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

At 2 p.m., Chen Dong arrived at Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) on time in Shanghai-plated vehicle 760. As soon as the car came to a stop, Zhao Jianguo got out first and helped Chen Dong open the back door. Bai Jianbo, the first secretary of SAIC, led a group of factory leaders and greeted them with smiles.

"Comrade Zai Dong, it's been a long time!" Bai Jianbo shook Chen Dong's hand vigorously. At this time, Shanghai Automotive had introduced Xiaochi's engine and other technologies, and Bai Jianbo was riding high.

Chen Dong shook Bai Jianbo's hand. "Secretary Bai, you look radiant! Your complexion is much better than when we went to Tuocheng, hahaha!"

Bai Jianbo waved his hand, "It's all thanks to your Xiaochi Motors. Come, come, Comrade Zai Dong, let me introduce you to the various factory managers of our Shanghai Automotive Group."

Bai Jianbo first introduced an elderly man wearing black-rimmed glasses to Chen Dong, Yang Qingsheng, the factory director and deputy secretary of Shanghai Automobile Factory. Behind him were Fan Guotao, the deputy factory director who had recently gone to Tuocheng for talks, and a group of other deputy factory directors. Chen Dong politely nodded and shook hands with them one by one.

As soon as everyone entered the reception room and sat down, Bai Jianbo got straight to the point, "Comrade Zai Dong, we at Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) warmly welcome Minister Huang's suggestion that your company, Xiaochi, invest in and build a factory in Shanghai. We've already found a suitable site in Pudong; it's quite large and has convenient transportation."

A waiter brought in a white porcelain teacup and placed it in front of Chen Dong. Chen Dong casually tapped it on the table as a gesture of thanks before turning to Bai Jianbo and saying, "Secretary Bai, if I'm not mistaken, the Pudong area of ​​Shanghai is still mostly farmland right now, isn't it? Can it be directly developed into an industrial park?"

If Chen Zaisheng were here, he would know that Chen Dong was about to make an exorbitant demand. As someone from a later era, how could Chen Dong not know how expensive land would be in Pudong, Shanghai in the future? The reason he said this was simply to see if he could get the Shanghai municipal government to allocate more land to Xiaochi.

"It is indeed farmland, Comrade Zai Dong, you can rest assured on this point. There are no problems with the procedures. I, as the First Secretary of Shanghai Automobile Group, guarantee you this," Bai Jianbo assured Chen Dong with certainty.

"The municipal government has already planned the future of Pudong. Pudong will be developed into a new industrial and commercial powerhouse in Shanghai. If your Xiaochi Company goes there now, you will be among the first batch. The municipal government is willing to negotiate on land in order to attract investment."

Chen Dong smiled demurely, "Secretary Bai, our Xiaochi has always prioritized solving housing and accommodation problems for our employees. Considering that the infrastructure and other facilities in Pudong are still relatively backward, we at Xiaochi also need to plan and build a series of living support facilities."

"To build an employee community for the initial few thousand or even the future tens of thousands of employees, along with supporting facilities such as department stores, post offices, banks, community hospitals, kindergartens, primary schools, roads inside and outside the factory area, and reserved land for future development, if Snapdragon is to officially build a factory in Pudong, how much land will the municipal government approve for us?"

After listening to Chen Dong's words, Bai Jianbo took a drag of secondhand smoke. He was not shocked by Chen Dong's huge appetite, but by Chen Dong's bold ambition. He was not going to make a move unless he was going to build a "satellite city" in Pudong that could support tens of thousands of people.

That's a huge investment!

At this time, Shanghai was like Shenzhen and Tuocheng, where the central government only provided policies but not funding. They had to catch the rats but also take care of their homes. According to Bai Jianbo's plan, Chen Dong's series of demands would require at least 2500 mu (about 1.7 square kilometers) of land to build up the various facilities he wanted.

Given Chen Dong's tendency to spend hundreds of millions of US dollars at a time in Tuocheng, Bai Jianbo believed that Chen Dong's words were not empty talk, but rather that Chen Dong genuinely intended to build in Pudong in this manner.

The Shanghai municipal government's finances are not much better than those of Tuocheng and Shenzhen. The land in Pudong is the only bargaining chip for the Shanghai municipal government to attract investment. In the eyes of Chen Dong, this American tycoon, land prices are practically free.

Bai Jianbo was confident that as long as he informed the Shanghai municipal government of Chen Dong's envisioned "Xiaochi Automobile Industrial City" plan, he would make Shanghai Mayor Gao Yueming so happy that he would immediately drive over to personally discuss with Chen Dong how to allocate the land, and even ask Chen Dong if he liked the land.

If you don't like it, we'll change it until you, Comrade Dong, are satisfied!

Bai Jianbo pursed his lips, suppressing the excitement in his heart. He tried to ask Chen Dong, "Comrade Zai Dong, do you think 2500 mu (1.7 square kilometers) of land is enough to meet your planned land use requirements?"

Chen Dong picked up the white porcelain teacup in front of him, took a sip, and discovered it was Biluochun tea. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Very good." Bai Jianbo was unsure whether Chen Dong was praising the tea or the land use plan he had proposed. He looked at Chen Dong, waiting for him to continue.

"Secretary Bai, your proposed 1.7 square kilometers of planned land is excellent. Can the Shanghai municipal government accommodate this?"

Bai Jianbo smiled and said confidently, "Comrade Zai Dong, don't worry. As long as your Xiaochi Motors can reach a cooperation agreement with our Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation and the Shanghai Municipal Government, let alone the 1.7 square kilometers of planned land, we can discuss anything more!"

Bai Jianbo then said, "Comrade Zai Dong, the land issue is easy to discuss, but the key is the division of shares. We need to talk about that beforehand. The Shanghai Municipal Government will provide the land, Shanghai Automotive will provide the personnel, and Xiaochi will provide the capital, equipment, and technology. Zai Dong, how do you think the shares should be divided?"

Chen Dong put down his teacup, looked at Bai Jianbo with a smile, and asked, "Secretary Bai, what do you think?"

"The Shanghai municipal government will hold 30% of the shares, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) will hold 25%, and Snapdragon will hold 45%. Zai Dong, what do you think of this plan?"

Chen Dong shook his head immediately, "No, no, no, Secretary Bai, Xiaochi must hold 70% of the shares, and the municipal government and your Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation only have the right to receive dividends, not any decision-making power. This is the bottom line!"

Bai Jianbo frowned. "Giving us only 30% to share with the municipal government, Comrade Zai Dong, isn't that a bit too low?"

"It's not low," Chen Dong said, tapping his fingers on the table. "The core technology of the engine factory belongs to our Xiaochi. Although the municipal government provided the land, how much is the land worth? Moreover, Xiaochi will have to pay for the subsequent investment. To be honest, I feel like we're losing out."

Bai Jianbo fell silent. What Chen Dong said was indeed the truth. With Xiaochi's current automotive technology, it was in a class of its own worldwide. What Bai Jianbo was worried about now was how to deal with the municipal government.

If the municipal government finds out that Xiaochi is giving up 30% of its shares, it will definitely ask for an exorbitant price. At that time, even if Shanghai Automotive can get a 5% stake, it will have to depend on the municipal government's attitude.

But Bai Jianbo went through Huang Bin's connections in the Ministry of Industry and his father-in-law's connections, just to please the municipal government. Wouldn't that have been a waste of his time?