Time passes.
In the blink of an eye, it was the dead of winter.
January 13, Beijing.
As the year draws to a close, although the weather remains severe, it cannot dampen people’s enthusiasm.
Because here.
The Fourth National People's Congress will soon be convened here.
For Su Wenchen, who had just created the miracle of "building a gold warehouse on saline-alkali land" in the Huanghuaihai Special Economic Zone, this conference was of special significance.
Su Wenchen picked up a document titled "Draft for the Establishment of the Huanghuaihai Special Development Zone" and carefully checked it several times before putting it into his briefcase.
Then he picked up the certificate of the Fourth National People's Congress representative on the table.
Slowly hold it against your chest.
I walked to the mirror and looked at the calm, resolute figure with deep eyes in the mirror.
Before he knew it, he had reached this point.
Su Wenchen felt the representative certificate on his chest was heavy.
He is no longer the fledgling grassroots cadre he was a few years ago. Instead, he comes with a vibrant Special Administrative Region, a heavy report card, and a draft legislation on the future of the "Special Administrative Region".
Step into the magnificent and solemn Great Hall.
The dome is high and wide, and the lights are bright.
The air was filled with a solemn and warm atmosphere. As the representatives entered one by one, the whole place was suddenly filled with low conversations and the rustling sound of documents being flipped through.
At this moment, a special aura that required no words quietly spread out. Many representatives unconsciously stopped what they were doing and looked towards the entrance on the side of the rostrum.
First, a figure with a gaunt face but straight as a pine tree appeared. He was wearing a meticulously ironed gray Zhongshan suit and walked with steady steps.
Sitting in the wheelchair in front of him was an old man whose body seemed frail, but whose eyes, well versed in history and insightful about the changes in the world, had not changed at all.
The old man scanned the venue, his gaze like a calm sea after thousands of miles of wind and frost. It was soft on the surface, but within it lay the tremendous power to change the world.
He accepted this inconvenience calmly, but the strength revealed in his eyes was not weakened in the slightest by his sitting posture. Instead, this inconvenience added a kind of calm strength that came from having experienced many vicissitudes of life.
As the old man behind held the wheelchair's handle firmly, the wheelchair moved slowly, making almost no sound, but it seemed to step on the heartstrings of every representative present, including Su Wenchen.
I watched two elders, one standing and one sitting, slowly enter the room.
Su Wenchen felt a surge of sadness in his heart.
A man with a backbone as strong as a rock, shouldering the responsibility of the country.
Although the other one looks tired now, he is the backbone of the entire national spirit.
At this moment, the whole audience fell into a deeper silence.
His breathing seemed to have stopped, and only the sound of his heart beating like a drum in his chest could be clearly heard.
Representatives from every corner subconsciously straightened their backs.
Soon, the two elders took their seats.
The meeting agenda began to proceed in an orderly manner.
One agenda after another began to be mentioned, discussed, and voted on!
When the topics involved national economic development and institutional innovation, the focus of the conference gradually became concentrated.
"The next item on the agenda will be addressed by Comrade Su Wenchen, representing the Huanghuaihai Special Economic Zone!"
As the conference host spoke.
Su Wenchen also keenly noticed that several eyes on the podium were looking at him.
There were expectations, satisfaction, curiosity, and all kinds of other looks.
As the spokesperson, Su Wenchen walked steadily towards the podium under the gaze of the representatives and cameras.
He did not immediately read out the contents of the "Draft for the Establishment of the Huanghuaihai Special Development Zone" in his hand, but instead swept his eyes across the audience and reviewed it in a steady and clear voice.
"Dear delegates! Comrades, four years ago, on the saline-alkali land in the Yellow River floodplain at the junction of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, and Anhui, we relied on the spirit of 'self-reliance and hard work,' the wisdom of the masses, and the power of science and technology."
"Using 'alkaline fertilizer' to tame the barren land."
"We have developed a closed-loop industry of 'alkali-treated rabbits and fast-growing chickens' and introduced large-scale fertilizer plants, feed mills, hatching systems, and edible fungus equipment."
"We have initially established an industrial chain from 'farmland' to 'dining table'."
"Three years from now!"
Su Wenchen's voice rose a little, carrying the excitement of the development of the Special Administrative Region.
"That once barren land has become a well-planned industrial zone. A busy railway branch line carries salt-alkali-killing fertilizers to the world. Cumulative exports of alkali-control fertilizers have reached millions of tons, becoming one of our most important and stable sources of foreign exchange."
"The 'Blue Water Golden Feather' and 'Oriental Moonlight' brands have allowed the international market to appreciate the charm of 'Oriental Taste' and 'Oriental Treasures' through high-end auctions."
"More importantly, per capita meat consumption in the Special Administrative Region has increased significantly, and the area planted with grain and cotton has steadily increased. Tens of thousands of farm workers and surrounding residents have transitioned from 'eating enough' to 'eating well'. We have truly 'built a gold barn amidst barren fields'!"
