It was around 1:30 PM.
At the entrance of the Hongqi Pyrite Mine in Xingwang Town, Nanpu County, several officials stood by the iron gate under the scorching sun, occasionally glancing into the distance.
Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, sat in the gatehouse, watching the leaders at the gate, wondering to himself: Which high-ranking official is coming to inspect the pyrite mine? The pyrite mine has been languishing for years, seemingly forgotten in this remote mountain village. Why are there leaders here today? And they seem to be quite important!
Not only were the mine manager, secretary, deputy director, and all the members of the mine's Party committee present, but even the secretary and mayor of Xingwang Town had come.
Although the pyrite mine is located within Xingwang Town, and is at the same level as Xingwang Town (both are at the sub-county level), the status of the mine manager (sub-county level) is vastly different from that of the town's secretary.
In the eyes of the Xingwang Town leaders, the pyrite mine, a mere section-level unit, was nothing more than a facade. Normally, the town leaders wouldn't even deign to glance at it. Today, with both the Party Secretary and the Mayor present, it was clear that county leaders had come.
The leaders were chatting idly at the entrance. Xingwang Town Party Secretary Lin Xinggui and Mayor Huang Kui subtly became the center of attention. Zeng Shilu, the mine manager of Hongqi Pyrite Mine, and Party Secretary Liu Lianshan, unconsciously felt somewhat inferior in front of Lin Xinggui and the other Xingwang Town leaders. This was unavoidable; given the current state of the pyrite mine, Zeng Shilu and his ilk couldn't possibly assert themselves.
If time could rewind twenty years, the pyrite mine would have been a prestigious county-level unit, incredibly wealthy. Even the Party Secretary and County Head of Nanpu County treated the mine manager with utmost respect. Now, thirty years have passed, and the pyrite mine has declined.
Lin Xinggui, the Party Secretary of Xingwang Town, appeared to be around thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, but his portly figure and bureaucratic air were unmistakable. He asked,
"Old Zeng, do you really think Director Su will be able to contract out this pyrite mine this time?"
His eyes were full of doubt, and his tone carried a hint of disdain for the pyrite mine.
Zeng Shilu felt a surge of displeasure upon hearing this and replied indifferently,
"Who knows! The higher-ups have their own considerations and arrangements; we, the comrades at the grassroots level, just need to resolutely carry them out."
The implication was that Lin Xinggui's speculation about the leader's intentions and his doubt about the leader's decision were inappropriate.
Lin Xinggui, having been rebuffed, wore a sullen expression.
Around noon, both Xingwang Town and the pyrite mine received calls from the County Party Committee Office, informing them that Deputy Director Su Weimin of the County Party Committee Office would be bringing several investors to inspect the Hongqi Pyrite Mine, and instructing them to make the necessary preparations for their reception.
The reason Xingwang Town was notified simultaneously was that Su Weimin considered that if Chen Yang and Chu Xiaobai contracted the pyrite mine, they would be setting up businesses on Xingwang Town's land, which would inevitably require coordination with the local government. Therefore, he decided to notify them all at once.
Su Weimin's thinking was quite meticulous.
Although Su Weimin was only a deputy section chief, upon learning of his personal arrival, neither Xingwang Town nor Hongqi Pyrite Mine dared to neglect him; all their key leaders were mobilized.
It would be too extravagant for them to personally greet a deputy section chief at the town's border, so they chose a compromise: all the leaders waited at the mine's entrance under the scorching summer sun. Presumably, when Director Su got out of the car and saw these officials, high and low, drenched in sweat, he would feel their sincerity!
The reason Su Weimin, a deputy section chief, received such treatment was simply because he now often represented Deputy Secretary Han Wenhai of the County Party Committee when he traveled. Han Wenhai was a rising star in Nanpu's officialdom, young enough to inspire envy, and with a family background that commanded respect. Rumors circulated that during the leadership reshuffle early next year, Deputy Secretary Han might be promoted to county head.
The arrival of such a rising political star's closest associate in the countryside was a serious matter. If the leaders of Xingwang Town and the pyrite mine didn't take it seriously, they would truly lack political acumen.
Lin Xinggui thought for a moment, then asked with a forced smile:
"Mine Manager Zeng, I heard the pyrite mine hasn't paid wages for three months, and the staff seem quite dissatisfied! While your situation isn't great, it shouldn't be this dire, right?"
Zeng Shilu's face darkened further, and he coldly replied:
"Secretary Lin is right, our pyrite mine is so poor we can't even afford to eat. Does Secretary Lin mean the town is going to provide us with some assistance?"
Lin Xinggui's face showed embarrassment. This Zeng Shilu really had a bad temper; a single sentence could leave someone feeling utterly uncomfortable.
After a long pause, Lin Xinggui chuckled dryly and said,
"Heh heh, Director Zeng, our town's finances aren't exactly tight either. While we're not living beyond our means, we just barely cover our expenses. In bad years, we even run a deficit, so we can't really help you!"
Zeng Shilu snorted coldly and shut his mouth tightly, remaining silent.
"What are you talking about if you don't have money?!"
