Chapter 29: A business conference can be organized (10,000 words added).

Wang Xiao couldn't sit still for even a minute, so naturally she couldn't just sit at home and wait for Ruan Rui to come to her door wanting a divorce.

She went to the Jinning Hotel early in the morning to discuss cooperation with someone.

She wanted to promote the province's top ten specialties, but it would be difficult to gain people's trust by just talking about it on her own.

While it's true that the best praise comes from the people, gaining public trust in a short period still requires the endorsement of a major platform.

For example, the Jinning Grand Hotel.

If a grand hotel displays gift boxes featuring the top ten local specialties, who can deny that these aren't the province's top ten specialties?

The restaurant is operating normally today; at least the manager had time to chat with Wang Xiao.

Compared to the last time I saw her, the young lady looked much more haggard.

She was annoyed. It was already December, and the restaurant's business this year was really... well, never mind.

Especially the occupancy rate. In the past, we were worried about not having enough rooms to fill, but now we are worried about what to do with so many empty rooms.

Wang Xiao felt a deep sense of sympathy for him.

She always cherished and cared for women, and was especially reluctant to see pretty young ladies sad.

Especially since she's such a lovely young lady who gives off a warm and welcoming vibe.

She was particularly proactive in offering suggestions: "If there are fewer foreign guests, then we should find a way to focus on domestic business. Our ordinary people are very curious about places that cater to foreign guests and are eager to try them out."

Let alone a high-class place like the Jinning Grand Hotel, even before she transmigrated into the book, there were tons of people online asking to rent Sam's Club membership cards just to satisfy their curiosity.

The manager shook her head, looking quite distressed: "We can't count on them. We ordinary people live very frugally. They might spend five yuan to buy a cup of coffee and experience the atmosphere of the restaurant, but they can't possibly spend five hundred yuan to stay overnight. Sigh, never mind, I don't want you to worry about me. Oh, seeing how well you've recovered, I'm relieved. We were all terrified when we heard you ran into robbers."

Wang Xiao waved his hand, quite familiar with the situation: "It's nothing, it's nothing. I only bring these things up because you consider me a friend. Well, actually, it's not that we can't do it internally. I once read in a book that one of the important functions of foreign hotels is to host conferences. That is, when various organizations don't have the resources to host so many people for meetings, they have to arrange for people to stay in hotels. I think our Jinning Grand Hotel could also consider this aspect."

Manager Huang smiled wryly: "Our hotel's pricing standards are clearly stated; where are we going to find so many people to come for meetings?"

"Yes, as long as it's worth the price."

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "During my recent visits to factories, I found that local governments are very concerned about the development of factories and worried about the economic situation. They are trying to attract investment everywhere. Attracting investment is an important part of their work."

Our Jinning Grand Hotel has a unique advantage; foreign hospitality is our hallmark.

Although there are fewer blond-haired, blue-eyed guests now, there are still Hong Kong and Taiwanese businesspeople, as well as other Chinese entrepreneurs. Aren't these exactly the types of people that various regions are trying to attract investment for? Let these government delegations come over, find suitable investors, and hold investment promotion conferences at the hotel.”

As a mid-level manager at a hotel catering to foreign guests, Manager Huang possessed exceptionally high political awareness and sensitivity: "Is this—appropriate now?"

The political atmosphere is actually quite tense right now. The newspapers are reporting on it every day, making people wonder when the people's communes will be reinstated.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Wang Xiao reassured everyone. "If things really went backwards, our restaurant wouldn't be operating like this anymore. Our restaurant hasn't done anything wrong; we've just been receiving domestic and international guests normally. What's wrong with that? Which rule says we can't entertain guests? Which rule forbids them from holding meetings?"

Manager Huang thought about it and realized he was right. What do guests do in a restaurant? As long as it's not illegal, the restaurant can't control it. Their job is to provide good service.

But do local governments have the courage to attract foreign investment now? The debate over whether it's capitalist or socialist is raging right now.

Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously at all: "When I was running around, I found that what everyone was most worried about was the stagnation of economic development. Local governments were in dire financial straits and they urgently needed to attract investment. Without factories operating, tax revenue wouldn't increase, and no amount of fines would solve the problem. Besides, our country is short of foreign exchange and needs money to come in."

She volunteered, saying, "If our hotel trusts me, I'd like to represent the soap factory to contact clients throughout the province. I can also take this opportunity to visit local governments across the province to see if they are interested in sending investment promotion teams to our hotel to find suitable investors."

The travel and accommodation expenses incurred during this process are something I did on my business trip, so the hotel doesn't need to reimburse me extra. However, I need a letter of introduction from the hotel; otherwise, the government might think I'm a fraudster and kick me out.

Manager Huang was immediately smitten.

The fact that ordinary people are short of money does not mean that local governments are short of funds.

Throughout the 1980s, television and movies criticized local governments for lavish banquets and excessive hospitality. Even when workers' wages couldn't be paid, it didn't stop the various work units' canteens from becoming extravagantly decorated. They always found a way to raise money to eat at upscale restaurants.

The positioning of the Jinning Grand Hotel dictates that it can only cater to the wealthy.

However, there's one thing to note: as a hotel catering to foreign guests, the Jinning Grand Hotel's most unique feature is its focus on international receptions. If local governments send investment promotion delegations, wouldn't that disturb the foreign guests?

There are no small matters in diplomacy.

If you make a fool of yourself on the international stage, that could be a political mistake.

This happened before at the Friendship Store. Too many Chinese people flocked in, all looking on with curiosity. This made the foreign visitors uncomfortable, and they refused to buy anything.

Wang Xiao really wanted to facepalm.

In her world, only those who earn more money receive preferential treatment; she never cares where her benefactors come from.

However, each person has their own job responsibilities, and if she wants to cooperate with them, she must respect those responsibilities.

She smiled broadly: "Sister, I think this is a win-win situation. Why are Hong Kong businessmen, Taiwanese businessmen, and wealthy overseas Chinese staying at the Jinning Hotel at this time? I think only a small number are returning home to visit relatives. The vast majority of the rest are looking for investment opportunities."

She pointed to the map of China on the wall, "While their patriotism certainly plays a part in their investment, it's mostly about making money. When I was in college, I attended a lecture where the professor said that this kind of business activity is actually industrial relocation."

As the economies of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan have developed to a certain level, land and labor costs have become increasingly expensive, leading to a significant decline in profits for labor-intensive industries. If these business owners want to continue making money and earn even more, they must relocate their production bases.

Our mainland China has a large population, cheap labor, a huge market, and we all share the same cultural heritage and speak the same language, making it easier to attract investors from these regions. However, with such a vast area and so many places, where should one choose to invest?

Her finger landed on the province itself. "Actually, the fact that the guests are staying at our Jinning Grand Hotel already proves that our province has been included in their scope of investigation. Because we have both rivers and the sea here, our products can be transported overseas after leaving the factory, which reduces transportation costs."

Manager Huang nodded in agreement. She worked in the hotel industry and had a lot of business dealings with people, so she had naturally heard a lot about how to do business.

Transportation is indeed a crucial factor for businesspeople investing in and building factories. Especially since most foreign-invested enterprises currently engage in processing imported materials, the transportation costs can be a significant portion of their business.

For shipments that don't go near a port and instead use waterways, the freight costs are higher than the value of the goods themselves, so how can the business owner possibly make any money?

Seeing that the conversation had gotten to the point, Wang Xiao began to get to the heart of the matter: "But our province is so big, with a dozen or so cities and dozens of counties. Where should these business owners go to invest? They're probably feeling their way in the dark, with a lot of doubts in their minds."

To put it bluntly, for foreign investors right now, the situation in mainland China is probably similar to what it will be like for Chinese businessmen investing in Africa decades from now.

Everyone thought they could make money; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, money could be found with their eyes closed. But they were also afraid of losing everything. Even more terrifying was the possibility of losing their lives.

