Chapter 63

The entire meeting room fell silent, and everyone looked at Zhou Ming as if he were an alien. Zhou Ming’s words had the effect of a spell, turning them to stone on the spot.

For them, even a child who knew nothing could understand what Chen Yunfei’s invitation, made in his dual roles as the Deputy Governor of Lingnan and the Mayor of Nanjiang, meant. In essence, as long as Zhou Ming nodded now, he would not have to do anything in Nanjiang in the future; he could just lie down and make money. Although Chen Yunfei had not yet brought any official documents, his word was far more powerful than any document.

But Zhou Ming still refused. Given the political sensitivity he had just displayed, he could not have failed to notice the implications. Knowing what this meant, he still rejected Chen Yunfei’s invitation. Wasn’t he overacting a bit? After all, reality is not a novel; some things can be handled with flexibility, but others cannot. Chen Yunfei was not Liu Bei, and Zhou Ming was not Zhuge Liang. There would be no "three visits to the thatched cottage" for him. If he missed this opportunity, he would miss it forever.

Everyone looked at Zhou Ming, their hearts racing. If it were them, they would have nodded without hesitation. But Zhou Ming just calmly looked at Chen Yunfei, showing no sign of changing his mind.

Chen Yunfei smiled slightly and said, "It seems you have your own thoughts."

Zhou Ming scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Mayor Chen, I’m not as good as you think. My understanding of the economy is not as profound as some experts’."

Pausing for a moment, Zhou Ming continued, "Mayor Chen, to put it bluntly, all the business I’ve done so far has been speculative. Thirty years ago, I would have been executed for it. So I can only judge the situation and take a gamble. Many things have just been lucky guesses. I don’t have the ability to be an advisor or guide development. Besides, I plan to return home in the near future. My family is in Linyang, so if I were to serve as Nanjiang’s development advisor and not contribute anything, I would feel guilty, and it wouldn’t be good for Mayor Chen either."

Although Zhou Ming spoke at length, in summary, he was saying, "I want to go home, so I won’t stay." This left everyone stunned again. They felt their brains were not functioning properly today; otherwise, how could they not follow Zhou Ming’s logic?

Not just Du Peng and He Yujin, even Chen Yunfei found Zhou Ming hard to understand. After a long silence, he said, "So it seems you think Linyang has better prospects than Nanjiang?"

"No, it’s because my family is there," Zhou Ming replied.

This answer made Du Peng and He Yujin feel like they were going crazy. They thought Zhou Ming was either insane or a genius. How could he give up such a great opportunity just to go home? Zhou Ming didn’t seem like someone who was overly dependent on his family!

Even Chen Yunfei, for the first time, looked stunned. Fortunately, He Yujin and the Public Security Bureau Chief were also in a state of confusion, or they would have been shocked speechless. Chen Yunfei, a high-ranking official, was known for his composure. While he might not completely control his emotions, he could certainly keep them from showing. The fact that he now had an expression indicated that he had been greatly affected. Zhou Ming’s words must have been truly unexpected.

After a while, Chen Yunfei awkwardly said, "It seems you want to contribute to your hometown’s development. That’s a good attitude for a young person. I have high hopes for you, but if you want better opportunities, Nanjiang will always welcome you."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Zhou Ming, Chen Yunfei hurriedly left. Clearly, even someone like Chen Yunfei felt he couldn’t follow Zhou Ming’s logic. Continuing the conversation might have given him a heart attack.

After Chen Yunfei and the two bureau chiefs left, Du Peng immediately pounced on Zhou Ming, pressing him against the table and angrily demanding, "Zhou Ming, what are you thinking? Why didn’t you accept Mayor Chen’s offer to be a development advisor? Is the position too low for you? I never thought you were so high-minded!"

Zhou Ming, who was not one to be pushed around, immediately flipped over and pinned Du Peng down, saying helplessly, "Do you think I want to be high-minded? The key is that the domestic situation is not yet stable. Who knows if this development advisor role will bring me trouble? I just want to earn my money quietly and stay out of political affairs."

Zhou Ming was not speaking off the cuff. With his memories from his past life, he knew that few of those who served as Nanjiang’s development advisors had good outcomes.

