With each project undertaken, it becomes a test of networking and market precision.
A broad and reckless approach to development, relying on luck in management, will soon be swept away by the industry's big waves. This is why Wei Qian chose to keep Dr. Ma Chunming, even though Dr. Ma is a block of elm wood, he is a block of elm wood with extremely clear thinking.
Although Dr. Ma doesn't often show his face, he still somewhat understands Wei Qian and their way of doing things, so he immediately understood on the spot.
San Pang's so-called "preemptive strike" was the first hint. Although he had only been wining and dining in the past, it hinted that their local network was smooth. They had to be subtle enough and give the other party enough face, lest people think they were plotting, and then, in the investment department's "project proposal," of course, there would be some hints. The amount of hints would demonstrate how much they could grasp.
It's like showing a corner of the roots of a big tree to others, allowing the other party to guess the tip of the iceberg.
So, they needed Wei Zhiyuan's help.
"And what do you plan to do?" Ma Chunming chased after Wei Qian into his office and asked.
Wei Qian gestured to him like calling a dog and called Ma Chunming into the room, handing him a USB drive. "Go print it out."
It was a project proposal of nearly a hundred pages. Ma Chunming printed it out on recycled paper, thick as a stack, impossible to bind. He looked at Wei Qian in disbelief, "Did you do this? How did you find time to do this?"
Wei Qian turned his head and sneezed, saying somewhat gruffly, "Don't worry about it."
Wei Zhiyuan, who had been quiet on the side, walked over, bent down, and felt his forehead, then handed him a cup of hot water, placing it in front of Wei Qian, saying, "Drink up. I'll go out now to buy medicine for you."
After saying that, he really put on his coat and went out.
Ma Chunming looked up at Wei Zhiyuan strangely—although as an only child, he couldn't understand sibling love, with his life experience and barren imagination, he always felt that "little brother" was synonymous with troublemakers, and he had never seen Wei Zhiyuan being so... attentive and considerate, almost like a boyfriend.
But when Ma Chunming's gaze fell on their big brother, Wei Qian, immediately all the romantic notions shattered, leaving him shivering as if he had just drunk a pot of icy water in the dead of winter.
"I must be possessed by a demon," he thought.
Ma Chunming read extremely quickly, taking in ten lines at a glance. He boasted that he could even remember everything at a glance.
After reading it, Dr. Ma suppressed his creepy and lecherous thoughts, furrowing his brow, "The concept of an industrial park is indeed very appealing. If it could really be developed, it would be very attractive in terms of tax revenue and job creation. But I'm afraid it's not that easy, right?"
Wei Qian spoke after a burst of steam rose from the hot water, "It's not easy, but where there's a will, there's a way."
"I think an industrial park requires the right timing, location, and people—without any missing element. Of course, the location in City A seems feasible from both natural and cultural perspectives, but don't you think it's not enough? And don't you think the positioning is too high? With 'culture and high-tech' as the core, such industrial parks mostly form spontaneously or are supported by the government through tax breaks and awards— the government won't agree for sure. I don't think there's a mature soil for that there."
Wei Qian mentioned a very famous foreign gaming brand and asked Ma Chunming, "Have you heard of it?"
Ma Chunming hesitated for a moment and nodded.
"It's the one Xiao Yuan and the others are involved in making," Wei Qian said.
Ma Chunming thought for a moment and asked, "So you plan to leverage his connections to attract well-known brands? What do you offer them to attract them?"
"If the government doesn't offer tax breaks, I'll waive the rent. I'll provide them with the best working environment, the lowest costs, and excellent companies can use tech stocks to invest in the property. I also plan to open up a block of expert apartments in a beautiful location, fully furnished with the quality of high-end vacation apartments. We'll find the best property management team to operate it. At the beginning, it can be free, and once the park matures, we'll include the costs in the rent for office space," Wei Qian lightly tapped the table. "With renowned brands moving in, the government gets immediate achievements and tax revenue. Plus, they can attract service providers upstream and downstream, quickly constructing a complete industrial chain."
As workaholic Ma Chunming listened to his brief explanation, he could immediately estimate the approximate investment in his mind.
This project carried enormous risks and huge capital costs, with virtually no income expected for the first few years.
All the profits from their projects nationwide might have to be poured into this one place. Just like how a software company supports an office software team with all its business income, in the end, it might prove that this effort, supported by everyone, leads to a dead end.
With tens of billions in investment, a lengthy payback period, and daily financing costs possibly reaching millions, there was a possibility of abandonment midway or reaching the end only to find a dead end.
Ma Chunming sat there dazed for a while, almost lost in thought. After a long time, he finally found his voice, almost muttering to himself, "You're too bold... why?"
