632: Chapter 632 Trap of Fighting from Afar

Secretary Lin Wentao tapped his finger heavily on the name "Xingyuan Exploration," his tone laced with suppressed anger: "Chu Qianlan really knows how to leverage momentum! The State Council's policy was just announced, and he's already impatiently applying for land again. It's clearly aimed at me!"

The Secretary-General picked up his teacup and took a sip, his tone cautious: "Secretary Lin, the State Council's guiding opinions are very clear: they support private enterprises participating in aerospace infrastructure construction. Xingyuan Exploration's application fully complies with the policy. If we reject it outright, I'm afraid it won't be justifiable."

The Deputy Mayor in charge of land planning chimed in: "That's right, Secretary Lin. The plot of land Xingyuan Exploration is applying for is in a remote, sparsely populated area. Selling it to them not only brings significant revenue to the city but will also contribute to tax revenue and employment in the future. It's a win-win situation with no downsides!"

Secretary Lin Wentao slammed the application documents onto the coffee table, scattering papers everywhere: "Revenue? A 5-square-kilometer industrial plot—even if auctioned at the highest standard, how much profit could it yield? Chu Qianlan is already stirring up trouble in Shenzhen; if we add an aerospace industrial base to the mix, who will actually be calling the shots in Shenzhen?"

He stood up and paced the office irritably: "Last time we audited Xinghai Technology, we couldn't find any dirt on them, and instead, we got reprimanded by Beijing for poor management. If we let this aerospace industrial base land successfully this time, people will only think that I, Lin Wentao, am afraid of Chu Qianlan!"

The Secretary-General picked up the scattered documents, frowning: "Secretary Lin, the project by Xingyuan Exploration aligns with national-level strategy. To obstruct it, we must have a justifiable reason! If Chu Qianlan catches us in the act and makes a scene, we'll be in a passive position."

Secretary Lin Wentao stopped abruptly, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes: "A reason? I have plenty of reasons!"

He pointed at the planning description for the "Aerospace Industrial Base": "Aerospace projects involve airspace security and ecological protection; how can we approve them so rashly? Mayor Zhang, notify the Planning Bureau and require Xingyuan Exploration to supplement three core materials: First, a technical safety certification report issued by an internationally top-tier aerospace institution, which must include ground simulation operation data for Nuclear Fusion Propulsion, covering at least 1,000 hours of fault-free records; Second, commission a national-level ecological environment assessment center to conduct a long-term impact monitoring for half a year, precise down to the potential impacts on surrounding soil, water sources, and the atmosphere; Third, provide formal cooperation agreements with at least 20 upstream and downstream supporting enterprises, and these enterprises must possess aerospace-grade production qualifications."

The Secretary-General's expression shifted slightly: "Secretary Lin, these three requirements are too harsh! The 1,000-hour fault-free certification from an internationally top-tier institution will take at least three months to complete; the half-year environmental assessment is far beyond standard procedures; and there are very few domestic enterprises with aerospace-grade qualifications—obtaining formal cooperation agreements from 20 of them is almost impossible."

"Impossible is exactly the point!" Secretary Lin Wentao sneered, "I want to make Chu Qianlan retreat in the face of difficulty. Give them a three-month deadline; if the materials aren't fully submitted by then, we'll treat it as an automatic withdrawal. By then, we won't have violated any policies, and we'll be able to silence the critics by claiming we were 'strictly auditing major projects.' Why wouldn't we do it?"

The Deputy Mayor hesitated: "But the State Council's guiding opinions explicitly require simplifying approval processes. If we do this, won't it be deemed intentional delay?"

"Simplification does not mean negligence!" Secretary Lin Wentao said firmly, "Aerospace projects are of great importance; strict auditing is responsible to the country and the citizens. Even if Chu Qianlan complains, we have sufficient reasons to respond. Additionally, have city-affiliated media quietly spread the word that 'Xingyuan Exploration's aerospace technology is not yet mature, and the government needs to prudently assess the risks.' Also, contact a few local state-owned enterprises and have them jointly 'suggest safeguarding regional industrial safety' to create public opinion pressure on Chu Qianlan."

Seeing Secretary Lin Wentao's firm attitude, the two knew that further persuasion was useless, so they bowed and replied: "Understood! We will go and arrange it immediately."

After sending the two away, Secretary Lin Wentao sat back on the sofa. He didn't believe Chu Qianlan could gather these materials within three months, but he also knew this method couldn't work forever. After all, Shenzhen was not an iron plate; even as the top official, there were things beyond his control. And Chu Qianlan had his own helpers; there was definitely room for maneuvering to bypass him and acquire the land.

However, Secretary Lin Wentao's calculations failed from the very beginning.

Inside the Starry Sky Technology office, Qu Feng brought the Planning Bureau's reply, his expression grave as he reported: "CEO Chu, the Planning Bureau has put forward three requirements for supplementary materials. Not only are the conditions harsh, but they only gave a three-month deadline. It's clearly an intentional obstruction."

Chu Qianlan tapped his fingertips on the desk, his gaze calm and waveless: "As expected. Secretary Lin Wentao is still using the same old tricks, trying to drag us down with procedural thresholds."

He looked up at Qu Feng: "Since Shenzhen doesn't welcome us, then Hengxing Aerospace will settle in Shanghai. Have the staff start the registration procedures for the new company and the land purchase process!"

Qu Feng was stunned. Although he had anticipated this, he couldn't help but ask: "CEO Chu, are we really just giving up on Shenzhen? We've been preparing for a long time, and Secretary Lin Wentao's obstruction is clearly intentional. If we make his requirements public, combined with the State Council's policy, we might be able to force him to concede."

Chu Qianlan picked up the clear tea on the table and took a sip, hidden sharpness in his eyes: "No need. With Secretary Lin Wentao obstructing us in Shenzhen, even if we forcibly acquire the land, subsequent approvals and construction will be endlessly troublesome, wasting time and costs. With our capital and technology, no matter where we invest, we will be valued by the local government. Why bother butting heads with Secretary Lin Wentao in Shenzhen? More importantly, Shanghai's aerospace industrial chain is more complete, and the concentration of supporting enterprises is higher, which is suitable for the rapid landing of Hengxing Aerospace."

He set down the teacup and continued: "Moreover, giving up on Shenzhen is not a compromise; it's digging a pit for Secretary Lin Wentao. He went to great lengths to set up thresholds just to make me retreat in the face of difficulty. If I really butted heads with him, it would play right into his hands, giving him a chance to gain favor in the name of 'strict auditing.' But by turning around and leaving, his calculations will fall through. Those harsh requirements will instead become handles for others to accuse him of 'deliberately making things difficult for private enterprises and hindering investment.'"

Du Guangbai realized this at the moment, a flash of approval in his eyes: "CEO Chu's insight is brilliant. By turning to settle in Shanghai, we can not only quickly advance the preparations for Hengxing Aerospace but also put Secretary Lin Wentao in a passive position. If Hengxing Aerospace becomes highly profitable in the future, the entire Shenzhen will remember that it was because of Secretary Lin Wentao that Hengxing Aerospace, which should have settled in Shenzhen, chose Shanghai instead."

After Du Guangbai left, Chu Qianlan walked toward the rooftop and entered the spaceship.