Chapter Forty-One: Reaching an Agreement
The third investment of HK$4 million is naturally placed in Su Qiluo's hometown and workplace, Chuilian.
Changfu has a unique geographical location and very good climate, while Suqi is close to Anning River and Duijingshan Mountain, with mountains and water nearby. The long daylight hours for plant growth result in high yields and good quality, making it very popular in later generations. Leng Bingxue remembers that the scallions of Suqi were already famous in his previous life. Although local people do not eat scallions, they sell well, and many local farmers grow scallions. During the harvest season, the roadsides are filled with scallions as far as the eye can see, and even the air is filled with the smell of scallions.
The first step of the Cold Ice Plan is to contract Su Qi's sedan chair mountain as a garden and fruit planting base, mainly planting easy-to-grow saplings and local good planting pomegranates, apricots, apples and other fruit trees. Of course, in a strict sense, the sedan chair mountain can not be considered an ideal place for a garden and fruit planting base, Cold Ice's move is just to promote the local returning farmland to forest work.
Many countries and people have not yet realized the importance of returning farmland to forests, blindly pursuing short-term benefits, large-scale felling of trees, opening up wasteland for farming, resulting in soil erosion and deterioration of the natural environment. The mudslide on Mount Cheotop in my previous life's memories was caused by continuous heavy rainfall and sudden mountain floods, but its root cause is still a problem of water and soil conservation. A bare mountain, when encountering heavy rain, can't help but have problems.
It wasn't until the 1990s that the country realized its importance, spending astronomical amounts of money each year to control the environment and promote returning farmland to forests, but with little effect. In rural areas, sheep are raised freely, and young trees that have just emerged in a few years can be eaten clean by one winter, without even leaving any residue. Moreover, rural areas now use earth stoves for cooking, which requires firewood, and every year, farmers go up the mountain to cut firewood, destroying large tracts of forest.
The agricultural sector's attitude towards such things is either to ignore those with connections or fine those without, and cannot fundamentally solve the problem. In the end, it still comes down to how to make ordinary people truly wealthy, which is the fundamental solution to the destruction of forests and soil erosion.
The second step of the cold plan is to contract 400 acres of good land along the Anning River, plant onions and sell them to the north. Then build a food processing factory, mainly purchasing local vegetables, live pigs, chickens, ducks, cattle and sheep, etc., after fine processing, sell to big cities or export. Of course, due to the unsatisfactory condition of the Anning River embankment, Hong Kong businessmen are willing to invest in repairing it, and the cost will be deducted from the rent that should be paid. Through this move, not only can the hidden danger of the river embankment be solved, but also by purchasing local crops, increase employment opportunities, increase villagers' income, and drive local economic development.
Among all the investment plans in Leng Bing Han, this one is the slowest to take effect. With Leng Bing Han's foresight, he can casually invest in any stock, futures or forex and it's not a problem to double the 40 million within a year.
He wants to make this investment solely because Su Qi is his hometown, and even if he becomes rich, he cannot forget his fellow villagers. It's said that the greater one's ability, the greater one's responsibility. Leng Bing Xue is not a savior, nor does he have the grandeur and awareness of "daring to call for a new heaven and earth". What he wants to do is simply to make his life without regret, make his hometown more prosperous, and let his fellow villagers live a good life.
Besides, Leng Yun was still the secretary of the Su Qi district committee. Two months later, in July, the mudslide on Chetou Mountain and the flood in Anning River were like nails that deeply pierced Leng Bing's heart.
When poor, cultivate one's own virtue; when rich, help others with one's wealth. This is a responsibility and an obligation.
Leng Bing Hua is preparing to establish Hong Kong Fei Yuan Investment (Chuan Shu) Co., Ltd. in Changfu as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hong Kong company, appointing Zhu Jianjun as the general manager and Chen Yaxin as the executive vice president, with full authority to handle all investment matters in Changfu.
After eager anticipation and anxious waiting, Wang Peiyuan and his team finally received the long-awaited good news. After a week of meticulous "examination", the Hong Kong investors from Far East Investment Co., Ltd. reached a preliminary intention to invest HK$300 million in Changfu, equivalent to over RMB 330 million, after careful consideration and deliberation amidst cold and icy "efforts".
The news came, with Wang Peiyuan at the forefront, and all relevant personnel from top to bottom couldn't help but cheer and jump for joy. The feeling was more exhilarating than winning a big victory, making everyone feel proud and triumphant, with an overwhelming sense of relief and pride emanating from every single person.
Wang Peiyuan appeared calm on the surface and instructed everyone not to be too excited too early, as this was only a preliminary intention, with many details and final negotiations still to be done. However, when he was alone, he was overjoyed and couldn't close his mouth. That night, he, who usually didn't drink, got drunk. The intention had been reached, and as long as nothing unexpected happened, it would be a done deal.
