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

"Mayor Haiqiang, is there anything I can help you with?"

Jiang Yiming invited the other party to sit down.

"Mayor, there is something I need to report to you."

Sun Haiqiang said, "I wonder if you have seen the 2012 fiscal budget?"

"I've looked at it briefly, what's wrong?"

Jiang Yiming inquired.

"In this year's budget, the proportion of funding for urban construction and industrial projects has increased by nearly 15 percent compared to previous years. One of these projects involves the approval of a 600-meter-tall building, planned to be built in a prime location in the city center, with a budget of up to 8 billion. While this move can enhance the city's image, it has also significantly increased the financial burden, and the public has been questioning the project, believing it to be a vanity project."

"From an economic perspective, building super high-rise buildings is not the most economical choice. Maintenance costs are high, the payback period is long, and fire safety is a persistent challenge. In the event of a fire in a super high-rise, existing ladder trucks simply cannot reach it, making rescue extremely difficult and evacuating people very challenging. A slight mistake could lead to serious casualties. In addition, it is understood that the higher the building, the harder it is to rent out. This is mainly because the waiting time and the time spent riding the elevator are too long, and the utilization rate of high-rise office buildings is generally low, with a high vacancy rate. The subsequent operation and maintenance costs are astronomical. It is said that the cost of cleaning the windows can reach several million yuan, and the electricity bill is also shockingly high, with basic energy consumption expenditures alone exceeding ten million yuan per year."

Sun Haiqiang asked, "I wonder what the mayor's opinion is on this?"

"Since you felt that this project was too costly and had little practical significance, why didn't you raise objections when it was first proposed?"

Jiang Yiming inquired.

“There were indeed some questions raised at the Standing Committee meeting, but this was a project supported by Secretary Lei, and even Mayor Chen Lu’s opposition was useless.”

Sun Haiqiang said, "Secretary Lei insisted on launching the project, so Mayor Chen had no choice but to compromise."

"Since it was decided by the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee, why are you coming to me for help?"

Jiang Yiming scrutinized Sun Haiqiang, wanting to know his true intentions.

"Mayor, I've heard a lot about your achievements. You have the courage and responsibility to serve the people. I think you are a leader who can withstand pressure and correct deviations."

Sun Haiqiang said, "That's why I came to report to you, hoping you will take this matter seriously."

“I’ve only been here a short time and I don’t fully understand the situation yet. I understand what you’re saying, but I’ll look into this matter further.”

Jiang Yiming did not make a statement.

After all, he was new here and didn't know many things, including his limited understanding of Sun Haiqiang.

Moreover, this is a project that has already been decided at the Standing Committee meeting, and it has probably been approved by the Provincial Party Committee as well. It is unrealistic for him to overturn it easily.

"Okay, Mayor, please go ahead with your work."

Seeing that Jiang Yiming had not given a clear answer, Sun Haiqiang left Jiang Yiming's office after a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

Jiang Yiming did not rush to leave, but instead asked Cheng Shaodong to prepare the relevant materials and send them over for him to review.

"Mayor, Chairman Wang is still waiting for us. Aren't we leaving now?"

"I won't go today. Give Mr. Wang a call and let him know, and I'll make time to go later."

Jiang Yiming said.

He discovered that this tallest building was actually built by the Kyushu Group, and he wanted to find out the whole story before seeing Wang Lin again.

"Mayor, Chairman Wang is usually very busy, and he came all this way specifically to wait for you..."

"It's okay, he won't say anything. Just do as I say and tell him I have something come up."

Jiang Yiming said.

"Yes, Mayor."

Xiao Mingyuan nodded, went outside, and quickly made a phone call to explain.

Wang Lin is now the head of the Jiuzhou Group, with considerable wealth, and he has connections with high-ranking provincial leaders, so he naturally cannot afford to offend him easily.

