Behind the scenes

Chapter 29

31
The negotiations in Shenzhen were not going well, and Li Zimin was in a bad mood.If you want to go back, Mr. Green disagrees, and says to continue talking.But to continue talking, Green said they were working on a plan.I waited for a full day, but there was no news.In the evening, Bai Zhi said: "Mayor Li, I don't think we will talk today, let's walk around the street!"

Li Zimin nodded, "you young people go, I want to rest early by myself."

Bai Zhi said: "It's not interesting for me to go out alone. Besides, I don't know Shenzhen well!"

Li Zimin said: "Both Zheng Gang and Director Zhu, let Director Zhu drive to lead the way, take a good look at the night scene of Shenzhen, and buy some things along the way. If there is no news tomorrow, we will buy a plane ticket and go back."

Zheng Gang said: "Mayor Li, you didn't buy anything for my sister-in-law once you came out? Quickly call and ask."

Letting Zheng Gang say this, Li Zimin really picked up the phone and called home, but the phone rang and no one answered, even if it was her night shift today, Hu Min was not happy before going out, he had already seen it.He put down the phone and said, "There is no answer at home. I have nothing to buy. I have been a cadre all my life, but I don't know how to buy things. I bought them a few times and people are not happy. They always complain. Instead of buying things Angry, it’s not good, just don’t buy anything. You go, I will watch TV and rest early.”

"Okay then, I'll go out with the two of them, mayor, you should go to bed early!" Director Zhu said as he led Bai Zhi and Zheng Gang away.

Just watched the news broadcast, the phone rang, Li Zimin answered it, it was Mr. Green calling.He said that he had already driven to the gate of the office and wanted to ask the mayor to go out and go for a drive.Li Zimin said that I have already rested.Green said that seven o'clock in the evening is the best time in Shenzhen to experience the nightlife here. Only when you are the mayor can you know what a modern metropolis is. He also said that if you don't come out, he will come to invite you in person .There was an example of coming to invite him last time. After thinking about it, Li Zimin agreed.He also wanted to have a private talk with Mr. Green, to dig out his details, so he walked out of the office, and sure enough, a black Mercedes-Benz was parked in front of the door.Green opened the front door, and Li Zimin got in.Green drove on the wide road.

The night view of Shenzhen is really beautiful. Every building is lit with various lights, and many colorful lights illuminate the buildings very beautifully.Various businesses and shops are opening for business, vehicles on the street one after another, large-screen electronic billboards and neon lights can be seen everywhere, and there are many pedestrians on the street, which is really a busy nightlife scene.

Green asked while driving: "Mayor Li, where are we going to play tonight?"

Li Zimin smiled faintly, "What's there to play?"

"You are a foreigner now, this place has everything. Shall we sing?"

"I do not know."

"Then dance?"

"I can't even dance."

"Would you like to go to the sauna?"

"I took a shower at the office at noon."

"You are too, let's go have a cup of coffee."

"Alright." Li Zimin agreed.

Green drove the car to the Continental Hotel where he was staying.Li Zimin asked, "Why are you here?"

"The coffee here is top-notch," Green said.

The two entered the hotel and sat down in the coffee shop on the second floor. Green ordered two cups of coffee, one for each. Li Zimin put two pieces of rock sugar, but Green shook his head with a smile, "Mr. Mayor, drink coffee with rock sugar, The smell is gone."

Li Zimin said: "I drink coffee without sugar, it will feel very bitter."

"This is the difference between us." Green picked up the coffee and took a sip, then sipped it slowly.He stared at Li Zimin's ordinary face, as if admiring a painting that no one could understand.

Li Zimin also picked up the coffee and took a big sip. He wouldn't sample it like Green.

"Mr. Mayor, how is it? How does the coffee taste?" Green's eyes still did not leave Li Zimin's face.

"It's the same as the coffee I usually drink." Li Zimin replied calmly.

"That's wrong. This coffee is imported from Bafei, and it can be regarded as first-class in the world. Do you know the price of this cup of coffee?"

Li Zimin shook his head.

