Chapter 161: Yang Dong's Ultimatum!

Gong Hongyang’s expression was extremely grim, and his tone carried a trace of profound helplessness.

Although he was the top official of Xiashuishui Town, he was utterly powerless to resolve this issue and completely at his wits' end.

When he had first seen the water quality test report for Moon Lake, he felt like he wanted to die.

If this scandal were to blow up, he would be the one taking the fall.

Yet, he felt deeply aggrieved.

Those two electroplating factories had been introduced through investment promotion by Kaiyang County, merely located within Xiashuishui Town, and were primarily managed by Kaiyang County with Xiashuishui Town only assisting in supervision.

All the annual tax revenues went directly to the Kaiyang County Taxation Bureau, bypassing Xiashuishui Town entirely.

To Kaiyang County’s credit, they were somewhat decent; after tax settlements, they would return a small fraction to Xiashuishui Town, amounting to barely several hundred thousand yuan.

What could such a meager sum possibly accomplish?

The water quality testing alone, conducted by an agency hired by Xiashuishui Town itself, had cost over ten thousand yuan.

The head of that testing team had bluntly warned them: "If your Xiashuishui Town wants to tackle this pollution, you won't get anywhere without tens of millions... You in Xiashuishui Town are essentially accomplices to evil. For the sake of a few hundred thousand in tax revenue each year, you are compromising the drinking and domestic water safety of all thirty thousand residents in the town."

That was not even mentioning the aquatic products in Moon Lake, which had undoubtedly been contaminated.

Just because eating them didn't cause immediate diarrhea didn't mean they were safe.

Over time, various hazardous elements would accumulate in the human body, potentially increasing the risk and incidence of cancer.

Every time Gong Hongyang recalled the warning words from the head of the testing team, a knot formed in his stomach.

As a native-born son of Xiashuishui Town, he wished for the town's prosperity more than anyone else.

Yet, given the decisions made by the county authorities, what could he possibly do?

Yesterday, during the lunch banquet at the county committee cafeteria, Yang Dong had brought up the pollution issue at Moon Lake.

However, Gong Hongyang could not speak frankly because seated at the table were also Zhao Yufei, the Deputy Secretary of the County Committee, and Zhao Guojun, the Deputy County Magistrate.

Deputy County Magistrate Zhao Guojun, in particular, was the very leader who had forcefully spearheaded the introduction of those electroplating enterprises and factories back then.

At that time, Zhao Guojun had only been the Director of the Kaiyang County Economic Development Zone Management Committee, a regular section-chief-level cadre.

Now, Zhao Guojun had ascended to the position of Deputy County Magistrate, having been heavily favored by Secretary Tan precisely because he had secured those investments.

Yet, as long as one retained a conscience, it would inevitably prickle with condemnation.

Gong Hongyang could no longer contain his burden and had chosen to feed the problem back to Yang Dong.

He hoped that Yang Dong—the head of the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission working group, who had ties to both the municipal discipline watchdog and the municipal government—could help his hometown handle the crisis.

Otherwise, if the pollution were allowed to continue unchecked, the ones who would ultimately suffer would be the ordinary folk of Little Yang Village, and eventually the entire population of Xiashuishui Town.

In time, the underground water sources would be thoroughly contaminated; especially since the water treatment plant was located not far from Moon Lake.

The drinking water for the populace all came from this area.

Yang Dong’s expression was stern; everything Gong Hongyang described was the unvarnished truth.

In his previous life, Moon Lake had eventually been subjected to massive, strenuous remediation and governance efforts by the national authorities due to water pollution. However, it had been a protracted process; restoring the ecology back to normal levels had required at least a decade.

Currently, the electroplating enterprises in Xiashuishui Town were still relatively few, with only two situated along the shores of Moon Lake.

If they took action now, Moon Lake could leverage its own natural self-regulatory capacity to recover swiftly, returning to a clear-water state in less than two years.

But if they continued to delay and ignored the problem, it would spell utter disaster.

Yet, since even Gong Hongyang, the town party secretary, felt helpless, it was evident that resolving this issue was indeed exceptionally difficult.

"Secretary Gong, let's eat first. After the meal, we can have a proper chat."

Seeing the heavy atmosphere at the table, Yang Dong temporarily set the topic aside and urged everyone to pick up their chopsticks.

"Secretary Gong, Secretary Qi, and Secretary Guo, I've asked my dad and the village party secretary to keep you company for a few drinks."

"Due to my official duties, I'll have to pass on the alcohol."

Yang Dong gestured to his father, Yang Jianwen, and the village party secretary, Yang Haomin.

The two men immediately smiled broadly, picked up the wine pots, and began pouring drinks for the leaders.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hu sat quietly at the side, focusing entirely on eating without paying any attention to the conversation between the leaders.

He lacked the bandwidth for such concerns; he only knew he was ravenously hungry!

