It was a busy weekend, culminating in a two-hour meeting on Sunday afternoon at the ZJ Province liaison office in Beijing. There, discussions were held with the investment promotion team led by Lin Su's father, officially marking the end of the week's work schedule.
Although Chen Qing had skimmed through the hefty investment proposal Lin Lan brought along, many decisions naturally couldn't be made on the spot. After expressing initial interest in three of the proposed projects, Chen Qing shifted the focus to discussing the development plan for Jinshu Film City and Simon's vision of creating an "Eastern Hollywood." By invoking Simon's name and citing the multi-million-dollar film projects such as The Emperor and the Assassin and Hero, Chen Qing managed to energize even the most skeptical members of the Zhejiang government team.
Chen Qing also elaborated on the significant tax incentives Western countries had offered to attract film industries, specifically highlighting Australia's success. Melbourne had become the leading film production hub in the Southern Hemisphere in recent years.
Moreover, the film industry was just the foundation.
The real prize was the larger cultural tourism industry that could be built on top of it. If this plan came to fruition, it wouldn't just boost GDP but also significantly elevate the region's reputation.
By the time Chen Qing finished her compelling pitch, the Zhejiang delegation was visibly excited, and even Lin Su had a moment of realization.
So, a promise could be painted this grand? What a cunning woman.
Lin Su had initially wanted to talk privately with her father to temper any impulsive decisions, but realizing the timing wasn't right, she left with Chen Qing instead. After all, a phone call could be made anytime.
On the way back, Lin Su couldn't help but ask as she watched Chen Qing review a tech company report, even squeezing in reading time during the ride: "You mentioned millions of annual tourists, billions in output value, and even a cultural symbol for ZJ Province. Is any of that realistic?"
Chen Qing didn't even look up. "Not in the short term."
"Then why did you say it?"
"If you extend the timeline to ten years, I think it's achievable."
"…"
Chen Qing glanced at Lin Su out of the corner of her eye. "I was being completely selfless. Next, it's going to be a competition between Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces to secure the project. The brighter I paint the future, the more enthusiastic they'll be. Who knows, if your side offers better terms, the project might slip away."
Lin Su sighed helplessly. "You think provincial officials are idiots?"
When promises are painted too extravagantly, the clever naturally grow suspicious. Moreover, such grand proposals would undoubtedly face greater challenges in gaining approval.
Chen Qing smirked mischievously. "That's not my concern. I've laid all the options on the table."
Hearing this, Lin Su realized she couldn't argue. After a moment's thought, she asked, "In that case, what's your real opinion on the other three projects discussed today?"
"I'm not going to throw money around based on superficial information. Of course, I'll need to conduct thorough investigations first. But don't worry—if the projects hold up, there's no problem investing."
"And if they don't?"
Chen Qing shot her a glance. "Are you just looking for an argument?"
Seeing Lin Su's sheepish expression, Chen Qing relented. "It's like last time. For instance, Wahaha and Nongfu Spring—Wahaha's already a stellar company, and with proper management, Nongfu Spring has the potential to grow into something massive. But these things take time. Success doesn't come overnight.
"People often associate our boss with risk-taking, but in reality, he's someone who deeply values long-term investments. His $1.5 billion net worth wasn't built overnight; it's been a steady, methodical process."
Lin Su nodded in agreement.
She understood Chen Qing's point. Her father's approach was indeed overly hasty, eager to achieve quick results. However, that was reflective of the broader culture in China during these years: daring, aggressive, and often impatient.
Even the struggling Giant Group they were jointly handling was a classic example of this mentality.
Back at the courtyard residence in Mao'er Hutong, Chen Qing didn't waste time despite the end of the week's work schedule. After a brief rest and changing into loungewear, she headed to the adjacent garden, planning to review some materials in the library before dinner.
Unexpectedly, as she entered the garden with Jiang Shan and Wu Mei, she noticed Jill Peckett sitting in a pavilion by the pond.
Having learned about the daily routines of Zhu Momo and the others from Jiang Shan and Wu Mei, Chen Qing walked over to Jill. The latter stood up and greeted her, "Good afternoon, Chen."
Jill's Chinese had improved noticeably, though her pronunciation still needed work.
Chen Qing smiled and took a seat on a stone stool. "Let's stick to English. If you want to practice Chinese, you can chat with Momo and the others. By the way, where's Momo?"
