intention was to let him come forward to get some funds, he was still willing to do it. Wu Mingxiong is right, as a native of Pingchuan, he Xiao Daoqing does have a responsibility. Therefore, he said: "Okay, as long as the province supports us in this south-to-north water diversion project, I will go all out to the province to raise funds." ”

After saying this, Xiao Daoqing thought that even if the provincial funds and loans could be obtained, there would still be a total shortfall of 400 million yuan, and apportioning it to the peasants was still a major matter of principle, and he would have to report to Secretary Xie Xuedong before saying it anyway......

Since then, the dialogue on funding has not continued. Wu Mingxiong instead talked about his history of water conservancy with the old governor many years ago. Xiao Daoqing also talked about some of the old things he did when he worked in the desert.

After crossing the Mohe Bridge, Wu Mingxiong stopped talking, asked the driver to stop the car, and invited Xiao Daoqing to walk up the desert embankment. Xiao Daoqing found that a Mitsubishi van was parked on the embankment, and many people gathered next to the car, including Vice Mayor Bai Yulong, who was in charge of agriculture and water conservancy, the directors of the Water Conservancy Bureau, the Agriculture Bureau, and the Finance Bureau, as well as a large group of engineering and technical personnel......