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

"Mr. Chen, have you offended someone?"

"Director Yang, what you're saying is confusing me," Chen Dong said, looking at Yang Guoliang with a puzzled expression. After inviting him to sit down, he gestured to the fruit plate on the coffee table, indicating that Yang Guoliang shouldn't stand on ceremony. Yang Guoliang shook his head and said, "Chuansha County, the land we had our eye on and submitted for approval, has had its registration blocked, and it won't pass the review!"

Chen Dong paused, his hand reaching for the cigarette case, and laughed without getting angry. "Interesting. This Shanghai area is really interesting. It seems I didn't think highly of the almanac when I came here to invest in and set up a factory."

Chen Zaixing took the cigarette from Chen Dongsan, lit it, and asked Yang Guoliang, "Director Yang, this Xiaochi investment should be the biggest and most important project for your Shanghai municipal government this year, right? How could it be blocked?"

Yang Guoliang smiled wryly and pointed upwards. Chen Dong nodded knowingly. "You mean, the State Council Land Bureau directly issued a document to block this land?"

Yang Guoliang seemed to have entered a state of silence, only nodding without speaking. Chen Dong sighed and said, "In that case, there's no point in me staying here. There are still many things waiting for me in Tuocheng. Director Yang, please tell Mayor Gao that we are going back to Tuocheng tomorrow."

Upon hearing that Chen Dong planned to leave immediately, Yang Guoliang hurriedly asked, "Mr. Chen, what about this project?"

"Director Yang, it's not that we don't want to sign the contract, but you know yourself that if even the land approval can't be passed, there are still many things to deal with. Will there be any trouble during the relocation? These are all kinds of things that can't be rushed," Chen Dong said with a smile. "I'll come over when the land approval documents come through."

"Mr. Chen, why don't you wait for me to report this to Secretary Guo and Mayor Gao, and see if we can resolve the land issue as soon as possible?" Yang Guoliang was still unwilling to let Chen Dong and the others return to Tuocheng, but he was a nobody and his words carried no weight. This matter was no longer something that he, as the director of the Shanghai Planning Commission, could handle.

Chen Dong simply shook his head and didn't say anything more. Seeing this, Yang Guoliang bid farewell to Chen Dong and Chen Zaixing, and immediately told the driver to drive straight to the municipal government building. It was extremely urgent, and Yang Guoliang kept urging the driver to drive faster in the car.

Upon arriving at the municipal government building, Yang Guoliang headed straight for Gao Yueming's office. His secretary stopped him as he was about to knock, saying, "Director Yang, Mayor Gao is currently talking with officials from Zhejiang Province. Why don't you wait a bit before going in?"

"It's extremely urgent! Chen Zaidong from Xiaochi is planning to leave. If we don't stop him, this engine factory project will really fall through!"

A young man wearing glasses, sitting on a bench in the corridor, was looking down at a document. When he heard Yang Guoliang's hushed words, his head showed surprise, but he didn't look up. Instead, he pretended not to hear anything and continued looking at the document, though his ears were practically perked up.

The secretary was taken aback for a moment, but didn't ask any further questions. She turned around, knocked lightly on the office door, and went inside. A short while later, Gao Yueming came out with a smile, escorting a cadre in a Zhongshan suit out. "I'm sorry, Comrade Lianjun, I will discuss the issue you mentioned with Secretary Guo."

"It's alright, Mayor Gao. You're busy with work, so I'll be going now," Ji Lianjun said with a smile as he left. The young man with glasses who was sitting on the bench immediately followed and whispered a few words to Ji Lianjun.

"Really?" Ji Lianjun turned around in surprise and looked at the young man. The young man nodded seriously. Ji Lianjun smiled and said, "Let's talk about it when we get back to the guesthouse!"

In Gao Yueming's office, listening to Yang Guoliang's account, Gao Yueming's expression turned sour. He waved for Yang Guoliang to sit down and talk first, then walked to the phone and called Guo Yifu.

"Secretary Yifu, something terrible has happened! The National Land Bureau has blocked the sale of that piece of land in Pudong. After Chen Zaidong found out, he plans to leave immediately and return to Tuocheng!"

Guo Yifu was writing something when he heard the news. His pen clattered to the table, and ignoring the fact that the document was now stained black, his voice trembled, "What! Comrade Yueming, what exactly happened?"

"Secretary Yifu, I just heard this news myself. According to Comrade Guoliang, he went to the Land and Resources Bureau to inquire about the progress, and they informed him that the State Council Land Bureau issued a document this morning, directly halting the land transfer of the 1.7 square kilometers in Chuansha County that Chen Zaidong had his eye on!"

"Judging from Chen Zaidong's words, he plans to abandon this project and return to Tuocheng tomorrow."

Guo Yifu's mind was buzzing. This project was too difficult and complicated. He took a deep breath and said, "Hurry up and have Comrade Guoliang calm Chen Zaidong down. I'll be there right away."

"Alright, Secretary Yifu, I will personally go to the Peace Hotel with Comrade Guoliang to reassure Chen Zaidong."

After hanging up the phone, Gao Yueming hurriedly took Yang Guoliang to the Peace Hotel. When they got to the eighth floor, Yang Guoliang saw that there were no bodyguards on duty at Chen Dong's room and no one answered the door when he knocked. He was so scared that he thought Chen Dong had left early. When he asked at the front desk, he learned that Chen Dong had just gone out with Chen Zaixing.

Yang Guoliang looked at Gao Yueming, "Mayor Gao, what do you think we should do?"

"Wait, wait here in the lobby," Gao Yueming gritted his teeth. He had already been put on the list by his superiors for this project. If the project failed in the end, he would be ashamed as a man pulling a millstone with nothing on his back.

When the manager of the Peace Hotel learned that Mayor Gao Yueming had arrived, he hurriedly invited him to his office for tea, but Gao Yueming refused. Helpless, the hotel manager could only sit in the lobby with Gao Yueming in the cold wind.

Guo Yifu walked in quickly with his secretary. He was stunned to see Gao Yueming sitting in the lobby. He thought Chen Dong had already left and was about to get angry. Yang Guoliang quickly informed Guo Yifu that Chen Dong had just gone out and would be back soon.

The wait lasted a full two hours. The top two officials of Shanghai stood in the lobby of the Peace Hotel for two hours in the cold wind. In order to prevent people from opening the door and catching a chill, the hotel manager ordered people to stand guard at the main entrance and temporarily restrict people from entering and leaving through the main entrance.

Even so, Guo Yifu's face was still red from the cold. He had drunk almost a whole pot of hot tea and had gone to the bathroom at least four times. Yang Guoliang had also advised that the two leaders should go up to the eighth floor first and have the hotel book a room for them, while he waited in the lobby.

But Guo Yifu politely declined, saying, "We really have let them down. If we've done something wrong, we should admit it. What kind of behavior is it to go upstairs and wait?"

Alright, since you, the Party Secretary, want to wait here, then I, Yang Guoliang, have no objection. Let's wait then.

It wasn't until almost dinnertime that Chen Dong and Chen Zaixing, along with several bodyguards, entered the lobby carrying some things. Seeing Yang Guoliang and the others staring intently at them, Chen Dong asked in surprise, "Director Yang, you're not going to wait here for me the whole time, are you? That can't be right!"