"She went out with some new friends she met recently—first-year students from the Central Academy of Drama," Jill replied, switching to English. She then added, almost defensively, "It's Sunday."
Chen Qing nodded and glanced at the document in front of Jill—a copy of China's Interim Regulations on the Assignment of Urban Land Use Rights from 1990, in English. "Are you interested in China's real estate sector?"
Jill nodded earnestly. "Yes."
"It's a good starting point," Chen Qing remarked. "Our boss once told me in an email: in China, if you can master real estate, you can master many other industries."
Jill perked up at the mention of "the boss" and asked, "What does that mean?"
"You'll have to figure that out yourself," Chen Qing said with a smile before continuing. "But just reading these materials isn't enough. Do you have specific goals or ideas?"
Jill hesitated briefly before nodding. "I've been looking into a villa project in Beijing. I think it could be very profitable."
"Tell me more."
Jill sifted through a stack of documents, pulling out one to hand to Chen Qing. "This is all I've got for now—mostly information from public media. We've only been in China for a few days, after all. But I visited the villa site yesterday, and it confirmed my thoughts. Over a hundred villas have already been built; the issue is untangling the messy disputes surrounding it."
Chen Qing flipped through the document. The project's name immediately caught her eye.
Rose Garden.
The project was a large villa development covering 800 acres in Beijing's northern suburbs, specifically in the CP district. However, the project had recently been mired in lawsuits and scandals. As she skimmed through Jill's collected information, a clearer picture began to emerge.
The Rose Garden project was approved in 1992. Its original developer, Liu, had secured the development rights at an extraordinarily low price through shady means. Lacking the financial capacity to proceed, Liu attempted to profit through speculative maneuvers.
He managed to attract a second developer, Deng, who was similarly lured by the low costs but soon realized he had inherited a legal and financial nightmare. Deng spent years resolving issues and finally launched the project, only to see the proceeds from the first batch of pre-sold villas embezzled by Liu.
Last year, facing financial ruin, Liu committed suicide.
Now bankrupt, Deng had brought in a third developer, Lu, another opportunist. Recently, Deng and Lu fell into a bitter dispute, airing the project's dirty laundry in public and triggering lawsuits. With media coverage intensifying and billions of yuan in claims piling up, the project had hit a dead end.
After reading the file, Chen Qing sipped her coffee and looked at Jill. "What I mentioned about our boss earlier applies perfectly to this project."
Jill seemed to understand the implication.
"It's a messy situation," Chen Qing continued. "But if you can sort it out and make it a success, you'll prove that you can handle almost any industry in China."
Jill asked hesitantly, "So, you think this project is very complicated?"
"A major quagmire," Chen Qing nodded, "but also a significant opportunity."
Jill's expression showed a mix of hesitation and eagerness. "Then…"
Noticing Jill's hesitation, Chen Qing reassured her. "If you want to try, it's not impossible. Our boss is the kind who takes chances on people."
"But I don't have any experience."
Chen Qing smiled. "Do you know about the Levison International Center project?"
"Of course."
"While it's an investment by Levison Group, the project's main lead is a Chinese team. The overseas team only handles design and financial oversight. Our boss deliberately avoided using their U.S. real estate experience in China because he knew it wouldn't translate well here.
"So, your lack of experience? It might actually be an advantage."
Jill nodded, beginning to grasp the intricacies of the situation.
That evening, Zhu Momo returned to the courtyard after a day out with her new friends. Unfortunately, she ran into Chen Qing, who scolded her thoroughly. Unhappy but unable to argue, Momo retreated to her room with Zhao Annie, muttering about how she'd someday turn the tables and scold Chen Qing back.
Back in her room, Momo finally remembered she hadn't called home in a week. Worse, her mother didn't know she had returned to China.
Wrestling with anxiety, she decided to make the call. Cleverly, she planned to speak slowly to account for the delay in international calls. If
her father answered, all the better.
Unfortunately, no amount of cunning could outwit an experienced parent.
Her mother immediately noticed something was off—the call quality was too clear, with no static. Suspicious, she began questioning Momo, who, flustered, forgot to pretend there was a delay. Within moments, she was caught.
Forced to confess, Momo admitted she was in Beijing.
Mortified, Momo now had to explain herself. How could she justify claiming to be training in the U.S. while suddenly landing a role in Zhang Yimou's movie? It was too fantastical without revealing the truth about her relationship with "that man."
After much stammering, her mother decided to send her aunt from Tianjin to check on her the next day.
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