Chapter 206: The Tug-of-War (Part 2)
"Truly, fortune turns like a wheel; today it comes to my door."
Watching County Mayor Ma Youcai of Yiyang lead a group of government officials into the conference room, Zhang Mushan kept his face impassive, though his heart was far from calm. He couldn't help but let out a silent sigh.
Back in the days of the dual-track pricing system, he had once stood outside the home of a section chief in Lingxi until two in the morning, just to secure a quota slip for fertilizer. That section chief had returned home drunk and ignored him completely.
Now, Qingda Group and Zhang Mushan were honored guests across Lingxi. In a sense, local governments, eager to attract investment, had granted them privileges that stretched beyond the law. Rumors circulated everywhere—of police standing guard to protect businessmen engaging in illicit activities, and other such irregularities.
The father of reform had once said with witty precision, "It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice." This simple truth had withstood the test of reform and opening-up. Under the baton of GDP growth, local governments competed fiercely. "It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it attracts investment"—this had become the consensus among officials. The nature of the enterprise no longer mattered; anyone who invested was considered an outstanding entrepreneur.
To the left of Mayor Ma sat Vice County Mayor Gao; to his right was Yang Dajin, Director of the Development Planning Commission. Sitting on either side were Su Ming, Party Secretary of Qinglin Town, and Liu Kun, Acting Town Mayor. Directly opposite the officials sat Zhang Mushan, CEO of Qingda Company, along with his deputies.
Hou Weidong’s participation in the negotiations had been accidental. He and Li Jing were accompanying Zhang Mushan for breakfast when Liu Tao from the County Committee Office and Yang Dajin from the Development Planning Commission arrived at the hotel. Liu Tao had come to deliver small gifts from the County Committee Office to Zhang Mushan, while Yang Dajin had come specifically to invite Zhang to the morning negotiation session.
Hou Weidong had simply tagged along.
Hou Weidong sat next to Liu Kun. As they took their seats, Hou Weidong initiated the conversation. "Town Mayor Liu, congratulations." Liu Kun had not long held the top position, but his demeanor and speech already carried the weight of a leader. He replied politely, "Director Hou has moved to a leadership role in the county. I hope you will continue to care for us township cadres in the future."
Due to the election incident, Hou Weidong and Liu Kun had never gotten along. Initially, they refused to speak to each other. Later, they maintained a superficial harmony while harboring mutual resentment. Now that both had new opportunities for advancement, they began to mask their earlier unpleasantness.
The meeting began with Mayor Ma delivering a welcome speech.
"Respected Mr. Zhang and friends from Qingda Company, on behalf of the Yiyang County People's Government and the seven hundred thousand residents of Yiyang, I extend a warm welcome to Mr. Zhang and his delegation for their visit to Yiyang.
Yiyang is an ancient city. A millennium of historical and cultural accumulation has endowed the people of Yiyang with excellent qualities of diligence, pragmatism, innovation, and adaptability. These are the fundamental conditions for Yiyang's inevitable rise. Yiyang is also a developing city. Compared to cities in the east and prefecture-level cities in Lingxi, we have a significant gap. This gap signifies backwardness, but it also signifies potential for development.
Yiyang is rich in natural resources, including coal, copper, and limestone. It is a treasure trove waiting to be developed. On behalf of the government, I sincerely hope to cooperate with Qingda Group. I am confident that both sides will achieve a win-win outcome."
After Mayor Ma finished his welcome speech, Vice County Mayor Gao, who was in charge of industry, introduced Yiyang County's policies for attracting investment. This was followed by Su Ming, Party Secretary of Qinglin Town, who introduced the mineral resources of Shangqinglin.
Zhang Mushan was already well aware of the information provided by Vice County Mayor Gao and Su Ming. Qingda Group's plan to invest and build a factory in Shangqinglin was clear, but he was in no hurry to commit. Negotiation was a technical skill; dragging things out at this stage would secure greater benefits for the company.
Huang Yishu, Vice President of Qingda Company, was just over thirty. He was a rare returnee from overseas among Lingxi enterprises. Zhang Mushan intended to make him the general manager of the company and had entrusted him with many important tasks. At this moment, Huang Yishu held a large, old-fashioned fountain pen with a bulbous barrel, rapidly jotting down data in his notebook.
On another page of his notebook, he had written a few key points: "Land requisition and demolition resettlement, hardening of the Shangqinglin road, three-year tax refunds, and loans." These were the issues that needed to be resolved during the negotiations.
When the Yiyang side finished their presentation, Zhang Mushan took off his glasses and placed them casually on the table. "Qingda Group is one of the top fifty enterprises in Lingxi and the only private enterprise to make the list. Last year, the group's total assets reached two billion yuan. Our main businesses are construction, transportation, and related industries. We are honored to have been invited to Yiyang. Through three days of inspection and study, we have gained a deeper understanding of Yiyang. Now, I would like to invite Mr. Huang Yishu, Vice President of the group, to represent the group in discussing specific issues with the Yiyang government."
Huang Yishu spoke with an American accent. "Qingda Group has a project for a cement plant with a capacity of five hundred thousand tons. Our company has conducted inspections in various places in Lingxi, and Shangqinglin is one of the alternative sites. There is a flat area at the foot of Tiejian Mountain in Shangqinglin, with open terrain and a pond of about five mu, which is quite suitable for building a factory."
A hint of joy appeared on Vice County Mayor Gao's face. He turned to Su Ming and asked, "Tiejian Mountain in Shangqinglin, do you know it?"
