Chapter 91

(Bowing in gratitude to "Yuelanxing" for their support! Thank you to "Yuelanxing" and "Biepengdie" for your monthly ticket support!)

Chen Yunfei was truly taken aback. He was prepared for Zhou Ming to ask for any kind of favor at this moment, after all, from the situation just now, this young man seemed to be very bold and confident. But even after spending half his life in the political arena from the central government to Nanjiang, Chen Yunfei never expected Zhou Ming to say so directly that he had not yet thought it through.

You didn't even think about it before you started talking so enthusiastically? Are you playing with me?

With this thought, Chen Yunfei's face immediately turned gloomy. Seeing Chen Yunfei's expression, Du Peng became anxious and said, "Zhou Ming, what are you doing? Don't talk nonsense in front of Uncle Chen!"

Compared to Du Peng's urgency, Zhou Ming was very calm and said, "Mayor Chen, I am not joking with you. On the contrary, I am very serious. Think about it, if I had directly stated my benefits now, wouldn't that imply that I was well-prepared, or even more harshly, that I had orchestrated this land speculation myself? But unfortunately, that's not the case."

Chen Yunfei's expression improved slightly. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, no need to explain. I'm not as petty as you think."

Chen Yunfei paused for a moment, then continued, "Since you haven't thought of anything yet, don't worry about it. As the mayor of Nanjiang, I can give you a promise within the bounds of party discipline and law. Is that acceptable?"

Zhou Ming thanked Chen Yunfei, but Du Peng was stunned. He knew Chen Yunfei better than Zhou Ming did. He was very clear that Chen Yunfei, under his grandfather's guidance, was a very meticulous person. How could he so easily make such a promise? If Du Peng hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it.

"Don't be in a hurry to thank me. If you can't give a reasonable explanation, you'll be in trouble," Chen Yunfei said to Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming smiled slightly, "If I didn't have the confidence, I wouldn't have taken on this task. Actually, controlling land speculation is quite simple, but before that, I want to ask Mayor Chen a question. How is the income level in our Nanjiang City? Or, how many wealthy companies are there in Nanjiang, or even in the entire Lingnan Province, companies that can come up with a large amount of cash?"

Chen Yunfei and Du Peng looked at Zhou Ming in surprise. They didn't understand his line of thinking. Wasn't he just talking about controlling land speculation? Why did he suddenly bring up companies? Could it be that he was going to suggest the government directly talk to company executives? But wouldn't that be government intervention in the economy, which is not allowed? If not, what was the point of his question?

Zhou Ming, of course, could guess their thoughts. He said, "I think I already know the answer. It seems that such companies are not just few, but very few."

"Of course, they are very few. After all, we have just started the reform and opening up. Even as an economic special zone, Nanjiang has only been supported by the whole country for a few years. Real development has only been in the past few years. How could there be many wealthy companies? Even fewer companies can come up with tens of millions to buy land," Du Peng couldn't help but say to Zhou Ming.

"That's exactly the crux of the problem," Zhou Ming said.

Chen Yunfei and Du Peng were stunned for a moment, then fell into deep thought. Zhou Ming continued, "Since there are not many wealthy companies in Nanjiang or even in the entire Lingnan Province, how did the land speculation start? It can't be just a few wealthy companies, right? If it's not just a few large companies, where did the other companies get their money?"

This made Chen Yunfei and Du Peng's eyes light up, and they said in unison, "The banks."

"Exactly!" Zhou Ming said, "Many people saw that the land in Nanjiang would rise in value and that land speculation could make them rich, but many were short of money. Therefore, to catch the land speculation train, most people had no choice but to take out loans from the banks. This wouldn't be a problem in itself, but the key is that land speculation is a bubble economy. Once the bubble bursts, the banks will be left with a pile of bad debts. If the government strengthens the supervision of bank accounts, it wouldn't be considered economic intervention, and it could effectively curb land speculation."

Chen Yunfei and Du Peng were enlightened. Chen Yunfei slapped his thigh and said, "Yes! Why didn't I think of that? I was wondering why so many real estate companies suddenly appeared. It turns out they were all registered temporarily, and their money came from bank loans!"

Chen Yunfei then sighed and said to Zhou Ming, "You're right. Whether it's us government officials or those experts and scholars, our thinking has been fixed by the planned economy. We couldn't even think of this basic direction."

