Please excuse my poor attempt. I also couldn't recognize what kind of plant it was. People kept examining that star-shaped grass, observing it closely, but then shaking their heads and smiling wryly. More than ten people did this, including business owners who specialized in medicinal herbs and experienced local experts, but without exception, no one knew the origin of this star-shaped grass.
Someone then took out a camera and started taking pictures, and Zhang Guodong chuckled and didn't stop them. He thought to himself, "It's not a medicinal herb from Earth; killing it won't do any good."
The fat man's expression was particularly amusing; while everyone else looked deep in thought, he was grinning from ear to ear. If there weren't other people around, the fat man would have already asked Zhang Guodong where he got the plant.
Half an hour later, the star-shaped grass stumped even these self-proclaimed experienced experts. They unanimously concluded that it was likely a previously undiscovered new plant.
"Brother Zhang, is this plant really a medicinal herb? What kind of herb?" Luo Xiaoyun pulled Zhang Guodong aside and asked in a low voice. He had been in the medicinal herb business for over twenty years, but he never expected that this peculiar little plant would stump him. Seeing everyone shaking their heads, his interest was greatly piqued.
The plant has a peculiar color. It doesn't look like it was intentionally decorated. It's probably just the plant's natural color.
“Of course!” Zhang Guodong said with a smile. “If it weren’t a medicinal herb, I wouldn’t need to come here and spend money to have it appraised. As for its uses, I’ve seen people in the mountains use it as an anti-inflammatory, and they’ve never had an infection. It’s very effective!”
"antibiotic?!"
"That's about it!" Zhang Guodong said.
Luo Xiaoyun's eyes welled up with tears, but she cautiously glanced at the crowd, afraid their hushed conversation would be overheard. Just then, someone intervened, causing Luo Xiaoyun's face to darken. The voice annoyed her—a powerful competitor!
"Mr. Zhang, are you selling this plant? I'll offer 10,000 yuan for it!" a boss surnamed Yang said.
Luo Xiaoyun's expression turned unnatural upon seeing the other person. Yang Haoji was also in the pharmaceutical business. As the saying goes, those in the same trade often become enemies; competition among pharmaceutical companies is fierce. This is because successfully developing a new drug is extremely profitable.
"Mr. Yang, are you really going to buy this? This peculiar plant might not even be a medicinal herb, and even if it is, its value is hard to determine," someone asked in surprise. Although ten thousand isn't much, without testing it, losing that ten thousand would be a huge loss of face.
Yang Haoji laughed heartily. He waved his hand and said, "I think this little plant is quite pretty; it would be worth keeping it as a bonsai at home!"
Everyone suddenly realized that they had heard that Mr. Yang liked to buy unusual bonsai. These people in the industry all knew this, and these little plants were indeed unique, just for their rare colors. The blue adorned with stars was very beautiful.
However, most people still think that having money to burn is not worth it!
"Since President Yang has agreed, I'll offer 20,000 to compete!" To the astonishment of others, Luo Xiaoyun, who was known for being cautious in her spending, said calmly.
boom!
What's going on today? They're bidding against each other for a seemingly unusual plant? A small plant worth 20,000? Perhaps most of them don't have a hobby of collecting medicinal herbs, so they can't appreciate the value of what these two are interested in?
"Not worth it!" they all shook their heads.
Yang Haoji glanced at Luo Xiaoyun in surprise, clearly not expecting her to compete with him. However, he then laughed heartily. To be honest, he genuinely thought the small plant was peculiar, but didn't believe it had much medicinal value.
However, it's quite embarrassing to be outdone by someone else, so Yang Haoji replied without hesitation, "Thirty thousand, please. If President Luo raises it to forty thousand, then I'll give it to you!"
This is going to be interesting!
While waiting, everyone was bored and eager to see what would happen, so they naturally didn't want to miss it and kept glancing at the four men with great interest. They never expected that an unknown little plant would attract such attention from two CEOs. Even stranger, the two young men showed absolutely no excitement!
Everyone speculated about Zhang Guodong and the fat man's identities. Their first impression was that these two young men seemed extraordinary, especially the fat man. He was remarkably composed, which didn't match his age.
As for Zhang Guodong, he simply smiled and remained silent.
Two young people!
"Mr. Yang is really generous, spending 30,000 on a small plant. If it were 10,000 or 20,000, I could play around with it. But more than that, it loses its charm, so I have to step aside!" Luo Xiaoyun said in a cold tone, her expression not very pleasant.