After all, the security situation in this era is... well, Wang Xiao had just been recognized as an advanced individual for his courageous act, but he encountered a real robbery.

“Local governments don’t know where to find foreign investment. Our customers don’t know how to find suitable investment targets either. They are unfamiliar with the area and may easily run into scammers. Rather than letting brokers meddle in the middle, it’s better for our restaurant to provide this platform.”

Wang Xiao pointed forward, gesturing to show the audience, "At that time, each local government will set up a table, with people sitting in the back, and each company will introduce its advantages and characteristics on a large display board. Government leaders will personally lead the teams, and foreign businesspeople can directly approach any company they are interested in and ask questions, and leaders will come forward to answer them."

In fact, there is another crucial point: in this situation, the Jinning Grand Hotel effectively endorsed both parties, proving their identities.

However, Wang Xiao didn't point it out specifically, so as not to unnecessarily burden the other person.

Who can be responsible for identifying scammers? There are skilled scammers who can swindle entire countries; why should restaurants bear such a heavy responsibility?

The hotel is already quite good; at least foreign guests have to submit their passports for registration, which provides an extra layer of protection.

Manager Huang's heart was pounding. She clearly understood that this kind of investment promotion conference should actually be organized by the government.

If it involves the entire province, at least the provincial government should be involved. However, the current delicate political environment suggests that the provincial government is unlikely to intervene, and the official implications will be interpreted in various ways.

In this context, the Jinning Grand Hotel became the best choice, as it was a grassroots initiative that benefited both sides. They were merely providing the meeting venue and were not part of the organizers, so even if the authorities investigated, they wouldn't be held responsible.

Manager Huang readily agreed: "Okay, I'll go talk to the leader."

"Then hurry up, we're going to Jiangyang City on a business trip today. Our train tickets are for noon, we'll grab something to eat and then we have to leave."

When Wang Xiao had money, she never skimped on herself, especially when it came to food.

She and Tang Yicheng had their meal at the Jinning Grand Hotel.

Oh, braised pork in a jar is such a blissful indulgence, the more indulgent the better, the gravy mixed with rice is so delicious it's almost sinful.

Tang Yicheng glanced at her repeatedly, not because he thought it was unseemly for a woman to eat meat so heartily, but because he was worried about whether the investment promotion conference could be held and whether there would be any problems.

She is, after all, an advanced individual for her courageous act and an outstanding worker at the Chemical Engineering Institute. She should be careful with her words and actions and not ruin her future.

Wang Xiao was quite amused and comforted his companion, "It's not that exaggerated, it's not at that point yet."

She casually pointed out the window, "Look what's over there."

It's nothing.

Tang Yicheng was completely bewildered.

Since they weren't hotel guests, the dining hall where they ate was open to the public, connected to the service area, and oh, the hotel's shopping center.

There were quite a few people at the entrance of the shopping center, not queuing to go in and shop, but because a stall had been set up at the entrance selling lottery tickets, and everyone was gathered around watching the spectacle.

Tang Yicheng was puzzled. Lottery tickets weren't anything new; they'd been around for years. He'd even bought some himself—one yuan a ticket, each featuring Tang Sanzang and his disciples. Unfortunately, he bought five and didn't win a single one.

He couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything special about the welfare lottery?"

Wang Xiao sighed: "Were there lottery tickets before? Were there before the reform and opening up? And stocks, were they abolished?"

She read the newspaper; there was indeed news about stocks. Unfortunately, she didn't see any comprehensive reports or analyses, so she didn't know the current state of the stock market or whether it would rise or fall in the future.

Therefore, she didn't have the courage to make money from stocks and had to give up.

Tang Yicheng shook his head and subconsciously said, "It's not a bad thing. If it's there, it's there. There's no need to cancel it."

Wang Xiao laughed: "That settles it. Whether it's welfare lotteries or stocks, the essence is the same: making money. This shows that the core issue right now is still economic development. In that case, why can't we hold investment promotion conferences?"

