Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 90 Sensing an Opportunity
A light drizzle, a special solar term.

Qingming Festival.

At a time when even the dejected poet Du Mu was on the verge of despair, Gonghe Village was bustling with activity.

These days, there's no holiday for Qingming Festival. Huge construction sites are filled with temporary buildings, and people come and go.

Chen Xuebing arrived in a hurry on his motorcycle, and soon after, he came out of a three-story, factory-style project office building with six copies of the contract in his hands.

Looking around, I felt a mix of emotions.

The construction cost of that site alone is probably comparable to that of his sewage treatment plant.

Diamond Cave, with its golden bridge, silver road, and copper architecture.

Let alone a bridge spanning a river, even an elevated bridge built on land would cost tens of millions per kilometer.

Unfortunately, the "Silver Road" they built themselves was just a low-standard secondary highway, costing only 520,000 yuan per kilometer. If it were a highway, it would cost at least 20 million yuan to build.

Chen Xuebing's business has recently grown significantly, and the "small highway" worth a mere 370 million yuan has already made him somewhat dissatisfied.

The signing process was unremarkable; the project leaders weren't there, and he was only dealt with by a young man from the engineering department. Presumably, the higher-ups had all gone home early for the holiday.

Strictly speaking, this isn't really a contract signing. Large companies don't sign engineering contracts overnight. First, they bid for projects that don't require bidding. For projects that don't require bidding, they work with the client to prepare the contract. Once the client notifies them that the contract is ready, they can take it back to their own company for review, sign and stamp it, then take it back to the other party for review, stamp it, and then keep a copy at their own company.

Chen Xuebing didn't actually need to come in person; he just wanted to try his luck and see if he could meet with the leader.

Instead of meeting the leader, I received a side quest.

Someone reminded him that the price of commercial concrete has recently increased.

The road construction requires a large amount of concrete, so let him inquire about prices at nearby commercial concrete plants and, ideally, sign a supply contract in advance.

Chen Xuebing was also unfamiliar with the area, so he could only stop two people, A and B, who were chatting and laughing as they approached him on the way out of the construction site.

"Hello comrade, could you tell me how many commercial concrete mixing plants are nearby?"

The two men were wearing blue hats; they were probably technicians. They sized him up.

A asked, "Which organization do you work for?"

Chen Xuebing handed the two of them a cigarette he had bought in advance: "It's for road construction! The engineering department said that the price of commercial concrete has gone up recently, so they asked me to go and inquire!"

"Oh..." Yi took the cigarette, thought for a moment, and said, "There's one nearby! Go out the door, turn right, and walk about a kilometer. You should be able to ask for directions!"

"Oh, thanks!"

Chen Xuebing was about to leave.

A took the cigarette, but then frowned: "Ready-mixed concrete prices are rising? That can't be right. Didn't they set up a Maotian cement plant in Xintian Town? I heard about it two years ago, and it's already in production, right? They said it produces over a million tons a year, enough to cover almost half of Chongqing. There's definitely a surplus here in Pengshui, so how can prices rise?"

As he spoke, he looked at the cigarette in his hand and hesitated:
"Brother, the engineering department isn't lying to you, are they? You'd better go and ask around at a few more places."

The main raw material for concrete is cement. With cement production capacity exceeding capacity, how can prices be raised?

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuebing's heart stirred.

It's not a problem with cement production capacity; the engineering department didn't tell him to specify which supplier to get a quote from.

However, he was quite familiar with the company Mota. In his previous life, when he attended several construction industry exchange meetings, they would always go on stage.

Not only is it among the top 100 construction companies in Chongqing, but its cement company is also quite famous in Chongqing, having won numerous awards, including being named one of the "Top Ten Cement Brands in China".

However, this was the first time he had learned that the cement plant was in Pengshui.

Is it still a new factory?
As he was thinking, B shook his head and said to A:

"Nonsense! What kind of production are you talking about? We can't produce anything! If we could really produce, wouldn't we be using this project? I have a relative from Mafeng Village. I heard he owes the bank over 100 million yuan. The location is remote, and the roads are bad. The production capacity here is already balanced. Even if we produce, we won't be able to sell anything. If we dare to produce, we'll go bankrupt immediately!"

"Tsk tsk, aren't they building the Wujiang Hydropower Station? How come they can't sell them?"

"The dam at the Wujiang Hydropower Station is already hundreds of meters high! They didn't use cement from Chongqing at all; they used cement from the Gezhouba Cement Plant!"

The two were on the verge of arguing after only a few words.

Chen Xuebing quickly chuckled twice, then turned and left.

My mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts.

