All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

Seeing that Lei Dongbao still had the audacity to stand on top, the crowd below became even more excited. They all began to criticize Lei Dongbao, even bringing up some of the troublesome things he had done since childhood. They said they had always thought Lei Dongbao was not a good person and had a rebellious nature.

Lei Dongbao's expression gradually turned ugly when someone threw dirty water on his mother and deceased father. Lei Dongbao felt very ironic seeing this scene now.

Four years ago, these people were starving. It was he who painstakingly led them to raise Angora rabbits, eventually establishing the Thunder Electric Factory and planning the Xiaoleijia New Village step by step. Everything they have now is the foundation he laid while he was in power, yet they enjoy it with a clear conscience. Now that he is thinking about their future, these people hate him so much. How ironic!

Yes, it's so ironic. Lei Dongbao even laughed in anger, and finally exploded in silence, roaring at the audience.

"Shut the fuck up!"

The crowd fell silent at Lei Dongbao's shout, and many people then remembered the fear they had felt when Lei Dongbao took charge of the Xiao Lei family.

Lei Dongbao was also furious at this moment. Looking at the group of foolish women below the stage, Lei Dongbao felt a tightness in his chest. He no longer cared about saving face for the crowd and continued to shout down at them.

“Do you really think developing the economy is so easy? I, Lei Dongbao, am telling you right now: if Xiaolei Village continues like this, within five years, you will all be back to toiling in the fields for a living. A bunch of foolish women, do you really think that raising some Angora rabbits will make you rich? Keep dreaming! Think about it honestly, without me, Lei Dongbao, would your sons be able to get married? Would your families be living in villas now? Don't you have any self-awareness?”

As soon as Lei Dongbao finished speaking, the women in the audience, who had been holding back, finally erupted, and someone shouted something.

"Down with Lei Dongbao! Drive him out of Xiaolei Village! We've worked so hard raising Angora rabbits and made a fortune, but he can't stand to see us living a good life! Lei Dongbao deserves a terrible death! Lei Dongbao's whole family deserves a terrible death!!"

As the first woman screamed in anguish, countless women rushed toward the stage, leaving Lei Dongbao dumbfounded by the group of foolish women!

Lei Shigen and several village officials quickly pulled Lei Dongbao outside, while other village officials stopped the women who had gone mad!

The village meeting ended in farce. As for the slogan of driving away Lei Dongbao, with the mediation of village officials such as Lei Shigen, the villagers did not drive the family away as the end of the year approached.

However, after this incident, Lei Dongbao and Xiao Leijia were completely torn apart by an unhealable wound!

The villagers now look at Lei Dongbao's family with disgust; their expressions are utterly repulsive.

In fact, Lei Dongbao's family spent the Spring Festival in a very quiet and deserted manner. Not a single villager from the entire Xiaolei family came to pay their respects. Even Lei Shigen and others, perhaps to avoid suspicion or perhaps because they were disappointed in Lei Dongbao, did not come to celebrate the New Year this year.

Lei Dongbao's family had a particularly quiet Spring Festival. His mother was originally a vain person, and in recent years she had been making a name for herself in the village by using her son's name. Now that things had suddenly turned out this way, she was so angry that she couldn't even eat.

Lei Dongbao sensed the oppressive atmosphere and felt that things couldn't continue like this. It was time for him to come out of seclusion and fight for himself.

Opportunity always favors the prepared mind. Last year, Lei Dongbao took Xun Jianxiang to the south for two months, visiting six or seven major cities. He even went to Shenzhen. The vitality of that city was completely different from those in inland cities. Lei Dongbao once stood on a newly built high-rise building, looking down at the dense construction sites below, and said to Xun Jianxiang.

"In the future, I will build an 88-story building in Shenzhen. My office will be on the 88th floor, and your office will be on the 87th floor, hahaha!"

At the time, Lei Dongbao's ambitious words seemed more like a joke between the two of them to Xun Jianxiang. However, Xun Jianxiang did not know that Lei Dongbao had already set it as a goal for the next ten years.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, an old man and a young man braved the cold and dust to arrive at Xiao Lei's house. They asked several people for directions to Lei Dongbao's house, but were met with disdain. Just when they thought they had come to the wrong place, the young man next to the old man suddenly pointed to a person on the road not far away.

