Chapter 181 Concealed Profoundness (Part 2)

ve Centre. The land reserves have been going on for so long that it's already a set-in stone rule, and Zuoming Zeng wants to move against Tao Changping Wei Zhichao from the Land Reserve Centre said he...Volume 6 Chapter 181: Hidden Depths (Part 2)

The paulownia forest was the concentration of high-end living areas in Rongcheng's southern district, an area that had always been known for its wealthy residents. It was primarily due to numerous well-known domestic and provincial real estate developers occupying strategic positions here.

For instance, Wu Hai's Chinese Garden, Huaxin International's Splendid Flower Garden, Zhonghai Fa's Zhonghai City, and Shanghai Greenland's under-construction Victoria Apartments. Early developments in the paulownia forest like mid-rise apartments and linked villas were later restricted by policy, making them one-of-a-kind examples of successful commercial real estate development in Rongcheng.

Su Can sat amidst the charming little shops hidden among the paulownias, seeing the prosperity this area had already shown back in 2003. Although many buildings he knew from his future time were yet to be constructed or developed, he could see the grand layout of what was to come.

The area's residents mostly belonged to high-ranking officials within and outside the province; consular staff and their families from foreign embassies in Rongcheng also resided here. Many executives of international companies had their families living in this neighborhood as well, making it a hub for luxury cars—Porsche, Mercedes-Benz SLK, BMW 7 Series, along with some obscure foreign makes.

Even decades later, the paulownia forest area would remain unparalleled among newer developments in Rongcheng.

Wang Bo parked on the street outside a restaurant. He drove his Passat sedan today; its license plate number was unremarkable and didn't suggest it belonged to someone as high-ranking as the Number One of the provincial committee. Su Can could understand this—sometimes, at such positions, one wished for anonymity.

Wearing casual clothes, Wang Bo looked no different from celebrities enjoying tea around him. A baseball cap on his head added a touch to his image; however, it had "08" stitched in eye-catching purple embroidery that made Su Can chuckle.

Noticing Su Can's unusual expression, Wang Bo saw himself through the restaurant’s mirror. He seemed more suited for golf courses or riverside fishing spots than tea houses. With a wry smile, he sat down beside Su Can and said, "Lin Family's girl made me wear this cap before leaving; she says it adds flair... doesn't suit me"

Su Can knew the hat belonged to Lin Luoran as soon as he saw it. Looking at Wang Weiwei’s youthful appearance despite his age, Su Can could see the vigor of his youth, which suited him well with this cap, revealing an aspect of Wang Bo that few were aware of.

"You seem quite young," Su Can laughed offhandedly. He hadn't seen much of Tang Wu or Lin Luoran these days; she was spending time with her family while he visited relatives on his side. Both Lin Luoran and Li Pengyu had been out socializing, forgetting about him completely.

Wang Bo might have been taking a break from work since both the provincial committee's compound and his private villa were empty. Perhaps he only now thought to meet Su Can for tea.

"Looks like we've been forgotten," Wang Bo complained, sitting on an outdoor café table surrounded by wooden fences, overlooking Rongcheng’s well-known high-end restaurants and coffee shops.

Occasionally, luxury cars would park nearby, their occupants seeking a place for tea or coffee. Conversations among groups broke the afternoon's tranquility.

"It’s different though, Uncle Wang. At your current position, you command respect without even trying; Wang Weiwei admits to feeling pressure when around you. He just doesn't know how to express it as a son should."

"Commanding respect…" Wang Bo looked at Su Can with a half-smile. "But I don't feel that way here."

"Wang Weiwei often tells me, ‘We understand each other thoroughly.’ In my eyes, no matter where you go, you'll always be the same Uncle Wang I knew."

"Understand each other…" Wang Bo laughed, sipping his tea. He felt appreciated in Su Can's presence as he wouldn't usually treat himself like a regular person despite being a provincial party secretary.

At this moment, a sports car parked across the street, and two beautiful young women entered Louis Vuitton next door, their long legs catching everyone’s attention. Wang Bo looked back at Su Can, sighing, "The paulownia forest is indeed charming; it makes one feel youthful."

"Then shouldn't Uncle Wang consider buying a property here Whether for Wang Weiwei or as part of your current project overseeing the commercial street in East District's Paulownia Forest. Many real estate giants are eyeing this area, including some from Beijing and Shanghai. Right now, properties cost around 4-5 thousand yuan per square meter; Victoria Apartments further away stabilize at four thousand. In a few years when the commercial value of the paulownia forest is fully realized, property prices might soar to over ten thousand yuan. A two-hundred-square-meter villa here now worth about one million yuan could potentially rise to five or six million in the future—real assets.