Wow, a production volume of millions of tons, selling for two or three hundred per ton, an annual output of two or three hundred million?

He was quite certain that the massive cement plant survived.

Starting next year, cement prices have been rising for the next few years. Although he can't remember the exact price, it reached 400 in 2010.

If prices rise quickly, it means the product will sell well.

After 2010, the national cement production increased significantly, and it seems that prices had dropped. With a production value of millions, sales were indeed a major problem.

But there's a bright future ahead.

Cement is difficult to sell in other places because of the high cost of transporting it. It is a regional commodity, and it loses all its price advantage once the sales radius of road transport exceeds 200 kilometers.

However, Chongqing has the waterways of the two rivers, and waterway transportation can increase the reasonable sales radius by at least three times.

Moreover, this is the western starting point of the Belt and Road Initiative!

The Belt and Road Initiative was built through aid and construction projects along the way.

As long as we get on this train, wherever the Belt and Road Initiative provides aid, Chongqing cement can be sold there, and once it's delivered, it can be unloaded and used for construction.

Although most of the exported cement is high-end cement, high-end cement will be used in subways, bridges, water conservancy projects, and foundations in the future. The price difference is still huge, with cement prices in many countries being several times higher than those in China.

In addition, in the previous life, many private building material suppliers were approved to go out and carry out aid projects, but construction companies that provided labor services had a hard time getting on board, because most of the construction companies on board were large and powerful state-owned enterprises.

If the construction industry wants to survive well 20 years from now, it must achieve scale and cultivate the entire industry chain.

Defeat the state-owned enterprises and you'll be flying first class!
In a flash of inspiration, Chen Xuebing felt this was an opportunity.

……

Back in Furong Village, after parking his motorcycle, Chen Xuebing made a phone call in the yard.

After two beeps, the other party answered.

"Director Xu, wishing you a peaceful and healthy Qingming Festival," Chen Xuebing said with a smile.

Across from me is Xu Haiqiao, the newly transferred mayor of the county. He is now the director of the Agriculture Bureau.

I was transferred last month, and Chen Xuebing happened to be back then, so I treated him to a meal.

"Little Chen... how have you been lately?"

In just one month, Director Xu's voice had a slightly stronger ending tone than before.

Living environment influences one's temperament, and upbringing influences one's physical condition.

These days, agriculture, rural areas, and farmers are key priorities, and the Agricultural Bureau is a powerful administrative department.

Chen Xuebing laughed heartily, not tolerating the other party's bureaucratic manner:

"Director Xu, you called me Xuebing just last month, how come you're calling me Xiao Chen now? You haven't forgotten my name, have you?"

Speaking like that can be offensive, but social interaction isn't a fixed formula; you have to be flexible and adapt your approach to the person you're talking to.

Chen Xuebing and Xu Haiqiao's relationship started on a relatively equal footing. Now that Xu Haiqiao has been promoted, Chen Xuebing can't afford to be subservient, otherwise Xu Haiqiao will look down on him, and the relationship will be rendered useless.

Hearing this nonchalant tone, the person on the other end laughed: "What are you talking about? What's up? Calling me on Qingming Festival, you didn't just want to say hello, did you?"

"There's something I'd like to ask you about."

Chen Xuebing cut to the chase: "Director Xu, do you know Maotian Cement Plant?"

The other party hesitated for a moment, then said very directly:

"Of course I know. The county leadership is paying close attention to the leading enterprises in their 'industrial development' strategy."

Xu Haiqiao was unaware of Chen Xuebing's purpose in coming, so he specifically mentioned that "the team members are very concerned" so that if Chen Xuebing had any requests, he could conveniently say, "I can't help you."

Chen Xuebing naturally understood the implication.

"Hehe, Director Xu, I was just asking around. I heard that this factory has some funding problems when it goes into production. My uncle has a few friends who are also interested and I'd like to ask if you can help this company out."

This time, the other person's tone became somewhat serious.

"You...want to invest?"

He had dined with Yu Chunyin before, and they had discussed a 20 million yuan project. If a few other friends were involved, investing in it wouldn't be impossible.

Chen Xuebing chuckled and probed, "No rush. I heard that factory isn't doing too well. Let's look into it. If you're interested... could Director Xu introduce us?"

Xu Haiqiao hesitated for a moment, then slowed down his tone and said carefully, "It can't be said that the situation is bad... Regarding this project, the county has held several meetings, and there are some disagreements. Some leaders and banks are quite optimistic about it, and the Agricultural Bank has already loaned 1.3 million yuan."

Chen Xuebing frowned as he listened.

