Chapter 98 Chapter 98 This is the first time Jiang Hongguo has done such a big thing...
Hongguo asked for a morning off for Diandian. Early in the morning, Lao Zheng brought her and Diandian over. He pointed to a large area in the distance and said it was the site for photography in the afternoon.
Old Zheng didn't get off the bus. He pointed at the empty lot and introduced it: "This is a bid that we have been following for a long time. Changzong knows that I don't like to socialize. Before I left, he told me to just go through the motions. If I can take the photo, I can. If I can't, we have two mines. He told me to do whatever I want. He is the same as you. He doesn't force people to do things they don't like. But I think if you can do it and take the photo, it will be a happy thing. If you can't take it, just take it as an experience."
Hong Guo couldn't wait to go down: "I know, I'll ask Diandian to help me see which underground coal mine has richer reserves."
Little Bit released the Golden Dragon. This fish was so big that it covered the entire sky. Hong Guo could just see its vague shadow. The Golden Dragon swam around, came back, and disappeared into Little Bit's body.
Diandian clapped his hands and pointed to Hongguo one by one: "Mom, the smallest piece of land in the distance has the most black coal."
Hongguo compared the geological report produced by the Coal Bureau and found that the fourth plot of land was the smallest, had the lowest price and looked unremarkable, but it actually had the best coal reserves. She was secretly delighted, thinking that maybe she could get a bargain this time.
"Mom, there are a lot of people coming over there."
Hongguo was looking down at the exploration base map. After hearing what Xiaobutian said, he looked up and saw seven or eight people coming from a distance. One of them was dressed like a leader, who should be the leader of the Coal Mine Bureau. The others were, of course, private coal bosses who had also come to see the scene.
The people she had dealt with before were Gu Changzong and Lao Zheng. Hongguo didn't know those people. They might have heard of Jiang Hongguo, but had never seen her. So she didn't go over to join in the fun, for fear that people would say she was trying to get close to them, and they might even ridicule her. Anyway, she was going to meet them in the afternoon.
Originally, Lao Zheng was supposed to go to bid in the afternoon, but Hong Guo wanted to go, which was exactly what Lao Zheng wanted: "Then I won't go."
Hongguo nodded. It would be the same whether they went or not. Lao Zheng was not as good as her at dealing with people. But Hongguo had to find someone who understood bidding to go with her.
Hong Guo asked, "I want to find Chu Chengwu. I talked to him once last time and I felt that he was a decent person. I also beat him up and we are even now. Can I ask him to do something for me?"
Old Zheng was pragmatic: "Before he and Zhang Yaoqin, he was a technical backbone of a state-owned mine. He has real skills. If we look for him now, he will be grateful. We can look for him."
Then Hongguo will go, and if he fails to win the auction, he will just pay the money once.
Diandian helped, and said proudly, "Mom, I'll go back to the kindergarten first. You have to pick me up after school. I want to be the first to know the result."
Hong Guo agreed: "Okay, I'll pick you up and tell you the result."
Old Zheng first sent Jiang Hongguo to Chu Chengwu's house, then drove Diandian to the kindergarten, and asked Jiang Hongguo to go home for dinner after the discussion was completed.
…
Chu Chengwu helped the police find evidence of Zhang Qingxiao's crime and evidence of Zhang Yaoqin's illegal activities at the mine. He himself had been struggling to survive, and after checking, he found that there was nothing wrong, so he was allowed to return.
Although he was not harmed, his reputation was damaged after this incident. Although it was Zhang Yaoqin who broke the law, no boss likes a subordinate who betrays his master, so no one would hire him. His and his son's livelihood became a big problem.
He could set up a stall, but where was the capital? What to sell? Times were different now. If he encountered thugs looking for trouble, he didn't have the money to recruit a group of people to fight back. In short, it was difficult.
But no matter what, he got rid of Zhang Yaoqin and her son and was free. The debt that was held in Zhang Qingxiao's hand and had accumulated interest and could not be calculated was also written off.
