Chapter 64 Conclusion

  "You're the head of the class, so you should grasp the overall principle. You can't shirk responsibility, haha." Lingyun also smiled and said: "I've been thinking about it like this - we won't simply do a merger and acquisition, but instead use the steel mill and mining company's discounted value of 500 million as government shares and have Feiyuan Company jointly establish a new steel company with a 40% stake. Feiyuan Company will invest 750 million and hold a 60% stake. The original steel mill's entire debt will be taken on by the new company. This price of 500 million is just my initial estimate, and of course we'll need to have experts come in for an appraisal. If there are any discrepancies, we can adjust the specific investment situation according to the predetermined ratio."

  "This approach is not bad, I completely agree." Zhou Qihong's eyes lit up again, looking at the 47-year-old mayor in front of him, as if he felt younger. He also wanted to do something practical, but over the years, he had been trapped in the vortex of power struggles and couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.

  Then he hesitated for a moment and said, "But will Feiyuan Company agree to this approach? If so, can we take control of it? It sounds better when saying it out loud, and there will be less resistance in operation."

  Leng Yun smiled and said, "Joint venture should be negotiable, but I'm sure Faraway Company will not agree to let us control the shares. They invested so much money, but they don't have confidence in our ability to manage it well. If we could do a good job, there wouldn't be such a crisis now. Besides, I think it's not necessary for us to take on this responsibility. After all, we don't have professional talent in this area. Let Faraway Company handle production, management, and sales, and we just need to supervise the finances well and enjoy the benefits without much burden and pressure. As for the government, it's better to focus more energy on serving the people."

  Zhou Qihong thought for a moment and said, "Hmm, you make sense. I didn't think it through. Tomorrow at the Standing Committee meeting, you bring it up and I'll fully support it. We can co-sign and report to the Provincial Party Committee and Government. But what about those management cadres, how do you plan to handle them?"

  He also knew that even if Leng Yun didn't get his support, the proposal would still pass at tomorrow's Standing Committee meeting. Being informed in advance was a sign of respect and had great persuasive power and feasibility. Supporting him was only natural and logical. This involved the survival of several thousand families in the steel plant, not to mention the slightest mistake or internal power struggle.

  When Zhou Qihong mentioned this issue, Leng Yun's expression became somewhat solemn. He took out a document from his bag and handed it to Zhou Qihong, saying in a cold and serious tone: "Secretary, take a look at this first, it's shocking."

  Zhou Qihong took the documents with some confusion, picked up the glasses on the table and looked at them. In less than two minutes, he couldn't help but slap his hand on the table, causing the entire study to rumble, and cursed: "These sons of bitches should be taken out and shot, killing them a thousand times is not enough to atone for their sins!"

  The noise was so loud that even Hu Hui, who was watching TV in the living room, couldn't help but push open the door and come to see what had happened.

  "What are you doing here, we're discussing official business, get out!" Zhou Qihong scolded with a frown, startling Hu Hui to hastily retreat, muttering to herself, what's going on, she had never seen her husband lose his temper so badly before.

  Zhou Qihong walked back and forth in the house with a dark face, saying: "It's hateful, really too hateful. No wonder the steel plant is losing money, no wonder it will stop production, and raise these fat mice..." But it seems that this is still not enough to vent his anger.

  Leng Yun also worried that he would get angry and hurriedly pulled him aside to persuade: "Secretary, don't be too anxious, the matter has already happened, now we should think about how to make up for it, getting anxious and flustered won't help."

  Zhou Qihong sat down with a huff, picked up his wine cup and took a big gulp of wine. Only then did he look at Leng Yunying and ask: "Have all the things here been verified?" In fact, he himself was also very clear that this sentence was unnecessary to ask. If it wasn't true, would Leng Yunying dare bring it in front of him?

  Leng Yun sighed and said, "Because of the urgency of time, not all verification has been conducted, but what has been verified has been confirmed. The rest must be investigated through compulsory means, I believe there should be no discrepancies."

  Zhou Qihong waved his hand decisively and said firmly: "Investigate, investigate thoroughly, absolutely no leniency!"

  After a moment of silence, he sighed again, his voice very low and melancholy: "I always believed in them, even when someone reacted to the situation, I always thought it was a frame-up. Doing revolution, where can you not be wronged? I didn't expect that I was the one who was wrong! Luckily for me, or else I would have become a sinner for eternity!"

  Leng Yun saw his withered wood and dead ash-like expression, her mood was also very heavy, and she said: "Secretary, this is their own greed and selfishness, what does it have to do with you? Don't be too self-blaming."

