Break out of the courtyard

Chapter 695: Adding fuel to the fire
Computer Building, Central, Hong Kong Island.

"The deputy director may have a misunderstanding about our Hong Kong Island Telecom. The communication base stations around the Governor's House and the embassy are all operating normally. It's just that the telephone and Internet cables leading to your embassy were dug up by the maintenance workers of the renewable energy company."

Bao Wujun, general manager of Hong Kong Island Telecom, explained to the blond man sitting on the sofa opposite him, then picked up the teacup and blew on the scalding tea.

The blond middle-aged man asked in a deep voice: "Since Mr. Bao said that the communication base station is normal, why do our mobile phones have no signal in the embassy?"

Mr. Bao from Hong Kong Island Telecom said casually, "Maybe there is something blocking the signal near your embassy."

"Something that blocks signals?" The somewhat portly deputy director of the Magnesium Embassy murmured for a moment, and immediately thought of the military signal jammers, and then the bodyguards of the Umbrella Corporation.

The fat deputy director suppressed all the speculations in his mind and continued to ask: "Mr. Bao, can you help our embassy restore the telephone and Internet lines first?"

"That's fine. I'll ask my secretary to arrange for maintenance personnel to come and help you take a look." Mr. Bao from Hong Kong Island Telecom agreed readily.

Bao Wujun had always avoided the magnesium guy before, but this time he agreed so readily, which made the deputy director very uncomfortable.

"Mr. Bao, are you going to arrange for the workers to go there today?" The Deputy Director of the Magnesium Embassy asked worriedly.

Because the Bao family also had the shipping business, Bao Wujun called Zhang Heping in advance after learning that the deputy director of the Magnesium Embassy was coming.

Bao Wujun glanced at his watch and smiled, "I'll call my female secretary in to discuss this matter in person."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the office door.

With Bao Wujun's permission, a long-haired female secretary in a professional suit pushed the door open and said, "Boss Bao, the flight to Xindao will take off in two hours."

"Secretary Lin, please arrange for maintenance personnel to take care of the telephone and network cables at the Magnesium Embassy." Mr. Bao from Hong Kong Island Telecom stood up and said to the Magnesium guy who also stood up, "Deputy Director, I have to go to Xindao to discuss cooperation. Excuse me!"

The female secretary surnamed Lin said hurriedly, "Boss Bao, the telephone and Internet lines at the Magnesium Embassy cannot be routed underground for the time being."

"Let's take the open route first, so that outsiders don't think we are deliberately delaying the repairs!" Bao Wujun said as he walked to the door.

Because Bao Wujun and his secretary were both speaking in Eagle language, the deputy director of the Magnesium Embassy understood it, but it still seemed a little unreal. The other party agreed too readily. Could it be that the sanctions rumors they had spread before had worked?
However, when he returned to the Magnesium Embassy, ​​he learned that the power supply would not be repaired until the Magnesium Embassy apologized, and that the Peace Hospital still refused to treat Magnesium personnel. Only then did he realize that the Peace Group had not given up its boycott of Magnesium.

"There's more bad news!" Secretary Emily frowned slightly, "Taxis in Hong Kong Island have also begun to refuse to pick up Chinese people like us, because they are afraid that we may have infectious diseases!"

"What is the attitude of Kai Tak Airport?" asked the new curator Tom with a frown. He had overestimated the influence of the Peace Group on Hong Kong Island, so he did not take any radical action.

"There are no restrictions at the airport!" Secretary Emily said with a hint of worry: "Director, should we ask a few guards to apologize publicly?"

"This matter is not as simple as an apology!" Director Tom said, then leaned back in his chair and remained silent.

...

Director Wang took advantage of the lunch break to go to Zhang's house next door and asked Zhang Heping, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room reading a newspaper:
"Heping, I heard that the Magnesium International Development Agency sent people to the hospital in Hong Kong Island to help you with your research on AIDS?"

Zhang Heping responded casually: "They are just three agents from the Magnesium Country who want to explore the medical research institute."