Ma Chunming knew that even if Wei Qian had gone mad, he wouldn't use such a large sum of money just to compete with Wang Dongliang.
More importantly, Wei Qian couldn't have completed such a detailed plan in such a short time alone, with extensive research involving multiple provinces and cities, and in-depth analysis at various levels, macro and micro. Without a few years of effort, it would be impossible.
Just this plan alone, if taken to market, Ma Chunming could estimate its substantial value... The question was, how many people would dare to take action?
The A City government would definitely find it hard to find a second person willing to undertake such a project. Compared to them, their original tax-paying powerhouse, Wang Dongliang, had truly become nothing more than a troublemaker causing social instability—especially since he was suspected of tax evasion.
"Ten years ago, someone said something to me," Wei Qian said slowly. "I've always admired this person. Apart from being blinded in front of his wife, I think he has a vision that penetrates through the ages. He told me that the era of labor was over, and we were about to enter a decade of capital dominance, followed closely by the spring of technology. Now, ten years have passed, and he was right. I bet his prediction for the next ten years will also be accurate."
Ma Chunming could easily guess who this person was, and his eyes lit up immediately.
Wei Qian's voice became hoarse, and he coughed a few times before continuing, "One day, the era of building houses just to sell them will end. Although the likelihood of a policy or market collapse in our country is small, the unequal development between regions will gradually lead to the disappearance of prime plots, and prices will correspondingly skyrocket. It's also possible that due to economic bubbles, our current surplus financing channels will be cut off, and high interest rates will further compress profit margins. If the industry deteriorates to that point, it will be too late to turn back..."
Wei Qian coughed again, his throat itching even more than before, as if his cold had worsened since morning.
Ma Chunming, perhaps to show concern, casually remarked, "Ah, you have a cold? You should drink more water."
Then, he ignorantly ignored Wei Qian's empty cup for half the day and eagerly scooted his chair forward, urging him on, "And then?"
His verbal and physical cues simultaneously conveyed: I was just being polite earlier, now you take care of yourself.
Wei Qian paused for a moment, then stood up with his legs feeling a bit heavy, poured himself another cup of hot water, and continued, "At that time, countless small and medium-sized enterprises in the industry will die in long-term turmoil. To survive healthily and sustainably, there must be one of two pillars in between—industrial-type properties or globally unimpeded asset securitization."
Upon hearing this, Ma Chunming jumped up as if injected with chicken blood. "I got it! Either become a hematopoietic stem cell yourself or become a part of the flowing blood!"
Wei Qian leaned against the wall, seemingly satisfied with his swift reaction, nodding, "That's about the gist of it. The success of this matter depends on you. You can select your own people from each project company abroad to form a temporary team specifically for this task."
Ma Chunming slammed the table. "As long as this proposal convinces the local municipal government, I'll give you a feasible operational plan within two months."
He finished speaking, brimming with energy like a big monkey, as if he intended to dive in and never come out.
At this moment, Wei Qian hesitated for a moment, then suddenly stopped him.
"Old Ma, it's normal if you can't play dirty or turn a blind eye to it," Wei Qian said. "Some people excel at tricks their whole lives, yet end up like this. The key to real success lies with people like you."
Ma Chunming was taken aback for a moment, then his face suddenly flushed red, and he stood there awkwardly, unable to move. "Wei, Mr. Wei..."
He had been following this extremely difficult man for five or six years. Wei Qian had given him a job, an opportunity, and even a sense of dignity. Ma Chunming had always been grateful, but it was only at this moment that he suddenly felt the kind of loyalty that made one willing to die for a friend.
Ma Chunming's eyes quickly stung, almost tearing up, and he opened his mouth but once again found himself at a loss for words.
Wei Qian, too lazy to watch his tearful gratitude, waved his hand as if shooing away a dog, with a hint of resentment in his tone. "Otherwise, how could I tolerate you, this idiot, for so long? Get lost, you're just annoying to look at... You don't even have the eyesight to pour water for your parents. What use are you? Just here to monkey around?"
Ma Chunming, delightedly insulted by him, left the boss's office with a spring in his step. Just then, Wei Zhiyuan returned.
Wei Zhiyuan nodded politely to him, with a hint of coldness, and walked in. Ma Chunming hesitated for a moment, then turned back, deciding to observe how the "perceptive" person handled things, hoping to learn a thing or two for future use.
He saw Wei Zhiyuan exhale, rub his hands together to warm them, then walked in, took out some small pills for Wei Qian, watched him swallow them, and then bent down to lightly touch Wei Qian's forehead with his own.
