The deep, silent starry sky holds countless mysteries and also hides countless risks.
The
morning sun filtered through the draped curtains, casting dappled shadows across the floor. A sudden, pounding headache jolted Li Yang awake. His hands darted around, his heart sinking. His body tensed like a frightened beast. He quickly glanced around, then his demeanor finally relaxed. The
familiar sofa, coffee table, spacious living room, balcony, bright sunshine, and the blaring whistle...everything betrayed a world brimming with life and energy. Is
n't this the house I rented in Xinhe Community?
But he clearly remembered the final, brutal defense of the base, where he and everyone else perished alongside that terrifying S-class mutant, reduced to dust.
[Remember this website's domain name: Taiwan Novel Network → 𝖙𝖜𝖐𝖆𝖓.𝖈𝖔𝖒]
Am I reborn?
But how is that even possible?
Breathing in the fresh air, the pounding pain in his head gradually subsided. Gazing at the incredibly realistic scenes, the thought of rebirth rapidly grew in Li Yang's mind.
Suppressing his surprise, Li Yang quickly opened the two phones on the sofa. Both H and X displayed the same time: 6:30 AM, March 12, 2032. Even the times on the computer and projector were exactly the same.
So I've truly been reborn!
Huh!
Li Yang breathed a sigh of relief, overcome by a sudden surge of joy. Though he didn't know why he was reborn, given the chance to start over, he would spare no effort to prepare for the apocalypse and make up for all the shortcomings of his past life.
According to the date, there were still a hundred days until the disaster struck. While the time was short, given the information gap brought on by his rebirth, careful planning could yield significant results.
After clearing his mind, Li Yang fried two eggs, cooked a large bowl of noodles, and blanched a few slices of tender greens, quickly devouring them in the warm sunshine. Burping, he fished a cigarette from his pocket, placed it to his nose, and took a deep drag. The rich aroma of tobacco pierced his nostrils, unleashing thoughts that had been dormant for years. Seven or
eight years had passed since Li Yang graduated. He was a frontline worker in the financial sector, toiling daily for a few taels of silver. After the apocalypse, after more than two years of struggle, he finally became a B-level Evolver. However, he couldn't even see his parents one last time, a fact he regretted most deeply.
Living in the apocalypse, Li Yang had fantasized more than once: if he had the chance to start over, he would definitely make better choices.
After finishing his cigarette, Li Yang gathered his thoughts, pulled out his phone, and dialed the familiar number in his address book.
The call connected quickly, and a warm, familiar voice soon came over: "Yangzi, did you have breakfast? Are you taking a day off today?"
"Yeah, I just had a bowl of noodles. I dreamed about you last night, so I called," Li Yang murmured.
"Dreams are the opposite of reality. Don't worry, your dad and I are in good health. It's been so many years since you graduated, and you have a good income. It's time to find a partner and get married. Staying single is not a good idea. The older you get, the harder it is to find a partner," his mother Chen Qiu'e grumbled.
"It's because there are no suitable people. You don't introduce me to anyone, and I work every day, so how can I have time to find a partner?" Li Yang said with a smile.
"You're just being rambling. By the way, when are you coming back? The chickens, ducks, and geese are all fattened up, and the goats are growing well. Your dad was still talking about you the other day..." Listening to his mother's intermittent chatter, Li Yang not only didn't feel the irritation he'd felt in his previous life, but instead felt a strange warmth and a sense of peace within him.
Chen Qiu'e spoke for over ten minutes, all about family matters and neighborhood gossip, and Li Yang responded intermittently. After his mother finished recounting recent events, Li Yang finally spoke, "Mom, I'm coming back at the end of the month. I'll be working in my hometown and won't be going back."
"Huh? Yang, as long as you've made up your mind. No matter what you decide, we support you," Chen Qiu'e replied after a pause.
After hanging up the phone and quickly washing up, Li Yang drove straight to the office. His company was a third-tier financial institution. While Li Yang's professional skills weren't top-notch, he was quite respectable in all aspects. He'd enjoyed considerable support from his superiors throughout his four-plus years of professional life, so a visit was definitely in order.
Near noon, after hours of back-and-forth and repeated attempts to persuade him to stay, Li Yang finally emerged from
the company's stand-alone building. Sensing Li Yang's unwavering resolve, the senior management didn't give him a hard time. Instead, they granted him a three-month leave, retaining his previous rank. Furthermore, upon learning that Li Yang needed money and wanted to resign and withdraw his pension, two senior managers each transferred him 30,000 yuan. Li Yang didn't hesitate, accepting the money after some demurrage, believing he'd deal with these matters later.
On the way home, Li Yang called Zheng Bo and his close friends.
"Gouzi, what are you busy with?"
"Busy moving bricks. Any good news?" Zheng Bo asked.
"Are you feeling comfortable lately?" Li Yang asked.
"Don't be so nagging, speak plainly," Zheng Bo said bluntly.
"Transfer me 50,000 yuan, and come to my place for dinner the day after tomorrow. A life-or-death game," Li Yang said with a smile.
"Okay, get me a Panlong Eel! I'm going to beat you and avenge my previous humiliation!" Zheng Bo shouted into the phone.
"Haha, greenhorn," Li Yang chuckled and hung up.
After the call, Li Yang grabbed a quick meal at the restaurant downstairs and then returned home to start thinking.
Surviving in the apocalypse, besides food and water, the most important thing is a safe base.
In his previous life, after graduating, Li Yang had been working hard in "Jiangnan City," a city of tens of millions. That was until a massive mushroom cloud from ten thousand nuclear bombs erupted across the Blue Planet. Li Yang, who had just found a parking space on the fifth floor below ground and was about to visit a client, escaped disaster. However, he was stranded there, losing significant time.
The mushroom cloud, which appeared without warning, destroyed most of humanity's cities. The simultaneous eruption of a supervolcano led to the collapse of civilization and the disintegration of the regime. The endless stream of zombies and mutant beasts that followed pushed human civilization to the brink of extinction.
After his rebirth, Li Yang naturally wouldn't repeat his mistakes and stay in the city.
His hometown was vast and sparsely populated, with countless deep mountains, forests, and natural caves. Natural rock formations tens or even hundreds of meters thick are ideal for a safe base. If reinforced and modified with modern technology and then topped with C260, they'd be safe even in extreme conditions.
It was a good idea, and Li Yang had a clear vision. However, building a survival base, as well as accumulating food, clean water, energy supplies, various tools, information transmission, defense facilities, weaponry, transportation, medicines, talent recruitment, and the formation of combat units, all required enormous funds.
Although Li Yang had graduated seven or eight years earlier, his first two or three years were largely beyond his means, with little savings. Only in the last four years has his income gradually increased, and coupled with his frugal lifestyle and lack of a mortgage, he's been able to save some money.
He had a total of 600,000 yuan in savings. His boss withdrew 60,000 yuan, and ten close friends each transferred 5-10 million yuan. This total of 640,000 yuan brought him to 1.3 million yuan. While the amount seemed substantial, it was still far from reaching his goal.
His current priority was making money. Fortunately, his four-plus years of professional life had not only allowed him to meet a wide variety of people but also given him a deep understanding of the ins and outs of finance. For a migrant worker in finance, with an absolute information gap and no concerns, amassing wealth was not difficult. He had
a 120,000 yuan car loan, a 280,000 yuan credit loan, a 300,000 yuan loan from a financial company, and 400,000 yuan across five credit cards. After an afternoon of trading, Li Yang had 2.4 million yuan in his accounts.
He divided the funds into two: 1.4 million yuan in stocks and 2 million yuan in futures. Coincidentally, he remembered that there would be a small market trend in the next two days.
