313: Chapter 313 Seminar

Linjiang City International Convention Center.

The province-wide investment promotion seminar was hosted by the Municipal Government, with dozens of top-tier capitals from both inside and outside the province in attendance, creating a grand spectacle.

Zhu Wenhao wore a dark overcoat, his steps unhurried. Director Xu Jie carried a briefcase, lagging half a step behind him.

As soon as the two entered the door, they ran straight into Deputy Secretary-General Fang Jianping of the Municipal Government.

Deputy Secretary-General Fang Jianping was standing with his hands on his hips, directing the officers to check the guest list.

Seeing Zhu Wenhao, he walked over with a forced, joyless smile.

"Comrade Zhu Wenhao, you are quite early."

He was polite in words, but added, "Everyone sitting in this conference room today is a prominent big boss in the province.

Those small-scale antics in Heishi Town ultimately cannot make it to the grand stage compared to the city's big picture.

Listen more, look more, and stop stubbornly sticking to those rigid grassroots rules that scare away the gods of wealth."

Every word carried a warning.

He was hinting to Zhu Wenhao that his harsh methods of setting up environmental funds and road construction fees were nothing but a joke in the face of the Municipal Government's heavy dividends.

"Governing a large country is like cooking small fish."

Zhu Wenhao stopped in his tracks, his expression as calm as water, "When the heat is right, even a mud stove can stew delicacies from land and sea.

Deputy Secretary-General Fang, if this pot isn't heated up yet and you rush to add heavy ingredients, you had better be careful of burning the entire dish."

The smile at the corners of Deputy Secretary-General Fang Jianping's mouth faded, and his skin twitched twice.

He didn't reply further, only beckoning an officer over: "Take the comrades from Heishi Town to the back row and find a corner to sit."

Their seats were arranged in the second-to-last row, next to several neglected county-level departments.

Zhu Wenhao didn't mind, taking his seat composedly with his hands crossed over his knees, casting his gaze over the heads of the crowd toward the very front.

In the guest of honor seats in the first row, General Manager Zhou Shutong wore a capable black professional suit, lowering her head to flip through the promotional brochure distributed by the Municipal Government with a focused expression.

At ten o'clock in the morning, the meeting started on time.

Mayor Su Changming strode up to the podium.

He didn't take any notes, resting both hands on the sides of the lectern as his gaze swept across the audience like a falcon, the mayor's imposing aura suffocatingly oppressive.

"The development of Linjiang City cannot do without everyone present here!"

Mayor Su Changming's deep voice carried through the sound system to every corner, "The Municipal Government has decided to build the South City New Area Deep Processing Industrial Belt with the utmost sincerity!

For all entering enterprises, land approval will be guaranteed by the city!

Rent will be completely waived for five years!

Taxes will be fifty percent refunded for the first three years!"

"Boom—"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if a bomb had been thrown into the venue, and discussions erupted everywhere.

This stroke was too grand!

The eyes of several capital representatives who were still watching and waiting instantly burst with eager brilliance.

Mayor Su Changming's gaze lingered on General Manager Zhou Shutong for a second without leaving a trace, then crossed the sea of people, landing like a nail on Zhu Wenhao in the back-row corner.

With this ruthless move of pulling the firewood from under the cauldron, he didn't believe Heishi Town still had any cards left to play!

During the Q&A session, the atmosphere was lively.

Representatives of several enterprises rushed to speak, showing a strong intention to cooperate regarding the policy dividends of the South City New Area.

At this moment, Deputy Secretary-General Fang Jianping picked up a microphone and stood up from the front row.

"Mayor Su's speech demonstrated the all-embracing breadth of mind of our Linjiang City!"

He turned around, facing the whole audience, raising his voice high, "Investment promotion is all about 'sincerity'!"

He paused, his gaze piercing straight into Zhu Wenhao in the corner like a sharp sword: "Comrade Zhu Wenhao is also here today.

The vision and breadth of mind of the Municipal Government are placed right here; shouldn't Heishi Town also learn from this and take the initiative to remove those unreasonable thresholds?"

Swish—

Hundreds of gazes in the venue instantly shone like searchlights onto the young man in the back row.

This was making trouble in public, a public execution!

Using the Municipal Government's "generosity" to lash Heishi Town's "stinginess," thereby stepping Zhu Wenhao's credibility completely into the mud in front of all the capitals!

Director Xu Jie sat beside him, the knuckles holding her pen tightening.

Zhu Wenhao stood up, unhurriedly straightening the buttons of his overcoat, not even taking the microphone handed over by the officer.

