Chapter 108

Zhou Xueqin's "Planning Document" ended up being crumpled into a ball and thrown into the trash bin.

The Sanbao Paint Factory's proposal was placed at the top of Chen Meilan's stack of planning documents.

If she could only secure one investment from Gu Xiao, Chen Meilan hoped it would be for the Sanbao Paint Factory.

"Return to the City" was scheduled to begin airing next month.

Today, following last night's preview, Yuanyuan had become famous throughout the school. As she walked into the yard with her backpack, Chen Meilan asked, "How was your day?"

Logically, it shouldn't have been too pleasant, because with her newfound fame, she would likely face both admiration and scrutiny from her classmates. Chen Meilan worried her daughter might not handle being isolated, stared at, and gossiped about, so she wanted to offer some guidance.

"It was fine," Yuanyuan said with a smile. "When I went to the bathroom, Zheng Beibei and her friends surrounded me, saying I didn't look as good on camera as Ningning, but a sixth-grade sister chased them away, saying both Ningning and I were pretty."

The little girl ran her hand across the piano keys and said, "I really like that big sister. She's my good friend now."

So indeed, while some classmates tried to exclude Yuanyuan, an older student had stood up for her and defended justice.

It seemed Chen Meilan's prepared psychological counseling wouldn't be necessary.

Little Wang was also quite proud today, having sold all his notebooks and made over forty yuan.

Nobody knew how this little rascal managed to sell them without the teachers noticing.

That evening, after the children finished their homework, Chen Meilan called for Yuanyuan and Little Lang to watch "God of Gamblers" with her. It was a classic film starring Stephen Chow and Andy Lau, currently the most popular movie at the video hall.

She assigned Little Wang to wash the dishes.

As soon as the music started playing on TV, Little Wang couldn't resist abandoning the dishes and rushing over.

"Didn't you already see it? Go finish the dishes," Chen Meilan said.

Though Little Wang had seen it at the video hall, watching it at home with his siblings was different, plus he could spoil the plot for Little Lang and Yuanyuan.

But this time, Chen Meilan showed no leniency, making him finish washing the dishes despite his impatience before allowing him to return to watch the video. Not only did Yuanyuan and Little Lang get to watch the movie, but Chen Meilan also bought them a large bag of snacks.

Though she didn't say anything explicitly, from that day forward, Little Wang stopped sneaking off to the video hall.

After all, watching movies at home was much more comfortable than in the smelly, crowded, and noisy video hall.

Chen Meilan herself enjoyed watching videos, but she wouldn't play them on weekdays since the children needed to wake up early. She would rent one tape per week and show it to the children on weekends.

The business meeting was approaching quickly.

Before that, Gu Xiao had his assistant privately approach Chen Meilan, asking if she wanted investment. He was willing to invest money in the wholesale market for renovations, which would lead to increased rent, ensuring she would never have to worry about food and shelter again.

However, Chen Meilan immediately refused.

Accepting money directly from Gu Xiao would be like accepting charity, and she wouldn't be able to fight for money for the 271 group anymore.

From the beginning, Chen Meilan's pursuit of Gu Xiao's investment wasn't for herself, but for the veterans.

Instead of appearing herself, she specifically asked Yan Xishan, who was on a business trip to the capital, to buy a suit for Xue Mingfang. She had Xue Mingfang dressed smartly and stylishly, complete with regular glasses, to represent 271 at the business meeting.

The meeting was scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

Yan Zhao was returning from overtime work when he saw a tall, handsome young man wearing glasses walking with Chen Meilan. He stopped, eyeing them suspiciously.

The young man approached Yan Zhao and snapped a crisp salute: "Colonel, sir!"

"Little Xue?" Yan Zhao was stunned.

Xue Mingfang, in his suit and tie, stood tall with his crew cut, looking as handsome as Andy Lau from the movies. However, lacking confidence, he asked Yan Zhao, "Colonel Yan, how do I look?"

"Very good," Yan Zhao said as he passed by and headed home.

In the car, there was a mirror on the passenger side sun visor. Seeing Xue Mingfang trembling, Chen Meilan pulled down the mirror and said, "Look for yourself. You really look very handsome, but more important than looks is confidence. When we get there, don't be timid. Answer their questions according to the planning document. I can't help you much; it's all up to you."

"Yes, Commander," Xue Mingfang replied.

Starting the car, Chen Meilan gave a thumbs up: "You look especially handsome today!"

Being a gentle, elderly-natured person who was usually quite steady, when she complimented his appearance, Xue Mingfang believed it. Clothes make the man, as they say, and his confidence grew.

