The Initiative

Unable to contain his impatience, Xiao Dongming asked, "Director Huang, what are your recovery costs like?"

Huang Guotong gave a noncommittal reply: "They're alright, enough to maintain the normal operation of the factory. The specific data involves company secrets and is not for public disclosure."

"Understood, understood." Xiao Dongming understood perfectly well; possessing such technology, they certainly wouldn't easily disclose detailed data to outsiders.

Meanwhile, Li Jiye, standing to the side, was calculating in his mind how to bring Suiren Company to Pengcheng.

As a modern international metropolis, Pengcheng had faced many challenges during this subprime mortgage crisis.

With the development of cities, the industrial competitiveness of large cities like Pengcheng would gradually decline; wages, rent, living costs, and environmental pollution were all further destroying the industrial foundation of large cities.

This led to industries shifting to less developed regions, while large cities could only become sources of capital and technology output, forming a pattern dominated by finance and services. This was the industrial hollowing out of developed cities, a trend seen between various countries as well.

For a large city, industrial hollowing out was undoubtedly a difficult choice, because the financial and service industries were too fragile. In the absence of support from the real economy, once economic problems arose, such cities would experience terrifying wealth polarization.

Li Jiye wasn't thinking that far ahead; rather, given the current environmental pollution problems in Pengcheng and the city's constantly accumulating sanitation pressure, the authorities did indeed have the idea of outsourcing sanitation.

However, the accompanying Huang Guotong had not shown much enthusiasm, treating him like an ordinary person. He didn't mention anything about going to Pengcheng, his attitude being very indifferent.

Li Jiye had already hinted several times, wanting to steer the conversation toward the sanitation contracting in Pengcheng, but Huang Guotong was like a blockhead, stubbornly killing the conversation.

Forced into a corner, Li Jiye had to speak up himself: "Director Huang, I would like to make an appointment with your company's General Manager Lin or General Manager Huang to chat about the sanitation matters in Pengcheng."

Huang Guotong pretended to be in a difficult position: "That might be a bit troublesome. General Manager Lin went to the Rongcheng branch a few days ago, and General Manager Huang is working on a scientific research project and generally doesn't manage company business."

Another member of the delegation looked displeased: "Director Huang, we are very sincere. If we can reach a cooperation, the market in Pengcheng is not something Shanmei can compare to."

"Such a major cooperation is not something I can decide. I can only report it to those above," Huang Guotong replied perfunctorily.

He wasn't afraid of the Pengcheng side. Once Suiren Company's layout was complete, every city would come knocking on their door, so there was no need to be subservient.

Having been given the cold shoulder, Li Jiye and his group had no choice but to return to their hotel in the city.

However, they didn't give up; instead, they found Cai Haiyi in the city, hoping he could act as a bridge to facilitate cooperation between Suiren Company and Pengcheng.

Hearing this news, Cai Haiyi was flattered. After all, for Pengcheng to take the initiative to seek cooperation was an unprecedented event for Shanmei.

But he didn't get carried away. Once he calmed down, he immediately felt that this matter was very tricky.

Because Suiren Company was no ordinary company. The sign at the entrance of their headquarters, and the special envoys who had come a few days ago, had already given the city a heads-up. If handled poorly, his official career might be at risk.

Feeling helpless, Cai Haiyi had no choice but to go to the hotel in person.

"Welcome, District Chief Li, to Shanmei for your guidance. If our hospitality has been lacking, please forgive us."

Li Jiye wouldn't hit a smiling face, so he exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes before asking about Suiren Company.

Cai Haiyi could only explain awkwardly: "District Chief Li, both I personally and the city authorities are very eager to facilitate this cooperation, but Suiren Company is somewhat..."

He didn't finish his sentence, instead pointing to the ceiling: "You'll understand once you see this." After saying that, he had his assistant take out a laptop and open a website.

Hmm? This website... Li Jiye, who had been dismissive from the start, only realized he had underestimated Suiren Company after seeing the name of the website and the publicly permitted catalog within it.

He had originally thought they were a local snake, but he hadn't expected them to be a dragon crossing the river.

With flickering eyes, Li Jiye weighed the pros and cons for a moment before saying: "Thank you for the reminder, District Chief Cai. We are also looking for normal cooperation. As long as both sides sit down and talk, it doesn't matter whether it succeeds or not."

"That's no problem."

Through Cai Haiyi's mediation, Suiren Company agreed to a meeting in one week.

Li Jiye and his group, who had rushed back to Pengcheng, also began preparing relevant materials, striving to put forward reasonable conditions to attract Suiren Company to settle in Pengcheng.

Meanwhile, Lin Baijie, who hadn't actually gone to Rongcheng, also began to arrange this matter.

Currently, Suiren Company's business had gradually spread out.

The contracts with Xinli Group, Dechang Company, and Lingfeng Paper Industry alone provided a significant annual income. Added to the sales of gas, organic fertilizer, and some recycled resources, the local market in Shanmei alone could reach an annual turnover of over 100 million.

The Rongcheng branch had also begun its layout and factory construction, and it was estimated that it would enter initial operations around October of this year.

Regarding the cooperation with Pengcheng, Lin Baijie and Huang Xiuyuan were both very calm. From the perspective of supply and demand, it wasn't Suiren Company that needed Pengcheng, but Pengcheng that needed Suiren Company. This determined that the initiative in the negotiations was held in the hands of Suiren Company.

Although it was a cooperation, Suiren Company had no intention of being subservient. If they could make money standing up, why would they kneel?

In any case, Suiren Company's attitude was very clear: if they wanted to cooperate, they would; if not, then forget it.

August 28th.

The two sides launched formal cooperation negotiations at the headquarters of Shiguang Blog.

Lin Baijie, Jiang Hailin, and others represented Suiren Company, while Li Jiye, Xiao Dongming, and others represented Pengcheng. The two sides began formal secret negotiations in the conference room on the seventh floor.

After receiving the conditions offered by Pengcheng, Lin Baijie flipped through them expressionlessly and asked:

"Contracting all sanitation business in Pengcheng for 150 million a year? I don't think there's any basis for cooperation at this amount."

"General Manager Lin, as far as I know, your company's contract for sanitation business in the Shanmei urban area is only 5 million per year; and the Rongcheng contract is only 300 million per year. I think the conditions offered by Pengcheng are quite good." The Pengcheng negotiation team brought out their data.

Lin Baijie shook his head: "Those two places are just pilot cities and cannot be used as the final figures for promotion."

Jiang Hailin, standing to the side, added: "The total number of sanitation workers in Pengcheng is about 35,000. According to the data I found, the average monthly wage expenditure is about 60 million. Just this item of wage expenditure alone reaches 720 million per year."

Pausing for a moment, Jiang Hailin continued to slap them in the face: "If we follow our company's standards in Shanmei, the average wage for a sanitation worker must reach 3,000 yuan. The annual wage expenditure for 35,000 sanitation workers is 1.05 billion. May I ask how we are supposed to make a profit?"

"And then there are insurance and welfare expenses, which are no less than 500 million per year; procurement and depreciation of vehicles and equipment, labor protection supplies, employee dormitories..."

Facing the full-force Jiang Hailin, the Pengcheng side was somewhat unable to cope. According to this calculation method, they couldn't maintain operations without seven or eight billion a year.

On this point, Pengcheng also felt helpless. They couldn't exactly tell Suiren Company not to give the sanitation workers high wages and benefits.

Although they wanted to say that in their hearts, such words absolutely could not be spoken aloud, or they would bring trouble upon themselves in a heartbeat.