The leaders of the Sichuan Municipal Bureau of Commerce, led by Director Zheng, returned with great disappointment and incomprehension. When they left, there was not even one person to see them off, a lonely and disheartened departure. This was their first defeat, and it was at the hands of an opponent from a completely different level, in a remote and insignificant place.
He went back, and soon he was demoted to a cold palace by his superiors on other grounds, ending his career prematurely. This is how things work in the officialdom: if you succeed, it's because Zheng Director has the courage to take action; but once you fail, all the blame falls on him. Moreover, at that time, everyone was working on attracting investment for the province, and Wang Peiyuan's superiors didn't want to intervene, but that didn't stop them from settling scores after the autumn harvest, especially by kicking a failed official when he was down, which was also one of the reasons that led to this result.
He was actually very clear about all this, but he had never thought that after going through thick and thin, he would capsize in this ditch of Changfu. He wouldn't have set foot here if he had known what would happen. Now it's too late for regrets.
A preliminary intention has been reached, and the cold task is naturally completed. The next step is for both parties to sit down and communicate specifically. The main body of this negotiation is Zhu Jianjun, who appeared as the executive manager, and Liu Wentao, director of Changfu City's Economic and Trade Bureau.
Actually, there wasn't much to discuss. Before Director Liu arrived, Wang Peiyuan had already given him a stern order: no matter what, as long as it didn't violate national laws and regulations, he must reach a cooperation agreement at all costs.
Liu Wentao originally thought this was an unfair negotiation and had mentally prepared himself to sign a "humiliating treaty", yet he still worried that the Hong Kong side might propose some extremely unreasonable conditions.
However, at the beginning of the negotiations, he was soon deeply surprised, because under the guidance of cold and dark indications, Hong Kong Fei Yuan Investment Co., Ltd. did not open its mouth wide like a lion, but even less than they had imagined, much better.
The investment plan of Hong Kong Feiyuan Investment Co., Ltd. has also greatly exceeded the expectations of the Changfu Municipal Government, and Wang Peiyuan and other officials in Changfu originally thought that Hong Kong businessmen came for the mineral resources of Changfu, after all, in their eyes, apart from the rich mineral resources, everything else in Changfu is useless.
Although Changfu is mountainous and remote, it is located in the famous Panxi Rift Valley metallogenic belt. The unique geological structure and complex geological conditions provide important conditions for mineral enrichment and existence. Even the leaders have used the phrase "here is uniquely advantageous" to describe this region. Mineral resources are diverse, with large reserves, and 83 types of minerals have been discovered, with 59 having significant reserves. Among them, there are 30 large and super-large mines, and 63 medium-sized mines. Moreover, they are concentrated in distribution, resource-matched, complete in variety, high in grade, shallow in burial, ideal in mining and selection conditions, and high in comprehensive utilization value, making it possible to build a comprehensive and group-based large-scale raw material industrial base.
In the proven mineral resources, vanadium-titanium magnetite is particularly famous and has the most advantages. The reserve is 1.373 billion tons, second only to Panzhihua City. Vanadium-titanium magnetite has a wide range of industrial comprehensive economic value and strategic value. In addition to iron, it also contains vanadium, titanium, niobium, chromium, gallium, cobalt, nickel and other metals with strategic significance, as well as copper, sulfur, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, zinc, platinum group elements and many other elements, all of which have reached the index of industrial comprehensive utilization. The recovery value is very high, the reserve is very large, and it has a good development prospect.
Actually, with a cold and icy gaze, how could he not see the rich mineral resources of Changfu? But the mineral resources involve too many things, and if you're not careful, there will be safety accidents. At the same time, many people are eyeing this piece of fat meat, even if they haven't yet, but after seeing the huge benefits in it, their greedy nature will make them rush up recklessly. Leng Bing Han doesn't want his company to become the target of public criticism, and even if he's not afraid, he's too lazy to deal with these troubles.
Moreover, as a non-renewable resource, mineral resources are something that Leng Bing wants to leave for future generations. Even if he doesn't extract them himself, others will eventually do so. However, he doesn't want to be the one to start this process, which would be like squandering his ancestors' legacy. People with vision wouldn't choose to do this unless it's absolutely necessary for national development. For example, Country R not only refrains from extracting its own mineral resources but also imports large quantities from other countries every year and buries them underground. If one day the mineral resources of other countries are depleted, they can only watch helplessly as others use the resources they originally sold to develop their own countries, regretting their decision too late.
It's hard to understand why they don't understand, but for Hong Kong businessmen like Wang Peiyuan, it's a welcome surprise. Sometimes, in order to develop, we have to destroy the environment, which is an unavoidable move. If possible, everyone would rather see a win-win situation where economy and environment develop together in harmony.
