Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 326 Swift as the Wind
There was a long silence.

Not to mention Leader Huang, even Cai Zhijian was unaware that the chairman had been reviewing documents day and night in his office for the past two days and had actually come up with such a grand blueprint!
After Chen Xuebing finished speaking, he looked somewhat tired.

This was the first time he had combined some scattered information he had gathered based on his interests from his previous life with the intelligence system he had in this life to complete a development plan.

The only person present was Bi Yaxiong, a Western Power Grid expert, who was pulled into Chen Xuebing's office several times amidst his busy schedule to verify the formulation of this plan.

Therefore, Bi Yaxiong feels that his current job is more meaningful than before!
Huang's secretary had already realized what was going on, so she picked up her notebook, stood in front of the map, and frantically took notes without any hesitation.

As Leader Huang gazed at the grand blueprint unfolding before him, a surge of excitement welled up within him, only to be quickly dashed back by countless practical challenges.

“Xuebing,” he addressed her, his form of address changing. “The blueprint is beautiful, but cross-provincial cooperation, especially with resources like railways, ports, and customs clearance falling under the jurisdiction of different departments and provinces, is extremely difficult to coordinate. The Ministry of Railways, the General Administration of Customs, Sichuan, Chongqing—so many stakeholders, each with different interests. How do you think a concrete coordination mechanism for this 'shared logistics warehouse' and 'one-stop customs clearance' should be established? Who should take the lead?”

"Especially the Qingbaijiang Railway Port you mentioned. As far as I know, it's currently just a regional freight station, far from reaching the scale of a 'railway port' and an international freight train hub that you described. Building such a hub involves huge investments, land acquisition, and planning approvals."

"You're saying that Chengdu is becoming a transit point for Chongqing, and that Chongqing goods are being transshipped through Ziyang to Sichuan via water and land transport. Does this mean that some of the functions of Chongqing Port will be diverted to Chengdu? Won't the core value of Chongqing's hard-won international port status and international freight train qualification be diluted?"

"The idea of ​​a transportation brand like 'Chengdu-Chongqing' is excellent, but under this brand, how can we ensure that Chongqing's industrial advantages are fully developed, rather than becoming a source of goods for Chengdu? Why should Chongqing's high-value-added product exports rely on Chengdu?"

The barrage of questions stopped there, because in the context of cooperation within the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, such remarks were somewhat protectionist and out of place.

But he still had many questions in his mind that he didn't ask.

"You're right, barriers are a reality. But global competition and inland opening up are inevitable trends. Individual cities cannot become international hubs by going it alone. Chengdu will find it difficult to break through geographical limitations, and Chongqing will find it difficult to do so. Chengdu and Chongqing are not dependent on each other. Only by integrating resources can they form an inland international logistics channel that can compete with the coastal port clusters and attract more global industries to set up operations in the southwest! The bigger the pie, the larger the absolute share that Chongqing will get."

Chen Xuebing laughed after saying this, because when he mentioned "making the cake bigger," he inexplicably thought of a young man from Chongqing who had a crooked mouth and said he wanted to make the rap cake bigger.

In his view, this really has a hip-hop spirit: don't overthink it, just do it.

Countries are becoming increasingly familiar with the WTO agreements, and the first island chain in the Pacific urgently needs to be broken through. The national foreign trade strategy has long been targeting land routes. With two provincial-level regions taking the lead, there is no need to submit reports. As long as there is a sign, the supporting policies will naturally follow.

"Coordination of mechanisms is indeed a challenge, but I think that in the early stages of the plan, there is no need to coordinate with ministries. As long as Sichuan and Chongqing reach an agreement, that will be fine. The municipal government can first communicate with the Sichuan government to get some results and gradually expand the project. As for how to communicate, that is your business. Anyway, my project needs to be launched immediately."

The initial purpose of today's conversation was to leverage Chongqing's influence to speak directly with the Sichuan provincial government; otherwise, negotiating and acquiring land piecemeal would be extremely inefficient.

He accepted Bi Yaxiong's advice: rushing to organize manpower and go out to negotiate within three days was not the best approach. Time should be spent on the first step. If the first step is done well, the rest will be faster.

The first step is to connect with the province.

After a moment's thought, he provided a specific path:

"My suggestion—and this is just a suggestion—is to bypass the cumbersome mechanisms. We could use the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle talks as a model to establish a provincial-level coordination group plus a market-oriented platform company. The coordination group would be led by leaders from both sides to resolve planning and policy obstacles. The platform company would be jointly funded by Chongqing businesses, Sichuan enterprises, and logistics giants to be responsible for the construction and operation of specific projects, operating according to market rules, starting with easier projects and progressing to more difficult ones, using relatively feasible specific projects as demonstration breakthroughs for the macro concept."

"For example, with this Ziyang transit center, if everyone contributes a little, the framework can be set up, right?"

“If the two places coordinate their efforts on transportation routes and stations, and gradually incorporate government investment, it will become a market-driven activity that doesn’t require so many approvals.”

Upon hearing this, Leader Huang gave a knowing chuckle.

"So it's back in your hands again?"