Wang Bo smiled and said, "You don't need to hint at this; although I know these price hikes sound exaggerated and may reflect poorly on my administration, I believe they'll happen. Real estate regulation is influenced by government policies and tax systems. Everyone knows real estate's significant contribution to local GDP aligns with the central government's growth aspirations. However, this sector is broad; sometimes what one wants isn't desired by others. There will always be obstacles."

"Today, I can’t promise anything about Rongcheng’s future development as it involves many considerations. All I can guarantee is strengthening fiscal regulation, improving real estate taxes and policies to curb speculative investments. Continuous high or low prices aren’t desirable; what I want to see is a thriving real estate market—beyond mere speculation."

Su Cun nodded and said, "Your plan for the Paulownia Grove Commercial Street involves 50 acres of commercial land reserves. Are you planning to build a commercial plaza"

Wang Bo smiled and asked, "So, are you interested in this piece of land for the commercial plaza This area is the heart of the entire commercial street."

"As I know, several five-star hotels have shown interest. Relying on the west district of Paulownia Grove, it will also be the center of future major real estate projects by well-known developers in several provinces. It's not just the center of the commercial street but also a trend for future development south of the city. This land will be extremely valuable in the future. Ito Yokado and Carrefour are seeking contracts to enter this market, so Dunhuang would naturally dream of being part of it too. However, it aligns with your vision of building a large commercial carrier."

The Paulownia Grove Commercial Street relies on its surrounding commercial areas; once formed, there will be towering five-star hotels, high-end restaurants, clubs, and boutique shops in Chengdu. Compared to Dunhuang's Embassy Shopping Center, the soil here is far better.

Currently, Dunhuang has four stores in Chengdu: the original People's Department Store location, Zongfu Road store, Jinhai store, and the Brownlight store.

The annual sales of the Brownlight store last year was around 100 million yuan. Based on Dunhuang’s data, if they establish a Paulownia Grove store in the future, its sales should far exceed those of the Brownlight store, even rivaling the Zongfu Road store's 270 million and the People's Department Store's 340 million. It could generate over ten million yuan in net profit.

If they complete five stores, Dunhuang would achieve a total annual revenue of one billion yuan with a net profit of forty million yuan, forming a large group.

Breaking through the threshold of one billion yuan has always been a challenge for Chinese companies, and exceeding this milestone is seen as a landmark achievement.

"Ito Yokado and Carrefour have shown interest in entering. Are you not afraid to compete with them" asked Wang Bo.

"Of course, only if they can suppress Dunhuang in competition. As one of Chengdu's five major department stores, Dunhuang has always grown from a competitive environment. Of course, I'm not entirely selfless; fostering fair competition allows private capital to flow in, which will further develop your Paulownia Grove Commercial Street plan and benefit the commercial soil here, making this area more valuable. This is a win-win situation, something we welcome."

Wang Bo smiled and said, "It seems you were prepared for this long ago. Tell me honestly, did you already have this in your sights"

Su Cun remained noncommittal as they talked about issues related to Phoenix City. Wang Bo then said, "You caused quite a stir in Phoenix City."

Su Cun rolled his eyes and replied, "It wasn't my doing; Phoenix City is like an iron plate where even I can’t make any headway for my father’s sake unless things loosen up. You should know the situation pretty well." Su Cun then asked, "Is Zhou Zhaofeng very troublesome after Xu Changcheng"

Considering another factional issue, Wang Bo thought and replied, "Yes, if he doesn't run into trouble this time, it must be because some people don’t want him to. It’s tough soil, but I’ve never been afraid of loosening it up. The timing isn't right yet..."

From Wang Bo's position, there were always corresponding considerations and compromises, which Su Cun couldn't fully understand. However, he knew that as the newly appointed Secretary of the Provincial Committee, Wang Bo’s immediate priority was to establish authority within the province. When all connections are in his grasp, he wouldn’t want someone from Gao’s faction to be firmly established behind him.

It's just a matter of timing.

A few seats away, an adult man was slowly drinking tea alone at a table while surveying the surroundings with his eyes always on Wang Bo and Su Cun.

This was Wang Bo’s driver Zhao Lei, who received professional training and usually ensured Wang Bo's safety during travel. This area being famous for its wealthy residents, occasional sightings of celebrities strolling around or sitting quietly in groups were common.

But no one recognized the casually drinking tea Wang Bo here; Zhao Lei had a detached mindset. In all of West Sichuan Province, few could sit calmly with Wang Bo in this quiet street corner café.

Zhao Lei knew that today's meeting was with someone closely related to Dunhuang Group, respected by the business community in Chengdu. As Wang Bo’s driver and bodyguard, Zhao Lei, despite being newly appointed, was trusted by the Wang family. He had heard about Su Cun’s reputation before coming here but thought it would be someone of great influence.