Green stretched out three fingers, "A cup of coffee is [-] yuan. This is considered expensive in Europe." He took another sip of coffee and moved his eyes from Li Zimin's face to the window The world is full of feasting and feasting, and then he said to himself, "China's reform and opening up has really changed a lot. Let's talk about Shenzhen. Whether it is infrastructure construction or service facilities, it is no different from foreign countries, and some aspects are even better. Foreign countries are good, and the nightlife in many European countries is nothing more than that, as long as you have money here, you can say that you have everything you need, China is really a good place!"

Li Zimin said: "Mr. Green, do you invite me out to comment on the nightlife in Shenzhen? If the negotiation between the two sides cannot go on, I will go back tomorrow. I have many things to do at home."

"Then, let's talk upstairs." Green nodded in agreement, then drank the coffee in the cup and asked the waitress to pay.Li Zimin also drank the coffee in his cup, followed Mr. Green, and took the elevator up to the 14th floor.Mr. Green went to room 1404, took out the electronic key card, put it on the electronic device on the wall, and the door opened automatically.This is a luxurious suite with a living room outside and a bedroom inside.The decor and facilities are top notch.Green let Li Zimin onto the sofa, and said, "This is the rest room I temporarily booked for you, let's talk here."

Li Zimin said: "Mr. Green, my attitude is still the attitude at the negotiating table yesterday. Both parties cooperate for mutual benefit."

Green nodded. At this time, the mobile phone rang in his pocket. He turned on the mobile phone and listened to it, and said "hmm" a few times, then turned off the mobile phone, and said to Li Zimin: "Mr. Mayor, I am really sorry, the company is in a hurry Let me deal with it, and I will be back in half an hour, you take a rest here first, and I will come when I go." After speaking, he stood up very apologetically.

Li Zimin looked at Green's sincere face, "Well, I can wait for you for a while, but no matter what, there must be a result tonight."

"That's it, that's it." Green nodded and went out.

Li Zimin sat on the sofa alone, admiring this incomparably luxurious suite. He thought, how much would it cost to stay here for one night?How much land do farmers have to plant and how much work do workers have to do to earn this money?I am really a little old, I really don't adapt to this unpredictable world, and I really should step down from the position of mayor.

"Hello, sir." At some point, a young girl appeared in front of Li Zimin.Green didn't close the door when he left, and the girl who came in didn't knock on the door. In addition, she walked silently. Li Zimin stared at her inexplicably, "May I ask if you walked through the wrong door?" ?”

"No." The girl replied.

"Maybe you're looking for that Mr. Green?! He's gone out just now."

"No. I'm looking for you."

"Looking for me? I don't know you!"

The girl sat on the sofa very carefully, and introduced herself: "I am a third-year student in the Department of Economics of Shenjiang University. My name is Sally. I am 20 years old this year. I want to meet Mr. Li Mayor."

"See me? What's the matter? Besides, I really don't know you." Li Zimin began to look at the girl in front of him.The girl is very beautiful, but her dress is very ordinary, not like the "chicken" in the big hotel.

"I don't have anything to do with you, I just want to get to know you and make friends with you." The girl said cautiously but calmly.

"Make friends with me? What kind of friends should you make with me?" Li Zimin asked puzzled.

The girl didn't speak a word, she was silent for a while, and finally mustered up her courage. "Mr. Mayor, it was Mr. Green who asked me to come to you. He said that you are very lonely, and you did not bring your wife on a business trip. Let me accompany you well."

"What's your relationship with Green?" Li Zimin asked.

"How should I put it? Since you ask that, I will tell you the truth. I am a top student at Shenjiang University, but my family lives in a rural area, and my life is very difficult. I also have many difficulties in my studies, but I can get The scholarship established by ATC company in the school is always the first class. Mr. Green is going to let me work in ATC company after I graduate. This is a very rare opportunity for me. Mr. Green found me a few days ago, Talked to me about your situation, he said you are a good man, not only powerful, but also a good character, if we can make friends, my life will be much easier in the future. He also said that you have a girlfriend There is one most basic requirement, that is, to be a virgin. I am really a virgin, and I have never had anything with a man. If you don’t believe me, you can try it in a while.”

Li Zimin stared blankly at the girl in front of him who was younger than his daughter, and remained silent for a long time.

The girl also looked at Li Zimin in a daze, "Sir, you, don't you think I'm good? I won't say anything, and I haven't done anything. I'm really not the 'chicken' that people say."

