Chapter 116: You Bid, I Strike the Gavel—We’re Done!

Still as a statue in repose, yet wild as a startled hare in action.

This time, Zhang Tianfeng personally made the calls, assembling an impressive array of people. The first to arrive were reporters from Pearl City Television and Pearl City Daily. Having collaborated successfully with Zhang Tianfeng on numerous occasions, they knew instantly upon receiving his call that something major was about to unfold.

Soon after came the city’s leadership, though not in great numbers—only a secretary representing the mayor showed up, which caught Zhang Tianfeng by surprise. It wasn’t until he received a mysterious phone call later that the reason became clear.

As it turned out, the provincial government had long been aware of the pollution caused by industry and had been torn between economic growth and environmental protection. Two factions emerged within: one advocating for economic development first and environmental concerns later, while the other wanted both economic growth and environmental preservation, a stance that often led to heated debates.

Coincidentally, the Pearl City leadership leaned toward the latter—desiring both economic advancement and a clean environment. Previously, they had held back because no reputable enterprise had dared to take the first bold step. But Zhang Tianfeng’s call invigorated their confidence, prompting them to send an official to oversee the situation.

“Hello, Mr. Zhang. My name is Liu Huaqian, but you can call me Xiao Liu,” the man introduced himself.

Liu Huaqian? It was fortunate he was now the secretary to the city leadership; otherwise, resolving this matter would have been much more difficult.

“Secretary Liu, may I ask your purpose here?” Zhang Tianfeng inquired.

“The senior leaders heard you could acquire advanced, environmentally friendly technologies from abroad and wanted me to inquire about it,” Liu explained. “To be candid, this is a matter of great importance to them. If you succeed, it might well become the rallying cry for a counteroffensive.”

Zhang Tianfeng, unaware of the ongoing debate among the provincial leaders, asked in confusion, “A counteroffensive?”

“Boosting the economy while protecting the environment,” Liu clarified. “If you can accomplish this, your future prospects are limitless.”

“As long as I’m running the factory, I’ll keep pollution to a minimum. Since I took over, the Blue Square Toy Factory has used only the highest-quality materials, and all waste is processed in a non-polluting manner. Plus, I have friends abroad who can provide advanced machinery and equipment—there shouldn’t be any issues.”

“Excellent. That’s exactly what we wanted to hear,” Liu replied with a smile. “I’ll leave it at that for now. I’ll first take care of the Youle Carton Factory situation and then report back to the leadership. Mr. Zhang, please be prepared—our senior leaders may very well come to see you within the next couple of days.”

“All right. Just give me a call beforehand if they’re coming.”

Zhang Tianfeng thought little of it. Senior officials were always busy; unless something truly momentous happened, they rarely appeared in person.

After seeing Liu Huaqian off, Zhang Tianfeng summoned Zhong Xiaoyi to ask about the situation.

The shy young woman replied, “Boss, Chu Hongyuan called just now. He’s already started making contact and is gathering evidence.”

“All right, get back to work.”

Truth be told, Zhang Tianfeng was growing more intrigued by Chu Hongyuan—resourceful and decisive, he was a man of action.

To manage to both report an issue and bribe an insider all in the same day spoke volumes about his efficiency.

What would happen next? Most likely, the Youle Carton Factory would be thrown into chaos and unable to cope.

Indeed, Zhang’s guess proved accurate. When the inspection team arrived at the carton factory, the workers inside were stunned. Seeing the situation, Liu Huaqian immediately found grounds to shut the place down: a glaring lack of fire safety awareness.

A carton factory was filled with flammable materials and printing chemicals—once a fire broke out, it would be impossible to contain.

A field investigation began, the entire process captured on camera by the reporters. Accompanying them was a chemistry expert who had studied abroad, carrying testing equipment. He took samples of the wastewater on camera, and the results were damning: the wastewater not only failed to meet standards but posed environmental and carcinogenic risks.

Upon learning this, Liu Huaqian decisively ordered the factory sealed. Youle Carton Factory was to cease operations and rectify its issues; it could not reopen until it met the relevant standards.

The entire operation took less than half an hour, so when Chen Ke and Wan Xiong arrived, everyone was already gone.

