My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 502 Never Be the First to Stick Your Head Out

Wei Dong didn't trick the Hong Kong businessmen into falling for his tricks.

He got Lao Geng's calculation: "The construction period should normally be around three years. We've extended it a bit. I heard that the river tunnel will be open to traffic in another three or four years. Before that, it's almost impossible to have enough consumers. We'll wait until the tunnel is completed before putting it on the market. I believe the groundwork laid in these few years will be much better. If you all feel you're losing out by then, you can sell it to me based on your investment, and I'll take over!"

The seasoned veterans laughed heartily, mocking the young man for being too cunning, thinking he was just waiting to reap the rewards.

They are not worried about the mainland market, but rather about force majeure events such as policy changes.

Wei Dong patted his chest and said, "Occupying this area will definitely bring huge benefits. Just the fact that we haven't collected any land fees yet is worth a fortune. So, this matter is settled. Let's go over and negotiate the signing now?"

Everyone was a little surprised, but they got up and started walking. Their group of assistants and others quickly exchanged a few words.

Actually, we could just go to the government building, which is a few buildings away, and walk there.

The elevator wasn't fully repaired yet, so we went down the narrow stairs.

You can also see floors that are being renovated, tidied up, or even bustling with activity as people eagerly begin working.

Just like the vibrant life that the entire mainland presents.

Old Zhang, who had just arrived, seized the opportunity to come over and slip Wei Dong a photo album.

Just before the end of this year, during the Spring Festival, the Liujin Building was topped out and completed, at least the entire exterior decoration was finished.

The bottom seven layers are made of white marble, and the top seventeen layers are covered with black marble.

In the city center, where there is only one fifteen-story building across the street, it stands out above all others.

Is its appearance eye-catching or not?

The master craftsmen at Liujin Photo Studio must have put in a lot of effort to create various artistic works for their own building.

From near to far, from low to high, from city views to backgrounds, the film also caters to Wei Dong's tastes, with a storyline full of everyday life.

Especially when you climb up to the rooftop garden on the fifteenth floor opposite and take a full-body photo of the Golden Mansion from mid-air, it makes it even more noticeable that Sister Qiuxiang has emerged from the surrounding desolate landscape.

It filled the entire book.

This is the most visually appealing presentation of Wei Dong's building to date.

Wu Shengyun unintentionally increased the decoration costs of the entire building's exterior, turning this 24-story building into the tallest building in Jiangzhou.

Even though Animal Village previously delivered two 23-story commercial and residential buildings, the difference in building area was not significant.

However, this kind of appearance is far from stunning.

To satisfy Wei Dong, he should bring it along and present it as a demonstration when visiting and negotiating in Shanghai.

He knew in his heart that the Shanghai authorities would definitely welcome Pudong Investment with open arms.

The introduction of funds is secondary; this is a huge support for reform and opening up and for the development of Pudong.

In a place as large as Shanghai, there must be all sorts of calculations involved.

But this overall situation urgently needs support.

So even without prior notice, they quickly gathered for a meeting.

Let Wei Dong say it, but more importantly, he has a vision in mind: "The Bund's collection of international buildings is truly beautiful, but it's the result of economic development before liberation. We need to build a more modern and beautiful 'New Bund' on the other side, showcasing the tremendous progress made since the reform and opening up, and letting the whole world see our booming financial and economic landscape..."

This idea will seem perfectly natural to netizens thirty or forty years from now.

In 1986, one needed a powerful and resounding self-confidence, and even twenty years later, people were still making sarcastic and cynical claims about how this period of the Republic of China was.

Nostalgia for that was the best of times, and so on.

Wei Dong, however, skillfully skipped over the comprador era dominated by foreign powers and elevated the development of Pudong to the level of proving the advanced nature of reform and opening up.

It definitely hit the nail on the head for everyone in Shanghai, and they all smiled and applauded.

Some even joked and warned, "Since you've said that, you must build a building that's even more beautiful than this one!"
How beautiful is this municipal government building?

It is hailed as the greatest masterpiece of modern Chinese Western classical architecture.

It is also known as "the most exquisite building from the Suez Canal to the Bering Strait in the Far East".

The exterior is a large neoclassical Greek-style building, with the solemn yet elegant and grand design of the White House.

Langbo Bay is part of the entire Bund's collection of international buildings.

It is a majestic building with a main body of five stories and a central section of seven stories. The central dome is designed to resemble the Roman Pantheon.

The key lies in the dome inside this building, which used to be adorned with murals and was very magnificent and beautiful. Standing in it, one would feel as if they had been transported back to the "era of capitalist clamor." In the 1930s, foreign exchange rates were posted here every day, which quickly spread throughout China and became the basis for gold trading prices and the market prices of some import and export goods.

It is truly the location of the economic barometer of the entire Eastern power.

Even seasoned Hong Kong businessmen who have seen it all still couldn't help but admire it. This made them wonder: if my business were to succeed, would it one day be nationalized like this?
Wei Dong's response was that all of these things were outdated, and that we should look at the much more beautiful expanse we've built on the other side of the strait.