As Su Wenchen spoke, many representatives murmured and nodded in approval.
What Su Wenchen provides is not empty slogans, but real data and changes.
Su Wenchen changed the subject and his tone became sincere and firm.
"We are fully aware that the SAR's current success is inseparable from the courage and trust of its leaders, who have given us this 'experimental field' the space to boldly explore and experiment."
"But is the successful experience of this exploratory model scalable? How can its future development be guaranteed?"
"We, the cadres of the Special Administrative Region and the millions of people living there, are looking forward day and night to a clear status and a stable framework so that we can focus on our work and move forward steadily!"
After saying this, Su Wenchen held up high the "Draft for the Establishment of the Huanghuaihai Special Development Zone" in his hand, which was the result of his hard work over the past few years.
"For this reason, we implore the General Assembly to carefully consider this draft!"
"Through legislation, the legal status, management authority, special economic policy framework and development goals of the Huanghuaihai Special Development Zone will be formally clarified."
"The core of my draft is to uphold the leadership of the Party, build on regional characteristics, encourage reform and innovation, vigorously develop industries, and ensure that the fruits of development benefit people across the country!"
After the speech, there was a brief silence in the venue, followed by warm applause.
Many representatives, especially those from the economic field, had eager and thoughtful looks in their eyes.
Su Wenchen's speech not only pleaded for the Special Administrative Region, but also provided a highly convincing "practical answer" and institutional concept for the country to explore its future development direction.
In subsequent deliberations, some representatives expressed cautious views on the balance between the particularity and universality of the concept of "special zone".
However, the achievements of the Special Administrative Region, the clear development path and the rigor of the legislative draft demonstrated by Su Wenchen still won widespread support.
Especially during the group discussions, Su Wenchen elaborated in detail how the Special Administrative Region can use the open window to conduct trade.
At the same time, it emphasized the linkage and radiation effect between the development of the Special Administrative Region and the surrounding provinces and cities, and also effectively responded to many doubts.
Voting is closed!
When the host read out the "Resolution (Draft) on the Establishment of the Huanghuaihai Special Development Zone" for voting, the atmosphere in the entire venue was solemn.
The number of votes in favor increased little by little, and finally settled on an overwhelming number - passed!
At that moment, the applause was thunderous and lasted for a long time.
Su Wenchen suppressed his inner excitement, his eyes slightly warm.
When he saw the elder on the rostrum, he also smiled with satisfaction and strength, and nodded slightly at him.
This is not only a victory for the Huanghuaihai Special Economic Zone, but also a milestone step taken by the country in exploring reform and opening up and stimulating local vitality.
And this time, Su Wenchen is involved. He doesn’t know if he can make things better in the future, but he will do his best.
As each agenda item was concluded, the representatives did not leave immediately.
Everyone stood in a solemn manner, their eyes fixed on the rostrum. The venue fell into a solemn and expectant silence - the representatives were silently waiting for the two respected elders on the rostrum to leave first.
This spontaneous waiting is a silent expression of deep respect for the elders, and the atmosphere in the venue is solemn and dignified.
The elder on the rostrum looked around the audience, obviously aware of the waiting.
Faced with this profound respect, one of the elders smiled warmly and cordially. He broke the silence and addressed the audience in a relaxed and slightly humorous tone:
"If you don't leave, it will be difficult for us to leave!"
These plain yet humane words instantly dispelled the overly serious atmosphere in the conference hall, bringing about good-natured laughter and more relaxed applause.
Following the elder's signal and encouragement, the leaders on the rostrum smiled and nodded in greeting.
The representatives in the conference hall then began to move one after another, and before leaving, almost all of them came to the rostrum in person to say goodbye to the elders.
Even after saying goodbye, he walked out of the hall, looking back every few steps.
Su Wenchen deliberately stayed until the end and walked to the podium.
Look at the elder above.
"lead!"
Before he finished speaking, the thin and upright man had already made a gentle gesture.
Without words, Su Wenchen immediately understood. He quickly stepped forward, calmly and respectfully took the wheelchair armrest, and gently pushed it.
The wheelchair slowly rolled across the solemn floor of the Great Hall and headed towards the open side door.
The empty hall now only had them and a few guards who kept their distance.
The sound of wheels turning echoed in the hall, as if the gears of time were quietly meshing.
The implementation is very slow.
Su Wenchen bent his waist slightly and took each step steadily, as if he was not pushing a wheelchair, but the heavy responsibility entrusted to him by the recovering land of the Special Administrative Region.
He could clearly feel the weight of the wheelchair, which had gone through vicissitudes of life but was still as heavy as a mountain, as well as the warmth that contained deep expectations and silent encouragement.
The marble walls on both sides of the passage are as smooth as new, quietly reflecting the figures of the old and the young, one pushing and the other sitting.
One of them still sits as tall as a mountain, while the other's young spine is already able to stand up straight, like a silent painting.
The road ahead is long, but the foundation laid by the backbone has already guided us forward on our new journey. (End of this chapter)
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