The construction of Xixi is still weak and does not have the ability to build medium-sized bridges. Shen Hua cannot help them grow rapidly. The Meixi Bridge and the expansion project of Xiamei Highway, as well as the Jianggang Wharf project, will allow them to participate in some projects, but will not give them general contracting.

  Although Sun Yalin was very dissatisfied with the Municipal Construction Company, apart from the Municipal Construction Company, Shen Huai couldn't think of a more suitable road and bridge construction company in Donghua.

  To rebuild Meixi Bridge and widen Xiamei Highway using the BT (Build-Transfer) model, it is necessary for local interest groups to participate in order to implement this project.

  Shen Huai thought for a moment and said to Sun Yalin: "In terms of technical strength, apart from the Municipal Construction Company, which road bridge company in Donghua City can take on this project? I'll find time to communicate with the district and see if we can make it happen under the district's name. Even during the three-year transition period in Meixi Town, when the finances were fully packaged, the actual financial autonomy was still limited. If Tangzhai District can take on this matter, even if it means borrowing from a bank, at least there won't be any policy risks, and Industrial Bank will also feel secure..."

  "Mei Creek Town is financially independent, will Tang Zha District take over this matter?" Sun Ya Lin asked.

  "No matter how big the financial package is, the town's land tax revenue must first be remitted to the district finance department and then returned to the town according to a certain proportion. The so-called 'big package' simply means full return, but the procedure of remitting and returning will not be reduced, so the initiative of finance is still in the hands of the superior government. As long as the district is willing to take over this matter, whether it's returning engineering loans or construction loans, the district can directly deduct from the returned tax fees, without worrying that Meixi Town will default..." Shen Hua explained.

  "Is Pan Shi Hua reliable?" Sun Ya Lin asked, "Will he secretly make trouble for you?"

  Sun Yalin also plans to invest all her assets in Meixi Town through an overseas private company, and her attention to Meixi Town is far beyond that of ordinary people.

  Sun Yalin is very clear about the relationship between Tang Zha District's new district head and Pan Shigui, the contractor of the forcibly closed dyeing factory; Shen Hua also often communicates with her in a timely manner about what happened.

  Shen Hua thought of what Yang Lili had said, and he couldn't trust the officials who often came and went from Yingwang International. From other sources, he also heard that Pan Shi Hua was not an official who could stick to his principles when he was vice minister of the Organization Department. He shook his head and said: "He is a frequent visitor to Yingwang International, do you think he is reliable? However, his transfer to Tangzhai District was nominated by Tan Qiping. Before he solidifies his relationship with Tan Qiping, as long as it's not something that would put him in a difficult position, he shouldn't be too difficult for me."

  "It's hard to say, it's almost been a year since I returned home, and the disgusting officials...I've seen no less than you." Sun Yalin obviously had even less confidence in domestic officials than Shen Hua.

  "The Jianggang Terminal project needs to create some momentum first, and then it's time for Zhonghe Investment to take the stage," Shen Hua said. "Although this time Zhonghe Investment only took out $900,000, they need to show the momentum of investing $90 million. Don't worry, domestic officials will buy into this..."

  "My goodness, I've helped you raise a million dollars, and my waist is almost broken from it. You still want me to continue helping you deceive people?" Sun Ya Lin rubbed her waist in pain, rarely using a coquettish tone to scold, "Aren't you afraid that Tan Qiping will know the truth and get furious?"

  "Don't let him know the truth," Shen Hui said with a smile. "You also know how the domestic industry is developing, in the next ten years, the steel plant may have an asset appreciation rate of 40% to 50% or even higher every year. Where can you find such a good investment channel? We initially agreed on $500,000, if you're not happy, I can force you to come up with another $500,000?"

  "The extra five hundred thousand is also what I've gambled away in the second half of my life, and borrowed from George and others at high interest; if I had fallen flat on my face in Meixi Town, I would have been done for this lifetime!" Sun Yalin said viciously.

  Shen Huai didn't care about the meeting with Sun Ya Lin. If it wasn't for him convincing her with facts, she wouldn't have invested a single cent.

  It's still early for dinner, Shen Hua still needs to go around the steel plant, drive to Xuetang Street, and plans to drop off Sun Yalin.

  The Tianheng Building's continued construction project will likely take at least half a year to be fully completed.

  However, the business point of Yesheng Bank in Meixi Town has been renovated last month and officially opened to the outside world this week to carry out storage business.

  Just as Shen Huai was about to drop off Sun Ya Lin at the business network point, Chen Dan happened to come out from inside after doing some business and walked over to ask: "Is it tonight that we're gathering for dinner at the hotel?"

  Shen Hua thought Zhao Dong had already called everyone, and just wanted to say "yes", when Sun Ya Lin took over the conversation and said: "It's rare for Shen Hua to bleed once, at Zhuxi Hotel, will he take out his wallet? No way, today we must not eat at your place, we have to change the location."

  Shen Hua retreated back into the car, tossing out his wallet and saying: "This month's salary hasn't even had a chance to be spent yet, it's all in my wallet, you guys deal with it."

  Sun Yalin took the wallet, pulled out the bills and counted them, saying: "Hmm, there's over a thousand, enough for a big meal..." and then threw the empty wallet back.

  "You have to leave me 100 yuan!" Shen Huan exclaimed in distress.

  "You officials, aren't you supposed to be 'never spending your own salary and never using your own wife'? Why do you need to keep money in your wallet?" Sun Yalin asked.

  Shen Huai wanted to find something else to smash on Sun Ya Lin's face, which was so seductive. Sun Ya Lin had completely ignored him and started discussing with Chen Dan where to go for dinner at night.

