Chapter 205: The Tug-of-War (Part 1)
The night had been passionate and thoroughly satisfying.
When Xiaojia opened her eyes, the window was already flooded with bright daylight. She rolled over, wrapping her arms around Hou Weidong’s bare body, and said, "A day apart feels like three years. They must have been talking about couples like us." She leaned on top of him, seeking his chest with her lips, kissing him repeatedly with her tongue.
Although Xiaojia was slender, she weighed nearly fifty kilograms. By the time Hou Weidong woke up, he was bursting with the need to urinate. Now pinned under her, he hurriedly said, "I surrender. I need to pee."
Watching Hou Weidong scramble awkwardly toward the bathroom, Xiaojia felt delighted. She casually picked up the mobile phone on the bedside table to check it, but immediately jumped out of bed with a cry.
"Wow, oh no! I’m going to be late." She flew out of bed, saying, "It’s over. There’s a Party Group meeting today, and I’m required to attend. Weidong, hurry up and drive me to work."
Hou Weidong, squatting in the toilet, replied, "I drank alcohol yesterday, so I didn’t drive. I came back in someone else’s car."
Xiaojia brushed her teeth in a whirlwind, applied makeup hastily, and rushed out. At the door, she turned back and said, "Husband, come home early this Friday. Let’s have dinner together."
After Xiaojia left, the house felt as if something essential was missing. Hou Weidong, wearing loose shorts, wandered aimlessly around the apartment.
Besides the master bedroom, the home featured a study and a recreation room. The recreation room housed an exquisite mahjong table. In the corner, a water dispenser had been specially installed. Next to it were two single sofas, upholstered in red, with a distinctly feminine style for both the sofas and chairs.
Noticing scattered melon seed shells under the mahjong table, Hou Weidong grabbed a broom and swept the room carefully. He then took a cloth and wiped the table until it was spotless. While cleaning, he discovered a business card underneath. Picking it up, he saw it belonged to Duan Ying.
The front read: "Shazhou Daily. Reporter: Duan Ying. Phone: XXXXXXXX. Mobile: XXXXXXXXXXX."
The back read: "Focusing on people's lives, conveying the voice of the people. Shazhou Daily is the贴心 (close friend) of the citizens."
The mobile number was simple and easy to remember. Hou Weidong recited it once and memorized it. He casually placed the card back in its original spot and continued cleaning.
After finishing the recreation room, he moved to the study. The room was very clean, practically dust-free, requiring no tidying.
Hou Weidong sat in the large computer chair, spun around a couple of times, and turned on the computer. Seeing the icons on the desktop, he casually opened the "Securities Star" software.
Recently, his sister-in-law, Jiang Chu, had become obsessively addicted to stock trading. During the New Year gathering, when the Hou siblings were together, Jiang Chu had preached the gospel of stocks in Hou Weidong’s ear. Given that stock trading was a social trend at the time, Hou Weidong had opened an account and purchased 20,000 shares of Shanghai Jinling at 7.9 yuan.
After buying Shanghai Jinling, the stock had remained stagnant. He had checked it a few times but lost interest, leaving the stock to float freely in the market.
The computer was slow, and the internet connection was poor. The Securities Star software opened reluctantly, like a woman in a bad mood, taking forever to load. The previous day’s closing price for Shanghai Jinling was 6.3 yuan. Leaning back in his wide chair, Hou Weidong did a mental calculation. In just over half a year, he had lost more than 30,000 yuan.
"No wonder stock commentators always add the disclaimer that the stock market carries risks. It’s not just empty talk." Many truths are stated plainly, yet people refuse to believe them. Many truths are explained in simple terms, yet people only understand them after suffering losses.
Hou Weidong’s understanding of the stock market was shallow. He had once read a story about a stock investor who had a chimpanzee throw darts at a target printed with stock names. He then bought the ten stocks hit by the darts. A year later, the overall performance of those ten stocks was roughly similar to the broader market index.
Hou Weidong had been deeply impressed by this story and largely agreed with the view that the stock market was unpredictable. When he bought stocks, he had happened to be reading a novel called Jinling Chunmeng (Dream of Jinling), so he had chosen a stock named Shanghai Jinling. Now, he was paying the price for his selection method, having lost over 30,000 yuan in six months.
Hou Weidong tried calling his eldest brother’s house. The person who answered was his sister-in-law, Jiang Chu.
"Sister-in-law, it’s Hou Weidong. How are your stocks doing? I just checked Shanghai Jinling, and I’ve lost over 30,000 yuan."
Jiang Chu had been on edge for days due to the continuous downward trend of the market. Hearing Hou Weidong’s call, she said, "Third Brother, all the stocks I bought are trapped. I don’t dare to look at the market anymore; it falls every day. I invested over 200,000 yuan, so losing 30,000 is actually small." She sensitively added, "Third Brother, you don’t need to repay your money right now. If you cut your losses now, the damage will be significant."
Hou Weidong interrupted, "Sister-in-law, why are we speaking as if we’re strangers? I never meant to ask you to repay the money." He explained, "I lost more, so I just called to exchange some thoughts on stock trading." Jiang Chu finally relaxed and said warmly, "I have a few classic books on stock trading here. Come over and take two. If you don’t study, you’ll lose money sooner or later."
"Alright, I’ll come over to pick them up when I have time."
Hou Weidong took milk and bread from the refrigerator, ate a hasty breakfast, and realized it was already nine o’clock. He then called Li Jing.
Li Jing was lying in bed, half her chest exposed, her voice lazy on the phone. "You woke me up so early."
