Chapter 88

Chapter 36: Arrogant

After seeing Ma Huateng off, Lin Feng was extremely regretful. Billions of dollars worth of stocks were right in front of him, but he didn't have the ability to take them, which was undoubtedly the most painful thing in the world. Lin Feng had thought about taking a loan from the bank, but domestic banks were extremely strict about loans to internet companies, or rather, they didn't trust the future of internet companies at all. Without the foresight and courage of a venture capital fund, no one would dare to invest a large sum of money in an internet company that was still in its infancy.

Moreover, Lin Feng didn't have suitable assets to use as collateral, and he didn't know the leading figures in the banking industry of Chu City. Based on the relationships he had built, borrowing a few million was no problem, but borrowing 50 million yuan at once and quickly was beyond his capabilities.

Just as Lin Feng was deeply regretful, he received a call from Meng Dong.

"Hey, Lin, I'm hosting a dinner tonight to introduce you to a few important people. I hope you can grace us with your presence!" Meng Dong's voice came through, with a hint of excitement and a touch of fear.

Lin Feng was taken aback but immediately agreed. Although he wasn't particularly successful or influential, he understood that in China's specific environment, there were no pure businessmen. Without a powerful backer, even if you were very wealthy, you were just a roasted suckling pig in the eyes of certain people, the only difference being when you would be served and devoured.

After dressing up a bit, Lin Feng went happily. However, this meal turned out to be far from as pleasant as he had imagined.

The agreed location was Chu City Hotel, a government-affiliated restaurant where officials of all sizes in Chu City dined. Although it was no longer considered top-notch in terms of class and decoration, its government background made it a place many businessmen aspired to. After all, ordinary people had no right to dine there. Being able to eat there represented status and position.

Lin Feng took a taxi, and looking at the various high-end cars parked in front of the hotel, he had the idea of buying a car. He couldn't always go to meetings in a taxi, which was not only inconvenient but also made him look less impressive to other companies.

In a certain sense, the quality of a company's car determined its economic strength. The license plate of a car also indicated the owner's potential power and government connections.

The agreed private room was Qingfeng Pavilion. When Lin Feng entered Qingfeng Pavilion, only Meng Dong was inside.

"Ha, Mr. Lin, you finally made it," Meng Dong said, visibly relieved.

"Hehe, Meng, what are you talking about? With our relationship, if you say a word, I'll come right away," Lin Feng smiled, looked around, and asked, "Meng, where are the important people you mentioned?"

"Hehe, don't be anxious, they'll be here soon," Meng Dong pulled Lin Feng to sit down and started making small talk.

Unexpectedly, they waited for over an hour. Although Lin Feng was impatient, he didn't leave. Anyone who could put on such a grand show must be someone important. Seeing Meng Dong's calm demeanor, Lin Feng suppressed his irritation, sipped some chrysanthemum tea to cool down, and continued waiting.

Seeing Lin Feng's patience, Meng Dong smiled and nodded, his frown easing.

It wasn't until dusk that the door to the private room was pushed open.

Mayor Yu Haowei led a man in his thirties into the room, showing great respect. Lin Feng and Meng Dong quickly stood up.

"Director Geng, this is Meng Dong, the director of Chu City TV, and this is Mr. Lin Feng, the person you want to meet. Mr. Meng, Mr. Lin, this is Director Geng from Beijing," Mayor Yu introduced in a Chu City accent.

"Director Geng, hello," Meng Dong extended his hand warmly, not daring to be disrespectful to someone from Beijing, no matter how small their position.

Director Geng casually shook Meng Dong's hand and then gave Lin Feng a deep look.

"Mr. Lin, to have achieved so much at such a young age is truly admirable!" Director Geng's tone was ambiguous, neither clearly praising nor clearly criticizing.

Although Lin Feng was slightly annoyed, he forced a bright smile and warmly extended his hand to shake Director Geng's.

Director Geng lightly nodded again, signaling everyone to sit down.

"Mr. Lin, I won't beat around the bush. I'll get straight to the point," Director Geng said bluntly after everyone sat down. However, his tone and demeanor were truly annoying to Lin Feng.

He had an air of superiority, and in a place like a bar, he would have been beaten up long ago.

"Mr. Lin's Qidian Fast Food has gained a lot of fame recently, and the country is pleased to see entrepreneurs like you. However, in the current environment of pursuing stability and harmony, we hope Mr. Lin will not continue to clash with McDonald's and KFC, which could undermine national unity and social stability," Director Geng said.

"Director Geng, I..." Lin Feng wanted to defend himself, but Meng Dong held him back.

Director Geng frowned, glanced at Lin Feng, and continued, "In short, regarding the 'oil gate' incident, I hope Mr. Lin will not cause any more trouble. Otherwise, it will not be beneficial for anyone. Of course, the country will also provide some support to a conscientious entrepreneur like Mr. Lin. We will offer tax incentives to Qidian Fast Food's branches across the country, and the tax quota will be moderately reduced."

Although Director Geng's attitude and tone were annoying, the moderate reduction in the tax quota made Lin Feng happy. A lower quota meant a lower estimated revenue for each Qidian Fast Food branch, which was a significant benefit for each branch.

"Alright, I've said my piece. I hope Mr. Lin will not disappoint the country's expectations. Mayor Yu, I have other matters to attend to and need to inspect other provinces, so I'll take my leave," Director Geng said, then left without saying goodbye to Lin Feng or Meng Dong, escorted by Mayor Yu.

"Damn! He's too arrogant," Lin Feng thought, though he had gained a significant benefit, he was still annoyed by Director Geng's attitude.

"Hehe, Mr. Lin, that's how people from Beijing are. You'll get used to it," Meng Dong said, already accustomed to it. This wasn't because they were arrogant, but because people like them were simply not in their league.

Don't think that just because you're a TV station director and Lin Feng is a well-known entrepreneur, you are anything more than a commoner in their eyes. You might have some influence in a city like this, but in Beijing, you are nothing.

Although Lin Feng understood this, being looked at like an ant still made him uncomfortable. Fortunately, the benefit he gained this time slightly eased his irritation.

Soon, Mayor Yu returned.

Mayor Yu had asked Meng Dong to invite Lin Feng to dinner today, fearing that Lin Feng might lose his temper during the meal. These officials from Beijing looked down on local officials, and even provincial officials were not in their eyes.

Beijing officials, Beijing officials, they are always one level higher.

Fortunately, although young, Lin Feng was patient, which Mayor Yu greatly appreciated. Being an official is like being a person, and the same goes for business. You must be a good person to be a good businessman.

However, Mayor Yu still explained the cause and effect to Lin Feng, fearing that he would harbor resentment and eventually cause trouble.

It turned out that the country was applying for the 2008 Olympics and joining the World Trade Organization. At this critical moment, the "oil gate" incident erupted, involving two global 500 companies, McDonald's and KFC, both of which had significant influence worldwide. At this critical moment, the country could not afford any mistakes.

Therefore, the country hoped to minimize the impact of this incident. However, Lin Feng kept stirring up trouble, causing the incident to continue to escalate. Out of necessity, the country sent officials to guide Lin Feng.

However, after giving Lin Feng a hard time, they also offered him a sweet deal. This was because the country highly regarded Qidian Fast Food and hoped that it would establish a strong presence in the domestic market, even surpassing McDonald's and KFC.

In short, Lin Feng's situation was like the old saying: "A blessing in disguise."

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