Financial freedom starts with smiling at life

Chapter 390 Does Jiangbei City have no face?
The atmosphere changed when Zhou Bin, Huang You, Wang Wei, and Jiang Ling entered the room.

There was a sense of solemnity.

Miao Zhi gave Jiang Beicheng a look, and Jiang Beicheng understood what she meant.

These four are the people who want to take over the power of discourse from Master Wei.

They must be unhappy that Master Wei is using his birthday banquet as an excuse to put on a show for Jiangbei City.

Without Jiang Beicheng, any one of them could have taken over Master Wei's mantle and served this small, self-serving group.

Pursuing social honor and practical benefits.

Jiang Beicheng's sudden intervention disrupted the balance of this circle.

They naturally wouldn't give Jiang Beicheng a friendly look.

Although Jiang Beicheng is far superior to them in terms of social status and wealth, there are still areas where he falls short.

Zhou Bin, a used car dealer, has a complex social network. The industry is very murky. After he started using the financial model, he became deeply entangled with local banks and internet companies, and his network of shady connections is intricate.

Huang You, who works in the entertainment industry, has close ties with many local government departments. This industry is already subject to a lot of regulation, and with so many entertainment businesses under his control, it's easy to imagine how much work he has done behind the scenes.

Moreover, this industry itself is a mixed bag.

Needless to say, Wang Wei is the businessman with the deepest connection to the masses. Although Jiang Beicheng has cultivated a down-to-earth image for himself, he doesn't spend every day interacting with citizens on the streets.

The cold storage business is directly and deeply connected to the actual interests of the working class. Wang Wei has monopolized the cold storage business in the district and county, and also owns the Jiulong Cold Storage with a capacity of one million cubic meters in the city.

Many vendors rely on him for their livelihood and respectfully call him "Brother Wang".

These three individuals are among the most influential figures in the social circles of Jiangnan City.

Even if it's just to save face, they won't stand idly by while Master Wei puts on a show for Jiangbei City.

Noticing the way the four men were looking at Jiang Beicheng, Master Wei tried to lighten the mood by saying, "Am I, an old man, not good enough for you?"

This drew the four people's attention back to the present.

Zhou Bin politely addressed him as "Master Wei".

Present your birthday gift.

The other three followed with smiles on their faces.

Master Wei accepted the birthday gift, saying, "You've really thought of me. The gifts are all good; I like them."

But the crystal Guanyin statue that Beicheng gave me has left me with lingering excitement.

Smiling, he asked Miaozhi, "Has it grown tall yet?"

Miao Zhi smiled and nodded.

He reached out and accepted the other gifts.

The four people's expressions changed slightly.

They knew that Master Wei was intentionally using these words to subtly criticize them; he spoke of politeness but was actually referring to their character.

All four of them are good, but they are far inferior to Jiang Beicheng.

This was a clear reminder to them that today's goal was to promote Jiang Beicheng to power.

"Brother Beicheng, these are all my former subordinates who went out on their own. I provided the initial capital."

"I lost a lot of money in those years, but thankfully they didn't let me down," Wei Ye explained to Jiang Beicheng.

Jiang Beicheng and they knew each other, so there was no need for Master Wei to introduce them. The deeper meaning behind Master Wei's words was to remind the four of the importance of gratitude.

Without Wei Ye's support, money, and resources, the four of them wouldn't have been able to build their current empire.

He doesn't need the four of them to repay him with money or material things, but he must be given this respect.

Zhou Bin and the others could understand it.

In front of Master Wei, I politely addressed him as President Jiang.

Jiang Beicheng smiled and nodded, shaking hands with the four people.

With a smile, Master Wei invited, "Old Liang, Old Li, let's go, take your seats and start the feast."

The guests took their seats.

The banquet was simple, held in the manor, but the cost was very high.

The meals were basically arranged according to the standard of around 1.2 yuan per table in a star-rated hotel.

Unlimited drinks and tables, drink until you're satisfied.

Following Mr. Wei from Jiangbei City, Mr. Liang from Dongyin and Mr. Li from Shantou took their seats at the head table.

Master Wei first raised his glass to greet the guests.

He had dominated Jiangnan City for two or three decades, and even though he had spent the last ten years living abroad, businessmen from all walks of life in Jiangnan City still regarded him as their "big brother".

No one calls themselves a "local emperor" anymore.

The times have changed.

More than a hundred guests came to celebrate tonight, and that was only because Master Wei strictly controlled the number of people; otherwise, it would have attracted the attention of the city again.

After finishing his drink, Mr. Wei said a few words.

Unlike in the past, today at the dinner table, instead of talking about my own legendary stories and amazing deeds, I talked about the greatness of Jiangnan City as a social force.

They made a great contribution to the economic development of Jiangnan City.

He has contributed his social responsibility to charitable and public welfare undertakings.

They have contributed to many aspects, including social management.

……and many more.

Jiang Beicheng could tell that Master Wei's thinking was also changing.

Now we follow the national government and the people.

He was also using his own experience to remind today's guests that if you make a fortune, that's fine, you may have that kind of luck, but once you've made your fortune, you have to walk the right path.

After he finished speaking, the audience erupted in thunderous applause.

"Thank you all again for coming to celebrate this old man's birthday. Please forgive me if the hospitality has been inadequate," Mr. Wei said politely at the end.