After his rebirth, Li Yang invested 2 million yuan. Far from feeling the slightest bit nervous, he calmly reviewed all the recent major events from his previous life, hoping to find more opportunities.-+ In mid-year 2*31, the gruesome war on Blue Planet finally concluded.
With this, the geopolitical landscape of Blue Planet, with a population of 16.2 billion and an area of 1.5 billion square kilometers, was completely reshaped.
The Lighthouse Federation, which had dominated the world for nearly a century, was annihilated in one fell swoop by the ancient empire, reborn from blood and fire.
As the old faded, a new star rose. To gain greater benefits, the nations of Blue Planet formed alliances, establishing ten massive federations:
the Northern Federation, the Eastern Federation, the Black Gold Alliance, the South Seas Alliance, the Western Alliance, the Southeastern Alliance, the Northwestern Alliance, the Lighthouse Alliance, the Lighthouse Federation, and the South American Alliance. With
the reshaping of Blue Planet's landscape, Daxia experienced unprecedented prosperity. From science and technology to livelihoods, from the military to the economy, from cities to rural areas, every sector achieved tremendous progress.
Remember the initial website domain name: 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞.
Especially at the end of 2*31, with the establishment of the Eastern Union, led by Daxia, the population skyrocketed from 2.5 billion to 4.5 billion. Coupled with the all-weather strategic cooperation agreements with the Black Gold Alliance and the Northern Federation, Daxia was brimming with vitality, and all industries experienced explosive growth.
Had it not been for the apocalypse, Daxia would soon be Blue Planet's sole superpower, far surpassing any other union. In this era, regulators implemented extremely relaxed financial policies, and the entire capital market flourished.
It was already afternoon when he finally cleared his mind; all that was left was to follow the routine. Li Yang rubbed his brow, putting these matters aside for the time being, and began to train and improve his physical fitness according to the methods he had memorized.
In the apocalypse, bases and supplies are crucial; they are an indispensable foundation. But personal strength is also crucial, the foundation for achieving everything.
In his previous life, various reasons prevented him from awakening his supernatural powers. Only by constantly training his body and refining his skills could he embark on the most arduous "Ancient Warrior" path. Ultimately, after enduring countless hardships, he finally became a B-level Evolver.
Time flew by in Li Yang's relentless cycle of earning money and sweating profusely during training.
On the evening of March 14th, there were still 98 days until the end of the world.
In Xinhe Community,
the table was filled with twelve bowls, all of which were favorites of his close friends. They included: Panlong eel, braised beef, sweet and sour spare ribs, stir-fried lamb with scallions, boiled live fish, chicken and pork belly, stir-fried pork with chili peppers, stir-fried pork kidney and liver, shredded cabbage, cabbage sprouts, scallion omelette, and three-fresh soup.
These ingredients were freshly picked up by Li Yang at the market early that morning. Given his already impressive cooking skills, his close friends devoured the food at breakneck speed.
"Ayang, your cooking is still so good! You should have more gatherings like this!" Zheng Bo burped, slumping in his chair with a satisfied expression.
"Yeah, I only ate three bowls, what a loss!" Shu Rui shouted.
"It's over, I lost half a month's worth of weight after eating you!" her friend Li Siqin yelled.
"Qinqin, you still have the energy to lose weight after eating a full meal. Look at me, didn't I also eat two bowls?" her friend Jiang Xia consoled.
"You can eat anything and never gain weight, who can compare to you?" Li Siqin rolled her eyes, envious.
Seeing everyone's satisfied expressions, Li Yang smiled, then opened two bottles of 1573 and poured a glass for everyone.
"I called everyone here this time because there's something really important." Li Yang took a sip of the wine, the strong aroma of the wine filling his mouth.
"First, I'm quitting." Li Yang said in a steady voice.
"You're doing well, why are you suddenly quitting?" his best friend Peng Tao asked in confusion.
"Haha~ Little Tao, you're getting young, aren't you? With Brother Yang
's steady, old-fashioned style, would he be willing to leave if there weren't better opportunities?" Best friend Lin Fan glanced at Peng Tao and teased. "Ayang, everyone knows your style and personality. If you have a good way, you can't just keep making a fortune in silence," best friend Zhao Zifeng exclaimed, taking a sip of his wine.
"Yeah, Brother Yang, we're all buddies. If you approve of something, it's definitely good. We'll follow you." Best friend Zhang Chen downed half his glass in one gulp, his face flushed red from the strong smell of alcohol.
"We're all brothers, and we trust each other. Otherwise, we wouldn't have invited everyone here." Li Yang took another sip of his wine, drumming his fingers on the table. He continued, "There's actually a profitable project. Take a look."
He then turned on his computer and said, "Here's the returns on my stock and futures accounts. Study them."
Within two minutes, Zheng Bo, Shu Rui, and their buddies erupted in howling cries. "You beasts! In three trading days, stocks soared 100%, and futures made a 300% profit. How did you do it? Do you have inside information? No, you absolutely must have inside information!"
"From 2.4 million in initial capital, you turned it into 8 million in three days!" Even Chen Ang, the usually steady banker, couldn't help but exclaim.
"Brother Yang, please help me! I'm your diehard fan!" Liu Hao, feeling down after a recent breakup, joined in the howling.
"I called you all here this time, of course I want to make money together. But relationships are relationships, and the rules still need to be agreed upon in advance." Li Yang cleared his throat and continued:
"First, the minimum investment is 500,000, and there is no upper limit. Everyone should invest according to their ability."
"Second, I will be responsible for guaranteeing the principal, but you only have the right to dividends. I have full authority to operate all funds, and no one may interfere or question it for any reason."
"Third, the investment period is 90 days. You cannot withdraw your investment before the time is up."
"Fourth, if the investment meets expectations and needs to be expanded and strengthened in the future, and you are required to take charge, you cannot shirk it unless it is force majeure."
"These are the four requirements for now, and we will continue to supplement them if needed. We have all been friends for many years. Those who are willing to invest can drink this glass of wine, and we will be comrades fighting side by side in the future. It doesn't matter if you don't want to, there is a long way to go." Li Yang finished speaking softly, his eyes swept across everyone's faces one by one, taking in everyone's expression.
"Damn it! Such a great opportunity, you'd be an idiot not to invest! Besides, don't we know Brother Yang's character?" Zheng Bo emptied his glass, his face flushing.
"We won the club's young model, but lost the triathlon. What's there to be afraid of!" Liu Hao, Chen Ang, and Zhang Chen shouted simultaneously.
"Give it a try, and that bicycle will become a motorcycle!" Shu Rui, Zhao Zifeng, and Lin Fan immediately followed suit.
"Rather than living an ordinary life, I'd rather go all in!" Peng Tao and Jiang Xia also expressed their opinions.
"996 every day, I can't stand it anymore! Cough, cough, cough!" Li Siqin downed the entire glass of baijiu in one gulp, causing her to cough uncontrollably.
Everyone spoke freely that night and left with a great time.-+ The next morning, Li Yang finished his morning workout, washed up quickly, and took a taxi to a friend's car shop. He
had a specially customized Bentley Mulsanne, a 6.8T twin-turbocharged car with 80W of power.
After chatting with his friend and having breakfast, Li Yang drove the Mulsanne straight to the high-speed rail station.
The slender body, elegant demeanor, exquisite craftsmanship, and sharp headlights frequently drew glances, but Li Yang's heart remained calm, unperturbed. Soon, two figures, one tall and one short, came into view at the exit, and Li Yang hurried to meet them.