He unexpectedly withdrew. Spending that money on a single star-shaped grass meant he had to pay out of his own pocket. But even with so much money, he couldn't keep squandering it. Although he was very interested in the plant, he had his limits. Once those limits were crossed, Luo Xiaoyun decisively gave up. A person who doesn't hesitate!
To put it bluntly, they were being overly cautious.
"Hey. Come on in and take a look. It's so lively here? Are they bidding on a small plant?" Just then, two people walked in from outside. One of them was a young man in his early thirties, dressed in designer clothes. He had a somewhat arrogant, spoiled air about him. His gaze shifted to Zhang Guodong's hand, and the man immediately walked over, followed by his secretary. "Is this the little plant? Let me see!"
"Excuse me. Just look, but don't touch!" Zhang Guodong blocked the other person's hand with his arm and said calmly.
The other person's eyes narrowed, a sharp glint in them, but quickly vanished. The force blocking his arm was something he couldn't withstand.
"Kid, it won't kill you to let Boss Long take a look. Are you deliberately making things difficult for me?" The secretary suddenly became fierce, pointing at Zhang Guodong and sneering. "A mere three or four thousand yuan is nothing to Boss Long!"
He tried to snatch it. Zhang Guodong reached out and put the star grass away, but the other person grabbed at empty air. He was stunned.
"This is someone else's territory, so if you want to see the star grass, you have to follow the rules. I don't care if you're Boss Long or Boss Hu. I'm not in a good mood right now, and I don't want to show it to you!" Zhang Guodong said calmly. But the refusal in his words was quite obvious.
The secretary, enraged and embarrassed, sneered repeatedly. If this weren't the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhang Guodong would probably be in serious trouble! Before coming here, President Long had instructed Ding to restrain himself; this place was different from outside. Otherwise, would he care about a simpleton like Zhang Guodong?
A fierce glint flashed in Boss Long's eyes as he gave Zhang Guodong a deep look, then burst into laughter: "You've got some spirit, kid. Since someone was bidding earlier, I'll join in too. I'll offer 40,000! Anyone else want to compete with me?"
He glanced at the crowd. To Zhang Guodong's surprise, many of them looked uneasy, a mixture of awe and apprehension. These people were afraid of this Boss Long, or rather, they didn't want to be associated with him.
This Boss Long is quite interesting. He glanced at the fat man, but the fat man shook his head slightly, clearly not knowing who Boss Long was.
"So, I'm going to sell it?" Zhang Guodong said.
The laughter faltered. Boss Long chuckled twice and said, "You've got guts!"
Then, with his secretary, he left without looking back. He came quietly, and he left quietly, without leaving a trace. This CEO Long was quite the shrew; from the moment he entered until he left, he completely ignored everyone else present. It was clear he was disdainful!
With the sudden departure of Boss Long, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat strange. Why did Zhang Guodong's gaze seem tinged with pity?
Seeing the somewhat somber and strange atmosphere, Yang Haoji smiled at Zhang Guodong and said, "I'm ashamed to say that I forgot to ask the seller's opinion. Mr. Zhang, what do you think?"
Zhang Guodong smiled, but shook his head and refused, saying, "I only have this one plant on me, and it needs to be tested. If you are really interested in this star grass, you can go to the Jianba Township government in the High-tech Zone to inquire. That will be the only place in the world to cultivate this medicinal herb there."
"Well, it's like this. Our Zhangba Township plans to establish a medicinal herb planting program in a natural village by the end of the year, focusing on this star grass as the main plant for economic development and reform. We welcome companies of any strength to invest here. Our government's overall plan is to strive to build the entire township into a completely green township and the most livable township in the provincial capital within two years. At that time, the township's road construction, township renovation, medicinal herb base construction, and landscape construction projects will be put out to tender nationwide!" The fat man coughed, knowing it was his turn to appear, and began to speak.
quiet!
Surprisingly, this young, chubby man is quite influential; his township-level administrative rank within the provincial capital is not low. Judging from his introduction, he's likely a township leader? And a very young one at that!
After the fat man's introduction, everyone showed surprisingly great interest in the so-called "mountain and water construction." Highway construction and town renovation projects are all related to architecture, and many people are interested in investing in them. However, the construction of medicinal herb bases seemed much less promising; many people couldn't see any future in it, so they were hesitant to invest.
