Sharpening the Blade Against the Red Wall: From Hong Kong to Handong

He paused, surveyed the room, and said in a steady voice, "However, the development of Yan City relies on market-oriented cooperation and sincere mutual benefit, not on drinking contests. If President Lin truly believes in Yan City, we welcome the Lin Group to participate in projects such as apple deep processing and the development of red tourism and creative industries in Yan City. We will offer the most favorable policies and the best services to ensure that the Lin Group can invest and develop with peace of mind in Yan City."

At this point, he raised his glass, nodded slightly to Lin Xiaoman, and then turned to Li Xiangming and all the guests: "On behalf of Yancheng City, I would like to toast President Lin, and also to all the entrepreneurs present! This glass represents our friendship; future cooperation represents our shared business. I believe that both our friendship and our shared business will flourish on this red and fertile land of Yancheng!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Looking at his composed demeanor, Lin Xiaoman's eyes flashed with admiration. She raised her glass, downed it in one gulp, and said with a smile, "Mayor Zhou is right! Let's do it your way! Tomorrow, I want you to be my personal tour guide, showing me around the sights of Yan City, and we can also discuss the details of our cooperation!"

"It's my honor." Zhou Jin nodded with a smile.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall instantly became lively again, with thunderous applause. Li Xiangming smiled and raised his glass, saying to everyone, "President Lin is generous, and Mayor Zhou is pragmatic! I believe this inspection and cooperation will definitely yield fruitful results!"

Everyone raised their glasses in response, and the laughter and chatter in the banquet hall lingered for a long time.

After the banquet, Zhou Jin and Li Xiangming stood at the hotel entrance, watching the members of the inspection team leave one by one. A cool evening breeze blew by, and Li Xiangming patted Zhou Jin on the shoulder, saying meaningfully, "President Lin trusts you a lot. Make the most of this opportunity and get the project off the ground."

Zhou Jin nodded and replied in a deep voice, "Please rest assured, Secretary Li, I will definitely promote cooperation based on market principles and will never let you down."

Watching Li Xiangming's car drive away, Zhou Jin looked up at the night sky, where countless stars twinkled. Lin Xiaoman's sudden appearance and her resounding promise stirred ripples in his heart like a pebble. He knew that the upcoming cooperation negotiations were destined to be anything but peaceful.

The next morning, the wind in Yancheng was still cool, but the sun had already pierced through the clouds, casting its light on the outline of Pagoda Hill. Zhou Jin didn't bring any attendants, only having Qin Gang follow at a distance, while he accompanied Lin Xiaoman on a leisurely stroll along the banks of the Yan River. Behind them were the gray bricks and tiles of the Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site, and on the distant hills, a few early-blooming peach trees had already revealed their pink and white blossoms.

Lin Xiaoman took off her scarf, squinted at the distant Pagoda Hill, and said in a light tone, "I didn't expect Yancheng, with its chilly spring weather, to have such a unique landscape. It's much more comfortable than the concrete jungle of Hong Kong."

Zhou Jin smiled and pointed to the willows on the riverbank: "After Qingming Festival, this place will be green. Both banks of the Yan River are lined with willows; when the wind blows, it's like a scene from a painting." He paused, then changed the subject, "Were you serious about what you said at the banquet last night?"

Lin Xiaoman turned to look at him, her eyes frank: "When have I, Lin Xiaoman, ever made empty promises? But don't worry, I'm not acting on impulse. Before coming here, I had my team conduct research. Yanshi's apples are of top quality nationwide, and its red tourism resources are unique. It just lacks packaging, distribution channels, and an industrial chain."

The two walked to a viewing platform, overlooking the cave dwellings of Zaoyuan. Lin Xiaoman took out a folded document from her bag and handed it to Zhou Jin: "This is my preliminary cooperation plan. In the apple industry, the Lin family can invest in building a deep processing base to produce high-end juices, fruit wines, and freeze-dried products, directly connecting with supermarket channels in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia; in the area of ​​red tourism, we can cooperate to develop immersive experience projects, turning revolutionary stories into murder mystery games and live performances, and then developing supporting cultural and creative products to bring red culture to life."

Zhou Jin took the document, quickly flipped through a few pages, and his brow gradually relaxed. The data in the plan was detailed, and the planning was clear; it was obviously the result of careful consideration, not a spur-of-the-moment decision. "You've thought things through very thoroughly," he admitted, "but cold chain logistics for apple processing is a challenge, and transportation in Yancheng is not yet very convenient."

"I've already prepared for this." Lin Xiaoman raised an eyebrow. "Cold chain logistics can be done in two steps. First, build small cold storage facilities and pre-cooling workshops to solve the storage problem; then coordinate with the province to open up a dedicated cold chain line from Yan'an to Xi'an, relying on Xi'an's aviation hub to radiate across the country. As for funding, you don't need to worry. Lin's cultural tourism and food sectors happen to have an expansion budget this year."

Zhou Jin was silent for a moment, then looked up at her: "Aren't you afraid of losing money? Projects in old districts may have a very long payback period."

Lin Xiaoman smiled, her gaze falling on his face with a hint of teasing and a touch of seriousness: "Even Mayor Zhou dared to give up his high position in Hong Kong to settle down here, so why shouldn't I take a gamble? Besides, running a business requires considering both economic and social responsibility. Helping the people in the old revolutionary base areas earn more money is also a good deed."

These words warmed Zhou Jin's heart, but also made him more clear-headed. He put away the documents and said solemnly, "Cooperation can be discussed, but it must follow the proper procedures. Open bidding and fair competition are essential. We cannot give each other special treatment just because we know each other. Yan City needs long-term development, not a one-off deal."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaoman's eyes flashed with admiration: "I admire your meticulousness. Don't worry, I understand the rules. We'll follow the bidding process exactly as it's supposed to; Lin's will bid based on its strength. I only have one request—"

She paused deliberately, looking at Zhou Jin's questioning gaze, and said with a smile, "After the project is launched, you have to treat me to an authentic Shaanxi-style mutton stew, the kind that's torn by hand."

Zhou Jin couldn't help but smile, as if the pressure of the past few days had dissipated considerably. "No problem," he nodded. "As long as the project succeeds, not only will I have plenty of mutton stew, but I'll also have plenty of fried cakes and he luo noodles."

The two walked down the mountain path, Qin Gang following at a distance, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. Lin Xiaoman looked at Zhou Jin's wind-blown hair and suddenly said softly, "Actually, I didn't come to Yan City entirely for the project."

Zhou Jin paused and turned to look at her.

Lin Xiaoman, facing the sunlight, smiled slightly: "There's a lot of talk in Hong Kong that you gave up your good position as director to come to the Northwest to suffer. What's your motive? I just wanted to see what kind of place it is that could make you so determined."

Zhou Jin paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly. Pointing to the yellow earth beneath his feet, his tone was calm yet firm: "This land is buried with the blood of our revolutionary predecessors; the people here yearn for a better life. What I want is to witness this land gradually improve."

Lin Xiaoman looked into the light in his eyes, remained silent for a long time, and then nodded gently: "I understand."

A breeze swept across the hills, carrying the sweet fragrance of mountain peach blossoms. The two walked side by side, the road winding upwards towards the distant Pagoda Mountain. Sunlight bathed them, seemingly adding a warm glow to this collaboration concerning the revitalization of the old revolutionary base area.