Neither Su Ming nor Liu Kun was familiar with this remote place name. They both looked toward Hou Weidong. Mayor Ma Youcai, realizing that the top leaders of Qinglin Town's Party and government did not know the location, frowned slightly.
Hou Weidong exchanged a glance with Su Ming and said, "Tiejian Mountain is located between Dushi Village and Jianshan Village. It is a relatively flat plateau of about three hundred mu, shared equally by the two villages, with about thirty households living there."
Huang Yishu nodded. "That is the land we are referring to. There are nineteen households in Dushi Village and seventeen in Jianshan Village."
Mayor Ma Youcai's expression softened somewhat.
A few drops of cold sweat appeared on Su Ming's forehead. He thought to himself, "Fortunately, Hou Weidong is here, otherwise we would have lost face greatly." Looking at Liu Kun, whose hair was slightly curly, he felt a sense of complaint. "Liu Kun is fine as a deputy secretary, but he lacks the ability to be the top leader. If Hou Weidong were the acting town mayor, my life would be much easier."
The negotiations then entered a phase of mutual probing. Issues such as land requisition and three-year tax refunds were discussed in detail. Yang Dajin, a veteran director of the Development Planning Commission, and Vice County Mayor Gao became the main negotiators. However, there was a significant gap between the two sides' demands. The entire morning passed without reaching a consensus on any of the issues.
Although Hou Weidong attended the meeting, he was essentially an outsider, merely listening to the two sides haggle.
In the blink of an eye, it was 11:40 AM. Mayor Ma Youcai, deeply understanding the principle that "bargaining is for the buyer," felt that since Qingda Group was not yielding an inch, there was still room for deal-making. Taking advantage of a pause in the argument, he smiled and said, "It's getting late. Work is important, but so is everyone's health. Let's stop here for this morning. Qinglin Town will host lunch."
He joked, "Secretary Su, Qingda Group is a large company from the provincial capital. You must bring out some good stuff to entertain them."
For this lunch, Yang Dajin had already given instructions to Su Ming. Su Ming was well-prepared. "Qinglin may not have much else, but we have plenty of wild game. Shangqinglin is famous for its cured mountain chickens, a folk craft passed down for hundreds of years. Today, we invite Mr. Zhang, Mr. Huang, and other distinguished guests to taste this local delicacy."
Zhang Mushan chuckled. "The wild game of Shangqinglin is truly mouth-watering. Even if the cement plant doesn't settle in Shangqinglin, I'm considering investing in a hunting club."
Mayor Ma Youcai said, "A gentleman's word…"
Zhang Mushan replied, "…is harder to chase than four horses."
The atmosphere between hosts and guests was harmonious. Two bottles of Changyu red wine were opened to liven up the mood.
At the banquet, the Yiyang County Government delegation was led by Mayor Ma Youcai, with Su Ming and Liu Kun from Qinglin Town present. Hou Weidong sat at a table with staff from the Development Planning Commission and the County Government Office, naturally becoming a supporting character. Fortunately, the Shangqinglin cured mountain chicken was indeed delicious. He buried his head in the bones, savoring the lingering fragrance.
After lunch, it was only one o'clock. Zhang Mushan and his team returned to the hotel. Su Ming and Liu Kun were called by Yang Dajin to the Development Planning Commission to discuss strategies. Hou Weidong returned to the Organization Department.
The afternoon session was scheduled for two o'clock. Hou Weidong stood at the office door, hesitating for a moment. Although Secretary Zhu Yan had asked him to accompany Zhang Mushan throughout, the host of the meeting, Yang Dajin of the Development Planning Commission, had not invited him to the afternoon negotiations during the lunch gathering.
"Secretary Zhu Yan only asked me to accompany Zhang Mushan. I've accompanied him for three days, so I've fulfilled my task." After a brief internal struggle, Hou Weidong decided not to attend the afternoon negotiations.
Just past two o'clock, Guo Lan pushed the door open punctually. Seeing Hou Weidong sitting at his desk reading a newspaper, she said, "Oh? You're back at work?"
Hou Weidong smiled. "If I don't come back to work for a few days, and the Organization Department decides they don't want me anymore, that would be terrible."
Guo Lan was elegant, carrying the grace and poise nurtured by her scholarly family background. Hearing Hou Weidong's joke, she smiled faintly and said, "You're back at just the right time. The county is preparing to hold a major conference on the construction of the scientific and technological talent team. Our section is in charge of the preparations. Old詹 (Zhan) has taken sick leave, and I was worried about being overwhelmed."
She retrieved a file from the cabinet and said, "This is the file from last year's scientific and technological talent team construction. Take a look first. I'll start writing the meeting plan."
A widely circulated office saying goes, "Men and women working together make the work less tiring." Guo Lan's temperament was like the fragrance of jasmine, calming the nerves. Hou Weidong quietly read through the file, and the two exchanged occasional comments. Time flew by according to the laws of relativity, and soon it was time to get off work.
Hou Weidong put the file away and said, "It's time to get off work. I'll head out first." Guo Lan, to avoid suspicion, generally did not ride in Hou Weidong's car. Hou Weidong was well aware of this, so even though they were heading in the same direction, he did not invite Guo Lan to ride with him.
As he stepped out the door, he saw Liu Tao from the County Committee Office walking over.
"Didn't you attend the symposium with Qingda this afternoon?"
"I didn't attend," Hou Weidong added. "The negotiations were hosted by the Development Planning Commission. They didn't notify me to join the afternoon session."
Liu Tao said, "Zhang Mushan and his team have returned to Lingxi. Secretary Zhu and Mayor Ma are very angry. You need to go after them."