"Director Xu, stop beating around the bush. Do you think I wouldn't have someone to ask if I really wanted to invest? I genuinely consider you a friend and only asked you for advice because I wanted to help you with your business. Can you explain the disagreement more clearly?"

Xu Haiqiao sighed.

This Chen Xuebing actually dared to inquire about such a big project, which was something he really didn't expect.

But if the other party truly has that ability, then he must treat this friend with caution.

"Um... Mayor Wang, you know him, right?"

Chen Xuebing was startled.

"How could I not know about this? This... the mayor even personally intervened? Surely not?"

"Not exactly. It's just that this factory uses the dry-burning method, which requires coal. Mayor Hongju has lived in Pengshui for seventeen years and knows Pengshui quite well. He mentioned this factory and the coal issue when he held a meeting at the Pengshui Hotel a couple of years ago, saying that the sulfur content of Pengshui's coal is too high and it cannot be used."

"Oh..." Chen Xuebing breathed a sigh of relief: "That's all? If it has a high sulfur content, we can just get it from outside!"

"It's not that simple. The project site, Mafeng Village, is more than 10 kilometers away from the county seat. There is no waterway or railway access, only a third-class highway. It is more than 30 kilometers away from the train station. The coal in other nearby places is of the same nature as ours, and the reserves are not abundant. Of course, the ore mainly used for production is of very good quality, making it a good place to produce cement."

"Ore? Limestone? Or iron ore?"

"Well... I'm not really sure either."

"What's the deal with the funds?" There was a long silence on the other end.

Just as Chen Xuebing was about to ask another question, Xu Haiqiao spoke up:
"It's about... because the Wujiang River was closed to navigation last year, large equipment couldn't get across and had to sleep on the river. Also... this company recently acquired a lot of real estate in Chongqing and built a hotel."

Chen Xuebing is a master of conversation.

These two seemingly unrelated sentences made him realize the truth immediately.

Isn't this just misappropriating bank loans to acquire land?

"Oh...didn't they tell the county how long it would take for the Wujiang River to be navigable?"

How can the opening of the Wujiang River to navigation be decided by a company?

Chen Xuebing meant that Maotian Group had notified the county government about the extent of the funds to be misappropriated.

Upon hearing this, Xu Haiqiao knew that Chen Xuebing understood, and his tone relaxed somewhat:
“The county has provided tremendous support and publicity for this matter; otherwise, we township cadres wouldn’t have known about it. Despite such support, the production date has been delayed again and again, revised twice. This is not something the county can decide on its own. However, the county held a meeting at the beginning of the year specifically to discuss this matter, striving to produce 20 tons before the Spring Festival. If you want to invest, I can help you report to the county head and secretary.”

Strive to finish before the Spring Festival.

If the slogans are being used so subtly, then production will most likely start sometime after next year.

With ample time, it is indeed an opportunity.

Chen Xuebing was also short of money, so he smiled and went along with it, saying, "Director Xu, I'm afraid this matter will have to wait until the Wujiang River is navigable... How much of the funding are they raising themselves? It's not all loans, is it?"

"How could that be? It must be around 60 or 70 million, right? They've already built the factory."

"Understood, Director Xu. Please keep an eye on this for me."

"You really have an idea?"

"It's true."

"Then you need to hurry. The county is in a hurry about this. Once it's in production, whether or not you can invest will be up to them. The county won't care then."

"clear."

Chen Xuebing put down the phone and stared blankly at the distant mountains for a while.

With its own funds of 60 to 70 million yuan and loans of 150 million yuan.

Where did I get the audacity?

What the hell.

Let's create a folder first!

……

The next day.

After having enough wine and food.

Downstairs from Global One KTV.

"Hey, hey, Mr. Chen, I just want to have a meal! Don't bother with all this..." Ren Kaiping resisted as soon as he saw the sign, his brows furrowed in deep seriousness, presenting the image of a virtuous gentleman.

"Hey, Mr. Ren, since you're already here, don't be so polite!"

Chen Xuebing chuckled and pulled Ren Kaiping upstairs.

Behind the two was a sprightly old man. He didn't need Chen Xuebing to pull him along, and his face was expressionless. He secretly weighed the thickness of a red envelope in his pocket, and then looked at the young man who had given him a red envelope at the construction site earlier.

Jiao Gui mimicked the soldier's usual faint smile, his expression exuding an air of superiority.

Although he didn't read books, he enjoyed listening to anecdotes about historical figures. At this moment, he felt like he was Jiang Huanan, the adjutant who followed the young marshal and helped him spend lavishly.

At this moment, the young marshal was only thinking about corrupting Ren Kaiping.