"Deputy Secretary-General Fang mentioned sincerity, so let's calculate this account of sincerity."

Zhu Wenhao opened his mouth, his gaze passing over Deputy Secretary-General Fang Jianping to look straight at Mayor Su Changming on the podium: "The pie painted by the mayor is indeed tempting.

Rent waived for five years, half of taxes refunded.

But such a huge concession must be supported by real money and silver, right?"

He took half a step forward, his voice rising abruptly: "May I ask Mayor Su, what do you plan to use to fulfill your promises to everyone present?

Do you plan to start up the printing press, or let everyone play a game of 'satisfying hunger with painted cakes' with you?"

The discussion in the venue came to an abrupt halt.

Those capital representatives whose eyes were glowing just moments ago now had all their eagerness replaced by lingering fear and relief, and the way they looked at Mayor Su Changming was no different from looking at a street-corner scammer drawing talismans.

Deputy Secretary-General Fang Jianping raised the microphone and sharply reprimanded: "Zhu Wenhao! You are presumptuous!

The financial scheduling of the Municipal Government is not something for a township cadre like you to spout nonsense about here!"

"This is not spouting nonsense, this is common sense."

Zhu Wenhao ignored him completely, still locked tightly onto Mayor Su Changming, "Let's talk about land again.

I have seen the planning map of the South City New Area.

Nearly a thousand acres of land are still pressed within the red line for agricultural-to-non-agricultural conversion of the Provincial Department of Natural Resources.

The city says approval has a green light, but without the approval document from the Provincial Public Security Department, if an enterprise dares to break ground, that is illegal land occupation!"

Zhu Wenhao's fingers tapped in the air: "'Those skilled in battle seek victory from the strategic situation and do not blame individuals'.

Capital seeking wealth is not afraid of clear pricing, nor is it afraid of changing policies overnight; what it fears is policies hanging in the air!

Land cannot be obtained, subsidies cannot be disbursed, and when the factory buildings are half-built, you are told that these are illegal structures.

May I ask Mayor Su, at that time, who will pay for the real money and silver of everyone present?"

The entire convention center was dead silent.

The heaven-shaking pie painted by Mayor Su Changming was torn to pieces by Zhu Wenhao in just a few words.

Mayor Su Changming sat on the podium with his hands crossed.

For all his calculations, he never expected that Zhu Wenhao would dare to directly flip his table in front of all the capital in the province!

"The value in governance lies in action; governing with reality brings order, while governing with empty words leads to chaos."

Zhu Wenhao's concluding remarks were steady, powerful, and resonant, "The threshold of Heishi Town is high, but what we hand over are clean account books and cleared land with complete procedures.

We don't paint pies; we only build roads.

Everyone, wise birds choose the tree to nest in, so please choose carefully."

After saying this, he sat back down in his chair with a calm expression, as if the person who had stirred up monstrous waves just a moment ago was not him.

In the front row guest of honor seats, General Manager Zhou Shutong took the microphone in front of her and stood up.

"Secretary Zhu has calculated the accounts very thoroughly, and it is very much to my taste."

General Manager Zhou Shutong's cool and aloof voice echoed in the hall, "When Zhou Investment Bank makes investments, compared to wealth on paper, we value rules and certainty even more.

The funds for our cold-chain logistics park project in Heishi Town are already fully in place for the preliminary stage, and tomorrow, construction will officially begin!"

These words were tantamount to swinging her arm in public and heavily slapping Mayor Su Changming across the face!

Top-tier capital voted with its feet and chose Heishi Town!

The other capital representatives also reacted and shook their heads one after another, clearly abandoning the thought of wading into the muddy waters of the South City New Area.

The seminar ended hastily.

Mayor Su Changming walked down the podium expressionlessly, leaving hurriedly through the side door with a wretched and pathetic back view.

Deputy Secretary-General Fang Jianping stood in place, staring fixedly at Zhu Wenhao's back as his teeth gnashed loudly.

Walking out of the gates of the International Convention Center, the cold wind swept a few fallen leaves across the steps.

"That was satisfying!"

Director Xu Jie walked beside Zhu Wenhao, her eyes and brow brimming with smiles, "Mayor Su Changming set up such a big stage to sing his play, only for you to tear it to pieces in two or three sentences.

The brand of the South City New Area is completely smashed."

"He is eager for quick success and instant benefits, so naturally there are flaws everywhere."

Zhu Wenhao walked down the steps, his gaze deep, "However, cutting off someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents.

The Municipal Government has suffered such a huge loss this time, so the subsequent counterattack is likely to be even fiercer."