257: Chapter 257 Mutual Contest

In the second-floor conference room, cold wind seeped in through the gaps in the windows.

The legal director of General Manager Zhou Shutong's team opened the document in front of him.

"Secretary Zhu, in a merger and reorganization, we are buying quality assets."

The legal director spoke in a professional tone.

"Bad debts and historical liabilities should naturally be stripped away in a commercial acquisition. This is a basic legal principle explicitly stipulated."

Zhu Wenhao pulled a document from the file folder beside him and flattened it on the table.

"In Heishi Town, the mines belong to the state."

"The money Ma Yunlong made mining over the years was earned at the cost of destroying the surrounding ecology and crushing the town's roads."

Zhu Wenhao raised his eyes and looked directly at the other party.

"If you want to take the future profits from the mines, you have to clean up the mess left by your predecessors."

"Assets and debts are inseparable on this mountain."

"This is the rule of Heishi Town."

The financial director of General Manager Zhou Shutong's team interjected.

"Secretary Zhu, if we follow your meaning, the capital side would have to bear massive historical costs, which would directly lead to a crisis in our initial cash flow."

"Once the project's rate of return falls below the expected red line, the board of directors at our headquarters will not approve the resolution."

Zhu Wenhao withdrew his hand and picked up his coarse ceramic teacup.

"Then I suggest President Zhou find somewhere else to invest."

"Jiangnan Province is vast; there will always be places willing to accept this proposal."

He was immovable.

A thin layer of sweat seeped from the forehead of Town Mayor Luo Xingbang, who was sitting in the main seat.

He had just been entrusted by the County Party Committee with the heavy responsibility of Acting Secretary. As a new official, what he lacked most was a large sum of capital to solidify his position and demonstrate his political achievements.

If General Manager Zhou Shutong's group left, Heishi Town's economic indicators would be left with a gaping hole.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang gave a dry cough.

"Comrade Zhu Wenhao."

"President Zhou's team has come all the way from the provincial capital with genuine sincerity. Since everyone is sitting together, we can discuss our differences and find a compromise."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang adopted the tone of someone in charge.

"Heishi Town is currently in a state of disrepair; the emergency repairs on South Street are waiting to be paid for, and the wages for station personnel need to be issued."

"If we set the threshold too high and block the capital outside the door, it will be a loss for all the people in the town."

On the surface, these words were for the sake of the people's livelihood, but in reality, he was just trying to smooth things over.

Zhu Wenhao put down his teacup and turned to look at this nominal top leader.

"Town Mayor Luo, investment promotion is about mutual benefit."

"We are inviting investment, not begging on our knees."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang's expression stiffened.

"Heishi Town is poor."

Zhu Wenhao continued.

"But no matter how poor we are, we cannot sell out our land."

"It is only natural for capital to come in and make money. But if they are just here to clean up their books and dump all the debts from scraping the land onto the Town Government, who will take the blame in the future?"

He struck directly at Town Mayor Luo Xingbang's Achilles' heel.

"You are the Acting Secretary. If you sign this agreement, three years from now, when the pollution in the mining area erupts and the common people have nowhere to turn, they will file a joint petition to the County Party Committee."

"Will Secretary Lu praise you for your contribution to investment promotion?"

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang opened his mouth, but could not utter a single word.

He dared not touch the mine of taking responsibility.

Zhu Wenhao turned his gaze back to General Manager Zhou Shutong.

"President Zhou, for the restructuring of Heishi Mining, the Town Government has three prerequisites."

"First, establish an environmental protection fund. An initial five million will be deposited into a tripartite supervised account, earmarked for specific use to address sewage from the coal washing towers and dust in the mining area."

"Second, establish a road repair fund. The capital side must advance the funds to repair the roads crushed by Ma Yunlong. Subsequent new mining trucks on the road will pay for wear and tear based on their rated tonnage."

"Third, worker security fund. The wages owed by the mine, compensation for pneumoconiosis and work-related injuries, and medical insurance for future employment—not a single cent can be missing. Everything must be fully covered."

General Manager Zhou Shutong's team was in an uproar.

General Manager Zhou Shutong stared steadily at Zhu Wenhao.

"Secretary Zhu, these three funds will require at least twenty to thirty million for the initial phase."

General Manager Zhou Shutong's tone was cold.

"You are tying the historical cost of local regulatory negligence entirely onto the newly entering capital."

"I am a businesswoman; I don't engage in thankless charity."

Zhu Wenhao met her gaze.

"When the granaries are full, people learn etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame."

"It is understandable for capital to pursue profit."

"But if you want to eat this meal, you have to take on this responsibility."

"There is no such thing in the world as eating meat without taking a beating. If you want to gain a foothold in Heishi Town, you must follow the rules of Heishi Town."

General Manager Zhou Shutong stood up, her movements crisp.

