Chapter 62

Yang Jie’s bedroom already had a computer, and now he could contact Jimmy via email. Some things no longer required waiting; they could be quickly transmitted to Europe. Therefore, Yang Jie took the initiative to have Liu Daxing contact the Luosang County authorities first, to prepare the groundwork.

Xiao Yisong and Wang Guirong’s trip was ostensibly to learn from Wuhe County’s experience in attracting investment, but in reality, they wanted to introduce foreign investment to Luosang County and promote the sale of its traditional Chinese medicine. They had not held out much hope, but thanks to Yang Jie’s facilitation, they were able to quickly arrange a meeting with Liu Daxing, the chairman of Xingwang Pharmaceutical. This outcome already greatly satisfied Xiao Yisong and his team.

Whether they could reach an agreement would require both parties to sit down and discuss it, not something that could be decided in a few words. As Yang Jie had said, signing a letter of intent with Xingwang Pharmaceutical before they left Wuhe County would indeed be the best result of their trip.

Two Jetta cars drove into Jufu Mountain Resort one after the other. Yang Jie, who knew the place well, led Liu Daxing and Xiao Yisong’s group to the boss’s office to get fishing rods and bait, then took them to the fish pond in the backyard. They found an unoccupied pond and sat down on chairs.

Xiao Lai and Xiao Yisong’s driver, Xiao Chen, each held a bucket, standing outside the sunshade, ready to catch the fish the group would reel in.

Liu Daxing was a fishing enthusiast who often took Yang Jie to catch wild fish, sometimes staying out all night. He was very experienced, and his actions of baiting the hook and casting the line were smooth and seamless, earning great praise from Xiao Yisong and Wang Guirong.

"In fact, doing business is like fishing. You can’t be hasty, as it will scare the fish away. You also can’t be too slow, or the fish will eat all the bait. Therefore, you need to grasp the best moment to reel in the line. Only then can you catch the fish!" As Liu Daxing spoke, he reeled in a carp weighing over a pound.

Seeing this, Xiao Lai quickly netted the struggling fish, smiling as he removed the hook from its mouth and threw it into the bucket at his feet.

"Chairman Liu’s fishing skills are truly superb! To derive life’s philosophy from simple living and integrate it into business is truly unique and admirable. No wonder Chairman Liu’s business is growing bigger and bigger!" Xiao Yisong was good at speaking, flattering Liu Daxing by appealing to his interests, which made Liu Daxing very pleased.

"County Chief Xiao is too kind. Doing business is like rowing against the current; if you don’t advance, you retreat. For so many years, I have never dared to be complacent!" Liu Daxing smiled, baited the hook, and cast the line again.

"Chairman Liu is right. This applies not only to business but also to life. From your words, I can tell that you are a successful businessman who has traveled far and wide. Have you ever been to Luosang County?" Xiao Yisong subtly shifted the topic to Luosang County. Listening to their conversation, Yang Jie felt he had indeed learned a lot.

Hearing Xiao Yisong’s question, Liu Daxing smiled and said, "I have been to all five counties and two districts of Changyang City. Luosang County is located in the northwest of Changyang City, with mostly mountains and few plains, an average altitude of over 1,000 meters, and very inconvenient transportation, leading to lagging economic development."

"Chairman Liu is right. Due to its natural environment, Luosang County has lagged behind the other four counties of Changyang City for many years. With few mineral resources and underdeveloped transportation, it lacks economically viable specialties, making it difficult to find a suitable development path."

"Since Chairman Liu has been to Luosang County, you must have heard of Luoshan medicinal wine. It is made by soaking yams from the deep mountains of Luosang County in mountain spring water to brew white wine, and it is famous throughout the Changyang region." As the deputy county chief responsible for economic and industrial work, Xiao Yisong had a deep understanding of Luosang County’s economic situation.

"Luoshan medicinal wine is indeed good, but due to the difficulty of brewing and transportation, and the lack of large-scale enterprises willing to invest in its production, it has been difficult to form a production scale. It is mainly produced by some villages in the townships, which has limited its development." Luoshan medicinal wine is the most famous product of Luosang County, and anyone who has been there knows this, so Liu Daxing’s assessment was very accurate.

"Chairman Liu is right. Due to various reasons, Luoshan medicinal wine has been difficult to develop. However, the various precious yams and large quantities of common Chinese herbs in Luosang County are the key to its fame in the Changyang region."

