Siheyuan: A warm home with wife and children

With such a large operation, and a deficit of several hundred million, the Lou family is pouring in real money; what they want is probably not simple.

"Land, that's for sure."

The Lou family also wants the land, but unlike before, she will pay the market price and provide the employees with sufficient compensation.

However, they need to borrow this money from a bank, and the Consul General will act as their guarantor.

"You must have heard of the Lou family's reputation for integrity; they would never default on their debts. But to ask them to suddenly produce such a large sum of cash is really too much to ask."

First, take out a loan, and then both parties write an agreement to repay the bank in a lump sum or in installments over several years after the project is completed and becomes profitable.

However, they want the lowest possible interest rate, which requires the Consul General to act as their guarantor.

After all, such a large sum of money, and the assets have already been pledged, requires substantial collateral or the approval and responsibility of a powerful figure for a second loan.

Otherwise, even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare to release it again.

If someone were to actually do that, it wouldn't just be skirting the edge of a violation; it would be blatant illegality and crime.

The nature and consequences of these two are quite different.

"Of course I've heard of the Lou family. They're very close to Minister Yang and have had many pleasant collaborations..."

Moreover, the Lou family and the inner city are very friendly, and the Lou family has helped solve many problems for the country, especially in business negotiations and equipment procurement.

Many sensitive devices were purchased under the Lou family's name and then transported into the inland areas.

It can be said that the Lou family was registered at the council of elders.

They're refusing to pay!

The commander-in-chief felt that the other party would not do such a thing, but he really had to think carefully about whether it was worth risking his future.

I'll act as guarantor for such a large sum of money.

Just in case, if something goes wrong, the best outcome for him as the commander-in-chief would be losing his official position, and the worst...

I'll just spend the rest of my life in jail waiting to die!

Even if it's the same mistake, the mistake he made is different from the mistakes made by Zhang Jie and others.

With great power comes great responsibility.

Others may act foolishly or stupidly.

If he does something foolish, it will affect the vital interests and happy lives of 80 million people.

Sitting in that position every day, if you just want to be a good person and do something meaningful, you can never let go of the 'Mount Tai' weighing on your shoulders.

Chapter 835 My Self-Criticism, Lou Xiao'e's Big Shock

"Chairman Lou, I've heard so much about you!"

Upon meeting him in person, the leader was exceptionally enthusiastic, for this was a major financial backer, and one endorsed by Yang Jianguo.

Calling it a moving gold mine is no exaggeration.

"Commander Tang!"

Lou Xiao'e smiled gently and said, "I apologize for coming without prior notice!"

"Oh, not at all. If Chairman Lou likes it, he's welcome to settle down in Fengtian City."

"It's more than just a welcome; I think everyone should applaud and cheer."

The secretary's appropriate banter made General Manager Tang's smile even brighter.

If Lou Xiao'e were to truly settle in Fengtian, the sheer number of teams coming to her to discuss business would keep the entire eastern region busy.

Those factories facing bankruptcy and closure now have a place to go.

Recently, public sentiment has been one of sorrow and resentment.

The Commander-in-Chief had heard about it and was clear about Yang Jianguo's purpose in coming down.

But the local areas and the city of Beijing are two completely different situations.

There was also conflict in Beijing, but everyone abided by the rules, acted within the rules, and tacitly kept the situation under control.

After all, the world's attention is focused on Beijing.

If a major incident occurs, it will be an international embarrassment.

At that time, no matter who you are, you'll be sent to the outskirts for target practice.

The place is different.

With the emperor far away and unseen, there are countless dark corners and filthy ditches.

The organization is huge and bloated, with a mixed bag of people and unpredictable personalities. Especially when it comes to restructuring, there are too many people involved, and even he, as the leader, can hardly keep up with everything.

Compromise and balance are enough to get things moving effectively, and that's good enough.

There are some details that he can only turn a blind eye to.

Ultimately, the work still needs to be done by those below. If things get too nitpicky, those below will simply quit and create conflict with the masses.

As the head of the department, all he could do was get stressed out.

Compared to him, grassroots cadres have a much more solid foundation among the masses.

"So, is this foundation good or bad?"

Support is a foundation, fear is a foundation, but which one is he referring to as the foundation?

The commander-in-chief was somewhat displeased. Why did Yang Jianguo always like to nitpick over problems? As long as the general direction was correct, why did he have to dig into the details of some minor issues?

He should study history more; too much clarity leaves no room for fish!

“Minister Yang, sometimes a combination of kindness and severity is the right approach.”

"Good is good, bad is bad. One can be moderate in one's actions, but one cannot be moderate in one's nature."

There is no middle ground in taking sides, and those who are opportunistic and fickle can't get anything done; they can only be caught in the middle and suffer from both sides.

"There are good and bad aspects."

If the other party persists in pressing for details and the Consul General refuses to respond, today's conversation will likely have to end here again.

