It was noon.
After lunch, Dong Xuebin prepared to go to the Finance Bureau to demand the money.
Ring, ring, ring. Just then, the office phone rang.
It was Secretary Hu Silian calling. "Director Dong, you may already know that the county's Urban Construction Phase II Project has run into some problems. There's a major funding shortfall, which has caused appropriations for many departments to be delayed. The county's position is to see whether you can first resolve the funding issue yourselves and hold on for a while. Once the finances loosen up, the appropriations will be made up to each department in batches. These are extraordinary times, so please be understanding."
Dong Xuebin sat down in his chair. "I heard that the Water Conservancy Bureau and several other departments received all their funding?"
"I'm not sure about that. Maybe they were in the first batch of appropriations and received it earlier," Hu Silian said.
Dong Xuebin gave a bitter smile. "The county has kept stressing that investment promotion is this year's key task, and it even assigned us a five-hundred-million target. But right now, I really can't see how investment promotion is supposed to be the key task."
Hu Silian hesitated. "If you're truly having financial difficulties, should I report it to County Chief Xie?"
"...Forget it." Dong Xuebin's gaze hardened. "Thanks, Sister Hu. I'll handle it myself."
"All right," Hu Silian said. "Stabilizing the situation is the most important thing right now. Once the money arrives, it will be distributed to every department."
After hanging up, Dong Xuebin fell silent. Secretary Hu had specifically called him, which meant the county truly had no money left. Dong Xuebin had always thought Ding Li was deliberately making things difficult for the Investment Bureau. Thinking about it now, Ding Li probably