Tang Yicheng subconsciously turned his head to look at the lottery ticket stall outside, then turned back to look at her, feeling that they didn't have the same eyes.

She can see the policy direction from the lottery tickets; she's really amazing.

What's this called? "One leaf falls, and autumn is known"—no, it should be "The ducks are the first to know when the river warms in spring."

Wang Xiao had already finished the last bite of rice. Seeing that Tang Yicheng had also finished his plate, he wiped his mouth, stood up with a smile, and said, "Let's go try our luck."

Hehe, she's pretty lucky.

One dollar can be exchanged for 10 lottery tickets. Scratch off the covering film on the first ticket and a five-pointed star will be revealed underneath. Haha, that's 100 dollars!

The onlookers gasped in surprise, and many who had been observing couldn't resist reaching into their wallets to see if they had the luck to gamble.

With the remaining nine lottery tickets, she successively won one one-yuan ticket and one five-yuan ticket, making Wang Xiao suspect that she was a shill.

After the last lottery ticket was drawn, it was another five yuan, and everyone's exclamations were nonstop.

The lottery ticket seller even cheerfully asked her, "Want to buy more? We'll buy them all for you!"

Wang Xiao waved his hand generously: "I'll take them all!"

Haha, she really loves scratch-off lottery tickets. Once, when she wasn't doing a live stream to sell products or show off her skills by answering questions or doing outfits, she would buy a hundred scratch-off tickets at once and show them to her fans one by one. If anyone won, she would give out red envelopes (cash gifts), which her fans found very entertaining.

The staff then urged her to buy the rest of the stack of bills: "Give me another hundred dollars."

Wang Xiao shook her head: "No, no, these are fine."

As soon as she took the lottery tickets she had bought, the stack of tickets she had abandoned immediately produced three five-pointed stars, which was a grand prize of 500 yuan!

Oh dear, everyone around her felt so sorry for her; this award should have been hers.

Wang Xiao didn't care at all. It was only 500 yuan. She could have earned the 500 yuan long ago by scratching another hundred lottery tickets!

She's someone who earns 10 million much more easily than winning a 10 million lottery prize.

Tang Yicheng saw that she acted as if nothing had happened and couldn't help but admire her; she really had a good attitude.

He felt really regretful.

Never mind, she still has over a hundred lottery tickets left. Maybe she can slowly win another 500 yuan by scratching them off.

Tang Yicheng didn't drive on this business trip to another city.

Firstly, there was no navigation system in 1990, and there were very few highways built. These were not routes that experienced drivers often took, so it was not surprising that drivers got lost.

Given the security conditions of this era, highway robbers are very common. If you get lost and your car breaks down on the road, well, who else would they rob if not you?

Secondly, they'll be running around to many places this time, constantly on the go. Even if Wang Xiao can drive and she and Tang Yicheng take turns, their physical exertion will be immense. Whether Tang Yicheng can keep up, Wang Xiao doesn't know; but she certainly can't, so why put herself through that?

Why don't we just take the bus?

Precisely because of their previous incident involving a dispute over travel expenses, the province launched a special crackdown on road robbery. Now, any robber with even a shred of intelligence probably won't be so eager to throw their lives away and help the police meet their year-end targets.

This is important; we'll need it when writing the copy. Emphasize to investors that the government cares deeply about their feelings and is doing everything possible to ensure good security.

This is also one of the advantages of being a local area.

Half an hour later, Wang Xiao received the letter of introduction from the Jinning Grand Hotel, just as she had hoped. The hotel also gave her a position as a consultant.

OK.

Even if a consultant doesn't receive a single penny in salary, having a title makes it easier to go out and talk to people.

In less than 10 days, they visited 7 cities.

Given the current traffic conditions, they truly didn't rest for a single minute. They were either meeting clients or on their way to meet clients.

Tang Yicheng was very impressed by her perseverance, seeing how thin her face had become in just over a week.

She was practically oblivious to the word "tired," and her eyes are still sparkling. Just like the female Red Army soldiers on the Long March.

