Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 297, Section 295: Government Procurement
The dinner was held at "Jingshe," a secluded spot deep within East Lake.

This is a teahouse converted from an old-style residence. With its white walls and black tiles, it is hidden among the bamboo forest and is extremely secluded.

Navigation will become blurry at this point, and you will need to rely on specific markers to find it.

The next day, He Min and Zhou Mingyuan arrived at the place fifteen minutes early.

Guided by the waiter, we walked through a winding courtyard and arrived at a private room called Tingsong.

The private room was decorated in an elegant and sophisticated style.

A huge wooden tea table occupies the center, on which are placed exquisite purple clay teapots and Ru kiln teacups, and the air is filled with the mellow aroma unique to aged Pu'er tea.

A traditional Chinese ink painting of a landscape hangs on the wall, its artistic conception ethereal and tranquil.

In the corner, a wisp of sandalwood fragrance rises gently from an antique-style incense burner.

Li Jianguo and Liu Wenhua arrived almost one after the other, both dressed in casual jackets, less aloof than usual and more approachable.

Seeing Zhou Mingyuan already seated, Li Jianguo smiled and pointed to the seat opposite the tea table.

"Xiao Zhou is here. Sit down, make yourself at home, don't be shy."

Then, two other guests arrived.

According to Liu Wenhua's introduction, one of them is Zhao Zhigang, the director of the Housing and Construction Bureau of East Lake High-tech Development Zone. He is around fifty years old, slightly overweight, with sharp eyes and a cautious temperament cultivated from years of approving projects.

The other two are Qian Weidong, deputy director of the Finance Bureau, and Huang Fan, branch manager of a branch in the High-tech Zone.

As I said before, it's a small circle, just casual get-togethers.

Therefore, there was no business card exchange, making introductions simple and direct, as if everyone was naturally meant to be this familiar.

"Director Zhao, Director Qian, President Huang, I've heard so much about you. I'm Zhou Mingyuan from Mingli Company."

Zhou Mingyuan stood up and shook hands with the newly acquainted leaders, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.

The tea master was a serene young woman who skillfully scalded the cups, washed the tea, brewed the tea, and served the tea. Her movements were fluid and graceful. Then she quietly left and closed the door behind her.

This left the space entirely to these few of their own people.

The conversation unfolded slowly amidst the fragrant aroma of tea.

In the initial stage, the topic was like floating tea leaves, seemingly aimless.

From recent trends in the domestic macroeconomy to the overall development plan for Jiangcheng over the next five years; from a public issue that sparked heated discussions to some harmless anecdotes circulating within the system.

The atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious.

Zhou Mingyuan was well aware of his own position.

The straight man (or supporting role in a comedy duo).

In such situations, he is usually an excellent listener.

With focused eye contact and timely nods, he demonstrated great interest and respect.

He certainly wasn't in a hurry to show off, but instead carefully captured the information that might be contained in every word, observing the leaders' expressions, tone of voice, and interaction methods.

The world of martial arts is like an old, worn-out bracelet that has been woven and polished over and over again.

In fact, for many young entrepreneurs, the weakest link when starting from scratch is always public relations.

This is something that entrepreneurs often only realize in their thirties or forties.

Big people and small people are like beads; big transactions and small interests are like the string.

Starting with Liu Wenhua and supported by business, Zhou Mingyuan gradually became acquainted with this bracelet.

Li Jianguo, the head of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, is the absolute core of the circle.

He usually controls the pace and direction of the conversation.

Seemingly casual conversation can often lead to the key points of the content.

Liu Wenhua, on the other hand, played the role of a lubricant and supplementer, no longer the serious and earnest elder brother figure, but occasionally cracking jokes to liven up the atmosphere and steer the conversation to more specific levels.

Zhao Zhigang doesn't talk much, but every time he does, he gets straight to the heart of the matter. Qian Weidong and Huang Fan are even more down-to-earth.

When they talked, money was the topic of every sentence, showing that they were very interested in emerging business models, and their words were full of considerations for efficiency and rules.

As the tea was being brewed for the second time, and the flavor became increasingly mellow, Li Jianguo seemed to casually turn his gaze to Zhou Mingyuan, as if speaking to everyone present.

"That police-enterprise cooperation project that Xiao Zhou organized before."

He picked up the small teacup and took a sip.

"I had Wen Hua check the subsequent data, and it really is impressive."

"The key is that the people are buying it, the complaint rate has decreased, and satisfaction has increased."

"This is very rare."

He put down his teacup and tapped the table lightly with his finger.

"Now the higher authorities are repeatedly emphasizing the modernization of governance capabilities and systems, and stressing the need for innovation and effectiveness."

"I think Xiao Zhou and his team have found the right path."

These words were spoken in a calm tone, sounding as if they were stating a fact.

Everyone here is a shrewd person; they can all sense the weight of what's going on.

Those who manage to rise to a minor official position within the system often possess a highly refined art of speaking.

This is not just an affirmation, but a clear endorsement and recommendation.

Li Jianguo didn't use a commanding tone, but he had already pointed out the general direction.

I think this direction is correct!
"You other departments can also think about whether there are any ways to combine with Mingli Company and innovate your working methods."

The last sentence had just been uttered.

Zhao Zhigang immediately took over the conversation.

He looked at Zhou Mingyuan with great interest.

"What Secretary Li said does remind me of some headaches."

Zhao Zhigang leaned forward slightly.

“Our district has developed rapidly in recent years, and we have heavy tasks of land acquisition, demolition, and project construction.”

"There are also many related conflicts and disputes, especially those involving compensation standards, contract disputes, and migrant workers' wages. These are very difficult to handle, consume a lot of administrative resources, and are prone to triggering mass incidents."

“The people in our bureau only understand policies, but they are completely lacking in legal expertise, especially in litigation and mediation experience. They are definitely not as good as you professionals.”

"Not to mention the courts, the troubles we've had with them these past few years are indescribable."

Zhao Zhigang cleared his throat, seemingly thinking about how to organize his thoughts.

"Xiao Zhou, look, I've actually discussed this matter with Secretary Li. Do you think it's possible for us to explore a cooperation model?"

"For example, in some key projects, we can bring in your Mingli Company's legal team to get involved in advance, conduct risk assessments, participate in on-site mediation, and provide legal advice?"

"Or consider establishing a regular legal support mechanism through government procurement of services."

"This is much more proactive and effective than waiting for legal experts to assess the situation after problems arise."

This is a very specific question.

To be specific, even Zhou Mingyuan didn't expect the other party to be so meticulous about the business.

"The question raised by Director Zhao is very crucial, and it is indeed an area where we can play a role."

"Intervening early and resolving issues at the source is the trend of modern legal services."

"But what are your specific needs?"

(End of this chapter)