"Leader, Executive Director Wu, Deputy County Magistrate Jiang, Deputy County Magistrate Chen... they are already waiting in the conference room. They said that the budgets for each department in charge have been summarized and in place. Please give your approval." Zhang Yupei knocked on the door gently and came in, then said to Li Lin cautiously.
Li Lin was still sitting in his previous small office. The furnishings in the room were exactly the same as before. The only difference was that he felt more at ease sitting here, probably because he didn't have to worry about ears. He nodded slightly and said calmly, "Okay, I'll be there right away."
The meeting room on the third floor of the government building was filled with smoke, and the air seemed to be frozen by the thick smell of smoke.
The central air conditioner was humming, but it couldn't dispel the depressing atmosphere.
Wu Aiguo and others had been waiting for a long time, some leaning back in their chairs, some whispering to each other, and their secretaries behind them were holding a thick stack of budget sheets, all of which were large budgets of more than 200,000 yuan, waiting for Li Lin, the county magistrate, to approve them one by one. These budget sheets were like little ghosts asking for money, flickering impatiently under the air conditioner, and no one knew how Li Lin would deal with them.
Zhang Yupei pushed the door open with a creaky sound, and the sound was particularly harsh in this silent and depressing space.
Li Lin followed closely behind with firm steps.
As soon as he entered the room, a strong smell of cigarettes hit him in the face. Li Lin coughed twice, but he remained calm. He walked to the main seat with a stern look and sat down. His eyes were as sharp as torches, scanning the room and passing over everyone's face one by one. It seemed as if his eyes could see through people's hearts.
He noticed that the corners of Wu Aiguo's mouth rose slightly, revealing a barely perceptible sneer, while Jiang Weihua was flipping through the documents in his hand carelessly, not taking him, the new county magistrate, seriously at all.
Li Lin said coldly, "Okay, let's start the meeting now."
"Before the meeting, I announced a rule that smoking is prohibited in the meeting room from now on."
After saying this, he scanned the crowd again with his eyes like a sharp blade, his eyes revealing unquestionable majesty.
Wherever his eyes went, the cigarette butts in the hands of several deputy county governors were hurriedly extinguished.
Wu Aiguo and Jiang Weihua were no exception, but they secretly cursed in their hearts, damn, why are you pretending? You just want to intimidate us. You are too naive.
They were still filled with a sense of unwillingness, thinking that Li Lin was just a new official who was making three big moves and that reality would soon smooth out his edges.
Wu Aiguo was even thinking in his mind that he would make some trouble for Li Lin regarding the budget issue later to let him know that he was not the only one who had the final say in the county government.
But what can be done? Li Lin is the county magistrate, and his orders are like an unshakable mountain. As long as he opens his mouth, it will be suffocating for everyone.
You can disobey, but the next second, Li Lin will mercilessly ask those who continue to smoke to get out of the meeting room.
Who would be so stupid as to embarrass themselves? Therefore, everyone acted very well-behaved and obedient on the surface and did not dare to do anything rash.
Zhang Yupei was very considerate and quickly opened the window to let in some fresh air. After a while, the air in the room became much fresher, but the tense atmosphere did not ease at all.
The sunlight from outside the window shines in, but it cannot illuminate the meeting room full of scheming and calculations.
Li Lin continued, "Let's talk about the financial budget of each unit. How much money does the county finance need to prepare to cover the county's expenses?"
Wu Aiguo winked at the secretary behind him, and there seemed to be some deep meaning in his eyes, indicating that he should give the budget reported by various units to Li Lin.
Then, piles of budget sheets with bright red official seals were neatly placed in front of Li Lin. These budget sheets piled up like a mountain that was insurmountable, standing in front of Li Lin.
Wu Aiguo sighed, pretending to be helpless, and said, "County Magistrate Li, based on the current summary, the county finances need to prepare 120 million to cover all expenses."
One hundred and twenty million! Li Lin was shocked. The county's annual fiscal revenue was less than one billion. The employees' wages and social security benefits were more than three hundred million a year. Of the remaining seven hundred million, half was returned to the enterprises and the other half was used for administrative operations. The finance simply did not have that much reserved funds.
If the 120 million yuan is allocated, it will have to use up employees' wages, and I'm afraid that comrades' salaries may not be paid before the New Year.
Which employee doesn't have a family to support? If their salaries are not paid, how will they get through the year and how will their family support themselves?
Li Lin's mind was filled with the images of ordinary workers struggling to make a living, hoping that their wages would be paid on time so that their families could have a peaceful New Year. But now, this simple wish has become out of reach because of the mountains of budgets.
Thinking of this series of serious problems, Li Lin's expression became more and more solemn.
He didn't even look at the budget, but asked directly with a sharp gaze, "Director Wu, what are the components of these budgets? Please tell me in detail."
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