In the park, at the foot of the hill.
When Dong Xuebing returned, Zheng Dayou and the others from the Zhen Shui County Investment Promotion Bureau gathered around him. Chang Juan was relatively calm, but others appeared quite upset.
"Mayor Dong."
"What's going on here?"
"Who does things like this?"
"So far away, it's strange if any investors come."
"Our county's investment promotion results were decent last year. Why are we being placed at the end? Have you seen the booths from other counties? Some are even twice our size, and the tables and chairs are brand new. But what about ours? What is this?"
"It feels like bullying."
"This is a blatant targeting."
"I think it's because of the money we asked from the city last month. But that was the central government's allocation to our county."
"I'll find their person in charge."
"Yes, we must talk to them about this."
Everyone's emotions were running high.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtDong Xuebing, on the other hand, remained the calmest. He didn't say anything and walked into the booth. After glancing around, he placed the buns and soy milk on the table, inviting everyone, "Come on, let's eat." He then sat down and started eating.
Everyone was hungry, so they sat down one by one.
Even though it was a meal, the discomfort on everyone's faces was evident.
Dong Xuebing, however, knew that this incident wasn't just a result of the aftermath of the money issue with the city. It was also related to Deputy Mayor Hua Li. He found it somewhat amusing that this guy had already grown tired of him before they could settle Huilan's incident.
Inside the park.
Around 8 o'clock.
A car from the city drove in.
Their investment promotion vehicles were prohibited from entering, so this car was special. As the car stopped, several leaders got out. At the forefront was Deputy Mayor Hua Li. Following him was the city's Investment Promotion Bureau director, Lu Weiguo. City leaders and key leaders of the Investment Promotion Bureau had all arrived. The atmosphere became lively, with many people going up to greet them. Hua Li and Lu Weiguo also strolled around, inspecting the progress of the arrangements.
Even though they were far away, the people from Zhen Shui County saw them.
"Mayor Dong."
"Should I go and talk to the leaders?"
"Our position is too bad."
"Yeah, it's so remote. We won't attract investors here. What about that 50 million RMB?"
Everyone thought Mayor Dong would get angry, confront the city leaders, and maybe even have a heated argument. Others couldn't imagine doing such things, but they knew Mayor Dong could do it. After all, they had learned a bit about his temperament through their interactions and the rumors. However, to their surprise, Dong Xuebing hadn't said anything from beginning to end. He remained calm, shook his head to dismiss their suggestions, and sat down in the booth, waiting for the investment promotion to start. Even Chang Juan couldn't help but give Dong Xuebing a curious look, wondering what had happened.
Is this still Dong Xuebing?
When did his temper become so good?
Everyone seemed to not recognize him; their expressions were varied.
Dong Xuebing had his plan. Firstly, he had already decided and didn't want to waste time arguing with these people. Secondly, after causing so much trouble recently, especially the sensitive and secretive issues, he didn't want to stir up any more trouble during such a significant investment promotion. Otherwise, if it became too chaotic, he might be unable to handle it, affecting his promotion. Dong Xuebing's goal for this investment promotion was clear – to secure a significant political achievement for early promotion to the deputy division level.
With his legs crossed.
Smoking a Zhonghua cigarette.
Dong Xuebing appeared calm for the first time.
People blinked, looking at Dong Xuebing with various expressions.
Dong Xuebing didn't say anything, focusing on his affairs.
One hour.
Two hours.
Soon, it was 9 am.
Very punctual. Vehicles started to enter the venue continuously. Some were Jinbei vans, some were seven-seater business cars, and many were sedans. The investors had arrived. Many must have stayed in hotels yesterday; otherwise, it wouldn't be possible for them to arrive so promptly. Some were probably just off the plane, with the city dispatching cars to pick them up. As people arrived, the scene became more lively. Many county and city Investment Promotion Bureau staff eagerly stared at them, like wolves eyeing sheep. Everyone wanted to grab a few, as securing an investment project meant monetary incentives and a hefty political achievement. Who wouldn't be eager for that?
"Director Liu."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Haha, Mr. Sheng."
"Manager Zhou is here."
"Manager Chen, how have you been lately?"
Many familiar faces greeted each other. Some were chatting with investors, while others were investors chatting among themselves. Evidently, most of the investors were brought in by the Investment Promotion Bureaus of several districts in the city. Other counties also had some investors, but they were too few.
Ten.
One hundred.
Two hundred.
As more and more people arrived, the front square was almost filled.
This city's investment promotion event was more extensive than previous years, surpassing expectations. The number of investors attending exceeded what Dong Xuebing and his team had anticipated.
These people were potential sources of significant capital.
Just securing one investment could make a substantial impact.
Upon seeing the growing crowd, Zheng Dayou, Chang Juan, and Chen Yunsong rallied their spirits.
Due to the large number of people still arriving and those who had just landed, the investment promotion event was delayed by half an hour. It officially commenced at half-past nine.
The main stage was already set up.
Deputy Mayor Hua Li, in charge of investment promotion, was the first to step up and deliver a welcoming speech to the numerous investors.
After the ceremonial remarks, Deputy Mayor Hua stepped down, and Investment Promotion Bureau Director Lu Weiguo also addressed the audience.
A group of "modestly dressed" women ascended the stage for a dance performance to liven up the atmosphere. With music and entertainment, the city's investment promotion event officially began.
The competition between the various investment promotion bureaus had begun in earnest.