But the concept of "landscape construction" is something I've never heard of before.
The fat man was well-prepared for this; when people had questions, he provided answers and described the beautiful town in this northern provincial capital, especially its green concept in winter, which drew everyone's attention. To make the entire town green in winter is a massive undertaking. Could they just plant pine and oak trees? Obviously not. Otherwise, while the greenery might be there, the overall aesthetic wouldn't be elevated. Due to the environment and climate, changing this and creating a dreamlike town is truly difficult.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Wang Kang, and I'm the Party Secretary and Mayor of Zhangba Township in the High-tech Zone. So, you bosses are welcome to come and verify the authenticity of my identity!" Seeing that the crowd seemed somewhat skeptical, the fat man smiled confidently and didn't press the matter.
They?
The Party Secretary and Township Head of a township? Luo Xiaoyun and Yang Haoji, like everyone else, were astonished. The fat man looked to be in his mid-twenties, right? He'd actually caught both the top two leaders of the township?
However, seeing that the fat man wasn't afraid to have his identity verified, everyone gasped. They were businessmen who had dealt with government officials many times, so they naturally understood the weight of the top two leaders in a township under the provincial capital—they were deputy-department-level cadres! But they had never seen such a young deputy-department-level cadre before.
Yang Haoji's eyes flashed, then suddenly he stared at Zhang Guodong, his eyes widening in surprise. It was him?! He remembered someone, and the more he looked, the more Zhang Guodong resembled him.
Zhang Guodong naturally noticed Yang Haoji's gaze and felt a little uneasy under his stare, but he couldn't recall knowing him.
Yangling Academy of Agricultural Sciences. In the reception hall of the outer area, the clock on the wall was gradually pointing to seven o'clock in the evening.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the hall. It was eerily quiet here, with no one greeting them, making the footsteps quite loud.
"The reception hall is closing time. Please come back tomorrow! Please leave within ten minutes." The receptionist, who had been playing computer games, appeared somewhat indifferently and said to everyone. After speaking, he ignored their helpless expressions and left.
"The service is incredibly cold!" Zhang Guodong sighed. Seeing everyone else getting up, Zhang Guodong and the fat man had no choice but to get up as well. It seemed they wouldn't be able to visit Bai Zhongsheng today. They hadn't expected the experiment to go on so late. They could only make a call later tonight and arrange a visit tomorrow morning.
Luo Xiaoyun and Yang Haoji deliberately lagged behind the others, walking with Zhang Guodong and Fatty.
"Mr. Zhang, Secretary Wang, how about we grab a bite to eat together? We'll be staying in Yangling for the next few days, so why not go out and have some fun?" Yang Haoji suggested, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
Not to be outdone, Luo Xiaoyun said, "Mr. Yang, I know these two young men first, so let me treat you to this meal first, okay?" "Tch, Luo, you're being rather unfair today. I wanted to buy a *Fenjinglao* plant, and you argued with me; now I want to treat you two to dinner, and you're arguing with me again? There's a first-come, first-served rule for meals. I really can't let you have it today. If you treat me at any other time, that's your own business!" Yang Haoji's face turned cold, somewhat displeased.
Everyone bid fairly just now, but there was still a sense of loss of face involved, which made Luo Xiaoyun very uncomfortable. "Besides. I plan to discuss business with you two, so Mr. Luo, if you have time, please go ahead!"
Having said that, Zhang Guodong and the fat man exchanged a glance and accepted Yang Haoji's invitation. They left Luo Xiaoyun behind, got into their car, and drove off.
"Mr. Yang, aren't you afraid we're scammers?" Zhang Guozhui asked in surprise after getting into the car. Yang Haoji had looked at him differently in the lobby, as if he recognized him.
Unfortunately, Zhang Guodong had no recollection of the other person.
Yang Haoji's vehicle, however, is a luxurious business van, very practical. But the interior is incredibly opulent, exuding comfort and enjoyment. It's fully equipped with food, drinks, and entertainment. The car has a multitude of functions.
He casually grabbed a bottle of chilled Bordeaux red wine, its white vapor swirling around it. Yang Haoji carefully opened it, took out three wine glasses, poured the wine, and then smiled, saying, "Mr. Zhang may not remember me, but I stayed in [location name] for a while last year and had the pleasure of meeting you. If Mr. Zhang is a fraud, then no one in the world is a boss!"
