Chapter 91: Are You Not Happy with Being an Official?

Chen Yunfei was genuinely stunned. At this moment, Zhou Ming could have asked for any favor, and he would have been prepared to grant it, given the young man's audacity and confidence. However, despite Chen Yunfei's extensive experience in both central and local politics, he could not have anticipated that Zhou Ming would directly say he had not yet figured out what he wanted.

What? You started off so enthusiastically, and now you're just playing games with me?

With this thought, Chen Yunfei's face darkened. Seeing this expression, Du Peng, feeling anxious, said, "Zhou Ming, don't speak carelessly in front of Uncle Chen!"

In contrast to Du Peng's urgency, Zhou Ming remained calm and said, "Mayor Chen, I'm not joking. On the contrary, I'm serious because if I directly stated what I wanted, it would imply that I was already prepared or, to put it bluntly, that I had instigated this land speculation issue myself. But unfortunately, that's not the case."

Chen Yunfei's expression softened a bit. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, you don't need to explain further. I'm not as petty as you think."

Chen Yunfei pondered for a moment and continued, "Since you can't think of anything right now, don't force it. As the mayor of Nanjing, I can give you a promise, as long as it doesn't violate any party or legal regulations. Is that acceptable?"

Zhou Ming thanked Chen Yunfei, but Du Peng was still astonished. He knew Chen Yunfei well and understood that he was a meticulous person due to his grandfather's teachings. He couldn't believe Chen Yunfei would casually make such a promise. If Du Peng hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it.

"Don't rush to thank me. If you can't provide a reasonable explanation, you'll be in trouble," Chen Yunfei said to Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming smiled slightly, "Without a crystal ball, how could I dare to handle a delicate matter? Controlling land speculation is actually quite simple, but before that, I'd like to ask Mayor Chen a question: What is the current income level of our Nanjing City? Or how many wealthy companies are there in Nanjing or even the entire Lingnan Province? I mean companies that can produce a large amount of cash."

Chen Yunfei and Du Peng looked at Zhou Ming with surprise. They couldn't understand why Zhou Ming had suddenly shifted from discussing land speculation to talking about companies. Was he suggesting that the government should directly engage with company leaders? But that would be economic intervention, which was not allowed by higher authorities. If not, what did his question mean?

Zhou Ming could guess their thoughts and said, "I think I already know the answer. It seems that such companies are not just few, but very rare."

"Of course, they're rare. After all, we are only in the early stages of reform and opening up. Even though Nanjing is an economic zone with nationwide support, it has only been a few years, and real development has only occurred in recent years. How could there be many wealthy companies? Companies that can immediately spend tens of millions on land are even fewer," Du Peng explained.

"That's the crux of the issue," Zhou Ming said.

Chen Yunfei and Du Peng were momentarily stunned and then fell into contemplation. Zhou Ming continued, "Since there aren't many wealthy companies in Nanjing or the entire Lingnan Province, how did land speculation get started? There can't be just a few rich companies involved, right? If not, where did the money for other companies come from?"

This revelation made Chen Yunfei and Du Peng's eyes light up as they exclaimed in unison, "Banks."

"That's right!" Zhou Ming said. "Many people saw that land prices in Nanjing would rise and thought they could make money from speculation. However, many were short on cash, so most people turned to bank loans to get on the speculation bandwagon. This is not a problem in itself, but the issue is that land speculation is essentially a bubble economy. Once the bubble bursts, all that will be left for the banks are bad debts. If the government strengthens supervision of bank accounts, it wouldn't be considered economic intervention and would effectively crush land speculation."

Chen Yunfei and Du Peng suddenly understood. Chen Yunfei slapped his thigh and said, "Yes! How did I not think of this? I was wondering why so many real estate companies emerged suddenly. It turns out they were all temporarily registered, and their money came from bank loans!"

Chen Yunfei then said to Zhou Ming with a sense of relief, "You're right. Whether it's government officials or experts, our thinking is still constrained by the planned economy. We couldn't even think of this basic direction."

Du Peng, feeling excited, said, "Zhou Ming, you're amazing! It's incredible that something that left so many people helpless and made Uncle Chen lose sleep for days could be so simple for you. You're simply not human!"

