Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 829 Successful opening

What should I do? Should I still submit the application?

Investing might not yield any profit; in fact, it could result in a small loss.

If I don't invest, it seems like I won't lose anything?
Chen Fan squinted, pondered for only a few seconds, and then gave Zhou Yali a look.

Zhou Yali was slightly taken aback. After glancing at Chen Fan a few more times to make sure he hadn't misspoke, she took a deep breath and turned to President Yuan, saying, "Please introduce us to the Shenzhen side, President Yuan. We'd like to invest in building a five-star hotel here."

After a pause, she remembered her previous decision and added, "In addition, we plan to invest in a paper mill and a printing plant, but the Wanmuchun Industrial Park is already saturated. I wonder if there are any suitable sites in the industrial park?"

Just now, President Yuan was sipping his tea, seemingly nonchalant, but he had actually taken in the subtle actions of the two of them. He couldn't help but wonder, how could Chen Fan be able to make decisions for Zhou Yali so directly?
What role does he play in this company?

Upon hearing Zhou Yali's words, his mind went blank for a moment.

What is the relationship between a five-star hotel and a paper mill or printing plant?
After a few seconds of stunned silence, he reacted and said, “There are still many places available in the Shekou Industrial Zone, but we have a general plan. Industries with strong odors and pollution will be grouped together separately from other factories. So paper mills and printing plants will not be in the same place.”

Zhou Yali glanced at Chen Fan, her eyes full of smiles, while Chen Fan smiled slightly, easing the awkwardness a little.

He had previously heard that the industrial park had attracted polluting companies such as paint factories, oxygen plants, and shipbreaking yards, as well as food companies such as flour mills and biscuit factories. He thought it was a mixed resettlement, but it turns out it was planned.

It's estimated that the paper mill will likely be located next to the paint factory, while the printing factory will be on its own.

Zhou Yali looked at President Yuan and smiled, "As long as we can build a factory, nothing else matters."

Mr. Yuan nodded slightly, "That's no problem. We'll also refer to Wanmuchun Company's terms for all kinds of preferential treatment."

He paused for a moment, then said, "As for the five-star hotel issue, I can report it to my superiors on my behalf. Most of the problems have been resolved because of the establishment of the Jianguo Hotel and the White Swan Hotel projects."

"If you're going to invest in building a hotel, all other details, including the hotel's location, can be discussed in detail with provincial and municipal leaders. But there's one issue you need to be prepared for."

Zhou Yali looked at him, puzzled. "What's the problem?"

Mr. Yuan sighed softly, smiled at the three of them, and said, "It's about building a turret on the top floor. Please be prepared for that, Mr. Zhou."

Although Zhou Yali had heard Chen Fan talk about this yesterday and had personally seen the gun emplacements on the rooftops of several tall buildings, she still frowned upon hearing this and immediately asked, "Is it really necessary to build gun emplacements?"

General Yuan said with a wry smile, "There weren't so many tall buildings before. Only a few tall buildings, such as the Aiqun Building and the Dongfang Hotel, were equipped with anti-aircraft guns. Since the outbreak of war last year, in order to be on the safe side, the army has made a requirement to the local authorities that all buildings that reach a certain height must be equipped with gun emplacements."

After a two-second pause, he continued, "However, the White Swan Hotel started construction last July. Because of this, Mr. Huo has been shuttling between Guangzhou and Beijing, trying his best to prevent the construction of the fort. If he can get it done, the hotel you are investing in may also be exempted from construction."

Zhou Yali frowned, wanting to say something more, but Chen Fan coughed and smiled, "Then let's wait and see and wait for Mr. Huo's good news."

Mr. Yuan laughed and said, "I also hope that Mr. Huo can achieve the best possible outcome, because such an outcome would be of practical significance to us."

After saying that, he put down his teacup, propped himself up on his thighs and stood up. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave first. I'll also contact the city leaders on your behalf to finalize the meeting."

At this moment, Ye Yufeng suddenly said, "President Yuan, we have decided to hold the opening ceremony next Monday at nine o'clock in the morning. We would really appreciate your presence."

Upon hearing this, General Manager Yuan immediately laughed and said, "You've finally set a date for the opening! I've been waiting for this for so long. Don't worry, Wanmuchun Company will be the first company to officially open in our Shekou Industrial Park, and I will definitely be there."

After he finished speaking, he asked, "Did you invite leaders from the city and province?"

Ye Yufeng smiled and said, "We invited leaders related to the development zone, but we don't know if they will have time to come and provide guidance."

Mr. Yuan smiled and said, "Give me a list of invitees later, and I'll invite them on your behalf."

Ye Yufeng was overjoyed. "Then I'll have to trouble you."

He then personally escorted President Yuan out.

After they left, only Zhou Yali and Chen Fan remained in the room.