He felt quite regretful when the last negotiation broke down.

Yang Jianguo was, after all, a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Industry, responsible for the planning of the entire industrial system. Fengtian wanted to avoid being crushed into dust by the wheels of time during the reform.

While it's not necessary to cultivate a good relationship with him, it's at least important not to become enemies.

Last time, he was too impulsive.

But you can't blame him for this. Yang Jianguo arrived without any warning and immediately tried to lift the lid.

Given the serious impact of this incident, shouldn't I have informed myself of it, both morally and logically?

But he didn't take himself seriously at all.

"This was my oversight, and I apologize."

Yang Jianguo did indeed reflect on his actions, realizing that his style of doing things was too reckless for the local area.

Having lived in Beijing for so long, I always felt that I was in charge of my own little corner of the city.

He came out with a strange sense of superiority, which was not the result he wanted. Instead, he constantly reminded himself to avoid making the same mistakes.

But often, those involved are blinded by their own situation; unless they step back, they can't see themselves clearly...

"Minister Yang is being too serious."

Yang Jianguo's public admission of his mistake was indeed unexpected by the leader.

He's rumored to be very arrogant.

No matter when or who you are facing, never expect him to bow down.

But now it seems the rumors were indeed unreliable.

"Minister Yang, now that we've laid this out, I'll also make my position clear." Both sides have gone this far, and the people have arrived; the Commander-in-Chief actually wants to deal with this mess.

After all, no matter what, Zhang Jie and his ilk are still a cancer.

He could have reluctantly kept them for the sake of the bigger picture, but that didn't mean he approved of what they were doing.

Now that there are new options, the Consul General also wants to try the exhilarating feeling of popping the abscess.

“I agree to this as long as Lou can promise that all employees will be selected locally.”

Both pairs of eyes turned to Lou Xiao'e, who was sitting calmly on the high platform. "Chairwoman Lou, please give us your opinion."

“Not all of them are possible, but I can guarantee that they will provide at least 2000 jobs for the local community.”

The industrial base in the east was very solid. Back then, in order to guard against a possible war of national defense, all the country's resources were prioritized for being sent to the east.

Advanced technology, instruments, and workers are all prioritized for them.

Although it has declined due to restructuring, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse.

In Lou Xiao'e's view, Fengtian is full of treasures.

What she wants is not just a small business.

"The Lou family is looking for a new branch office location, and I personally believe that Fengtian still has certain advantages."

These words shocked the general manager, who said with obvious delight, "Chairman Lou, you can't joke about something like this."

Lou Xiao'e frowned slightly and said seriously, "I wouldn't joke about something like this."

Lou's family intends to increase investment in the inland areas, using them as a stable rear base to counter fierce competition from large Western corporations.

They need skilled workers, greater policy support, more preferential benefits, and more stable and biased leaders.

Although the trip was a spur-of-the-moment decision, the branch office she proposed was not a decision made on a whim.

Even without Yang Jianguo's phone call, Lou Xiao'e would have brought a large inspection and negotiation team to Fengtian for on-site inspection by the end of next month at the latest.

However, there is still a problem: whether they can coordinate with the railway department to open a special transport train for Lou's family.

If this cannot be achieved, it will be very difficult to reach an agreement on cooperation.

Chapter 836 Alive, Nightfall

Due to historical issues, transportation in the east is somewhat unique.

It's quite convenient for external use, but it's somewhat inadequate for internal use, especially in coastal areas.

Lou Xiao'e wanted the other party to open a convenient coastal road, which would facilitate the future transportation and transshipment of her company's materials and industries.

The ultimate goal of conducting research is still to make a profit.

If we don't make a profit, where will the money come from to continue investing in research? It's a closed loop, and every step has to be perfect.

If a mistake is made, it could drag down the entire company.

So, given Lou Xiao'e's conditions, if he can agree to them, everything else is negotiable.

If she can't agree to that, then there's nothing she can do to help.

The Consul General is still considering whether he can meet Lou Xiao'e's conditions and how to reach a deal at the lowest possible cost.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and the secretary pushed the door open a crack. "Boss, I have something urgent to report to you."

Nodding slightly, the secretary stepped forward, leaned down, and whispered something in his ear.

Yang Jianguo's hearing, far exceeding that of ordinary people, caught several key words: 'a family of five...burning charcoal...'

"I see."

After dismissing his secretary, the chief contemplated for a moment, then looked up at Yang Jianguo and said, "Minister Yang, I'm so sorry!"

The apology he offered confirmed Yang Jianguo's suspicions: a worker at the original seed farm had committed suicide by burning charcoal.

"I just received news that three families at the seed farm committed suicide by burning charcoal. I need to go and deal with that now. We can talk about our matter later."

Yang Jianguo stood up as well, saying, "I think there's nothing more for me to do after this."

"kindness?"

The commander-in-chief's expression changed, and he stood rooted to the spot, waiting for him to finish speaking.