"A'long! Monkey!" Li Yang greeted with a smile, his fists pounding against A'long's body.
"Li Yang, don't hit me! I can't withstand your powerful blows!" Monkey dodged and hid beside the giant A'long.
"Hehe~ A'yang, I brought you your favorite food." A'long scratched his forehead with his large, fan-like hand, a naive smile on his face.
"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go to my house first. I'll cook. Let's eat and drink our fill!" Li Yang took the item from Aaron's hand and felt his arm sink. It weighed at least a hundred pounds. If he weren't an athlete and hadn't been training at least ten hours a day, he would have dropped it right there and then.
"Uh, I forgot, Aaron, you're not very strong. Hehe~" Aaron smiled sheepishly, grabbed it with one arm, and lifted it up like a straw, then followed briskly behind Li Yang.
The moment he pressed the unlock button, the strangely shaped crystal headlights cast a brilliant light, and Monkey suddenly let out a strange cry: "Holy shit, a Bentley with a vertical emblem! A custom one! Aaron, you bastard, you actually got rich behind our backs!"
"Ah! Ah! I can't stand it anymore. I have to drive this car today! I've never driven a V8!" As a car enthusiast, Monkey was naturally excited and immediately opened the driver's door and got in. Li Yang smiled, tossed the keys to Monkey, and then helped A-Long put his belongings in the trunk.
This car was five meters sixty long and over sixty-nine meters wide, making it quite spacious even for A-Long, who was just over sixty-nine meters tall.
A-Long's real name was Yang Zhenlong, and Monkey's real name was Li Yungang. The three had been friends since childhood, their parents having been friends for generations, so they naturally felt very close.
Li Yang was the youngest of the three, two years younger than the other two. Their families were originally quite similar, with Monkey's family being the better off, and Li Yang and A-Long being about the same. But when A-Long was young, he had a persistent high fever, so his parents took him to the clinic for several injections. He later became unconscious for three or four days, for unknown reasons.
After that, A-Long's intelligence struggled, and he was often bullied at school. Whenever this happened, Li Yang would step in and get beaten up alongside A-Long. When he was in the first year of junior high, his parents, deeply in debt from paying for A-Long's medical treatment, were forced to work away from home, where they were burned to death in an accidental fire.
From then on, the thirteen-year-old A'long, the only son in three generations, began living alone. After his parents' death, A'long, already not very bright, became even more incompetent, forcing him to drop out of school.
Fortunately, with the constant care of Li Yang's family, A'long's life, though difficult, gradually eased. Li Yang's excellent cooking skills were honed through the daily grind of cooking for A'long.
Strangely enough, as A'long's intelligence declined, his physical fitness, functional abilities, and endurance soared. If it weren't for A'long's inability to communicate properly, Li Yang would have doubted that even an Olympic champion would be a match for him.
At fifteen, A'long had already begun logging in the mountains, carrying hundreds of kilograms of logs daily, traversing mountains and rivers with remarkable speed. His physical prowess and endurance often amazed even veterans and men who had long engaged in heavy labor.
After the apocalypse in his previous life, everyone in Li Yang's hometown perished. Only his parents and Monkey persevered for nearly two years. The biggest reason for this was Aaron's protection. After everyone he cared about passed away, Aaron, relying on his own two feet, traveled hundreds of kilometers over six months to find Li Yang at the Jiangnan City base.
The two fought side by side countless times, escaping death. In the final battle, Aaron, nearing an S-Class Evolver, relied on his terrifying physical defense to withstand the attacks of the S-Class mutants, buying ample time for the base's fatal strike. It
could be said that in this world, besides his parents, the only person he trusted completely was Aaron. And even his parents couldn't offer Aaron such unconditional trust.
Thoughts raced through his mind, and all the emotions and feelings melted into a silent sigh, further strengthening Li Yang's resolve.
After eating and drinking, Monkey, lying on the sofa, saw Li Yang's account gains over the past few days and was instantly overjoyed. He immediately began to think about how to raise the funds.
Aaron burped loudly, scratched his head sheepishly, and said, "Ayang, I'll give you all my money. Hehe~ You know, I have no use for money." After that, he took out a yellowed passbook from his underwear pocket and handed it to Li Yang.
Li Yang opened the passbook and took a closer look, then took a deep breath.
The first large sum of money, 600,000 yuan, was the death compensation for Aaron's parents, and not a cent was touched.
After that, an additional 220,000 yuan was deposited every year for 15 consecutive years, totaling 3.3 million yuan.
Including the interest over the years, Aaron's passbook actually has more than 4 million yuan in deposits!
"Along, how do you have so much money?" Li Yang asked.
"Ah, is that a lot?" A'long looked a little embarrassed, like a child whose secret had been discovered. He shifted his hips, a little embarrassed. "A'yang, you know, lumberjacks make 350 yuan a day. My strength and work efficiency are two or three times better than theirs, and my boss pays me 700 yuan a day. Working 360 days a year, that's over 250,000 yuan. Aunt Chen takes care of my three meals a day. Aside from 20,000 yuan a year for food and a few thousand yuan in other expenses, I basically don't spend any money. I'm in great health, never get sick year-round, and have endless energy. I feel uncomfortable if I don't work for a day, so I don't need to rest."
"A'long, this is a lot of money. It's also your fifteen years of savings," Li Yang said solemnly, handing A'long the passbook
. "A'yang, you're my only family. It's my greatest wish to help you. If you want to recognize me, take this money." A'long thrust the passbook back, his tanned face flushing.
Memories of his past life flooded back, and Li Yang swallowed back all his words. Veins etched faintly on his hand as he gripped the passbook. He stared into Ah Long's eyes and said, "Okay!"
Seeing Li Yang agree, Ah Long regained his usual innocent smile, clearly delighted. That
evening, Li Yang drove the two of them around the city, exploring every worthwhile spot and buying some local specialties.
The next morning, after dropping them off at the high-speed rail station, Li Yang returned home and began to count the funds.
Funds from all ten of his close friends had arrived, each with a varying amount, totaling 7 million yuan. Ah Long received 4 million yuan, Houzi 750,000 yuan, and another 1.05 million yuan, raised over the past few days from his parents, his eldest uncle, his second uncle, his aunt, his eldest aunt, his second aunt, his third aunt, and his youngest aunt, totaling 20 million yuan. They
had enough start-up capital; all they had to do was wait for the big market to open next week.-+ On March 17th, 95 days until the end of the world,
Li Yang rose early, completed his morning exercises, and allocated 18 million yuan to his futures account and 2 million yuan to his stock account.
Drawing on his past life experience, Li Yang skillfully increased his leverage by 10x. After a day of repeated trading, by nightfall, his futures account had gained 300%, reaching 72 million yuan, while his stock account had also risen 15%.
Li Yang's foolproof trading method obviated the need to monitor the market. With sufficient funds in hand, Li Yang used his spare time to select three design institutes from among the dozen or so he had contacted, offering high efficiency and value. He signed survey and design contracts with them, paid each an advance of 10 million yuan, and immediately began working together.
On March 20th, 92 days until the end of the world
, after three days of continuous hard work, combined with 5-10x leverage, Li Yang's futures account had reached 300 million yuan by noon! His stock account had reached 5 million! Meanwhile, he received calls from the Commercial Administration Bureau and a car dealer friend.
It was already 2:00 PM when he left the bureau. Thanks to his friend's expedited processing, the "Spark Group Company" was officially established with 200 million yuan in paid-in capital, with Li Yang as the sole shareholder and 100% controlling stake. Li Yang then called all his close friends and rushed to the car dealership.
