Chapter 273: Do You Like Zhou Ming?

The welcoming event at the factory gate lasted only about ten minutes. It was just a brief meeting between Lin Muqing and Su Han, followed by a few words from Secretary Chen Da, who was unprepared.

This brief interaction was related to the pragmatic Western-style approach of Hong Kong people. Although Lin Muqing was not from Hong Kong, she had been a boss there for nearly a year. Her best friend Shen Xin and the people under her were mostly from Hong Kong, and they were very pragmatic. Lin Muqing had been influenced by this environment for a long time, and she naturally didn't like the ostentatious style of bureaucratic institutions, leading to her current demeanor.

Of course, not all Hong Kong people are pragmatic, but they are more exposed to Western culture, which makes them more pragmatic compared to the mainland.

On the other hand, Zhou Ming himself liked this pragmatic approach, which is why when he selected the team for Lin Muqing, he took this characteristic into account.

After the welcoming event, Zhou Ming took Lin Muqing and Chen Da on a tour of Factory 760 and showed them the planning map of the township industrial park. Finally, everyone sat down in the factory's conference room to discuss the investment plans for the industrial park. At this moment, Dai Tingwei said to Lin Muqing, "Director Lin, there's something I must report to you. I've selected a piece of land here that is very suitable for our company, but they refuse to release it."

Lin Muqing turned to Zhou Ming, who explained calmly, "Director Lin, this land has already been allocated to Ye An Co. by the county, so it can't be given to you. However, we have selected another piece of land for you."

"Director Lin, I think our company needs this land more. The other piece of land is not only remote and inconvenient but also has many other issues. Moreover, I've learned that the local authorities in Nanhui haven't signed a contract with Ye An Co. yet; they only have a verbal agreement, which I believe is not legally binding. As long as the local authorities in Nanhui sign a contract with us now, it doesn't violate any regulations," Dai Tingwei continued.

Upon hearing Dai Tingwei's words, Lin Muqing frowned immediately, which made Chen Da and Gu Ping nervous. They knew that this issue was precisely why they couldn't reach an agreement with Dai Tingwei before, and now it was being raised again. What should they do?

However, the next development was beyond their expectations. Lin Muqing, with a furrowed brow, scolded Dai Tingwei, "Manager Dai, I think you need to go back to school and study more to deepen your understanding of ethics and scientific principles!"

Lin Muqing's words left everyone stunned. She continued, "In investment management, we need to strive for advantages, but it is not about taking things by force. Since this land has already been claimed by someone else, it is very unethical for us to snatch it away from them. Moreover, in business, we rely on our brains, our vision, and our methods, not on superstitions."

Lin Muqing concluded, "Therefore, I've decided that we at Shiming Investment will not take this land. We fully accept Nanhui County's arrangement."

Lin Muqing's decision surprised Chen Da and Gu Ping, who immediately applauded and praised her for her broad perspective and strong decision-making ability, comparing her to Wu Zetian of modern times.

In their view, foreign companies are typically driven solely by their own interests, so there is no room for sentiment when it comes to company benefits. Even though Lin Muqing knew Zhou Ming, they didn't expect her to be so accommodating, which led them to praise her continuously.

Meanwhile, Dai Tingwei sighed inwardly. He realized that women should not fall in love, as even the most capable women can lose their reasoning when they encounter someone they like. Lin Muqing was a prime example of this. She had been so dominant in Hong Kong that even many big conglomerate chairpersons had to give way to her. Yet now, after coming to the mainland and meeting Zhou Ming, she seemed like a completely different person.

At that moment, Dai Tingwei felt his heart breaking. He was not a fool and could see why Lin Muqing was acting this way towards Zhou Ming.

However, Dai Tingwei had anticipated this outcome before speaking, only hoping for a possible last-minute rescue.

But regardless of how others thought, they didn't know that Lin Muqing considered herself a steward safeguarding Hong Kong's assets for Zhou Ming. Since the boss had decided to change the location, she had no objections. Moreover, there was an even more important reason: Lin Muqing indeed had feelings for Zhou Ming.

For these reasons, the investment negotiations with Lin Muqing went exceptionally smoothly today. Aside from some policy, tax, and various fees, there were no other objections to the terms.

This delighted Chen Da and Gu Ping, as they feared that capitalist principles would be brought into the negotiations. Besides road issues, everything else was considered trivial by them. On the other hand, Lin Muqing and other foreign investors cared most about what local officials considered minor issues.