"You have a bit of a fever," he heard Wei Zhiyuan say softly, almost in a consulting tone. "Would you like to come home with me?"
Ma Chunming smirked inwardly: This time, he'll surely hit the jackpot with his flattery. The eccentric never backs down from duty even when injured lightly. At most, he intensifies his torment of his subordinates. He wouldn't skip work halfway.
But to his surprise, Wei Qian merely furrowed his brow for a moment and didn't say anything, allowing Wei Zhiyuan to take off his coat, put it on him, and then take away his car keys and bag.
Ma Chunming: "..."
Two seconds later, he snapped out of it, quickly slipping downstairs before Wei Qian noticed, sneaking into the public restroom around the corner, like a stealthy mouse, peering out cautiously to watch Wei Qian being taken away by Wei Zhiyuan.
"How did he manage to avoid getting hit or scolded?" Ma Chunming muttered to himself, utterly perplexed. "This is so unfair!"
The next day, a cold front from the north swept through the entire city. Just like a weather forecast, Wei Qian began his routine coughing for the early winter... and his way of stopping the coughing was to smoke.
While Wei Qian wasn't paying attention, Wei Zhiyuan rolled up all the cigarettes at home and in the office into one package, stashed them away in a cupboard, and kept the keys with him. He left only one pack for Wei Qian outside, declaring without hesitation, "Forcing a change in lifestyle is bad for the body. I won't force you to quit smoking, but starting today, we'll implement a rationing system. This is three days' worth. You can decide how to distribute it yourself. The sooner you smoke them, the sooner they'll be gone."
Wei Qian: "..."
He remained silent for a moment, then asked slowly, word by word, "Are you trying to teach me a lesson?"
Wei Zhiyuan looked at him with a charming smile, subtly gesturing to his own lips, meaning: You've kissed and touched me, are you going to deny it? I have the right to intervene.
Wei Qian took a deep breath, patiently saying, "Stop messing around. Why weren't you this difficult when you were a kid? Give me the keys."
Wei Zhiyuan retorted, "Back then, I idolized you like a god. Forget about the smell of smoke, I loved even the scent of your unwashed body after ten days. But things are different now. You're mine from now on, and I want to keep my people alive longer. What's wrong with that?"
"Bullshit." Wei Qian stood up, intending to take action against him.
Wei Zhiyuan quickly backed into the corner, hands pulling at his collar. "Don't come any closer! If you do, I'll strip!"
Wei Qian: "..."
Wei Zhiyuan flashed a mischievous smile, showing his small tiger teeth. "My roommate was an exhibitionist. I learned from him."
"After spending so many years abroad, you learned to strip from the foreigners?" Wei Qian's veins bulged with anger. "If you're so capable, then strip!"
To everyone's surprise, Wei Zhiyuan indeed had the skills. Without hesitation, he swiftly pulled his shirt out from under his sweater, unbuttoned a row of buttons in a lightning-fast manner, and then placed his hand on his belt. "There, shirt's off. Do you want to see me take off my pants too?"
Just then, Xiao Bao, who had finished touring the local attractions with Alex, pushed open the door.
Seeing the scene before her, she once again turned into a horrified expression, frozen in a comical posture.
Alex peeked out from behind her, his eyes darting around, and blurted out, "Wow! Rape! This is too intense, it's my first time seeing it live!"
His tourist-like enthusiasm finally angered Wei Qian, but it wasn't appropriate to either scold Wei Zhiyuan in front of outsiders or berate Xiao Baos guests. So, he turned around expressionlessly and slammed the door shut with a loud thud.
Wei Qian flopped heavily onto the bed, thinking to himself, "These two are a pair of troublemakers."
Meanwhile, Wei Zhiyuan outside calmly buttoned up his shirt, glanced at the two of them, and considerately refrained from disturbing Xiao Bao.
Ever since that morning when she stumbled upon him spending the night in Wei Qian's room, Xiao Bao had started disappearing mysteriously under the guise of "taking the fake foreigner to visit local attractions."
Wei Zhiyuan knew she was still struggling to accept it—actually, who wouldn't find it hard to accept? She was being much more reserved than San Pang had been back in the day, without causing any trouble.
A minute later, Song Xiao Bao entered silently, closed the door behind her without a word, and stood in the narrow hallway without even changing her shoes. Suddenly, without warning, she let out a cry and burst into tears behind Alex.
That was genuine sobbing, which startled both Alex and Wei Zhiyuan. Even Wei Qian, who had already returned to his room, was alerted, but after hesitating for a moment, he still didn't come out. He just stood at the doorway, slightly nervous, listening to the commotion outside.
Alex, unsure of what to do, gently patted her on the back. "Song Xiaobao? What's wrong? Hey... stop crying, your face is all messed up."