That year, his wife fell ill and refused to receive treatment, but he did not listen and insisted on getting treatment. He borrowed high-interest loans from Zhang Qingxiao, and now he and his son finally don't have to worry anymore.
Thinking of this, Chu Chengwu cheered up. He and his son wouldn't have to live a life of fear and fighting anymore, and his wife would be able to rest in peace and reincarnate, right?
It's about livelihood issue, and he has to find a solution as soon as possible. He was worrying about what to do to make a living, then Jiang Hongguo came and gave him an option, asking him to help with something.
Of course Chu Chengwu was willing. Everyone had seen how well Jiang Hongguo treated the workers in the mine. If he could help her, his survival problem would be solved immediately.
But he didn't understand why Jiang Hongguo gave him a chance?
"Boss Jiang, are you sure you want to hire me? Aren't you afraid that other bosses will laugh at you?"
Jiang Hongguo said frankly: "Why should I care about other people's faces when I can decide on my own? There are several reasons why I'm looking for you. You used to be a technical backbone in a state-owned mine and you have real skills. You are particularly perceptive when it comes to Zhang Yaoqin's matter. I saw it when I hit you with that stick. Also, if I look for you at this time, you must be grateful to me. It's more reassuring than looking for someone else."
After hearing such a frank answer, Chu Chengwu couldn't help feeling sad. It turned out that the person who knew him best was Boss Jiang.
He was grateful: "Thank you, Boss Jiang. I have betrayed Boss Zhang, but I can swear that I will never betray you."
Hong Guo nodded: "Okay, but I also said that I am not sure about this afternoon's bidding. If you can win a piece, you can do the preliminary preparations for mining at the new mine. If you don't win, I will give you 200 yuan separately. You need to help me control and determine the upper limit of the bidding. Don't let me lose my head and let others bid up the price and make me lose a lot of money."
Chu Chengwu nodded quickly: "Okay, don't worry about this."
Although he was in charge of a dozen thugs of Zhang Yaoqin, in fact, most of the time he was just pretending to be so. What's more, he had real skills. He used to work in a state-owned mine, where he was both technically and managerially capable. Who wouldn't praise him?
After the negotiation, Jiang Hongguo handed Lao Zheng the bid he had prepared and said, "Lao Zheng is not good at this. Please take a look at it and find out if there are any changes or additions that need to be made. Just change them directly."
Chu Chengwu was flattered and asked hurriedly, "Aren't you afraid that others will come to me to ask which piece of land you really like?"
Hong Guo said, "I am afraid, but for this bidding, I have the attitude that I can do better and it doesn't matter if I don't win. My family has a mine, and we won't starve to death. I just keep a positive attitude and it doesn't matter. There are only a few people in my family that I trust. If I don't go to you and go to someone else, I will still face the risk of trial and error. It's the same for everyone."
Chu Chengwu took the heavy bid documents. He felt so good to be trusted by others. No wonder the ancients said that a gentleman will die for his friend. It was this trust that filled his heart.
Chu Chengwu regained his confidence and said, "Boss Jiang, I will be worthy of your trust."
Hong Guo smiled and said, "It's okay. You don't have to swear. You have a better future ahead of you. Just tell me in advance. I will still bless you. Just don't do anything sneaky. Okay, I'm leaving. Let's meet outside the bidding venue this afternoon."
…
Chu Chengwu sent Jiang Hongguo away and sat down to read the bid documents carefully. It takes several months from project approval to bidding. Lao Zheng's bid document is of high quality and there is nothing to change.
But no one expected that Jiang Hongguo’s favorite would be the smallest plot of land that was auctioned at the end.
After preliminary exploration of the plot of land she had her eyes on, it was found that the coal reserves were average, the worst among the four plots of land. It was a wise choice on her part, as the competitive pressure from a bad plot was less and it was easier to win.
Just when he was thinking about how to help Jiang Hongguo win the fourth bid for the land, Chu Chengwu was approached by someone he knew, a capable subordinate of a famous fat boss in the mining area, who came to ask what Jiang Hongguo was doing here?
