Chapter 552: The Promising Shenkou

"Xia Yu, what about you?" 

Bao Yugang asked, with Huo Yingdong also curiously looking at him.

The longer they interacted, the better they understood Xia Yu. In their view, Xia Yu was the wealthiest and had the largest business scope among the three of them.

Xia Yu's ideas were always imaginative, so they were very curious about what preparations Xia Yu had made for his first northward journey.

Huo Yingdong, in particular, was focused on this. As the leader of the northward group, the more successful the outcome, the greater his credit would be.

Xia Yu smiled and said, "I'm similar to everyone else, with broad preparations. Investment is certain, but the specific amount isn't fixed—it mainly depends on which industries the mainland is willing to open up."

"At the moment, we plan to set up a toy factory, build hotels and office buildings. I also intend to construct a film and television city. The land costs over there will definitely be cheaper than in Hong Kong. If conditions allow, we'll build it there; we'll see about other investments later."

"Anyway, my attitude is the same—there's no upper limit on investment!"

Upon hearing this, both Huo Yingdong and Bao Yugang smiled.

What Xia Yu said was genuinely from the heart. Being from the future, he naturally knew that the small fishing village across the sea would develop into something extraordinary. Investing now and obtaining land would be a huge profit.

As for other future political instability factors, Xia Yu wasn't worried at all. This was both confidence in himself and in the mainland's leadership.

...

Later, Xia Yu spent more time at Bao Yugang's house with Huo Yingdong, getting to know more about the situation from Huo Yingdong. He now had a rough idea of the situation.

According to the plan, on the evening of March 7, all those heading north would meet again, and then on the morning of March 8, the president of the Xinhua News Agency's Hong Kong branch would accompany everyone to board the passenger ship to the other side of the sea.

Once there, they would be greeted by people from the capital. Everyone would spend a day exploring the newly renamed Pengcheng in Baoan, then take a special plane north to the capital.

Having understood the procedure, there were only two days left, and time was tight. Xia Yu needed to select the people who would accompany him on the northward journey.

Due to the time crunch, Xia Yu even postponed understanding the company's situation and would deal with it after returning from the north.

After careful consideration, Xia Yu finalized the list of people accompanying him north: Li Qian, Yan Shining, Ma Tengdong, Liu Shihao, and Huang Xizhao, totaling five people.

As for Yan Wenhan, Wang Qi, Liu Tianci, and others, Xia Yu decided not to take them. After all, whether in media or finance, the mainland would definitely not open up these sectors. It would be a waste of time; it was better to leave them at home to manage the company.

The slightly special case was Huang Xizhao, the director of Global TV. Xia Yu took him along mainly for preparations related to the film and television city and also for Huang Xizhao to learn more about the mainland.

In these days, Xia Yu also spent some time with He Zhaoqiong. It had been months since Xia Yu last saw He Zhaoqiong, and she missed him deeply. In her excitement, she couldn't control herself, and what happened that night left a lasting impression on He Zhaoqiong.

Before long, it was 8 a.m. on March 8. Xia Yu, accompanied by Li Qian and the other five, arrived at the designated hotel.

As the leading figure, Huo Yingdong had stayed at the hotel the previous night, so he was already there early.

"Good morning, Mr. Xia!"

"Good morning, President Wang!"

Xia Yu shook hands and greeted Wang Ping.

Seeing Xia Yu's team, especially the key members Ma Tengdong, Liu Shihao, and Huang Xizhao already listed, Wang Ping was very pleased. Compared to some Hong Kong businessmen who only brought secretaries and had unclear attitudes, Xia Yu was clearly well-prepared and came with the intention of contributing to the mainland, which made him genuinely happy.

"President Wang, you go ahead with your work. Don't worry about me. I'll chat with the others."

Not wanting to delay Wang Ping from welcoming other guests, Xia Yu said.

Soon, Xia Yu joined the other prominent figures, engaging in casual conversation.

As time passed, more and more people arrived at the hotel. By 8:30, all 247 people, including their entourage, who had been counted the night before, had arrived and collectively departed for the nearby dock to board the ship.

At this time, Shenkou was still a small fishing village with only a few hundred people. Although it had not yet been developed and Shenkou Port, which would later become the largest transit center in the country, had not yet started construction, its unique geographical advantages allowed for some places to accommodate ships.

The water route between Yuen Long in the New Territories of Hong Kong and Shenkou was only 3.5 nautical miles. Shortly after boarding the ship, it docked.

Xia Yu saw a large crowd of people waiting at the rudimentary fishing dock, with some holding welcome banners, making the reception seem very formal.

Next, Wang Ping and Huo Yingdong led the way off the ship, with the group following closely behind.

After disembarking, Xia Yu learned that among the reception committee were many high-profile individuals.

After the warm welcome ceremony, everyone could refer to the exquisite brochures they held for information on policies. If they had any questions, they could ask at any time.

As he walked along, Xia Yu did not stand out but observed his surroundings with a smile, occasionally reflecting on the situation.

At this point, Shenkou was indeed just a small fishing village, with a promising future.

In January of this year, Bao'an County was removed and Pengcheng was established. Just three days ago, the highest level had approved it, so it was currently a small city with a GDP of less than 200 million.

But among all those present, who knew that forty years later, this city, currently in its early stages, would have a GDP growth of over ten thousand times, becoming a top city with a GDP of over two trillion?

Despite his reflections, Xia Yu did not forget to gather current information.

Currently, the top level had only outlined the economic development route; the nationwide plan had not yet been drawn, and the special zone name Pengcheng had not yet emerged. Names like Shenkou District, Nanshan District, and Luohu District had not yet appeared.

The only certainty was that the 10.85 square kilometers of land in Shenkou had been confirmed, and the China Merchants Group had already moved in. Xia Yu also saw a three-story small building with a sign of the China Merchants Group hanging on it.

Although Xia Yu was very interested in exploring Shenkou, most people appeared uninterested, some even disappointed and dismissive.

These reactions were noted by the mainland's organizers, who could only do their best to highlight the future prospects and avoid emphasizing the current shortcomings.

Fortunately, the top-tier group did not show disappointment. On the contrary, some were very enthusiastic, especially Xia Yu, who smiled throughout the visit.