"So you're a secret agent! I was wondering why the Chinese are so kind!" Director Wang glanced around the living room and saw only a nanny cleaning the dining room, so he asked, "Are the rest of your family taking a nap?"

"Yeah!" Zhang Heping responded simply without mentioning that Zhang Bei, Zhang Nan and others had gone out and had not returned.

Director Wang sat on the sofa and tidied up the messy pile of foreign newspapers on the coffee table. Then he continued to ask, "Heping, when are you going to restore the water, electricity and gas at the Magnesium Embassy?"

Zhang Heping quickly glanced at the newspaper and responded, "Auntie Wang, I know the situation well. If you intervene, the situation will be different. Don't force me to reconcile with the Chinese. Otherwise..."

What would happen otherwise?

Director Wang Sumei was well aware of Zhang Heping's stubborn temper. If he was really pushed to the limit, he would probably take his family to Hong Kong Island overnight.

If it affects his domestic investment plans, not only will all his previous efforts be wasted, but he will also lose a lot of technology!
Wang Sumei smiled and explained, "I just want to know how you handle it, so as not to provoke conflict."

"Just wait and see. Let the Chinese lose face so they don't become too self-righteous." Zhang Heping said calmly and changed to read another newspaper.

Wang Sumei put down the foreign newspapers she had sorted out and asked seriously, "There is one more thing. The representative of the Nuclear Industry Group wants to see you. Do you want to find time to meet him?"

"Let's wait until Guangdong Province, Beihu Province, and Shanghai send people to communicate with the higher-ups!" Zhang Heping said without even raising his head.
"The Qinshan Nuclear Power Station and Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station have not been completed, and the management of the Nuclear Industry Group will not pay attention to the construction of the second thorium-based molten salt reactor nuclear power station!"

Zhang Heping had long been aware of the little tricks played by the Ministry of Nuclear Industry and the Nuclear Industry Group, otherwise he would not have personally promised to build nuclear power plants in Guangdong Province, Beihu Province, and Shanghai.

"I heard from Mr. Hua that many old comrades from Guangdong Province, Beihu Province, and Shanghai called the higher-ups today. They have decided to revise the joint venture to build a nuclear power plant." Wang Sumei stood up after she finished speaking. "You go ahead and do your work. I'll go check on the placement of the disabled veterans."

Zhang Heping put down the newspaper and stood up to see them off. "Auntie Wang, why haven't those graduates who were helping out been assigned yet?"

"Once they arrive at your confidential laboratory, we don't know how long it will take them to go back." Director Wang Sumei smiled and said, "So, the higher-ups gave them a month's home leave and asked them to report back before September."

"The equipment hasn't arrived yet, but we'll probably be able to get it back by the end of this year." While Zhang Heping was speaking, he picked up an umbrella from the door, handed it to Director Wang, and left with it. Then he returned to the living room and continued reading the newspaper.

Foreign media have been making a lot of noise about the magnesium embassy in Hong Kong being cut off from water, electricity and gas.

Among them were those who stood on the side of the Taiwanese, as well as foreign media reporters who had been paid by the Peace Group for public relations. Both sides hyped up this topic, pushing the Peace Group to the forefront.

This is also the reason why Director Wang came here. This matter has become too popular and has been debated for so many days.

Taking this opportunity, Peace Group also increased the exposure of its product advertisements.

Zhang Heping knew a truth in his previous life: Even the best wine will not sell if it is not well known!

Don’t hype up hot spots, or they will become invalid after they expire!
As for the escalation of the situation, let’s not talk about the fact that North Sudan has not fallen yet, so it is not Magnesium’s turn to be arrogant; as far as the mainland is concerned, Magnesium does not dare to make a big deal out of it.

After all, Hong Kong Island is not Taiwan Island, and the Magnesium aircraft carrier cannot approach it at will!

…Two days later, just when the Magnesium people were trying to use public pressure to get the Peace Group to restore water, electricity and gas to the Magnesium Embassy in Hong Kong, a large group of young people who had applied for registration at the Hong Kong Island Police Station, took to the streets with their families, holding bilingual banners and streamers in Chinese and English.