Chen Xuebing immediately shook his head: "You're overthinking it. I've been busy with investment and construction lately, and I also need to expand my team. I really don't have time. Besides, I'm moving out soon, so it's not appropriate for me to continue representing Chongqing businessmen in such a deep way. I'm just making a suggestion. If the municipal government adopts it, I happen to have invested in a JD.com company that's involved in logistics. We could have them come to Ziyang and invest 200 to 300 million yuan to build a regional transit warehouse to enrich the business."

JD.com's next step is definitely to enter the Southwest. If it can build a "Sichuan-Chongqing distribution and logistics warehouse" in line with the policies, it can save a lot of money in terms of land price and tax policy. Moreover, one warehouse can distribute to two regions, and it can also participate in major regional decisions and enhance its relationship with the two regions. This is a benefit for a company that does not have social status.

Even companies like Tencent and Alibaba can hardly be considered influential these days. They don't pay much tax, don't provide many jobs, have overseas structures, and are full of people who like to make wild pronouncements and lack political awareness.

Now, perhaps only Baidu, backed by the elite circle of Beijing and having fired the first shot in becoming a Nasdaq component stock, can improve China's image and thus be considered somewhat respectable.

In contrast, JD.com's operating model creates a large number of jobs, and Dongzi (JD.com's founder) likes to pay social security for his employees. With his support, they might be able to benefit from policy dividends in the future and enter the top tier of e-commerce companies.

Once the Groupon concept emerged in the US and navigation maps developed, there will be another major battle between group buying and food delivery.

If Dongzi is obedient
This interface doesn't necessarily have to go through Meituan.

When Huang heard about "JD.com's investment" and Chen Xuebing's desire to leave, he felt uneasy.

Now, all three companies in the stock market are poised for significant growth, and Spreadtrum Communications, which is controlled by Chen Xuebing, is also poised to become a leading telecommunications company.

While other local leaders might not know what Gu'an was doing, he knew perfectly well that this group company was just too young to be listed. Once it reached the point of listing, it would definitely soar to new heights and be able to compete with comprehensive giants like China Resources or even CITIC Group.

The name is quite grand, Gu An. At first, he thought it was a bit awkward to pronounce, but now he thinks that the name is full of ambition and can be compared with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange's "Hua An Investment".

The more he thought about it, the more he felt he needed to firmly grasp this company.

Even if we can't stop him from leaving, we must keep his business focus in Chongqing!

"If you don't represent Chongqing businesspeople, then who does?"

With his hands behind his back and a serious expression, Leader Huang said, “You’re from Chongqing, so wherever you go, you’re a Chongqing businessman! Don’t forget your roots!”

When Chen Xuebing heard the leader suddenly start talking about value, he could only manage a dry laugh.

"What I mean is that our company doesn't need this transportation line. It should be the car companies like Changan, Qingling, and Lifan, and companies like Changhong and Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group in Sichuan that take the lead in investing in it. Besides, I don't have any money left! If you want me to invest, just pretend I didn't say anything!"

“You told me three minutes ago that you wanted to be a pioneer. What, you don’t want to be one anymore?” Leader Huang asked rhetorically, then patted Chen Xuebing on the shoulder and said, “You came up with the idea, and it was a great one! But since you came up with the idea, you have to take responsibility. Don’t just think about getting everyone to support your real estate project.”

Leader Huang knew exactly what Chen Xuebing was after; he simply wanted to take advantage of the policies in both regions to obtain some preferential treatment.

There are plenty of national science and technology subsidies, but real estate subsidies are not so easy to obtain.

For such a large project, as long as we can get some preferential treatment in taxes and subsidies, we can save at least several hundred million yuan.

He thought for a moment, then said:

“I think that no matter whether the Chengdu-Chongqing transportation brand deal goes through or not, the Ziyang transit center is worth doing! You’ve already been involved in this, and you’re in charge of the private financing for the bonded logistics park. That’s perfect. I’ll talk to the senior official Zhang from Sichuan, and you can represent the private financing partners in Chongqing to negotiate with the companies in both places. As long as you can secure the initial investment for the project, it will be a great achievement. We’ll help you get the best terms for your Sichuan project!”

Chen Xuebing hesitated for a moment. He had originally planned to work on the subsidy himself, as long as Chongqing made a phone call for him and gave him a channel to communicate with Sichuan Province to buy land.

He didn't originally intend to make any money from this project.

To put it bluntly, this is a long-term investment. As long as his project survives the earthquake, his real estate products will be the benchmark for a considerable period of time when the country emphasizes the seismic resistance of buildings. No matter how expensive they are, countless customers will still be willing to pay.

But now he's suddenly a business representative and has to do the work.

Well, I'll take whatever I can get; consider it a reward for my hard work.

"We need to have advantages in terms of land use! And I can only guarantee that it will be successful, not the scale!" Chen Xuebing made this clear from the outset.

Leader Huang neither confirmed nor denied, but pointed to the map:
"Tell me your thoughts on the Qingbaijiang railway port in more detail."

Chen Xuebing pressed his finger heavily on the location of Qingbaijiang on the map, leaving an invisible mark.

Then, ripples spread out.