Moreover, the implication was that since the whole world was watching, everything had to be done in the most respectable way.

That should dispel any doubts.

Even they couldn't help but cheer along with everyone from Shanghai.

I couldn't be more satisfied.

This young man's vision is undeniable, especially considering that no one else is optimistic about this development strategy.

So when you look at that building in the photo, which is already the most beautiful new building in Jiangzhou, and look at the surrounding gloomy and dilapidated cityscape, this building is like a black jade stone with pure white power, standing out brilliantly in the middle.

It will likely remain a landmark building in Jiangzhou for a long time to come.

This fully demonstrates that Wei Dong truly possesses this construction capability.

The veteran Hong Kong businessmen had actually been observing and paying attention since the Jiangzhou incident, noting that Wei Dong was not a member of the official government and that he still had to bargain and maneuver with officials.

This is clearly the way we interact now.

He doesn't rely on any powerful background or immense wealth; rather, he operates with the kind of operational ability and exceptional vision that businessmen love.

But the most bizarre thing is that people treated him and his child like family at the same time, which is just amazing!

Some people were smiling kindly as they observed the child, proving that Wei Dong had dealt with these people quite a bit.

Speaking of Xiaodie, she is truly extraordinary. Even at a young age, she participated in such a historically significant business negotiation.

Qin Yuye simply acted as a virtuous wife, quietly and calmly taking care of and accompanying the child.

She only offered a gentle thank you when her jeans and shampoo sales were mentioned.

Therefore, the signing of this package of investment and construction agreements proceeded without any major incidents.

The Shanghai side even suggested holding a grand signing ceremony, prompting Wei Dong to express the concerns of the Hong Kong businessmen.

While this is of great significance for Shanghai to showcase its reform and opening-up achievements, attract more investors, and dispel various doubts, the situation in Hong Kong is also complex. The huge investments made by patriotic businessmen in the mainland will still cause a lot of fluctuations. There is no need to create unnecessary trouble at this time. It may be more effective to present it to the outside world after it is almost completed.

Those in Shanghai also nodded in agreement frequently.

Given Shanghai's long history and deep-rooted influence, is it possible that there are no channels to connect with Hong Kong businessmen?

There are plenty.

But people like Xu Rao, no matter how much they pat their chests, can't gain the complete trust of Hong Kong businessmen.

At this level of business, decisions cannot be made based on personal relationships alone.

We still need to consider the interests and the stability of long-term development.

Only Wei Dong can provide it.

His collaboration with Qin Yuye to start a series of ventures, including jeans factories, clothing factories, and printing factories, proved that the commercial economy was truly beginning to take shape.

There were cases of investing in Jiangzhou, starting construction in the Shanghai Electronic Industrial Park, and even building a hotel in Beijing.

All of this proves that Wei Dong was indeed helping them deal with the mainland.

They also have sufficient financial strength, and even the local sales capabilities that they urgently need when coming to the mainland.

Otherwise, if these business investments can't be converted into sales, wouldn't that be like throwing good money after bad?

Wei Dong managed to advance several things by several years, and also prompted Hong Kong businessmen to make significant investments several years earlier.

Now, his protectiveness is even more apparent, and he tries to flatter everyone: "We're investing in a joint venture with A-Dong. Miss Qin is his fiancée, so we can temporarily conceal our involvement. It's just their joint venture that's investing, and we can publicize it openly."

All Wei Dong could think was, "Is this how you repay me?"
I don't want to be like those pigs back then, who, even if they were already very fat, wouldn't present themselves to the public.

He quickly waved his hand: "Let's promote Miss Qin. She already owns shares in Colorful Jeans and Centennial Runfa Shampoo. This is also a successful case of the restructuring of Jiangzhou Cosmetics Factory. In my vision, when the X Building stands, this side should be covered with Centennial Runfa advertisements that are over 100 meters high. Hmm, that would be very interesting. It would evoke images of Shanghai Beach, while also showcasing our modern and progressive image."

He then handed over the advertisement photos of Chow Yun-fat and Qin Yu-ye for everyone to see. Even if they were extremely busy, they must have seen the advertisement that appeared after the news broadcast and had a very deep impression of it.

I was a little surprised to find that the female protagonist in the advertisement was actually the young Hong Kong businesswoman in front of me.

This is where Qin Yuye's strength and talent lie. He calmly and skillfully introduced the sales situation of Colorful Denim in China throughout the year. The shampoo was only launched in December, and in just over a month, it has already sold more than three million bottles.

So, when he finally made a public appearance, took photos with officials in Shanghai, and signed a contract, he really became Qin Yuye.

The next morning, the Shanghai Daily's front page featured the headline: "Chairman of Centennial Runfa Group, together with Shanghai Municipality, signs over 1 billion yuan investment agreement to develop Lujiazui in Pudong!"

Then the news also included a black-and-white news photo of the chairman. When the citizens saw it, they realized that she was the female lead in the shampoo commercial.
Is selling shampoo really that profitable?

(End of this chapter)