Even though she didn't win a single dollar from those hundred-plus lottery tickets, she didn't show any frustration.

This only shows that Tang Yicheng's filter was too strong. In fact, Wang Xiao was already exhausted to the point of collapse. She had never been this tired when she did live streaming before. Running around non-stop was simply killing her.

There's no other way; if someone without connections wants to earn their first pot of gold, they have to do it themselves.

Tang Yicheng took the soy milk from the stall owner and pushed it to Wang Xiao.

They left too early in the morning and didn't get out of the car until they found a place to eat breakfast. They just grabbed a bowl of soy milk with a sesame flatbread and fried dough sticks from a roadside stall and that was it.

Traveling by car can make you hungry, and right now the two of them didn't even have time to talk, they were both busy eating.

I must say, the sesame flatbread sandwich with fried dough sticks truly lives up to its reputation as a homegrown Chinese burger—it's absolutely delicious. Double the carbs, double the happiness! The aroma of sesame seeds and fried dough fills the air as soon as it's served. One bite, and the flatbread is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, while the fried dough stick is crispy and fragrant. It's definitely a winner.

After finishing his meal, Wang Xiao wiped his mouth and asked the stall owner, "Boss, we're in Xinyu on a business trip. We're wondering what local specialties we can easily bring home so our families can try them. Your sesame seed cake with fried dough sticks looks delicious, but it's a shame it's inconvenient to bring."

The shop owner chuckled, his tone proud: "No problem, no problem, we have plenty of delicious food here. If you want to take some home, then buy some crispy sesame cakes. They come in a box, so they'll keep well. They're filled with dried vegetables and meat, and they're really tasty."

Wang Xiao thanked the stall owner with a big smile: "Thank you so much, sir. Where can I buy it? We'll go buy it later."

The stall owner pointed out the location to them, and Tang Yicheng paid for the breakfast. The two then thanked him and said goodbye.

When the two were walking outside, Tang Yicheng was usually the one who paid for their wallets.

It wasn't that Wang Xiao was shameless or thought that just because she was a woman she should be taken care of or take advantage of others; it was just that there were many pickpockets in this day and age, and they were particularly good at targeting specific people. Women, the elderly, and children were easy targets.

So it's better to give the money to Tang Yicheng. That way, if a pickpocket sees that he's a strong young man, they'll avoid him as much as possible, so they don't get caught and beaten up.

Of course, Tang Yicheng also grew a brain. He suspected that the reason the pickpockets didn't bother him was because it was usually the women who managed the money.

He and his father both hand over their salaries to their mother; they're lucky if they can even keep enough for cigarettes.

Pickpockets aren't stupid; why waste so much time trying to find a single coin?

Regardless of the reason, they've been quite lucky these past few days; at least they haven't been robbed or had their belongings stolen.

The two walked forward asking questions along the way. When they were almost at the entrance of the municipal government, Tang Yicheng suddenly realized, "Aren't we going too far? We only went to the municipal government of the city, and we haven't been to any of the county governments."

Not to mention the towns and villages.

This seems a bit too cursory.

Counties and townships probably need external investment more urgently than cities.

Because government funding will definitely be mainly allocated to the city level, by the time it reaches their level, the support they can get is already greatly reduced.

His recent travels have particularly confirmed this. Although people are generally struggling, most factories in the city are still operating normally. However, many factories in the county and its surrounding towns have closed down.

Wang Xiao nodded, quite pleased: "You're right, that makes sense."

Tang Yicheng blinked, looking puzzled: Then why do you only drive in the city?

Wang Xiao chuckled to himself: "Nonsense, there are nearly a hundred counties in the province, and the number of townships must be over a thousand. Running around to each one would take forever."

“Because this is the first round of selection.” Wang Xiao kept walking, his eyes fixed on the municipal government building not far away. “Strictly speaking, the geographical conditions of the various counties and towns in a city are not particularly different, and the quality of the labor force is also roughly the same. What determines their economic development is the characteristics of the local people and the courage of the local government.”