I still remember that the jade slag acquisition was worth hundreds of millions, and he just threw it away with a wave of his hand. Later, many people didn't see Zhang Guodong, as Liu Neng mostly handled the acquisitions, but a few people did see Zhang Guodong in person.
At first, Yang Haoji didn't recognize Zhang Guodong because the two had changed a lot, and the current demeanor was completely different from before. But when the fat man introduced himself, Yang Haoji finally took him seriously. However, the more he looked at Zhang Guodong, the more he resembled someone. Suddenly, a figure flashed through his mind, and his memory instantly returned!
There were some pleasant surprises; he hadn't expected to encounter a truly powerful boss again. Yang Haoji knew he didn't have the ability to spend hundreds of millions so easily, especially considering that acquiring these jade scraps would tie up a huge amount of capital. Unless he sold off all his assets!
"Oh? I see!" Zhang Guodong exclaimed in realization. "You must be in the jade business, right? How did you get into pharmaceuticals?"
The business card identified the company as a pharmaceutical enterprise, having absolutely nothing to do with the jade business.
"Haha. Jade is just something I play around with. I personally enjoy collecting, so I know some jade dealers. I often buy their collectibles, and we've gotten to know each other over time. Actually, my real business is 'Mingrui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.,' which mainly focuses on pharmaceuticals." Upon hearing this, Yang Haoji immediately confirmed that his memory was correct, and then explained.
The fat man next to him was completely confused. What were these two talking about? But they seemed to have met before. And who was Zhang Guodong, this boss?
Yang Haoji didn't ignore the fat man anymore; he was starting to believe the fat man was an official. Zhang Guodong's identity was unquestionable. The fat man really didn't believe he'd come out to swindle small amounts of money.
"Secretary Wang, have you heard of Mingrui Pharmaceutical? Now that you mention it, I'm really interested in your business. So what I said earlier wasn't just empty talk! When is a convenient time for me to send someone over to investigate and explore cooperation!"
"We welcome Mr. Yang to visit anytime!" the fat man said happily. "We naturally know about this star enterprise in the province. If Mingrui were to establish itself here, we would be more than happy to do so!"
Yang Haoji nodded slightly, then said to Zhang Guodong, "Mr. Zhang, I'm afraid you don't know the background of that General Manager Long. So you should be careful this time when you come to Yangling!"
"Oh? What's their background?" Zhang Guodong's eyes flickered with curiosity. However, his expression remained calm and unwavering, which reassured Yang Haoji considerably. While Long Yue was a mere earth snake here, this Mr. Zhang must also have some background, right? A dragon crossing the river?
"A local tyrant!" Yang Haoji uttered three words solemnly. "Not afraid of the white, but afraid of the black!"
Local dragon? Not local snake? That's an interesting way of putting it!
Zhang Guodong nodded, indicating he understood. This Yang Haoji was quite the shrewd one, constantly observing his reactions. But even if he was a powerful dragon, so what? Zhang Guodong could still disregard him!
“Yang Ling, this Boss Long here is very shrewd in both the underworld and legitimate business. Almost every businessman who’s been here knows him to some extent, which is why many people were hesitant in the lobby earlier,” Yang Haoji continued. “But Mr. Zhang, don’t worry. Although his underhanded methods are concerning, I still have some influence here!”
What an interesting person!
Yang Haoji was simply trying to elevate his own status, which could also be seen as a way of showing closeness. If it were anyone else, they would definitely treat him differently and consider him a friend. However, neither the fat man nor Zhang Guodong were ordinary people.
The luxury van arrived at Wuyi Lane. A beautifully dressed yet demure hostess greeted us with a sweet smile and a warm welcome. It was a delightful experience! This place offers a one-stop shop for food, drinks, and entertainment; it's a high-end establishment combining entertainment and hotels. Therefore, many wealthy people are willing to patronize this place.
"Mr. Yang, this isn't Mr. Long's territory, is it?" Zhang Guodong asked with a smile as they were about to go inside.
"Impossible, right? Many friends have been here, and I've been here several times myself. There are strict rules here, and the people behind it are not to be trifled with!" Yang Haoji shook his head and said.
Large entertainment venues can't operate without powerful backers. And generally, those backers are very influential. But Yang Haoji didn't know who owned this place.
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