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

Jiang Yiming first went to the securities company to withdraw the money he had invested in Taishan Tourism stocks, which had already increased more than threefold.

If he remembers correctly, Thai tourism stocks are going to fall in the next few days.

Looking at the more than 1.6 million yuan in his account, Jiang Yiming was momentarily dazed.

Although millionaires were no longer a rarity in 2000, it was still very exciting for him.

He kept 137,000 and invested the remaining 1.5 million in Dongfang Energy.

Anyone who pays attention to stocks will not forget this extraordinary stock.

That year, Dongfang Energy's stock price skyrocketed, increasing more than tenfold in a single year.

After leaving the securities company, he went to the bank and withdrew another 30,000 yuan, bringing his total cash amount to 40,000 yuan, including the money Zhang Hai had given him.

After contacting Jiang Yongchen, he handed him 20,000 yuan and an account number, saying seriously, "Fifth Brother, disguise yourself so no one recognizes you, then go to the bank and deposit this 20,000 yuan into this account. Write down any name you like, and give me the receipt later."

"Okay, I'll do it right away."

Jiang Yongchen didn't ask any further questions. He bought a new set of clothes and a baseball cap and then went to complete the procedures.

Upon returning, he handed the receipt to Jiang Yiming and burned the hat and clothes.

Jiang Yiming breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the receipt.

The account he just asked Jiang Yongchen to transfer money to was a "clean government account".

The anti-corruption account, as the name suggests, is a special account for Party members and cadres to maintain integrity and self-discipline. It is also known as the "581" (a homophone for "I don't want") anti-corruption account. It aims to encourage Party members and cadres to promote their integrity and self-discipline by turning in cash and securities that they have received that are "unreturnable" or "inconvenient to return".

According to regulations, if Party members and cadres need to hand over gifts, they can complete the procedures at any bank branch. After payment, the bank will provide a "payment receipt" for a designated account. When filling out the "cash payment slip," the payer does not need to sign their own name or the name of their work unit.

Therefore, he doesn't need to provide his real name to transfer the money; he just needs to keep the receipt.

Zhang Hai only gave him 10,000 yuan, but he transferred 20,000 yuan. Although it hurt a little, it was worth it to prevent Ma Qiyun from investigating.

After all, if 10,000 yuan is given here and another 10,000 yuan is added to the anti-corruption account there, it is easy to attract Ma Qiyun's attention.

But if 20,000 yuan were deposited, Ma Qiyun probably wouldn't think of it that way.

As for when the truth comes out, he can insist that Zhang Hai gave him 20,000 yuan, and that it was all deposited into the anti-corruption account, and that he did not embezzle it.

However, he felt the possibility of this happening was extremely slim, since he and Ma Qiyun had no conflict of interest and would not fall out over it.

After Ma Qiyun finished the Standing Committee meeting, he returned to his office, where Zhang Hai knocked on the door and went in.

"Secretary, Jiang Yiming has accepted the gifts."

"Oh, you gave it to him, and he refused, right?"

"Yes, he was reluctant to accept it at first, but I told him that the secretary asked me to give it to him as a token of gratitude. He hesitated for a moment and then accepted it."

Zhang Hai said, "I've contacted the Discipline Inspection Commission and asked them to keep an eye on the changes in the anti-corruption account in the past few days. If there are any issues, I'll report back to you."

"This kid is quite clever; he knows it's my idea."

Ma Qiyun nodded and advised, "Zhang Hai, although you are more than ten years older than Yiming, he is more experienced than you in many things. You can put aside your pride and learn more from him."

"Yes, Secretary."

Although Zhang Hai said that, he didn't really believe it.

He was not convinced by Jiang Yiming, believing that a college graduate who had just left school was no match for him, a seasoned veteran who had worked for more than ten years.

"Alright, the Standing Committee has approved your appointments. Pack your things and get ready to take up your posts."

"Thank you, Secretary. The two years I've spent with you have been the most rewarding two years of my career. Being able to work by your side is the greatest honor of my life."

Zhang Hai stated, "When I take up my post in the township, I will do my best to repay your kindness in helping me."

"What are you talking about repaying a debt of gratitude for? If you cause trouble in the future, don't say you were with me."

Ma Qiyun waved his hand, Zhang Hai bowed, and walked out.

"Secretary, may we proceed to Yusha Town? The relevant departments have already arrived."

Huang Yonglin, a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee and Director of the County Party Committee Office, knocked on the door and came in.

"Alright, let's call Yiming and set off."

With police cars leading the way, the group headed to Yusha Town in a grand procession.

Jiang Yiming sat in the county party committee's No. 1 car, accompanied by Ma Qiyun, Zhao Zhenlin, and Huang Yonglin.

"Yiming, do you have any more concrete ideas for enterprise reform?"

Ma Qiyun inquired.

"Yes, let me share my ideas. Please feel free to point out any shortcomings."

Jiang Yiming said, "I've checked, and Yusha Winery is currently insolvent. So I'd like to ask the secretary to change the ownership of Yusha Winery from state-owned to private."

"Xiao Jiang, aren't you taking a bit too big a step?"

Huang Yonglin said, "Your approach could easily lead to the loss of state-owned assets, and I'm afraid the Standing Committee will find it difficult to pass."

"With all assets in negative territory, how could they possibly be lost?"

Jiang Yiming argued forcefully, "The current situation is not only that the net assets are zero, but also that nearly a thousand employees need to be resettled. If the restructuring is not carried out, the company will have no choice but to go bankrupt, and then the county party committee and county government will have to find a way to solve the resettlement problem of nearly a thousand employees."

"Even if each laid-off worker receives a one-time economic compensation of 20,000 yuan, the county finance will need to come up with 20 million yuan."

"If the county approves the conversion of the company into a private enterprise, I am confident that I can revive the company and solve the resettlement problem for nearly a thousand employees."

Everyone fell silent. On one hand, they had to bear the responsibility for the loss of state-owned assets, and on the other hand, they faced an unbearable burden of fiscal funds. They needed to carefully weigh the pros and cons.

"Isn't there a solution that can resolve the corporate crisis while ensuring that the nature of the corporate ownership remains unchanged?"

Huang Yonglin was still somewhat unwilling to give up.

"You can't have your cake and eat it too. If there were a perfect solution, the company wouldn't be in the state it is today."

In order to gain Ma Qiyun's support, Jiang Yiming said, "If the county can pass this resolution, I will also guarantee to the county that starting this year, the company will pay no less than two million in taxes every year, and the tax amount will increase by no less than 10% every year."

"You'll be able to pay two million in taxes this year?"

Ma Qiyun exclaimed in astonishment, "Jiang Yiming, this is no joke!"

"Secretary Ma, rest assured, as long as the county agrees to a few conditions, I guarantee that the task will be completed."

"What other conditions are there? If you want money, I can tell you clearly that even if the county had money, once the enterprise is converted from a state-owned enterprise to a private enterprise, the county would not give you a single penny more."