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

The morning after the tour, Zhou Jin plunged headfirst into the intense work of the investment promotion and matchmaking meeting. Although the previous day's tour and discussions had laid the initial foundation for cooperation with the Lin Group, Zhou Jin knew that this was only the beginning. To truly establish the Hong Kong delegation in Yan City, she needed to demonstrate genuine sincerity and concrete plans, addressing each company's concerns one by one.

The matchmaking event was held in the multi-functional hall of the Yanshi Hotel, which was divided into four exhibition areas: culture and tourism, agriculture, energy, and infrastructure. Officials from various districts and counties of Yanshi, carrying project brochures, arrived early at their respective booths. Teams from other cities organized by the province were also in place. Exhibits from Baoji (equipment manufacturing), Xianyang (electronic components), and Weinan (specialty grains) made the venue exceptionally lively.

Zhou Jin moved between the various exhibition areas, sometimes discussing the development of red tourism IP with Chen Jingzhi, and sometimes squatting in front of the Luochuan apple booth, introducing the apples' sugar content and planting standards to representatives of Hong Kong food companies. "Our apples are unwaxed and unripened, truly organic products. What we lack is only deep processing technology and export channels." Zhou Jin picked up a bright red apple and handed it to the other party, "The Lin Group has already expressed its intention to invest in a deep processing base. If you join, you can share cold chain logistics and also share R&D costs."

The food company representative took a bite of the apple, and its crisp, sweet taste caught his eye. He immediately nodded and said, "Mayor Zhou, we'll go back and conduct market research, and try to come up with a cooperation plan as soon as possible."

Negotiations at the energy exhibition area encountered some resistance. New energy companies from Hong Kong were very interested in the location of a photovoltaic power station in Yancheng, but were concerned about the geological conditions of the loess gully area and grid connection issues. Zhou Jin immediately summoned the director and technical experts from the Municipal Energy Bureau, presenting data and drawings on-site: "We have already connected with the Provincial Power Design Institute, and the grid connection plan will be in its initial draft next month. Geological exploration is also underway simultaneously. Yancheng has an average annual sunshine duration of over 2500 hours, making the return on investment absolutely considerable."

He added, "The province is striving for a new energy pilot policy in old revolutionary base areas, at which time enterprises will be able to enjoy tax reductions and subsidies, which is a real benefit."

Upon hearing this, the doubts on the faces of the company representatives gradually dissipated, and they all expressed their willingness to stay and conduct on-site inspections for site selection.

It was almost noon when Zhou Jin finally had a moment to drink some water. Lin Feng strode over and handed her a list of potential partners: "Mayor Zhou, as of now, 12 companies have reached preliminary cooperation agreements, involving more than 8 million yuan, with culture and tourism and agriculture accounting for the majority."

Zhou Jin took the list, looked at the company names on it, and nodded with satisfaction: "Not bad, but not enough. Energy and infrastructure are key to Yan City's transformation, so we need to keep a closer eye on them. Also, notify all districts and counties to arrange one-on-one closed-door meetings tonight to come up with specific solutions to the problems raised by the companies."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Xiaoman appeared at the entrance of the meeting hall. She had changed out of yesterday's camel coat and was now wearing a smart white suit. Holding a thick document in her hand, she walked straight to Zhou Jin: "Mayor Zhou, excuse me. I have finalized the cooperation plan for the Lin Group. It includes the site selection for the apple deep processing base and the script outline for the immersive red-themed drama."

Zhou Jin took the document and was about to speak when Lin Xiaoman pointed towards the agricultural exhibition area: "I just went to see your apples, and the quality is indeed excellent. I've already had my team contact supermarkets and cross-border e-commerce platforms in Hong Kong. As long as the products meet the standards, we won't have to worry about sales."

She paused, then smiled and said, "Also, I haven't forgotten about the hand-torn mutton soup you mentioned yesterday. You can't go back on your word once the project is finalized."

Zhou Jin smiled and said, "It's a deal."

Lin Xiaoman's arrival seemed to inject a powerful boost into the meeting. Several companies that had been observing the situation accelerated their negotiations once they saw that the Lin Group had presented a detailed plan.

The afternoon's negotiations grew increasingly lively. Applause erupted repeatedly at the signing ceremony. The Yancheng Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism signed a red-themed cultural and creative product development agreement with a Hong Kong cultural company; Luochuan County reached an apple procurement agreement with two Hong Kong food companies; and the Municipal Energy Bureau signed a framework cooperation agreement for a photovoltaic power station with a new energy company.

As the sun set, the first day of the investment promotion conference came to a close. Zhou Jin stood at the entrance of the venue, watching the entrepreneurs leave. Although her face showed fatigue, her eyes shone brightly. Lin Feng ran over with a new list of signed contracts, his voice full of excitement: "Mayor Zhou, the total amount of contracts signed on the first day has exceeded 10 billion yuan! Secretary Li just called, specifically instructing us to summarize our experience and strive to secure even more projects tomorrow!"

Zhou Jin patted Lin Feng on the shoulder and looked towards the distant Pagoda Hill. As dusk deepened, the lights on the mountain gradually illuminated the scene, like twinkling stars. He knew that this 10 billion yuan was just the beginning; Yancheng's "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" was taking firm steps, moving from blueprint to reality. And he, too, would continue to write his own chapter of struggle on this red, fertile land.