Chapter 22: A Nighttime Conversation in Five Continents

  The Oceanview Restaurant at the Continental Hotel, looking out from the floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring the ten-mile sea waves crashing against the shore, and the golden sunset afterglow, is truly breathtaking.

  In the luxurious suite with the best viewing angle, Lu Zhong and Feng Lianying, Liu Baojun sat on the milky white sofa around the circular crystal glass tea table in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass window, chatting and laughing while tasting tea. Just now, they had a very sumptuous dinner.

  Since you're here, Lu Zhong will naturally treat you to a meal.

  Recently, under the guidance of Lu Zhong, brother-in-law Hu Deli has just acquired a refrigerator factory that introduced German production lines and used smashing unqualified products as selling points for publicity, causing a huge sensation. Now, the sales volume of its "Extreme Point" brand refrigerators has increased greatly, almost covering the national supply and marketing channels, and it can be said that supply cannot meet demand.

  Hudeli is now deeply impressed with this young nephew, even thinking of inviting Lu Zhong to help out and giving Lu Zhong a 30% stake in his company. However, his older sister Lu Jiajuan scoffs at Hudeli: "Will Zhongzi care about your little money? If he really cared, my Zhongzi wouldn't have gone into business on his own! He'll definitely do ten times better than you! Stop spouting nonsense, if Dad finds out, I'll be dragged down with you."

  Although Hudeli's dream of inviting his younger brother to join him was shattered, he couldn't help but make a gesture and opened an account for Lu Zhong, which cost him a lot.

  But Hude Li felt that, even if it was just from a business perspective, it was absolutely worth it, let alone the fact that this little brother-in-law was also the treasure of both the Lu and Han families.

  "This tea is good." Liu Baojun praised, the tea in the cup was upright and straight, with a clear color and a faint fragrance. It was indeed top-grade Longjing tea.

  Feng Lianying smiled and said: "As for the fragrance of orchids, it is faint but not shallow. When you taste it, it's plain to see that this is what they're talking about."

  Lu Zhong nodded: "I'm not as refined as you guys." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a snap.

  Feng Lianying smiled: "You are a man of great elegance, having held the whip in the Education Commission, and on this point alone, no one in the Education Commission can compare to you."

  Lu Zhong smiled and shook his head, "Old Feng, I now understand why you have such good relationships in the Organization Department."

  Feng Lianying burst out laughing.

  Liu Baojun was perplexed and asked: "What is the plan for the Commission?" Just now at the dinner table, the three of them were just eating and chatting casually, no one had discussed official business.

  Liu Baojun and Feng Lianying had contact with each other several times, knowing that Feng Lianying was a particularly arrogant person. Zhang Yugong promoted him all the way, and at this age, he became a deputy director of the Organization Department and director of the Labor and Personnel Bureau, which is an important position with great power. It's not just because Feng Lianying has ability, but more importantly, it seems that Feng Lianying also has connections in high places. There are rumors that his grandfather saved the life of a certain founding general before liberation, and now the Feng family and this influential family in Beijing have exchanges. Therefore, although the political struggle in Wushan was extremely fierce in recent years, Feng Lianying rose all the way to the top, with an unimpeded path to officialdom.

  Liu Baojun couldn't help but feel a bit restrained in front of Feng Lianying, but unexpectedly, Lu Zhong was chatting and laughing with him as if they were old friends, which left Liu Baojun quite surprised.

  However, Lu Zhong was invited by Zhang Yuke to have dinner at his home. Now in the Wushi City Committee compound, it has been spread that anyone with a bit of face knows that Lu Zhong is now the number one red person in front of Zhang Yuke.

  Looking at Feng Lianying and Lu Zhong's intimate appearance, it also confirms this statement.

  Liu Baojun felt a mix of admiration and slight loss, as Lu Zhong had already lived his own twenty-plus years in just this short year, especially after coming to the city, his rapid expansion of connections was simply astonishing.

  And what did Feng Lianying say about the Planning Commission? What does it mean? Liu Baojun's face was full of confusion.

  Feng Lianying glanced at him and smiled: "Zhengzi, let's go to the Planning Commission right away."

  Lu Zhong watched from the side, Feng Lianying's eyes, it can be said that Liu Baojun was seen through, in official circles, seemingly close people also have to reserve a few points when discussing things within the circle, even if they don't know something, they still pretend to be mysterious and absolutely cannot let others see through their true nature.

  No matter how harmonious the atmosphere is now, who can say who is whose friend?

  The secretary of the military affairs office is still not cunning enough after being soaked in the municipal party committee for many years. Or it can also be said that he doesn't have a strong sense of vigilance against others.

  Lu Zhong sighed softly in his heart and smiled on his face: "It's not confirmed yet, Old Feng, don't spread it around everywhere, or else if I really can't move, won't that be embarrassing?"

