Chapter 1620 - Director Liu Takes Office

A convoy of tugboats crept along the coastline, the lead vessel belching thick columns of black smoke. This was the scheduled convoy plying between Qiongshan and Lingao, its barges laden with agricultural products, minerals, and building materials bound for the capital.

At the convoy's tail, a passenger barge carried travelers between the two ports. By Senator standards, the pace was absurdly slow. By native standards—for whom sea voyages had always depended entirely on weather—it was miraculously swift.

No native passengers rode today's barge. The entire vessel had been chartered by Liu Xiang, Director of the Qiongshan County Office. He was bringing his family back to Lingao to report on his work and, incidentally, to assume a new posting.

A month earlier, the General Office had sent a "first birthday gift" for Liu Xiang's daughter—both her one-month feast and first birthday banquet had been held in Qiongshan, his busy schedule precluding travel. Tucked inside the package was additional material: two documents from the Grand Library, one titled Historical Research on the Shimazu Clan of Satsuma Domain Forcing the Sho Dynasty of Ryukyu to Pay Tribute and Submit, the other Historical Materials on the 17th Century Civil War in Vietnam; and a thicker volume, Compilation of Local Conditions in Guangzhou Prefecture, jointly compiled by multiple departments. Seeing these, and connecting them with recent trends in the "Two Journals and One Newspaper," Liu Xiang knew a job transfer was imminent.

Regarding the transfer, both the Organization Department and Liu Muzhou of the Civil Affairs People's Commission had spoken to him during his last report. First, they asked whether he had any interest in transferring to "shoulder greater responsibilities." Second, they discussed his governance experience in Qiongzhou over the past few years and his views on local administrative affairs.

Though Liu Xiang had never muddled through government offices in the old world, he understood the term "organizational inspection"—especially since Ming Lang had spoken to him personally. The implication was unmistakable.

After he expressed willingness to "accept the organization's test," a deputy director descended upon Qiongshan County. Following this, his once-overstretched team of naturalized cadres was suddenly fully staffed. Not only were all vacancies filled, but deputy positions were added as well.

Apart from the Senate's capital of Lingao, no other county seat could boast such a luxurious configuration of local administrative cadres. While Liu Xiang felt "flattered," he recognized that his days in Qiongshan County were numbered.

Truthfully, he wasn't entirely satisfied with his work in Qiongshan over the past few years. As the prefectural capital, Qiongshan County had been developed early, possessed a large population, enjoyed a favorable agricultural environment, and abundant water sources. It was designated a "Demonstration County"—receiving considerable investment from the Planning Academy and the Central State Council, generously supplied with funds, personnel, and equipment. If one were to ask where besides Lingao and Sanya in all of Hainan there was "industry above designated scale," Qiongshan County was the only answer.

However, because the current county administration still operated under a system of full financial appropriation, what he could actually accomplish was limited. Almost everything required central approval, and many matters were vertically managed by various central ministries and commissions. If not for the fact that his jurisdiction was a "Demonstration County" with significant policy inclination, he would have been practically paralyzed. He was like a bureaucrat of old, mainly managing grain tax collection—after all, trying cases now fell under the Circuit Court of the Arbitration Tribunal.

"If it weren't for the drama of the Lingao disturbance, I doubt the Executive Committee would have made up its mind." Liu Xiang stood on the poop deck, smoking a cigar in the sea breeze. "Create a disturbance, and all forces emerge from their holes. We can't avoid conquering the mainland now. The situation pushes people forward."

He was roughly aware of the shifting winds in Lingao. Expatriate Senators had keen noses; beyond various publications, private messages between Senators constituted the most convenient intelligence channel. Regarding recent events—the establishment of Senate committees, the Youth League, institutional reform—he not only knew about them but also caught whispers of the behind-the-scenes stories.

"It's all caused by too much idleness!" Liu Xiang flicked his cigarette butt into the sea. Years ago, he had observed that the root of all contradictions in the Senate lay in the ruled area being too small—too many radishes, too few pits. Although everyone held an official position now, for Senators who had crossed over with the mentality of "becoming masters of men," power and status fell short—which is to say, they weren't busy enough. After all, everyone's pursuit was the superstructure.

With the conclusion of Operation Engine, the lower levels of existing institutions had rapidly filled out, and the operation of the entire state machine was accelerating. No matter how otaku or lazy, Senators were modern people—or rather, future people—who had experienced the grind of a true bureaucratic society. They were all fished out of their dorms and from in front of their notebooks to fill key parts of this state machine, everyone busy to the point of dizziness. Those who genuinely lacked practical experience were sent to various departments to serve as deputy directors handling specific matters—essentially administrative interns. Once they got the hang of it, new appointments followed.

