Chapter 406: Chapter 406: Feng Zhenchang goes fishing
The place where the county magistrate invited him to dinner was the small restaurant at the county guesthouse, which also had an unremarkable appearance, but inside it would blow your mind.
The secretary-general of the county government greeted him at the entrance to the guesthouse, 'Hello, Mr. Feng, this way please, County Magistrate Zhao has been waiting for a long time inside,'
Feng Zhenchang had also deliberately looked into these county government agencies and knew that the position of secretary-general was not simple. It must be the county head's trusted right-hand man. He thanked him repeatedly.
The secretary-general knew the scale of Feng's family's several companies. There was no one better in the entire county, or even the entire city, in terms of private enterprises, so he dared not be negligent.
In the small private room, there was only County Head Zhao, who beamed and extended his hand to Feng Zhenchang, saying, 'Feng Zhenchang, please!'
Feng Zhenchang smiled and shook the hands of the county magistrate, 'You're too kind, I really can't bear it.'
He had been prepared to face a table of people alone and fight a bitter battle, so this arrangement by the county magistrate took him by surprise.
Little did he know that the county magistrate had originally planned to receive him with a group of people from the industry and commerce bureau and investment promotion bureau. Knowing that he was coming alone, they had withdrawn. If they had really done that, it wouldn't have been like a negotiation, but a bit like coercion.
This arrangement also shows the shrewdness of County Magistrate Zhao.
'An outstanding entrepreneur like you, who has become rich but still remembers your hometown, definitely deserves to be in charge. If there were more people like you in the county, my job would be much easier! By the way, have the two factories in the village started production yet?'
'It has already started production. I have brought some of the main products today for the two leaders to try.'
He gave the county head and the secretary general, who was accompanying him, a pack each of some freshly produced roasted seeds and nuts, pickled vegetables and tea.
'We will definitely take these. They are not bad. Just look at the packaging, the quality is good. How are sales?'
'Sales are not a problem. They are all supplied to the company's convenience stores. Judging from the recent feedback data, these products are relatively popular among similar products.'
Of course they are popular, because the convenience store employees also know that these are private label products, so they sell them with more enthusiasm. And the current products, whether it's quality, taste or price, have all stood the test of the market.
'Yes, of course Mr Feng's family doesn't have to worry about sales. The manufacturer and convenience store are a perfect integration of production and sales,' the secretary general said with a smile.
'Mr Feng, please, these are all home-cooked dishes. And I'm sorry, I can't drink with you today. You know, I have a lot of meetings in the afternoon.' County Magistrate Zhao held up his chopsticks to show he was offering hospitality.
'I know, so I'm all the more grateful to the two leaders for taking time out of their busy schedules to invite me to dinner.'
'No matter how busy we are, we have to invite you to dinner,' the secretary general said with a smile, pouring a bowl of sea cucumber and angelica soup for Feng Zhenchang. "Mr Feng, you are our benefactor.'
'I'm afraid I don't deserve that," Feng Zhenchang knew that the meaty part of the scene was coming.
Sure enough, after finishing the soup, County Head Zhao cut straight to the chase, 'Mr Feng, I heard from Mayor Wang that you have a new investment plan, right?'
Feng Zhenchang knew that Wang Ganqing would definitely talk to County Magistrate Zhao about this matter. He also knew that, just two days after attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the village factory, Wang Ganqing had gone to the provincial capital on his own. However, he only met with Gao Zhiyi, who said that the company executives were all on business trips, and asked about the investment. He said that several departments at the headquarters were comparing and screening the conditions in various places, and of course it was impossible to give him any reply.
'County head, it's not me, it's the group company that has new investment plans. As far as I know, there are many investment plans this year, and many have already been decided, such as the plan to buy land in Hainan to build another resort hotel,'
Feng Zhenchang clarified again that he was not the main investor.
'Building another hotel? The one in the provincial capital isn't even open yet, is it?'
'It's already under renovation and is expected to officially open to the public around National Day this year. I will definitely invite the county head and the secretary-general to come.'
'We will definitely go, it would be our honour! I have seen that hotel from afar, it is very distinctive. I heard that the investment was also very large?'
'I am not sure about the specifics, plus the later stage of decoration, it seems to be nearly 20 million U.S. dollars,' Feng Zhenchang said lightly, giving a figure that made both men lose their composure.
Indeed, neither could remain calm. Last year, the county's revenue was less than 150 million yuan, and much of this was book income, as the county's industry was mainly state-owned enterprises.
For example, the first place is the Nanshan Hydropower Station, which generates more than 10,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, and the following places are the county fertilizer factory, the county winery, and the county water plant.
As for foreign investment, there is only a paltry 870,000 US dollars, and this is still a figure after the report has been embellished. freewёbnoνel.com
'Mr Feng, the county actually also lacks high-end hotels. I wonder if you have considered it?' the secretary-general said.
'Yijia Express Hotel is preparing for a major expansion this year, but I heard that it is mainly set at the municipal level at present,' Feng Zhenchang answered with words like "I heard" to indicate that he did not have the final say.
County Chief Zhao brought the topic back to the table, 'Let's not talk about that. Feng, I heard that there is a plan to invest tens of millions of dollars, is that right? What is the specific project?'
'Yes, I mentioned it to Mayor Wang. We plan to invest 3-5 million yuan this year to build a silk base, and then invest a corresponding amount to build a silk quilt factory. The department in charge of investment at the group seems to be in contact with several cities in the province.'
This was the first time County Magistrate Zhao had heard anything concrete about the investment project, and he could not calm down. 'President Feng, you are also a local resident, so you know that our county ranks among the best in the province in terms of both cocoon production and quality. From an emotional and commercial perspective, our county is the most suitable place, don't you think so?'
As officials in charge, they like this kind of project best. Although BR County has a high production of chestnuts, those chestnut trading companies are not very welcome, because they just bring a sum of money every autumn to collect the chestnuts and leave, and they will not have any other positive impact on the chestnut industry in the county. Moreover, when the output is high, the purchase price will definitely be low, and even in high-yield years, the income of farmers will also be limited.
However, Jiasheng's model is different. Not only will it establish a raw material base, but also a production base. Not only will it raise the purchase price and increase farmers' income, it will also have a stimulating effect on the entire industry.
Most importantly, since 1995, the overall silk market has been in a downturn, and the purchase price of cocoons has been falling. Many farmers have had to uproot their mulberry fields and plant other crops instead. The silk industry, which was a pillar of the county's economy alongside chestnuts, has declined significantly in recent years. Several silk reeling factories and cocoon and silk companies in the county are struggling to survive.
If this project can be implemented, it will not only increase the income of farmers, but also increase the industrial output value of the entire county. Judging from Jiasheng's usual approach, it is estimated that in one or two years, the output value of this project alone will be more than tens of millions of yuan, which will have a huge impact on the silkworm industry.
In addition, the county has not yet attracted a major project with an investment of tens of millions of dollars. Such projects are also rare in the city, and they are definitely a hot commodity. If it can really be negotiated, it will definitely be considered a successful achievement.
Feng Zhenchang thought to himself, of course he only said that because he knew the project was in line with the county's situation, otherwise he would not have mentioned it. 'I know, and I hope it can be settled in the county too, but as the county head you also know, just take the city for example, there are many counties with high raw silk production. The group's interdepartmental team will make the final decision on where to invest. They will comprehensively consider many factors such as the environment, geographical location, industry support, preferential conditions, etc. I really can't make the decision.'