Nine S450s, including a Rolls-Royce President Edition, were sold for 5 million yuan, with an invoice price of 10 million yuan. All of them were registered under the group company's name as company assets. By the time all the paperwork was complete, it was already evening, and his close friends had gradually arrived.
"Everyone resign! Each of you will be given an S450, and your salaries will be doubled!" Li Yang smiled at Zheng Bo and the others, who were running breathlessly.
Their faces lit up with joy, and they immediately started making calls. Their tone, volume, attitude, and language were all unprecedentedly intense.
"Let's go, let's get everyone some gear." After a hearty, energetic discussion, Li Yang and his group of ten cars formed a neat line and drove to the largest nearby shopping mall. Each person received two high-end suits and a 60,000 yuan watch, for a total of one million yuan.
After finishing their work, Li Yang chose a private room at a nearby restaurant. Over lunch and conversation, they finalized each person's specific responsibilities and outlined the company's general business direction, development goals, and phased plans. Everyone's blood boiled, their eyes sparkling.
The elegant and thoughtful Li Siqin was in charge of business liaisons and external publicity.
The decisive and meticulous Jiang Xia was in charge of procurement and supplier selection.
Chen Ang, a mature and steady man with a government background, was responsible for coordinating government-business relations and tracking and implementing projects.
Peng Tao and Zheng Bo were in charge of bidding and price negotiation.
Liu Hao and Zhang Chen were in charge of personnel recruitment.
Shu Rui, Lin Fan, and Zhao Zifeng were in charge of liaisons with the design institute.
…
March 21st, 9:00 AM, Sishui County, Investment Promotion Bureau.
Director Wu Shuilin was bored as he went through his daily paperwork, feeling a wave of frustration.
Sishui County, a long-established industrial powerhouse, had seen GDP growth below 10% for three consecutive years, ranking last in the city. While still second in terms of overall GDP, the leadership was unyielding. Even more devastating was Sishui County's fiscal revenue, which had plummeted by 9% annually for three consecutive years!
Since the establishment of the Eastern Union, the economy of the entire Great Xia Kingdom has experienced rapid growth. This was particularly true in coastal and port areas. Favorable investment policies from local governments, coupled with advantageous geographical locations, have seen a massive influx of capital, driving rapid economic growth.
In contrast, Sishui County's fiscal revenue and GDP growth have declined year by year. As a subordinate unit directly under the county government, the pressure it bears is unimaginable.
Even Wu Shuilin, the head of the Investment Promotion Bureau, felt a sense of frustration. Sishui County lacked mineral resources, geographical advantages, or high-tech industries, let alone favorable policies. Beyond its densely populated and mountainous terrain, it offered no other advantages. He also hoped to attract investment, bringing in strong companies to boost the local economy, but what would these companies find so appealing about Sishui County?
This thought made Wu Shuilin irritable, and his handwriting darkened slightly.
Just as he was feeling frustrated, his phone rang. Seeing the note on the caller ID, Wu Shuilin's frown relaxed slightly, and he smiled. "Old Chen, you're such a busy man! How did you find time to call me?"
The two were former comrades-in-arms, a close friendship. After a brief greeting, they explained their purpose. After hanging up, Wu Shuilin finally smiled. He closed his eyes for a moment, pondering. Once he had sorted out all the threads and key points, he walked into the general manager's office with his head held high.
"Hmm? A total investment of 200 billion within a year? Nearly 100 billion within three months? Old Wu, is this a reliable idea? What's the other party's background?" After hearing Wu Shuilin's report, the general manager's face was initially overjoyed, then became nervous.
It's no wonder he reacted so strongly. As a county in central Taiwan, Sishui County, let alone a 100 billion yuan investment, even a billion-yuan investment is a major event worthy of attention.
"The chairman is from Sishui County and is willing to sign a VAM agreement. The company may be new, but it's extremely strong, with 200 million yuan in paid-in capital. It was introduced by an old comrade of mine, so it should be reliable. They'll come to inspect it next Monday. I heard the chairman is very decisive and highly focused on efficiency," Wu Shuilin said.
"Okay! Okay! Okay! From now on, the county government will fully cooperate with your Investment Promotion Bureau in all its endeavors. As long as it's not a matter of principle, agree to anything they ask. We must defeat them!" The chief steward immediately made the decision, then instructed his secretary: "Issue a notice immediately for an emergency meeting of the entire leadership team. Also, notify all departments and units to prepare for the weekend of Saturday. They must be fully prepared and present the most sincere attitude for Monday's inspection!"
With the chief steward's command, the entire Sishui County administration immediately sprang into action.
At eight o'clock in the evening, Li Yang had just finished reviewing the complete set of Sishui County information obtained from the consulting firm. He then circulated it to the negotiation team, consisting of Chen Ang, Jiang Xia, and three negotiation experts. He said, "This is a detailed overview of Sishui County's leadership team, industrial scale, economic structure, and industry-wide analysis. Study it over the next two days and prepare for the on-site inspection on Monday."
After completing all this, Li Yang discovered that his account's total assets had reached 360 million yuan!
Ten days after his rebirth, he had finally completed his capital accumulation, gaining sufficient funds to proceed with the second phase of his planning.
On the 22nd, Saturday, there were 90 days left until the apocalypse. Time was running out, so Li Yang dispatched Zheng Bo, Shu Rui, Zhao Zifeng, and Lin Fan, each with their own missions. Li Yang continued his training at home, racing against time and seizing every opportunity to become stronger.
…
On March 24th, there were 88 days left until the apocalypse.
At 9:30 a.m., at the Sishui County highway toll booth, a massive banner fluttered in the wind, emblazoned with bold text: "Warmly welcome the executives of the Spark Group to our county for an inspection!"
A few minutes later, a motorcade of Rolls-Royce President Editions, custom-built Mulsannes, and nine Mercedes-Benz S450s roared in, their flashers on. As the convoy approached, all private vehicles near the toll booth were stopped, waiting for the convoy to pass. The toll booth barriers had already been raised, and several police cars, sirens blaring, were neatly parked at the highway exit.
The convoy smoothly exited the highway, two police cars in front and two behind, clearing the way. Police motorcycles flanked the convoy, and traffic control was maintained throughout the journey, with not a single red light.
Soon, the convoy arrived at the county office building.
Everything obstructing the view had been removed. Wu Shuilin, Director of the Investment Promotion Bureau, Li Hai, Director of the Traffic Management Bureau, and a team of county officials, led by the chief steward, had been waiting outside since 9:00.
Wu Shuilin and Li Hai personally commanded the convoy, driving straight into the building. Wu Shuilin had no expertise in cars, but Li Hai was a connoisseur. He could be heard muttering, "A Rolls-Royce President Edition worth nearly 30 million yuan! A custom-made Mulsanne worth 12 million yuan! The total value of this fleet has exceeded 55 million yuan! Old Wu, you've done a great job this time!"
Wu Shuilin, feeling a surge of heat, sprang out as soon as the vehicles came to a complete stop, heading straight for the Rolls-Royce President Edition.-+ At the same time, the passenger seat of the President's Edition quickly opened. Chen Ang, dressed in formal attire and imposing, stepped forward and shook Wu Shuilin's hands, a smile plastered across his face. "Uncle Wu, long time no see!"
He immediately opened the first seat door and introduced, "This is our Chairman and CEO of the Spark Group, Mr. Li Yang!"
Wu Shuilin's eyes lit up, and he greeted him with a broad smile. "Mr. Li, you are truly young and promising! Under your leadership, the Spark Group will surely achieve great things!"
Li Yang shook Wu Shuilin's hands and smiled as well. "Director Wu is a man of swift action, a blessing to Sishui County!"
