Chapter 150: Factory Visions and Local Ambitions

Director Yang and Fang Jun took Xu Zhiquan and Xu Chen on a tour of the Mechanical Factory, leaving the other three companies behind.

The factory grounds had halted production long ago, and with a meeting scheduled, everyone had the day off, leaving the workshops empty.

This decades-old state-run factory still held a certain dignified charm.

As Xu Chen wandered through, he felt like he’d stepped back into the planned economy era, yet it also reminded him of future creative parks.

In fact, many state-run factories from the 1990s closed down and were later transformed into creative parks around the millennium.

Some focused on entertainment and dining, filled with bars, restaurants, and shops.

Others leaned toward offices, renting out spacious rooms or hosting exhibition halls and art galleries.

None of the bidding companies proposed turning it into a creative park.

Clearly, no one was foolish enough to try; a creative park wouldn’t work in a fourth- or fifth-tier town like Tiancheng.

It needed places like the capital, Shanghai, or Guangzhou—dense populations with high demand from small and medium enterprises.

In Tiancheng, it would just sit idle, impossible to rent out.

Director Yang guided Xu Zhiquan through key workshops and production lines, along with the remaining equipment.

These tied directly into the plans for renovating the old factory and building an electric vehicle production line.

Xu Zhiquan listened intently but couldn’t help glancing at Fang Jun and saying:

“Fang, if we really secure the Mechanical Factory, the funding pressure will be immense.”

Fang Jun nodded and replied:

“For now, buying it out and selling off some assets, then mortgaging part to the bank, should give us a solid base…”

She paused, then added:

“If things go smoothly, we might get loan support from the city.

After all, our approach will genuinely create jobs and future taxes for the city.”

…

The factory wasn’t that large, and as they explored, they ran into Director Feng leading the other three companies.

Xu Zhiquan and his group followed and overheard the Fengrong Commerce team in suits discussing how to demolish and rebuild the factory buildings.

It sounded like the Bright Factory was already theirs for the taking.

Their discussion echoed the earlier one with Xu Zhiquan and his team in some ways.

…

…

They moved at a leisurely pace, touring the site and listening to Director Zhao Qingming’s explanations, and soon it was mealtime.

The cafeteria had meals ready.

Bright Factory still employed around four to five hundred workers, though it peaked at over a thousand in the 1990s.

The cafeteria had two sections: the main one for workers and the smaller one for factory leaders, serving just a few people.

Naturally, the four companies dined in the smaller cafeteria.

The meals arrived as set portions: four small dishes and a soup per person.

Xu Zhiquan couldn’t help commenting:

“Your factory’s leaders eat pretty well.”

Yang Congxin said nothing but sighed quietly.

The reasons for Bright Factory’s decline and bankruptcy were complex, but the core issues were always internal.

…

…

After the meal, representatives from the four companies were led to a spacious reception room in the main building.

The room had fruits and teas laid out, showing some thoughtfulness.

“The presentations start at 1 p.m., with each company getting an hour for reporting and Q&A.”

East Morning Star Co. was scheduled second, starting at 2 p.m.

The first was the Changsheng Chemical team.

From their demeanor, it was clear they weren’t holding out much hope.

Local residents’ strong opposition to chemical plants was a tough hurdle.

Xu Zhiquan guessed Changsheng Chemical had already received hints from higher-ups.

…

Sure enough, just after 1:30, a staff member approached:

“The previous company finished early, so East Morning Star Co. can start ahead of schedule…”

Ten minutes later.

Xu Zhiquan and his three companions were ushered into the adjacent main conference room.

A young man who looked like a secretary arranged seats for Xu Zhiquan and his team, then briefly introduced the key leaders present.

Two were from Bright Factory: one the current secretary, the other the union president.

These two represented the factory’s leadership and workers’ interests, though their opinions were just for reference, not decisions.

Three were from the city, but their roles weren’t detailed—likely for security and fairness.

One of them definitely represented Vice Mayor Wu Yongming.

These three city leaders, along with the people and departments behind them, held the real decision-making power in this review.