"Dad, look, isn't that Lei Dongbao?"

The old man turned around and saw Lei Dongbao with his head down, carrying a bag. The old man took out a newspaper from his pocket, looked at it carefully, and then said with delight.

"It's Lei Dongbao! Let's go, let's go quickly!"

Lei Dongbao had just returned from his mother-in-law's house on the second day of the Lunar New Year. With things having turned out this year, he wasn't in the mood for anything. He had just sent Song Yunping and the child back today, and he planned to settle his mother down before leaving Xiao Lei's house.

Lei Dongbao was somewhat surprised to be stopped by an old man and a young man, but upon seeing the newspapers they were holding, he immediately understood that they must be some state-owned factory leaders who had come to ask him to come out of retirement.

Two months ago, there were at least eighty or a hundred leaders who went to Jinzhou and Xiaoleijia to look for Lei Dongbao. Two months later, he didn't expect that someone would come to see him again. Lei Dongbao smiled and invited the person to come back inside and sit down.

Once inside and seated, Lei Dongbao poured tea for the two men. After ascertaining their identities, Lei Dongbao smiled and nodded.

The two men were a father and son. The older man, surnamed Zhou, was the factory manager of a small hardware factory in Jiangcheng. The products produced by this hardware factory were similar to those of Jinzhou No. 2 Machinery Factory, mostly agricultural tools and parts for agricultural machinery. However, their scale was much smaller than that of Jinzhou No. 2 Machinery Factory, with only more than 800 people. It was a state-owned enterprise under the jurisdiction of the county.

Jiangcheng City is just a county-level city, about 200 kilometers away from Jinling County. The local transportation is much more developed than that of Jinling County. It is located in the center of Anyun Province. However, the local area has more water than land, and the land is barren. Jiangcheng is a well-known poor county in Anyun Province. Lei Dongbao was quite impressed that a hardware factory from a poor county would come all the way from more than 200 kilometers away to Xiao Lei's house in Jinling County.

The two men were not there to invite Lei Dongbao to their factory; they clearly knew they were not qualified. So they came to consult Lei Dongbao because their factory was facing similar problems to those of the former Jinzhou Second Machinery Factory: insolvency, outdated products, and barely surviving on government subsidies.

They wanted to ask Lei Dongbao for some advice for their factory. After all, in Anyun Province, almost all state-owned enterprises and leaders knew about Lei Dongbao's remarkable achievements.

Lei Dongbao invited the two men to stay for dinner. At the table, he inquired in detail about their factory's predicament, a predicament common to state-owned factories: outdated products, obsolete equipment, a large workforce, heavy workloads, and a host of other problems.

Lei Dongbao wasn't a god. After analyzing some of the problems for them, he suggested that Jinzhou Second Machinery Factory should streamline some unnecessary projects, eliminate some low-profit projects, keep up with the market, manufacture some products that are currently popular in the market, and also focus on quality. State-owned factories like this all have a common problem: inconsistent quality. Because they are working for the country, the employees basically lack a sense of ownership.

He talked a lot, and in the end, the old man looked somber and barely ate a few bites of food. Everyone knew about Lei Dongbao's problems, but it was actually very difficult to solve them because the relationships involved were too complicated.

And the most crucial point is that we don't have money!

Lei Dongbao only had start-up capital after clearing out the inventory of Jinzhou No. 2 Machinery Factory, while the warehouse of Jiangcheng Hardware Factory was overgrown with weeds!

Factory Director Zhou looked distressed and remained silent, while the young man beside him admired Lei Dongbao greatly and chatted incessantly with him about many issues.

After the meal, Director Zhou said with a sullen face.

"Sigh, it seems Jiangcheng Hardware Factory is really going to fall into my hands. To be honest, at the end of last year, a Korean company wanted to build a factory in our county. They were interested in the land our hardware factory had. After discussions, our local government decided to sell the factory to them. But we still have more than 800 workers. They are unwilling to take over and want the government to handle it. I'm just trying my luck. I have no other choice but to come and try to find you!"