The two exchanged pleasantries, and with Wu Shuilin's introduction, Li Yang shook hands with the chief steward and the entire leadership team before heading directly to the conference room.
After a brief introduction and acquaintance, the formal business talks began.
"According to the group's strategic plan and Mr. Li's suggestions, our group is adopting a staggered competitive approach, focusing first on developing lower-level cities and counties, and then moving closer to urban areas after creating successful model projects. Since Mr. Li is from Sishui County, this is our first stop." "
The specific plans and layout will be personally presented by Mr. Li," Chen Ang said in a steady, unhurried voice.
As soon as Chen Ang finished, the conference room erupted in applause.
"Unlike other companies, our group's strategy is to deeply penetrate counties and cultivate rural areas, but we will consider all aspects comprehensively before making decisions. Therefore, we hope that Sishui County will be our first and last stop." Li Yang cleared his throat, his eyes quickly scanning the faces of the leaders who nodded frequently. "The group company plans to invest huge sums of money to enter the agriculture, energy, steel, water, electricity, tourism, department stores, gas, security, pharmaceuticals, construction, machinery and other fields." "
Sishui County is a major agricultural county. Our company plans to establish Xinghuo Agricultural Company to create a large-scale agricultural product deep processing center. The total investment in this project is expected to exceed 20 billion within three months."
"Sishui County has a population of over 2.4 million, nearly 500,000 self-built houses, and over 8,500 buildings of various types for administrative, educational, and medical institutions under your jurisdiction. Energy is the second largest sector of the group company's development and a key industry supported by the higher authorities. Our company hopes to reach a cooperation agreement to develop various photovoltaic resources throughout the county. The total investment in this project is expected to exceed 20 billion within three months."
"Steel is the cornerstone of industry, and Sishui County is a traditionally strong industrial county. Our company hopes to take over the bankrupt steel mill in Zhangshu Town and expand production to one million tons per year. The total investment is expected to be 5 billion yuan within three months."
"Steel mills are energy-consuming behemoths. To maintain a sustainable power supply, our company hopes to add thermal power plants, wind farms, and water plants, and obtain access to all the hydropower in Zhangshu Town. The total investment is expected to be 5 billion yuan within three months."
"Currently, urbanization in our Great Xia Kingdom is basically complete, and the next economic growth will shift to the countryside. I plan to invest heavily in a large-scale cultural and tourism project in Zhangshu Town, my hometown, focusing on immersive experiences. This project is massive, and the total investment is expected to be 50 billion yuan within three months." ...
"
The total investment in all projects is expected to exceed 100 billion yuan within three months. This will directly generate over 10 billion yuan in fiscal revenue for Sishui County, create over 200,000 new jobs, and directly and indirectly generate economic growth that will multiply Sishui County's GDP several-fold." Li Yang spoke continuously, while secretaries from both sides were furiously scribbling down every key point and detail from the meeting.
"Of course, even with the strength of our Spark Group, such a massive investment will inevitably be difficult to manage. Therefore, we hope you can provide a certain percentage of policy-based special loans and provide the necessary guarantees for land transfer, tax reductions, and process simplification."
"This is the general direction and thinking of my group. The specific implementation will require coordination between the leaders and our dedicated personnel." As Li Yang finished speaking, the entire Sishui County leadership team involuntarily took a deep breath, feeling a little dizzy.
No wonder they looked so dazed. An investment of 100 billion yuan is of paramount importance, not only for tiny Sishui County, but also for the entire Jiangnan Province, and even the modern-day Great Xia Empire. If a partnership were truly reached, everyone present would be able to ascend to a new level! And as the lead and decision-maker, they could even rise to the top, even to the position of provincial or ministerial leader!
The leaders' minds raced, and they exchanged glances.
The senior manager calmly sipped his tea and said with a smile, "The senior executives of Spark Group have come from afar and must have worked hard. Mr. Li, in particular, is young and promising, with a lot of work to do. This time, he's finally back home, so we must treat him well. "Old Wu, let's go! Let's have some tea and dinner first, and we'll talk after we're full!"
The senior manager declared, and the other leaders quickly stood up and watched Li Yang and his group leave the meeting room. The senior manager and Wu Shuilin, guided by the concierge, accompanied Li Yang and his group to the internal reception dining room.
In the high-end executive box, the meal was already prepared, at the perfect temperature.
Li Yang's favorite wine was 1573, and the dishes were carefully selected local specialties from Sishui County. Li Yang took the main seat, the senior leader served as the main companion, Wu Shuilin served as the secondary companion, and several other members of the Spark Group also accompanied them.
Three rounds of drinks passed, and the dishes were served. The atmosphere was lively, with cups clinking and glasses exchanged. The elegantly presented concierge frequently filled the room, refilling tea and wine, and soon everyone was satisfied.
Li Yang didn't drink much, just a sip after clinking glasses. The senior manager and Wu Shuilin drank only half a glass at a time, a truly generous gesture.
After satiating themselves, the two watched Li Yang enter the rest room and finally left.
Just a dozen meters away, the senior manager and Wu Shuilin, almost simultaneously, rushed to the trash can and vomited violently. When their roiling stomachs finally subsided, they both pulled out their hangover remedies and swallowed them in one gulp.
At noon, in the previous meeting room, the core members of each department were engaged in a heated discussion.
"Although this company was founded not long ago, each investment is substantial, and their initial paid-in capital reached 200 million yuan. They must have strong financial backing!" Li Hai from the Traffic Management Bureau said.
"Because it's so new, many things are still unclear, so the uncertainty is too great! It could be a huge pitfall!" said the Environmental Protection Bureau.
"I've checked, their funding is fine, and there's no foreign investment," said the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.
"Isn't that enough? As long as the principles are sound, it can't get any worse. And given the situation in Sishui County, what else can we possibly plot?" Li Hai added.
...
The senior manager and Wu Shuilin stood quietly at the conference room door, listening for a while before pushing the door open.
As the senior manager, with an IV in his hand and a nurse at his heels, entered the room, the room immediately fell silent.
Everyone awaited his final word.-+ Li Yang enjoyed a nice nap, lasting until 3 p.m. Finally, urged by Chen Ang's call, he cleaned up a bit and rushed to the meeting room.
The basics had been discussed, and only the major issues required Li Yang's final decision.
At 5:30 p.m., after constant negotiation, revisions, and back-and-forth discussions, a mutually acceptable framework agreement had been formed. It only needed to be finalized tonight, and tomorrow, with a formal public signing, the agreement would be finalized.
First, twelve wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Xinghuo Group—Xinghuo Agriculture, Xinghuo Energy, Xinghuo Steel, Xinghuo Water, Xinghuo Electric Power, Xinghuo Tourism, Xinghuo Department Store, Xinghuo Gas, Xinghuo Security, Xinghuo Pharmaceuticals, Xinghuo Construction, and Xinghuo Machinery—were officially registered in Sishui County, each with 10 million yuan in paid-in capital. The main companies were to increase their capital to 1 billion yuan within three months.
Second, the Zhangshu Town Steel Plant, originally covering 1.2 million mu (approximately 1.2 million acres) and with an annual output value of 300,000 tons, along with its entire equipment and land, was transferred to Xinghuo Steel for a total of 50 million yuan. Within three months, Xinghuo Group will complete a major upgrade of the steel plant's equipment, production lines, and factory buildings, transforming it into a large-scale integrated steel plant with an annual production capacity of one million tons and covering 5,000 mu (approximately 16,000 acres).