The business meeting was held in the second-floor conference room of the Guoguang Grand Hotel.

After signing in at the entrance and going upstairs, they found almost all seats were taken.

The crowd of unsophisticated private entrepreneurs were all in suits and ties. They liked to use hair oil, wear cologne, and smoke and drink, making the conference room smell particularly unpleasant.

Among the crowd, the most eye-catching and striking were veterans like Xiong Dapao and Xue Mingfang. It was no coincidence that many future business tycoons would be veterans - firstly, they had strong execution abilities and dared to act on their words; secondly, their military training gave them a bearing that made them stand out in any crowd.

Yan Xishan had also come to join the excitement today. Seeing Chen Meilan, he pointed to an empty chair beside him, gesturing for her to sit there.

However, there were also two empty seats next to Xiong Dapao, who was staring at Chen Meilan.

He looked quite comical with acupuncture needles still stuck in his face.

His sister Xiong Xiaohua, sitting beside him, was trembling. Seeing Chen Meilan arrive, she whispered, "Sister, my brother can't speak, so I'll have to do the talking. What should I do? I'm so scared."

Just as Chen Meilan was about to comfort Xiong Xiaohua, someone gently tapped her shoulder. She turned to find Yan Dongxue.

"Sister-in-law," Yan Dongxue called out.

This clever girl seemed to work as a caretaker or guardian for Gu Xiao. Wang Gebi had helped her get the position, so she should have spoken up for him, but people are just like that - seeing which way the wind was blowing, she kept quiet and focused on her duties without saying anything extra. Now, she was actively approaching Chen Meilan.

Glancing at the door, she said, "Don't mention that military factory. Professor Gu hates veterans the most."

Xiong Dapao, his face still full of acupuncture needles, suddenly looked up and glanced at Chen Meilan.

Xiong Xiaohua also muttered quietly, "It's over, there's no hope."

Not securing an investment wouldn't be the end of the world, but this atmosphere was making the inexperienced Xiong Xiaohua tremble uncontrollably.

Before Chen Meilan could say anything, Gu Xiao arrived, quietly taking his seat at the head of the table.

Looking around the room, he said "sit," and the crowd of peasant entrepreneurs smiled awkwardly, bowing their heads as they sat down. Even in such a setting, someone deliberately bumped the needles in Xiong Dapao's face, but fortunately, his face was numb and he couldn't feel the pain.

Gu Xiao flipped through some papers, picked up a planning document, and said, "Sanbao Paint Factory - this is a good factory. Currently, with the rise of home decoration, paint sales in Hua Country will be very promising. However, looking at the financial report, there are 200,000 in bad debts. How do you plan to resolve this?"

Sure enough, Xiong Dapao was first.

Unable to speak, he gestured for Xiong Xiaohua to stand up.

But Xiong Xiaohua had never spoken in public before; her legs were weak, and she couldn't even stand.

The investor was naturally not easy to please. Seeing no response, Gu Xiao was about to move on to the next document when Chen Meilan quickly stood up and said, "Hello, Professor Gu. When we acquired the Sanbao Paint Factory, Mr. Xiong personally assumed responsibility for the bad debts. They have no connection to the factory's future profits, and please trust that we will definitely handle the bad debts properly."

Gu Xiao looked up at Chen Meilan, stared for a moment, and amid the eager gazes of all the local businessmen, asked, "Is this your military factory?"

"It's clearly a paint factory, not a military factory," Chen Meilan pointed at Xiong Dapao. "The factory director of Sanbao has had a stroke, so I'm speaking on his behalf."

Xiong Dapao timely pointed at the acupuncture needles covering his face.

Gu Xiao pondered for a moment and flipped through the "Planning Document" again, seemingly assessing the credibility of Chen Meilan's words. However, in this situation, Chen Meilan had no reason to lie. After a pause, he said decisively, "I'll give you one million yuan. Is that enough?"

They could get a million just like that?

Could it really be this easy?

The needles on Xiong Dapao's face trembled as he noticed Chen Meilan looking down at him, and he nodded vigorously several times.

Chen Meilan then said, "Director Xiong says it's more than enough. Thank you, Professor Gu."

One million - while everyone was stunned, they also realized that others probably didn't stand a chance anymore.

The money had all been swept up by Xiong Dapao.

Moreover, everyone was held captive by this frighteningly generous investor, and no one dared to make a sound.

But clearly, Gu Xiao was wealthy and generous. He picked up another document: "Dongpai Clothing Factory, this factory's planning is particularly good. In social development, clothing and footwear are among the first industries to develop..." Seeing Xue Mingfang stand up, Gu Xiao looked at him for a moment before saying, "But your strategy has issues. You should switch to selling women's clothing and target young, youth-oriented fashion. The sales prospects would be better, and profits would be higher."

