Reborn as a Noble's Son

Inside the auditorium of the Li County Party Committee, Lin Haikun sat on the rostrum, with Liu Wenqing and Ding Aiguo on either side. As for Nie Zhenbang and others, at this moment, they could only sit below the stage.

This was a small-scale meeting, mainly facing the Li County investigation team. Lin Haikun pondered for a moment and then said, “Comrades, the development of Li County is astounding. As the saying goes, seeing is believing. The ancients, they do not deceive me. Before coming to Li County, I personally, had expressed a skeptical attitude. A year ago, Li County was a poverty-stricken county in our autonomous region, a national-level poverty-stricken county. Sparsely populated with land aplenty. Life was tough. They couldn’t even afford to pay salaries. Now, the development of Li County gives me a feeling of being in Yuedong.”

Reality also proves that the combat effectiveness of the Li County Party Committee government team is strong. The work of Li County is commendable. This time, it is not only an audit of Li County’s economic report but also an audit of the Li County Economic and Technological Development Zone. I hope that all comrades of the investigation team will conduct the investigation and audit with a spirit of seeking truth from facts and a serious and responsible attitude. Observers from all cities in Dizhou should also play a supervisory role. We must restore the true economic data of Li County.

This is the tone set by Lin Haikun for Li County. With this statement and this speech, the entire economic data report of Li County, regardless of the final investigation result, is at least trustworthy data.

Next, a total of twenty tables were set up inside the Millionaire Hotel. The standards of hospitality were still based on Li County’s official reception standards. Since there were still things to do afterwards, people did not drink.

After lunch, the investigation team took separate actions. Personnel from various departments such as audit, finance, industry, agriculture, etc., were stationed in various units of Li County, and all the data for this year were brought out. Meanwhile, observers from various Dizhou cities also followed these investigation teams. It can be said that the possibility of Li County cheating was completely eliminated. Under the eyes of the entire autonomous region, the economic data of Li County will have nowhere to hide.

Over at the Li County Finance Bureau,

In the conference room of the Finance Bureau,

Guo Guodong, the director of the local finance audit budget office from the Autonomous Region Finance Department, was somewhat horrified as he looked at the calculated data in front of him.

On the side, observers from Yihah and several other Dizhou cities looked at Guo Guodong’s expression and crowded around. One of them asked, “Old Guo, how is it? Is there a problem? I told you. How could the economic data of Li County be so brilliant? Yes, they have made achievements, but such good achievements must have been inflated.”

Guo Guodong glanced at the person next to him, clearly aware that Li County has now become the target of the entire region. With such brilliant data, if it’s true and announced, won’t this embarrass all other cities in Dizhou. Now, not only does the Autonomous Region Party Committee government demand real data, all cities in Dizhou are hoping for inflated data.

At this moment, Guo Guodong shook his head and said, “Old Chen, I’m afraid it won’t be as you wish. Our audit results are even more terrifying than the results reported by Li County.”

The man was a bit puzzled now and looked at Guo Guodong and asked, “Old Guo, what do you mean? More terrifying? Could it be that Li County dares to falsify on a large scale? They are pretty audacious.”

“Old Chen, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood. What I mean is that there’s no false data in Li County’s economic growth rate. The result we audited now is that Li County’s actual growth rate this year should have been 97.5%, meaning, Li County has hidden 20.2% of the data this year,” Guo Guodong explained once again.

To be honest, Guo Guodong couldn’t quite understand this result either. Reporting a growth rate of 77.3% and reporting 97.5% makes no difference. The result is the same: disbelief, doubt, and then investigation and audit. Why would the Lixian government hide so much, for next year’s considerations?

The man referred to as Old Chen looked astonished and exclaimed, “Old Guo, your data isn’t wrong, is it? This high. How is it possible?”

As soon as his words fell, Guo Guodong’s face became serious. He said sternly, “Director Chen, you too work in finance, you know my character well, and do you think under your professional supervision, I, Guo Guodong, would have the chance to cheat? Besides, does my character match that of a cheater? Since you have doubts, this data is here, you are more than welcome to recalculate it yourself.”

The Director Chen from Yihashi city also realised his mistake, his words were outright showing his disbelief in Guo Guodong. In politics, such behavior is the most reviled. It would really be strange if Guo Guodong did not get angry.

From the side, several people had already come up to mediate, saying, “Director Guo, cool down, cool down. That’s not what Old Chen meant. Mainly, it’s that the behaviour from Lixian side is quite unscrupulous. They even concealed data instead of reporting it. Let’s call over Director Lin Weimin from Lixian for questioning.”