Probably no one on this street could imagine that a top provincial official was now sitting quietly here, watching people's lives and discussing plans with an under-20 young man.

Rao was thirty-four years old, and even with his life experience, he couldn't remain calm when facing the serene scene of sunlight filtering through paulownia leaves onto Wang Bo and Su Zan, surrounded by swirling white fluff.

"Uncle Er, the person you introduced to me last time didn’t handle things properly. I talked to him about loan matters, but in the end, he either said that his superiors need to investigate or asked me to redo my credit profile. He’s changed it so many times already. In the end, when the money was supposed to be in place for my clothing store, several orders were delayed. For an event I needed outfits for, I even breached a contract. What a hassle."

In the speeding Audi, Liao Xin was complaining to her uncle.

Sitting next to Liao Xin was her boyfriend Zhang Jing, who seemed restless as he knew that in the passenger seat of the Audi A8 sat his girlfriend’s uncle and the current pillar of the Liao family, the provincial deputy secretary of the state-owned assets supervision board, Liao Xingchang.

The Liao family had spread everywhere; although the third, fourth, and fifth sons might not compare to genuine princelings, they were still influential within the province. Among the eight siblings in the Liao family, it was this second son, Liao Xingchang, who achieved the most success. Although the Liao family didn’t depend on him for support, he was undoubtedly their greatest asset.

“Oh, there’s that matter. Old Qiu can't even handle something like this; what's he doing in his position Or does he need a change of scenery since his butt gets too warm” The thing Liao Xingchang cared about most was this little niece, as Liao Xin had her own clothing store brand in Chengdu and could rely on the family’s connections to run it smoothly, earning enough profit for two BMWs each year.

Zhang Jing didn’t know what to feel; with a single sentence from Liao Xingchang, he could influence his father's fate. Sometimes when together with Liao Xin, he felt an immense sense of oppression; in the Liao family, he seemed to have no status at all. The Liao family valued power and wealth, and Zhang Jing likely didn’t even qualify for a glance from them. He had thought about striving hard and pursuing a successful future, but given their current status, it was doubtful that he could achieve such heights through his efforts.

He finally understood that sometimes being in the Liao family’s orbit could be worse than death for a man, especially one with strong self-esteem.

Thinking of Zeng Na and Deng Songqi made Zhang Jing unsure how to feel; when he thought about his father still needing the support of the Liao family, he knew that no matter how painful it was, he had to continue down this path because sometimes there was no turning back.

Liao Xin continued talking to her uncle about meeting Zeng Na's family and grew increasingly agitated. She grabbed Zhang Jing’s hand and waist tightly and said, "It's all your fault! Those old matters are bothering me again!" If one were to look at Zhang Jing’s arms and waist under his clothes when he was unhappy with her, they would see bruises from her squeezing.

Liao Xingchang turned in the rearview mirror to look at Zhang Jing and said, "Little Zhang, you need to handle this properly. I hope not to hear these kinds of words again from our Liao Xin."

Zhang Jing felt heavy with his head bowed down; it seemed like he might never be able to lift his head up again.

Liao Xin continued speaking, saying how her ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend was the son of a Chengdu military district deputy commander, Dang Kai, and what was so great about that.

Liao Xingchang laughed and said, "I don't know this retired Chief of Staff Dong Kai; however, our current Chief of Staff Ai Longsheng, your uncle has had dinner with him several times. They consider each other brothers." In other words, Dang Kai was likely someone who had either made a mistake in the military or fallen out of favor and was waiting to retire.

Hearing her uncle’s attitude, Liao Xin felt somewhat relieved, murmuring, "I knew it…"

The car stopped at the entrance of a Cantonese restaurant specializing in air-freighted seafood. The manager had already come out; today's host was also an important official from Chengdu. This restaurant usually relied on its connection to Liao family members like this one, and only for officials above a certain level would it have the manager personally meet them.

The manager met Liao Xingchang early at the entrance, even the valets whispering about "Secretary Liao." Although there were many high-ranking government employees' families in this area of paulownia trees, it was rare for a provincial deputy secretary to visit. The term "paying an official visit" wasn't too strong.

In reality, the restaurant manager felt most honored; such news spreading could be worth a lot in terms of networking resources.

But then chaos erupted: perhaps out of nervousness, one of the valets accidentally scratched Liao Xingchang's Audi A8 on a crooked paulownia branch, leaving just a slight mark that didn't even scrape through to the primer layer.

"Don’t you have eyes! Don’t you know whose car this is!" Liao Xingchang’s driver rushed over and slapped the valet several times until blood came out of his nose. The tranquility of the street was suddenly broken.

