Chapter 225: City in the Desert
The rapid construction of multiple modern cities in the desert is truly a miracle, but behind this miracle is the blood and sweat of countless nameless migrant workers. When these migrant workers lose their ability to work, they are ruthlessly expelled from this "paradise" they built with their own hands.
Lin Ruoyan also knew that resource-rich countries like these had sober rulers who were also considering how to maintain their country's prosperity and not just squander it. For example, the prince she was going to meet today had founded a technology company that went beyond just introducing games.
That prince was a distant cousin of the current sheikh, and there were at least eight hundred nobles of similar status. In his youth, he studied in North America and also in Europe. He was familiar with the internet and spoke fluent Cockney. But at heart, he wasn't tamed by European and American culture.
He has always sought to preserve and promote national culture, not wanting the country to be completely Westernized. He recognized the significant influence of the gaming industry on young people's thinking, and he recognized the advantages of Hao Heshan's products over those from Europe and the United States. Therefore, he prioritized importing these products, securing exclusive operating rights, and capturing the minds of young people, effectively banishing Western influences.
In addition to the signing ceremony this time, he also hopes to customize special games and cultural learning software and entrust Hao Heshan's company to develop them.
When the two sides met in the hotel's luxurious conference room, the prince noticed that Lin Ruoyan was wearing traditional local women's clothing and was accompanied by a boy. Hao Heshan said that she felt comfortable being a "mascot." This shows the respect of a country's big boss for local cultural customs.
In the local area, if a woman is alone at home and someone knocks on the door to ask, the woman will answer that no one is home and that if there is anything to do, it can only be done when a man is home.
There's an old Chinese saying: "At home, obey your father and brothers; after marriage, obey your husband and sons." The idea that women are appendages of men is still a common social perception in many countries in the 21st century. It sounds outrageous, but it's actually true.
For example, in this wealthy country, during the time of the book, women couldn't even get a driver's license and drive alone. If there were no adult men in the family and a woman had to go out, it was best to bring her son or younger brother with her to take charge.
Don’t ask, this is their cultural tradition.
Lin Ruoyan felt that the air conditioning was too cold, so she put on local clothes over her original clothes and took her son to enjoy the free tourist reception. She had no intention of interfering in the business that Hao Heshan was discussing, and naturally would not make any comments casually. However, she did not expect that she accidentally aroused the other party's favor and eventually led to more cooperation projects.
Hao Heshan had cram school on local customs on the plane before arriving, and seeing Lin's dedication to these practices only deepened his admiration. Lin, a powerful woman, had to present a gentle and virtuous image to boost sales, making many sacrifices. Deeply grateful, he worked even harder to secure more projects.
After all, the locals are very willing to pay. His series of products, including company management OA, engineering cost software, etc., actually have a market in the local area, and the Y language versions are all accepted.
He also took the opportunity to tell the prince that Lin Ruoyan had an older brother in the Lin Group who ran many industrial projects and there might be cooperation opportunities in various fields. He invited the other party to visit the country and discuss industrial cooperation.
The prince was already very interested in Lin's real estate alone. He was especially interested in the recently developed European-style Dokdo manor in Shanghai, which cost 150 million yuan per unit. He took a quick look at the simple promotional page and immediately decided to buy one.
Afterwards, Hao Heshan even took credit for it with Lin Ruoyan: "Boss Lin, how much is the commission for selling luxury houses? I sold one of them for 150 million yuan."
"It looks like a 1,300 yuan commission. You and Lu Gan go claim the credit." Lin Ruoyan calculated that this was a 450,000 yuan commission. It seemed that a single unit with a larger area and higher value would be more worry-free. There were 18 units in the project. If they could sell one a month, they could sell all of them within two years.
That night, Hao Heshan and Lu Gan held a phone conference to brag about their achievements, but Lu Gan was unimpressed and said, "I've already ordered eight sets."
Lin Ruoyan was shocked. This project seemed to be in its infancy, with the final construction drawings still under review. Could Lu Gan and his gang have fooled so many people into booking rooms with just renderings and model photos? This was 150 million yuan per unit, not just 1.5 yuan.
"The so-called order, is it just a verbal confirmation?" Hao Heshan was still unconvinced.
Lu Gan explained, "Of course, the statistics here only count after both parties have signed the purchase agreement. The 10 million has already been deposited into the escrow account we applied for. We won't be using the money and are temporarily keeping it under our custody, but if the other party wants to break the contract, the money will be ours. Once the model homes are built, those who have paid and signed a letter of intent will be given priority for viewing and selecting units. That's basically the logic. For example, the status of the prince from the oil country isn't the most prestigious; there are also crown princes from small European countries who have paid."
That day, Lin Ruoyan enjoyed a large suite in a seven-star hotel all to herself. Lu Wei also accompanied her and stayed next door.
It's no secret that the locals are used to being extravagant, and the hotel's design fully considers class and status. Not only are the elevators exceptionally large, accommodating over 20 people per cabin without feeling crowded, but the guest rooms are also individually divided into separate floors for privacy, fully accommodating the needs of accompanying individuals for close protection.
At that time, Lin Ruoyan didn't quite understand why the elevator cars here were so big. But when she saw with her own eyes a local man taking four wives, seven or eight children, several nannies and a group of bodyguards into an elevator together, she suddenly realized.
Each floor of the hotel, in addition to the super luxurious suites, also had many standard rooms and ordinary king-size rooms. She then understood that those rooms were actually rooms for the accompanying staff, surrounding the multi-bedroom suite of the host family, to facilitate immediate response to service and protection work.
According to the law, locals can marry four wives, and the wives are all equal in status. If you buy a gift for one wife, you must also give the same valuable gift to the other three wives. No favoritism is allowed. Therefore, only wealthy people can afford to marry four wives.
In addition to Lu Wei, Lin Ruoyan also hired several local bodyguards, but they were only brought with her when she went out. She planned to visit several famous local attractions, such as the local museum, the big market, and the Grand Mosque.
Legend has it that women are forbidden from entering the Grand Mosque, and can only take photos at designated locations outside the mosque, fully covered. She wondered what the point of taking a photo with the Grand Mosque in the background in 40-degree heat, with her face covered, was. She could only take photos with her children, and she had to time them. Could she prove, years later, that the woman holding the little boy was actually her?
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