"Chu Chengwu, we are all doing things for others, so let's get straight to the point. My boss Qiao saw Boss Jiang going to bid for land this morning and asked me to follow her. I saw her coming to your place, and even without Boss Qiao's instructions, I knew I had to inquire about it before I could report back. Boss Jiang talked to you for half an hour. What did you talk about?"
I won’t let it go unless I say something today, but Chu Chengwu won’t tell you the most important part.
He smiled and said, "What else can I do? She knows I have some skills, so she asked me to do some work for a day and asked me to help her bid in the afternoon and control the price limit of the bidding."
The fat boss's men hurriedly asked, "Which piece of mine did Boss Jiang take a fancy to?"
Chu Chengwu spread his hands and said, "Do you think she would tell me about someone like me? She won't tell me unless we go to the bidding site."
This made a lot of sense. The fat boss's subordinate stroked the stubble on his chin and asked again: "When she came in, I saw that she was carrying a bag that was very heavy, but when she left, the bag was very light. What did she give you?"
Chu Chengwu pointed to a bag of rice he had bought on the chair and said, "They heard that I had just been released and was having a hard time, so they brought me some rice and gave me a few dozen yuan."
The man looked disdainful and said, "Isn't it said that Boss Jiang is very generous? You are too petty. How about I talk to Boss Qiao and ask you to come work for us?"
Chu Chengwu shook his head: "I don't want to be a slave to three families. I have no place to stand."
After hearing this, the fat boss's subordinates looked at him with a higher opinion and did not ask any further questions.
Chu Chengwu heaved a sigh of relief. Life was so difficult. Fortunately, he had gained something from following Zhang Yaoqin for a few years. He had mastered the art of speaking differently to different people.
…
The bidding was about to be opened in the afternoon, and several coal bosses who had agreed to bid together gathered in Wen Yongshan's teahouse to discuss things.
Mrs. Wen, who usually likes to go in and out without any courtesy when she sees them coming, did not come in to disturb them today, and everyone felt very comfortable.
The fat boss said, "Boss Wen, you didn't go to bid for the land this morning, but we did. Boss Jiang also went. I was really worried that she would come over to say hello and it would be awkward. Fortunately, she knew her own limits and left on her own. My people followed her all the way and asked Chu Chengwu about it. They confirmed that Jiang Hongguo would go to bid in the afternoon. So our previous plan to deal with Old Zheng won't work. I'm worried that she, who doesn't know much about the business, will raise the price recklessly. If she raises the price too high, we will suffer a huge loss."
The coal bosses who made this analysis were all anxious: "Old Joe, don't just raise the problem, you have to talk about the solution. What should we do now?"
How could the fat boss know what to do? He couldn't let Jiang Hongguo tie him up and then release him after the bidding. He was afraid of Gu Changzong's revenge. Business was business, but it would be unkind to involve personal safety.
The fat boss wanted Wen Yongshan to make a decision: "You are such a strong-minded person, say something?"
The sudden change did not make Wen Yongshan frown. He said, "How can you, a group of men, be so flustered by a woman? If she doesn't go, Lao Zheng will go too, and the result will be the same."
The fat boss laughed and looked at Wen Yongshan, not believing that he was really not in a hurry.
"It's different. We had a plan for dealing with Lao Zheng, but Jiang Hongguo's visit completely disrupted our plan. We had originally agreed that the two companies would jointly operate a piece of mining land and bid together. The leaders knew everything. Suddenly, she came over and raised the price for each piece of land, spending more money to bid. Would you agree to that?"
Wen Yongshan took a deep breath and said, "If you are really worried, just bring her in to talk. I heard that she gave away 40% of the shares of Sister Xiao's mine to appease the relatives of the original mine owner. She did a great job. As long as you show your sincerity, she should be easy to deal with."
The fat boss chuckled and said, "Since you agreed, I will go and invite you in person. I have been thinking this for a long time, but I was afraid that you would not be able to say it. Now that you proposed this idea, don't go back on your word now that the person is here."
