The Official Ladder: I ascend to the pinnacle of power, wielding the power of life and death.

Ultimately, Jiang Yiming did not personally attend the opening ceremony of the historical and cultural ancient city in Yiyang City, but instead had Guo Linye represent him.

Although he really wanted to attend in person, he thought it best not to. After all, he had been the acting secretary of Yiyang City, and this achievement was actually the result of his governance. If he were to make a high-profile appearance at this time, it would make the current municipal party secretary, Wang Weichao, feel somewhat uncomfortable.

However, Jiang Yiming watched the opening ceremony on TV for a while, and when the song "Yiyang" played, he was deeply moved.

The melody flowed gently, and the camera panned across the restored ancient city walls, the cobblestone streets, and the newly renovated cultural exhibition hall. Jiang Yiming's eyes welled up with tears. The scenes of those day and night efforts flashed through his mind—the disputes at the demolition coordination meeting, the dozens of revisions to the planning scheme, and the figure inspecting the construction site in the pouring rain.

Today, the ancient city has risen from the ashes, like a phoenix spreading its wings, telling the world about its past glory and present vitality.

All of this was worthwhile; it's just a pity I couldn't be there in person to experience the excitement and emotion of that moment.

He silently got up, walked to the window, and gazed at the city skyline in the distance, where lights were dim.

Following the National Day holiday, Jiang Yiming spent the rest of his time traveling around the front lines, except for two days with his daughter.

He traveled between various project sites to supervise construction progress and inspect safety production, ensuring that the schedule was not delayed and the quality was not compromised.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yiming visited the medicinal herb planting base to learn about the growth of the herbs.

We sat with the farmers on the edge of the field and listened to them talk about the difficulties they faced in planting and their expectations for the harvest.

"Although we encountered some drought this year, the irrigation facilities kept up in time, and the growth of medicinal herbs is still relatively stable."

An elderly farmer, beaming with joy, said, “The herbs will soon be ready for harvest, and the yield per mu is expected to be slightly higher than last year. The township has already arranged for people to connect us with suppliers, and large companies will come directly to purchase them, so there’s no worry about sales. Moreover, the price has already been negotiated, which is 15% higher than last year. So, this year’s income will be significantly higher than last year’s. If the funds come in, I plan to buy a small tractor next year and contract another 20 mu of land to expand the planting scale. I believe life will get better and better.”

“The funds will definitely be in place. If they don’t arrive on time, I’ll go to your county leaders. If they don’t help you solve your problems, I’ll make trouble for them.”

Jiang Yiming smiled and said, "This year, more than ten pharmaceutical companies have settled in the city. After they start production, they will consume tens of thousands of tons of local medicinal herbs every year. You grow as much as you want, and the companies will buy as much as you want. The price will follow the market, but the bottom line will not be lower than the cost price. What the government needs to do is to build a bridge and connect the two sides so that farmers and companies can truly be linked and benefit from each other."

"The hydropower station is expected to be completed by the end of this year, which will make the power supply more stable and ensure better irrigation during droughts. So plant boldly and with confidence, as policy support will only become more substantial. Your hard work will surely bring you a bountiful harvest this autumn."

After finishing his conversation with the old farmer, Jiang Yiming continued his research along the mountainous area.

Although the mountain road is not wide enough, it has been paved and is now open to traffic, connecting several villages along the way to the main road network. This is one of the achievements of the "Village-to-Village Road" upgrade project that he specifically promoted after taking office last year. The dirt road, which used to be frequently blocked during the rainy season, is now paved with asphalt, allowing buses to go directly to the village entrance, making it more convenient for mountain products to leave the mountains.

Subsequently, Jiang Yiming conducted research in two counties and visited several natural villages to gain an in-depth understanding of the villagers' production and living conditions and the actual benefits of improved infrastructure.

Everything is steadily improving, and people's lives are getting better and better, but rural development is still too simplistic.

It's peak tourist season, and many beautiful sights remain hidden deep in the mountains, unknown to most. Jiang Yiming remarked that if these natural resources could be combined with medicinal herb cultivation and agricultural experiences to create eco-health tourism routes, a new path of diversified development could be forged. Many abandoned old houses in villages could be converted into guesthouses, allowing villagers to not only collect rent but also work as guides or run restaurants.

Subsequently, as soon as the holiday ended, Jiang Yiming convened a special meeting to deploy the pilot plan for eco-health tourism.