Their visit to the municipal government to encourage everyone to go to the Jinning Grand Hotel to attract investment was an open secret; they didn't hide it from anyone.

If the county and township governments below are economically astute, they will surely find a way to know the news immediately, make appropriate judgments, and quickly decide whether to follow suit.

The Jinning Grand Hotel is right there; it's not like it can grow legs and run away. Whether it succeeds or not, they can just make the trip themselves.

If you don't even have the guts to make the trip, then you've really wasted your time. You'd better wash up and go to bed early.

The characteristics of China's economic development dictate that, in the present and for a long time to come, economies below the county level are unlikely to receive much policy support, as this contradicts the general direction of urbanization.

To carve out a path to success in this environment, you need drive, perseverance, resilience, and determination. You might as well give up and stop wasting your time. Changing course, organizing labor export—like sending people to Xinjiang to pick cotton—might actually be more effective.

Only a proactive government can create a favorable business environment and retain investors.

Otherwise, even if you manage to coax someone over temporarily, it's like luring a pig to slaughter it. Once they realize what's happening, they'll run away faster than a rabbit.

For example, she believes that many investors would be interested in Xinyu City because of its favorable business environment.

While the debate over whether something is capitalist or socialist is raging, there are still private breakfast stalls on the streets here, which shows that the local government has a tolerant attitude.

Tang Yicheng was born in a county town and worked in the county soap factory, so he naturally sided with the county.

He subconsciously spoke up for them: "Some townships and counties are far away, and some leaders may be away on business. It's normal that they don't have time to react. We're only staying in the city for one night, so even if they want to, they may not have time to come looking for us."

Wang Xiao didn't take it to heart: "Good things come to those who wait. Even if we miss this wave, there's always next time. The hotel has a steady stream of guests, so we'll never lack businessmen looking to make money."

Tang Yicheng then realized what was going on.

Ultimately, he had an overly high opinion of foreign businessmen, as if they were unattainable.

In reality, businessmen are inherently profit-driven; as long as they can make money, there will always be a steady stream of people willing to follow suit.

Therefore, investment promotion teams from various township and county governments can also make repeated trips to the Jinning Grand Hotel.

As long as they can successfully attract investment, the few hundred yuan for accommodation is not a significant expense. It's better than them wandering around aimlessly like headless flies.

That hotel certainly doesn't have to worry about empty rooms.

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Actually, once this event stabilizes, it can attract even more foreign businesses to settle in. They are also looking for opportunities everywhere, and large-scale investment promotion events are very attractive to them. Businessmen will always have to deal with the government; this is unavoidable. Because the policies are made by the government. If they don't abide by their policies, even if they make a lot of money for a while, that money won't ultimately belong to them."

Tang Yicheng listened and nodded, feeling as if something was sprouting in his heart, a vague and sometimes inexplicable concept in his mind.

He wasn't from a business background, nor had he systematically studied this subject; otherwise, he would surely have said something like: "Many changes in economic activities are spontaneous and occur from the bottom up."

For example, the eighteen villagers who pressed their handprints in Xiaogang Village, Fengyang, initiated the history of land distribution to individual households.

Take, for example, the now-famous celebrity entrepreneur Ma Shengli, whose contract system in paper mills swept the country.

What they are doing is this kind of change.

The two spent a day in Xinyu, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., hosting a total of thirteen groups of guests.

Surprisingly, the quickest to act was a village on the outskirts of the city.

The news wouldn't normally reach their village, but a woman from their village happened to be working as a nanny for a municipal government leader.

When the leader went home for lunch, he casually remarked at the table, "Jinning Grand Hotel is indeed Jinning Grand Hotel. It has a solid foundation and dares to lead foreign investment in China at this time."

What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.

His nanny took the opportunity of going downstairs to throw out the trash to find a public phone and call back to the village committee headquarters.

Upon hearing this, the village officials saw it as a rare opportunity and immediately drove their tractors into the city.

Unfortunately, when they arrived, Wang Xiao and Tang Yicheng had gone to the city's food company to select local specialties.

