Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

In the early morning, the streets of the city were covered with a thin layer of white frost.

Inside the National Development and Reform Commission building, the once calm High-Tech Industry Department was suddenly thrown into turmoil by the sudden "transfer" of a project.

Liu Ming sat in his newly moved-in office, with a cup of steaming tea beside him.

"Knock knock".

The knocking was rhythmic, carrying a hint of triumphant urgency.

"Enter."

Liu Ming put down her teacup without even lifting her eyelids.

Zhao Ruihu walked in with a beaming smile, carrying an incredibly thick file folder.

"Good morning, Director Liu."

Zhao Ruihu pulled out a chair and sat down, his movements extremely natural, as if he were the master of the place.

"I just received a notification from the ministry that the 'Zeus Project,' which has been jointly promoted by several departments, has been officially transferred to our department."

He slammed the file bag down in front of Liu Ming, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

"This is the ministry's 'Number One Project,' a top-tier chip project involving Sino-foreign joint ventures."

"Originally, Director Lu was personally overseeing it, but Director Lu said, 'Director Liu, you are a top student from Imperial College and the youngest and most capable person in the province.'"

"You're the only one who can handle this kind of tough challenge."

Liu Ming looked at the file folder but didn't rush to reach for it.

He knew it better than anyone else.

The "Zeus Project" is notorious in the city's circles as a "scam king".

This project has been under discussion for three whole years.

The foreign party is the global technology giant M Group, which holds the most core architecture patents.

China has invested tens of billions of yuan in research and development funds, but so far it hasn't even been able to get inside the laboratory.

Foreign parties have been exploiting technological barriers to reap huge profits from Chinese subsidies, while refusing to provide any substantial core technologies.

This is a complete mess.

Whoever takes the blame will be held responsible.

Whoever organizes it will get scolded.

"Did Director Lu say that himself?"

Liu Ming looked at Zhao Ruilong and asked a question with a half-smile.

"Of course, it was decided in black and white at the ministerial meeting."

Zhao Ruihu stood up impatiently and straightened his suit.

"Mr. Thomas, the chief representative from the foreign side, has been waiting in the meeting room for half an hour."

"Director Liu, that person has a rather bad temper. If it jeopardizes 'international friendship,' none of us can afford to take the blame."

Liu Ming stood up, casually picked up the file bag, and patted off the dust.

"Okay, let's go meet him."

……

Third floor, VIP reception room number one.

The decor here is extremely luxurious, with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists hanging on the walls, and the carpets so thick that you can't make a sound when you step on them.

A tall, white man with blond hair, blue eyes, and a hooked nose was sitting on the sofa.

His name is Thomas, CEO of M Group Greater China.

At that moment, Thomas was nonchalantly smoking a cigar, the smoke swirling under the expensive chandelier.

Two junior staff members responsible for serving tea and water huddled in a corner, barely daring to breathe.

"Bang."

The door was pushed open.

Liu Ming walked in, followed by Zhao Ruihu, who had a look of amusement on his face, and several trembling section chiefs.

Thomas didn't even budge an inch.

He glanced at Liu Ming sideways, then exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

"You're the new person in charge?"

Thomas spoke in extremely broken Chinese, yet with a heavy air of arrogance.

"I filed a complaint against the previous Director Wang because of his 'efficiency issues'."

"I wish you were a little bit smarter."

As he spoke, he reached out and pointed to a supplementary agreement on the table.

"This is our headquarters' latest requirement."

"Given the current global inflation, we request that China provide an additional $200 million in technical consulting fees on top of the existing amount."

"At the same time, the management of the joint venture must be fully controlled by our M Group."

"Otherwise, we do not guarantee the next phase of patent licensing."

They're asking for an exorbitant amount.

Blatant extortion.

Zhao Ruihu sat to the side, leisurely drinking tea, his eyes full of mockery.

He is waiting.

Wait for Liu Ming to explode.

Or, wait for Liu Ming to back down.

If Liu Ming gets angry, it will disrupt the overall situation of attracting investment, and he can immediately go to the ministry to complain.

If Liu Ming signs the contract, it would be a betrayal of national interests, and this contract would be Liu Ming's political death knell.

This was a deadly trap he had meticulously designed.