Besides them, there was a provincial leader from the development and reform department.

Xu Zhiquan politely handed out business cards to all the leaders, big and small.

The two Bright Factory leaders recognized Director Yang and Fang Jun, exchanging odd glances.

Especially when they saw Fang Jun, their expressions showed surprise.

Staff set up the projector, and Xu Zhiquan smiled and began:

“Thank you, leaders, for this opportunity. Let’s get started…”

On the projection screen, a pure white background displayed two clean lines of text:

[East Morning Star Co.: Rooted in Tiancheng, Building Tiancheng]

[Become a Tiancheng star enterprise that continuously creates jobs, taxes, and influence]

These lines, carefully crafted by Xu Chen, linked East Morning Star Co.’s vision tightly to Tiancheng’s development.

At the same time, they hinted that the other three were external companies.

Only East Morning Star Co. was a local business, truly ‘rooted in and building Tiancheng.’

As the words appeared on the large screen, the leaders’ expressions sharpened.

Especially the three from the city, who picked up Xu Zhiquan’s business cards and examined them closely.

Xu Zhiquan stood and formally started his presentation.

He spoke steadily, neither rushed nor overly humble.

Every word had been meticulously reviewed with Xu Chen to avoid any missteps.

“Tiancheng’s economy relies heavily on agriculture; having a state-run factory here for decades was no small feat.

The bankruptcy of Bright Mechanical Factory is a major regret in Tiancheng’s industrial history, costing us a key real enterprise…

As a local company, East Morning Star Co. wants to contribute to Tiancheng at this time…”

This opening segment built on the initial lines, connecting to the factory’s bankruptcy to resonate with the key decision-makers—the three city leaders—and close the psychological gap.

In the next part, Xu Zhiquan introduced East Morning Star Co. and Chenxin Nurseries.

He emphasized East Morning Star Co.’s contributions to Tiancheng’s development as a local enterprise.

“Aligning with national and provincial plans, Tiancheng’s surrounding areas are pushing highway construction…

East Morning Star Co. and Chenxin Nurseries are involved, which is our honor and duty…”

As someone from that era, Xu Zhiquan excelled at these inspiring words leaders loved.

He then shared his past as a township entrepreneur, including running the Foundry Parts Factory and its ties to the Mechanical Factory.

This addressed potential concerns from the judges.

After all, shifting from a seedling business to factory renovation and electric vehicles seemed a stretch.

But with the Foundry Parts Factory’s background, it linked Xu Zhiquan to machinery.

Building on that, he added an emotional and value-driven touch.

When phrases like ‘serving the nation through industry’ and ‘contributing through real enterprise’ came up, even the provincial leader nodded with enthusiasm.

The opening went smoothly; in just a few minutes and segments, he established himself as an idealistic, ambitious local entrepreneur.

“The second part covers East Morning Star Co.’s thoughts on the future electric vehicle industry layout…

Presented by our Fang Jun and Yang Congxin!”

As Xu Zhiquan finished, unexpected applause broke out.

It was for his earlier speech, not welcoming Fang Jun and Yang Congxin.

Xu Zhiquan joined in a few claps and sat down with a smile.

Fang Jun rose first, discussing electric vehicle trends and prospects.

From overseas to domestic markets, green policies to consumer needs…

Backed by data and reports, she highlighted the industry’s vast potential.

Next, she outlined the development plans for Chenfeng Electric Vehicles and Chenfeng Technology.

The first part covered investment and financing, including costs for acquiring Bright Mechanical Factory.

Fang Jun detailed it thoroughly, touching on Bright Factory’s operations, which puzzled the reviewers.

One city leader interrupted:

“Fang, how are you so familiar with Bright Factory’s operations?”

The factory secretary cleared his throat and whispered to the leader.

They learned Fang Jun had once managed Bright Factory’s finances.

At the same time, the leader’s secretary provided more background on Fang Jun.

The leader paused, then murmured to the others.

Their gazes toward Fang Jun grew more serious.

“Please continue, Fang Jun!”