Lei Dongbao was stunned when he heard Lao Zhou's words. Why would the Koreans want to build a factory in Jiangcheng? And why did they choose their factory?

Lei Dongbao then asked curiously.

Is your factory in a good location?

Old Zhou nodded.

“Our factory is located 40 kilometers east of Jiangcheng, which is Jinzhou. It’s 30 kilometers south of Liangxi City, and just 2 kilometers in front of the city center. There’s also a highway nearby that connects four cities directly. So the Koreans must have been interested in our factory’s location!”

Lei Dongbao was also stunned by Lao Zhou's words. He recalled that thirty years later, Jiangcheng seemed to be a very developed city. It was a county-level city ranked among the top 100 counties in the country. Because of its well-connected transportation network, Jiangcheng had become a well-known logistics hub in the south, and many large enterprises had built warehouses and transit centers there.

Lei Dongbao immediately became interested, thought for a moment, and said.

"You've piqued my interest in Jiangcheng. How about this, I'll go to Jiangcheng with you tomorrow?"

Old Zhou and Little Zhou both looked up at Lei Dongbao and exclaimed in surprise.

"Really?"

Lei Dongbao laughed heartily.

"Of course!"

Lei Dongbao was indeed interested; the key to getting rich quickly lies in the right timing, location, and people.

Jiangcheng's location is a classic example of geographical advantage. With his reputation, he has the best human resources. The only thing he lacks is the right timing. In this era, many of his ideas are difficult to realize, but opportunities can be created!

Chapter 84: Going to Jiangcheng

The next day, Lei Dongbao went to Jiangcheng with Lao Zhou and his son. Before leaving, he also wanted to make sure his mother was settled, such as by renting a house in the county town.

But in the end, his mother refused to leave the villa. Lei Dongbao was also afraid that his mother would be ostracized in the village, so he went to Lei Shigen's and a few of his childhood friends' homes, told them some things, and asked them to help take care of his mother.

Lei Shigen and the others naturally assured him of this instruction, but Lei Dongbao could clearly see the unfamiliarity in their eyes, and in the end he could only sigh helplessly.

If I've truly made up my mind to pursue a certain career this time, I won't change my mind. Once I'm settled, I'll bring my mother, wife, and children over. I probably won't be going back to Xiaolei Village much in the future.

He could basically foresee the future of Xiao Lei's family.

Lei Dongbao can no longer get loans from the bank. The money spent last year on expanding the Angora rabbit breeding base and purchasing rabbits was all the villagers' savings from previous years. Now, with large-scale breeding, the rabbit feed and hay consumed every day are all sourced from other villages, and the prices are getting higher and higher. Lei Dongbao can already foresee how miserable the villagers' fate will be once the price of rabbit fur plummets next year.

It's simply a matter of losing more and more money the longer you raise livestock, until all your funds are used up and you have no choice but to sell at a loss. This has almost become the rule of the rural livestock industry.

In the future, the livestock industry will almost entirely be controlled by large companies. From feed to sales, and finally to food such as ham, and then to the dining table, the entire process has been arranged perfectly. They can make a profit at every step, which not only maximizes profits but also makes it easier to control market prices.

Ordinary people raise livestock entirely depending on whether the weather cooperates. In good years, they can make some money, but in bad years, if swine fever occurs, ten years' worth of profits can be wiped out in a single year. There is a large element of gambling involved. And these giant breeding companies are essentially the ones who manipulate the market.

Because they can raise meat on a large scale, not only are their breeding costs low, but they can also control meat prices. Once meat prices are high in the market, they will sell their meat at a frantic pace, with profits reaching several hundred percent. Once meat prices are low, they will also sell their meat at a frantic pace, using price wars to eliminate all the smaller players.

For truly giant livestock companies, selling meat is a small business; the real money comes from the stock market. Once meat prices skyrocket, their company's market value will also skyrocket. They can easily cash out just one percent, which would be enough for their ancestors to live on for eighteen generations. When meat prices drop and the stock price hits rock bottom, they will pretend to take out a small amount of money to buy more shares, making shareholders believe them.