On Lin Weimin’s side, upon receiving notification from the finance bureau staff that the audit investigation team was looking for him, he didn’t dare to delay and quickly went to the conference room. Looking at the group of officials, Lin also chuckled and said, “Director Guo, leaders, what do you need our side to cooperate with?”

Director Guo had also calmed down at this moment. Old Chen’s words, although unpleasant, the others had already apologised. If he himself clings on to it, it would also mean nothing. Then, a serious expression appeared on Guo Guodong’s face: “Director Lin, there is a matter that I need to consult you about. After our audit, the economic growth rate of Lixian has actually reached ninety-seven and a half percent. Director Lin, what was your reason for deliberately hiding the increase of over twenty points? Was it for the economic development rate next year?”

This statement made Lin Weimin somewhat embarrassed. When the investigation team was dispatched by the Autonomous Region Party Committee and Government, Lin knew that this matter couldn’t be concealed. He was also mentally prepared for it. However, when asked at this moment, he felt somewhat awkward. He awkwardly chuckled “Director Guo, leaders. Indeed, in hiding the data, we did have this consideration. Another point is that we were afraid that the data might have been inflated. That’s why we suppressed the growth rate by twenty points.”

After a pause, Lin Weimin sincerely said, “Director Guo, leaders, here, I want to give a self-critique. We should not have hidden the data, we should maintain an attitude of seeking truth from facts. Later, our comrades from the Lixian Finance Bureau will definitely enhance learning in this area. We will definitely remain truthful, modest and cautious in our pragmatic style.”

The words of Lin Weimin gave Guo Guodong and others a feeling of frustration. All the officials of Lixian, from top to bottom, are too overbearing. This is not apology. This is downright boasting.

This current growth rate of seventy-seven point three percent is enough to make people feel frustrated. If it increases further, how will others live?

Guo Guodong waved his hand and then said, “Director Lin, go on with your work. We don’t have anything here.”

At the Li County Hotel, the courtyard of the small hotel had become the residence of Lin Haikun. In the living room of the house sat the leaders of the autonomous region party committee government investigation team from various departments.

Firstly, Guo Guodong, being the key core of this investigation, reported the situation of the financial bureau to Lin Haikun. While looking at the people from other departments beside the sofa, Guo Guodong organized his language, then said solemnly: “Chairman Lin, in this investigation, under the supervision of observers from several Dizhou cities, we conducted a detailed audit of the Lixian Finance Bureau. We have detailed checks on the account books of the Finance Bureau over the years, as well as the bank accounts and other relevant information of the current Finance Bureau. Our result is that the actual economic growth rate in Lixian should be around ninety-seven percent, which is twenty percentage points higher than Lixian’s reported economic growth rate.”

When the voice fell, the staff of the Audit, Agriculture and other related departments also expressed their opinions one after another. The director of the Animal Husbandry Management Office of the Agricultural Hall even said more: “Chairman Lin, this investigation found that the actual number of cattle and sheep in Lixian, as well as the output quantity, are completely in line with the growth rate of ninety-seven point five percent. Under the Farmer Welfare Company and farmer mode, the actual number of cattle and sheep raised by each household in the county is more than five hundred. According to the output benefits of the Farmer Welfare Company, each farmer can get about six hundred for each cattle, and about two hundred for each sheep. Last year, the total output number was at least one thousand five hundred or so. The average income is three hundred per head. The annual income of each household has reached about 45,000. Our opinion is, the economic growth rate reported now is indeed somewhat conservative.”

It was the same issue on the Audit side. At this moment, Lin Haikun was also dwelling on this news. Then, Lin Haikun also got up and said: “Yes, tomorrow, I feel that the investigation team might continue to delve into various industries and towns in Lixian and get a serious understanding. Alright, that’s it for today. Everyone, go back. From the region, there will then be a comprehensive judgement.”

The situation in Lixian has completely exceeded Lin Haikun’s expectations, and the thriving development of the Lixian Economic and Technological Development Zone also surprised Lin Haikun. At this moment, it’s already very clear from the investigation team. Going on further wouldn’t be much necessary.

Now, Lixian is bound to take on the mantle of the provincial Economic and Technological Development Zone. As for the economic growth rate, whether the one of Lixian or the one from the investigation is correct, Lin Haikun was also somewhat fazed. Then, Lin Haikun also picked up the phone and called the Autonomous Region Party Committee Secretary Jiang Zhenquan’s telephone number. Only Jiang Zhenquan could decide and make the final call on this matter.