"Wang Jianguo, stop acting tough with me here."
Lin Aimin was fuming.
Who was he doing all this for?
"Um, Town Chief, would you like to take a look at this first?"
Shen Nanchu pulled out a proposal from her cloth bag and handed it to Lin Aimin.
Seeing that Shen Nanchu was just a young girl, Lin Aimin couldn’t stay angry. He took the proposal and began flipping through it page by page.
At first, Lin Aimin’s expression was dismissive, but as he read on, his face grew serious. After going over the document several times, he finally set it down. His expression was now complicated.
"Can Wang Family Village really carry out what’s written in this proposal?"
"Yes, absolutely, without a doubt!"
Wang Jianguo had full confidence in Shen Nanchu.
Lin Aimin hesitated.
"Town Chief, food is the foundation of the people. Our Wang Family Village would love to focus on grain production, but as you know, the conditions there just don’t allow it."
Shen Nanchu glanced at Wang Jianguo.
"Village Head, do you remember our village’s grain yields from the past two years?"
How could he forget?
"Two years ago, 32,000 jin. Last year, at best, we managed 35,000 jin."
Wang Jianguo’s voice carried a hint of bitterness.
"Chief Lin, if you’ve ever been to Wang Family Village, you’d know its geographical constraints—surrounded by mountains, with only a few patches of land suitable for farming. Even if we push for higher yields per acre, how much more grain could we possibly produce?"
Shen Nanchu’s words made Lin Aimin pause in thought.
He was well aware of Wang Family Village’s situation. He had wanted to improve things for them—why else would he have gone out of his way to approve fertilizer shipments despite the pressure?
Seeing Lin Aimin deep in thought, Shen Nanchu’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Chief Lin, let me be frank with you—we’ve already developed the tea seed shampoo. All we need is your approval to start production."
"Really?"
Lin Aimin shot up from his chair, his voice trembling slightly.
"Yes."
Wang Jianguo nodded in confirmation.
If that was the case, then it might be worth a try.
Lin Aimin paced back and forth in his office, thinking about how to convince the other officials in the upcoming meeting.
"Alright. If you can get the other town leaders to agree during the meeting, I’ll give my approval too."
In the end, Lin Aimin compromised.
Wang Jianguo agreed without hesitation.
"Good. Let’s hope you keep your word this time, Town Chief."
What was that supposed to mean?
Did he usually go back on his promises?
Lin Aimin was so annoyed he nearly laughed.
That old rascal Wang Jianguo was taking a dig at him!
Was this about the fertilizer incident last time, when he’d only given them three bags?
Petty.
Shen Nanchu thought for a moment and asked a question.
"Town Chief, when you propose something, do people usually agree or disagree?"
Lin Aimin froze, then flushed slightly.
"Why are you asking that, young lady?"
"Just trying to figure out how to get everyone else on board."
Shen Nanchu didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed.
Wang Jianguo chuckled.
"Most of the time, when Chief Lin makes a suggestion, people oppose it. But our chief here has a silver tongue—he can argue until everyone caves in."
Shen Nanchu nodded as if she’d just had an epiphany.
"So, if the Town Chief opposes something, they’ll probably support it instead."
Shen Nanchu's words left Lin Aimin and Wang Jianguo momentarily silent.
Why?
Lin Aimin pondered for a moment—it seemed many meetings had gone this way before.
Wang Jianguo, on the other hand, marveled at how sharp the younger generation was, immediately grasping the crux of the matter.
Once this point was understood, the rest became much easier to handle.
"Town Head, when you bring up the matter of Wang Family Village establishing a village factory later, make sure to oppose it vehemently," Shen Nanchu emphasized again.
"You must oppose it strongly, so everyone knows you’re completely against it."
Lin Aimin instantly grasped Shen Nanchu’s intention.
"Got it, no problem."
Wang Jianguo added, "And remember to act angry—channel the same energy you had when arguing with me over fertilizer quotas."
Lin Aimin: "..."
...
At the town meeting that afternoon,
Shen Nanchu attended alongside Wang Jianguo.
The lengthy discussion revolved around routine village production matters.
It wasn’t until the end that Lin Aimin finally brought up Wang Family Village’s proposal to build a factory.
"Regarding Wang Family Village’s plan to establish a village factory, I’ll state my position first—I oppose it."
"Our town’s priority should be grain production. Dabbling in other industries is nothing but a distraction."
"I firmly disagree with Wang Family Village’s actions and strongly condemn them."
As soon as Lin Aimin finished speaking, a short, stout middle-aged man jumped in.
"Town Head, that’s not entirely fair," said Village Head Niu.
"Wang Family Village ranks dead last in grain production every year—they can’t compare to our Niu Family Village. There’s no harm in letting them explore other ventures."
"Village Head Niu is right," Village Head Qian chimed in.
"Wang Family Village has so little land and such low yields. No matter what they try, their production never improves."
"They should save the fertilizer quotas for the rest of us."
Other village heads echoed the sentiment.
Even some town officials shared the same view.
On the surface, they seemed supportive of Wang Family Village’s side project, but their words dripped with condescension.
Every industry has its hierarchy.
Right now, Wang Family Village was at the very bottom.
Wang Jianguo was used to it—the insults went in one ear and out the other.
Mockery?
It wouldn’t cost him anything to listen.
Wang Jianguo glanced at Lin Aimin, who returned the look.
Their eyes met, two old foxes exchanging a knowing glint.
Everything was going according to plan.
Shen Nanchu had anticipated this outcome.
Now, it was Wang Jianguo’s turn to step in.
Wang Jianguo stood up.
"Town Head, the minority yields to the majority."
"Since everyone agrees, let’s settle this matter here."
"You—all of you—!" Lin Aimin slammed his pen onto the table in feigned fury.
"Fine, you’ve all agreed, haven’t you?"
"Good. Since it’s your decision, everyone sign this agreement with your thumbprints."
Village Head Niu led the charge, pressing his print onto the document first.
After all, it was Wang Family Village that would end up humiliated—Niu Family Village was happy to watch the show.
Unaware of the trap, the others followed suit, stamping their prints one after another.
Just like that, Wang Family Village’s factory proposal was set in stone.
Back in the town head’s office,
Wang Jianguo stared at the signed agreement, nearly speechless with satisfaction.
Lin Aimin, meanwhile, turned his gaze to Shen Nanchu.
"Comrade Shen, the rest is up to you now."
"We will complete the mission as planned."
...