Third, Xinghuo Energy will be free to develop the 8,000 buildings under the county government's jurisdiction, 500,000 self-built houses throughout the county, as well as commercial centers and factory buildings. Xinghuo Group must comply with relevant laws and regulations and local customs. Unless otherwise specified, any unit or individual in Sishui County must fully cooperate and not delay.
Fourth, the Zhangshu Hydropower Station, with an annual generating capacity of 69 million watts, will be operated by Xinghuo Power, with the profit ownership remaining unchanged. Xinghuo Power will construct a new thermal power station covering 4,000 mu (approximately 16,000 acres) between Zhangshu Town and the county seat, with a total investment exceeding 10 billion yuan. A new 100MW wind turbine will be built in Changlong Village.
Fifth, 30,000 mu (approximately 166 acres) of wasteland and surrounding forests at the junction of Changlong, Changhe, and Changxiang villages will be allocated to Xinghuo Tourism to develop an immersive, interactive cultural tourism project, with a 30-year franchise. Xinghuo Group must invest 10 billion yuan in this project within three months, or else all operating rights will be revoked.
Sixth, 3,000 mu (approximately 166 acres) of land near Zhangshu Lake will be allocated to Xinghuo Water and Xinghuo Agriculture. Xinghuo Group must complete a total investment of 1 billion yuan within a specified timeframe. Seventh
, Xinghuo Group and its subsidiaries will prioritize hiring residents with Sishui County household registration, subject to equal benefits.
Eighth, Xinghuo Group will pay a total deposit of 50 million yuan and must achieve a total investment of 50 billion yuan, a tax payment of 5 billion yuan, and the creation of 100,000 new jobs within three months. Otherwise, all conditions will be vacated and the deposit will not be refunded. Ninth
, to ensure the project progresses on schedule, with the required quantity and quality, Sishui County will establish a special working group. Special approval will be granted to all processes for Xinghuo Group and its subsidiaries. We will simplify the process, handle special matters specially, handle specialized matters specifically, supervise within a time limit, and be held accountable for overdue work. The general manager will take the lead, Wu Shuilin will serve as his deputy, and they will jointly form a supervisory team with the core members of each department to establish a work style of daily settlement and time-limited processing, implement the accountability system of the top leader, and strictly put an end to overtime delays.
Tenth, to ensure the high-speed operation of the project and the timely delivery of materials, we will implement the policy of releasing as much as possible without violating the law or causing traffic accidents.
Tenth, the land transfer and rental fees of Xinghuo Group and its subsidiaries will be exempted for two years.
Twelfth, Xinghuo Group and its subsidiaries will enjoy a one-year tax reduction policy of half.
Thirteenth, within three months, Xinghuo Construction and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission will take the lead in laying a 20-kilometer railway from the Sishui County Railway Station to the Xinghuo Tourism City project.
Fourteenth, the county government will take the lead, with state-owned capital allocated, to provide low-interest loans totaling 20 billion yuan (subject to actual amounts, with year-on-year increases or decreases) for tangible projects such as Xinghuo Agriculture, Xinghuo Energy, Xinghuo Steel, Xinghuo Electric Power, Xinghuo Water, Xinghuo Tourism, and Xinghuo Construction. This loan will be disbursed in three installments: a signing payment of 5 billion yuan, a progress payment of 7 billion yuan, and a target-achieving payment of 8 billion yuan.
At 10 p.m., a preliminary draft of the cooperation agreement, jointly drafted by legal affairs, experts, and leaders from both sides, was presented to Li Yang and the general manager. Both parties nodded in agreement and then gathered their teams to return to their respective residences.
Having finalized the general framework and direction, the remaining details remain, which will be handled by dedicated legal advisors and staff. Any other issues arising from the implementation of the cooperation can be addressed later and there is no immediate rush.
Regardless of the outcome, tonight is destined to be a sleepless night for the Sishui County government.
March 25th marks 87 days until the end of the world.
Zheng Bo, Shu Rui, Zhao Zifeng, and Lin Fan, who were on business trips, had all returned, having completed their respective missions.
At 9:00 AM, the entire Sishui County leadership team, key members of various departments, and Li Yang of the Spark Group stood in front of the county government building for photo ops and interviews with various Sishui County media outlets. To avoid unnecessary complications, Li Yang was presented as a member of the group's management team in all official and Spark Group publicity.
At 9:18 AM, accompanied by the blast of cannon fire, the general manager and Li Yang cut the ribbon and signed the cooperation agreement. With the check for the 50 million yuan deposit handed to the general manager, the partnership between Spark Group and Sishui County was officially concluded!
Two hours later, every television station, news outlet, newspaper, radio station, village committee, and town committee in Sishui County broadcast this bombshell news on repeat.
Suddenly, Spark Group became a household name throughout Sishui County!
At ten o'clock sharp, Zheng Bo called the head of the optoelectronics headquarters and sent them the relevant agreement documents. At the same time, Xinghuo Energy's 100 million yuan deposit was deposited into their account. As soon as the payment was confirmed, photovoltaic panels worth 1.5 billion yuan began to be loaded onto trucks for shipment to Sishui County.
Liu Hao and Zhang Chen, who had been in charge of recruiting personnel as early as the 20th, also began to take action. The 2,000 technicians who had been agreed upon had boarded the high-speed rail the previous night, ready for construction.
After attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Li Yang immediately gathered his core team for a small meeting.
"Photovoltaic panels are closely related to the group company's future business development and are currently the top priority. Everyone must give their all," Li Yang said solemnly.
"Eight thousand five hundred buildings can accommodate 1.7 million panels. For self-built houses costing 500,000, based on a 30% transaction rate, that's 150,000 buildings. If there are an average of 60 panels per building, that's 9 million. Add to that the enterprises, factories, and industrial parks in Sishui County, calculated at 2.3 million, for a total of 13 million panels." Li Yang wrote and calculated on a piece of white paper.
"In the early stages of business development and document approval, with government endorsement, you basically don't have to spend any effort, as long as the installation can keep up. But design, cutting, hoisting, welding, installation, and debugging are very time-consuming. Based on a skilled worker's wage of 300 yuan/person/month, it will take more than 43,000 people to complete the installation in one month, and more than 21,000 people to complete the installation in two months."
"The principle of our Spark Group is that efficiency is not a cost-effective measure! All front-line workers' wages will be increased by 50%, food and accommodation will be included, and they will work three shifts a day. Even if it rains, you will set up an awning for me!" After Li Yang worked out the general situation, he took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "All matters related to photovoltaics will be left to the four of you, Zheng Bo, Shu Rui, Peng Tao, and Lin Fan. No matter how much it costs, all the panels must be installed by the end of April. Each person will receive a dividend of one million after completion!"
"This is related to our future destiny, you must do it. There can't be any delay, understand?" Li Yang's expression became very serious, staring into the eyes of several people.
"Okay, Brother Yang, we'll do our best to complete this mission!" Zheng Bo and the other three responded solemnly, their expressions straightening.
"Chen Ang and Li Siqin will be in charge of the bidding." "
Jiang Xia and Zhao Zifeng will be in charge of purchasing and supplier selection. As for Liu Hao and Zhang Chen, they will continue to handle personnel recruitment. The company needs to significantly expand its staff." Li Yang turned and continued.
"The company has reached a certain scale, and all matters must be handled promptly and settled daily. Time is very tight right now. Everyone, grit your teeth and work hard for these 90 days, and don't let up! After we're done, everyone will receive a 10 million yuan dividend." Li Yang rubbed his brow and said,
"What hard work? Not at all!"
"90 days of hard work, 10 million yuan in profits! You're crazy to rest!"
