NOVEL NEXT Chapter 248: Not Enough
In the week that followed, Li Jing and others visited several towns and conducted field investigations on eight schools.
Due to the persistent poverty of Qianlin County, the financial situation of several towns under the county's jurisdiction is quite strained.
Especially the mountain-based towns, where the geographical location is too remote and transportation is inconvenient, all face issues of educational resource shortages.
After comparative assessments, Li Jing and Wei Jia's team finally selected four schools out of the eight primary schools that urgently needed funding for renovation or new construction.
These schools each have their own problems, but the solution is the same: they need money for construction.
"Among the eight schools, excluding the four we deemed barely acceptable, the others, like Wangshui Town First Primary School, are in a dire condition and urgently need funds for renovation and construction."
In the hotel, everyone gathered in the same room. A middle-aged man, holding the materials compiled over the recent days, frowned seriously and said, "And according to our initial plan, we can only help two schools at most, which means we must select just two out of these four schools to assist."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
In these past days, everyone had been rushing back and forth, investigating multiple towns, not only exhausted physically and mentally but also with heavy hearts.
Previously, Wei Jia Company's charitable activities mostly involved donating items and books, and field investigations were never this in-depth or detailed.
Having gone through the past days' field visits, the children and conditions in the poverty-stricken mountainous areas have genuinely made everyone feel the difficulty and hardship of their lives.
Now, the four schools they have chosen all urgently need funding to solve their real problems, but according to the plan, they have to abandon two of them.
However, after deep investigation, no one can decide which two schools to give up.
"Did you make a comparison table of all the schools' situations?"
Seeing that no one spoke, Wei Jia, sitting in the main seat, finally spoke up.
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man who spoke earlier promptly pulled out a document from the materials and handed it over.
Wei Jia took it over, quickly skimmed through it, and continued, "Since the funds are limited, let's analyze from the perspective of the most urgent situation. Currently, Qianbao Town Primary School and Baishu Primary School in Liujiatan Town are more urgent. As for Wangshui Town First Primary School and Nongshui Primary School in Liujiatan Town, they can only be temporarily abandoned."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed slightly.
Especially upon hearing about Wangshui Town, everyone couldn't help but glance at each other.
As the first town investigated, it naturally left the deepest impression on everyone.
Everyone initially thought Wangshui Town's situation was already severe, but subsequent investigations revealed even more urgent situations in other towns.
Last year's extreme weather not only impacted Wangshui Town but also caused significant losses to several other towns within the county.
Especially in Qianbao Town, where two villages and the only primary school were buried at the base of the mountain by a mudslide; post-disaster recovery is still ongoing.
"When we left, Town Mayor Liu was still holding onto me, pleading with me multiple times, hoping we could help them."
At this point, Bai Rui carefully glanced at Wei Jia and then said complexly, "I could tell he was really anxious, and at the time I promised with certainty that I would definitely help them.
It seems we indeed can't help them…"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed slightly as they remembered the dilapidated school and the boy named Huwawa. They lowered their heads slightly, not speaking.
Seeing everyone's low spirits, Wei Jia frowned, "There are many people in this world who need help, and we can't help them all.
The best we can do is to help one at a time, and then use media coverage to encourage more people to join in charity work."
After finishing, Wei Jia saw that everyone remained silent, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
This field investigation left an indelible impression on the group accustomed to Tianhai's prosperity, and also gave them a tremendous sense of powerlessness.
Not only Bai Rui and her peers but even Wei Jia herself was impacted by this experience.
The disparities and gaps in the world are far greater than she had imagined.
"If we were to help all four schools, how much money would be needed?"
At this time, Li Jing, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.
And the moment he spoke, he instantly drew everyone's attention.
The middle-aged man seemed to have guessed Li Jing's intentions. Although surprised, he quickly thumbed through the materials to calculate, "The previously calculated reconstruction funds for the four schools add up to around $13.5 million."
Upon hearing this figure, everyone couldn't help but feel a sinking heart.
According to the previous plan, the company's charity funds this time are $3 million, and Li Jing's $2 million make a total of $5 million.
Even building two schools would be somewhat strenuous, let alone helping to rebuild four primary schools.
So upon hearing this figure, everyone had already tacitly agreed with Wei Jia's decision in their hearts.
They can only do what they can, help one at a time, and can't help everyone.
"So excluding your company, there's still a need for $10.5 million, right?"
Li Jing briefly calculated it himself, and calmly asked.
"Yes, the funds planned by our company this time are $3 million, so this $10 million really..."
"I'll cover this $10.5 million," Li Jing interrupted.
But this time, everyone suddenly turned their heads in shock to look at him.
Even the always rational and composed Wei Jia couldn't help but narrow her eyes, looking at Li Jing's calm face with disbelief.
...
...
Early morning, in Yuanlian County, at the county education bureau compound.
One by one, formally dressed middle-aged men and women were walking into the large conference room of the education bureau with solemn expressions.
Upon receiving the notification, Deputy County Mayor Liu Bolili of Wangshui County hurried to the county for the meeting early in the morning.
Upon entering the conference hall, his expression changed as he discovered the nameplates on the conference table were fewer than he had anticipated.
Among them, the involved towns had only three nameplates: Wangshui Town, Qianbao Town, and Liujiatan Town.
When he looked at the nameplate on the main seat of the conference room, his expression changed again, discovering it was the name of Deputy County Mayor Jiang Suimin.
And flanking the Deputy County Mayor's seat were the names of the county education bureau chief and the civil affairs bureau chief.
Seeing these nameplates, Liu Bolili was full of doubts as he cautiously sat down at his seat, holding his briefcase, and looked at the deputy mayors from the other two towns who had arrived early.
"Mayor Liu, do you know what this meeting is about?"
Seeing the deputy mayor of Qianbao Town inquire proactively, Liu Bolili shook his head, "I just received the notice to come to the county for the meeting; they didn't tell me what it's about."
"I guess it's related to the donations from the past few days."
The deputy mayor of Liujiatan Town was a balding man who adjusted his glasses and gestured to several other nameplates not far away.
Liu Bolili turned to look, and was suddenly surprised to find it was the names of Wei Jia and Li Jing.
"President Wei, President Li?"
Liu Bolili was internally shocked, his expression changing multiple times.
Since learning that they had also gone to Qianbao Town and Liujiatan Town, he had always been uneasy, unsure if they would eventually donate to Wangshui Town.
And he was not the only one with this thought; both Qianbao Town and Liujiatan Town, upon discovering the investigation of eight schools, were anxious, worried about missing this rare opportunity.
"With so many places visited in this survey, they will certainly only help one or two schools."
The deputy mayor of Qianbao Town sighed, "Our town is truly helpless, otherwise we would have resolved it long ago."
"Don't say you are helpless, we're the same."
The deputy mayor of Liujiatan Town shook his head, "But a person's money is hard earned too; it would be best if they help us, if not, then like before, I'll keep waiting outside County Magistrate Jiang's office until he agrees to give us special funds."
Hearing the words from the other two, Liu Bolili became increasingly anxious. Remembering Principal Huang complaining in front of him yesterday, he felt heavyhearted and had no mood to speak.
"County Magistrate Jiang is here."
Someone suddenly spoke in a low voice, and both Liu Bolili and several deputy mayors changed their expressions, immediately adjusting their postures and looking towards the entrance.