Mayor Qiao gestured for her to sit down and cleared his throat: "Xiao Ning, I have some good news to tell you."
Ning Yuan asked curiously, "What good news? Is it that I can be exempt from taxes for ten years?"
Mayor Qiao smiled at her: "No, it's about your land. The higher authorities have decided that you no longer need to pay rent."
Ning Yuan was stunned: "What? We don't have to pay rent? Why? This...this isn't the rule, is it?"
Four million! That's no small sum!
Mayor Qiao smiled faintly: "Someone helped you with the payment, or rather, this is the intention of higher-level leaders. You can take it as... a preferential policy to encourage Hong Kong businesses to invest."
Ning Yuan was overjoyed upon hearing this.
She knew that Shenzhen, as a special economic zone, often handled matters on a case-by-case basis and enjoyed various pioneering preferential policies.
She just didn't expect to suddenly have such a preferential policy.
Ning Yuan was stunned for a while, then couldn't help but excitedly say, "Then my rent..."
Mayor Qiao readily accepted the offer: "You can invest all of this money in factory buildings, equipment, freight, and the salaries of technical experts and workers. Comrade Xiao Ning, work hard and strive to achieve results as soon as possible, contributing to the country's economic development!"
He patted Ning Yuan on the shoulder encouragingly, his eyes full of expectation.
As Ning Yuan left the municipal government building, she felt like she was in a dream.
More than four million RMB was thus easily obtained into her hands.
With this money, many of her plans could be completed or even implemented ahead of schedule!
...
Before we knew it, it was time to sign the contract.
The atmosphere in the conference room of Donghu Hotel was both solemn and warm.
With a "smack," Mayor Qiao's seal was heavily stamped on the document, seemingly providing a solid guarantee for the project.
Ning Yuan also stamped her company's seal, feeling both complicated and excited.
Then Mayor Qiao and Ning Yuan, representing the mainland and Hong Kong sides respectively, signed their names on the contract.
Ning Yuan and Mayor Qiao exchanged a smile and then exchanged contracts.
A round of enthusiastic applause filled the conference room. There were no flashing lights or reporters' cameras; everything proceeded smoothly.
All manuscripts must be reviewed by the secretariat before they can be published.
After all, some things are better known to as few people as possible.
Because everyone present knew that this contract symbolized a new era!
After the signing was completed, Ning Yuan couldn't wait to ask, "Uncle Qiao, I heard that the site at Bagualing has been cleared?"
Mayor Qiao nodded and said with a smile, "That's right, the engineering corps has already moved in. Your equipment can be delivered at any time. Building a factory doesn't take as long as constructing a building; the factory will be completed in a month at most."
Ning Yuan sincerely thanked them, saying, "That's wonderful! I'll arrange for someone to transport the machines over right away. These are all the latest models ordered from Japan and the United States!"
Mayor Qiao added, "We will also provide assistance with the recruitment of workers, and we should be able to recruit enough people soon!"
Ning Yuan grasped Mayor Qiao's hand with a beaming smile: "Thank you all so much! I'm going to treat everyone to dinner at the Donghu Hotel later to celebrate!"
Mayor Qiao was about to agree when he suddenly seemed to remember something, paused, and said, "Let's not rush to have dinner. An elderly person wants to see you."
Ning Yuan was taken aback: "Old man? Which old man?"
Mayor Qiao smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out: "He's a senior figure, you'll know when you meet him."
Ning Yuan followed Mayor Qiao to a suite on the third floor of the Donghu Hotel.
The corridor was filled with guards, each with sharp eyes that exuded the fierceness of someone who had been through many battles.
Ning Yuan wondered to herself, why did this scene feel like attending a tea party for retired cadres in Beijing?
Could it be Elder Ye? But Elder Ye is in poor health and is still recuperating!
The door opened, and a middle-aged man, around fifty years old and looking like a senior secretary, appeared in the doorway.
He wore an impeccably tailored white shirt and jacket, his gaze both gentle and sharp, carrying a civic precision and restraint.
Upon seeing Mayor Qiao, he smiled and said, "Old Qiao, you've arrived."
Then, his gaze shifted to Ning Yuan, and he looked her up and down, a hint of surprise and admiration flashing in his eyes: "Is this the girl? She's so young!"
Mayor Qiao nodded with a smile: "That's right! Comrade Xiao Ning is so young, but he's quite capable!"
The middle-aged man stepped aside to make way, saying, "Please come in, please come in."
Ning Yuan followed the two into the suite.
The living room is spacious and bright, with sunlight streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the entire space in a golden glow.
Several cups of steaming tea were placed on the coffee table, their aroma filling the air.
Just then, a warm voice came from the direction of the balcony, carrying a strong Sichuan-Chongqing accent:
"Young comrades are like the sun at eight or nine in the morning. It is precisely because they are young and capable that we can place our hopes for the future on them!"
Ning Yuan looked in the direction of the sound and saw an elderly man of short stature walking into the living room from the balcony.
He was dressed in a simple gray Zhongshan suit, walked steadily, and had a kind smile on his face.
Sunlight streamed in from behind him, gilding his silhouette with a golden edge.
Ning Yuan's mind was buzzing; her brain was blank, with only one thought echoing in her mind—
The old man's face—the face that has appeared countless times on television, in newspapers, and in textbooks!
She must be hallucinating or seeing things; she's actually seeing the greatest chief architect in history!
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