"Son, you, how could you want to do such a thing?"

"I, I have nothing to do. In today's society, relying on me as a weak woman, it is so difficult for me to even study. Once I graduate from school, how can I survive! If I can meet a good person, he will be dozens of older than me He can guarantee that I will live a peaceful and happy life, and I will dedicate my youth and body to him, and I am also willing." The girl's voice was not high, but her tone was firm, as if she had made a decision after careful consideration .

"I have a family, a wife and children." Li Zimin said deliberately.

"Then I don't care. As long as you are sincere to me, I don't care about it. Mr. Green told me that as long as we can make this kind of friend, he will arrange a job for me here, buy a house and a car, You can come over anytime. If you like, I, I can give you a son. Or now, just tonight..."

Looking at the girl in front of him, Li Zimin's eye circles were a little red, he really didn't know what to say.But in order not to cause the girl to misunderstand any further, he stood up from the sofa.His eyes were kind and serious, "My child, you are wrong. I, Li Zimin, am not such a person. I would not do such a thing. If you have difficulties in study or life, I can help you, but I really don’t agree with your way of thinking. Or I firmly oppose it. Life is not easy. I am 30 years older than you, and I have experienced many things than you, but there is one thing, No matter what difficulties and setbacks you encounter, you should never lose confidence, let alone bet your youth and love, so that when you are old, when you are my age, you will regret it, regret it all your life!"

"Then..." The girl didn't expect Li Zimin to say these words at all. She looked at Li Zimin in a daze, her mouth half-opened, speechless.

"Son, you go back. I will keep this matter a secret for you for life. You have to study hard and rely on your own skills. You will live and work well. If you have any difficulties, you can go to me , call or write. This is my business card." Li Zimin took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to the girl.

The girl took the business card with both hands, bowed deeply to Li Zimin, and went out with her head bowed.

Li Zimin watched the girl leave the room, then sat down on the sofa, leaned his head on the back of the sofa, closed his eyes, and the girl's words echoed again and again in his mind.

After an unknown amount of time, Mr. Green walked in with a light knock on the door. "Mayor Li, I'm really sorry to keep you waiting for so long. I just rushed back after finishing the urgent matter of the company. Did you make you wait?"

"It's nothing, I'm waiting for you to rest!" Li Zimin said calmly.

Mr. Green was sitting on the sofa. He looked at Li Zimin, and Li Zimin looked at him. The two of them stared at each other for a long time, but neither of them spoke.The plot of the girl's arrival just now, no one can say it first, it can only be silence plus silence.

The room was very quiet, there was no sound at all.It was Mr. Green who couldn't bear the silence and spoke first, "Mayor Li, to be honest, I really admire you. I have dealt with officials in mainland China for more than ten years. I have seen all kinds of cadres. I have dated them before, but this is the first time I have seen someone like you. As far as I know, your family does not have much money, but you are not greedy for money. Although you married a young step-wife, you are not lustful. That's all for this, I am willing to associate with a gentleman like you. Let's resume negotiations tomorrow, and I will talk according to the principle of joint venture and cooperation you mentioned, how about it?"

"Okay. I agree." Li Zimin nodded.

"Then at nine o'clock, I'm still on the 28th floor of this building. I won't go downstairs to pick you up then."

"Okay, it's a word."

Li Zimin stood up and shook hands with Green. Green said, "My car is below, so I won't drive you personally. The driver will take you to the office."

Li Zimin said: "Since we want to cooperate, we want to be friends. Why are you being so polite when you are friends?" Green sent Li Zimin to the elevator and watched Li Zimin get on the elevator before leaving.

It was already 10:30 when Li Zimin returned to the office by car. Director Zhu and the others hadn't come back yet. He washed up and went to bed to rest, but his mind was thinking about the negotiations tomorrow. He didn't know what else would happen to Mr. Green. new move.

It was twelve o'clock in the evening, and Director Zhu and his party came back. Everyone was carrying big bags and small bags, like a buyer.The three of them went straight to Li Zimin's room with their things.Bai Zhixian said cheerfully: "Mayor, I have gained the most from going out tonight. Director Zheng and Director Zhu gave me a special discount. Each bought me a pair of high-end cigarettes. Look, one Zhonghua, one Yuxi, and I By the way, it's [-]% genuine, and I haven't smoked so much even during Chinese New Year, such a good cigarette!" Bai Zhi said as he put two cigarettes in front of Li Zimin with excitement and joy on his face.

