National Tide 1980.

Ning Weimin's words were typical polite formalities, just to find a topic that could be discussed in depth.

For those in officialdom, this kind of language communication routine is naturally second nature.

Even though Mayor Xiao in front of him didn't seem like a bookish person—his square face was shiny and tanned, making him look like a driver or cook—he was still familiar with this kind of rhetoric.

He immediately raised his eyebrows and smiled, giving Ning Weimin the opportunity to have an in-depth exchange.

"Haha, that's what everyone says, but in my opinion, that's not necessarily true."

What do you mean by that?

"Do you know about Hainan becoming a province two years ago?"

"I know, it was about sending 100,000 talents to Hainan. It caused quite a stir back then, and everyone's enthusiasm was almost as high as when they went to Shenzhen. I heard that many public officials resigned because of it."

"The excitement isn't there anymore. You don't know this, but the massive influx of talent has quietly subsided. In recent years, those who flocked to Hainan have found themselves facing a backward, underdeveloped backwater. There's no way around it; Hainan's foundation is too weak. Despite its abundant resources and beautiful scenery, it hasn't been properly developed and opened up, remaining a closed, poor, and backward island for a long time. Currently, Hainan's total industrial and agricultural output only accounts for five percent of the province's GDP, making it difficult to raise the large amounts of funds needed to increase infrastructure. It's worlds apart from Shenzhen. In fact, just over a year after becoming a province, the 'Hainan fever' began to cool down rapidly. Now, most of those who went to Hainan regret it, and a large number have chosen to leave. So, after learning all this, do you still think it's a good place?"

Mayor Xiao's words undoubtedly carried a sense of testing; at this moment, he looked at Ning Weimin with the same gaze a teacher would give a student.

In his eyes, Ning Weimin, despite being highly regarded by Huo Yanping, was probably just a fledgling bird still nestled in its nest, peering out with its mouth open, because of its age.

However, Ning Weimin was not stumped by the problem. Instead, he quickly provided him with plenty of surprises.

"The decline of talent doesn't prove anything; it only shows that the talent flow was too blind in the first place. It's a case of resource misallocation."

"Resource mismatch?"

Mayor Xiao's eyes clearly showed that he was hearing this word for the first time.

Ning Weimin patiently explained it to him.

"Yes, what I mean is that talent is also a resource. The so-called misallocation refers to the unreasonable or uneven distribution of resources. Just like when so many people flocked to Hainan, it meant that Hainan may have acquired too many resources in the short term, or ineffective resources that did not meet actual needs. So it is normal for those who rushed to Hainan on a whim to eventually return to their senses and leave. Hainan has thus achieved the elimination of the dross and retained the essence, which is not necessarily a bad thing."

"But isn't it better to have more talented people? How can talent be an ineffective resource?"

Mayor Xiao clearly hadn't fully grasped Ning Weimin's explanation of the term.

Ning Weimin then used a relatable example to further illustrate the point in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

"That's not surprising. Take the most common and controversial phenomenon in society in recent years, the inversion of brainpower and physical labor, for example. It's essentially a misallocation of resources. You see, when it comes to income, everyone knows that those who build missiles are clearly less well-off than those who sell tea eggs. But why do highly educated people live in poverty, while self-employed individuals who didn't even finish elementary school become wealthy? Most people feel that this phenomenon is abnormal, even absolutely unfair, but they can't find a reasonable explanation. But if you think about it from a different perspective, it becomes very clear."

"Because the most pressing issues our country needs to address at this stage are revitalizing the economy and improving people's livelihoods. We are no longer pursuing rapid development in an attempt to surpass Britain and the United States. Therefore, based on the actual needs of our society, the most valuable talent right now is naturally those merchants who can revitalize the economy. Scientists and university professors cannot meet the basic needs of the masses for food, clothing, housing, and transportation. Since these merchants have caught the wave of history, they have the opportunity to obtain extraordinary profits."