  "Mayor Yun, I know you're a man who wants to do great things. Don't worry, from now on, I'll be your solid backing, standing firm at this post. You can go ahead and strive with confidence!" The title of address has also changed from "Cold Mayor" to the current "Yun Mayor", although it's just a change from surname to name, but it sounds much more intimate.

  Zhou Qihong seemed to have also figured it out through this matter, he knew that if Leng Yunyi really had any ideas, she wouldn't come to him today to say these things and let him prepare, but instead should throw out this heavy bombshell at tomorrow's Standing Committee meeting. Not only could it achieve the same purpose, but he was afraid that by then, whether he could retreat unscathed would be a very serious problem. After all, in a strict sense, most of these problematic people were promoted and supported by him personally, even if he didn't collude with them, at least the leadership responsibility couldn't be escaped.

  He respected himself as the municipal party secretary even when he had the upper hand, which also indirectly showed that he was fair and not trying to create a name for himself by fighting for power. He just hoped that the top leaders of Changfu could unite and do their work well together. What's the point of getting entangled in those trivial matters? After all, if there were achievements, wouldn't he, as the municipal party secretary, have some credit too? Just be content with being the municipal party secretary, what's the use of fighting for those empty things? This position would eventually belong to Leng Yunyi anyway.

  The second day's Standing Committee meeting had just begun, and everyone felt a bit strange. The municipal party secretary and the mayor were smiling and chatting as they walked into the conference room together, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

  However, the atmosphere of the meeting was no longer so relaxed. The first agenda item of Leng Yun's speech was very severe, and he threw out ironclad evidence, demanding that all officials involved be suspended from their duties, and that the municipal discipline inspection commission conduct a follow-up investigation, and that those involved in criminal cases be arrested by the municipal public security organs according to relevant regulations.

  Apart from a handful of people in the know, this bombshell has left everyone else stunned. Everyone's guessing: Is Kou Yunfan going to fire Zhou Qihong? Because the vast majority of officials are what everyone considers to be Zhou's loyal followers.

  It seems that everyone has made preparations to welcome the storm, otherwise, Zhou Qihong, this municipal party secretary, would watch his own people being taken down. Those who have already taken sides are thinking about how to support their boss, while those who haven't are thinking about which side to take, whether to support Leng Yunrui or Zhou Qihong. Originally, it was possible to play both sides, but now the two sides are going to engage in a fierce battle, and being a wallflower will only displease both parties.

  Standing in line is very important, once you stand on the wrong team, it foretells the end of your career path. This battlefield does not welcome losers.

  What surprised everyone was that the expected scene did not occur, and Zhou Qihong unexpectedly supported Lingyun's view without waiting for others to speak, which made everyone very surprised.

  When did the municipal party secretary and mayor get so close? Everyone was surprised.

  But only a handful of people can stand on the same line, and the biggest beneficiaries are actually these municipal committee members. There is no need to be caught in the middle and struggle, nor does anyone want to sing opposite Cold Yun's mayor. The experience of former Mayor Hong Gang is still fresh in mind, who would want to be the second Hong Gang?

  The 13 standing committee members voted unanimously in favor, including the proposal to jointly establish an iron and steel company with Feiyuan Company, which was smoothly passed and immediately submitted to the provincial party committee. At the same time, personnel from the municipal discipline inspection commission and public security bureau set out immediately, rushing to various places to capture relevant personnel. To be on the safe side, hundreds of armed police were also deployed, fully armed and following the case handlers into action.

  The entire operation was carried out with lightning speed, sweeping away all obstacles, and many of those involved in the case were caught off guard and arrested one after another, without a single escape.

  When the case handlers found Li Wen-hui, the general manager of Qianchang Steel Factory, in one of his hidden residences, they discovered that he had already died before the police arrived. A suicide note was left at the scene, confessing to his corruption, embezzlement and masterminding the kidnapping. After forensic examination, it was confirmed that Li Wen-hui died from taking a large amount of sleeping pills. Although the police were suspicious about how he knew about their actions in advance and chose to commit suicide instead of escaping before they arrived, everyone was delighted that the case was solved so quickly and smoothly.

  Thirty-seven officials of various levels were involved in this iron and steel factory's economic case, including a deputy mayor and the head of the municipal bureau of commerce. Twenty-nine people were double-tracked, five of whom were also suspected of criminal offenses. More than 3 million yuan in funds were recovered, causing an earthquake in the officialdom of Changfu Prefecture. Unfortunately, more than 4 million yuan of my funds are still unaccounted for and have not been recovered.