Li Zimin nodded happily, "Xiucai, won't it hurt you to come out with me?"

"No loss, no loss." Bai Zhi nodded happily.

Zheng Gang gave Li Zimin an exquisite female dress. "Mayor, I'm not giving a gift. This is a gift I bought for my sister-in-law. Please take it back. Whether it's good or bad has nothing to do with you."

Li Zimin took the clothes and looked at them. They were probably high-end clothes. Many people knew that Hu Min liked to wear high-end clothes. He wanted to see the price of the clothes, but there was no such thing on the packaging.He asked, "How much is this dress?"

"Why do you ask for money? It's not for you. Besides, it's really not expensive, and I don't want to slap your beard. You are not the mayor now, and it's nothing to buy clothes for my sister-in-law. Corruption." Zheng Gang's words carry a lot of weight.

Director Zhu also said from the side: "Mayor Li, this is a little thought of Director Zheng. Buying some small souvenirs is nothing in Shenzhen. If something happens, I will testify. Besides, this is not public money, and you can buy it. Don't be too serious, or we won't care about you."

"Okay, okay, I accept it. I also thank you for Hu Min." Li Zimin said as he put the things on the bed, and then said: "I want to tell you some good news. Mr. Green agreed to resume negotiations tomorrow. Let’s talk about the principle of joint venture and cooperation.”

"Really? How do you know?" Bai Zhi asked.

"I... I just answered the call from Green, and I'm still talking at that place at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Great. It seems promising." Zheng Gang said excitedly.

Negotiations resumed at nine o'clock the next morning.The people are still the same people, the location is still the same location, but the atmosphere has completely changed.Just sat down, Mr. Green spoke first. "After a few days of negotiation and contact, we have a better understanding of the attitude of the Xianghan Municipal Government's joint venture cooperation and the situation of the General Chemical Plant, which has laid a good foundation for our further cooperation. Our ATC company has After repeated and serious research, we decided to enter into a joint venture and cooperation with the Xianghan Municipal Government on the General Chemical Plant project." Green stopped at this point, and cast his eyes on Li Zimin and the people involved in the negotiation.

Li Zimin immediately took up the conversation, "Our Xianghan Municipal Government sincerely welcomes ATC and Mr. Green, and is willing to cooperate sincerely on the basis of mutual benefit." After he finished speaking, he took the lead in applauding. They all clapped their hands, and the atmosphere of the negotiation suddenly relaxed a lot.

Green said: "On the issue of joint ventures and cooperation, let me first talk about our opinions. First of all, the production of carbon disulfide in the chemical plant should be resumed as soon as possible, and the equipment that was blown up must be reinstalled, but this installation should not be at the original level. Instead, the most advanced equipment and technology should be adopted at present, so that the annual output of carbon disulfide can be increased from your previous 2000 tons to 8000 tons, and the products will start to occupy the world from Asia. Regarding the restoration and transformation of the factory, we After a general calculation, it will cost about [-] million US dollars. In addition, we agree with the Xianghan Municipal Government’s proposal to use the remaining factory buildings, raw materials and personnel to start a new methionine project in the chemical general plant. Methionine is widely used in additives, medicine, food and cosmetics In other fields, this product is developing very fast in the world, and China has a very broad market. We are willing to invest in this project. But we think that the scale of [-] tons is a bit small, and it is better to use [-] tons. It would be even better, so that the investment will reach [-] million U.S. dollars. These two projects add up to about [-] million U.S. dollars. It should be said that it is not a small project. We think that the investment will be made according to the proportion, and then the proportion will be divided. Benefits. Our ATC company is a very strong company in the world in the chemical industry, we can provide equipment, technology and part of the working capital, factory buildings, land, raw materials and workers in Xianghan City, according to this principle, is it feasible?"

After hearing Mr. Green's words, Li Zimin and several of his assistants were all stunned.How did they know so much about the Xianghan General Chemical Plant?Zheng Gang couldn't help but blurted out: "Does your ATC company have KGB or FBI personnel, or else, how do you know so much?"

(End of this chapter)