Only then did Zhou Yali look at him and ask, "Why didn't you let me speak earlier?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Because it's unnecessary. Mr. Huo will definitely be able to get the exemption from building the fort. We can just wait for the result."

Zhou Yali raised an eyebrow, her face full of confusion, "Why are you so sure?"

Chen Fan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at her, asking, "Do you know why the military requires high-rise buildings to have gun emplacements, but Mr. Huo insists on applying for exemption from gun emplacements?"

Zhou Yali's features scrunched up, and she shook her head. "I don't understand."

Chen Fan exhaled a long breath and explained, "The reason why we must build troops is related to our national defense policy. Our policy is 'the whole nation is a soldier,' and we are fighting a 'people's war.' Everyone has a responsibility for national defense."

Given that the mainland economy is basically public, with almost all high-rise buildings owned by the state, it is not surprising that such a regulation exists.

Mr. Huo's insistence on applying for exemption from construction is related to current international rules.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yali nodded in realization, "I understand a little now."

She seemed thoughtful as she spoke, “After World War II, the East and West were at odds, but they also reached several agreements that established a new international order and rules of engagement after World War II. That is, in the event of war, military facilities and civilian buildings must be separated, and only military facilities can be attacked, not civilian buildings.”

If a gun emplacement is built on the roof of a hotel, is it a military facility or a civilian building?

Although the hotel is an undisputed civilian building, if a gun emplacement is installed on the hotel's rooftop, the other side can easily treat it as a military facility and launch an attack.

In that case, I doubt anyone would dare stay in such a hotel. At least, foreign guests wouldn't dare.

Five-star hotels cater almost entirely to foreign guests. If foreign guests are afraid to stay there, whose business will they get?

Chen Fan laughed and said, "That's exactly the point. So Mr. Huo must apply for exemption from building the fort, and for the sake of the reform plan, the higher-ups will definitely approve his application."

In this way, with Mr. Huo putting in the effort ahead, we only need to sit back and wait for success, then refer to his case and follow his prescription.

Zhou Yali pointed at him, laughing like a little fox, "Hehehe, you cunning old fox, I like you."

As soon as she finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed. "However, brother, if we take the example of Jianguo Hotel, we will contribute half the money, but we will only have the right to receive dividends for 10 years. After 10 years, the shares will be given to us for free."

If we look at the White Swan Hotel as an example, although there was no requirement to give away shares for free, Mr. Huo did state that he would not take a single penny of the profits with him, and would use them all for employee benefits and social development.

"No matter which one it is, I don't see any benefit in this project. So what are we investing in this hotel for?! To promote style?!" Promoting style isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in her opinion, it would be better to just donate money directly. Why get into this trouble?

Chen Fan put down his teacup, looked at her and smiled, "Believe it or not, if my uncle were here, he would definitely support this project, even if it didn't make money. To be even more direct, he might even ask to invest in the White Swan Hotel, even if it's just a small share of the profits."

Zhou Yali pouted, leaned back on the sofa, and muttered, "I just don't like you and Dad, always talking in riddles. Yes, one of you is a seasoned veteran, and the other is a little devil, and I'm just a little fool, but even a little fool has self-respect, okay? Can you please stop talking in riddles all the time?"

Chen Fan's face fell. "I have no problem with you calling yourself a little idiot, but what the hell is 'little monster'?"

Zhou Yali pouted and gave a soft "humph," indicating that she didn't want to talk to her.

Chen Fan smacked his lips, picked up the teapot to pour tea, and said, "The reason is very simple. A five-star hotel project involves a lot of things, including tourism, catering, transportation, and even dealing with various government departments."

If you can successfully operate a five-star hotel, even in just three to five years, the social resources the company can accumulate will be immeasurable. Moreover, many of these aspects differ from those of running a factory.

"By managing the Wanmuchun Industrial Park and hotel projects well, perhaps in a few years, we will be able to independently launch projects such as highways, airports, and airlines without needing anyone's introduction."

He turned to look at Zhou Yali, "Do you understand now?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yali suddenly realized, "So even if we don't make money, or even suffer a small loss, we still have to invest in this project. Investing in this project is preparing for the future blueprint."

After a pause, she asked again, "Do we need to find other shareholders? Are the other two shareholders you mentioned people with particularly strong social resources?"

Chen Fan nodded slightly and said seriously, "We must find other shareholders. As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. No matter how rich we are, we are just a dragon crossing the river. No matter how poor the locals are, they are just locals."

Even Mr. Huo encountered setbacks everywhere. Even with the White Swan Hotel paving the way and us taking advantage of the situation, we still couldn't outmaneuver the local bullies.

Only by introducing powerful shareholders, creating a situation where multiple parties check and balance each other while working together, can we develop steadily and profit from that development.