The valet was kicked to the other side of the road, while the manager approached Liao Xingchang: "I know a friend who works at Chengdu’s Audi 4S store; I’ll have him fix it. See…"

Zhang Jing watched in awe, realizing this was the power of authority.

Liao Xingchang gave a cold snort and ignored the valet attendant who had fallen to the ground beside him. He was probably afraid that causing too much of a commotion would be detrimental, so he walked straight into the restaurant.

The moment they passed through the atrium, Liao Xin froze. Sensing her odd behavior, Liao Xingchang turned around and saw her staring at the Western restaurant next to them. She mockingly said to Zhang Jing, "What a coincidence to run into him everywhere. Zhang Jing, your ex-girlfriend's high-achieving brother is watching here today... Don't you greet him Oh, his sister has even attached herself to someone who is the son of a major general... You're far behind."

Liao Xingchang followed her gaze and immediately recognized the man next to Su Can. He knew this person too well; he felt cold all over.

The Secretary of the Provincial Committee, Wang Bo.

"Let's get up now. It’s time to leave." Wang Bo waved a waiter over and settled the bill without asking Su Can for any payment. He took out his wallet and paid with two one-hundred-dollar bills before getting up and heading towards the Western restaurant door together with Su Can.

Liao Xingchang's face turned pale, as if he was struggling internally. Liao Xin and those around him had never seen such an expression on her uncle; she felt scared by his appearance.

The next moment, Liao Xingchang looked determined, plastered a smile on his face, and hurriedly walked out to block Wang Bo and Su Can at the entrance of the Western restaurant. He said, "Secretary Wang, nice to meet you again. Such a coincidence that we run into each other here today..." As he spoke, he held out his hand for Wang Bo to shake.

Wang Bo did not shake hands with him; Liao Xingchang's hand remained in mid-air. This was a scene everyone could see clearly.

Wang Bo said expressionlessly, "Old Liao, it’s normal to feel upset sometimes, but one must be careful about the method..."

Liao Xingchang wanted to explain what had happened and shift responsibility to someone lower in rank. However, he knew that all explanations were futile; his driver was a man who understood him deeply. If everything was said to be unrelated to him, it might just be empty talk on the surface. Hearing Wang Bo’s words made Liao Xingchang feel cold inside; he couldn’t even form coherent thoughts, stuttering, "Secretary Wang... I... I..."

Thinking about how careful he had been since Wang Bo's tenure began, aiming to gain more trust and favor from him, this tiny incident would likely undo all his efforts. If Wang Bo abandoned him, it could mark the start of Liao’s family’s decline!

Wang Bo smiled and said, "Old Liao, have a good time. I'll be off."

With that sentence guaranteed to leave Liao Xingchang sleepless for a week, his driver had already pulled up the Passat in front of them. Wang Bo and Su Can got into the car one by one; before getting in, Su Can glanced meaningfully at Zhang Jing and Liao Xin across from him.

Liao Xin saw her uncle’s bewildered look and said as she watched Wang Bo's car drive away, "Who is he to be so important..." Although she wasn't stupid and had noticed something amiss, her heart was pounding; this statement came out forcefully.

She saw Liao Xingchang turn around to give a long look at her. That gaze could only be described as blank and sorrowful. Then he turned and walked away.

Zhang Jing felt all kinds of emotions well up inside him, seeing the trembling man call Wang Bo "Secretary." And most importantly, next to him was Su Can, who had been drinking tea with him for an entire afternoon.

Liao Xin felt neglected by her uncle and was very unhappy. She reached out to pinch Zhang Jing’s arm, saying angrily, "That annoying ex-girlfriend's brother... who does he think he is!"

Zhang Jing pushed Liao Xin away forcefully; she stumbled and fell, tearing the hem of her skirt. Her legs were scratched raw by the curb on the road as blood flowed freely, but it seemed like she didn’t feel any pain at all—she just stared dumbly at Zhang Jing.

Zhang Jing was clearly shocked too. However, he no longer had a way out; tears squeezed out from his eyes, trembling as he pointed to Liao Xin and shouted, "I’ve been putting up with you for far too long! From today on, I won’t have any relations whatsoever with your family..."

Liao Xin’s expression twisted into a scowl, crying out, "Zhang Jing, you’re heartless..."

At this moment, Su Can was in Wang Bo's car, leaving the bustling restaurant behind.

Just like he had been moving relentlessly towards the distant future all along, with an era boiling up behind him.not intend to cause trouble for Miss Song and Mr. Song here; I merely wish to question the moral integrity of public figures and enterprises in this situation.""Then which eye did you use to see that...