After finalizing the details, Chen Da and the others returned to the city. Originally, they intended for Lin Muqing and the Hong Kong journalists to stay in the city, but Lin Muqing insisted on staying in Nanhui. Chen Da had no choice but to comply, instructing Gu Ping, the Nanhui County Party Secretary, to "take good care of the Hong Kong guests' accommodations and safety, and meet all their requirements as much as possible."

Lin Muqing was arranged to stay at the county party's guesthouse. Gu Ping cleared out the two best rooms for them, and instructed the chef to prepare Nanhui's most distinctive and delicious dishes, including specially fried stinky tofu.

After dinner, Gu Ping and Zhou Ming escorted Lin Muqing to her room. Although it was a suite, they were not worried about any inappropriate behavior. Even so, Lin Muqing immediately sent Gu Ping away. Gu Ping understood that Zhou Ming and this elegant Hong Kong board chairperson must have something to discuss and wisely didn't call Zhou Ming.

Once Gu Ping left, Lin Muqing invited Zhou Ming inside and asked Shen Xin to make tea.

Zhou Ming took several sips of tea, feeling unsure of what to say in front of Lin Muqing. Lin Muqing simply watched him. After a while, she said, "Zhou Ming, you must be very fulfilled living on the mainland, right?"

"Pretty good, I've been quite busy," Zhou Ming replied. "I've developed the stock market in Nanjiang, essentially setting up the basic framework for the securities market. The rest is a long-term accumulation process. I introduced Eight Treasure Porridge in the factory, and now I'm working on the township industrial park. Overall, it's been quite busy…"

Lin Muqing shook her head, "It's not just that. You've also been involved in some internal matters at Zhongnanhai, nationwide anti-spy actions, and your dealings with the Cao family in Lingnan."

"Really? Sister Muqing, you know all this?" Zhou Ming asked, surprised.

Lin Muqing sighed, "Actually, this information isn't hard to gather. Hong Kong's media is very developed. After Hong Kong's return, there has been a lot of observation of the mainland. These matters have been reported in major newspapers in Hong Kong. Some may not directly mention your name, but from the style and results of the actions, I can guess it's you."

Zhou Ming shrugged, "Then I guess I need to change my methods, otherwise, if everyone figures them out, my business won't survive."

Lin Muqing gently shook her head, "It's no use. Zhou Ming, you don't have a fixed method; it's more of a feeling, which can't be quantified. Additionally, your approach is to exploit others' vulnerabilities, which is hard to guard against."

Zhou Ming spread his hands, "Sister Muqing, you're overestimating me. I don't think there's anything particularly unbeatable. Instead, it seems that you're truly the formidable woman!"

"Sister Muqing is now the chairperson of Hong Kong's largest investment alliance," Shen Xin suddenly reminded Zhou Ming.

This surprised Zhou Ming. Despite recognizing Lin Muqing's capabilities, he didn't expect her progress to be so rapid. Zhou Ming immediately said, "Haha! I always knew Sister Muqing was the best!"

But Lin Muqing shook her head, "I only know whether I'm good or not myself. I don't know if I'm the best in all of Hong Kong, but I do know that you, Zhou Ming, seem not to have paid much attention to me."

Zhou Ming's face turned awkward. As Lin Muqing said, he had indeed been less proactive in keeping in touch. Otherwise, he would have known about Lin Muqing's visit to Linyang in advance. However, this couldn't be entirely blamed on Zhou Ming. It was just that with so many things coming up, he had been overwhelmed and had no time to focus on Lin Muqing.

Zhou Ming wanted to say something to ease the situation, but at this moment, Lin Muqing checked the time and said to Zhou Ming, "The time should be approaching."

Zhou Ming was puzzled, just as he was about to ask what time was approaching, the door to the room was suddenly knocked on. Shen Xin went to open the door and saw Su Han coming in.

Why did Lin Muqing call Su Han over so late?

This question made

 Zhou Ming's heart skip a beat. He looked at Lin Muqing, but she ignored him and directly greeted Su Han, "Xiaohan, you're here. You're very punctual."

While speaking, Lin Muqing pulled Su Han's hand and sat down. Shen Xin made tea for Su Han as well. Su Han thanked her, took a sip of tea, and curiously asked Lin Muqing, "Sister Muqing, did you call me for something?"

"It's not a big deal, just a question I want to ask you," Lin Muqing's tone was casual before but now became serious as she stared into Su Han's eyes and asked, "Do you like Zhou Ming?"