For example, the Deputy Director currently preparing to replace Liu Xiang was a former "Soy Sauce Senator" who had long muddled through various departments as a deputy division chief. After tiring of administrative work combined with teaching, he had embraced the ideal of becoming a "Marquis of a Hundred Li" and actively requested a transfer to the local level. So he came—after coordinating with him, Liu Xiang had put him in charge of that year's autumn harvest to give him a good dose of labor.

"That's why they say labor is the best way to transform a person!" Liu Xiang felt another wave of emotion when he recalled the spirit and energy of that former Soy Sauce Senator after completing the handover—power really does shape people.

"Why am I thinking about that guy for no reason!" Standing on the poop deck watching the familiar coastline recede, Liu Xiang mockingly reproached himself. That coastline, if he remembered correctly, was the island where the Haidian Campus of Hainan University would be located in later generations. The forestry processing base Liu Xiang had "lobbied the ministries" to secure was built there. The Nandu River estuary split like the Nile, divided into two channels—one large, one small—by a central sandbar at its mouth. Beside the smaller western channel lay this island. Log rafts coming down from upstream could land via the small channel and be transported directly to the processing plant. The processed timber was then loaded onto ships at the island's small wharf and shipped out.

Originally, this factory had operated in a state of chronic manpower shortage since its establishment. Workers had to simultaneously serve as rafters, coolies, carpenters, and various other trades; operating efficiency was terrible and labor intensity severe—after all, the disaster relief that year had poached significant manpower from Qiongshan Prefecture. Only after Operation Engine began did the labor shortage start to ease. By now, this timber processing base was flourishing.

On the other bank, machines roared and red brick chimneys spewed thick smoke. This was another major project he had procured: a brick and tile factory using coal gangue and other leftovers culled from the coal washing plant.

"Thinking about it, I'm actually quite reluctant to leave!" When the coastline completely vanished from view, Liu Xiang spoke softly to the sea breeze.

"Ba—baaaa," a familiar sweet, crisp voice sounded. He knew immediately it was his little girl.

"Why did you bring the child up here! The wind is strong, and it's unsafe! And you're not even holding her hand!" Liu Xiang whirled around, scolding Guo Ling'er, who had brought the girl up to the poop deck without holding her hand. The little girl was flapping her arms and toddling toward Liu Xiang on her own, shouting "Papa" with each step. He immediately ran over and scooped up his precious daughter.

"It's not like you don't know your precious! If only I could hold her back! Feeding her a meal sent me running all over the second-deck cabins. I finally stuffed the last piece of fish into her mouth, and she wouldn't even drink her soup—insisted on finding Papa." Guo Ling'er complained with a face full of grievance.

Having given birth—although it was a daughter, it was obvious her Chief husband doted on this little darling especially—Guo Ling'er had gained considerable confidence and dared to complain in front of Liu Xiang. In truth, he quite liked the current confident Guo Ling'er. Her previous demeanor had been that of a completely submissive Persian cat; rather than a pillow partner, she had been more like a pet.

While dodging his daughter's demonic claws reaching for his glasses and hair, Liu Xiang skillfully undid the bib and smock she wore for eating. That little bit of irritation in his heart had long vanished.

"Say Papa," Liu Xiang activated "Daily Quest: Tease Daughter" mode.

"Papa..." Liu Xiang was hit by the crisp, sweet, devastatingly cute voice.

"Where's Mama? Where is Mama?"

"Woo..." Liu Xiang was struck by adorable little paws.

"Say Mama!"

"Papa..." Liu Xiang received the "Recognizes No One But Dad" status, mood maxed out, grinning mode engaged.

"This girl! When she was breastfeeding, she called for Mama all day. After weaning, she only calls for Papa!" Guo Ling'er complained, reaching to take the child. Judging from this girl's consistent habits, a "timely rain" was due not long after eating.

"You're doing that on purpose. You know she calls you every time, yet you always ask her to say Mama."

"Hahahaha." Liu Xiang couldn't stop laughing. Holding Guo Ling'er with one hand and the stair railing with the other, they descended to the passenger cabin.

After teasing the little girl a while longer and seeing her start to rub her eyes, Liu Xiang kissed his daughter and asked: "Be a good girl and go sleep-sleep with Mama, okay?" The daughter spaced out for a moment, then replied in a milky voice, "Ha... oh..." and threw herself onto Guo Ling'er.

"See? When she wants to sleep, she only looks for you, not me. Look at you being jealous!" After teasing Guo Ling'er as usual, Liu Xiang waved his hand, signaling her to take the girl to sleep.

Liu Xiang didn't nap in the afternoons. Once he fell asleep, he slept heavily—he'd tried napping after lunch a few times, only to find himself sleeping until five or six o'clock every time, disrupting his entire rhythm. So he'd simply stopped. Now that the little girl wasn't clinging to him and making noise, Liu Xiang took out those "gift" documents again and spread them across the desk.

"Vietnam, Ryukyu, Guangzhou—where to?" Liu Xiang had been agonizing over this for quite some time.

(End of Chapter)