More than half of the seven-day period had passed.
Progress on Vice President Li’s end was not going well.
When Vice President Li had first arrived in this industrial zone in Bin City, he had personally surveyed the area.
The industrial zone’s profitability was indeed poor.
The machinery in many of the factories couldn’t even function properly.
This was partly due to aging machinery.
Another reason was that the factories were no longer profitable and didn’t have as many orders.
Many of the factories were considering relocating.
The owner of the entire industrial zone’s land was also the boss of one of the factories within it.
It was a clothing factory that primarily produced mid-to-high-end luxury apparel.
However, the factory’s profitability was currently poor.
The clothing factory’s owner, Tian Youguang, relied mainly on the rental income from this plot of land to turn a profit.
However, as more and more factories prepared to relocate, the rental income from the land dwindled.
On top of that, the clothing factory had made a mistake on an order at the beginning of the year.
The resulting breach of contract penalty cost them tens of millions.
During this time, Boss Tian’s expenses had been far exceeding his income.
So, when Vice President Li came knocking,
Boss Tian was genuinely tempted.
After all, the factories on this land were becoming less and less profitable.
He couldn’t expect much from the rent anymore.
If he sold this plot of land, he would suddenly have several hundred million in cash.
At the very least, it would alleviate his current situation of spending more than he earned.
However, this land was an inheritance from Boss Tian’s father.
That made him somewhat hesitant.
When Vice President Li, wearing a smile, discussed the matter with Boss Tian,
Boss Tian, though tempted, was still hesitant and conflicted.
"How about this, Mr. Li? I’d like some more time to think about this."
"I’ll get back to you in a couple of days."
Because he was genuinely tempted, Boss Tian’s attitude was very mild, and he even subtly hinted at his willingness to cooperate.
Under the circumstances, Vice President Li had assumed Boss Tian wouldn’t need long to consider.
So, he had readily agreed to give Boss Tian two days to think it over.
Two days later, however, Boss Tian’s attitude had done a complete one-eighty.
Vice President Li was certain he had seen that Boss Tian was genuinely tempted.
But two days later, Boss Tian’s tone had become much firmer. "I’m very sorry, Mr. Li, but I’ve decided not to sell this land!"
"There’s nothing more for us to discuss."
Vice President Li assumed Boss Tian was dissatisfied with the price he had offered.
So, he hinted that he could raise the price a bit.
"This isn’t about the price. This land was passed down to me from my father."
"I can’t just sell it off. I’m waiting to pass this land on to my son!"
Boss Tian impatiently hung up the phone.
Vice President Li was no greenhorn just starting out.
Boss Tian had suddenly gone back on his word!
He knew there was likely something fishy going on.
He deliberately spent some money to hire someone to ask around.
It turned out that Boss Tian had heard at some drinking party that after this batch of old factories relocated,
a new batch of factories was apparently looking to set up shop in the area.
They would most likely build their plants on this very plot of land.
It was a group of chemical plants.
Furthermore, he’d heard the boss behind these plants was very powerful and definitely wouldn’t be late on rent or anything like that.
They might even sign a lease for ten or twenty years right off the bat.
This news had made Boss Tian ecstatic.
If a group of major plants like this moved in,
he wouldn’t have to worry about his cash flow problems anymore.
After all, with land, the longer you rent it out, the more you earn.
Once he negotiated the rent with this big boss, he could collect the money and get the funds for his own factory flowing again.
That was why Tian Youguang’s attitude had changed so drastically.
Since he could solve his problems with rental income, Tian Youguang no longer intended to sell the land.
As soon as Vice President Li learned of the situation, he immediately contacted Lin Feng.
"That’s the gist of the situation. I also had someone investigate the owner of the chemical plants that want to build here."
"The information I dug up is quite different from what Boss Tian heard."
Watching Vice President Li’s expression on the projected screen, Lin Feng listened thoughtfully, waiting for him to finish his report.
"This group of chemical plants was previously located in a suburban area of another city."
"It seems they were driven out because of pollution issues."
"I have no idea how they managed to get a permit from Bin City to relocate here this time."
"I’ve also noticed that his chemical plants still lack some key wastewater treatment equipment. They’re clearly planning to hit and run."
Lin Feng cut Vice President Li off. "So, to be clear, they’ve definitely confirmed they’re moving in, right?"