Zhou Ming shrugged and said, "This is just a different way of thinking. After all, Mayor Chen and those experts and scholars view problems from a macro perspective, looking from the top down. But I'm a businessman. What I think about is how to make money. The reason I could figure it out so quickly is that if I were in their shoes, I would do the same thing."

"Yes! Our government officials lack this kind of perspective-taking ability."

Chen Yunfei shook his head. As the mayor of Nanjing appointed by the central government, he could empathize but would not dwell on it too much. He then asked Zhou Ming, "So according to you, as long as we find a way to tighten the bank's credit, cutting off the funds to those companies, the land speculation activities will naturally stop, right?"

Zhou Ming nodded and said, "Yes, even if land speculation is profitable, it's pointless if they don't have the capital."

"You're right. I will go and communicate with the banking system tomorrow, I mean today. I believe the colleagues there will support our work," Chen Yunfei said.

"However, Mayor Chen, there is one point to note. Bad debts can only be discovered later. The current economic bubble has just started, and the feverish pursuit of profit can make people lose their basic judgment. Simply regulating the upper-level banking system might not achieve the desired effect," Zhou Ming expressed his concern.

There was one thing Zhou Ming didn't say: Banks and the government are two different systems. Although banks generally respect local leaders, it's mostly courtesy. Many aspects require the government's help. If conflicts of interest arise, and since you can't directly influence their positions, they might not necessarily heed your advice.

Chen Yunfei pondered for a moment and asked, "What do you suggest we do?"

"I think it's best to tackle it from both sides. On one hand, Mayor Chen, you should work on strengthening supervision of bad debts at the banks and implement corresponding policies. On the other hand, please arrange a meeting with the local banking system so I can explain the situation to them. I believe it will make a significant difference," Zhou Ming said.

Chen Yunfei was surprised and asked, "You think a meeting with them will make a difference?"

Zhou Ming shrugged, "Mayor Chen, I can't guarantee it, but I'm at least 99% sure."

If someone else had said this in front of Chen Yunfei, he would have thought they were boasting. But for Zhou Ming, Chen Yunfei believed he had genuine confidence.

"Alright," Chen Yunfei nodded. "I'll need about two days to communicate with the provincial bank. Issuing the administrative order will take one day. So, let's schedule your meeting with the local banks for three days from now. Does that work for you?"

"No problem," Zhou Ming said confidently.

Chen Yunfei pondered for a moment and then said to Zhou Ming, "But having you meet with the bank staff without a proper identity is inappropriate. I'll arrange a position for you as a Special Economic Advisor for Nanjing Development."

Zhou Ming scratched his head and said, "Thank you, Mayor Chen."

Chen Yunfei raised an eyebrow and said, "Why do you seem unhappy about being given an official title?"

"Mayor Chen, you're right. I actually don't want to be this development advisor," Zhou Ming replied.

Chen Yunfei asked in confusion, "Why is that? It seems like everyone else is eager to hold a government position."

"They are them, and I am me," Zhou Ming said. "I just want to quietly be a businessman and make my money. I don't want to be entangled with politics."

"I see," Chen Yunfei laughed. "But you should understand that this is inevitable. Any business activity ultimately involves politics. This has been true throughout history, whether ancient or modern."

Zhou Ming nodded, "I understand that, but I don't want to be too deeply involved. I don't want to become a victim of politics. After all, no matter how much money I make or how high my social status is, I can never compete with the state apparatus. If I haven't made any mistakes, but end up dragged into issues because of political problems, wouldn't that be too unfair?"

Chen Yunfei sat up straight, looking at Zhou Ming with surprise. If Zhou Ming's earlier display of economic talent was notable, this statement revealed his keen insight.

It might not seem extraordinary at first glance—many people could think of it. But the key is how few can maintain their integrity and refuse temptation when facing power?

Perhaps Zhou Ming was the only one!

It can

 be imagined that if nothing unexpected happens, Zhou Ming's name will certainly reverberate across the country and even the world in the near future!

Thinking of this, Chen Yunfei said to Zhou Ming, "In that case, I can guarantee that the title of Special Economic Advisor will be solely focused on Nanjing's economic development and won't be associated with any political activities."

"Thank you, Mayor Chen," Zhou Ming said.