"Chairman Liu is partnering with Italian businessmen to establish a pharmaceutical factory in Wuhe County with assets exceeding 100 million. I wonder if there is any possibility of cooperation between Xingwang Pharmaceutical and our Luosang County?" Xiao Yisong used Luoshan medicinal wine as a lead-in to shift the topic to herbs.

Liu Daxing had been in business for many years. After taking over the Fuxin Tungsten Mine guesthouse, he had not only met many leaders at the department level but also many officials at the provincial level who inspected the mine. Therefore, he did not take Xiao Yisong, a deputy county chief, seriously.

He glanced at Xiao Yisong indifferently and silently reeled in another large fish. "County Chief Xiao, once the pharmaceutical factory is built and in operation, it will definitely need to purchase a large amount of herbs. Luosang County is rich in Chinese herbs and is close to Wuhe County, so there is certainly a possibility of cooperation between us."

"However, the people of Luosang County are known for their fierce and unruly nature. It’s easy to talk about cooperation, but if they fail to fulfill their supply responsibilities or frequently demand price increases, disrupting the normal operation of the factory, that would be a problem. You know, Xingwang Pharmaceutical has foreign capital, and any trouble would not be a small matter!"

Seeing that Liu Daxing did not outright refuse, Xiao Yisong felt greatly relieved. He looked at Liu Daxing and smiled. "Chairman Liu is right. Due to poverty, the people of Luosang County are fierce and unruly. However, if a company can truly improve the lives of the people of Luosang County, increase their income, and change their impoverished and backward situation, I believe the entire county will cherish this rare opportunity and sincerely support Xingwang Pharmaceutical. Even if someone tries to make things difficult for Xingwang Pharmaceutical, the people of Luosang County will not allow it!"

Liu Daxing knew the significant impact of poverty on a region. If there was an opportunity to provide a stable source of income for the poor people of Luosang County, not only would the county support it, but the people themselves would also spontaneously protect Xingwang Pharmaceutical’s interests in Luosang County.

Of course, as the scale of herb cultivation in Luosang County expands, other pharmaceutical companies would also target this lucrative market and come to Luosang County to share in the profits. However, Liu Daxing believed that by then, Xingwang Pharmaceutical’s influence in Luosang County would be unmatched by other companies.

"County Chief Xiao, I understand Luosang County’s eagerness to attract businesses. I’m not afraid to tell you that both Wuyang Pharmaceutical and Xingwang Pharmaceutical will need a large amount of herbs in the future. Even if the entire county of Luosang County grows herbs for us, it might not be enough to meet our needs."

"Therefore, the quality and price of the herbs, as well as the production volume and transportation costs, are the hard standards we use to decide where to purchase. Luosang County is close to Wuhe County, giving it a significant advantage in transportation. However, whether the quality, price, and production volume of the herbs can meet our requirements will need to be determined after a site inspection."

"Currently, our discussion of cooperation is just a preliminary communication to see if there is a possibility. I can clearly tell you that there is a possibility of cooperation, but we need to wait for the foreign representatives to arrive before we can conduct a detailed inspection and discussion in your county."

"Moreover, many matters in Luosang County are not within your authority to decide. You need to report back and seek approval before giving me a response. Therefore, let’s give each other some time to think and prepare. After you return, please come up with a sincere cooperation plan. I believe that as long as both parties are sincere, cooperation is not a problem!" Liu Daxing’s words were reasonable. Xiao Yisong was just a deputy county chief, not even a member of the Standing Committee, so discussing many things with him was pointless.

Moreover, Luosang County’s trip was just to explore the possibility of cooperation. Now that Liu Daxing had clearly indicated that cooperation was possible but required sufficient sincerity and a feasible cooperation plan, Xiao Yisong needed to return to Luosang County, report, and seek approval. Only after the County Party Committee Standing Committee made a decision could they have a specific discussion with Liu Daxing.

Unconsciously, Liu Daxing, a small mine owner on leave from the Fuxin Tungsten Mine, had become an entrepreneur who could speak on equal terms with a county. Sitting to the side, Yang Jie watched Liu Daxing’s adept handling of the conversation, completely controlling the initiative and guiding Xiao Yisong according to his rhythm. This ability was something Yang Jie recognized he did not yet possess.