  Feng Lianying smiled and said, "It's almost ten out of nine." When speaking to Lu Zhong, he was a bit more cautious, unlike when he spoke to Liu Baojun. A 23-year-old deputy department-level cadre - is this something an ordinary person can achieve? Don't mention luck, or being a lucky fool, or being a roughneck. People with discerning eyes only look at the results; someone who can become a deputy department head at 23 must have some exceptional qualities.

  Moreover, after this young deputy department-level cadre was taken down, he would be re-emerging in a high-profile manner into the Planning Commission in just three or four months.

  The Planning and Economic Commission is what department? That's the most important and largest institution in the whole city, and the entire Wushan's orderly development is under the control of the Planning and Economic Commission.

  The director of the Planning Commission is concurrently held by Ma Hua, the deputy secretary of the Municipal Party Committee.

  A large institution, there must be many deputy positions, and the Planning and Economic Commission is no exception. Not including researchers and the general manager who is a member of the Party committee, there are eight deputy directors in the Planning and Economic Commission. Each is in charge of a different area, with five being at the level of deputy director-general. Among them, three deputy directors hold concurrent positions: one as Director of the Price Bureau, one as Director of the Audit Bureau, and one as Director of the Office of the Wushi City Economic System Reform Leading Group. They are all regional leaders among departmental and bureau-level officials.

  Now, Vice Director of the Planning Commission, and soon to be the ninth one, is none other than Lu Zheng in front of him.

  This young man is too powerful. Feng Lianying sincerely admired him from the bottom of his heart.

  For Lu Zhong's appointment, the main leaders of the municipal party committee have met, but it has not yet been discussed at the Standing Committee meeting.

  Lü Zhēng was appointed as the deputy director of the Planning and Economic Commission because of Changming Electronics Co., Ltd.

  After only one month of negotiations, the Sino-German talks on jointly establishing Changming Electronics Co., Ltd. are nearing completion. The Germans have also agreed to set up a party committee within the company, but it seems that only Lu Zhong can take on the role of secretary of this party committee and get genuine cooperation from the German side.

  But as the deputy director of the Education Commission, concurrently serving as the party secretary of a joint-stock company is not quite proper, and Zhang Yugong, the director, also proposed to appoint Lu Zhong to a new position.

  Due to Lu Zhong's efforts during the Sino-German negotiations, he gained recognition from high-level economic experts and made significant progress. With his proficiency in German and deep understanding of international situations, Lu set various conditions during the negotiations, resulting in substantial gains for China, particularly in terms of land resources, which were valued far beyond the usual prices offered to foreign enterprises in domestic economic zones. It can be said that this was the first time since the reform and opening-up that China had not been taken advantage of by its foreign counterparts in negotiations, with even the highest levels expressing surprise and satisfaction at the outcome.

  Although the credit ultimately goes to the entire negotiating team, Ushan Municipal Committee leaders who have gone through the entire negotiation process may have had a 180-degree change in their impression of Lu Zhong.

  Feng Lianying personally heard Secretary Duan Zhongcheng's emotional words: "This little Lu is a talent, who says that being a soldier can't do economics?"

  Obviously, Secretary Duan Zhongcheng, who also came from a military background, was very satisfied with Lu Zhong's efforts to give retired military personnel cadres their rightful name.

  Things will fall into place naturally.

  The successful introduction of German capital has greatly encouraged the leadership team of Wushan, and they decided to take advantage of the momentum by setting up the "Wushan City Investment Promotion Leadership Group". With the help of the achievements made in introducing large amounts of German capital and the preparation for the High-tech Development Zone, they will go all out to promote investment promotion work and build a world-class high-tech industrial park in Wushan.

  The Leading Group for Investment Promotion and Capital Attraction has an office as its daily working institution, which is located in the Planning and Economic Commission. The director of this office, Feng Lianying, will be concurrently held by Lu Zheng.

  Lu Zhong's work division in the Planning Commission is also playing his strengths, mainly focusing on attracting investment.

  Lü Zhēn, he's not an ordinary person! Fèng Liányíng thought to himself again, and warned himself that he must pay extra attention to this young man, and can't afford to be even slightly careless.

  On the other side, Liu Baojun heard Feng Lianying say that Lu Zhong was going to be transferred to the Planning Commission, and he stared at his tea cup for a long time. He really hadn't heard any news about it. Originally, he was still delighted that Lu Zhong had returned to the Education Commission, but who knew? Before he could even celebrate his old friend's return to officialdom, how come he was going to be transferred again to serve as deputy director of the Planning Commission?

  Looking at Lu Zhong's face in the misty smoke, it was a bit blurry. Liu Baojun felt that he seemed to be gradually unable to recognize him.