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Just then, Huang Kui, the mayor of Xingwang Town, spotted two cars approaching one after the other on the dirt road in the distance. The lead car was a Jianghuai Ruifeng SUV with a county license plate, followed by an Audi SUV. Huang Kui called out,
"Secretary, they're here!"
Huang Kui's words drew everyone's attention. Soon, the leaders present reacted quickly, and the previously chaotic scene immediately became orderly. As if an invisible hand was directing, the leaders from the pyrite mine and the town lined up on either side, tacitly agreeing to their assigned positions, clearly separating the two sides. Two cars quickly arrived. Chu Xiaobai and Su Weimin sat in the front car, while Chen Yang drove Su He, and Su Jun went to his classmate reunion.
As soon as the cars stopped, Su Weimin immediately and deftly opened the door and got out. The reason the leaders of the two units were so attentive was entirely due to Han Wenhai's influence; if Su Weimin waited for them to open the door, it would seem arrogant.
Since working for Han Wenhai, Su Weimin had become even more attentive to these details.
"Director Su, welcome to my mine!" Zeng Shilu stepped forward first, his face beaming with a warm smile, a stark contrast to his expression towards Lin Shigui earlier.
This was the Hongqi Pyrite Mine; Zeng Shilu was the true host, so Lin Shigui couldn't object to him taking the initiative.
Su Weimin proactively extended his hand to shake hands with Zeng Shilu, saying humbly,
"Mine Manager Zeng, you're too kind. My main task today is to entertain the guests; I can't really offer any guidance."
After saying this, Su Weimin quickly withdrew his hand, then greeted Lin Xinggui from Xingwang Town with equal enthusiasm, showing no favoritism.
The leaders of both units, seeing the three young men Su Weimin had brought, couldn't help but wonder. Could these be the investors mentioned above? They're so young! Especially Chen Yang and Su He; to the leaders, they seemed utterly immature, lacking any semblance of boss-like demeanor.
"Director Zeng, Secretary Lin, let me introduce you," Su Weimin said immediately after greeting them. "This is General Manager Chu Xiaobai from Beijing Chutian Culture Media Co., Ltd., and this is General Manager Chen Yangfang from Phoenix Culture Communication Co., Ltd..."
Su Weimin had already learned their titles before coming, but he hesitated when he saw his niece, Su He, remaining. Introducing her seemed inappropriate, but not introducing her also seemed unsuitable.
Chen Yang smiled slightly and stepped forward, saying,
"Distinguished leaders, this is Ms. Su He, our company's CFO."
Su Weimin secretly breathed a sigh of relief; Chen Yang had gotten him out of an awkward situation. He quickly continued,
"Today, the guests from these two companies are here to inspect the pyrite mine. Director Zeng, you are the host here; we will follow your instructions!"
After Su Weimin's introductions, Zeng Shilu, Lin Xinggui, and the others felt even more uneasy. People from two culture companies investing in a pyrite mine? These two industries were completely unrelated! However, being seasoned officials, they didn't show it on their faces. Zeng Shilu immediately said enthusiastically,
"Director Su, please have a seat in the mine's conference room! We'll first give you an overview of the pyrite mine, and then show you around so you can get a feel for it!"
This arrangement was fairly standard. Su Weimin exchanged glances with Chu Xiaobai and Chen Yang, and seeing that neither of them had any objections, he readily nodded.
Then, led by Zeng Shilu, the group headed towards the mine's conference room. Along the way, a desolate scene unfolded. Although the mine had organized a cleaning after learning of Su Weimin's arrival, it couldn't hide the somber, dilapidated atmosphere.
Occasionally, one or two pale-faced employees would pass by, avoiding the group of leaders.
Seeing everything before him, Chu Xiaobai couldn't help but waver. Was Chen Yang's advice reliable? Could such a dilapidated township-level pyrite mine really make big money? Chu Xiaobai couldn't believe it; it would be more believable if it were a gold mine…
However, since they were already there, Chu Xiaobai couldn't show it, otherwise it would be too disrespectful to Chen Yang.
"What's done is done!"
And so, the group, each with their own thoughts, entered the mine's office building. It was a three-story building built in the 1960s or 70s; the paint on the exterior walls was faded and peeling, and patches of black mold left from water damage were visible.
The meeting room's furnishings also clearly showed signs of the last century. A long, angular conference table stood in the center, covered with a dark green felt cloth. On the wall hung an old map of the mining area, flanked by the Party flag and the national flag, creating a solemn atmosphere.
The chairs in the meeting room were the old-fashioned wooden chairs with backs; the words "Hongqi Pyrite" were still faintly visible in white paint, but the lettering was so faded and illegible that it was clearly something that had been used for many years.
The shabby meeting room of a department-level unit speaks volumes about the financial difficulties of the pyrite mine.
After everyone was seated, Zeng Shilu put on his reading glasses, opened his notebook, and said solemnly:
"Director Su, General Manager Chu, General Manager Fang, Supervisor Su, distinguished leaders, let me first give a brief report on the basic situation of our Hongqi Pyrite Mine..."