With a group of reporters following their lead, the marching group of less than 10,000 people set out in silence from outside the Peace Hospital in Central and headed towards Kowloon Tong on the other side of the river, following the registered route.

After seeing the slogans held by the parade team, many passers-by joined the parade clamorously, and were then persuaded by some young people who were maintaining the formation to follow behind the team, at least doubling the number of people.

The Eagles naturally learned about this in advance, and they also found out that most of the young people in the parade were newly recruited employees of the Umbrella Company. It’s just that these young people are still undergoing pre-job training and there is no distinction between bodyguards and security guards.

By the time the Magnesium Embassy received the news, maintenance workers from Hong Kong Island Telecommunications Company were laying wires outside the embassy and instructing the Magnesium Embassy's guards to install telephone and Internet cables inside the embassy.

"Director Tom, the Director of the Medical and Health Department of Hong Kong Island wants to see you downstairs. Do you want to see him?" The female secretary quickly reported at the door and stood there motionless.

Director Tom, who had only been here a few days, was standing at the window, looking at the maintenance workers outside the embassy who refused to come in. He frowned and asked, "Have you found out what the slogans of the parade were?"

The female secretary replied, "The slogans together mean that we, the Chinese people, must undergo a comprehensive check-up and obtain a health certificate. Only healthy Chinese people can stay, and those who are sick must be repatriated to China."

"Humph!" Director Tom sneered, turned around and walked out. As he passed by the female secretary, he said, "Go tell the guard not to search the maintenance workers. Tell them to invite the maintenance workers in and quickly connect the phone and network cables."

After speaking, the head of the Magnesium Embassy went to the reception room downstairs.

As he expected, the Director of the Medical and Health Department of Hong Kong Island came to discuss the issue of their citizens receiving physical examinations and applying for health certificates.

It is foreseeable that if the Chinese in Hong Kong Island are forced to undergo medical examinations and obtain health certificates, Chinese in other places will also be affected.

If things go wrong, we will have to bear the stigma of a country with a high incidence of infectious diseases and suffer contempt and disgust from foreigners.

Zhang Heping, who is behind this matter, deserves death!
If Zhang Heping could hear the voice of Tom, the head of the Magnesium Embassy, ​​he would definitely argue that the Heping Group just wanted to sell some AIDS-related test strips, blocking drugs, etc.

Unfortunately, Zhang Heping couldn't hear it.

He is currently in the living room of Director Wang's home, meeting with representatives from Guangdong Province, Beihu Province, and Shanghai.

"This is what's going on. The higher-ups want the Nuclear Engineering Group to take over the construction of these 14 nuclear power plants. The power grid construction will be handled by the State Grid Corporation, and the Internet and communications construction will be handed over to the Postal Corporation." Huang Xuemin said with a frown, then looked at Zhang Heping nervously and hopefully.

Zhang Heping shook his head slightly. "I heard that the Nuclear Industry Department will be withdrawn, and the relevant personnel will be incorporated into the Nuclear Industry Group."

Having said this, Zhang Heping paused, because everyone present was an old hand in the officialdom. Only Liu Yuan and Huang Wenli on the side reacted a little slowly. It took them a while to understand the other meaning of these words.

Those who are now blocking the construction of additional thorium-based molten salt reactor nuclear power plants will soon be transferred to the Nuclear Industry Group to become stumbling blocks!

"We also have a nuclear power research institute in Shanghai!" The head of Shanghai's investment promotion team looked at the head of Guangdong's investment promotion team and said, "Huadu also has a nuclear power research institute. Can we establish a three-party joint venture nuclear power company with Heping Investment?"

Zhang Heping shook his head again, "Taxes are a big problem!"

An investment of more than 10 billion yuan, not to mention the dividends in the future, the taxes paid alone are enough to make people jealous.

If a tripartite joint venture nuclear power company is established, in which city will the company's headquarters be located to pay taxes?