Song Xiaobao ignored him, crying until she was out of breath, too exhausted to continue standing. Slowly, she leaned against the shoe cabinet, grabbed Wei Zhiyuan's pant leg, which she hadn't noticed was next to her, and choked out words between sobs.
After a while, her violent sobs subsided slightly, and Wei Zhiyuan could make out her intermittent words: "I... I gave my brother to you. Don't... don't be mad at him in the future."
Wei Zhiyuan squatted down, gently patting her head, and softly asked, "When have I ever been mad at him?"
"Yeah... that's right." Song Xiaobao sniffled, wiping away the tears about to fall. Then, unable to contain her sorrow any longer, she broke down again. "So, no one will care about me in the future?"
Wei Zhiyuan smiled. "Nonsense."
Song Xiaobao thought for a moment, feeling that she might be overreacting. However, she couldn't understand why she still felt upset. Throughout her life, she had always ignored the pain and confusion around her, but now, it seemed like she had finally grown into a mature mental state, and the vague touch of it immediately overwhelmed her.
So, she fell silent, simply sitting on the floor and crying her heart out, thinking that it might be a detoxifying and beautifying experience.
The temperature quickly plummeted, and Wei Qian's cold seemed to improve miraculously, despite the virus stubbornly clinging to him for what felt like forty-nine days.
But Wei Qian soon stopped worrying about it—because things were going smoothly in City A. Suspicious individuals quickly scattered, and Wang Dongliang faced several criminal cases in rapid succession, almost reaching the end of his rope. Everyone felt delighted to see this turn of events.
Meanwhile, Ma Chunming's team began operating at an extremely efficient pace. The proposal was submitted to the City A government, and the mayor personally invited San Pang, who was staying there, for a meal, displaying a very friendly attitude as if they had become close friends overnight.
On a snowy day, when Wei Qian was leaving work, he saw Ma Chunming still working overtime. He reminded him to be careful on the way home and then buttoned up his collar before heading back inside.
As the snowfall intensified, extreme weather warnings were issued. Around ten o'clock in the evening, Wei Qian suddenly received a call from Ma Chunming.
Off-duty, Ma Chunming rarely bothered him, mainly because the two of them didn't have much to talk about. But this time, Ma Chunming's voice trembled as he spoke on the other end, "Boss, help me."
Wei Qian was startled, thinking something had happened at the company.
Ma Chunming's next words were, "I fell into the sewer."
Wei Qian: "...Huh?"
Ma Chunming had actually fallen into the sewer, not playing around.
Wei Zhiyuan adamantly refused to let Wei Qian leave the house. After a struggle, Wei Zhiyuan locked him in and went out alone to rescue that damned big monkey.
When he found Ma Chunming, the guy had already been sent to the hospital by onlookers.
The heavy snow buried the entire city, with some places reaching up to people's calves. While Ma Chunming was gingerly walking along the roadside, he accidentally stepped on a raised manhole cover.
Luckily, he was lucky enough to only fall halfway through in the violent struggle, breaking his leg, but not disappearing directly into the city's sewer system.
His bag fell down and couldn't be found, penniless, Wei Zhiyuan had to cover his hospital expenses.
Ma Chunming lay on the hospital bed, looking as if all hope was lost. Wei Zhiyuan wasn't close to him and didn't ask much, so he had to leave first. The next day, Wei Qian went to the hospital to see him and find out what happened.
"My car was in the shop yesterday, so I was planning to take the subway home," Ma Chunming said incoherently, "but she... my ex-wife, called me and said... she's sick, it's almost New Year, and I..."
"You went out in the heavy snow, and then fell in," Wei Qian interrupted.
Ma Chunming squeezed out a melancholic smile of despair.
Wei Qian coughed heavily into his thick scarf and muttered, "Idiot."
Ma Chunming leaned back and lay heavily on the bed, murmuring, "I've given her everything I could, from now on, my love is dead."
Wei Qian, devoid of sympathy, said, "You might as well die miserably along with it."
Ma Chunming grabbed the pillow from the hospital bed and brazenly threw it at his boss, venting his anger, "I see it now, you heartless and unfeeling bastard, just like her, you two were born to disappoint others!"
Wei Qian caught the pillow thrown at him, not yet dealing with the audacious Ma Chunming, reflexively glanced at Wei Zhiyuan.
Wei Zhiyuan seemed to be waiting for his gaze, giving him a meaningful smile.
After that day, they didn't have any further contact. Wei Zhiyuan occasionally made a few verbal jokes, always keeping things proper and never pushing him.
But now, Wei Qian suddenly saw in his eyes that longing anticipation.