Liu Ming did not speak.

He walked straight to the seat opposite Thomas and sat down.

He took the supplementary agreement, which was entirely in English, and slowly flipped through it.

The sound of pages turning was particularly clear in the quiet reception room.

Thomas looked at Liu Ming, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes.

"Mr. Liu, my time is very valuable."

"If you don't understand, I can have my translator explain it to you."

"But I don't think it's necessary. You just need to sign on the last page."

Liu Ming finally turned to the last page.

He looked up, his gaze lingering on Thomas's arrogant face for three seconds.

"Mr. Thomas."

Liu Ming spoke, and surprisingly, she used an extremely pure, even aristocratic, London accent in English.

"Your contract is 'brilliantly' written."

Thomas was stunned.

He was surprised to find that this seemingly native-born young man was more fluent in English than him.

"Oh? It seems Mr. Liu is a knowledgeable person."

Thomas toned down his arrogance slightly, but only a little.

"Since you know what you're doing, then sign it."

Liu Ming did not pick up a pen.

He simply flicked the contract lightly with his long, slender fingers.

"When I was studying in London, I studied the financial statements of your M Group."

"If I remember correctly, your so-called 'Zeus architecture' was already facing an antitrust investigation in Europe three years ago, wasn't it?"

Thomas's expression changed slightly.

"and."

Liu Ming's voice turned cold.

"Article 14, paragraph 3 of this contract conceals an extremely despicable debt trap."

"Once the joint venture becomes profitable, you will have the right to withdraw funds first to repay your overseas debts, while the Chinese side's dividends will be postponed indefinitely."

"In Imperial College's legal cases, this type of contract is usually referred to as... 'colonial trade hegemony'."

Liu Ming stood up.

His movements were slow, yet they carried an overwhelming sense of pressure.

This aura is the imposing presence he has cultivated time and again in the high-tech zone of Ningzhou and in the mines of Qingyun County.

Zhao Ruihu's hand holding the teacup trembled violently.

He had assumed that Liu Ming was just a knowledgeable official.

But he forgot that Liu Ming was a top strategist who could fool even German giants until their legs went weak.

"Liu! What do you mean by this?"

Thomas slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his fair face turning a deep purplish-red.

"You need the technology! We're the only ones in the world who can provide it!"

"If you reject this agreement, you are rejecting the future of China's chip industry!"

"future?"

Liu Ming laughed, a laugh that was completely unrestrained.

He suddenly reached out and grabbed the thick supplementary agreement.

then.

Under the horrified gazes of all the section chiefs.

Under Zhao Ruihu's incredulous gaze.

Amid Thomas's hysterical outburst.

Liu Ming didn't even glance at it.

He exerted force on his wrist.

"Rip—!!!"

That contract, which represented the prestige of a multinational giant and hundreds of millions of dollars in profit, was torn in half to pieces by him!

White scraps of paper, like butterflies fluttering down, landed on the luxurious carpet.

Liu Ming casually picked up the trash can next to her.

He swept all the fragments away expressionlessly.

"Bang!"

The trash can was kicked hard at Thomas's feet.

"Mr. Thomas."

Liu Ming leaned closer to him, and that cold gaze belonging to the "Dragon Fang" Asura made Thomas feel as if he were being strangled by the Grim Reaper in that instant.

"Go back and tell your headquarters."

"Times have changed."

"The era when you could trade two bones for a cow died a hundred years ago."

"You think you're even qualified to discuss this garbage treaty?"

Liu Ming turned around and strode towards the door.

He stopped abruptly halfway down, and without turning around, said to Zhao Ruihu, who was already frozen in shock:

"Deputy Director Zhao."

"Remember to clean up the trash here."

"Too stinky."

After saying that, he opened the mahogany door and, amidst the desolate silence, strode away.

Only left.

Zhao Ruihu's old face was completely distorted by extreme fear and shock.

And Thomas.

In the cold wind.

A trembling anger.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Everyone knows.

The sky over this city.

I'm afraid so.

I'm really impressed by this young man.

It's been exposed.

You think you're worthy of discussing such an unequal treaty?

In the corridor after Liu Ming left.

Only the sound of his steady, rhythmic footsteps could be heard.

On the cold marble.

Wandering.