  Although the provincial party committee was shocked and sympathetic to the emergence of such a huge economic and criminal case in Changfu officialdom, it was pleased and relieved that Zhou Qihong and Leng Yunrui were able to sweep away these evils with lightning speed. While criticizing them severely, they also commended their ability to unite and stabilize development.

  All the stumbling blocks and snags have been cleared away, and the steel mill issue has been put back on the agenda. After a week of meticulous negotiations, with full exchange of views, based on the principle of mutual benefit, the two sides finally reached an agreement.

  Three days later, in the luxurious conference room on the 18th floor of Fei Yuan International Hotel, witnessed by dozens of media outlets across the country and over a hundred representatives of steel plant workers, Leng Yunying, representing the Changfu Municipal Government, and Zhu Jianjun, the full representative of Fei Yuan Company, signed a cooperation agreement to jointly establish Fei Yuan (Changfu) Steel Co., Ltd. The company's total registered capital is 12.5 billion yuan, with Fei Yuan Company investing 7.5 billion yuan, holding 60% of the shares in the new steel company, while the government holds 40% of the shares by valuing its existing steel plant and mining companies at 5 billion yuan. The newly established company has become the largest in the province and one of the top three large-scale steel enterprises in the country.

  Vice Secretary of the Provincial Committee Liu Dachang, Director of the Provincial Economic and Trade Commission Wang Ming, Changfu City Party Secretary Zhou Qihong and Chairman of the Municipal People's Congress and CPPCC attended the signing ceremony.

  The moment when the two sides exchanged the agreement, all the worker representatives cheered and wept with joy.

  The factory has been shut down for several months, and everyone is very worried, especially those who are dual-income households or have family members working in the factory, and they don't know what to do next. Now, finally, there's a glimmer of hope. If it were another company taking over, people might still be skeptical, worrying that there would be problems, whether employees would be laid off, but Feiyuan Company is different.

  For years, Feiyuan Company has been a household name in Changfu, with its international reputation being somewhat distant. However, the companies under Feiyuan's umbrella, such as Feiyuan International Hotel, Jiale Supermarket, and Tourism Development Company, have always been coveted by locals for their high salaries, good benefits, and respectable work environment. Now, it seems that the employees of Changfu Steel Factory are finally getting a chance to join the ranks of these envied companies with the arrival of Taiyi.

  Since the news that Feiyuan Company is likely to take over the steel mill under the government's efforts in communication and coordination, everyone has been looking forward to it with hope. And when they go out, others also say to them with envy and jealousy: "You guys, from now on you'll be fine, you're going to be Feiyuan Company people, just wait for a life of enjoyment..."

  Although the eight characters have not been written yet, everyone's heart is filled with joy.

  At the press conference after signing, Leng Yun said: "The establishment of this new company is under the guidance of the provincial party committee and government, and the joint efforts of the municipal party committee and government. It is a major attempt to explore enterprise reform and revitalize the economy, and we have received strong support from Fei Yuan Company. As officials, we will adhere to the spirit of serving the people and doing practical things for the citizens. We will properly handle various problems that arise in economic development, ensure people's livelihoods, revitalize the economy, and greatly improve people's living standards, which is our unshirkable responsibility and mission..."

  Zhu Jianjun also said: "We are businessmen, but businessmen also have a sense of social responsibility. Fei Yuan Company has developed rapidly in Changfu over the years, and Changfu is the second hometown of Fei Yuan Company. We can expand our diversified business development while doing some practical things for this second hometown, which is an honor for us."

  "Fei Yuan Company has always been either not doing it, or doing it to the best. This time with the newly established steel company, we will invest heavily in reforming and updating the existing factory buildings, equipment, and technology, upgrading and replacing new products, carrying out fine processing, enriching high-tech content, truly making the company a world-renowned first-class steel company..."

  After the speech, there was a thunderous applause. The provincial and municipal leaders are outsiders, but they were also attracted by the so-called first-class and top-notch words. Having such a large enterprise in their own jurisdiction is also their achievement, isn't it? And those worker representatives were inspired by the company's strength, scale, and grand blueprint unfolding before their eyes. Who wouldn't want their own company to be good? Not only will their income and treatment improve, but they'll also gain face when talking about it.

  The establishment of Fei Yuan (Changfu) Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. marked that the Changfu Municipal Government once again became the first to eat crabs, which is the first joint-stock steel company with foreign capital controlling shares in China, opening a precedent, providing experience and basis for the country to formulate next plans and policies.