The brigade secretary and others waited at the hotel entrance until Wang Xiao and his companion returned. Hearing that they were looking for local specialties, they even volunteered, saying that the hairy tofu produced in their village was absolutely delicious.

Wang Xiao believed that the hairy tofu tasted good, but she would never include the hairy tofu from this village in her list of local specialties.

What a joke! Given the village's processing standards and hygiene conditions, it's one thing if she gets diarrhea after eating it, but if she sells it and a customer gets sick, she's really asking for trouble.

However, she greatly admired the proactive spirit of the village officials. When everyone else was talking about neck pain, their initiative gave them a significant competitive advantage.

As for how their entire village came to them, Wang Xiao believes that the nanny's story is something that can be told to investors.

Because whether they are Hong Kong businessmen, Taiwanese businessmen, or overseas Chinese, they all grew up in traditional culture and share the same cultural identity.

For example, having connections in the imperial court makes things easier; even a low-ranking official like the prime minister's doorman is only a seventh-rank official.

For example, the way people give back to their hometown.

This nanny, being a woman, has already moved to the city and is even doing quite well, yet she still thinks about her hometown in everything she does. What does that say?

This shows that the atmosphere in their village is good; at least she didn't suffer too much injustice or anger in the village, and she still identifies with their village.

It's quite remarkable that, given the prevailing societal preference for sons, women who leave rural areas often harbor resentment towards them. To expect them to turn back and give back is truly extraordinary.

This shows that their village is very united, everyone recognizes themselves as a part of the village, and everyone wants to contribute to the development of the village.

In villages with strong cohesion, there will be much less resistance from villagers if a factory is to be built in the future.

Once investors have secured the village collective's support, they no longer need to worry about villagers causing trouble later.

The village officials listened and nodded, expressing their support: "We will definitely cooperate fully. I'm not bragging, our village has a very good atmosphere. That's right, leader, we don't know what to say to the foreign businessmen."

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "There's nothing special about it. The main point is to introduce the situation in the village. For example, whether there is a road leading to your village, how many people are in your village, how much land you can provide to build a factory, how many young and middle-aged people are in the village, and what their educational level is. Did they graduate from primary school, junior high school, or high school?"

She didn't mention vocational school or university because nowadays vocational school and university graduates are guaranteed job placement; if you pass the exam, you become a cadre and don't have to look for work in the village.

The village officials were still hoping she would continue, but when she stopped, she looked quite bewildered: "That's all?"

“Yes.” Wang Xiao nodded.

In fact, these are the things that bosses care about most when it comes to processing trade.

Does it matter to him how many minerals and resources your village has? He can't mine them anyway.

We're here to make money, not to plan and build for your village.

However, after thinking for a moment, Wang Xiao added, "You can also talk about what your village usually relies on for its main source of income. For example, you can mention things like the quality of your rice or wheat."

The quality of rice in this province is decent, and perhaps some manufacturers will want to produce rice-based processed foods, such as rice cakes.

As for wheat, well, we don't eat noodles very often here, but it shouldn't be a problem to use it to make biscuits and the like.

It depends on which one the manufacturer prefers.

Tea plants grow on the mountains in your village, right? Tell them that too, and see if they're interested in developing it.

The village officials still felt it was too simple. This was dealing with foreign guests; how could it be so rudimentary? Shouldn't they have created as many conditions as possible to make them feel at home?

Otherwise, it would be really bad if people felt slighted.

Wang Xiao reassured them: "Foreign businessmen come in waves. If this batch doesn't work out, we'll find the next one. We're all in an equal partnership, and everyone's here to make money. If you say everything is good, as if you'd be happy to lose money, the business owners might not think so, because that's not human nature."

Instead of setting the bar too high from the start, it's better to be realistic and offer conditions that allow everyone to make money.

"Things are great now, but before long, people will feel they've been taken advantage of, and the village can't afford it anymore, so they'll raise prices arbitrarily; then everyone will end up in a bad mood."

Simply put, never set the bar too high at the beginning.

