At the start, I had to choose one of four options, and I immediately picked the Brahmin from the cou

The car came to a steady stop at the corner of the old street, and Zheng Hao, familiar with the place, led the two of them to lift the heavy windproof cotton curtain.

A wave of heat, carrying the aromas of cumin, chili powder, and charcoal, swept over us, instantly dispelling the damp chill of Jiangyang's winter night.

This small restaurant called "Lao Pang Barbecue" has walls that have turned yellow from years of cooking fumes, but it does surprisingly good business. The dozen or so low tables are packed with people, and the sounds of drinking games and clinking glasses fill the air.

"Hey, Hao-ge! It's been a while since we've seen you!" The boss, wearing a greasy apron, recognized Zheng Hao at a glance and quickly added a table in the relatively quiet corner at the back.

"The same old three dishes again??"

"The meat is the same as usual, but bring over two cases of wine first." Zheng Hao pulled out a plastic stool, sat down, and gesticulated to the two men.

The three of them sat down around the low table. Zhou Yanhuai looked around, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

"During my six months in Beijing, this was the food I craved the most. The barbecue in Beijing always felt like it lacked that smoky, smoky flavor; Jiangyang's was just right for my taste."

"That's because the environment and soil nurture people."

Zheng Haoqi opened three bottles of beer and slammed them on the table with a thud. "Come on, let's have one! To celebrate our talented Zhou's return from his studies, a complete transformation!"

The glass bottles clinked together crisply, and the icy beer slid down my throat, sending a shiver down my spine, yet also stirring up a surge of excitement.

The steaming charcoal fire, the sizzling lamb skewers, and a few pitchers of ice-cold draft beer—the private rooms of the old street barbecue restaurant are filled with a long-lost youthful spirit.

After a few drinks, Zheng Hao started boasting to Zhou Yanhuai about his glorious years in Jianye. Zhou Yanhuai just listened with a smile, occasionally taking a sip of wine and gently chiming in.

Li Xiao leaned back in his chair, looking at his two childhood friends. One was passionate and worldly, the other reserved and calm, but no matter how the outside world changed, sitting at a greasy wooden table, they were still the boys who grew up together in the old city of Jiangyang.

The party ended late at night, and everyone went home.

As the hangover subsided, the next morning, Jiangyang County welcomed a rare sunny day after the cold wave.

At nine o'clock in the morning, a black Audi A6 stopped right on time outside the south gate of Xinglan Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park.

A black Audi A6 rolled over the newly paved asphalt road in the park and came to a stop in front of the south gate guard post.

The car window rolled down a crack, revealing half of Cao Weidong's face.

The security team leader recognized Secretary Cao and, not daring to stop him, immediately let him pass.

Li Xiao was already waiting in the main building lobby.

He wore a dark blue cashmere coat today, with a black turtleneck sweater underneath, and his clothes remained perfectly in place even in the cold wind.

Seeing Cao Weidong get out of the car, he walked over, and the two shook hands without exchanging many pleasantries.

Cao Weidong looked up at the exterior of the main building, then glanced around and said:

"Your park changes every day. Last month, there were piles of sand and gravel over there. Now even the streetlights have been replaced."

"Secretary Cao, what brings you here today?" Li Xiao accompanied him into the main building.

Cao Weidong patted the file folder: "I've brought you the land."

As he spoke, he shoved the file folder into Li Xiao's hand. "Regarding Xinglan Intelligent Manufacturing, which you mentioned before, the county party committee and county government discussed it twice, and I reached a consensus. Open it and take a look."

Li Xiao didn't rush to dismantle it; he first led Cao Weidong into his office.

He only opened the file folder after the door was closed.

Inside were two documents: one was the minutes of a special meeting held by the High-tech Zone Management Committee regarding the land use for the Xinglan Intelligent Manufacturing Project, and the other was a pre-approval opinion on the land use with a seal.

The location of the plot mentioned in the preliminary review opinion is on the east side of Phase II, and its area is neither too big nor too small, just over 100 mu.

"This place is the most square piece in Phase II."

Cao Weidong sat down on the sofa and poured himself a glass of water.

"It was originally reserved for a logistics company, but that company went out of business. Since the land was just sitting empty anyway, we decided to allocate it to Xinglan Intelligent Manufacturing."

After Li Xiao finished reviewing the documents, he closed them and placed them on the coffee table.

A hundred acres of land may not seem like much in any high-tech zone in Jianye District, but for Xinglan Intelligent Manufacturing, which is just starting out, the fact that it can take such a big step gives it a lot of confidence.

He knew Cao Weidong wasn't there to deliver land.

Offering land is a means to an end; what Cao Weidong wants is for the Xinglan Intelligent Manufacturing line to be established in Jiangyang as soon as possible, thereby boosting the output value and tax revenue of the high-tech zone.

With the inspection team's conclusions just released, Cao Weidong needs a tangible victory to prove himself.

Entrusting 100 acres of land to Li Xiao was both a gamble and a revelation.

"Secretary Cao, I want this land. But let me make this clear from the start: from the project's inception to the first prototype rolling off the production line, even I don't know how long it will take for Xinglan Intelligent Manufacturing. During this time, the production line won't contribute a single penny of output value to you," Li Xiao said.

Cao Weidong waved his hand:

"I know. Smart manufacturing doesn't yield returns so quickly. Just lay the groundwork, and the county will cover everything. Water and electricity, environmental impact assessment, recruitment, employee dormitories—just make a list, and Sun Zhengming will personally handle it. In short, the county will cooperate in any way the Xinglan Smart Manufacturing factory opens its doors."

Li Xiao smiled. The biggest advantage of working with someone like Cao Weidong is that he doesn't play games with you.

You want land, he provides land; you provide the project, he allocates the resources; the accounts are clearly settled.

He picked up his water glass, lightly clinked it against Cao Weidong's, and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Cao Weidong asked, "What exactly is this 'Star Bee' of yours? I've seen those warehouse robots on TV, is that the kind you built?"

Li Xiao nodded:

"Yes. But it's different from the QR code AGVs commonly found in warehouses. Xingfeng uses a combination of vision and laser positioning, without laying codes or altering the ground. In the future, hundreds of units will run in a single warehouse, each finding its own path without colliding with each other. It's faster and much more flexible than traditional AGVs. This system will completely change the way warehousing and logistics work. Jiangyang is the first place that can mass-produce it."

Cao Weidong only understood half of what he heard, but that didn't dampen his excitement:

"Then I'll be waiting to see your Xingfeng. Mr. Li, the thing I trust most about you is that while others boast, you get things done. Xinglan Technology said it would become a provincial high-tech enterprise, and it really did. If Xingfeng can succeed next year, I, as the Party Secretary, will have even more motivation."

Li Xiao said:

"Don't worry, Secretary Cao. I won't let it leave the factory myself unless it's being processed."

The two smiled at each other.

Cao Weidong chatted a bit more about investment promotion, mentioning that there would be a digital economy symposium in the province after the New Year, and he planned to bring Xinglan's case as a model to be presented. Li Xiao didn't object. This kind of official exposure would be beneficial for Xinglan's access to resources in the province.