"The sun is already shining on your butt, and you’re still lazing in bed. This afternoon, County Mayor Ma and Vice County Mayor Gao, who oversees industry, will formally meet with Zhang Mushan. The Party Secretary and Town Mayor of Qinglin Town will also attend. I need to head back. Can you send Sister Liu to drive me?"
Li Jing suddenly became alert. "Zhang Mushan is a big fish. If he drops a few crumbs of bread, our Jinggong Group will be well-fed. I need to keep a close eye on him. We’ll depart promptly at ten o’clock. I’ll pick you up at the base of the Xinyue Building."
Hou Weidong truly admired Li Jing’s dedication. After hanging up, he thought, "If the heads of state-owned enterprises had even half of Li Jing’s dedication, they wouldn’t be in such a state of decay today."
At ten o’clock, Sister Liu drove the car to the Xinyue Building on time.
Before the car even reached Yiyang, Qin Feiyue called Hou Weidong. "Town Mayor Hou, where are you? I’d like to arrange a lunch meeting with Mr. Zhang to build rapport and exchange information. Qingda Company has many projects, and the Development Zone welcomes him to settle here. You decide the specific location for the meal."
Hou Weidong was sitting in the front passenger seat this time; Li Jing had not invited him to the back. He took the phone and turned to Li Jing. "Director Qin from the Development Zone wants to treat Mr. Zhang to lunch. Can you help facilitate the connection?"
"Qin Feiyue?"
"Yes. Do you know him?"
"When I was the Office Director of Shadaosi, I wanted to get a loan from the Yiyang Township Enterprise Investment Company. I went to see him together with President Yang. At that time, he was the Deputy Director, overseeing the Township Investment Company." Li Jing added, "He approved a 10-million-yuan loan for Shadaosi, solving our urgent financial crisis. However, after President Yang got into trouble, Shadaosi stopped dealing with the Yiyang Township Investment Company. It’s been several years; he might not remember me."
Hou Weidong said, "Qin Feiyue later became the Town Mayor of Qinglin Town and was my direct superior. He might forget others, but he will definitely remember you. Ha, beautiful women always leave a lasting impression."
"In a few more years, I’ll be an old lady. You might not even dare to recognize me."
Li Jing laughed and took her mobile phone from her handbag, calling Zhang Mushan. Her voice was gentle. "Mr. Zhang, where are you having lunch today? Director Qin from the Development Zone would like to treat you. Weidong and I will accompany you. Please give me some face."
"Uh… No, you must come."
Zhang Mushan had always treated Li Jing well. Hearing her playful, coquettish tone on the phone, he said, "Alright, I’ll push back my other engagements. Where are we eating?"
Li Jing had already decided on the location without consulting Hou Weidong. "Today, we’re arranged at Zhangjia Reservoir outside the city. The clear-soup grass carp there is very authentic. The fish are fresh and haven’t been fed artificial feed."
By the time Hou Weidong arrived at Zhangjia Reservoir, Qin Feiyue and several subordinates were already waiting on the dam.
"Director Qin, this is President Li from Jinggong Group."
Qin Feiyue, dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt, shook hands with Li Jing gracefully. "President Li, we welcome Jinggong Group’s investment in the Development Zone. We will provide the highest quality service to resident enterprises." Li Jing appeared reserved, smiling slightly. "Director Qin, your reputation is thunderous. Please look after us in the future."
Qin Feiyue looked at Li Jing for a few moments. "Why does President Li look familiar?" Li Jing smiled. "Director Qin, you have a busy life and forget things easily. Years ago, when I was at Shadaosi, I visited you with President Yang."
Qin Feiyue slapped his forehead. "I remember now. You were the Office Director back then."
"Yes, it’s been several years."
Qin Feiyue sighed. "It’s a pity about President Yang. Such a capable person, and so honest."
The two stopped there, neither delving deeper into the matter.
As they spoke, two more cars appeared before the dam.
Surrounded by his entourage, Zhang Mushan climbed to the highest observation point of Zhangjia Reservoir. A gentle breeze rippled the lake surface, shimmering with light. It was a picturesque scene of lake and mountains.
"It must be Li Jing’s idea. She knows I love natural scenery. Eating in a hotel wouldn’t have this flavor."
As they walked up to the observation point, Li Jing stayed close behind Zhang Mushan. Hou Weidong and Qin Feiyue naturally fell behind. Qin Feiyue whispered, "There are six development zones in Shazhou, and they rank each other annually. You need to put in more effort to try to get the project settled here." Hou Weidong replied, "Director Qin, I’ll do my best."
A small boat rowed to the middle of the reservoir. A man stood at the bow, casting a large net to catch fish.
Qin Feiyue said, "Fish caught fresh will be cooked in the reservoir water. We’ll add oil, salt, and old ginger, and sprinkle some green onions when serving. It has a unique flavor."
Zhang Mushan had visited development zones of various levels in Lingxi Province. He understood Qin Feiyue’s intentions deeply. Skilled in negotiation, he only talked about leisure, avoiding business matters. "The day before yesterday, we hunted wild boars on Qinglin Mountain. Today, we’re eating clear-water fish at Zhangjia Reservoir. It’s truly a worthwhile trip."
Qin Feiyue’s subordinates brought up the exquisite brochures of the Development Zone. Seizing the opportunity, he said, "Mr. Zhang, let me introduce you to the situation in the Yiyang Development Zone."
Seeing Qin Feiyue’s painstaking efforts, Hou Weidong thought to himself, "The Yiyang Development Zone has no obvious geographical advantages. Attracting investment is indeed very difficult."