192: Chapter 192 A Shocking Word

Zhao Yang looked at his wife, only to find a suppressed smile in her eyes.

He shook his head with feigned seriousness and whispered:

"That's not right. I think we should call her Lin Ling; that would suit Mom's wishes better."

Jiang Nan sat up straight and rained down light punches on Zhao Yang's chest.

"You rascal, you're teasing me, aren't you?"

Zhao Yang laughed. "Didn't you say you wanted to inherit a ten-billion-yuan legacy?"

Jiang Nan pinched Zhao Yang's cheek. "My husband isn't bad either. In eighteen years, he'll be worth billions, and in cash too. Let's just call her Zhao Ling. It's catchy and sounds nice."

Zhao Yang said, "Over three billion? You actually believe that?"

Jiang Nan snuggled closer into his arms. "I believe whatever my husband says."

The next day, Zhao Yang took the birth certificate to register his daughter's household residency.

On the way back, he received a call from General Manager Xu Tianyu.

"County Magistrate Zhao, if you have time the day after tomorrow, I'd like to bring my team over to sign the contract and finalize the factory site."

This was a major matter concerning investment promotion. Knowing their schedule was tight, Zhao Yang immediately agreed.

"Alright, President Xu. I'll be waiting for your arrival in Cangyun."

On the morning of Zhao Yang's departure, Niannian was still asleep.

He squatted by the crib for a long time. The little one had her fists clenched and her mouth slightly open, her breathing as light as a feather landing on silk.

He reached out and gently touched the tiny hand, which was barely larger than his thumb. His daughter reflexively gripped his finger.

Zhao Yang's eyes instantly reddened.

Jiang Nan leaned against the headboard, watching him without a word.

She knew this man would have to leave sooner or later; there was a whole mess of affairs waiting for him in Cangyun County.

She just hadn't expected her heart to feel so heavy when the moment actually arrived.

Zhao Yang stood up, walked to the bedside, and leaned down to plant a kiss on Jiang Nan's forehead. His voice was a bit raspy.

"I'm leaving. You and the little one take care of yourselves."

Jiang Nan nodded and squeezed out a smile.

"Go on. Don't worry about things at home."

Zhao Yang turned around, but at the doorway, he looked back once more.

Jiang Nan waved to him in the morning light, while Niannian rolled over in her crib and continued to sleep.

He etched this scene into his memory, pulled open the door, and left without looking back.

Zhao Yang drove his Passat from Jiangzhou to Cangyun, a journey that took over four hours.

At two in the afternoon, Zhao Yang met General Manager Xu Tianyu and his party at the entrance of the county government building.

Five people stepped out of two black SUVs.

General Manager Xu Tianyu walked at the front, dressed in a sharp suit and looking very energetic. He extended his hand from a distance.

"County Magistrate Zhao, we meet again."

Zhao Yang shook his hand and exchanged a few pleasantries with a smile.

General Manager Xu Tianyu turned slightly to introduce the people behind him.

"This is Vice President Wang, who oversees our investments, and this is Vice President Li, who is in charge of operations."

The last person to step out of the car was a woman in her early thirties. Her hair was pulled back into a meticulous bun, and her eyes held a sharp, shrewd look.

"This is Ruan Ning, a director of Tianyu Industrial."

General Manager Xu Tianyu's tone was a bit more solemn than when he had introduced the two vice presidents.

Ruan Ning extended her hand and gave a faint smile. "County Magistrate Zhao, I've heard a lot about you."

Zhao Yang shook her hand; her fingertips were slightly cool, and her grip was neither too light nor too firm.

The group didn't enter the government building but went straight to Yunqi Town to inspect the land.

The cars stopped at an open space on the east side of Yunqi Town. Zhao Yang led General Manager Xu Tianyu and his party up a small mound, where the view suddenly opened up.

Beneath their feet was flat yellow earth, and in the distance, kiwi orchards covered the hills as far as the eye could see.

Further off, a mountain stream cascaded down from the heights, shimmering like scattered silver in the sunlight.

Zhao Yang pointed toward the distant mountain stream.

"That's a natural spring from the mountain. It flows year-round. We've had the water quality tested; it's Grade I. For making fruit juices and beverages, this water source is more precious than anything."

Ruan Ning stood to the side, her gaze sweeping from the orchards to the water source, and then to the plot of land beneath them. Her face remained expressionless.

However, Zhao Yang noticed her fingers were lightly tapping the edge of her handbag.