Take pork as an example. In the future, many places will control the scale of small-scale farming or even ban it. Besides concerns that small-scale farming is not standardized and may cause food safety issues, the biggest reason is that local governments are worried that too many small-scale farmers will disrupt market prices. There are many reasons behind this.

In short, the wealth of capitalists is more bloody than imagined; it is a series of bloodless sharp knives. In the future world, ordinary people will be monopolized by giants in all walks of life, just like fat pigs raised by them. The prices of food, clothing, housing, transportation, and entertainment will all be set by them!

Lei Dongbao no longer intended to deal with Xiao Leijia; he would let them fend for themselves. Perhaps they would be lucky and successfully transform their business in the future. Who knows?

Let time tell!

Lei Dongbao went to Jiangcheng with Lao Zhou and his son. Before leaving, Lei Dongbao made a phone call to Jinzhou Chemical Plant and asked Xun Jianxiang to come to Jiangcheng to meet him.

Although Xun Jianxiang had resigned, Lei Dongbao invited him to spend the New Year with him in Xiaolei Village after he returned. Xun Jianxiang smiled and declined, saying that he wanted to visit his friends at the Jinzhou Factory. Although his parents had passed away, many of his relatives and friends were still there.

Lei Dongbao valued Xun Jianxiang so much not only because the young man was a decent person, but also because he genuinely wanted to mentor him. He was also afraid that Xun Jianxiang would follow the same path as in the original story. After all, it was 1983 this year, so it was safer to bring him to his side.

During this period, Xun Jianxiang had indeed been indulging in eating and drinking and bragging every day. On this day, after receiving a call from Lei Dongbao at the convenience store, he packed his things and prepared to leave the next day. Suddenly, he realized that he had been back for so many days and hadn't had a proper meal with Song Yunhui.

A few days ago, he went to Song Yunhui's dormitory to look for him, but his new roommate said that Song Yunhui had been on duty in the workshop every day during the Spring Festival, so he didn't bother him too much. Now that he was about to leave, he didn't know when he would be able to come back here again, so he decided to wait for Song Yunhui to get off work and have a good get-together.

In the two months that Xun Jianxiang followed Lei Dongbao, he had indeed broadened his horizons considerably. For the first time, he genuinely wanted to work with Lei Dongbao to build a successful career. In his mind, Lei Dongbao was a true leader, capable in both literary and martial arts.

They traveled in the south for two months, spending a lot on sightseeing, but in reality, they didn't spend much. Once, Lei Dongbao bought a batch of hats made of local special materials at a very low price. When he arrived in another city, he sold them for five times the price in just one day. In almost a week, he earned more than 500 yuan, Lei Dongbao said with a smile.

"This is the business opportunity. In fact, doing business is not as difficult as we imagine. There are business opportunities everywhere in the details of our lives. It just depends on how you seize them. There are business opportunities to make big money and small money. With reform and opening up, there will be business opportunities everywhere in China in the future. They are just waiting for bold people to try!"

From that day on, Xun Jianxiang became convinced of Lei Dongbao's talent. Although he wasn't cut out for business, he was willing to learn, and Lei Dongbao was willing to teach him. The two got along quite well.

When Xun Jianxiang went to the workshop to find Song Yunhui, he saw a girl carrying a lunchbox sitting next to Song Yunhui. The two seemed to have a good rapport. Song Yunhui was working nearby, and the girl was sitting next to him, looking up at him with her hand on her face, with a smile on her lips that only lovers would have.

Xun Jianxiang naturally recognized the girl; she was Cheng Kaiyan, the daughter of the repair shop's manager, Cheng. In Xun Jianxiang's memory, Cheng Kaiyan was a very outgoing and carefree person. He never expected her to be so ladylike now. However, he never imagined that Song Yunhui would get together with Cheng Kaiyan. How interesting!