"Of course, I don't mean to deny the value of highly educated intellectuals. They are not unimportant; they are still the pillars of the nation and an elite group. But the problem is that our country's current conditions are limited. We lack equipment, funds, and technology, and we cannot provide this group with a sufficient platform to realize their due value or give them the opportunity to display their abilities and talents. This leads to highly skilled people being idle. And those who cannot apply their knowledge will inevitably have to endure poverty. Take architectural design institutes in Beijing, for example. Because of the limited staffing and projects, I know of graduates from Tsinghua and Peking University's civil engineering departments who can only work as general laborers in design institutes. That's the reality."

"The only solution is to develop the economy and continuously adjust its structure. Starting from scratch, we inevitably have to endure a few years of 'abnormal' conditions. It's like a street vendor aspiring to become a big boss; they must first save money little by little before expanding their business. They must transition from itinerant to sedentary commerce. Only when our country's economic situation improves, when we have the resources to develop industry and conduct scientific research, and when we can promptly transform research results into advanced productive forces and monetize them through the market, will the true value of highly educated intellectuals be adequately realized. At that time, the social distribution system will return to normalcy."

Neither Mayor Xiao nor his wife expected to hear such profound insights from Ning Weimin.

It is important to understand that the "brain-body inversion" is a persistent problem in today's society, a problem that has baffled countless economists.

They only repeatedly emphasize that "the implementation of policies for intellectuals is not strong enough," but let alone solving the problem, many people can't even explain where the problem lies.

The reasoning Ning Weimin gave them was not only concise and to the point, but it was also the most novel and logical explanation they had ever heard.

This immediately invigorated them, giving them a refreshing and enlightening feeling.

Mayor Xiao couldn't help but exclaim "Oh!" and offer a few words of praise.

"Young man, your explanation is quite interesting. It's the first time I've heard it like that. Not bad, not bad, quite an idea."

Then, unable to resist testing him further, he asked, "Hey, tell me again, what kind of talent do you think Hainan should attract now? Also, given Hainan's current situation, how can its economy develop as quickly as possible?"

His wife also began to encourage Ning Weimin, and seeing that Ning Weimin seemed somewhat worried, she repeatedly comforted him.

"Go on, go on. It's just a casual chat, no problem if you say something wrong. We love listening to young people talk; their minds are quick and their ideas flow like water." Under these circumstances, Ning Weimin naturally couldn't refuse, so he nodded and continued with a slight smile.

"Alright, since you two don't mind my limited knowledge, let me ramble on a bit more. Mayor Xiao just asked what kind of talent Hainan needs. In my opinion, the answer is simple in theory, but difficult in practice. It's about matching Hainan's development direction and pace. In other words, Hainan needs talent based on the industries it develops and the economic model it promotes. As for how Hainan should develop its economy, I only know an old saying: 'Those who live near mountains live off the mountains, those who live near water live off the water.' To put it bluntly, developing a region's economy is simply about adapting to local conditions. We must make good use of local advantages and resources to revitalize the economy and create wealth. Once we accurately define Hainan's economic direction and find a suitable development model for Hainan, these two things will no longer be problems."

"Makes sense."

After hearing Ning Weimin's words, Mayor Xiao couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, and his wife nodded repeatedly.

However, Mayor Xiao then chuckled, "But what you said is a bit vague. It's all theory, not specific enough, and doesn't connect to reality. It's the same as saying nothing at all. Young man, how about you give me something more practical?"

In reality?
Ning Weimin was, of course, no problem.

When it comes to making money, that's his forte.

Moreover, he had a general idea of ​​Hainan's future appearance and positioning, so giving advice to a mayor was no challenge for him.

The problem is, he's not one to show off, and talking to someone of higher status and older age like this makes it seem like he's imparting dogma and experience, which isn't quite appropriate.

Moreover, the local economy involves too many aspects. As the saying goes, "Disaster comes from the mouth." How could a businessman make such a reckless statement?

If what I just said had been phrased more tactfully, without involving any cause and effect, it would have been easier to say.

If we get to the specifics, it could potentially affect the interests of certain individuals and even cause trouble for ourselves.