"Damn it, 10 million yuan in dividends! Whoever wants me to rest, I'll kill them!" Zheng Bo and the others howled, rushing out of the room in high spirits.-+Chapter 7 Family After the brief meeting, Li Yang immediately rushed to the conference room, where the heads of the three design institutes were waiting for him.
"Mr. Li! After eight days of non-stop, coordinated efforts, we've finally fulfilled our mission and completed the preliminary survey and design two days ahead of schedule." The three heads' eyes lit up when they saw Li Yang.
"Thank you all for your hard work. We'll need your continued dedication to deliver the construction drawings and key projects on time." Li Yang shook hands with each head.
"Mr. Li, this is what we should do. While these projects are expensive, the construction difficulty is very low, with the exception of the slightly more complex underground work. Our work efficiency has improved significantly, and with the three institutes working together and simultaneously, delivering all of them on time is no problem. But what about the progress and final payments?" a leading head asked cautiously.
"Rest assured, everyone. As long as we deliver on time and with quality, money is not a problem." Li Yang immediately smiled.
According to the previously signed contract, the total design fee for the steel plant, water plant, thermal power plant, food factory, and key cultural and tourism city project is 130 million yuan, and all drawings must be produced within 25 days. Satisfied with the result, Li Yang immediately called the finance department and asked them to pay the remaining 100 million yuan in full.
"Mr. Li, you're Party A. Logically, we shouldn't have to say anything. Simply designing according to your specifications would exorbitant construction costs. It's completely unnecessary, isn't it?" Seeing Li Yang's straightforwardness, a kindly manager couldn't help but remind him.
"Thank you for the reminder. Since we're promoting an immersive experience, we absolutely must make it a bit exaggerated and realistic. Otherwise, how would it stand out?" Li Yang patted him on the shoulder and smiled.
After the design institute's manager left, Li Yang first called the general manager and then Monkey, asking him to meet him in the county. He then checked the funds.
Of the 360 million yuan, minus the 150 million yuan deposit, the 100 million yuan design fee, and the 10 million yuan advance to key staff, there was still 100 million yuan left. With the recent market downturn, futures and stock market income was almost negligible. Fortunately, the 5 billion yuan advance from the county government would arrive that afternoon, otherwise the funds would be insufficient.
Half an hour later, a red-letter document jointly signed by the county party committee, county government, county security, and Spark Group was passed through layers of government and spread throughout Sishui County at lightning speed.
At a construction site in Shenhai City, Guangnan Province, which boasts tens of millions of workers, Chen Dazhuang's phone suddenly rang as he was sweating profusely.
The dark-skinned man wiped the sweat off his face and took out his phone. It was his elderly mother calling. His heart tightened, and he quickly answered the call.
"Son, this is great news! Our Sishui County has become prosperous! The Spark Group is recruiting 200,000 migrant workers in our county, and the village party secretary has already agreed to give me three spots! Room and board included, and a salary of 10,000 yuan. Come back quickly!" Before he could say anything, his mother's voice rang out.
"Mom, that's impossible! How can a salary of 10,000 yuan be offered in that shabby place of ours? Back in Shenhai City, the average monthly salary is only 8,000 yuan!" Chen Dazhuang was a little incredulous.
"This is a red-ink document signed jointly by the County Party Committee, the County Government, and the County Security Bureau. How could it be fake? If this isn't the case, there's no such thing!" his mother cried anxiously.
"Okay, okay! I'll buy a ticket and come back right away. Mom, tell the Party Secretary to make sure I get a spot!" Chen Dazhuang said quickly.
After finishing his call, Dazhuang immediately dropped his tools, grabbed his belongings, and left.
"Chen Dazhuang! What the hell are you doing? Don't you want to work anymore? Be careful, I'll dock your wages!" The foreman, upon noticing the situation, roared.
"Gnmgt! I'm going home, you idiot!" Chen Dazhuang spat fiercely, a mouthful of thick phlegm spurting precisely at the contractor's feet, turning his face livid.
Before the contractor could continue his outburst, Chen Dazhuang, relaxed and carefree, had already departed, leaving his fellow workers in stunned silence.
Similar situations were unfolding across the country, with nearly half of the workers, families in tow, rushing back to their hometowns overnight.
After all, they traveled thousands of miles from their hometowns, enduring the pain of long separations from their parents, wives, and children, all for the sole purpose of supporting their families and providing them with a better life. Now that they can find a decent job
back home, who would want to leave their parents, wives, and children as lonely elderly widows or left-behind children? As long as they could stay home with their parents, wives, and children, even if the salary were only two or three thousand yuan lower, let alone higher than elsewhere, they wouldn't choose to leave their hometown.
Less than an hour later, Monkey rushed to the Spark Group's dedicated office in the county government building and met Li Yang.
"Monkey, you're just in time. Let's have dinner together," Li Yang greeted with a smile.
"Wow, Yang, your business has spread back to your hometown! You're incredible! The Spark Group's name has spread throughout Changlong Village. Someone even asked me today if I knew the boss." Monkey's expression was exaggerated, and he plopped down next to Li Yang.
"Stop talking nonsense. Eat first. We'll go home later," Li Yang smiled.
The two of them devoured two or three bowls of rice at breakneck speed. Since Li Yang began training according to his memorized method, his strength and appetite have been increasing day by day, and he now eats more than three or four bowls of food at each meal.
"Let's go home! Ah Long will be home for dinner soon." Li Yang packed up a few of Ah Long's favorite dishes, filling the five-pound lunch box to the brim.
Monkey's driving skills were exceptional, and in less than forty minutes, Mu Shang had parked safely in front of a dilapidated two-story tiled house.
After waiting for ten minutes, the burly Ah Long approached, sweating profusely, carrying a massive log.
"Ah Yang, you're back, hehe!" Seeing Li Yang, Ah Long's dark face lit up with a happy, innocent smile. He placed the seven- or eight-hundred-pound log on the ground and strode forward.
"Ah Long, stop working. Follow me from now on," Li Yang said after Ah Long finished eating.
"Okay, Ah Yang, I'll protect you from now on, hehe!" Ah Long licked the grease off his plate and burped.
"Let's go, A'long, Monkey, to my house!" Li Yang said.
Li Yang's house was a three-story building, not luxurious, but definitely big enough for him.
When the long, slender body of the Mu Shang drove into Li Yang's yard, his father, Li Zhenhua, and mother, Chen Qiu'e, were a little surprised and confused. It wasn't until the car stopped and a familiar figure appeared before them that Chen Qiu'e burst into laughter and said, "It's you, you little brat! Why did you change your car again?"
"Dad! Mom!" Seeing familiar faces again after more than three years, Li Yang felt a surge of emotions. He then pulled out the bags of gifts he had bought for his parents from the trunk.
"Why spend this money? We have everything to eat and drink at home. What a waste!" Chen Qiu'e complained a little, but a smile spread across her face as she hurriedly carried the things into the house.
"Uncle Li! Aunt Chen!" A'long and Monkey also greeted them and helped carry the things.
Li Yang spent some time chatting with the two elders, discussing family matters and daily trivia, enjoying their rare free time. Then, changing the subject, he softly said, "Mom and Dad, if A-Long follows me from now on, please get him a house."
Chen Qiu'e was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized and smiled, "Yangzi, you have the final say at home. Besides, A-Long was raised by us, like a son to us. We couldn't be happier to have him around."
Ah Long's dark face flushed crimson. After a long moment of hesitation, he mustered up the courage to speak in a low voice, "Ayang, I'll stay at home, because my parents are there."
