mining, Secretary Liu earnestly invited Deputy Secretary Fu to participate in the mining and management of the mine. Perhaps it was Secretary Liu’s humility that endeared him to Deputy Secretary Fu. Over time, their polite interactions led to a successful collaboration, creating a vibrant and orderly iron mine in East Village.

Mayor Nie was promoted from deputy to full-time mayor, his achievement largely credited to the success of East Village’s iron mine. This enterprise, regardless of its origins, was a notable accomplishment.

Deputy Secretary Yao replaced the old township cadre. Frankly, Deputy Secretary Yao, a short and stout figure, had a tough life. Back when Secretary Liu lacked the mine and influential godfathers, he was already a challenging figure to deal with, even more so now. Fortunately, Deputy Secretary Yao, a qualified orderly before his demobilization, managed to serve Secretary Liu adequately.

Chapter 16: Attracting Investment

The discovery of coal did not bring the excitement Deputy Secretary Fu had imagined. Unlike Secretary Liu, who approached everything with fervor, he had mixed feelings about mining. On the one hand, it meant that West Village could achieve prosperity ahead of schedule; on the other, even with a mining permit, securing the funding for supporting infrastructure would be a significant challenge.

In accounting terms, chopping up everyone in the village to sell wouldn't provide nearly enough to cover the initial investments. Such an investment far exceeded what a small village collective could handle. Investing in coal mining was very different from investing in iron mining, where the startup costs were relatively low.

Deputy Secretary Fu first thought of the bank. However, the bank bluntly replied that they would only consider loans once the mine was operational. If they could get the mine operational, why would they need the bank in the first place?

So, what does this mean? What is the bank's role? Banks are essentially entities that add the finishing touches, representing a more opportunistic part of the financial sector. With the bank being unreliable, Deputy Secretary Fu felt like he was sitting on a gold mountain but had no vehicle to transport the gold.

While contemplating transportation, inspiration struck—why not attract investment? Nowadays, attracting investment and mutually beneficial partnerships were in vogue. Energized by this idea, Deputy Secretary Fu brought Fu Yushui and hurried to the county’s investment office to understand the investment criteria. Upon their return, he convened a meeting with all village committee members.

During the meeting, he instructed the accountant and village head to provide unconditional assistance to East Village if needed, including manpower and resources, w

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