In the Huaining County Magistrate's office, Qin Mu was entertaining Xie Changfeng, General Manager of Xie's Real Estate Company.
"Mr. Xie, have some tea."
Qin Mu poured a glass of water and said warmly. This time, he was the one asking for a favor, so Qin Mu naturally had to adopt a humble attitude.
One must have the proper demeanor when asking for something!
"Thank you, County Magistrate!"
Xie Changfeng quickly stood up, took the glass with both hands, and placed it on the table, saying, "County Magistrate, you're a very busy person, so why don't we get straight to the point?"
"You mentioned you wanted to discuss an investment project; may I ask which aspect you're referring to?"
Xie Changfeng used different approaches with different leaders. This County Magistrate Qin was known in Huaining for his directness, efficiency, and aversion to formalities, so he naturally had to follow suit.
"Mr. Xie, do you know about Tianke Group?"
Qin Mu pondered for a moment before asking.
"I know that. It's a Fortune 500 company, very famous. They have a branch in Jiangzhou. I remember Tianke has an investment project in Huaining, right?"
Xie Changfeng was a rising star among the younger generation of Jiangzhou businessmen, so he was naturally very familiar with Tianke's situation.
"That's right."
Qin Mu nodded and said, "What I'm talking about is Tianke's investment project in Huaining. They feel the return on investment is too low and want to withdraw their investment. I need to find a reliable company to take over these two projects!"
"President Xie, isn't Xie's Real Estate trying to transform? I personally think this is an opportunity for you. It just depends on whether you have the ideas."
Upon hearing this, Xie Changfeng's mind was in turmoil.
What did that mean?
Xie Changfeng wanted to cooperate with this County Head Qin, but that didn't mean he would do whatever the other party said.
His primary concern was making money, making a profit!
Otherwise, Xie's Real Estate might not be able to survive.
There must be a reason why Tianke Group wants to withdraw its investment; a mere low rate of return doesn't seem sufficient.
Xie Changfeng is more inclined to believe that this project is simply unprofitable, a vanity project designed to provide political achievements for County Head Qin, and that Tianke Group has turned its back on him.
But now that County Head Qin has approached him, Xie Changfeng is under considerable pressure.
Refusing would be tantamount to openly offending County Head Qin.
Not refusing, however, would Xie's Real Estate be able to develop with these two unprofitable projects on its back?
After a moment of internal struggle, Xie Changfeng's eyes grew even more anxious.
"Mr. Xie, since I've come to discuss this with you, I naturally hope we can talk more and exchange opinions. Please speak frankly and openly about your thoughts."
Qin Mu immediately noticed the other party's nervousness and unease. He smiled slightly and said, "I'm the county magistrate, not a god. I can't force you to do something you don't want to do!"
Perhaps sensing the sincerity in Qin Mu's tone, Xie Changfeng mustered his courage and asked, "County Magistrate Qin, I'd like to know, are these two projects unlikely to be profitable? Or rather, is Tianke Group withdrawing its investment because it sees no hope of making money?"
Very good!
Very direct!
The other party was indeed quite direct in asking the question, which Qin Mu appreciated. He immediately replied, "Whether the project will be profitable, I certainly can't guarantee that, but in the current environment, developing specialty agriculture is very promising. The government is strongly supporting it, and there are preferential policies. As long as development goes smoothly, making money is only a matter of time."
"As for merging the five factories, integrating resources, and expanding scale, as long as good sales channels are found, they can still make money. Huaining County has low labor costs, and after resource integration, they will still be large enterprises in Huaining County, and we will give them the same preferential policies!"
"As for Tianke Group's withdrawal of investment, that was purely accidental. Large companies always want to have absolute control and dominate everything, which clashes with my philosophy!"
These words restored some of Xie Changfeng's confidence.
He was a businessman who had seen many leaders make resolutions, give guarantees, and discuss plans. Without exception, those leaders loved to boast and exaggerate. But this County Magistrate Qin spoke slowly and deliberately, his tone gentle, and his eyes held no falsehood.
From this perspective, the other party's words were trustworthy!
"County Magistrate Qin, could you give me a day? I need to give my father a detailed report on this situation and obtain his approval."
Xie Changfeng thought for a moment and said, "If there are no problems on his end, I will begin to investigate these two projects and strive to complete the cooperation!"
"That's certainly possible, but I hope you can hurry."
Qin Mu said calmly, "Two days. I need your final result. You know, some things can't be delayed."
"Okay!"
Xie Changfeng gritted his teeth and agreed. He stood up to leave, but at the door, he suddenly stopped and turned back.
"County Chief Qin, I have another question I'd like to clarify."
Xie Changfeng, forcing a smile, said, "If it's inconvenient for you, you don't have to say."
"Go ahead!"
Qin Mu smiled, gesturing.
"Is your father… the one who was inspecting work in Jiangsu Province a few days ago?"
Xie Changfeng asked in a deep voice.
Oh?
So he's trying to find out about my family background?
Qin Mu could understand Xie Changfeng's thinking. With an investment of tens of millions, they would definitely want to investigate his background thoroughly. If he had powerful connections, a mere tens of millions investment could easily build a relationship, which wouldn't be a problem.
But if he was just bluffing, seemingly having a powerful background but actually having no connections, then spending tens of millions seemed a bit wasteful.
"County Chief Qin, please forgive my predicament. Just pretend I didn't say anything."
Seeing that Qin Mu didn't answer, Xie Changfeng quickly offered his assistance.
He knew that the children of these high-ranking officials generally wouldn't use their fathers' names when they were out in the field, as doing so would inevitably cause problems.
"It's alright, it's not a secret."
Qin Mu chuckled and said, "I've always emphasized openness and transparency in cooperation. Since you asked, I must answer. Your guess is correct."
His father, Qin Zhengyang, had indeed been on an inspection tour in Jiangsu Province these past few days; it had even been reported on the news.
It really was!
Xie Changfeng's eyes widened in shock. With a father like that, County Chief Qin's future was limitless!
"Is there anything else you want to ask?"
Qin Mu said calmly.
"No, nothing!"
Xie Changfeng quickly waved his hand and said, "I'll go back right away and talk to my father. I'll give you a satisfactory result within two days!"
After saying that, he stood up and shook hands firmly with Qin Mu.
"Let me see you off!"
Qin Mu immediately said, "There will be many more opportunities for cooperation in the future. The Huaining County government welcomes you to visit often!"
"Thank you, thank you!"
Xie Changfeng kept thanking him.
Qin Mu didn't think much of it and walked out of the compound with Xie Changfeng. Unbeknownst to him, Xie Changfeng's sister, Xie Yao, was waiting outside. His coming out was tantamount to exposing some secrets.