The World Watches, The Mayor Visits

The bet was in effect, and the whole world was watching its development. The CEOs of the antivirus software companies were all waiting for the final outcome, eager to see if Chu Feng was truly confident or just overconfident.

If the defense was successful, their attitude towards Origin Company would change, and there would be no need to even mention acquisitions.

If it failed, well, there would be nothing to discuss either, and Origin Company would cease to exist.

And where was Chu Feng after the meeting ended?

Chu Feng was receiving a distinguished guest, someone who, in his previous life, he would have had no chance of meeting – Shen Weimin, the mayor of Hailing City.

"Mayor Shen, welcome. Please, come in."

Chu Feng politely invited the mayor and his secretary to sit.

"Mr. Chu, to have built such a foundation at such a young age is truly admirable," Mayor Shen said kindly. He was a bit portly but carried himself with a neat and efficient air.

Chu Feng also knew this mayor was a good one, genuinely concerned for the people.

Since this mayor took office, Hailing City's GDP had broken the 500 billion yuan mark for the first time, reaching 510.763 billion yuan, an increase of 6.7% compared to the previous year at comparable prices. The added value of the primary industry was 28.005 billion yuan, an increase of 2.7%; the secondary industry was 243.401 billion yuan, an increase of 6.8%; and the tertiary industry was 239.357 billion yuan, an increase of 7.0%. Calculated per capita based on the permanent population, the city's GDP per capita was 109,988 yuan, an increase of 6.8%.

At this moment, Shen Weimin was also looking at Chu Feng, seeing a reflection of his own youthful ambition and spirit.

He couldn't help but marvel at how talent emerged generation after generation.

In fact, Shen Weimin had noticed Origin Company long ago.

He knew the struggles of his own city. Hailing had a superior geographical location and its GDP was increasing year by year, surpassing many cities in the central and western regions.

However, with the deepening of the market economy, industry began to decline, and the city's development lost direction. The old urban area lagged behind, while the new urban area struggled to develop. Urban construction was like a pile of loose sand; even the high-speed rail hadn't reached the city.

The airport, built with great effort, was shared with a neighboring city. The backward transportation network and poor investment environment, coupled with the lack of a central city to rely on and a representative industrial structure, led to severe talent drain. Although he had been working hard, he always felt powerless.

And today, in Chu Feng, Shen Weimin saw a glimmer of hope.

High-tech development was a new channel supporting local economic growth and a new highlight of the past two decades.

Recently, Origin Company's development had exceeded Shen Weimin's expectations. He never imagined that his city would have a prodigy like Chu Feng, drawing the world's attention to this small, third-tier city.

Origin Company's development was bound to soar. Now was precisely the time when Origin Company needed help. Although he couldn't offer much assistance, preferential policies were within his purview. Providing help when it was needed was far better than offering it when it wasn't.

If Chu Feng's predictions were correct and Origin Company could withstand this wave, it would become a new benchmark for Hailing City.

"Mr. Chu, what are your thoughts on our Hailing City? What are the company's future plans? I can promise, on behalf of the city leadership, that we can offer support within a reasonable and legal framework! This also aligns with the national call to support young entrepreneurs and foster high-tech innovation." Mayor Shen immediately dropped a bombshell.

These were the mayor's own words, carrying significant weight, and it was almost an explicit offer of preferential treatment.

Chu Feng couldn't help but admire Mayor Shen's vision. Fortunately, he needed exactly that right now.

"Mayor Shen, I am from Hailing. My home is here, and Hailing will always be my hometown."

Chu Feng's statement put Mayor Shen at ease.

"Furthermore, Origin Company's technological reserves... I can only say they are vast. Many are not yet fully applicable, so I would like to lease Jiangxin Islet to build a world-class laboratory to test and refine various technologies."

Chu Feng's words left Mayor Shen somewhat bewildered. He had a complete mental map of Hailing City.

Wasn't Jiangxin Islet a barren piece of land? Why would he want to build there?

However, Shen Weimin didn't ask further. After all, that place was a white elephant. The water level was too low to be suitable for a dock, and it was prone to flooding in the summer.

Shen Weimin also explained the environment there to Chu Feng. Hearing about a world-class laboratory, he wanted to place it in an ideal location; it was too tempting.

"That's fine. Moreover, in the initial phase, our company plans to invest around 15 billion yuan, and we will also establish our own company headquarters in the port area."

What more could Shen Weimin say? Of course, he agreed.

The conversation concluded with mutual satisfaction.

Both parties got what they wanted. As the mayor, Shen Weimin dedicating so much time to this visit was a great gesture of respect for Chu Feng, even though it was a third-tier city, it was still the mayor.

As he was leaving, Mayor Shen subtly probed Chu Feng about his confidence in the current bet. Chu Feng responded with full assurance, which also put Mayor Shen at ease.

Finally, both sides exchanged personal contact information. The mayor's secretary, Luo Xiang, also gave Chu Feng his number, as it wouldn't be practical to contact the mayor for everything.

Shortly after the mayor left, his secretary arrived, saying that a reporter from the People's Daily wanted to interview Chu Feng.

Chu Feng understood the situation.

When they entered, he saw two middle-aged men behind the reporter.

"Mr. Chu, would you mind speaking with us privately?" one of the middle-aged men asked.

"Certainly, please sit."

The reporter, the secretary, and the others left the office, leaving it empty.

"Allow me to introduce myself. 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 said, shaking hands with each of them.

"We're not here for any other reason today, just to have an open and honest conversation. It's better to be clear about certain matters," Chen Rongzhong said after sitting down.

Chu Feng knew that with the sudden establishment of Origin Company, its massive funding, and its advanced technological development, it was only natural for the state to pay attention. He was relieved that they were here to talk rather than interrogate him.

Chen Rongzhong was also puzzled. Chu Feng seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. They had checked his past records, which were incredibly ordinary, even suggesting he hadn't lived up to the country's investment in him. Yet, he had suddenly become wealthy, starting with a sudden transfer of one hundred million Citibank Currency, followed by massive financial transactions.

And now, he had developed rudimentary Artificial Intelligence.

They had also tried to analyze Xiao Ke, but the results were frustrating. Even their highly esteemed researchers were like dejected eggplants, unable to understand even the basic operating principles.

There was no other option. At Liu Chongyi's strong insistence, they had to approach Chu Feng, as he had committed no illegal or criminal acts. In fact, he had contributed to the country's foreign exchange and reputation. Therefore, their attitude towards Chu Feng couldn't be the same as in other situations.

I haven't had much rest lately. I'll update again when I have time. I wonder if anyone is reading this.