Du Peng was very excited and said, "Zhou Ming, you're amazing! I never thought that a problem that stumped so many people and kept Uncle Chen awake for days could be so simple for you. You're not human!"

Zhou Ming shrugged and said, "I guess it's just a difference in thinking. After all, Mayor Chen and those experts and scholars are looking at things from a macro perspective, from the top down. But I'm different. I'm a businessman, and I think about how to make money. I could figure it out so quickly because if I were in their shoes, I would do the same."

"Yes! Our government officials lack this ability to think from another perspective," Chen Yunfei said, shaking his head. As the mayor of Nanjiang appointed by the central government, he could be moved but wouldn't be overly emotional. He then asked Zhou Ming, "So, according to your idea, as long as we tighten the banks' lending, cut off the funding for those companies, and once their capital chain breaks, the land speculation will naturally stop, right?"

Zhou Ming nodded, "Yes, no matter how profitable land speculation is, if you don't have the capital, you can't do it."

"You're right. I'll go and communicate with the banking system tomorrow, or rather, today. I believe the comrades there will support our work," Chen Yunfei said.

"However, Mayor Chen, there's one point. Bad debts can only be discovered after the fact. The economic bubble is just starting, and the frenzy of making money can make people lose their basic judgment. Simply relying on the higher-level banking system to regulate might not be effective," Zhou Ming said, concerned.

In fact, there was another point Zhou Ming didn't mention: the banks and the government are two different systems. Although the banks always respect local leaders, it's just a formality. After all, they need the government's help in many areas, so they give face. But when it comes to real interests, if you can't move them, they might not listen to you.

Chen Yunfei thought for a moment and asked, "You're right. What do you think should be done?"

"I think a two-pronged approach is best. On one hand, Mayor Chen, you should try to strengthen the supervision of bad debts by the banks and introduce some corresponding policies. On the other hand, I would like you to arrange a meeting with the local banking system. I'll explain the current situation to them. I believe it will help a lot," Zhou Ming said.

Chen Yunfei was surprised and asked, "You think they will listen to you if you give them a talk?"

Zhou Ming shrugged, "Mayor Chen, I can't guarantee it, but I have a 99% confidence."

If anyone else had said this to Chen Yunfei, he would have thought they were boasting, but with Zhou Ming, Chen Yunfei believed he was genuinely confident.

"Alright," Chen Yunfei nodded, "It will take about two days to communicate with the provincial bank, and one day for the administrative order to be issued. So, let's schedule your meeting with the local banks in three days. Is that okay?"

"No problem," Zhou Ming said confidently.

Chen Yunfei pondered for a moment and then said to Zhou Ming, "But it wouldn't be appropriate for you to suddenly give a talk to the bank officials. I'll arrange a special advisor position for you in Nanjiang's development."

Zhou Ming scratched his head and said, "Thank you, Mayor Chen."

Chen Yunfei raised an eyebrow, "Why are you not happy about getting an official title?"

"Mayor Chen, you're right. I really don't want to be a development advisor," Zhou Ming replied.

Chen Yunfei asked, puzzled, "Why? Others would do anything to get a position in the government."

"They are them, and I am me," Zhou Ming said, "I just want to be a quiet businessman and make money. I don't want to get involved in any politics."

"Is that so?" Chen Yunfei laughed, "But you should understand that any business activity ultimately cannot be separated from politics, both in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad."

Zhou Ming nodded, "I understand, but I don't want to get too deeply involved. I don't want to become a political pawn. After all, no matter how much money I make or how high my status is in society, I can't stand up to the state machinery. If I'm innocent but get caught up in a political storm, wouldn't that be too unjust?"

Chen Yunfei sat up straight, looking at Zhou Ming in surprise. If Zhou Ming's earlier performance could only be attributed to his talent in economics, then his words now showed his true sharp insight.

Perhaps Zhou Ming's words didn't seem extraordinary, and many people could think of them, but the key is, in the face of the temptation of power, how many people can still refuse and maintain their integrity?

Probably only Zhou Ming!

It's easy to imagine that if nothing goes wrong, Zhou Ming's name will surely resonate across the country and even the world in the near future!

Thinking of this, Chen Yunfei said to Zhou Ming, "Since that's the case, I can assure you that the special advisor position is only for Nanjiang's economic development and does not involve any political activities."

"Thank you, Mayor Chen," Zhou Ming said.

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