Zhou Yali nodded in deep agreement and exclaimed, "I knew I was right, you are a little monster."

As she spoke, she curled her lip and looked Chen Fan up and down, "You're clearly younger than me, yet you're as cunning as your father. You still dare to say you're not a little monster?!"

Chen Fan rolled his eyes, not wanting to talk to her.

He didn't want to talk about it, but Zhou Yali wouldn't let him off the hook. "Hey, brother, you just said that we should wait a few years before bringing up the airport construction project. Why wait a few years? Can't we bring it up now?"

Chen Fan shook his head and said seriously, "It's really not possible now. I forgot a very important point before, which is that all air rights are now under the jurisdiction of the Air Force. Whether it's building an airport or starting an airline, you need to get approval from the military."

Without any precedent, if a foreign company like ours rashly applies to invest in an airport, we're afraid we'll be shut down before we can even finish our explanation.

Rather than running into a wall, it's better to keep quiet and wait for the right opportunity.

As for when the time will be right, that depends on how far the policy will open up.

Seeing Chen Fan say that, Zhou Yali shut up and stopped talking about it.

Even if she doesn't know much about the country, she now understands the importance of national defense. Since the airport construction involves the military, it means that it won't be accomplished in a short time. Let's just wait and see.

After a brief silence, Zhou Yali placed her hands on her stomach, looked at Chen Fan with a serious expression, and said, "Brother, have we forgotten something very important?"

Chen Fan turned to look at her, blinked, and asked, "What is it?"

Zhou Yali looked at the wall clock and said expressionlessly, "We had breakfast at the Oriental Hotel this morning, then drove for five or six hours to get here. We had a meeting without having lunch, and it's already four in the afternoon. Aren't you hungry?"

Chen Fan looked somewhat confused. He had achieved a high level of cultivation and wouldn't feel hungry even if he didn't eat for three days, so naturally he didn't feel anything.

But my older sister is hungry, so we have to find a way to satisfy her.

After pausing for two seconds, he said, "There's a canteen in the dormitory area behind. Do you want to go there now and ask the chef to prepare something to eat, or do you want to wait a little longer and have the canteen prepare a big meal?"

Zhou Yali thought for a moment, then decisively got up and walked out. "I'll go find Sister Xiaoying. She must have some food there. I'll have something to eat first."

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Monday, January 7th.

Wanmuchun Park is brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Red lanterns are still hanging on the trees that have been transplanted recently, and couplets wishing for abundant wealth are posted at the entrance of the office building.

Two lion dance troupes, one to the east and one to the west, each displayed their unique skills. The two lions, one green and one red, leaped and bounded, sometimes jumping from the ground, sometimes stepping onto high wooden stakes, each moving step by step towards a ten-meter-high wooden pole in the center. When the two lions met under the pole, they actually started fighting.

It was none other than the most spectacular lion dance performance.

Zhou Yali stood in front of the gate, unable to look away, and clapped loudly from time to time.

Chen Fan stood beside her, smiling broadly as he explained the exciting parts, "These two lion dance teams have each received the true teachings of a martial art. The red lion dance team is practicing Hung Kuen, which emphasizes hard stances, powerful movements, and a majestic sound. Its footwork includes the Four-Level Stance, the Meridian Stance, the Crouching Tiger Stance, the Qilin Stance, the Hanging Stance, the Lone Crane Stance, the Middle Stance, the Triangle Stance, the Defeated Stance, the Two-Character Sheep Stance, the Jumping Stance, and the T-Stance."

Therefore, the Red Lion's movements are powerful and vigorous, and he remains as steady as Mount Tai even on the plum blossom stakes.

The kung fu of the Green Lion is also quite good. It is Cai Li Fo Kung Fu, one of the five famous kung fu styles in Guangdong, which is on par with Hong, Liu, Li and Mo. Cai Li Fo Kung Fu has many routines and rich content. Its techniques emphasize the combination of offense and defense, and its footwork is flexible and stable. Its power is both hard and soft.

Therefore, the green lion's movements are mainly leaping, making it more visually appealing than the red lion.

After hearing this, Zhou Yali asked curiously, "Then, which lion will win?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Of course Red Lion will win. Red is a good color, right?"

Zhou Yali pursed her lips slightly, "It's the same as saying nothing at all."

Suddenly, the drumbeats quickened, and just as the green lion had climbed the wooden pole, the red lion leaped up, using the green lion's back to soar into the air. It then climbed up the wooden pole and soon "bite" the red ball and green vegetables at the top.

Half a minute later, the red lion slid down the wooden pole, landing halfway down. The red ball at the top of the pole turned into a red cloth hanging down, with the words "Grand Opening" written on it.

A chorus of cheers erupted from below, "Bravo! Brilliant!"

I haven't seen a lion dance in years, how could it not be spectacular?

(End of this chapter)