When it comes to the issue of paying taxes, the leaders of the investment promotion representatives from the three places looked at each other and noticed the reluctance in each other's eyes!
"The original intention of those people is to delay time!" Huang Xuemin, the leader of Beihu Province's investment promotion team, frowned and said, "Even if they sign an agreement with Peace Investment, they will find a lot of excuses to delay until the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant is completed and put into use."

"Peace!" Director Wang interrupted, "Haven't you been to the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant before? How is the construction going there?"

Zhang Heping responded: "Many of the equipment and parts there need to be self-developed and produced. If all goes well, it should be completed within three years."

Zhang Heping would definitely not agree to build nuclear power plants in Guangdong Province and Beihu Province three years later.

He is now training his staff in a hurry so that he can successfully put smartphones into production in two or three years and then monopolize the global mobile phone market.

When other countries sue it for monopoly, it will then disassemble the products and sell the chips, motherboards, and cameras, and build several mobile phone brand assembly plants in the country for export and sales!
Several people were silent for a while, and Zhang Heping suddenly stood up, "You three parties continue to communicate with the higher-ups. I will register a nuclear power company in Hong Kong Island tomorrow to put pressure on them!"

"If it really doesn't work, I will use this nuclear power company to invest in nuclear power plants in your three places. At worst, I will hold 100% of the shares and then pay taxes to you three places."

Hearing this, the leaders of the investment promotion representatives from Guangdong Province, Beihu Province, and Shanghai all stood up excitedly. As long as the taxes are still collected locally, it can be regarded as their successful investment promotion and their political achievement!

During this period, the central and local finances had been separated. The reason why the investment promotion representatives from Guangdong Province, Beihu Province, and Shanghai were so excited was because the taxes from the nuclear power plants invested by Zhang Heping alone or in cooperation with local governments went to the local governments.

If the Nuclear Industry Group and Peace Investment jointly build a nuclear power plant, the relevant taxes and dividends will have nothing to do with the local area!

After Zhang Heping discovered that the Nuclear Industry Group deliberately delayed, he thought of these local officials, and then of the various local protection policies he had heard of in his previous life.

Therefore, he wants to take advantage of the desire of these places to develop the local economy as quickly as possible and promote the construction of thorium-based molten salt reactor nuclear power plants.

The twists and turns in the officialdom are endless. Even though Captain Zhang, who had resigned from office many years ago, had not experienced many of the dirty things himself, he could still get a general idea of ​​them at a glance.

Especially, those left-handed people who worship foreign things and fawn on foreigners nowadays!

If they hadn't prompted the Chinese to get in touch with domestic chip technology, Zhang Heping wouldn't have had to go to all the trouble to set up a college and a secret factory in Shenzhen!

Wouldn’t it be better to directly engage in R&D and sales, which have the highest profits at both ends of the “smile curve”, and leave the lowest-profit manufacturing to domestic companies, like Tingmei Trading and Tingmei Health Factory?
Seeing that Director Wang was silent, Liu Yuan hurriedly said, "Heping, you promised before that you would build a nuclear power company in Shenzhen!"

"The nuclear power company is located in Hong Kong Island, and the branch is in Shenzhen. Otherwise, there will be no deterrent effect!" Zhang Heping said disapprovingly: "I didn't want to develop a controlled nuclear fusion device so early. It's a waste of energy!"

Director Wang and Huang Xuemin did not understand what controlled nuclear fusion meant. Liu Yuan and the Guangdong investment promotion team were still thinking about it. Only the Shanghai investment promotion team and Huang Wenli showed surprise on their faces.

After leaving Villa No. 2, Zhang Heping felt that an empty shell nuclear power company was not enough of a deterrent. After all, he had no nuclear power technical talent under his command, unless he provided technology and initiated a global bidding.

So, he rode a motorcycle to the Peace Precision Instrument Factory, and in front of a group of programmers in the factory, he made many optimizations to the system of the laboratory's fifth-generation smartphone, and then took away this smart touch-screen experimental machine with smoother operation...

(End of this chapter)