The wager had taken effect, and the whole world was watching to see how it would unfold. The CEOs of antivirus companies were also waiting for the final result, eager to see whether Chu Feng was truly confident or simply carried away.
If the defense succeeded, their attitude toward Origin Company would change completely. There would be no need to even mention acquisitions.
If it failed, hehe, there would be no need to mention anything either. Origin Company would cease to exist.
And where was Chu Feng after the meeting ended?
Chu Feng was receiving an important guest, someone his past self could never have come into contact with: Shen Weimin, the mayor of Hailing City.
"Mayor Shen, your visit honors us. Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner."
Chu Feng politely invited the mayor and his secretary to take their seats.
"Mr. Chu, to build such a great enterprise at such a young age is truly admirable." Mayor Shen was very amiable. He was somewhat stout, but neat and efficient.
Chu Feng also knew this mayor. He was a truly good mayor who cared about the people.
Since this mayor had taken office, Hailing City's GDP had surpassed the 500-billion-yuan mark for the first time, reaching 510.763 billion yuan, an increase of 6.7% over the previous year at comparable prices. The primary industry added value of 28.005 billion yuan, up 2.7%; the secondary industry added value of 243.401 billion yuan, up 6.8%; and the tertiary industry added value of 239.357 billion yuan, up 7.0%. Based on the permanent resident population, the city's per capita GDP was 109,988 yuan, up 6.8%.
At the same time, Shen Weimin was studying Chu Feng. The young man was just like Shen Weimin had been in his youth, full of ambition and vigor.
He could not help but sigh inwardly. Every generation brings forth its own talents.
In truth, Shen Weimin had noticed Origin Company long ago.
Every family knew its own hardships. Though Hailing enjoyed an advantageous geographical location and its GDP had risen year after year, surpassing many cities in central and western China—
—as the market economy deepened, industry began to decline, and the city lost its direction for development. The old districts lagged behind, while the new districts could not gain momentum. Urban construction was scattered and disorganized, and the city did not even have high-speed rail access.
The airport they had worked so hard to build was shared with a neighboring city. The outdated transportation network left the investment environment unimproved. Without the support of a central city or any representative industrial structure, talent drain was severe. Although Shen Weimin had been working hard all this time, he always felt powerless.
But today, Shen Weimin saw a glimmer of hope in Chu Feng.
The development of high technology was a new path to supporting local economic growth and one of the major highlights of the past twenty years.
Origin Company's recent development had exceeded Shen Weimin's expectations. He had never imagined that his city would produce a monster like Chu Feng, drawing the world's attention to this tiny third-tier city.
Origin Company was also bound to soar. This was precisely when the company needed help. Though Shen Weimin might not be able to offer assistance in other areas, policy incentives were both appropriate and within the rules. Offering help in a time of need was far better than adding flowers to brocade.
If things truly went as Chu Feng expected and Origin Company could withstand this wave, it would become a brand-new benchmark for Hailing City.
"Mr. Chu, what do you think of Hailing City? What plans does your company have for the future? On behalf of the city leadership, I can promise that, within a reasonable and lawful framework, we can provide support. This also answers the national call to support young entrepreneurs and foster high technology." Mayor Shen dropped a bombshell as soon as he arrived.
Those were the mayor's personal words. They carried considerable weight; he was practically asking Chu Feng what benefits he wanted.
Chu Feng could not help admiring Mayor Shen's boldness, and he happened to have a need right now.
"Mayor Shen, I am from Hailing. My home is here, and Hailing will always be my hometown."
The tone Chu Feng set put Shen Weimin slightly at ease.
"Also, Origin Company's technological reserves... I can only say that we have a great deal. Much of it cannot yet be applied comprehensively, so I would like to lease Jiangxin Islet and build a world-class laboratory there to test and refine various technologies."
Chu Feng's words left Mayor Shen somewhat confused. The map of Hailing was already engraved in his mind.
Wasn't Jiangxin Islet a barren wasteland? Why build it there?
However, Shen Weimin did not ask further. That place was nothing but a burden anyway. The water level was too low for a dock, and it was prone to flooding in the summer.
Shen Weimin explained the conditions there to Chu Feng. Upon hearing that it would be a world-class laboratory, he wanted to arrange it somewhere better. The prospect was simply too tempting.
"It's fine. In the initial stage, our company plans to invest around 15 billion yuan. We will also establish our own company headquarters in the port district."
What else could Shen Weimin say? Naturally, he agreed.
After a round of discussion, everyone was satisfied.
Everyone got what they wanted. Shen Weimin was the mayor; the fact that he had taken so much time to come here already showed Chu Feng great respect. Even if Hailing was only a third-tier city, he was still the mayor.
Before leaving, Shen Weimin indirectly probed Chu Feng's confidence in the wager. Chu Feng was full of confidence, which put Shen Weimin slightly at ease.
Finally, the two exchanged private phone numbers, while the mayor's secretary, Luo Xiang, also left Chu Feng his number. After all, Chu Feng could not possibly go to the mayor over every little matter.
Not long after the mayor left, the secretary came in and said that a People's Daily reporter wanted to interview Chu Feng.
Chu Feng understood immediately.
Sure enough, when they entered, two middle-aged men followed behind the reporter.
"Mr. Chu, would you mind if we spoke privately?" one of the middle-aged men asked.
"Of course. Please, sit."
The reporter, secretary, and the others left the office, and it instantly became empty.
"Let me introduce myself first. I am Chen Rongzhong, director of the Thirteenth Bureau of the Ministry of State Security. This is Liu Chongyi, director of the Military Science and Technology Research Institute."
"Hello, hello." Chu Feng shook hands with the two men in turn.
"We have no other purpose in coming today. We simply want to have an open and honest conversation. Some matters are better made clear."
Chen Rongzhong spoke after taking his seat.
Chu Feng understood as well. Origin Company had appeared out of nowhere, with such enormous funds and advanced technological development. It would have been strange if the state had not taken notice. Fortunately, it seemed they had come to talk; otherwise, this would not have been a conversation, but a direct interrogation.
Chen Rongzhong was also puzzled. Chu Feng seemed to have appeared out of thin air. They had investigated his past records, and he had been ordinary beyond belief—one might even say he had let down the country's education—yet he had suddenly become wealthy. First came a sudden transfer of 100 million Citibank Currency, followed by massive flows of capital.
Now, he had even produced Basic Artificial Intelligence.
They had actually tried to analyze Xiaoke, but the results had been discouraging. Normally, those arrogant researchers had been reduced to wilted eggplants, unable even to figure out the basic operating principles.
They had no choice. At Liu Chongyi's strong insistence, they could only come here and bite the bullet. After all, Chu Feng had committed no crimes or illegal acts. He had even contributed to the country's foreign exchange reserves and reputation, so they could not treat him as they would in other cases.
I've had too little time to rest lately. I'll update again when I have time. I wonder if anyone is even reading this.
Before you continue