Chapter 826 - 794: The Problem Returns
Xu Chunliang was not too concerned about the changes that happened to Zhao Feiyang, after all, he had already left Changxing and did not consider him a true friend, just a passerby in his life’s journey.
There was still some sympathy, Zhao Feiyang was unlucky, ever since he facilitated the public-private partnership of Changxing, one tragedy after another surrounded him, losing both his father and wife, of course, this also had something to do with his own methods.
However, Gao Xinhua was different. As the secretary of Changxing Hospital, he naturally hoped that the hospital could prosper, at least not decline during his term, as Changxing Hospital involved the livelihood of more than two thousand employees, most of whom relied on the hospital to support their families.
However, he was only responsible for party and group work, and had no authority to intervene in the hospital’s specific operations; he merely observed Zhao Feiyang’s every move, providing suggestions and acting as a supervisor.
He noticed that Zhao Feiyang’s work style changed significantly after Pei Lin’s death and heard some rumors that the president of Huanyan Health, Tang Jinglun, intended to change leaders. Feng Zhongya had already been appointed to go to Dongzhou to take over Huanyan Health’s business, and although not explicitly stated to balance against Zhao Feiyang, the intention to change leaders was quite obvious.
The confrontation between the parties was bound to intensify, and no matter who emerged victorious, it would not be good for Changxing; the already ill-fated Changxing Hospital was about to face a catastrophe.
Xu Chunliang could understand Gao Xinhua’s feelings, but he was helpless regarding Changxing’s fate. Leaving meant leaving, and it wasn’t appropriate to return to meddle in others’ affairs.
Although Gao Xinhua spoke to him, he had no intention of involving him, just finding someone to confide in. His role as a secretary was indeed difficult. Now the people in the hospital were uneasy, and ever since the public-private partnership, there was a problem with the outflow of key personnel.
After chatting about the situation in Changxing for a while, Gao Xinhua changed the topic back to Dongzhou Barbecue City. Although Changxing Hospital was not part of the cultural and tourism system, it was a deep participant in the Dongzhou BBQ festival, providing medical emergency services and setting up medical service points at Dongzhou Barbecue City.
Gao Xinhua had been to the scene before, not for the barbecue, but to console and visit the medical staff who had come to support.
Gao Xinhua believed there was a significant hidden danger in the barbecue city; public security issues were easy to solve, and with enough police force deployed, public security risks were controllable. However, the biggest problem lay with these merchants; there were simply too many merchants involved, and any issue at any stage could trigger a series of chain reactions. Previously, the taxi overcharging incident almost ruined Dongzhou Barbecue’s prospects.
Gao Xinhua had only been to Dongzhou Barbecue City once, but he would definitely not go a second time. On the surface, it appeared grand, with merchants enthusiastic, but their enthusiasm was overly formulaic, and the service too standardized. The originally diverse and unique Dongzhou Barbecue had been gathered into one place due to official intervention, losing its original character.
Although the officials tried their best to package the barbecue city neatly and uniformly, making it lively and bustling, setting up a stage in the center to liven the atmosphere by inviting various singers, the simplicity of the content could not be masked.
Gao Xinhua, having navigated the system for many years, wasn’t seeing such a scenario for the first time. He remembered over twenty years ago when a certain secretary in Dongzhou waved his hand and invested over twenty billion into Dongzhou Culture City. After its opening and bustling for half a year, it quickly became deserted, and now only a few lingering businesses remained, devoid of any bustling scene.
That secretary moved to the province half a year after the culture city’s opening, and until now, Dongzhou’s people couldn’t help but complain about him bitterly.
Although Gao Xinhua didn’t agree with that old secretary’s actions, he believed that such phenomena in the system were common and unavoidable. Those within the system could refuse to bow to coercive pressure unless it was about political achievements. Political achievements meant the possibility of gaining more power, and if one wished to gain power, one must first learn to bow to it.
Gao Xinhua believed that Xu Chunliang’s vacation was related to the Dongzhou Barbecue City project. Although the initial spark of Dongzhou Barbecue was ignited by Xu Chunliang, now everyone was eyeing the achievement, and once there was an achievement, it drew those wishing to reap the fruits. The higher one’s position, the more significant the rewards one could claim. Given Xu Chunliang’s current rank, he could only serve as a stepping stone for others, and if unwilling, it was best not to occupy the advantageous position and let those willing to be a ladder take over.
Gao Xinhua said, "Tell me the truth, why did you choose to leave when the barbecue city was opening during the May Day holiday, as an essential member of the cultural and tourism bureau?"
Xu Chunliang laughed, "Uncle Gao, I couldn’t help much by staying in Dongzhou, so I might as well come to the Capital City to learn advanced experiences; this is also the bureau’s intention."
