Celestial Master： I Have an Otherworld-Chapter 144 - 58: Conflict and Grand Opening

Hotel.

Mr. Zhao warmly shook hands with several food processing industry bosses from Mingzhou, inviting them to have a seat and personally pouring drinks.

Given his status, the few were naturally quite flattered.

"Qu City, though it has Celestial Plate Mountain, isn't ruggedly mountainous. To the south, it's flat and with a suitable environment, perfect for growing vegetables and fruits."

"Having you all come here to build factories is beneficial for both sides."

"Mr. Zhao."

One person stood up, raised his glass politely, and said:

"You know our industry requires large-scale centralized planting for easy management. Qu City... currently doesn't have this environment."

"How come it doesn't?" Mr. Zhao responded:

"Haven't we set aside tens of thousands of acres specifically for growing cash crops?"

"Well..." one person hesitated, speaking in a low voice:

"Over there, one county is dedicated to growing garlic, with planting exceeding six hundred thousand acres annually and an average yearly output of over seven hundred thousand tons."

"We appreciate Mr. Zhao's intentions, but agricultural product processing isn't that simple."

He felt the other might be an excellent politician, but definitely not a qualified businessman, at least not familiar with their line of work.

"I understand." Mr. Zhao wasn't angry; instead, he smiled softly:

"But aside from large-scale planting land, to open a factory, especially in the food processing industry, you also need local cooperation. If you're willing to establish factories in Qu City, we can provide the land for free and assist in acquiring produce from local farmers."

"Moreover..."

"In the next five years, the suburban cash crop planting area in Qu City will expand to two hundred thousand acres, a part of Qu City's future development plan."

"Farmers can't just plant low-profit grains like wheat and corn. Necessary cash crops not only increase income but also develop the food environment."

His tone was calm and orderly, exuding a confidence in controlling the future, leading others to instinctively choose to trust him.

Two hundred thousand acres!

Enough to develop a certain industry.

The room fell silent.

The few exchanged glances, noticeably intrigued.

"Ahem..."

One person covered his mouth and cleared his throat lightly, saying:

"Mr. Zhao, you haven't won the election yet; what you're saying might not hold."

"Rest assured." Mr. Zhao stood up:

"Whether I win or Mr. Li wins the election, today's promises will not be broken; this can be put into a contract."

"Of course."

"I need a hedge agreement, with the factory providing enough jobs, and a minimum tax contribution over five years."

"We trust Mr. Zhao." An elder stroked his beard and nodded:

"But Mr. Li..."

"Expanding cash crop planting areas, providing land for free—these things, even if written into a contract, may not necessarily be enforced."

"True."

"We've been to many places and have invested efforts in factory expansion, but ultimately failed due to interactions with local authorities."

"..."

"Even with free land, the initial construction would take at least tens of millions, which isn't a small amount for us and must be considered thoughtfully."

"Senator."

At that moment, someone pushed the door open and quickly approached Mr. Zhao, whispering something.

"Hmm?"

Mr. Zhao frowned:

"Such a thing happened?"

"Gentlemen."

He stood up, raised his glass in gesture:

"I have an urgent situation here and can't accompany you for now. Please enjoy your meal and drinks. Let's meet again... tonight."

With that, he downed the drink in his glass.

......

The vehicle sped fast.

His secretary, Qian Xiao, handed over a tablet with the document already opened.

"Senator."

He spoke softly:

"The information leaked this time is even weightier, already involving several district leaders, even connected to President Zheng of Fuhong."

"Hmph!"

Mr. Zhao scrolled through the tablet, his face darkening:

"A bunch of fools!"

He didn't mind if people used their positions for personal gain and pocketed large sums of money. What bothered him was that they left evidence of it, which he considered a lack of intelligence.

"Has it been found out who uploaded these things online?"

"Not yet."

Qian Xiao shook his head:

"All transmitted from overseas servers, that person is very cautious."

"They started by uploading trivial matters to catch public attention, then gradually increased the exposure, now pointing directly at the leadership involved in Fuhong's restructuring."

"Senator."

He spoke quietly:

"I've already notified major forums and apps to temporarily block the news, but things are starting to ferment online, and it can't be hidden forever."

"The internet..." Mr. Zhao squinted his eyes:

"Really a bothersome thing."

A century ago, sealing information would be easy for someone of his status, now it's nearly a fantasy.

As for the public,

they were always ignorant, prone to blindly follow.

At least, in his view, it was so.

"Tell President Zheng."

After some thought, he spoke slowly:

"If the matter isn't resolved quickly, he might bring trouble upon himself. The issues currently involve a few people called... Su Weijun."

"Yes."

Qian Xiao nodded:

"Rest assured, Senator, the issue will end with them."

"Mm."

Mr. Zhao nodded slowly:

"Fuhong's restructuring concerns future development. Although I don't agree with Mr. Li's views, as long as it boosts the economy, it's a good thing."

"Economy..."

He gently shook his head:

"To enrich the state and benefit the people—nation first, people second. Some issues need to be addressed during growth, Mr. Li is too naive."

"To the newspaper office!"

"Yes."

Qian Xiao bowed his head.

"By the way," putting down the tablet, Mr. Zhao asked:

"What's Xiao Jin been busy with lately?"

"The young lady enrolled in a Taekwondo school and even hired a Taekwondo expert as a tutor, claiming she'll impress Fang Zheng once she's mastered it," Qian Xiao said with a laugh.