Instead of rushing to promote Jiang Beicheng in front of everyone, he sat down to face Zhou Bin and the other three, and gave them a heads-up in a very tactful way.

So as not to spoil the atmosphere today and make everyone unhappy.

While eating, Mr. Wei said, "I'm getting old and my energy is limited, so I've handed over all my business to your sister-in-law to manage."

My only wish now is to accompany my youngest son until he finishes his studies, and then see if I'll have the chance to hold my grandson one last time.

He maintained a smile while saying these words. Jiang Beicheng could sense that these were his genuine feelings.

Mr. Wei smiled, raised his glass, and clinked glasses with everyone at the table.

After finishing his drink, he said, "From now on, you all will continue to contribute your efforts to the development of Jiangnan City."

He patted Jiang Beicheng on the shoulder and said to Zhou Bin and the others, "Zhou Bin, Wang Wei, Huang You, Jiang Ling, you have an advantage in social connections."

There are some things that Beicheng can't handle on his own, so you should cooperate with him more.

Everything is done with the overall development of Jiangnan City in mind.

Jiang Ling was the first to put down her chopsticks.

The other three remained silent and ate their food.

Master Wei called out, "Wang Wei!"
It means we need Wang Wei to make a statement.

Wang Wei forced a smile. "Mr. Wei, whatever you say goes."

The tone was very perfunctory.

Master Wei looked at Wang Wei with a serious expression. "Speak your mind directly. Is this the first day you've met me? Don't you know I don't like this sarcastic tone?"

Wang Wei was silent for a moment, put down his wine glass, looked up and said, "Master Wei, you have your ideas, and we have ours. We respect each other, and everyone can accept it."

You can't just tell us to become your underlings with a casual remark. We've all been through so much in society, and we all value our reputation.

If you insist on seeking my advice, I can tell you directly that you've lived in the United States for so many years, and you only know what Jiangnan City is really like now, based on hearsay.

You can just relax and enjoy your retirement in the US, send your youngest son to school, and enjoy the respect people have for you.

Don't worry about things at home, Mr. Wei.

The more you worry, the more tired we become, really.

Master Wei's expression was solemn.

He was clearly not comfortable with Wang Wei's attitude.

These powerful figures of their generation were actually quite controlling.

Today, with General Manager Liang and General Manager Li still at the dinner table, his former underlings are showing him no respect, making him a laughingstock.

Wei Ye looked at Huang You.

Huang You spread his hands and said, "Master Wei, my energy is only enough to protect my own little plot of land."

Jiang Ling chimed in, "I agree with Wang Wei's opinion."

After saying that, he lowered his head and continued eating.

Finally, Master Wei looked at Zhou Bin, his former confidant.

Zhou Bin was very direct: "Master Wei, times have changed. The old rules of the underworld are outdated."

I know you're a sentimental and loyal older brother. If you'd like to reminisce about the past, we can accommodate you.

Even if we follow the old rules, it wouldn't be his turn.

I think your decision was very hasty.

"Saving face is something everyone gives us; conversely, Mr. Wei, you also have to give everyone face, right?"

When Master Wei heard these words, he was furious.

That's just his personality; he values ​​relationships and loyalty too much.

That's why I can't stand hearing these words.

He slammed his hand on the dining table, but before it could land, Jiang Beicheng reached out and grabbed it.

"Who?"

Jiang Beicheng stared directly at Zhou Bin.

I only asked one word.

The other three never mentioned him, no matter what they said.

But Zhou Bin specifically named him, as if he had revealed the truth.

Before it's broken, no matter how sarcastic you are, I'll pretend I didn't hear it.

Once the truth is revealed, all the unpleasant things come out at me.

Everyone keeps talking about saving face. Does Jiangbei City not care about saving face?

Zhou Bin was equally direct, "You, Jiangbei City."

Does he really think he can command a large following in Jiangnan City?
On the one hand, he flattered and fawned over the city leaders to give himself a good image.

On the one hand, they pretend to be affectionate and loyal in front of us.

You have so much energy!

When it comes to showing off, you're more enthusiastic than anyone else. You put on a big show during the National Day holiday, weren't you impressive?

The whole city responded!

Mr. Wei called us late at night, asking us to cooperate. He said we should give him face because he had done us a favor.

When you take this honor and try to curry favor with your superiors, it makes them very uncomfortable. Have you ever considered whether they are genuinely giving you face or doing this for your sake?

“Zhou Bin, you’ve gone too far,” Miao Zhi suddenly exclaimed excitedly.

Remind Zhou Bin.

Zhou Bin glanced at Miao Zhi, but didn't reply, choosing to ignore her.

Jiang Beicheng stood up, picked up a glass of wine, and walked towards Zhou Bin.

All eyes at the table were on him.

People from more than ten other tables also came over to look.

Jiang Beicheng stood next to Zhou Bin, raised his glass and clinked it against Zhou Bin's. "Mr. Zhou, you've built your business to such a large scale without ever having to flatter the leaders?"

Zhou Bin frowned instantly.

After drinking the glass of wine, Jiang Beicheng asked again, "Or is it that your business can bypass the supervision of government departments and national laws?"

The people around him immediately tensed up.

Before Zhou Bin could reply, Jiang Beicheng said, "President Zhou, the times are still the same, nothing has changed. It is people's hearts that have changed."

What you just said gave me the impression that you're not very willing to be led by the Party and the country!

(End of this chapter)