After a pause, the old man regretfully said, "This strategic vision is problematic, I'm afraid it won't work."

Xue Mingfang looked down at Chen Meilan, wondering if she would stand up.

Chen Meilan firmly shook her head, signaling him to speak for himself.

In fact, just a few days ago, she had erased all traces of Factory 271 being a military factory from the Planning Document and changed it to Dongpai Clothing Factory.

At this moment, Gu Xiao was discussing investment with Xue Mingfang without knowing him or the factory's background at all.

If it weren't for his words, Chen Meilan wouldn't have been able to gauge the old man's capabilities.

He understood the market economy extremely well.

Whether paint or clothing, these were indeed industries with both high profits and prospects, suitable for investment.

She didn't answer; she wanted Xue Mingfang to step up himself.

Xue Mingfang then said, "The young women's clothing market is certainly large, but currently, women's status in our country isn't as high as you might think. Women's social status affects their consuming power. When they lack sufficient social standing and are at a disadvantage in work and life, how can they achieve economic freedom? Without economic freedom, where does consuming power come from? So for now, to ensure profits, we can only choose to focus on men's clothing and women's formal wear. Once women's social status improves and they gain purchasing power, we'll venture into youth-oriented women's fashion."

This response precisely addressed the current market environment.

Women's status had always been a pain point in Hua Country, or rather, the entire world.

But who would consider this aspect when making business plans?

Gu Xiao was taken aback, looking up to examine the young man in his suit who appeared so bold and resolute - someone capable of getting things done.

"How about 800,000 yuan, is that enough?" Gu Xiao asked directly.

Xue Mingfang swallowed hard, barely containing himself.

Their expectation had been 700,000 yuan.

How could it not be enough? This was excellent. In this new era's economic battle, facing the capitalist, Xue Mingfang had fired the first shot as commanded, and the gunshot was so clear and melodious.

He could even imagine how excited the old leaders in the capital would be when they heard this news.

He had done it.

He had managed to secure a full 800,000 yuan.

Chen Meilan only noticed Zhou Xueqin after being nudged by Yan Xishan from behind.

She had also come, carrying a small leather bag, sneaking forward furtively.

Gu Xiao was still selecting another pharmaceutical enterprise, asking them about their factory conditions.

Like lightning striking without warning, Zhou Xueqin suddenly rushed to the front.

By the time the Publicity Department staff wanted to stop her, it was too late.

Having rushed to the front and handed over her planning document, Zhou Xueqin smiled and said, "Professor Gu, although you don't know me, you must have heard of me. I'm Zhou Xueqin, Yan Zhao's ex-wife. I've suffered terribly because of Wang Gebi."

Almost everyone froze in place.

Yes, a capitalist had come to invest.

But thanks to Chen Meilan's efforts, they weren't just begging anymore.

However, because of Zhou Xueqin, the tone suddenly dropped.

"It's over, it's over. Old Gu might actually invest in her," Yan Xishan muttered from behind.

Chen Meilan thought the same - coming forward so shamelessly and using Yan Zhao's name to sell her misery, Zhou Xueqin should be able to get some investment.

But Gu Xiao merely glanced at it and said coldly, "Pagers are a sunset industry. I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do."

Zhou Xueqin stood there stunned.

She hadn't even heard the term "sunset industry" before.

By this time, the Publicity Department staff had called security, and they escorted Zhou Xueqin out, partly coaxing and partly forcing.

Even as she was leaving, Zhou Xueqin was still wondering what a sunset industry meant.

Chen Meilan couldn't stand the sweaty smell in the venue and quietly slipped out halfway through the meeting.

She happened to run into Yan Wei and Yan Dongxue standing at the conference room door.

"Professor Gu has already promised three million," Yan Wei held up three fingers and smiled, saying, "The Publicity Department director just found me and said they're considering putting me in charge of the Investment Promotion Department." S~eaʀᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Having achieved great merit, Yan Wei's status was rising - it seemed he was about to get promoted.

Chen Meilan smiled but before she could speak, Yan Dongxue said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you're so clever. Professor Gu has no idea that Dongpai Clothing is actually Factory 271. You'll have to keep this secret tight in the future. If he finds out, he might withdraw his investment."

Where there's investment, there's the possibility of withdrawal. At this point, it was just a verbal promise, and the investor could back out at any time.

Hearing Yan Dongxue's words, Yan Wei's face immediately turned pale, and he said, "Meilan, should we keep this under wraps for now?"