"Auntie, I'm sorry, I haven't had enough. Could I trouble you for another bowl of rice?"

Jiang Hu handed over his empty rice bowl and looked at Du Yuxiang with an embarrassed grin.

"Oh goodness, child, what are you standing on ceremony for? A growing young man eating heartily is a good thing! Auntie will dish you up another bowl."

Du Yuxiang smiled, took the empty bowl, and filled it to the brim with steaming white rice for Jiang Hu.

Gong Hongyang and Qi Shan clinked glasses cheerfully with Yang Jianwen and Yang Haomin, drinking shot after shot while chatting amiably about rustic country matters.

Both Gong Hongyang and Qi Shan were grassroots leaders well-versed in farming; when it came to discussing crop cultivation, they spoke with absolute authority.

Grassroots cadres of this era were not yet out of touch with the soil or acting like aloof bureaucrats.

They originated from the countryside or had personal experience with farm labor, possessing a deep understanding of agriculture.

Prior to the twenty-first century, the domestic economy remained fundamentally centered on agriculture, and many grassroots officials were required to master agrarian affairs.

The standards for evaluating talent and selecting grassroots cadres leaned heavily toward agricultural competence.

One should not assume that because the country had undergone over two decades of reform and opening-up, agriculture was no longer needed.

In reality, the exact opposite was true.

The nation continually relied on agriculture as its ultimate safety net, which in turn allowed it to successfully drive industrial manufacturing, real estate, and even the internet economy.

Not only in 2008, but even in 2018 and looking ahead to 2028, agriculture remained the fundamental bedrock and the stabilizing ballast of state political power.

Guo Wei was also drinking, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiang Hu, his brows furrowed in deep thought as if pondering something inscrutable.

An hour later, Gong Hongyang put down his wine glass, declaring he would drink no more.

If he drank any further, he would lose control and inevitably get hammered.

"Secretary Gong, how about taking a stroll outside with me?"

Yang Dong exchanged a meaningful glance with Gong Hongyang, then stood up and led the way outside.

Gong Hongyang rose immediately; he too had things he wanted to discuss with Yang Dong.

His lingering grievances extended beyond mere dissatisfaction with the municipal discipline inspection working group.

There were several other matters he felt compelled to air.

The two men walked out of the house one after the other, left the courtyard, and strolled down the dirt road of the village.

At this time, the village roads had not yet been paved; forget asphalt roads—not even concrete or brick roads existed here.

After a rain, the paths became a muddy, rutted quagmire where even a tractor could get bogged down.

Of course, in April, there were as yet no heavy rains, but in a short while, the village roads would turn into a mire.

"Young Brother Yang, honestly, there really was no need to bring the municipal discipline inspection working group here."

"Speaking in strict confidence, we are practically family. You are from Xiashuishui Town, and so am I; we ought to understand and support each other."

"What you're doing right now? Isn't this undermining your own hometown?"

Perhaps emboldened by the half-catty of liquor he had consumed, Gong Hongyang felt the alcohol rising to his head, giving him the courage to voice his inner resentment.

Moreover, his attitude was sincere, anchored entirely on their shared identity as fellow townsmen.

They had both grown up in Xiashuishui Town, and their emotional attachment to this place ran deepest.

Who didn't want to see their hometown prosper?

Yet here was Yang Dong, riding in with drawn sword at the head of the municipal discipline inspection working group—was he just trying to flex his authority?

Even if his mother had been targeted by the industrial and commercial law enforcement office while selling fish on the street and had even been roughed up,

he, Gong Hongyang, would have given him a satisfactory explanation. Why go to such extremes?

Yang Dong was not surprised by Gong Hongyang’s flare-up, and he fully understood the man’s mindset.

Furthermore, as the top official of his native town, Gong Hongyang had already conducted himself quite commendably.

However, Yang Dong refused to watch Xiashuishui Town slide down a dangerous, crooked path; precisely because this was his hometown, he had to intervene.

Using the investigation into Zhao Pengcheng’s case as an entry point provided the perfect opportunity to excise some of the hidden tumors festering within Xiashuishui Town.

"Elder Brother, I won't call you Secretary Gong anymore."

"Let me speak to you from the bottom of my heart."

Yang Dong looked at Gong Hongyang, his expression turning solemn.

"Jin Haimin, the town mayor, must be dealt with. Otherwise, he will drag you down and ruin the entire town!"

"Xiashuishui Town must undergo radical surgery to scrape away the poison and endure this period of acute pain before it can cast off its burdens and develop healthily."

"Let me give you a bottom-line warning: Xiashuishui Town must mentally prepare itself to lose one-third of its cadres!"

With his hands clasped behind his back, Yang Dong delivered his verdict with absolute decisiveness.

Hearing this, Gong Hongyang shuddered violently, the alcohol instantly draining from his system.

"What did you say? One-third?"

He cried out in disbelief, his voice trembling uncontrollably.