After receiving the materials, Jiang Yiming carefully studied the relevant information about the Kyushu Center. This building is over 600 meters tall and will be the tallest building in Jiangcheng and even the central region after its completion.

Once completed, these high-rise buildings will become new landmarks in the city, bringing a new image and vitality, and attracting more investment and talent.

However, as Sun Haiqiang said, the project is extremely costly and it is difficult to recover the costs through commercial operation alone. If it relies on the government for a long time, it will bring a heavy financial burden to the government.

Nowadays, there are many places where money is needed, and it is really not worthwhile for the government to spend billions of yen to support the construction of the Kyushu Center.

Jiang Yiming began to lean towards Sun Haiqiang's viewpoint, but even if he opposed the construction of such a tall building, it wouldn't make much difference, since Lei Liang supported it and it had been approved by the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee. He had no opportunity or reason to oppose it.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Yiming personally called Wang Lin.

"Mayor, Secretary Xiao said you're not coming to Jiuzhou Group?"

After receiving the call, Wang Lin asked, "I was just saying I'd throw you a big celebratory banquet to welcome you to Jiangcheng to take up your post."

"I appreciate your kind offer, but there's no need for a celebratory banquet. If you have time tonight, please come to my house."

Jiang Yiming said.

"Okay, I'll be there at 7:30 tonight."

Wang Lin said.

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Yiming instructed Xiao Mingyuan to adjust the research route.

Our first stop was the construction site of the second phase of the subway, followed by the site of the Nanhu Lake remediation project.

"The second phase of subway construction is progressing according to plan. The main structure is more than half completed, and it is expected that the entire line will be tunneled through by the end of next year."

Xiao Mingyuan explained.

Jiang Yiming nodded and said, "We cannot slack off on the progress. We must strictly control quality and safety, especially in geologically complex sections where we need to strengthen monitoring."

Upon arriving at Nanhu Lake, Xiao Mingyuan explained, "The province has allocated 100 million yuan in special funds, with the city providing 50 million yuan in matching funds, for the treatment of Nanhu Lake. Currently, the dredging and sewage interception projects have been fully launched, and the main treatment is expected to be completed before the flood season next year."

"Nanhu used to be very clean, but due to industrial wastewater and domestic sewage being discharged directly into the surrounding area, the water quality has deteriorated year by year, with frequent outbreaks of blue-green algae, which has seriously affected residents' lives and the city's image. It really needs to be properly managed."

Jiang Yiming stated, "However, to fundamentally address the pollution sources, we cannot simply dredge the silt without intercepting the sewage. We must rigorously investigate surrounding polluting enterprises, implement rainwater and sewage separation, and ensure that all sewage is collected and treated. At the same time, we must establish a long-term mechanism, strengthen daily supervision, and prevent problems from recurring. Otherwise, if construction continues and sewage is discharged again, the remediation will become a mere formality. The remediation of Nanhu Lake should be carried out in tandem with the renovation of the urban pipe network, included in the annual assessment targets, and the responsibilities of districts and counties should be firmly established. In addition, third-party assessment agencies can be introduced to regularly publish water quality reports and accept public supervision."

After speaking, Jiang Yiming asked, "Secretary-General Xiao, the province has clearly issued a document requiring the closure of high-energy-consuming and high-emission enterprises. How is the city implementing this?"

"As the provincial capital, we need to set an example. Currently, more than 60 high-energy-consuming and high-emission enterprises have been shut down in the city, and more than 30 others are undergoing rectification within a specified period."

Xiao Mingyuan said, "We had already completed the targets set by the province in the first half of last year."

Jiang Yiming nodded without saying anything more, it seemed that Xiao Mingyuan was not telling the truth.

When Old Wei took him for a walk that day, the sewage being discharged was as black as ink, stinking to high heaven, and even the vegetation on the bank had withered and died; fish and shrimp had vanished. Xiao Mingyuan, however, claimed the rectification was complete, which was clearly a whitewash.