Wen Yongshan said coldly: "Next time, just say what you want to say, don't beat around the bush."
…
Not long after Jiang Hongguo got home, the fat coal boss invited her to Wen Yongshan's teahouse. Several coal bosses who were participating in the afternoon bidding were all there, making it no different from the Hongmen Banquet.
This was the first time that Hongguo saw so many coal bosses. In the past, it was Gu Changzong who dealt with them. Hongguo had no experience, but she was not afraid. She followed her own way of dealing with people. If she could get along well, she would talk. If she couldn't, she would leave. She had no desires or demands, so she would not be bullied by others.
The person invited by the fat boss spoke first: "Boss Jiang, you are a heroine for bidding in person. We admire you very much. In fact, before you came, several of us had already discussed that we would bid together and take down these mining areas. You might as well join us and make money together."
Jiang Hongguo knew a little about bid rigging. He knew that once it was agreed upon, no malicious bidding was allowed. These were shady operations that took place under the table and were not to be made public.
This was exactly what Jiang Hongguo wanted. She didn't want the bidding to become fierce. If she raised the price of the mine that others were interested in, others would also raise the price of hers. In the end, even if she could win the bid, she would still have to spend a lot more money.
Jiang Hongguo said: "I understand what you mean. If you want to talk, then show your sincerity. I won't cooperate. I want to contract a piece of the mining area myself."
The fat boss wanted to slam his head on the table, but he held back: "Boss Jiang, your request is inappropriate. So many of us are determined to get it, why do you want to take it all for yourself?"
Jiang Hongguo explained calmly: "I'm not greedy, it's my business model. If you can't accept it, we can cooperate. According to the current business standards of my mine, whoever accepts it, I can cooperate with you."
The two mines she owns are crazy about sharing the profits with the miners, and only let the miners work six hours. One more shift than other mines means a lot more labor costs. It would be crazy to follow her model.
Several coal bosses remained silent. There was no point in continuing the conversation like this.
Wen Yongshan, who had been silent, spoke up: "Which one do you want?"
Jiang Hongguo was about to answer when the fat boss interrupted her, saying that Jiang Hongguo could no longer choose.
"If you want to do it yourself, then you can't be picky. You can only take the last piece in line."
The last small plot of land was what Jiang Hongguo wanted, but the model they were discussing now made it unacceptable.
Hong Guo shook her head. "That won't work. I don't believe you will keep your promise. What if I don't bid for the first three pieces and you win them smoothly? But when it comes to the fourth piece we agreed on, you bid for it. Who can I cry to? When I bid for the third piece, don't bid maliciously, or we won't talk anymore."
The fat boss repeatedly assured: "Boss Jiang, don't think so badly of me. I can guarantee that no one here will break the agreement. Businessmen are honest. Since I promised you, I will not break my promise."
Hong Guo was dumbfounded if she believed him, and asked back: "Put your hand on your chest and ask, do you believe this?"
The fat boss smiled awkwardly and said, "What is there to believe in? These people here are gathered together for common interests, not for trust and friendship."
The fat boss turned around and asked everyone, "Do you agree to Boss Jiang's conditions?"
Everyone nodded. Seeing that Wen Yongshan had no objection, the fat boss made the decision: "Boss Jiang, it's settled. See you this afternoon."
…
Jiang Hongguo didn't expect that she had actually made the deal. She was so happy that she was very calm when she walked out of the box and went downstairs. As soon as she left the teahouse, she trotted all the way to the bus stop like a happy swallow, and hurried back to tell Lao Zheng the good news.
Some of the coal bosses on the second floor were standing in front of the window. When they saw Jiang Hongguo happily turning around on the platform, they couldn't help laughing and started talking about it, saying that Boss Jiang was an interesting person.
The fat boss was not disgusted by Jiang Hongguo's negotiation style. Anyone in her situation would have the same concerns.