The essence of a businessman is to pursue profit, but what a businessman hopes for even more is to live to earn money and live to spend it.

Anyone with a brain would suspect a trap if something seemed too good to be true.

Take herself as an example. Before she even entered the book, she would do a live-streaming sales event to select products. If a partner actively pushed the price down too much, her first reaction would definitely not be: "Haha, I'm making a fortune!"

Instead, I thought, "Damn it, are you guys up to something? There must be something wrong with the goods you're supplying me with."

This is going to ruin my reputation.

A normal person always has something in mind, either fame or profit. If you don't want anything and your main goal is to lose money...

I'm sorry, I have to take my leave.

Who knows if you're aiming for something big, or even risking your life?

If manufacturers come to invest and engage in processing supplied materials, they at least need to build a factory.

They've already invested in infrastructure; they're not expecting a one- or two-year deal, they're looking to last at least several years.

Even if you earn less money each year, it's still better than building the factory and getting the machines in place only to find that the factory is no longer yours inexplicably the next day.

In the decades that followed, some local governments at the grassroots level did this quite often.

The saying "investment should not cross XXX" truly extends far beyond just Shanhaiguan.

Wang Xiao warned the village officials: "You must not do such a thing. Foreign businessmen have their own circles where they can exchange goods and services. If you ruin your reputation, no one will ever look at you again. If this place doesn't want me, there are plenty of other places that will. Our country is so big, there are plenty of places to invest and make money."

The village official waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, what use is it to us just take the factory buildings and machines? Even if we produce something, who will we sell it to?"

That's the absolute truth.

It's processing with supplied materials; they're using your cheap factory buildings and labor.

All you can earn is wages, and you'll learn the skills along the way, so you can gradually outmaneuver your clients and eventually beat them to a pulp.

There's no other way; to develop the economy, this is the only path we can take.

Wang Xiao smiled broadly: "Alright, then I wish you all the best and hope that you can achieve your goal at the Jinning Grand Hotel."

That means serving tea to guests as they leave.

However, the village officials of Hongxing Village did not leave immediately.

It's not that they're shameless, it's just that their late-night snacks have arrived.

What is that?

It's hairy tofu! Freshly fried hairy tofu, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with an irresistible aroma, and sprinkled with pepper.

Oh my god.

This is practically an invitation to crime. How can anyone eat such oily and heavily seasoned food so late at night?

You'll gain weight and break out in pimples.

Sigh, I've been working so hard lately, but I couldn't refuse her kind offer, so she decided to try it anyway.

However, Wang Xiao is very principled; even though she's enjoying the food, she won't give in.

After cheerfully showing off a plate of fried hairy tofu, she still spoke frankly: "Your hairy tofu is indeed a local specialty, and it tastes good. But it's not easy to sell. My personal suggestion is that since your village has a lot of mountains and little flat land, and you grow soybeans and tea, you could consider developing in the direction of dried tea."

Dried tea leaves are a great thing! They can be used as a side dish, a snack with drinks, or even a treat. They're perfect for comforting your taste buds when traveling by train.

If it were dried tea leaves, she could try to push them onto the hotel.

Among a variety of pastries, dried tea leaves are a rather unique local specialty.

The village officials from Hongxing Village left satisfied.

When Tang Yicheng returned after dropping off the person, he felt truly amazed. Look at their efficiency; they managed to pry open a crack in what was originally a hopeless situation.

It seems that their dried tea might even make the list of the top ten local specialties.

Wang Xiao drank water gulping down the water. Deep-fried hairy tofu was delicious, but it was definitely a heavy-handed dish.

She said meaningfully, "See? This is the kind of thing that attracts investment."

Why? Because they have projects in mind.

Even if you don't have a project, someone can create one for you out of thin air.

She hopes that all local governments can have this kind of enthusiasm, so that the investment promotion conference can be held in a lively and successful manner.

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Well, happy weekend! 10,000 words completed.

Welfare lottery tickets were issued in 1987. At that time, prizes of 500 yuan or more had to be claimed at the lottery committee office.