Manager Meng was clearly very perceptive. Since Old Mi had brought up General Manager Huang, he must have hoped that she would try to avoid beating around the bush and just talk business properly.

"Mr. Mi, Mr. Wang, you've already come to my hotel today, and you're still talking about settling the bill? Isn't that a slap in my face? Don't say anything more, just eat as much as you want. The more you eat, the more respect you have for me, haha."

"This won't do, Xiao Zhang..."

Mr. Mi was about to decline, but Zhang Wenyuan stood up and said with a smile, "Oh, Mr. Mi, please don't be so polite. Please wait a moment, I'll go down and see how the dishes are being prepared."

Without waiting for Mi Qingsong to say anything, he turned around and left the private room.

"This child..."

"That's just how Wen Yuan is."

"You mean, he's Secretary Zhang's..."

"Yes, that's right, but he's not at all arrogant. We've always had a good relationship. Mr. Zhang helped me a lot in getting to where I am today by contracting the barren mountain, so I specially arranged to have dinner with you two today."

"Who is Secretary Zhang?" Manager Meng asked curiously.

"Oh, that's the former Party Secretary of Qingcheng City. I think he's been transferred to the Provincial Drug Administration..."

"Yes, you mean Director Zhang?"

“He’s the director now. I thought he was the deputy director,” Old Mi chuckled. “Oh, right. Given his rank, being a deputy director is a bit too low.”

Manager Meng was somewhat bewildered.

I suddenly became much more interested in Wang Tianxiao.

Unexpectedly, this young man has quite the connections. Not only does he know a well-known old fogey like Mr. Mi in the industry, but he also has such a good relationship with the son of Director Zhang of the Drug Administration. He treats people to meals, and the other party is the host, providing both money and effort.

I really underestimated him.

I thought he must have some connections, but I didn't expect him to have such great connections.

The drug administration bureau is their supervisory authority. Although the leaders of the two places are at the same level, it is clear that the chairman of the group has to give them some face.

So, what am I then?

Fortunately, they kept a low profile from the start and didn't cause any trouble.

Otherwise, I might be able to keep my job, but if I want to continue to advance, it might be a bit risky.

"How about this, you two talk, I'm going out for a smoke. I'm such a heavy smoker, I feel weak all over if I don't smoke for a while."

Mr. Mi also stood up and followed him out of the private room.

After the door closed, only the two people who were discussing business remained in the private room.

Wang Tianxiao poured Manager Meng some hot tea, then sat back down in his seat and said with a smile, "I'm really grateful that Manager Meng made a special trip this time. We people from small places rarely have the chance to meet someone like you from a big city. Please forgive us if our hospitality is lacking. If there's anything we can't do, please just point it out."

Manager Meng now finds Wang Tianxiao much more pleasing to the eye.

Stripped of his unsophisticated rural appearance, she discovered that Wang Tianxiao was not like a typical mountain dweller.

His speech, his friends, and his network all prove that he cannot be treated as an ordinary person.

She chuckled and said, "Xiao Wang, you're too kind. It's not easy to develop in a place like Qingcheng, and it takes a lot of courage."

Wang Tianxiao understood what she was saying.

At that time, Qingcheng was poor in the province due to water scarcity, being surrounded by mountains on three sides and having no main roads leading out. As a result, its economy ranked near the bottom and it was one of the poorest places in the province.

This is why almost no businesses are willing to develop here.

Poor local areas have fewer resources and lower consumption levels, and it's difficult to transport their products out. If they were to force things to go, they would definitely face great difficulties.

Therefore, Wang Tianxiao started by developing agriculture, while Zhang Wenyuan's development was supported by infrastructure and real estate.

Rather than industry.

Qingcheng's industry has no prospects for development.

More than 30 years later, Qingcheng was able to develop not because of industrial development, but because of the discovery of oil.

Highways, high-speed railways, airports, and so on have sprung up around oil.

So, although Qingcheng appears to have become wealthy, the people remain the same as before.

It didn't create many jobs, nor did it improve people's lives much.

In fact, the oil industry has driven up housing prices, making it even more unaffordable for other locals to buy homes.

The real estate market in Qingcheng is experiencing a false sense of prosperity.

That's a story for another time.

Now Wang Tianxiao understood what Manager Meng meant, and could only smile and agree.

"I've seen the grades of your two herbs at Elder Mi's place. The question now is, can you guarantee that all your goods will be of that grade?"

"sure."

Wang Tianxiao smiled and said, "The ones at Elder Mi's place are only the first batch, which is the early-maturing batch. According to the growth patterns of these two herbs, the best time to harvest them is at the end of July, and the medicinal effects may be even better then."

"I see." Manager Meng nodded.

The most basic requirement for procurement is to ensure quality, which is also her biggest concern.

“You can visit our planting area in person. An expert like you can tell the grade just by looking at it.”

"Yes, I will go and see. I believe Mr. Mi wouldn't mess with me. He is a highly respected senior in the industry. Getting his recommendation is like having a protective umbrella."

"Haha, it's also thanks to Mr. Mi's help."

"If there are no problems with the goods, let's talk about the price. This year, due to the drought, the harvest of medicinal herbs is generally poor, so the price of medicinal herbs will be slightly higher. For example, dandelions were only two yuan last year, but this year they can be sold for two yuan and fifty cents. Artemisia capillaris is even more expensive, costing three yuan and fifty cents..."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!