Du Peng was stunned. As a red offspring, he understood more than Zhou Ming. He asked, "Do you mean the central government will reverse its policies?"

Zhou Ming shook his head and said, "Reform and opening up is a major trend, and no one can stop it. Our country and nation cannot afford to fall behind the world again. However, history tells us that the forces of conservatism are always more powerful than we imagine. If something goes wrong, you officials can just walk away, but we ordinary people will suffer. So I’d rather stay out of it and earn my money honestly."

"Great wisdom, that’s great wisdom!" Du Peng said admiringly.

"It’s not great wisdom; I’m just a coward who wants to be a good citizen," Zhou Ming said, releasing Du Peng. "By the way, now that this land has been sold, you need to help me with the matters in Linyang."

"What? Is the factory in your hometown starting to reform?" Du Peng asked.

Zhou Ming nodded and said, "Yes, I called home yesterday, and they said the county is already holding meetings to discuss it."

"Are you really planning to return to Linyang and give up on Nanjiang?" Du Peng asked, still not giving up.

"How could I?" Zhou Ming said. "You’re still here, Du Shao, and our company is still registered. We made seven million from this auction. I’ll leave two million here, and you need to make something of the five million plus. If you don’t, you’re done for."

Du Peng pouted and said, "You make it sound so easy, as if everyone is as talented as you."

"Should I learn from Zhuge Liang and leave you a secret plan or something?" Zhou Ming asked, deliberately provoking Du Peng.

Du Peng said irritably, "Don’t get too cocky just because I praised you. Tell me, what’s your brilliant plan?"

"It’s not really a brilliant plan, just my thoughts after reading the recent newspapers and understanding the policy trends," Zhou Ming said. "Nanjing recently established the Nanjiang Development Bank and issued shares to the public, right?"

"Seems so," Du Peng said, suddenly realizing something. He looked at Zhou Ming and asked, "You want to buy these shares?"

Zhou Ming nodded and said, "Yes, I want to buy as many as possible. This is a financial pilot project in the mainland, while finance has already become a highly developed industry abroad, controlling the economic lifelines. For our country to catch up with the world, developing finance is inevitable. So it’s hard for this first publicly issued stock to not rise."

After hearing Zhou Ming’s explanation, Du Peng clenched his teeth and said, "Alright, I’ll find connections and buy as many as possible!"

Zhou Ming patted Du Peng’s shoulder approvingly and said, "Good, you’re a quick learner! Now, go and do it. I’m waiting for your news before I return to Linyang."

"Don’t worry, I’ll contact Governor Xiong right away. I’ll take care of your matter!" Du Peng said and walked out the door.

After Du Peng left, Zhou Ming turned around and noticed that Tang Ran, who had been sitting there, looked somewhat down. He asked, "Ran Ran, what’s wrong?"

"Brother Ming, are you going back to Linyang?" Tang Ran asked timidly.

"Of course, my family is there, and my parents are waiting for me. I can’t not go back," Zhou Ming said.

"Can I go back with you, Brother Ming?" Tang Ran asked.

Zhou Ming was taken aback. "Why would you come with me? You’re doing well in Nanjiang, and you just got a permanent position, which is hard to come by. You should stay and work hard here."

"But I’m your girlfriend, and I want to be with you," Tang Ran said.

Zhou Ming thought for a moment and said, "Ran Ran, haven’t you heard a song? Seeing you every day creates distance, which means that sometimes distance creates beauty. It’s better for you to stay in Nanjiang. Besides, I’m not going to Linyang and never coming back. I’ve invested a lot of money with Du Peng. If I don’t come back, what if he takes all the money? What do you think?"

Zhou Ming had meant to change the subject, but Tang Ran thought about it seriously and said, "You’re right. Du Peng is unreliable. Even if he doesn’t take the money, if his business fails, that’s your money."

"Exactly! You need to help me keep an eye on my money and report to me regularly," Zhou Ming said.

"That’s right! That’s my good Ran Ran!" Zhou Ming praised her.

If Du Peng were still there, he would have been speechless. He was a third-generation elite from a powerful family, a pioneer in economic activities, and a person with a strong economic mind. How did he end up being portrayed so poorly by this couple? Was there no room for him to live?