Chapter 59 The Last Time

The sudden question caught Lu Hao off guard.

When he first started working, his duties at the county party committee were entirely clerical. It was only later, when he was transferred to Fangshui Township, that he truly immersed himself at the grassroots level. He had genuinely worked hard for the ordinary people in the poverty alleviation office, which was why so many villagers in Fangshui held deep gratitude toward him. Otherwise, he could never have mustered such a strong rallying cry during the firefighting efforts.

However, regarding certain matters—such as shutting down the chemical plant or paving a road for Fangshui’s most remote village—Lu Hao had always wanted to act, yet found himself utterly powerless to push them forward. Although he had previously raised these issues with Hong Haifeng, Li Haotian’s faction completely ignored them.

Now, Ye Ziyi’s question reawakened the ambitions deep within Lu Hao's heart.

"The thing I want to do most right now is to shut down the chemical plant in Fangshui Township and force them to compensate the victimized workers," Lu Hao said solemnly.

"Why?" Ye Ziyi asked, startled.

"From its construction to its production, that chemical plant has completely failed to meet national standards. Its production safety measures are inadequate, and its wastewater discharge falls short of regulations. Not only has it polluted the natural ecological environment of Fangshui Township, but it has also caused many local villagers who worked there to contract pneumoconiosis. The crucial part is that the plant simply turns a blind eye, claiming it isn't their problem and refusing to pay any compensation to the villagers. Many local families have been driven to bankruptcy just trying to treat their illnesses."

"If we let them continue to develop like this, Fangshui's green mountains and clear waters will soon turn into barren hills and polluted badlands, and the air quality will deteriorate even further. God forbid, a major safety accident could happen, costing human lives, and it will be too late for regrets once that day comes."

Rather than merely speaking in grand abstractions, Lu Hao cited the examples of Yu Hongxia's husband and Tang Chunyan's father. Both were local villagers of Fangshui Township, both had worked at the chemical plant, and both had contracted pneumoconiosis without receiving any compensation from the factory. This undoubtedly made his argument far more persuasive.

"I've heard people say that coal mining and the chemical industry are the shining stars of Anxing County's economic work. I've never heard anyone mention so many negative impacts," Ye Ziyi's beautiful eyes flickered.

Over the past two days, she had summoned the county leaders in charge of related fields. Their explanations were uniform: as an impoverished county, Anxing had no standout agricultural or sideline products to showcase, and although some townships had been developing tourism for several years, the revenues remained negligible. Therefore, the prevailing consensus was that industrial development offered the quickest path to prosperity.

Yet Lu Hao was now telling her that running the chemical plant posed massive problems—threatening the safety, health, and even lives of the common people while severely polluting the environment.

With so many glaring issues, why had the previous generations of county leadership turned a blind eye? Naturally, Ye Ziyi found this rather strange.

"You're here doing business in our county, so the county leaders will naturally only talk about the bright spots and steer clear of the various problems encountered during economic development. By the way, Ziyi, what kind of business does your company run? You aren't thinking of investing in some chemical plant or cement factory in our county, are you?" Lu Hao couldn't help asking.

Seeing Lu Hao probe into her background, Ye Ziyi felt a sense of awkwardness. After all, she was the one who had told Lu Hao from the very beginning that she was a corporate executive.

By now, the official red-headed document appointing her as county party committee secretary had already been issued; she had simply temporarily withheld it from publication on the Anxing County Party Committee website. Once it was made public in a few days, Lu Hao would surely discover that she was the county party secretary. She wondered how he would react—would he appreciate her honesty, or would he harbor resentment for being deceived for so long?

Yet, upon second thought, she realized she had no need to care about such trivialities.

Her purpose in seeking out Lu Hao today was simply to figure out what kind of assistance he might need, thereby repaying the favor she owed him. After that, she would be the county party secretary while he remained the deputy township head, with no need for any separate contact between them.

Whether from the perspective of the organization or the Ye family, Ye Ziyi’s future had been mapped out with crystal clarity. Every single step was planned to near perfection, even her marriage included. Thus, Ye Ziyi only needed to march forward step by step according to the script. Lu Hao, a mere township cadre, neither could nor had the capacity to influence her trajectory.

Therefore, today's meeting felt much more like a farewell in Ye Ziyi's eyes.

After assuming office, she had maintained a low profile, keeping her activities largely within the confines of the county committee compound. Now that Lu Hao's affairs had been settled, she was ready to embark on organizing her official duties as scheduled under the higher-ups' directives.

Had Lu Hao not suddenly brought up the matter of the chemical plant, the two of them would likely have finished their tea and parted ways by now.

However, if the problems regarding the chemical plant as described by Lu Hao were true, they certainly warranted her utmost attention. After all, she was now at the helm of governance and possessed an acute sensitivity to such matters.

At the same time, Ye Ziyi knew that Lu Hao was only a grassroots cadre; his perspective, height, and depth of vision had certain limitations. She would not rely solely on his one-sided account; the matter required deep investigation and research before any final judgment could be made.

"Our company doesn't deal in heavy industry. We primarily engage in businesses that serve ordinary people, bringing them a better and more convenient lifestyle. That is how our team continues to grow and expand," Ye Ziyi said with a faint smile.

"Then you must run hotels? Or shopping malls? Oh, by the way, a new supermarket just opened in our county seat. It wouldn't happen to belong to your company, would it?" Lu Hao followed up, riding on her words.

Ye Ziyi couldn't help but laugh out loud; Lu Hao's train of thought was truly racing. "That supermarket doesn't belong to us. Even if you go there to shop, I can't give you a free pass."

"I was just chatting, just casual chatting." Lu Hao took a sip of Tieguanyin tea and smiled sheepishly in embarrassment.

He had simply grown too excited chatting with Ye Ziyi and had blurted out the questions. Now it seemed Ye Ziyi had no intention of elaborating, meaning he had clearly overstepped.

"When you need to know, you naturally will. It's getting late, let's wrap up our conversation here for today," Ye Ziyi said, draining her teacup in one go.

Lu Hao glanced at his watch and was astonished to find it was already approaching twelve o'clock. "I didn't expect time to fly by so fast."

"Indeed. Let's go," Ye Ziyi sighed softly, taking the lead as she walked out of the private dining room.

An old adage flashed through her mind: time flies when you are with someone you like.

Did she like Lu Hao? Perhaps it was more of an appreciation.

A gentle smile played on Ye Ziyi's lips. Although deep down she was a woman who yearned for romance, her upbringing and the societal pressures around her constantly reminded her that love was a luxury she could not afford. Much like their respective stations in life, she and Lu Hao belonged to different social classes, making it impossible for their paths to truly merge in this lifetime.

Today was most likely the last time she and Lu Hao would spend alone together.

Before long, the two of them stepped out of the Xuanyuan Teahouse.

Walking along the cobblestone path, Lu Hao couldn't help asking, "Where are you staying? Would you like me to walk you back?"

"No need, I'm staying nearby. It's just a few minutes' walk. You should head back now," Ye Ziyi said indifferently.

Lu Hao paused for a moment, suddenly feeling as though a certain sense of distance had materialized between them the moment they stepped out of the teahouse.

After Lu Hao's retreating figure vanished from sight, a trace of imperceptible disappointment flashed through Ye Ziyi's eyes, which was swiftly replaced by resolute determination. Without looking back, she turned and walked away.