  Shen Hua only received basic salary at the steel plant, but he also had a job salary and subsidies, various benefits at the town government, and 2,000 yuan was sent every month. As long as it's not too luxurious, 2,000 yuan in '94 was enough to enter any high-end restaurant.

  Chen Dan didn't mean to help Shen Huan save money either, and he knew that Shen Huan usually didn't spend money on anything. He suggested: "Why don't we just go to Nan Yuan?"

  "I'm fed up," Sun Yalin said to Nan Yuan, who was not enthusiastic about coming. She turned her head and said to Shen Huai, "How about we go to Ying Huang International for dinner tonight?"

  "Isn't that inappropriate?" Shen Huan said, today he was treating everyone to a meal to celebrate Zhao Dong and Xiao Mingxia's registration, what kind of logic is there in going to Ying Huang International, a place that provides one-stop services for men?

  "What's wrong with that? Isn't Ying Huang International supposed to be a paradise for Donghua men? It's just right to take Xiao Mingxia there to broaden her horizons, so that in the future when Zhao Dong has money, Xiao Mingxia will know how to guard against him going astray." Sun Yalin said.

  As Yang Haipeng stuck his head out of his car, Sun Yalin asked: "Do you have an opinion?"

  Yang Haipeng raised his hand and said: "I support your wise decision."

  Sun Ya Lin waved her hand and let Shen Huai go first: "You go ahead and busy yourself, I've made up my mind about this. If Zhao Dong has any opinions, tell him to call me!"

  Shen Huai didn't expect Sun Ya Lin to consider others' feelings, and thought Zhao Dong was brave enough to confront Sun Ya Lin. He glanced at Chen Dan, wanting her to advise Sun Ya Lin.

  Chen Dan turned her face away, not wanting to bother with him; Shen Huai's head was as big as a hemp seed, knowing she still had that earring on her mind.

  Sun Yalin made up her mind and would not be dissuaded, so Shen Hua had no choice but to reluctantly follow Yang Haipeng to the steel factory to inform Zhao Dong of this "bad news".

  *************

  Zhou Yu was reading materials in the office, and at 4 pm, sunlight shone through the glass window onto the floor in front of his desk, with countless tiny dust particles dancing in the beam. After a while, the door to the office was knocked on, and then District Secretary Yang Yuguan walked in.

  "Secretary Yang, you're looking for me? Something's up?" Zhou Yu asked as he stood up.

  "There's nothing special," Yang Yuguan casually sat down on the sofa in the room, and after sitting for less than two seconds, he patted the armrest and stood up, saying, "Just now, Yuan Hongjun, the party secretary of Heting Town, came to report that Heting Town plans to assign the two villages of Lishan and Caijiagiao under its jurisdiction to Meixi Town, in order to facilitate the construction of a cargo terminal by Meixi Steel Plant on the riverbank of Lishan Village... have you heard about this?"

  "Ah!" Zhou Yu was taken aback and found it hard to believe. He asked subconsciously, "Secretary Yang, is this true?"

  "Yuan Hongjun probably wouldn't joke about this with me," said Yang Yuguang, "He just came over to make a preliminary report. I thought you had heard about it beforehand. Since you don't know either, forget it, I'll call Meixi Town later and ask what's going on."

  Yang Yuquan didn't sit down again and walked out of the office.

  Zhou Yu sat back at her desk, staring at the phone on it, wanting to call Shen Hui to ask what was going on, but feeling she didn't have the standing to make this call. Yang Yuquan had specifically run over to tell her about this matter, also wanting her to pass it on to her younger brother Zhou Zhi Bai.

  Zhou Yu picked up the phone and dialed his brother's cell phone number, telling him about this matter.

  "This son of a bitch is too despicable!" Zhou Zhi Bai cursed through gritted teeth on the phone, "Mei Xi Steel Factory obviously wants to stop Peng Yue from building the dock, so they deliberately compressed the procurement of furnace materials for Peng Yue..."

  Zhou Yuner could imagine his brother's face turning green with rage on the other end of the phone.

  Pengyue mainly engages in the material trade of scrap steel, with an annual throughput of 2-3 million tons of goods, which is quite considerable in Donghua City.

  Peng Yue used to mainly entrust Hong Kong Port Transportation Group for transporting furnace materials, which was very expensive and inefficient.

  In the past two years, Peng Yue has accumulated some capital and wants to expand. He had the idea of building a dock and forming a transportation fleet: on the one hand, it can reduce Peng Yue's own transportation costs, and on the other hand, Peng Yue can take the opportunity to develop from a single business to port transportation industry.

  Although Wu Haifeng retreated to the People's Congress as director, it became increasingly difficult for Pengyue Wharf to obtain approval, but there was still hope. However, the Jianggang Wharf project of Meixi Steel Plant surfaced, and it was almost a direct death sentence for the Pengyue Wharf project.

  Donghua City has more than 100 kilometers of riverbank resources and will not mind building two more docks.

  However, the main purpose of Pengyue's construction of the wharf and yard was initially to provide a cost advantage for the transportation of furnace materials. Mei Xi Steel Factory built its own wharf, in simple terms, also to reduce the transportation costs of raw materials and steel - so there is a direct competitive relationship between them.

  Certainly, Pengyue can insist on building a dock to compete with Meixi Steel Plant, but the price paid is that from now on, it will completely lose the business of Meixi Steel Plant.

  It is well known that Bai Zao initially planned to develop Peng Yue's trade volume by 200 million this year.

  However, under the simultaneous attack of City Steel Factory and Mei Xi Iron & Steel Factory, not to mention completing this year's goal, the business volume for the first two months after the New Year has shrunk by 30% compared to last year, which is very damaging.