Vice President Li nodded.
Now things were getting tricky.
With this group of chemical plants standing between Vice President Li and Tian Youguang, their cooperation was definitely off the table.
"First, send the information about the chemical plants’ past pollution to Boss Tian. Make him reconsider carefully."
"Emphasize the risks involved."
Lin Feng said after a moment of thought.
Vice President Li hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "When I first dug up this information, I already sent a copy to Boss Tian."
"However, he dismissed it, arguing that since the government had approved it, the problems couldn’t be that serious."
"And because of my insistence on making a deal, Boss Tian is now very wary of me!"
A look of helplessness appeared on Vice President Li’s face.
Lin Feng frowned slightly.
’The key to this problem lies with this group of chemical plants...’
Lin Feng received the file Vice President Li had emailed him.
He quickly scanned the documents detailing the chemical plants’ past misdeeds.
After thinking for a moment with his head lowered, an enigmatic smile spread across Lin Feng’s face.
"I’ve taken a look. This company’s previous plant in the suburbs caused severe pollution, contaminating the local water source."
"But the news was never reported, which shows the capital backing this factory is quite powerful."
"Alright, here’s the plan. Although Boss Tian’s land is in a suburban area, his industrial zone is adjacent to a river."
"Near that river is a small town in Bin City called Cyan Mountain Town. I want you to spread the news about the chemical plant’s construction, along with its history of water pollution, throughout the town."
"If the water gets polluted, the land will be too. The people in that town won’t just sit back and do nothing, especially since they have farmland there."
At this point, Lin Feng added a special instruction: "Whether you use newspapers, TV programs, or the rumor mill, you have to spread this news as quickly as possible."
Vice President Li’s eyes lit up when he heard Lin Feng’s idea.
The sale of the land was indeed Boss Tian’s business alone.
But the issue of environmental pollution affected far more than just Boss Tian.
If the majority of people opposed it and the matter blew up, both the chemical company and Boss Tian would have to be more cautious.
Vice President Li knew very well that this was the opening he needed to make his move.
"Understood, President Lin. I’ll get on it right away."
Seeing that Vice President Li understood, Lin Feng ended the call.
What happened next would depend on Vice President Li’s execution.
After ending his meeting with Lin Feng, Vice President Li didn’t rush into action. Instead, he sat by his hotel window and meticulously went over the entire plan.
Coincidentally, just as Vice President Li was pondering, Boss Tian was indeed receiving a few mysterious visitors.
These were the very people Boss Tian had long been waiting for—the ones who came to negotiate the construction of the new plant.
"Boss Tian, this deal has many benefits for you. We hope you’ll consider it carefully."
The man leading the group stood up with a smile.
He placed a black box on Boss Tian’s desk.
"We are very generous when it comes to rent. We’re prepared to offer five percent above the market rate."
"Our only condition is that you shut down your own factory. We need that space for our construction as well."
After speaking, the lead man bid farewell to Boss Tian and turned to leave.
To be honest, ever since Boss Tian had taken over this plot of land, he had rarely encountered any companies willing to rent land at such a high price.
If it weren’t for the man’s insistence that Boss Tian relocate his own factory, Boss Tian wouldn’t have hesitated, given the above-market rent.
After the man left, Boss Tian, lost in thought, nonchalantly opened the black box on his desk.
He discovered that the black box, about the size of a book, was stuffed full of nearly one hundred thousand yuan in cash.
This was before they had even struck a deal, and they were already throwing this kind of money at him.
Boss Tian was a bit stunned when he saw the money...
Their forthrightness was almost frightening.
’What kind of game is this?’
Boss Tian’s heart skipped a beat. Just a moment ago, it had seemed like a great opportunity.
But now, upon closer inspection, he felt that something was off about the whole affair.
Although this deal could bring him immense profits,
the other party was also demanding he move his own factory.
And then there was this blatant bribe...
It actually put Boss Tian on high alert.
Although Vice President Li hadn’t managed to secure the deal with Boss Tian yet,
his efforts over the past few days had not been in vain.
Vice President Li had already bribed someone inside Boss Tian’s office.
So, when that group of people showed up to discuss the rent for the new factory with Boss Tian, Vice President Li received the news as well.
’Looks like they’re in a hurry. They move fast.’
Reading the message, a rough plan already began to form in Vice President Li’s mind.

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