It was only after this period of time that he learned that Ren Kaiping's uncle was a bureau (department) leader who had just been transferred to Chongqing from another place, and that he was sure to have a bright future.

However, this relationship was manipulated by a deputy mayor back then, which just shows that people are too rigid and have no use for their power.

Once upstairs, Chen Xuebing immediately asked the front desk to open a small private room and called the manager.

Going to nightclubs should be done late; if you go early, the girls won't be drunk yet, and you'll just be helping others get drunk. Going to karaoke should also be done early; go after dinner, otherwise you'll just be picking up what others have left over.

Of course, there are many ways to have fun in the Chongqing and Sichuan area, including but not limited to salsa dancing, flower markets, gambling dens, and dark dance halls.

When the manager came in, he wasn't alone; he brought a row of girls standing outside the door.

Seeing that everyone had been brought in, Chen Xuebing waved his hand without waiting for the manager to speak, saying, "Call them in and take a look."

A row of women, of all shapes and sizes, some tall, some short, some fat, some thin, some ugly, all bowed together.

"Hello sir... I'm Nana..."

"Hello sir... I'm Bingbing..."

Before General Manager Ren and Supervisor Bai could even choose, Chen Xuebing waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Change it! Do you have a model group here?"

The manager hesitated for a moment: "There's a batch coming from Sichuan..."

"Okay, I'll take a look."

Just as the manager was about to replace her, Supervisor Bai raised his hand and pointed to a chubby girl who didn't look particularly attractive, saying, "Keep that one."

The manager smiled: "The boss has a good eye. This is the best service we have. Her name is Little Bell, and it rings when you touch it!"

Supervisor Bai smiled broadly: "Good, good, good."

Chen Xuebing gasped inwardly.

He had always considered himself an old man, but suddenly realized he wasn't that old, and hadn't reached the point where he didn't care about looks.

A few minutes later, another batch arrived.

The manager understood what he meant by "model group"—this time, everyone who came in had long legs.

Ren Kaiping remained silent, so Chen Xuebing kept one of the more experienced-looking girls, named Leilei.

Then let Jiao Guixuan choose.

Jiao Gui chose the one who was good-looking.

Chen Xuebing said to the manager, "Change to another batch. This is our boss. We'll keep selecting until he's satisfied."

Ren Kaiping immediately waved his hand: "No, I won't choose, you guys play! Let's drink!"

His tone was quite serious.

Chen Xuebing had no choice but to give up, then put his arm around Leilei and whispered instructions to keep that President Ren company well.

Leilei was very good at handling things. Although she was a little reluctant to part with Chen Xuebing's young and angular face, she still sidled up with Ren Kaiping and asked him to drink with her.

After a while, the TV in the private room showed a picture and music started playing.

Another hostess entered the private room carrying a song request book and a remote control.

These days they still call them private room waiters.

She's alright looking.

Ren Kaiping's gaze changed, and he would glance at her every now and then.

Chen Xuebing felt a chill run down his spine.

Good grief, so it turns out he doesn't like playing professionally!
She's a bit of a... germaphobe!
Chen Xuebing coughed, stood up, and patted the waiter on the shoulder.

"Where is your manager? Please call him over for me."

……

A few minutes later, the waiter, who had received his performance fee plus a 200 yuan red envelope, followed Chen Xuebing in and sat down shyly next to Ren Kaiping.

"Mr. Ren, I'll have a drink with you."

Ren Kaiping paused for a moment, staring at Chen Xuebing.

Chen Xuebing smiled at the waiter and said, "See? President Ren isn't drinking; he's not satisfied."

The waiter hesitated for a moment, then moved his buttocks closer to Ren Kaiping.

"Mr. Ren... Shall I sing you a song?"

Ren Kaiping, somewhat at a loss, said, "Ah... okay."

The waitress then said shyly, "I don't have a stage name, my name is Xu Xiaolu."

These words immediately ignited a spark in Ren Kaiping's eyes.

"Oh, little deer... drink, have a drink."

"Ah."

"La la la la la..."

"One wrong step can ruin your life; I went to work as a dancer in the sex industry just to make a living..."

……

Half an hour later, Chen Xuebing and Supervisor Bai were drinking and chatting with girls. In a corner of the private room, Ren Kaiping was holding his penis without saying a word, kissing it every now and then, pretending to be drunk and pressing it against her. His head was almost buried in her arms, and he was extremely thirsty.

Chen Xuebing glanced at it every now and then, inwardly astonished.

Jie Nima.

This dog is fiercer than a wolf when it goes up the mountain!

……

(repair)

(End of this chapter)