Xun Jianxiang ultimately decided not to disturb Song Yunhui and turned to leave. Seeing that Song Yunhui had found a girlfriend like Cheng Kaiyan, Xun Jianxiang was happy for Song Yunhui.

First of all, Cheng Kaiyan's family background can definitely help Song Yunhui. After all, as the maintenance director under the main factory, Cheng Kaiyan's father is also a powerful figure. Moreover, in Xun Jianxiang's opinion, Song Yunhui is a perfect match for Cheng Kaiyan. His talent has gradually gained the recognition of Secretary Shui and Chief Engineer Liu!

Although the factory struggles are fierce, given Song Yunhui's technical talent, no matter which side wins, they will be unable to do without him. Moreover, with the support of the Cheng family, Song Yunhui's position at the Jinzhou factory is probably secure!

Xun Jianxiang was naturally happy for Song Yunhui, so he decided not to bother him. This time, when he returned to the Jinzhou factory, he ate and drank with his group of cronies. Although they laughed on the surface, they talked about him behind his back. They thought that Xun Jianxiang couldn't make it outside and now wanted to return to the Jinzhou factory. He wasn't deaf, so he knew about the sarcastic remarks behind his back.

Any boasting he makes now is just bragging, but the experiences of the past two months have completely transformed him. He is now full of confidence, and when he succeeds, he will come back to the Jinzhou factory and dazzle them!

When Xun Jianxiang left this time, he only carried a backpack and walked out of the Jinzhou factory all by himself. He didn't inform anyone. A man's ambition lies in the distance. Let's wait and see!

Lei Dongbao accompanied Lao Zhou and his son to Jiangcheng. Seeing the city where rivers intersect, Lei Dongbao finally understood why the city was called Jiangcheng!

Standing on the bridgehead in Jiangcheng city, one could even see a group of fishermen paddling old-fashioned single-plank fishing boats on the river not far away. Occasionally, cormorants would make cooing sounds. The sun was gradually setting in the distance, and the afterglow of dusk rippled across the river. The ripples were all golden. This scene of sky and water blending into one was so beautiful that Lei Dongbao was captivated.

Unfortunately, when Lei Dongbao turned his gaze to the bridge, he saw two rows of dilapidated streets not far away. The roads were full of potholes, the surrounding houses were low, and the red flag of the county government in the distance was somewhat dazzling in the twilight.

This is the central urban area of ​​Jiangcheng. Unfortunately, as far as the eye can see, there are low houses, potholed roads, and most of the pedestrians are thin and dark-skinned. The streets are filled with people wearing yellow and blue clothes, and the children are mostly wearing patched clothes. This is Jiangcheng, a well-known impoverished county in Anyun Province!

From the city center, you can see why Jiangcheng is so poor. It is surrounded by hills of varying heights, and the barren landscape indicates that the soil quality is poor. The county town area is a large plain covering more than ten kilometers, but this place has abundant water but little land, and a large population with limited land. Before the 1980s, when agriculture was the main industry, the reasons for its poverty can be found.

But from Lei Dongbao's modern perspective, Jiangcheng presented a completely different picture; he saw it as a blessed place bestowed by heaven!

The river here is truly beautiful, and it has the potential to become a tourist city. Of course, although the future river city may not be a tourist city, the local housing prices will be comparable to those of provincial cities.

Most importantly, Jiangcheng is at the intersection of several cities, with convenient land transportation and a reach that can cover almost three provinces, making it a perfect commercial transit city.

Unfortunately, although Jiangcheng has convenient transportation, the roads Lei Dongbao saw along the way were mostly potholed and dilapidated. Clearly, no one had yet discovered the value of Jiangcheng.

Lei Dongbao's arrival was treated as an honored guest by the Jiangcheng government, which held two welcoming ceremonies. Lei Dongbao was somewhat amused and exasperated, but he was not fooled by these superficial appearances. He knew very well that the local government was not welcoming Lei Dongbao himself, but rather the value he possessed.

This time, he was very direct and frank with the locals, saying that he planned to conduct a week-long investigation in Jiangcheng. After the investigation, if he decided to settle his business in Jiangcheng, then we could discuss the terms!