Chapter 111: The Securities Preparation Leading Group

"Brother Ming, has Zhou Hu really been arrested and is he going to be sentenced?" Tang Ran asked with her bright eyes.

"Of course. He was caught with 20 kilograms of drugs, and the police have solid evidence. The case has already been concluded, and he will soon be handed over to the prosecutor's office for prosecution. He's definitely facing severe legal punishment," Zhou Ming replied formally.

Upon hearing this, Tang Ran was very happy. "That's great! That bad guy deserves it!"

Zhou Ming affectionately patted her head. He didn't mention the death penalty to Tang Ran, as he didn't want to distress her with such harsh realities. Instead, he only told her that Zhou Hu would be sentenced for drug trafficking without going into specifics.

It had been a week since Zhou Hu was arrested. Zhou Ming didn't know exactly how Police Chief Zhao Anmin had handled Zhou Hu, nor did he make any effort to find out. However, three days after Zhou Hu was imprisoned, Zhao Anmin sent Zhou Ming a medical report indicating that Zhou Hu had severe anal fissures. Zhou Ming didn't need to inspect Zhou Hu's condition to infer how he had been treated in prison. 

Zhou Ming felt no guilt about Zhou Hu's suffering. If it had been him in Zhou Hu's place, he wouldn't have fared any better. Zhou Ming was ruthless when dealing with enemies; if he had to act, he would ensure it was decisive. Zhou Hu's attempts to flaunt himself and target Tang Ran only reinforced Zhou Ming's resolve to handle him harshly.

"Since Zhou Hu has been dealt with, can your nightclub proceed smoothly?" Tang Ran asked.

"Of course. My nightclub was compliant with all laws and regulations," Zhou Ming replied.

He parked at the exit-entry administration office, said goodbye to Tang Ran, and then drove to the commercial street. The renovation of his nightclub had begun a week ago. Although it looked unchanged from the outside, significant progress had been made inside.

Zhou Ming parked and walked to the entrance, meeting Kong Xiaolin coming out. 

Seeing Zhou Ming, Kong Xiaolin was surprised. "Mr. Zhou, why are you here?"

Realizing she was still in work clothes, Kong Xiaolin tried to hide, as she didn't want to dirty her professional attire. For the past week, she had been overseeing the renovation in plain work clothes and a safety helmet.

"Don't hide, Manager Kong! I think you look good like this," Zhou Ming said.

"Mr. Zhou, you're just teasing me. These clothes are rough and covered in paint. How could they look good?" Kong Xiaolin said.

"I'm serious. The beauty of an outfit depends on the person wearing it. Even in work clothes, you're stunning," Zhou Ming said sincerely.

Kong Xiaolin was somewhat convinced. "Really?"

"Absolutely," Zhou Ming affirmed. Kong Xiaolin had a great figure and a pretty face, so even in work attire, she still looked impressive.

"How's the renovation going?" Zhou Ming asked.

"Most of the walls have been demolished according to the design, and the stairs have been moved to the sides. Now, it's mostly about decoration and beautification," Kong Xiaolin explained.

"That's good progress," Zhou Ming said.

Kong Xiaolin added, "The pace is quick. Mr. Rao sent the best and most professional team. Without them, the first phase would have been delayed by at least three to four days."

"Of course, having a beautiful manager like you supervising ensures no one dares to slack off!" Zhou Ming said. "Once the project is finished, I'll take you to the shopping mall across the street to pick out three outfits as a reward for your hard work."

"Mr. Zhou, you must keep your word. I'll remember this," Kong Xiaolin said with a smile.

Zhou Ming said, "Of course, a gentleman's word is his bond."

Just then, Zhou Ming's pager went off, indicating a message from the city government. Kong Xiaolin guessed it was important and said, "Mr. Zhou, if you have something to attend to, go ahead. I'll keep an eye on things here and contact you if needed."

Zhou Ming agreed and drove to the city government office. He went straight to the mayor's office, where he found Mayor Chen Yunfei sitting on a sofa with two other people—Executive Deputy Mayor Qiao Weijiang and Luo Han, the First Vice President of South Jiang Development Bank.

Chen Yunfei greeted Zhou Ming, "Mr. Zhou, you're here. Please take a seat. I have something to discuss with you."

Zhou Ming took a seat and nodded to Qiao Weijiang and Luo Han. Qiao Weijiang responded with a formal nod, while Luo Han smiled, recognizing Zhou Ming as a major shareholder in South Jiang Development.

"Now that everyone is here," Chen Yunfei began, "You three are among the most important economic talents in South Jiang. As you know, the country is preparing to establish a securities market, which is crucial for advancing reform and opening up. However, we acknowledge that we are not fully prepared. Therefore, the Municipal Party Committee and Government have decided to form a Securities Preparation Leading Group, with Secretary Lu and I leading it. You three will be key members of this group and will be responsible for the development of South Jiang's securities market."

Zhou Ming was surprised. According to his knowledge from his previous life, he knew there were three founders of the South Jiang Securities Market, but he hadn't expected to be one of them. This was an unexpected turn of events.

"Mr. Zhou, this is a serious political task, and it's something you proposed to Elder Yang. I hope you take it seriously," Chen Yunfei emphasized.

Understanding Chen Yunfei's concerns about his previous behavior during the phone conference, Zhou Ming quickly responded, "Rest assured, Mr. Mayor, I will complete the task diligently."

Chen Yunfei nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Elder Yang has taken our concerns about the lack of company law, securities law, accounting law, contract law, and trading law very seriously. He has instructed us to establish appropriate mechanisms to ensure our securities market has legal support in all situations."

"Since the securities market is new to us and we have no prior experience, the Municipal Party Committee and Government have decided to send you three to Hong Kong to learn from their advanced experience in securities market development," Chen Yunfei explained.

Zhou Ming understood that this was an opportunity to visit Hong Kong on official business. He wondered if Wang Yunlong and others could provide useful insights.

"Mayor Chen, actually…" Zhou Ming began to speak.

However, Qiao Weijiang interrupted, "Mr. Zhou, as the Executive Deputy Mayor, let me speak first."

Qiao Weijiang's tone was calm but his gaze was disapproving, indicating his displeasure at Zhou Ming speaking out of turn.

Realizing the protocol, Zhou Ming gestured for Qiao Weijiang to continue. "Please, Deputy Mayor Qiao."

Qiao Weijiang nodded in satisfaction and addressed Chen Yunfei, "Mayor Chen, I had already planned for this. I've been in touch with several financial companies in Hong Kong over the past week and have identified some excellent ones willing to exchange experiences with us."

"That's excellent, Weijiang. Since you've identified potential partners, I hope you can leave for Hong Kong as soon as possible, understand their securities market regulations, and provide a detailed report," Chen Yunfei said.

"I'm ready. I've been preparing for this," Qiao Weijiang agreed. "What was it that Mr. Zhou wanted to discuss?"

Zhou Ming shrugged, "I was just wondering if you needed my help in contacting securities experts in Hong Kong. But since Deputy Mayor Qiao has already made arrangements, I'll leave it to you. As a development consultant, I'm ready to follow the arrangements."

Luo Han, the Vice President of South Jiang Development Bank, added, "I will fully comply with all arrangements."

Chen Yunfei concluded, "Great. Time is of the essence. I hope you can depart for Hong Kong within the next few days."