Handong: Sha Li wants political achievements? I'll shut down the entire province.

Yi Xuexi sat in the back seat of the dilapidated Jetta taxi, the cold wind seeping into his neck through the cracks in the window.

His rough, large hands clutched tightly to the inside pocket of his old jacket.

Inside was Yan Qingfeng's domineering equity transfer memorandum.

This is also the livelihood of more than 3,000 people in Handong.

Half an hour later, at the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee office building.

Li Dakang's office was filled with smoke, making people cough.

"Old Yi, where have you been?!"

Li Dakang stubbed out his cigarette, braced his hands on the desk, his eyes bloodshot.

"This is a critical moment; we must mobilize the entire city to protect the William Group at all costs!"

Li Dakang gritted his teeth, like a desperate gambler making a last-ditch effort.

"If we lack manpower, we'll provide it; if we lack policy support, we'll provide it. We absolutely cannot let Yan Qingfeng see us as a laughingstock!"

Yi Xuexi remained calm and even thoughtfully prepared a cup of hot water for Li Dakang.

"Secretary Li, don't worry, I just went down there to check the situation."

Yi Xuexi nodded, his tone so sincere that there was not a single fault with it.

"I will personally lead a team to the science park to oversee matters related to foreign investment, and I will ensure that everything is handled in accordance with regulations and done perfectly."

As soon as Yi Xuexi left Li Dakang's office, the gentle expression on his face vanished completely.

He strode back to his office and grabbed the red landline phone on the desk.

"Notify the top leaders of the Safety Supervision Bureau, Fire Brigade, and Environmental Protection Bureau."

Yi Xuexi's voice conveyed a sense of resolute determination, like burning one's boats.

"Bring your company seal and sealing tape, and gather downstairs in five minutes!"

2 PM, High-tech Industrial Park.

George William was tearing at his tie and cursing loudly at the pile of charred control cabinets.

"You bunch of high-paid idiots! Can't you even connect a backup power supply properly?!"

Hundreds of foreign engineers cowered like quails, none daring to provoke them.

Suddenly, the factory's roller shutter door was pulled open from the outside with a whoosh.

Yi Xuexi, wearing his faded old jacket, led dozens of uniformed law enforcement officers in a grand procession.

George paused for a moment, then put on an arrogant smile and went to greet him.

"Mayor Yi, are you here on behalf of Secretary Li to deliver the policy subsidies?"

Yi Xuexi ignored him and simply stepped aside.

The fire chief walked forward with a stern face, holding an infrared detector in his hand.

"The fire exits in your factory are severely blocked, and the water pressure in the ceiling sprinkler system is less than one-third of the standard value."

The squad leader slammed a notice of suspension and rectification onto George's chest.

"In accordance with the provisions of the Fire Protection Law, the work is ordered to be suspended for rectification within a specified period, and a maximum fine of 500,000 yuan will be imposed."

George's smile froze instantly.

Before he could even react, the director of the safety supervision bureau took another big step forward.

"We just inspected your workshop. The anti-static flooring has a large damaged area, which could easily cause a fire in the workshop."

Another hefty fine notice with a red stamp was handed over.

Next came the environmental protection bureau personnel, wearing white gloves, pointing to the wastewater sedimentation tank outside.

"Industrial wastewater treatment indicators are not up to standard, posing a risk of heavy metal pollution to the surrounding soil."

The head of the environmental protection bureau expressionlessly took out the seal.

"A fine of two million and the sewer outlet sealed off!"

Three departments, three fines, a smooth and efficient series of administrative actions.

All of them were legal and compliant routine inspections, and there wasn't a single problem to be found.

George stared at the thick stack of tickets in his hand, his mind going blank.

"Are you all crazy?! We're foreign investors! We're distinguished guests personally invited by Secretary Li Dakang!"

George waved his arms and roared hoarsely in broken Chinese.

"You are damaging the investment environment! I'm going to report you to the United Nations!"

Yi Xuexi coldly observed the enraged Wall Street tycoon without even blinking.

"Mr. George, Handong welcomes foreign investment, but only if it complies with Handong's rules."

Yi Xuexi stood with his hands behind his back, his tone neither warm nor cold, yet it carried immense weight.

"Until the hidden dangers are thoroughly investigated, you won't be able to open the gates of this factory for even a day."

The next three days became the most desperate nightmare of George's life.

The factory was sealed off and completely shut down.

Local workers outside the gate protest daily with banners demanding unpaid wages, their shouts deafening.

The exorbitantly priced equipment airlifted from Silicon Valley in the United States has all become dusty lumps of iron.

What's even more deadly is his prized financial network.

The city has to pay the high wages of thousands of foreign workers every day, the depreciation costs of equipment, and the daily string of fines issued by the city government.

The Wall Street parent company finally lost all patience and directly froze the business-to-business accounts of the Handong branch.

George went bankrupt.

The CEO's office was in a mess, with valuable reports and documents scattered all over the floor.

George slumped onto the cashmere carpet, clutching his greasy blond hair with both hands, his face streaked with tears and snot.

He finally came to terms with the harsh reality.

In this land, Yan Qingfeng is the absolute ruler, a living Yama.

He doesn't even need to lift a finger; his subordinates can simply follow the rules and stifle his complacency.

The wooden door to the office was pushed open.

Yi Xuexi walked in alone.

He gently slapped the "Memorandum of Understanding on the Acquisition and Patent Licensing of the William Consortium's Handong Branch" onto his messy desk.

"Sign it. If you sign it, the Lingxiao Consortium will immediately inject capital, the machines will resume operation, and everyone will have food to eat."

Yi Xue looked down at this once arrogant foreigner.

"If you don't sign, you'll go to court first thing tomorrow morning to file for bankruptcy liquidation and go back to your hometown to serve your sentence with billions of dollars in bad debts."

George's hands trembled as he grabbed the memo.

Looking at that glaringly unfair clause, "Free transfer of 80% absolute controlling stake,"...

He burst into tears and lay on the edge of the table like a lost dog.

He grabbed the pen and, with trembling hands, signed his name at the end of the agreement.

The once-powerful William Group's East branch on Wall Street has been reduced to a mere employee of the Lingxiao Group.

Half an hour later, at the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee office building.

Li Dakang sat comfortably in the boss's chair, happily sipping Pu'er tea from his thermos.

He figured that Yi Xuexi's stay at the science park these past few days would definitely put foreign investment on the right track.

As long as the chips are manufactured, Handong's GDP can be stabilized, and he will be able to keep his position as the municipal party secretary.

"Bang!"

The solid wood door to the office was pushed open with such force that it slammed against the wall and shook violently.

Secretary Xiao Jin stumbled in, drenched in sweat, her tie askew.

"Secretary Li... Secretary Li! Something terrible has happened!"

Xiao Jin's face was deathly pale, and her voice trembled like a leaf falling in the cold wind.

Li Dakang frowned and put down the thermos cup with displeasure.

"What's the panic! Has George's factory successfully started operations?"

Xiao Jin swallowed hard, then closed her eyes in despair.

"Construction has started... but George just signed a document transferring 80% of the technology park's shares to the Lingxiao Consortium free of charge!"

"Bang!"

Li Dakang suddenly jerked his wrist, and the dark blue thermos cup smashed directly onto the floor, shattering into pieces.

Scalding hot tea and goji berries splashed all over the floor.

Li Dakang was stunned, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, and he jumped up from his chair.

"What the hell did you say?! The foreign investment savior I risked everything to protect, the one I managed to protect with all the resources of the municipal party committee, has actually surrendered to Yan Qingfeng?!"