Gao Xinhua said, "Once you leave, the achievements are theirs."
Xu Chunliang said, "But the troubles will be theirs too."
Gao Xinhua shook his head, "What you say doesn’t count; I heard the cultural and tourism bureau is internally divided into two factions, with you and Fan Lidada part of Fu Guomin’s group, while the other group consists of the old-timers from the cultural bureau and relics bureau. They’re not fond of your activities, complaining that when did Dongzhou’s culture become barbecue? Even though it’s all bustling now, lacking cultural depth will hinder its longevity. During this May Day holiday, Dongzhou tourism gained popularity but lost its elegance."
Although unnamed, Xu Chunliang knew he was referring to Li Yushan and Xiao Dong. It was normal for people like them, from cultural backgrounds, to look down on Dongzhou Culture and Tourism raising the barbecue flag. After all, they believed that cultural tourism should highlight culture; what’s cultural about barbecue? Continuously promoting Dongzhou as the birthplace of barbecue seemed tenuous to anyone knowledgeable about history, seen as merely a crowd-pulling gesture.
Xu Chunliang said, "Are you worried that if Dongzhou Barbecue fails, I’ll bear some responsibility?"
Gao Xinhua said, "Everywhere is the same, when there are achievements, everyone rushes in, but when problems arise, they’re quick to push subordinates forward."
Xu Chunliang said, "Uncle Gao, you seem a bit pessimistic about Dongzhou Barbecue."
Gao Xinhua said, "Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s swimming naked. I hope Dongzhou Barbecue can continue being prosperous, but that’s impossible. Since Dongzhou Barbecue became a hit, the city has relaxed its management over it; now barbecue shops are springing up like mushrooms. The locals cannot sustain so many barbecue shops, so they must rely on outside tourists, but how long can the novelty of this outside tourism last? Once they tire of Dongzhou Barbecue, or find it’s just ordinary, what happens next?"
Xu Chunliang nodded, "You suggest I stay away from this trouble spot."
Gao Xinhua said, "You should consider how to handle this on your own, anyway, I just feel there’s something odd about it."
Gao Xinhua’s premonition soon came true, just after the May Day holiday, the well-known domestic anti-counterfeiting activist Wang Tiejun publicly challenged Dongzhou Barbecue, targeting the iron skewers used by Dongzhou Barbecue.
Testing confirmed that the iron skewers used by most merchants in Dongzhou Barbecue City exceeded heavy metal limits and did not meet food safety standards. The test report showed failure to comply with the technical requirements equivalent to GB4806.9-2016 stainless steel.
A stone caused a thousand ripples; food hygiene is closely related to people’s health. Meanwhile, the freshness of Dongzhou Barbecue ingredients, whether the food itself met relevant standards, and a series of issues were brought to the forefront.
This was the second crisis faced by the cultural and tourism bureau after the taxi overcharging incident, and given the concentrated outbreak of negative news, these attacks seemed well-prepared.
Wang Tiejun had always been active on the anti-counterfeiting front line, and he didn’t act for justice or fairness, nor for public health, his aim was solely compensation.
Upon hearing Wang Tiejun targeted them, Fu Guomin was immediately flustered, he sent someone to investigate if Wang Tiejun’s concerns were legitimate. If such a situation indeed existed, immediate rectification was necessary; food hygiene for the people was no small matter.
Before the iron skewer issue was resolved, some merchants were exposed for illegally using chili powder seasoning in grilling.
This issue was uncovered by CCTV, Dongzhou Barbecue had become so hot that even CCTV’s attention was drawn. CCTV had a program called Focus, targeting social hot issues, and no one from Dongzhou expected their barbecue to appear on CCTV this way.
The cultural and tourism bureau had initially coordinated with the "A Skewer of Humanity" program team, who were filming in Dongzhou, awaiting promotional shoot completion, but exposés came first.
The "Focus" program wasn’t invited by Dongzhou’s side; they conducted the program thoroughly, delving into the streets and alleys, infiltrating barbecue city, and exposing unscrupulous vendors using chili powder, similar to Wang Tiejun’s methods, gathering evidence first, then announcing once results were confirmed, indisputable and well-founded.
Moreover, the "Focus" program captured some revolting scenes, with vendors cleaning iron skewers by directly rubbing them with cumin powder.
The Dongzhou leadership convened an emergency meeting in response to the situation, where Secretary Zhou lashed out, highlighting that food hygiene issues must be strictly guarded against, and now, after CCTV’s report, the whole nation knew, leaving no time to extinguish the fire.
While Secretary Zhou did not specifically criticize Geng Wenjun, he was embarrassed, about to express that the unified management by establishing Dongzhou Barbecue City was precisely due to concerns over issues, but in the vast network, no one could guarantee that every vendor would comply, and that no issues would arise.
Only one update today.