Back at the Blue Square Toy Factory, Yuan Yi finally allowed herself a smile.

“Brother Chu, you were amazing. Even when the test results were revealed, those people didn’t believe it—until your friend produced his overseas credentials. Only then did they quiet down.”

“It just goes to show, returning from study abroad does have its advantages—it can at least intimidate some people.”

“You’re too kind. This was all the boss’s idea. I just carried it out,” Chu Hongyuan replied modestly.

Zhang Tianfeng quickly distanced himself. “Don’t be modest. The plan was yours—I was just the financier.”

“Miss Yuan, now that Youle Carton Factory has closed and likely won’t reopen soon, shouldn’t we move forward with our acquisition agreement?”

“I came prepared,” Yuan Yi replied, producing a document from her briefcase. “This details the inventory of Zhongcai Carton Factory. I’ve calculated depreciation for the damaged machinery—if you have questions, just ask. Everything’s negotiable.”

Zhongcai Carton Factory currently had six molding machines, all domestic models from 1982, three black-and-white printers, one color printer, and various other equipment. Yuan Yi’s asking price was 980,000.

It was a fair price, especially since the transfer included the land itself—a crucial point for Zhang Tianfeng. With ownership of the land, even as an outsider, no local would dare cause him trouble.

But as a businessman, he naturally wanted to maximize his profit. He had little connection to Yuan Yi and saw no reason to concede.

Just as he was about to speak, the door was abruptly thrown open.

Wan Xiong and Chen Ke stormed in, their faces dark. “Miss Yuan, can we participate in this auction as well?”

“Boss, they forced their way in—I couldn’t stop them!” Zhong Xiaoyi stood at the door, her face wet with tears and a bright red handprint on her pale wrist.

“Who grabbed you? Tell me.”

Zhong Xiaoyi pointed at Chen Ke. “He grabbed and pushed me.”

Seeing Zhang Tianfeng rise, Wan Xiong spoke up. “Mr. Zhang, surely you won’t fall out with us over a minor employee? Give us some face—we’re all bosses from Tangwan Town.”

Zhang Tianfeng strode over and kicked Chen Ke to the ground, then turned to Wan Xiong. “Face? What face? With our relationship, is there any need for talk?”

“I’ll fight you!” Chen Ke was only twenty-six, hot-blooded and unyielding. He cursed and sprang to his feet.

“Hold it!” Wan Xiong barked. “We were wrong to force our way in. If you get hit, stand up straight and take it.”

“Remember: if you ever barge into my place again, you’ll spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair!”

Returning to his seat, Zhang Tianfeng said, “Xiaoyi, get back to work.”

She nodded and quietly slipped out, closing the door behind her.

“Boss Wan, you said you want to participate in the bidding?”

“What, you don’t want me to? This is Miss Yuan’s factory—you don’t get to decide.”

“That’s true, I don’t.” Zhang Tianfeng looked at Yuan Yi. “Up to you. It’s just business, as long as he pays.”

Yuan Yi didn’t really want to sell, but with her father’s dire condition, she desperately needed the money. As long as Wan Xiong paid, it didn’t matter—she’d just drive up the price.

After a moment’s thought, she said, “Boss Wan, if you win the bid, you transfer the money to me first. Only then do you get the factory.”

“Reasonable. What’s the starting price?”

“One million six hundred thousand. You know the land alone is worth more than that.”

“I’ll offer 1.6 million. Mr. Zhang…”

Before Wan Xiong could finish, Zhang Tianfeng slammed his fist on the table. “Deal.”

“Why are you calling it a deal? You’re not bidding?”

“That price exceeds what I’m willing to pay. I’m out.” Zhang Tianfeng clasped his hands in a mock salute. “Congratulations, Boss Wan. With Zhongcai Carton Factory, you’ll control the packaging market in Tangwan Town.”

Congratulations, my foot! Wan Xiong remembered Xu Kuangdao’s words well. His own carton factory had just been shut down, and he’d come merely to drive up the price and vent his frustration. If he couldn’t be happy, neither should Zhang Tianfeng—at least he’d have to pay more.

But now, instead of unsettling others, he’d only managed to make himself uncomfortable.