She was doing the math.

After the site visit, the group returned to the county government's conference room.

Wang Shoucheng and Zhou Jianwei were already waiting inside. The table was laid out with materials the Cangyun County Investment Promotion Bureau had prepared overnight.

Wang Shoucheng presided over the meeting. His opening remarks were brief, leaving the time for the main agenda.

Land price was the first item on the agenda.

Zhao Yang got straight to the point. "According to the latest 'Minimum Price Standards for the Transfer of Industrial Land' issued by the state, Cangyun County falls under Grade 14. The transfer price for industrial land must not be lower than 40,000 yuan per mu."

Ruan Ning flipped through the documents without even looking up.

"County Magistrate Zhao, according to our understanding, the actual transaction price for township industrial land in Cangyun County in the past was less than 20,000 yuan."

"That was the past," Zhao Yang said evenly. "In the past, it was transferred through negotiated agreements, which wasn't standardized. Now it's through the 'Bidding, Auction, and Listing' process, and we are bound by national policy."

"Besides," he paused, "the roads back then weren't the roads we have now."

Wang Shoucheng chimed in, "The national highway from Cangyun to Tongan is under construction. By the end of next year, it will take at most an hour to get onto the expressway from Cangyun."

General Manager Xu Tianyu leaned back in his chair with his fingers interlaced over his stomach, remaining non-committal.

Ruan Ning looked up and glanced at Zhao Yang.

"At 40,000 yuan per mu, plus factory construction, equipment procurement, and initial operations, the total investment will have to be adjusted upward significantly."

Zhao Yang met her gaze without flinching.

"President Ruan, Yunqi Town has 100,000 mu of wild kiwi resources; you won't find another place like it in all of Jianghan. The water source is Grade I natural spring water. Once the roads are finished, Cangyun will be Jiangzhou's back garden. At 40,000 yuan per mu, you're getting a good deal."

The conference room fell silent for a few seconds.

General Manager Xu Tianyu suddenly laughed, sat up straight, and glanced at Ruan Ning.

"Alright, let's settle on that land price."

Ruan Ning pursed her lips and said no more.

She knew General Manager Xu Tianyu was right.

Before coming, the team had done detailed calculations; 40,000 yuan per mu was indeed not expensive.

Besides, in a poor place like Cangyun, where the county government's guesthouse couldn't even afford to install air conditioning in every room, there was no point in discussing land price rebates. The county treasury simply didn't have the money.

Rather than getting bogged down in these minor details, it was better to focus energy on subsequent construction services and security guarantees.

The signing ceremony was scheduled for the following afternoon.

The largest conference room in the county government building had been tidied up and looked brand new. The long table was covered with a dark blue velvet cloth and set with two rows of name cards.

Wang Shoucheng presided, and Zhou Jianwei signed the contract with General Manager Xu Tianyu on behalf of the county government.

On the Cenjiang Industrial side, Lin Xuecen couldn't get away, so she sent her assistant, Yun Shu, to witness the event.

Dressed all in white, Yun Shu sat quietly in the guest area.

After a round of clicking shutters, Zhou Jianwei and General Manager Xu Tianyu shook hands, both wearing appropriate smiles.

The ceremony was followed by a symposium. The round table wasn't large, and with a dozen or so people sitting around it, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than the previous day.

The servers brought out steaming cups of cangyun maofeng tea.

Zhao Yang sat next to Zhou Jianwei, chatting with General Manager Xu Tianyu about logistics support.

Ruan Ning sat to his right, one seat away, with Yun Shu sitting between the two of them.

Halfway through the symposium, Zhao Yang felt someone lightly touch his arm.

He turned his head and saw Ruan Ning beckoning to him slightly across Yun Shu.

The movement was small but clear.

Zhao Yang frowned and leaned in slightly.

Ruan Ning lowered her voice, her tone casual as if she were chatting about the weather:

"County Magistrate Zhao, how did you feel last night with no air conditioning in the room?"

Her voice was very soft, so soft that only Zhao Yang and Yun Shu, who was between them, could hear.

Zhao Yang's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

The implication of those words was as if the two of them had stayed in the same room last night.

Yun Shu had only arrived from Jiangzhou this morning and had no idea about the situation at the guesthouse last night.

Was Ruan Ning saying this intentionally for Yun Shu to hear?

Zhao Yang glanced at Yun Shu out of the corner of his eye.

Yun Shu held her teacup, her expression unchanged, but the hand holding the cup paused for a moment.