Thinking of this, Ning Weimin couldn't help but turn to look at Huo Yanping, to see what he meant.

Unexpectedly, he received a gentle and kind look from Huo Yanping, along with a slight nod of encouragement, as if hoping he would open up and not disappoint Mayor Xiao.

Therefore, out of consideration for Huo Yanping, Ning Weimin had no choice but to speak freely and say something even more blunt.

"My knowledge is limited, and you're testing me with such a broad topic. I can't really answer that. However, I am, after all, a businessman, and I am interested in making money. I believe I have some insights into economic issues. So, if possible, I would certainly like to share my thoughts and ask for your guidance."

Ning Weimin responded politely, just like the rule at the dinner table: "Tea seven parts, rice eight parts, wine cup full."

He first flattered the other person in a conventional way, leaving himself ample room to maneuver, before delving into the real core of the topic.

"There are rules in this world: to get rich, you must first get rich in water. Historically, this has been an unchanging economic law. The four ancient civilizations became powerful first because their places of origin all had water, all were near rivers. We have the Yellow River, India has the Ganges, Egypt has the Nile, Babylon has Mesopotamia... However, rivers are still not as big as the sea, and these four ancient civilizations gradually became poor. The Netherlands, the Vineyard Kingdom, and England caught up. The pirates of these countries became the first rich people in Europe."

“We are now learning from the lessons of the closed-door policies of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which is why we are thinking of opening up the sea and opening up the coastal ports. Which of the four special economic zones and fourteen coastal cities is not next to the sea? So, if you want to do big business, you have to go to the coast. And in terms of geographical advantages, Hainan, as my country's second largest island, is surrounded by the sea and has a unique advantage.”

"Hainan is separated from other provinces and cities in China by the Qiongzhou Strait to the north, faces Vietnam across the Beibu Gulf to the west, and is bordered by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and other countries across the South China Sea to the east and south. To the northeast, it is also separated from us by the sea by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, some of the most prosperous cities and regions in Asia. Hainan is so convenient to do international trade, and it can become a transit point and logistics hub for Southeast Asian countries to trade with the mainland of my country."

"In addition, Hainan is located at the southernmost tip of my country and is the closest place to the equator in my country, with a mild and comfortable climate all year round. It not only has unique products but also beautiful scenery, making it fully capable of becoming an internationally renowned resort destination, just like Hawaii in the United States, which will surely attract countless foreign and domestic tourists."

"Think about it, with international trade and resort tourism as its two pillars, how could Hainan lack money? As long as there are policies in place, and the necessary infrastructure is completed with initial investment, foreign money will flow into Hainan continuously. So no matter what, Hainan will have to engage in large-scale construction and infrastructure development, so at least for Hainan, the more civil engineering talent the better."

As Ning Weimin spoke, Mayor Xiao listened attentively. Later, he couldn't just listen anymore; in addition to nodding in agreement, he even found paper and pen and carefully wrote down some things.

Ning Weimin spoke until his throat was dry, at which point he had to stop and take a sip of wine to moisten his throat.

Mayor Xiao then seemed to wake from a dream and praised him repeatedly.

"Great, great, that's excellent. Your summary is superb, and your thinking is quite novel."

He has begun to openly express his admiration for Ning Weimin.

Judging from his personality, he is not the kind of person who can please others by flattery, but he is the kind of person who respects people who are truly capable. Because Ning Weimin demonstrated extraordinary insight and wisdom in just a few words, he immediately developed a love for talent.

He couldn't help but reach out and shake hands with Ning Weimin again to express his appreciation.

"You are indeed a talented person, very good, very good. Your words are very helpful to me, I will consider them carefully. If you ask me, you shouldn't have gone into business, you should have studied economics. It's a pity to waste such a mind as yours. Hey, do you want to come to Hainan with me? It's a bit late for you to enter politics at your age, but it doesn't matter. You have real talent and learning, and I will take care of you. The latecomer can surpass the early starter. If you're willing, work as my secretary for a few years first, and then I'll assign you a good job..." (End of this chapter)