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

December 1, 1983, cloudy

Ningcheng Beilun Economic Development Zone, Xiapu Commune

Today, the Xiapu Commune in Beilun was bustling with activity. A group of leading cadres from the municipal party committee and government gathered at the entrance of the brigade headquarters. A stage had been set up in the courtyard of the brigade headquarters. Today was the day for the signing of a contract and the groundbreaking ceremony between the Ningcheng Municipal Party Committee and Government and Xiaochi Company of Nanyue Tuocheng.

Chen Dong, dressed in a black suit and red tie, was chatting and laughing with Cai Shengju, Ji Lianjun and other Ningcheng cadres. Chen Zaixing was standing beside Chen Dong, listening attentively to their conversation, occasionally chiming in with a few laughs.

Actually, the signing ceremony could have started already. It was supposed to be at nine o'clock, but just before Cai Shengju arrived, he received a call from Liao Yueming, the provincial party secretary, who told him that Minister Huang Bin of the Ministry of Industry had arrived in Hangzhou yesterday and would be coming to Ningcheng Beilun today in his special car to participate in the signing and groundbreaking ceremony.

Fearing that the Chen brothers might be getting impatient, Cai Shengju whispered to Chen Dong, "Minister Huang and Secretary Liao should be arriving soon. They came from the provincial capital this morning, a journey of more than two hours. Please wait a little longer, Mr. Chen."

Chen Dong smiled and said there was no rush. He then turned his head to look at the foundation stone surrounded by red silk. The eight characters on the stone, "Xiaochi Power Beilun Base," were written by Liao Yueming a while ago, and the characters were vigorous and powerful.

Chen Zaixing leaned closer and whispered, "Secretary Cai, Old Huang has really gone to great lengths for the Xiaochi project. He flew from Beijing to Shanghai to reassure us, and now he's come all the way from Beijing to Hangzhou, taking a two-hour drive here. He's almost seventy years old; I'm really worried about tiring him out!"

"Old Huang dedicated his entire life to the industrial development of China, he really worried himself sick. Actually, after you left Shanghai, Old Huang called me and told me to make sure you were treated well," Cai Shengju said with a pained expression. "He also told me not to pay attention to the calls from higher-ups, and to let Ningcheng proceed according to its own plan. He said he would take full responsibility for anything that happened!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zaixing raised an eyebrow, wanting to ask Cai Shengju if someone was pressuring him to give up on Ningcheng. However, considering the occasion and how tactful Chen Zaixing was, he didn't dare to ask.

Ji Lianjun stood beside Cai Shengju, glancing occasionally at the Shanghai-plated watch on his wrist and then at the national highway leading to the city. His heart was pounding with anxiety. Lai Zhanggao stood behind him, clutching the signing process sheet that he had read countless times, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Today's signing and groundbreaking ceremony was coordinated by him, the director of the development zone. From site setup to security measures, from receiving leaders to arranging media, he handled every single thing. This was his first major test since taking office as the director of the development zone. If he failed, he would not only lose face.

Wang Fengxia took a day off today and brought her niece, Wang Haitang, with Qiu Yuying from the city to Xiapu. A week ago, her old friend Qiu Yuying came to her house and politely declined her niece's blind date with Lai Zhanggao. Afterwards, Wang Fengxia used her connections to inquire about Lai Zhanggao's job transfer.

Unexpectedly, Lai Zhanggao really did become the director of the development zone at the age of twenty-five, which made Wang Fengxia even more convinced that Lai Zhanggao was her niece's "true love".

Wang Haitang also called her father, who works in the provincial organization department, and told him about the details of the man her aunt Wang Fengxia had introduced to her. When her father learned that Lai Zhanggao was actually his daughter's blind date, he was overjoyed and asked when they would get married and register their marriage.

Wang Haitang tearfully complained on the phone that she was unrequited love, as she was just a nurse while he was now the director of the development zone, and she was afraid that she was not good enough for him.

Her father immediately used his connections to try and get his daughter, Wang Haitang, transferred to the Ningcheng Health Commission. As the saying goes, "being near the water tower makes it easier to get the moon first." Wang Haitang's father also warned her that "it's hard for a man to pursue a woman, but easy for a woman to pursue a man."

"Honey, be bold! Your marital happiness depends on whether you dare to take this step!"

So today, Wang Haitang came. Ever since Qiu Yuying came to her aunt's house to meet her, she hasn't returned to the provincial capital. Anyway, her father has already used his connections to transfer her job to Ningcheng, so she simply decided not to go back.

Watching the handsome Lai Zhanggao standing beside the group of leaders, Wang Haitang found him increasingly charming. Pointing to Chen Dong, she asked her aunt, "Aren't those two the bosses of Xiaochi Company?"

"Hmm, I heard they came back from America. They're really rich. They even have their own private jet. This time, they invested 500 million US dollars in Beilun alone," Wang Fengxia stared at Chen Dong and Chen Zaixing, clicking her tongue repeatedly.

Qiu Yuying smiled and said, "Fengxia Haitang, that man in the black suit is Chen Zaidong from Xiaochi, and the one next to him is his cousin. I heard he's the boss of Huaxing Real Estate, a big shot!"

"The Chen family must be very powerful in Tuocheng. How come the two brothers are either overseas Chinese or wealthy? I've never heard of such a powerful family in Guangdong before," Wang Fengxia was stunned.

"I heard from my husband, Cai, that Chen Zaidong's other brothers are all quite important. One is the owner of the largest food company in Tuocheng, and another is the general manager of Huaxingsheng Company, the Huaxingsheng Supermarket that was featured on the news recently."

"And another one is the general manager of Xiaochi Company. I heard that Chen Zaidong funded all of these businesses. Tsk tsk tsk, I find it unbelievable!"

"This is incredible! With the Chen family's current momentum and our country's reform and opening up, the Chen family is destined for great success!"

"That's what my husband, Lao Cai, said too. He said we should build a good relationship with the Chen family so that when the Chen family rises up in the future, we can try to establish connections, but they might not even give us a second glance."

Wang Fengxia nodded in agreement. Qiu Yuying meant no harm, but Wang Haitang listened intently. He looked at Chen Dong and Chen Zaixing with an unreadable expression.

The roar of a car engine came from afar, and everyone turned their heads at the same time. A black Shanghai-plated sedan drove from the end of the road, followed by a minibus, kicking up a trail of dust. The convoy slowly stopped beside the podium. The door opened, and Huang Bin, dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit with his hair neatly combed, stepped off the minibus first.

Next came Liao Yueming, the provincial party secretary, and some provincial party committee cadres who followed him. Wang Haitang even saw her father, Wang Guoquan, get off the minibus, and almost shouted out loud.

Chen Dong followed behind Cai Shengju, smiling and clapping as he went to greet him. Huang Bin, unlike when he met with cadres in Shanghai, had a stern face the whole time. He had a smile on his face from the moment he got out of the car. After shaking hands with Cai Shengju, he looked at Chen Dong.

"Zai Dong, am I not too late?"

"Mr. Huang, you've come at just the right time!"