Just then, Gu Xiao left his assistant to continue discussions with several small factories, and also came out, unable to bear the smell in the venue.

Yan Dongxue was still saying, "Sister-in-law, we must keep it secret."

"Keep what secret?" Gu Xiao interjected.

However, Chen Meilan calmly waved toward the conference room.

Young men like Xue Mingfang, trained in the military since youth, had excellent awareness - they knew who the leaders were, had eyes in the back of their heads, always ready for a leader's summons.

He came out immediately.

Chen Meilan then pointed at Xue Mingfang and said, "Let me make an introduction. The Dongpai Clothing that Professor Gu just invested in was formerly Factory 271, and this is Comrade Xue Mingfang, who came from the Laoshan front line. He was an artilleryman in one of our Hua Country's artillery regiments. He is currently our factory's general manager, representing all the retired soldiers of Factory 271. He wants to thank Professor Gu for being willing to invest in Hua Country's soldiers."

Her words came without any buffer, causing not only Yan Wei's face to turn pale.

Yan Dongxue knew that Old Gu had poor lungs and couldn't breathe impure air, and he needed to constantly use an inhaler. She worried the old man might choke on a heavy breath and be unable to recover.

She reached out to support Gu Xiao, gently patting his back to help him clear his throat.

Gu Xiao seemed to be seeing Xue Mingfang for the first time, looked at him for a while before saying, "I've seen you before."

"Yes, we met in Yanguan Village, in my superior's courtyard," Xue Mingfang said as he shook hands.

Gu Xiao's expression became very unpleasant in an instant, and Yan Dongxue and Yan Wei were silently blaming Chen Meilan.

She had been too abrupt - if Gu Xiao backed out now, wouldn't all their previous efforts be wasted?

"A military factory?" Gu Xiao repeated.

The old man was still staring at Xue Mingfang but hadn't let go of his hand.

"Yes," Xue Mingfang stood straight, head held high, and said loudly.

This response again made Yan Wei and Yan Dongxue's hearts jump.

At this time, Xiong Dapao, seeing the investor outside, came out to express his gratitude.

With his face full of steel needles, he also stood beside Chen Meilan.

These were truly two handsome young men, both with fair skin, crew cuts, and good-looking faces - the kind of good looks with character. Chen Meilan introduced, "This Mr. Xiong is also a veteran who once fought with bayonets against enemies in the Spearhead Company at the Laoshan front line."

Xiong Dapao couldn't speak and still had needles in his face, but he walked step by step toward Gu Xiao.

His face was so excited that the acupuncture needles were visibly pulsing.

He saluted with a snap and extended his hand to shake hands with Gu Xiao.

It would have been one thing if it was just Xue Mingfang alone.

Xiong Dapao was also a veteran, and coincidentally, Zhang Baohe from Baohe Pharmaceutical Factory was also a veteran.

When he came out, Chen Meilan introduced him to Gu Xiao as well.

The three veterans stood in a row, fixing their unique, stern gaze on Gu Xiao in a ceremonial salute.

Yan Dongxue was gently patting Gu Xiao's back while Yan Wei hurriedly went inside to find the private doctor.

After standing for a moment, Gu Xiao suddenly asked Xue Mingfang, "With this suit, will your girlfriend still break up with you?"

With his military bearing and mindset, Xue Mingfang snapped to attention and saluted, saying, "A man's ambition lies in great achievements. Compared to a girlfriend, following the commander's orders and helping the country win this economic battle is my most important task now."

"Good, very good!" Gu Xiao muttered.

Slowly, he stepped backward until he found a chair and sat down.

And just like that, all the concerns that Yan Wei and Yan Dongxue had simply didn't materialize.

Gu Xiao remained as gentle and polite as ever. With a smile, he looked at Xue Mingfang from afar and said, "Very impressive, you'll make a fine entrepreneur."

Compared to love, career is truly the most important thing in a man's life.

In fact, when Gu Xiao had looked down on Hua Country's soldiers, it was merely because of Yan Peiheng, or rather, some dark thoughts in his heart.

Yet mysteriously, he was still drawn to Hua Country's soldiers, his soul resonating with theirs.

The meeting wasn't over yet, and while his assistant was supposed to help him look at some small businesses for potential investment, Gu Xiao sat alone on the sofa outside, silent and still.

His thin, pale hands were clasped together, trembling slightly.

Yan Wei, sensing hope in the situation, turned back with a smile and gave Chen Meilan a silent thumbs up.

Chen Meilan smiled back.