The bus had already left and no one was in sight. The fat boss laughed, "After all, she is a woman, and she can't hold her temper. She can only endure it until she leaves the house."
Another said: "Boss Jiang is okay, she is not unreasonable, and what she says is reasonable, more reasonable than Sister Xiao and Zhang Yaoqin before. It is comfortable to talk to her, she is not suffocating, much better than her domineering man."
A coal boss who was fighting with his wife and was beaten by his brother-in-law sighed: "Who doesn't like a pretty girl with a little personality? Boss Jiang has all of them. Boss Gu is really something. How could he bear to leave such a beautiful wife? By the way, does anyone know what Boss Gu is doing?"
The fat boss shook his head: "Who knows? It's so mysterious that we can't find out anything."
Everyone dispersed to prepare for the afternoon bidding. Chen Qingzhi then dared to come in and said to Wen Yongshan: "Jiang Hongguo is so amazing that she can even represent her mine to bid. I also want to see the world. Is that okay?"
Chen Qingzhi was pleasantly surprised to hear that Yongshan had no objection. It seemed that her guess was right. Yongshan appreciated capable people, so she had to do what he liked.
…
As soon as Jiang Hongguo got home, she told Lao Zheng the good news of the negotiation. She wanted to bid for the fourth piece of land, but the third piece was also good. One should not be too greedy. Safety is the most important thing.
Old Zheng muttered: "If Gu Changzong knew that so many men were bullying you together, he would be so angry that he would die."
Jiang Hongguo didn't think she was at a disadvantage: "They had more people, but they couldn't beat me. I won anyway. Changzong would definitely praise me if he knew."
While they were eating, Chu Chengwu, who had originally agreed to meet outside the bidding venue, came to Hongguo's house early.
Hongguo had just eaten half a bowl of rice. She had to fight in the afternoon, so she still had half a bowl of rice in her bowl. She needed to eat more to have strength.
Not knowing what had happened, he seemed restless. Jiang Hongguo asked, "Didn't we agree to meet at the bidding site?"
Chu Chengwu was so excited that he couldn't wait any longer. He rubbed his hands and said, "I'm nervous. Those coal bosses look down on me. If I wait there, I'm afraid they will say something sarcastic. After thinking about it, I think we should go together."
Hongguo is not afraid of what others say about hiring Zhang Yaoqin's people, but Chu Chengwu himself has a psychological burden, so let him digest it slowly over time.
Hong Guo pointed at the dining table and asked, "Have you eaten yet? Do you want to eat more?"
Chu Chengwu was quite touched, but he knew his limits and shook his head: "I ate it."
Hongguo poured him a cup of tea, and after they had a rest, Lao Zheng drove them to the bidding site and then went to the mine.
Everyone came early. At the bidding venue, every bidder greeted each other solemnly and then sat down in their respective seats. Hongguo's side had the least people, just her and Chu Chengwu.
She saw Chen Qingzhi and wondered what she was doing here?
In short, Jiang Hongguo doesn't like her very much. If they don't have much contact, she will feel embarrassed to come to her house. She should try to reduce the number of times she sees Gu Changzong in the future.
The bidding began. According to what had been agreed upon previously, Jiang Hongguo would bid at the appropriate time and stop when the price was about the same.
The bidding for the first two mining plots went smoothly. When it came to the third plot, which belonged to Hong Guo, she helped others to bid for it. Those coal bosses also had to send people to help her bid this time.
Hongguo was very nervous. She knew that those coal bosses had no credibility at all and she hoped that they would be trustworthy this time.
After several rounds of bidding, the price had reached the agreed psychological level. Jiang Hongguo should have won it, but the fat boss who participated in the bidding was still raising the price.
Are you planning to break the contract? You bastard, the filming hasn't even finished yet. If you don't let Jiang Hongguo take the photo, then she will raise the price arbitrarily. No one will have a good life.
Jiang Hongguo gritted his teeth and glared at the fat boss holding the sign fiercely without hiding his anger.
How could the fat boss not know that Jiang Hongguo would hate him to death? He didn't dare to look, and gritted his teeth and continued to fight in the ring.