"We must leverage medicinal herb cultivation bases, connecting mountain and water landscapes with local culture, to create a comprehensive rural tourism model that is 'visible, educational, and experiential.' Transportation, culture and tourism, and agriculture departments should collaborate to prioritize the renovation of homestays and the training of tour guides in villages with suitable conditions, ensuring the launch of the first batch of high-quality routes next spring. Simultaneously, we must improve supporting services, unify signage systems, and construct eco-friendly parking lots and visitor service centers. We encourage villagers to establish cooperatives, integrate idle resources, conduct vocational skills training, and enhance their reception capacity. We must adhere to the concept of green development, prevent over-development, and protect the original ecological environment and local character. Through pilot projects and gradual expansion, we will gradually form a replicable and scalable new model for rural development. Once pilot villages are selected, a professional planning and design team will be immediately brought in to develop a 'one village, one policy' renovation plan tailored to the terrain and village characteristics. Simultaneously, we will launch financial support and policy incentives to attract young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses and cultivate local tourism service capabilities."

Jiang Yiming said, "Rural development cannot rely on waiting or assistance, but must stimulate endogenous motivation. We must make green mountains and clear waters a true source of wealth, and transform farmers from bystanders into participants and beneficiaries. The pilot project will not involve large-scale demolition and construction, but will focus on meticulous craftsmanship, preserving the nostalgia of the countryside and creating unique characteristics. Next spring, I want to see the first group of tourists walking on the mountain paths, listening to villagers tell stories about medicinal herbs, tasting farm-style meals, and experiencing that long-lost tranquility and authenticity."

He requested that relevant departments establish a monthly evaluation mechanism to dynamically adjust implementation plans and ensure that policies are effectively implemented.

Subsequently, various departments quickly formulated implementation rules, clarified the division of responsibilities and timelines, and formed joint working groups to provide on-site guidance. The culture and tourism department began compiling a tourist route guide manual, the agriculture department selected the first batch of medicinal herb planting demonstration sites, and the transportation department optimized the road network leading to the pilot villages. The pilot villages successively held village council meetings to explain policies, collect opinions, and mobilize the masses to participate in homestay renovation and service training.

As the Party Secretary of the city, his ideas can create ripples throughout the entire city.

All departments mobilized and worked rapidly to advance Jiang Yiming's vision.

November arrived in the blink of an eye, the pharmaceutical industrial park was officially built, and the medicinal herb research and development center was officially put into use. At this time, it was also the harvest season for medicinal herbs, and the fields were bustling with activity.

Linjiang City held the first Dongjiang Province Pharmaceutical Industry Development Conference, at which multiple industry-university-research projects were signed, and several well-known pharmaceutical companies reached targeted procurement agreements with local planting cooperatives.

In his speech, Jiang Yiming emphasized: "We must promote research through planting, drive production through research, and boost tourism through production, so as to promote the deep integration of the three industries."

Originally, Secretary Du Jiale was supposed to attend the conference in person, as it included the completion ceremony of the Linjiang City Pharmaceutical Industrial Park and the unveiling ceremony of the joint laboratory with the Capital University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, Du Jiale was unable to attend due to a meeting in the capital. In the end, Li Xuanzhang represented the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government.

In his speech, Li Xuanzhang fully affirmed Linjiang City's innovative path of exploring the integrated development of "medicine and tourism," and pointed out that it is necessary to promote the upgrading of the entire chain of Chinese medicinal materials from planting to deep processing and then to health services with the thinking of the industrial chain.

Although Li Xuanzhang had a prejudice against Jiang Yiming, he had to admit Jiang Yiming's keen insight and pragmatic style in economic development.

"Comrade Yiming, your Linjiang City has found a path for industrial development that suits local conditions. The quality of medicinal herbs and the scale of planting have already shown initial advantages. The next step is to increase efforts in deep processing and brand building."

During a break in the event, Li Xuanzhang chatted with Jiang Yiming, saying, "If I had listened to your advice before, Dongjiang Province wouldn't have encountered such a big predicament in the development of the photovoltaic industry. Now it seems that when the province formulates industrial policies, it should pay more attention to the actual needs and differences of local areas and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. Each city has different resource endowments, and their development paths should also have different focuses. Linjiang's 'electronics + pharmaceuticals + tourism' development model provides a valuable exploratory sample for the whole province. You should strengthen the connection between technological innovation and the market, promote the local transformation of scientific research results, extend the industrial chain, and increase added value. I believe that Linjiang City will definitely take the lead in the province's rapid and sound development and become a demonstration window for innovation-driven and green transformation."