"Since Secretary Zhu's attitude is so firm, I don't think there is any need to continue discussing this restructuring plan today."

She gathered the documents in front of her and handed them to the assistant beside her.

"We will re-evaluate the investment environment of Heishi Town before making a decision."

Zhu Wenhao sat in his original seat, his figure not moving an inch.

He turned his head to look behind him.

"Director Xu."

"Record the statement of intent from President Zhou's team to withdraw from negotiations truthfully into the meeting minutes."

Zhu Wenhao instructed.

"In black and white; keep a record."

Director Xu Jie's pen tip scratched across the paper.

Zhu Wenhao looked at the standing General Manager Zhou Shutong.

"The doors of Heishi Town are open."

"We welcome capital that follows the rules, but we would rather have nothing than accept something inferior."

He raised his hand in a gesture.

"Safe travels, I won't see you out."

General Manager Zhou Shutong's face was as calm as water.

She did not find a trace of panic on the other party's face.

That composure of someone sitting securely on the fishing platform gave rise to a rare feeling of powerlessness in her heart.

She didn't say another word, turned around, and strode out of the conference room.

The team members followed in a line, the sound of leather shoes striking the floor fading away in the corridor.

Inside the conference room, only the people from the Town Government remained.

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang leaned back in his chair, his entire person seeming as if all his strength had been drained.

"Zhu Wenhao, such a big dish, and you just overturned it."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang's tone carried a hint of complaint.

"Secretary Lu just gave instructions to stabilize the economic foundation. You immediately swept the big god of wealth out the door. If this gets reported to the County Party Committee, how will we explain it?"

Zhu Wenhao picked up the file folder on the table.

"Town Mayor Luo, she won't leave."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang raised his head.

"They even dropped the words about re-evaluating; could it be fake?"

"It's just bluffing."

Zhu Wenhao's tone was calm and level.

"If she really wanted to leave, she wouldn't even leave behind such polite words; she would have just driven straight back to Jingjiang."

Zhu Wenhao stood up.

"The reserves of Heishi Mining have been clearly surveyed by the team she brought; it is a rich mine."

"Ma Yunlong only knew how to sell raw ore; capital intends to do deep processing, which doubles the profits."

"Even with the three funds I proposed, they still have substantial profits to make."

"Businesspeople prioritize profit over sentiment; as long as there is money to be made, you couldn't drive them away even with a stick."

Zhu Wenhao pushed his chair back under the table.

"She wants to drive down the price and test the bottom line of Heishi Town."

"Leave her to cool for two days, and she will come knocking on our door herself."

Town Mayor Luo Xingbang was half-doubting, remaining in his seat without moving.

Heishi Town, Town Guesthouse.

General Manager Zhou Shutong pushed open the door to the suite, and the core members of her team flooded in, each taking a seat.

The financial director loosened his tie a bit.

"President Zhou, this local official is too difficult to deal with! He set the conditions so rigidly; it's basically extortion. According to his rules, all the pressure of the project's initial phase falls on us. There is no way to report this to the board of directors."

The legal director echoed.

"There is too much administrative interference. He even wants us to cover the old debts of workers' work-related injuries; the legal risks are uncontrollable. My opinion is to withdraw immediately and invest elsewhere."

General Manager Zhou Shutong walked to the window and pulled open half of the curtain.

Outside the window, on the section of South Street in the distance, several pieces of construction machinery were running, and workers were braving the cold wind to repair the road.

It was orderly.

"Withdraw?"

General Manager Zhou Shutong turned around.

"You have all seen the geological report for Heishi Town; the ore in this area is of excellent quality."

"If we secure control of the deep processing zone, we can feast on this fat piece of meat for ten years."

She walked back to the sofa and sat down.

"The conditions he proposed are harsh, but they are all within the red line. Repairing roads, treating pollution, appeasing miners..."

"By doing these things, he is clearing away local grievances for us."

General Manager Zhou Shutong's mind raced.

"If we really had to go and haggle with those local bullies and miners ourselves, the money and energy spent would absolutely exceed these three funds."

She looked at the core team members in front of her.

"He dares to be this tough, dares not to follow the standard script, because he has a trump card in his hand."

General Manager Zhou Shutong turned her head to look at her assistant.

"Go check."

"Check if Zhu Wenhao is still holding onto connection channels with other capital."

She asserted.

"He is so confident and fearless; I don't believe he really intends to let the mine lie idle like this forever."

The assistant responded and exited the room.

General Manager Zhou Shutong leaned back on the sofa and pinched her eyebrows.

This trip to the countryside was supposed to be an easy win where simply holding a checkbook would make the local authorities bow down.

For the first time, she felt a sense of powerlessness in front of a local official, as if she were being looked down upon by a chess player.

This game of chess had only just begun.