Even Provincial Party Secretary Yan Zhengchang, after receiving the report, couldn't help but praise: "Who says businessmen only know how to pursue profits? This Hong Kong Feiyuan Investment Company is really good, with a strong sense of social responsibility and great foresight. Their investment projects don't just focus on short-term gains, they genuinely combine local economic development, this kind of thinking is worth us learning from! Wang Peiyuan did a great job on this matter!"
When Yan Zhengchang's words reached Wang Peiyuan through various channels, his heart was even more joyful and he walked with a spring in his step wherever he went, as if he had shed ten years off his age.
For Hong Kong-funded enterprises' investment, provincial and municipal governments also gave great preferential treatment:
First, although the later Shu-Ya Expressway was built in 1996, the current highway between the two places is a first-class highway with relatively good road conditions. The highway within Changfu Prefecture is mainly based on National Highway 108 from the capital to Dian Nan Spring City, which was built in the 1960s and designed for daily traffic capacity of 1,000 to 4,000 vehicles. However, due to aging roads, combined with many mountains and curves in Changfu Prefecture, vehicles drive slowly, and years of wear and tear by large trucks have caused the road surface to be uneven and bumpy, resulting in poor road conditions. Once a vehicle breaks down or has an accident, it is easy to trigger congestion.
To become rich, one must first build roads. In order to solve the problem of Changfu's development being restricted by transportation, and to attract more foreign investment, the provincial committee and government specially allocated funds, with the province investing 10 million yuan to expand the highway from Yahuang to Changfu into a national first-class highway. The Changfu municipal government organized funding of 2 million yuan, and Hong Kong Feiyuan invested an additional 5 million yuan, for a total of 7 million yuan, to expand the highways within Changfu's borders into national first-class highways. The road construction is expected to be completed within two years, and Changfu is allowed to set up toll stations, which will be managed by the Changfu municipal government. Hong Kong Feiyuan Investment (Chuanshu) Co., Ltd. will dispatch professional financial personnel to supervise finances, and the profits from vehicle tolls, minus necessary road maintenance and personnel expenses, will be distributed according to investment proportions between the Changfu municipal government and Hong Kong Feiyuan Investment (Chuanshu) Co., Ltd.
Regarding this resolution, Leng Bingxing was overjoyed. He had originally wanted to participate in road construction, which would not only benefit the local people but also bring considerable profits. In his previous life, Changfu didn't start building its first-class highway until 1995, and after its completion in 1997, the road was bustling with traffic. The toll collectors were busy counting money until their hands cramped, with over 8,000 vehicles passing through every day, collecting over 100,000 yuan in tolls, a true gold mine. Moreover, the state-approved toll collection period was 50 years.
Due to financial constraints, Leng Bing Han didn't dare to intervene in road repairs. Now that the government has brought this good thing to his doorstep, how could he let it go? As for the 50 million yuan funding issue, it's also easily resolved - the government has already thought of a comprehensive solution, using a 300 million Hong Kong dollar investment as collateral for a bank loan.
Although 5 million yuan is not a lot for Leng Bingxue, he is still happy to accept it as long as it doesn't disrupt his investment plan. After selling stocks, futures and foreign exchange from Hong Kong that may increase profits by tens or hundreds of times, he can use the funds to repair roads.
All the banks in Chang'an are very willing to lend to Hong Kong Feiyuan Investment Co., Ltd. It's not a problem even if it's 50 million, let alone 200-300 million. In fact, banks also have loan targets. Enterprises with strong strength and good reputation may not need loans at all, and banks often ask enterprises to borrow. On the other hand, those companies that are struggling and urgently need loans, banks are worried about risks and dare not lend. This is a kind of helpless vicious circle.
Secondly, Hong Kong Feiyuan Investment (Chuanshu) Co., Ltd. will be exempt from all taxes for three years and enjoy a 50% reduction in the following two years.
Third, the supermarket named Jiajiale with a cold and icy name is located in the center of Changfu City, at the intersection of Dajie. The original site was the old sports stadium of Changfu, with outdated and dilapidated buildings, covering an area of over 70,000 square meters. This time, the municipal government sold the land to Hong Kong investors for 2 million yuan, who will demolish and rebuild it. Cold Ice was delighted to accept this deal, thinking that after the year 2000, in the very center of Changfu City, such a large piece of land would be impossible to buy even with 20 million yuan. Even if Cold Ice did nothing with it, its value would increase several dozen times.
The original plan was to find a ready-made place for renovation into a supermarket, but now with such a good location, he immediately revised his plan and prepared to build a 17-story building here, imitating the methods of later generations. The first and second floors were used as supermarkets and other storefronts for rent, while the third floor and above were used as office buildings. He even planned to name this building "Fei Yuan Building", with the top floor serving as the office of Hong Kong Fei Yuan Investment (Chuan Shu) Co., Ltd., and other floors for rent. As for the funding gap, he was not too worried, first using all 8 million to build the building, and when the building is completed, the funds will be recovered quickly. Moreover, the supermarket can also collect entrance fees and other early operating expenses.
