“Mr. Li,” Shen Jida withdrew his gaze and tentatively began, “The municipal party committee has announced that the smelter project will be put out to public bidding on the 6th of next month.”

"Hasn't this news already spread far and wide?" Li Yuanyuan picked up her coffee and asked with a light laugh.

“Indeed.” Shen Jida chuckled dryly, leaning forward. “Mr. Li, everyone says the smelter covers a thousand acres, but nobody knows its exact location. Do you… have any inside information?”

Li Yuanyuan put down her coffee cup, her eyes suddenly becoming sharp.

"Mr. Shen, are you planning to stockpile land ahead of schedule?"

"No, no!" Shen Ji was startled and quickly waved his hands. "How could I have that kind of ability? I just wanted to... buy a small piece in advance, just to have a taste of the soup. With a business as big as the smelter, they shouldn't care about such a small amount of money, right?"

"The smelter doesn't care."

Li Yuanyuan's smile vanished, and her voice turned cold.

"But the municipal party committee leaders care."

"Mr. Shen, do you think others can't think of these things? Why hasn't anyone dared to touch that piece of land yet?"

"This is the first major event since the establishment of the new municipal party committee, and it's a political achievement in the eyes of the leaders! Whoever dares to jump out at this time and try to pull teeth from the tiger's mouth, what do you think will happen to them?"

The cold words instantly soaked Shen Ji's back with cold sweat.

Just then, the phone on the desk rang abruptly.

When Li Yuanyuan answered the phone, after listening for only a moment, her cold face instantly melted like ice, and spring flowers bloomed.

She spoke softly, almost in a murmur:

"You finally... called me."