"Thank you for the Governor's recognition and guidance. Linjiang City will seize the development opportunities, adhere to the principles of ecological priority and technological leadership, and continue to advance the standardization of medicinal herb cultivation and deep processing technology. At the same time, relying on local resource advantages, we will deepen the integration of 'medicine + tourism' to create an industrial chain that integrates health and wellness experiences and cultural heritage. We will certainly live up to your expectations, improve quality through innovation, expand influence through collaboration, and strive to contribute Linjiang's wisdom and practical model to the province's rapid and sound development."

Jiang Yiming quickly said.

Although there was a rift between him and Li Xuanzhang, they were, after all, in a superior-subordinate relationship, and the development of Linjiang City would also contribute to the overall situation of the province.

From a work perspective, their goals are aligned.

Unfortunately, within the system, there are many things besides work that affect interpersonal relationships.

Li Xuanzhang acknowledged Jiang Yiming's abilities, but unfortunately, Jiang Yiming couldn't maintain a consistent stance with him. Therefore, even when Li Xuanzhang knew Jiang Yiming was right, he often had to suppress him or express his opposition.

This pharmaceutical industry conference attracted more than 100 companies and more than 10 universities and research institutes from across the country. Eighteen key projects were signed on-site, with a total investment exceeding 10 billion yuan.

Following the conference, Jiang Yiming immediately chaired a special meeting to study and implement the conference's outcomes and to plan for the successful implementation of the signed projects. He emphasized the need to approach the task with a mindset of "success need not be mine" and a sense of responsibility of "I will definitely contribute to its success," ensuring comprehensive support in terms of resources, services, and mechanisms. He stressed that all relevant departments should take initiative and work together to ensure projects start construction, go into production, and achieve results as soon as possible, truly transforming policy benefits into tangible development outcomes and establishing Linjiang as a new national hub for the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine.

Meanwhile, the agricultural sector is required to seize this development opportunity to further expand the planting area of ​​Chinese medicinal herbs, optimize the planting layout, strengthen technical guidance and quality supervision, promote the standardization, refined management, and integrated production and sales of Chinese medicinal herbs, strengthen the traceability system, and ensure the purity of Chinese medicinal herbs. It is also necessary to rely on leading enterprises to promote the "company + cooperative + farmer" model, improve the level of organization, and allow farmers to share more of the added value of the industrial chain.

In addition, Linjiang City's urbanization is progressing steadily, adhering to the development concept of "integrated industry and city, and ecological livability," and further optimizing the city's spatial layout. Key initiatives include promoting the construction of core areas such as the East City New Town and the high-speed rail area, improving public service facilities such as education, healthcare, and transportation, and enhancing the city's carrying capacity and attractiveness. Simultaneously, urban renewal initiatives are being implemented, accelerating the renovation of old residential areas and the construction of smart cities to enhance residents' sense of happiness and fulfillment.

By the end of the year, Linjiang City achieved a 28.3% year-on-year increase in GDP, a 19.7% increase in fiscal revenue, and a 9.2% and 11.6% increase in per capita disposable income for urban and rural residents, respectively, ranking first in the province in all economic indicators. Behind these figures lies the tireless hard work and perseverance of the people of Linjiang, and the choices and responsibilities they made amidst the growing pains of reform. The significance of development lies not only in speed and scale, but also in whether ordinary people can feel tangible changes. When a city can both carry dreams and provide a place for everyday life, it possesses true vitality. Linjiang's experience once again proves that only by taking the people's aspirations for a better life as the goal of our struggle can the path of development become wider and more stable.

The key to Linjiang City's leapfrog development lies in its consistent and deep integration of innovation-driven development and a people-centered approach. The municipal government has strategically planned the industrial chain, strengthened technological empowerment, and promoted collaborative research among government, industry, academia, and research institutions, attracting technology, talent, and capital to the real economy. Simultaneously, it has focused on tackling reforms, continuously optimizing the business environment, and stimulating the vitality of various market entities.

Most importantly, Jiang Yiming has always adhered to the people-centered development philosophy, resisted various temptations for short-term political achievements, and did not blindly pursue political achievements or cater to the preferences of his superiors. Instead, he devoted his resources and energy to laying the foundation for practical matters that benefit the long term.

This makes Linjiang City the only city unaffected by the photovoltaic industry. While the photovoltaic boom swept across many regions, Jiang Yiming calmly assessed the situation, adhering to the principle of basing projects on local resources and industrial foundation, avoiding blindly following trends and thus preventing the financial burden and land waste resulting from later overcapacity. This decision initially faced considerable skepticism, but time has demonstrated its strategic resolve and commitment to the people.

With the United States launching an anti-dumping investigation against my country's photovoltaic industry, the industry has fallen into further difficulties, which has affected other cities and prefectures in the province, lowering their GDP growth rates. This is why Linjiang City has suddenly become number one.