Chapter 284: The Legend from Jiangnan

A stone thrown into a lake can create ripples for miles. When Chen Yunfei mentioned "Mr. Xing," the room immediately buzzed with surprised intakes of breath. 

In this era of less developed information, the average person might not recognize the significance of this title, but everyone present today was either wealthy or influential. Businesspeople, for whom information is critical, and officials, who are leaders of various cities, all understood the weight of the name. Even Zhou Ming furrowed his brow. 

This Mr. Xing, named Xing Yuan, was a legendary figure renowned across Jiangnan Province, Binhai City, and even the capital. 

Zhou Ming, being reincarnated, remembered Mr. Xing, but he was puzzled. Wasn't this person always dealing with Jiangnan affairs? Even at his most extravagant, when he had hundreds of billions, he rarely left Jiangnan. Why was he now in Lingnan and attending this meeting? 

Zhou Ming looked at him—a thin, dark-skinned man who appeared more like a peasant than a wealthy figure. Who would have thought that a man who never attended school could make billions in a year? 

The reaction from the audience was one of astonishment, and Xing Yuan reveled in it. He raised his head high, surveyed the room, and finally addressed Chen Yunfei: "Governor Chen, if my behavior earlier was inappropriate, I apologize. However, I was merely stating a fact." 

"Moreover," Zhou Ming interjected, "this meeting is not a report session but an open discussion. Since it's an open discussion, I believe it's reasonable for me to share my thoughts. As Lingnan is at the forefront of reform and opening-up, it should embody this inclusive attitude. Governor Chen, what do you think?" 

If Xing Yuan's previous remarks were surprising, his current comments left everyone in shock. 

To everyone present, Xing Yuan's statement was incredibly arrogant. After all, Chen Yunfei was the executive vice governor of Lingnan! Criticizing him directly seemed inappropriate. Regardless of whether the meeting was a report session or an open discussion, Chen Yunfei's words carried weight. How could someone have the audacity to counter him and assert their own views? 

The attendees were stunned but also understood that only someone like Xing Yuan, who represented Binhai City and Jiangnan Province and had no direct interests in Lingnan, could speak so freely. Without any conflicts of interest, he could say whatever he wished, as even provincial leaders in Jiangnan wouldn't intervene. 

Thus, Chen Yunfei pondered for a moment before responding: "Regardless, meeting protocols need to be upheld. I assume Mr. Xing has participated in high-level meetings in Jiangnan and Binhai before?" 

Xing Yuan smiled, "Of course. Governor Chen, as I mentioned, I may not be well-educated and might have faltered in some areas. I apologize to you and everyone here." 

Chen Yunfei nodded, "Then what do you mean by stating facts?" 

Chen Yunfei's response was surprising but understandable. If Xing Yuan were merely an ordinary businessman, Chen Yunfei could have contacted Jiangnan for clarification. However, with Xing Yuan's public assets already in the billions, such wealth was significant even for provincial leaders, who would likely leave him to his devices. 

Rather than create unnecessary friction, it was better to let Xing Yuan speak freely to ensure the meeting proceeded smoothly. 

Xing Yuan, seemingly unfazed by the impact of his words, continued in his characteristic tone: "The fact I mentioned is simple. The idea of raising funds for highway construction proposed by Consultant Zhou is good, but its execution has issues. For instance, he mentioned learning from foreign road fund management experiences and achieving a return of only four to ten percent, which is too low." 

Hearing Zhou Ming being criticized, Shen Xin immediately reacted: "Mr. Xing, I am Shen Xin, a reporter from Hong Kong Finance. High returns with high risks are common financial knowledge. As far as I know, achieving four to ten percent returns while ensuring no loss is already quite rare. I don't understand why you think this is insufficient." 

Xing Yuan looked at Shen Xin with a sudden gleam in his eyes and smiled broadly: "I expected to be questioned, but I didn't anticipate being questioned by such a beautiful and charming reporter like Miss Shen. I'm honored." 

Xing Yuan's flattery and smile disgusted Shen Xin. She replied coldly: "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Xing. Please answer my question directly." 

Xing Yuan nodded: "Certainly, Miss Shen. Your question will be answered directly. You think four to ten percent returns are high, which reflects a conservative and limited perspective. You haven't been exposed to higher-return ventures." 

"And what high-return ventures are you referring to?" Shen Xin asked. 

"Simply put, investing with me," Xing Yuan said with pride. "I have a company in Jiangnan Province called Wild Field, which is essentially a real stock company. Do you know how much return I've given my investors from last year to this year?" 

After asking the question, Xing Yuan paused intentionally. Seeing everyone shake their heads in confusion, he held up three fingers and continued: "Thirty percent profit return! In other words, my investors invested ten billion in me over the past year, and I earned them three billion in profits." 

This answer stunned everyone. While ten billion in funds sounded impressive, it wasn't extraordinary. Many strong companies and banks could gather such amounts. The shock wasn't just about the amount but also the return rate. In the early days of the stock market boom in South River, such returns were common. However, achieving this in a year was remarkable. 

Given the difficulty of ensuring high returns with large investments without major economic events, international investments exceeding ten billion typically yield only a few percentage points. 

"Mr. Xing, what business are you in to provide such high returns for your investors?" Shen Xin asked. 

This was a question everyone wanted answered. Many of the attendees were businesspeople, and though they might not be familiar with international markets, domestic markets were less developed. They wondered how a business could absorb ten billion without saturation and still provide such high returns. 

Xing Yuan, noticing the disbelief among Lingnan entrepreneurs, sighed with a smirk and said: "Don't believe it? If so, then I must say you're really narrow-minded! Fast money comes from disposable fast-moving goods. Hospitals need these items constantly, and their usage is stable, which ensures my products sell quickly and maintain long-term relationships. This stability keeps my profits steady." 

After hearing Xing Yuan's explanation, the entrepreneurs in the room were stunned. They found it hard to believe not just the sales channel but the scale of the operation. Even if Jiangnan had been hit by a major outbreak, achieving ten billion in revenue seemed implausible. 

For Lingnan entrepreneurs, who had witnessed Zhou Ming's miracles, they attributed Xing Yuan's legend to their own lack of understanding of his methods. 

Xing Yuan surveyed the room and, seeing the similar expressions on everyone's faces, declared his purpose: "So, for the management of the road funds after the highway is constructed, let's not entrust it to Zhou Ming. Leave it to me."