Though Gu Xiao probably still looked down on veterans in his heart, he had to admit that given the right opportunity and circumstances, these men who had been tempered in the military - with their decisiveness, determination, and superior ability to act - were always among the best in any industry.

And among over a hundred private entrepreneurs, whether judging by the entrepreneurs themselves or their enterprises, his instincts had led him to select veterans.

Despite his firm declaration about not wanting to invest in military factories.

But for someone who would rather watch his beloved woman stand at the edge of a fire pit than jump off a car to save her, choosing instead to head south to make money - would he really let money slip through his fingers?

He was a shrewd and cunning master of wealth accumulation.

His keen sense for wealth and greed for money were hidden beneath his refined exterior.

Investment meant returns, and this was an era when private enterprises across Hua Country were desperately seeking investments without regard for the factory's actual value. Share ratios were calculated at 49%, meaning that for every hundred yuan of profit the factory made, 49 yuan of net profit would belong to Gu Xiao.

This old man had a unique eye for business and knew exactly who could make money for him.

All told, Gu Xiao invested 3.2 million in Xiping City, setting a national record for foreign investment in 1990.

However, he said that given his advanced age, this would be his last trip to Hua Country, and he wouldn't return afterward, so this was his final investment in Hua Country. He hoped the Publicity Department would keep an eye on things to ensure the money was used appropriately.

This terrified the head of the Publicity Department, who nearly had a stroke on the spot.

They immediately arranged for a Crown car to transport Gu Xiao, and when they heard he was paying for his own hotel stay, they insisted it be covered by public funds. Extra staff were assigned to be at his beck and call.

As for Yan Wei, he was promoted to a section-level cadre on the spot and immediately took office.

Of course, once everything was settled, Chen Meilan didn't attend the thank-you banquet organized by the Publicity Department, but went home early instead.

This was because Yan Xishan had come to warn her that those nouveau riche were planning to get her drunk.

Tonight, they wanted to intoxicate her, the only female nouveau riche in Xiping City.

Hah, they wished.

Because "Return to the City" was premiering on the first, and tonight there would be an exceptional two-minute preview. Yan Zhao had mentioned earlier that he would make potato hand-pulled noodles and griddle some flatbread tonight - wouldn't the sour and smooth potato noodles paired with crispy flatbread be better than alcohol?

However, just as she was about to leave the hotel, Yan Dongxue called out to Chen Meilan from behind, inviting her upstairs.

It turned out that Gu Xiao hadn't attended the banquet either and was already resting in his room upstairs.

In the elevator, Yan Dongxue kept smiling: "Well done, sister-in-law, I never realized you had such capability."

Back when Yan Dongxue was still in Yanguan Village, Chen Meilan was Yan Xishan's wife, constantly berated and despised by him. Now she had truly transformed, becoming Xiping City's premier female entrepreneur.

Chen Meilan didn't engage with this comment; she never liked to say much to people she didn't care for.

The hotel had a television, an impressive 18-inch color TV.

Though "Return to the City" hadn't aired yet, it was playing on the TV just as Chen Meilan entered the room.

The wealthy Gu Xiao must have bought the videotape directly from Zhou Yu.

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The old man got straight to the point, saying, "Miss Chen, your clothing factory needs 200 workers and 800,000 in investment, but to enter the market, you'll need about 300,000 more for store entrance fees, direct sales booth rentals, and twelve months of market development reserve funds. So you need another 500,000 to make your factory profitable, and I'm willing to invest another 500,000 for just 2% more shares. What do you think?"

500,000 for 2% would give Gu Xiao 51% ownership - what a cunning old fox. If Chen Meilan accepted, he would become the majority shareholder of the military factory. In that case, her plan to trap the wolf would backfire, with the wolf devouring everything, and she would become a traitor to Hua Country's military.

She marveled internally at Gu Xiao's craftiness and cunning, as well as his greed for capital and frenzied pursuit of profit. She had to admit that in both her lifetimes, he was the shrewdest businessman she had ever met. If it weren't for his true love for Su Wen, and if she hadn't been reborn with a lifetime of experience, she would never have been able to outmaneuver this old fox.

Shaking her head firmly, she said, "We don't need your 500,000, and please believe me, we can handle everything from production to market launch within three months."

Gu Xiao looked astonished and instinctively paused the video: "Impossible."

"You should believe in the power of Hua Country's veterans," Chen Meilan said with a smile. "It's entirely possible."

The path had already been paved by Chen Meilan for the 271.

She only needed that much money.

And she would never sell the factory to a capitalist.

The frozen image on the TV screen showed a round face - a little girl smiling silently on the screen.