When Chu Chengwu saw this, he knew that Jiang Hongguo had been fooled and had changed her mind on the spot. He was afraid that he would not be able to film it today.
At this point, Chu Chengwu could only advise: "Boss Jiang, now is not the time to be angry. Do you want to admit your loss or let them bleed more for the two plots behind?"
Jiang Hongguo sneered: "Help me keep an eye on it. Raise the price as high as we can afford. I can't bear the anger of these treacherous villains in vain."
Chu Chengwu originally thought that by helping Jiang Hongguo acquire a piece of land, he would have a chance to show his abilities. If Boss Jiang couldn't get it, he would still be out of work. So he was determined to help Jiang Hongguo vent his anger and became more competitive.
…
The fat boss suddenly bid for the third plot of land, catching Wen Yongshan off guard. He did not discuss such a big thing in advance, so something must have happened in such a short period of time from noon to afternoon.
Wen Yongshan wanted to go over and find out if he could stop it.
He suddenly broke his promise to a woman he had made a promise to. His character was really bad. He couldn't control others, but he was present during the negotiations in the morning, so he did go too far.
Wen Yongshan was about to stand up when he was stopped by Chen Qingzhi who accompanied him.
Chen Qingzhi met her husband's cold eyes and quickly let go, explaining: "Boss Qiao is the one who goes back on his word. Don't offend the relationship that we have worked so hard to maintain for that ridiculous agreement."
Wen Yongshan's eyes became even colder. He pushed Chen Qingzhi's hand away and told her, "My principle is to keep my word. How can a person survive without credibility? You have your principles, I have mine. There is no need to interfere with each other."
Chen Qingzhi was at a loss, she was just thinking about him, why would he say something like that to make her sad?
Is reputation more important than love? Chen Qingzhi felt that he could not stay any longer, so he ran out of the bidding field without caring about anything else.
Wen Yongshan sat next to the fat boss. The auction for the third piece of land ended. The price was much higher than expected and the fat boss won the bid.
There was a short break between the bidding for the fourth plot of land, and Wen Yongshan asked in a low voice: "What's wrong with you? You suddenly betrayed your promise and went back on your word. Are you being threatened?"
The fat boss was speechless: "You guessed right."
Wen Yongshan asked, "Who is that? Why didn't you discuss it with us?"
The fat boss laughed dryly and said, "You will know soon. There is only one bid left. I have made a huge loss this time. You have to do it. I can't hold on. I have tried my best, but I also have to be on guard against Gu Changzong coming back for revenge. My head hurts."
He knew that Gu Changzong would retaliate, but he still did it. It seems that the benefits promised by the other party were enough to make the fat boss tempted and break his promise.
Wen Yongshan said: "I will not break the contract with you. I will give up in the next round. It has nothing to do with me who wants to compete."
The fat boss wanted to try to persuade them, but suddenly he saw his family member looking out the door in a panic.
Not only their own family members, but also the families of several coal bosses who came today, sent people and crowded at the door, anxiously.
Something was not right. The fat boss Wen Yongshan was looking at the scene. He ran out to ask questions. The family members talked at once, but after a few words, the fat boss's face changed drastically.
The bidding for the fourth plot of land was about to begin. Jiang Hongguo noticed something unusual. Why were they running out one after another? The faces of those who came back were not right either. What was going on?
Jiang Hongguo took out a few dozen yuan and asked Chu Chengwu to find someone to find out what was going on. "Go and see what was going on. Are they discussing how to deal with us?"
Chu Chengwu was equally worried, so he ran to a crowded place, gave money to find out the situation, and returned before the auction.
He looked worried when he left just now, but now he is full of joy.
Chu Chengwu lowered his voice and said, "Something happened to the families of those coal bosses, and they have agreed not to raise the bid price for this piece of land. They want you to bid for it. Boss Jiang, we still have a chance to get a piece of land, but this piece is not as good as the previous ones. Do you want to take it?"
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