Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

"Without the continuous financial support from the Ministry of Industry, we wouldn't be able to pay the workers' wages!"

Bai Jianbo, the first secretary of the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, was also helpless regarding the cash flow problems among various factories and government departments in China at this time; this had become a tacit understanding.

Song Yu looked at her husband and asked, "So what do you plan to do? Xiaochi is demanding cash, but the factory doesn't have any money."

"What else can we do but rob Peter to pay Paul?" Bai Jianbo said with a mysterious smile. "Our Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) is currently in talks with Volkswagen about a joint venture. Now that we have the Snapdragon as a domestic player, we no longer need to rely on others for automotive technology!"

"I have two options now, give me your consideration," Bai Jianbo said, staring at his wife Song Yu. "The first is to continue negotiating with Volkswagen, lowering their shareholding percentage, raising the stock price, and then using some of the investment we received from Volkswagen to negotiate technology patent licensing with Snapdragon!"

Song Yu pursed her lips and frowned, not rushing to speak, but quietly listening to her husband continue, "The second point is that we're dragging the public into this mess. I haven't been doing nothing these past few days. Your brother is in the Netherlands, right? I had him check it out for me."

"Some of the technologies used by Xiaochi Motors in the Deluxe and Zhaoyebai models are currently patented even by Europa and America Motors; they're monopolized by Chen Zaidong's Huasheng Fund," Bai Jianbo said, his eyes gleaming. "Do you know what that means!"

Song Yu shook her head; she only had a vague understanding of these patents and technologies. Bai Jianbo excitedly said, "It means that as long as we act as a go-between and get Volkswagen to buy the Snapdragon's patented technology, Shanghai Automotive can get the maximum profit at the lowest cost!"

"Old Bai, I think you're oversimplifying things," Song Yu had to remind her husband. "Does a huge overseas automotive group like Volkswagen really need to cooperate with your Shanghai Automotive Group before they can even talk to Snapdragon?"

"Couldn't they just discuss overseas patent licensing with Chen Zaidong of Snapdragon separately?"

"So you don't understand the ways of business," Bai Jianbo laughed. "If Volkswagen wants to enter China, they have to form a joint venture. They're not like Vios; they don't have that kind of power. They want to bypass us and find another car manufacturer? One phone call from me and I can thwart their plans!"

Bai Jianbo's inner thought at that moment was, "If I can't handle Snapdragon, can't I handle Volkswagen, which wants to enter the Chinese market?"

The three major state-owned automobile factories in China are not just for show. These three state-owned automobile factories account for more than half of the auto parts factories in China. Any local machinery factory that dares to challenge the three major state-owned automobile factories can have its parts supply cut off directly, and then it will have to come to them crying and begging for help.

From the day the Ministry of Industry designated Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) to negotiate with Volkswagen, Volkswagen, once seated at the negotiating table, could only cooperate with SAIC. Unless SAIC voluntarily gave up, other local machinery factories might not be able to take over. Otherwise, without the approval of Bai Jianbo, the first secretary of SAIC, who would dare to talk to Volkswagen?

"Moreover, Chen Zaidong is a very shrewd man. His Dilu is intended for export overseas. Before Dilu has established itself overseas, Chen Zaidong will absolutely not license its patents to any potentially competitive car company abroad. Volkswagen is just daydreaming!"

Song Yu stared at her husband and asked, "Of the two you mentioned, I think the second one is safer. After all, misappropriating special funds is still very risky. It's better to involve the public in this."

"Alright, I'll listen to you then," Bai Jianbo laughed. "I'll have people keep stalling the negotiations with Volkswagen, making them anxious. Once we make progress with Xiaochi, I'll have people speed up the negotiations. Then, we'll have the initiative firmly in our hands!"

Bai Yongqiang, who had been listening intently to his father's words, chuckled. "Dad, I think it's too unfair that Dazhong was outmaneuvered by you like this. You're too shrewd!"

"What kind of blunt truth are you spouting!"

Song Yu flicked Bai Yongqiang on the forehead, and Bai Yongqiang cried out and covered his head. Song Yu reached out and grabbed his ear, scolding him, "You unlucky kid, can your dad call this scheming? This is plotting! It's for the livelihood of thousands of employees in the factory!"

"Your dad isn't being shrewd; he's being forced into it. If he weren't shrewd, his company, Shanghai Automotive, would really be eliminated."

"Well……!"

Bai Jianbo wanted to say, "Wife, you didn't have to say that last part. I'm the first secretary of Shanghai Automobile Group, after all. I still have to save face in front of the kids."

Bai Jianbo has served as the first secretary of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation for six years, but his career has been lukewarm. Some people say that Bai Jianbo was able to hold onto his position as the first secretary of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation only because of his father-in-law's connections.

Bai Jianbo intends to use this entanglement with Volkswagen to revitalize the struggling Shanghai Automotive Group. Once the factory has Volkswagen's funding, the Snapdragon engine, and other patent licenses, he'll see who dares to say that Bai Jianbo rose to power by "living off a woman"!

Just as the Snapdragon test vehicle fleet was causing a sensation in Shanghai, and Bai Jianbo of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation was thinking about how to obtain technology licenses from Snapdragon through Volkswagen, Chen Zaixing's shantytown renovation project in Tuocheng finally received approval from the Tuocheng Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government.

Meanwhile, Secretary Zhou Haimin also intended to expand the coastal mudflats of Tuocheng City by land reclamation, and asked Chen Dong if he was willing to invest. Upon learning this, Chen Dong immediately called Zhou Haimin and told him that land reclamation was not allowed.

"Why? In the east, Zhaoyang District has limited space. If we don't expand outwards by reclaiming land from the sea, there won't be any extra space to build new houses," Zhou Haimin said calmly on the phone. He wanted to hear why Chen Dong opposed the land reclamation.

"Secretary Zhou, land reclamation for housing is intended to meet the current housing needs of the city's residents, but once land reclamation is undertaken, the future development of the Tuocheng Special Economic Zone will be directly stifled!"

Zhou Haimin felt that Chen Dong's words were somewhat alarmist. "It can't be that serious, can it? How could filling in the sea possibly destroy the future development of our Tuocheng?"

"Secretary Zhou, our Tuocheng is a coastal economic city that relies on its port and waterways for its livelihood. Instead of thinking about how to widen the waterways in Tuocheng's inner bay so that future super-large ships of 10,000 tons can enter Tuocheng Port, you're thinking about how to further block this airship channel that can only accommodate 5,000-ton cargo ships!"

"In my opinion, what you should do now is demolish all the arcade buildings in and around the small park and build residential complexes instead. That would be a hundred times better than your current land reclamation project!"