Chen Qiu'e and Li Zhenhua's eyes darkened, their expressions filled with sadness, and the atmosphere grew heavy.
Li Yang paused for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Along, I'll listen to you this time, but you'll listen to me next time."
Ah Long nodded vigorously.
After talking with his parents, Li Yang drove around to visit his relatives and elders one by one. For those who didn't receive a loan, he simply paid a courtesy visit and gave them a small gift. For those who did, Li Yang explained some matters to everyone and made preliminary plans.
Spark Group was in urgent need of a significant talent expansion, and these family members were trustworthy. As long as they weren't involved in decision-making or management, and simply focused on their respective responsibilities, there would be no problems. It wasn't until nightfall that Li Yang had completed his visits.
Back home, Li Yang took Ah Long and Monkey with him and began teaching them the training methods for the apocalypse. Although they didn't possess any supernatural powers yet, the stronger their physical fitness and willpower, the greater the chance of awakening them after the apocalypse. Preparing for the future now and preparing in advance would help them better survive the apocalypse.
Strangely enough, Monkey's talents were average, and his training results were similar to his previous life, while Ah Long's progress was extremely rapid, and the results were astonishing.
After completing his daily exercise plan, listening to the chirping of insects and birds in the fields, Li Yang slept soundly.-+ March 26th, 86 days until the end of the world.
Li Yang woke up bright and early. Chen Qiu'e had just finished making breakfast, and Monkey and A'long had arrived.
While eating, Li Yang assigned Monkey to organizing the migrant worker teams for the three villages of Changlong, Changhe, and Changxiang. He instructed his father to contact some of his former relatives and ask them to recruit as many capable people as possible. He also asked his mother to contact nearby women with quick hands and good character to open restaurants, supermarkets, and department stores near the project sites.
These small projects, while insignificant, could be quite lucrative, and most importantly, they would enhance his parents' sense of accomplishment and involvement.
Before he'd even finished his meal, the phone rang. Li Yang quickly grabbed a few bites, then drove to the county office with A'long.
In the large administrative conference room, over twenty heads of bidding agencies were already brimming with energy, anticipating the upcoming competition.
This group of well-connected bidding consulting firms had already gathered a complete picture of the Spark Group's background, its financial resources, its agreements with the county government, the widespread news coverage, the local government's dramatic actions, and the scale and budgets of various projects.
Their comprehensive assessment concluded that the Spark Group was a rising star, boasting immense financial resources and a strong background. Even before considering future developments, the total investment in the Spark Group's current projects alone would exceed hundreds of billions.
Consequently, every bidding firm with some strength in Jiangnan Province and that had received an invitation from the bidding committee had already taken the next high-speed train to Sishui County last night, hoping to obtain crucial information the night before and prepare thoroughly.
After a night of research and dinners, most of the company leaders had gathered crucial information: first, the Spark Group was wealthy and affluent; second, its CEO was young and decisive; and third, he prioritized efficiency.
With this crucial information swirling in his mind, Aaron, dressed in formal attire and towering in stature, followed Li Yang into the conference room.
"I'm sure everyone is familiar with the situation of our group company and the projects we're working on. Your strength and sincerity are unquestionable," Li Yang said from his seat at the head.
"Since everyone is knowledgeable, I'll get straight to the point. Those without experience bidding for large-scale (billion-dollar) construction or large-scale procurement projects, please move to the branch meeting rooms." Li Yang glanced around; no one had left.
"Those who can't commit to dedicated personnel, dedicated projects, and 24/7 availability, and assume joint and several liability for breach of contract, please move on." Still no one stood up.
"For all our group company projects, documents must be issued within 24 hours, officially announced within 48 hours, with at least ten suppliers, and the winning bidder selected within ten days. Those who can't do this, please move on." This time, half of the leaders left, leaving exactly ten companies.
Li Yang nodded and continued, "Congratulations to everyone on being shortlisted for the first round. This time, I will select three companies to handle all bidding matters for our group."
"At Spark Group, everything is based on efficiency and quality. These are two unshakable fundamentals. Please keep this in mind. All projects within our group adopt a fixed-price method, with a reference price of 120% of the market price."
"The group has a total of eleven projects open for public bidding. The budget is: 5 billion for the main construction and equipment procurement and installation of the steel plant, 1 billion for the food plant, 500 million for the water plant, 1 billion for the wind farm, 3.5 billion for the thermal power plant, 6 billion for the cold storage, 24 billion for the warehouse, 20 billion for the building, 6 billion for the underground, 3 billion for the surface, and 2 billion for the railway."
"The total bid price for this tender is 72 billion yuan. According to relevant regulations, the general agency fee is 7.2 million yuan. Our company is willing to increase it by 25%, paying the total budget of 9 million yuan. Of course, everyone knows that these are just appetizers. Okay, here are the preliminary design plans and some relevant requirements. Please review them and provide your feedback before 4:00 PM." Li Yang said, then turned and left the meeting room.
As soon as Li Yang left, the ten bidding managers trotted out of the meeting room and quickly found a deserted corner. Standing, squatting, or even crouching, they began frantically making phone calls in various positions.
Just kidding, these consulting firms operate at virtually zero cost. A 9 million yuan fee means a 9 million yuan gross profit, right? And as long as they secured the agency rights from Spark Group, wouldn't that be just a drop in the bucket?
Azure Star is already overcapacity, and even in the booming Daxia, it's a complete buyer's market. If they could get on board with Spark Group, a powerful shipbuilding company that not only doesn't default on payments but actually pays a premium, they'd probably wake up laughing in their dreams.
"Brother Yang, we have over 3,000 workers already working, with another 5,000 on the way. Once all the migrant workers in Sishui County return, we'll have over 50,000 workers by the end of the month. We guarantee we'll be able to complete the task! Okay, I'll stop talking to you. I'm really busy!" Zheng Bo shouted hurriedly, then immediately hung up.
As expected, population is the greatest productivity! With full official support, progress is rapid. Li Yang, after hanging up, wore a satisfied smile.
"Brother Yang, these are the security personnel you asked me to keep an eye on. After background checks and preliminary screening, there are only ten left. You can take charge." Liu Hao led the group over.
"A'long, Xinghuo Security Company is your territory. Once you've dealt with these people, they'll all be your subordinates from now on," Li Yang said with a wave of his hand.
"Okay, A'yang, hehe!" Hearing about a fight, A'long flashed his signature silly grin. Then his body shook, and his bones cracked and creaked, forming a continuous movement.
These ten men were veterans with many years of service, several of them special forces operatives. Their skills were exceptional, and naturally they were brimming with pride. But upon seeing Aaron's towering physique and his muscular, snake-like form, veins bulged in their foreheads.
After a friendly yet heated exchange, only three special forces operatives, Xing Lie, Xu Biao, and Wang Gang, managed to withstand Aaron's blows for three moves. These three were also promoted by Li Yang to security team captains.
With that, Spark Security expanded to eleven members, and after completing Aaron's special training, they became Li Yang's first full-fledged combatants.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, in the conference room
, after several rounds of fierce competition and grueling competition, three agencies emerged victorious, securing the Spark Group's bidding agency rights.
After signing contracts and stipulating hefty breach of contract liabilities, the three agencies received a combined four million yuan in agency fees.
Satisfied with the results, the agency heads rushed back to the office overnight, beginning a relentless cycle of overtime.
This client was truly generous, but their demands were also extremely high. The horrific liability for breach of contract could even bankrupt the company.
If they couldn't deliver on time... the manager's scalp tingled at the thought.
Work hard!
Work hard!
Work until the sun goes down!
After this deal, I'll have my wife!
The manager's heart was filled with determination.