The leader's actions far exceeded Chen Xuebing's expectations, and communication with Sichuan reached a substantive level almost the next day.

The suggestion of "provincial coordination group + market-oriented platform company" was quickly adopted and refined, and the "Chengdu-Chongqing Logistics Hub Joint Working Group" was established with astonishing efficiency.

Over the next ten days, the chill of late autumn in Chongqing gradually transformed into the biting cold of early winter. However, in this slightly chilly air, a wind he had personally ignited was brewing at an astonishing speed and began to sweep through every corner of the Gu'an Group.

Outside the window, there was a thin mist over the mountain city.

Inside the window, several directors watched as wisps of white smoke rose from the cigarettes between their fingers.

Everyone remained silent, waiting for Chen Xuebing behind his desk to finish the phone call.

"Okay, okay, thank you for your trouble, Director Xian."

"I'll lead a team to Sichuan tomorrow."

"Okay, has the meeting date been set?"

"No problem, I'll be there on time."

Chen Xuebing, beaming, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, listened patiently to the other person's words, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then hung up the phone.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Yesterday it was the construction department of a neighboring province, and today it's the transportation department.

"Chairman, the logistics game between Sichuan and Chongqing is progressing at breakneck speed!" Bi Yaxiong exclaimed. "We're still working on the structure of the engineering and materials departments, while they're already setting up their offices!"

"Yes!" Kan Zhidong stubbed out his cigarette heavily in the ashtray. "It's only been a few days! The first cross-provincial working office in the country is almost finalized! Even Shenzhen doesn't get things done this fast!"

Chen Xuebing calmly explained, “Policy coordination is crucial for connecting the past and the future. Take this year’s protection of migrant workers’ rights, for example. It was preceded by the ‘Several Opinions on Solving the Problems of Migrant Workers’ in January, followed by the wage payment monitoring system and the wage guarantee deposit system. In the second half of the year, migrant workers were included in the full coverage of work injury insurance, and the Labor Law will be promulgated soon. Policies are set out one by one and then implemented step by step. Chongqing and Sichuan want to work hard in the last two months to try to put this matter on the agenda of next year’s Two Sessions. When the People’s Congress reviews this year’s government work report, it will be a highlight. The achievements will be implemented next year, which can be considered a bridge between the past and the future.”

Kan Zhidong shook his head with a smile: "Tsk, you've figured out this trick more and more thoroughly. It seems like the relocation won't be going to happen this year?"

Things come and go with the wind.

Chen Xuebing said slowly.

Having received some definite answers from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Transportation and the Sichuan Provincial Department of Construction, he seemed relaxed again, pressing F5 on the keyboard to refresh the Singularity official website press conference video webpage on his computer.

The "Pre-sale" page will close for orders in a few days. The backend order data has already exceeded 10 units, and a "refund" function has been enabled for the last ten days, giving users who regretted their orders a chance. A slightly playful announcement was also released:

"Impulsive consumption is not encouraged, but Qidian's users are lucky. We not only sell mobile phones, but also 'regret pills'."

Although this move resulted in more than 4000 order cancellations on the first day, it also garnered widespread praise in the comments section of the launch event video.

"I was initially worried that new domestic brands might be unreliable, but seeing that I can get a refund makes me feel much more at ease. I've already placed my order!"

"Domestic manufacturers are starting to overtake their competitors by taking a shortcut, not only in hardware (the product launch looked good), but also in service concepts!"

"President Chen's character is absolutely top-notch! He's definitely someone I can work with!"

"I was short on cash but reluctantly cancelled the order. The refund arrived instantly without any haggling. Qidian's service is really great. When I have the money, I'll definitely support their next generation!"

Lu Weibing opened the refund channel because he felt that the price of 3999 was too low. Those who placed orders on the website are all potential customers of Qidian. Once the phone is officially on sale and reviews are published, they may buy it at an even higher price.

This is also a kind of confidence.

The Kunlun system is constantly being improved, and the overseas team of Qidian has also set off to equip the Kirin phone with better and cheaper components. Lu Weibing believes that it will be well received after its official release, and it will sell very well at 4299 on JD.com and 4599 in offline experience stores.

However, Chen Xuebing's subsequent notification dealt him a devastating blow:
Now that the 100 million yuan prepayment for 100,000 mobile phones has been received, and China Mobile is also required to prepay 50% of the 5.25 million yuan deposit, then the subsequent pre-production, R&D investment, and opening of "3G Magic Cube" stores can be handled by ourselves. The IC design team will also be supported by Qidian from now on, as the group has not had money to support Qidian for nearly half a year.

Lu Weibing felt like his world had collapsed. He had been complaining incessantly lately, and people were trying to find various reasons to get him to go to Shenzhen.

They've probably set up a elaborate scam for him, a classic case of feigning poverty.

I definitely won't go.

There are many things to do next.

"This trip to Sichuan might resolve many issues. We'll all be working together to help General Bi set up the frontline command headquarters. If I have time, I'll also be going abroad before the new year."

"I may not be at the group for a long time."

"Mr. Cai, you need to start learning how to do housework."

(End of this chapter)