Su Ping Nan deeply understood the importance of being well-informed at this time. So he subscribed to a large number of national and regional newspapers.
Pointing to an auction announcement in the Wu City Daily, his voice tinged with excitement, he said: “Zhang Jie, this place is crucial for our next move.”
Zhang Li Hua immediately scrutinized the announcement Su Ping Nan highlighted. The Daily’s announcement was quite simple. Due to Tianpeng Company's insolvency, the Agricultural Bank and the Economic Committee would auction off all of its assets on the 2nd floor of the Wu City Hotel on the 26th. Then, the detailed list of assets to be auctioned was provided below.
“Su Zong?” Zhang Li Hua looked up in confusion, her voice carrying a question. With Jinshui’s current strength, it was simply impossible to secure so many assets.
“It's here.” Su Ping Nan pointed to the last item on the asset list.
A five-story unfinished building located on Nanlu, Wu City Square.
“Here?” Everyone was a little puzzled, not understanding why Su Ping Nan would be interested in a building that hadn't even been completed.
Su Ping Nan was so confident because he knew that this building would be acquired by a southern businessman two years later. It would then be transformed into a unique high-end restaurant, raking in a fortune for decades to come.
“Who knows the details of Tianpeng Company?”
“I do.” Guo Guang Yao was a native of Wu City and had developed a significant network in the past few months.
“Tianpeng Company is Li Ru Ming’s company from Wu City. Last year, this guy claimed to be the richest man in Wu City. It is said that he dabbled in stocks in Shenzhen last August and encountered a stock market crash, losing tens of millions to nearly hundreds of millions of capital. It's estimated that he was wiped out this time and is now selling off these properties.” Guo Guang Yao sighed, remembering Li Ru Ming’s former glory. Li Ru Ming’s Wu City was the first to own an Audi 100 and a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, living a life of unimaginable luxury. At that time, Guo Guang Yao wouldn't even have the chance to speak to him. Yet, in just over a year, he has fallen from grace.
“Li Ru Ming? The bigwig who made his fortune in Shenzhen?” Su Wen Wen and Zhang Tong exclaimed in surprise.
Su Ping Nan knew this man too. He was truly remarkable, overcoming hardships and eventually becoming a tycoon through real estate. He even married a very famous film star. He was truly a winner in life.
Nodding, acknowledging his understanding of the situation, Su Ping Nan continued: “Next, we need to proceed simultaneously in both Wu City and Feng City.”
Su Ping Nan walked to the detailed map of Xia Kingdom, hung on the snow-white wall. With a sharp gaze fixed on Wu City and the surrounding area of Ertai Town in Feng City, a few hundred kilometers away, he spoke calmly: “Zhang Li Hua, you should immediately establish a Jinshui Catering Company in Wu City. With the relationships established during the previous company formation, we need to complete the registration and taxation procedures in the shortest possible time. Then, participate in the auction using the catering company’s name. If we win, I am confident that we can make it a benchmark in Wu City's catering industry.”
Su Ping Nan was indeed confident. For the catering business, he would utilize top-notch service and luxurious interior decoration, unprecedented in this era, to seize the leading position in Wu City's catering industry. Aside from these two aspects, the vast mountains near Ertai Town provided an endless supply of excellent ingredients, which further fueled his confidence.
Zhang Li Hua expressed some concerns: “Su Zong, it will be very difficult to complete this within such a short time.”
Su Ping Nan’s tone was full of authority: “There’s no cat that doesn’t steal fish. It’s not like we’re doing anything illegal. I won’t interfere with the money, so go ahead and use it boldly.”
Zhang Li Hua pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement.
Su Ping Nan looked at Su Wen Wen, saying: “Wen Wen, you’ve done a great job in Feng City's Ertai Town. The five-year exclusive distribution contract with 56 households took me by surprise. Now that the company has been established, you can use the company’s name to supplement these contracts.”
“Okay.” Su Wen Wen nodded.
“According to our investigation, there are more than 340 large pine nut producers within this 800-kilometer mountainous area. Your next task is to keep them tied to our company's wagon.”
“Understood.”
“Right now, our earning speed is being limited by the railway’s transport capacity. We can’t use the road, and wagons are in short supply. Once Feng City’s local products company realizes what’s happening, we might not be as fortunate as we are now.” Su Ping Nan dampened the enthusiasm of the eager crowd.
“Therefore!” Su Ping Nan emphasized, “We must build the largest pine nut storage center in Tiannan Province in Ertai Town before they catch on.” He paused, allowing his subordinates to absorb his idea.
“The largest?” Guo Guang Yao's eyes were filled with excitement.
“The largest! We can’t transport the pine nuts out of Feng City, but we can transport them to Ertai Town! I want 90% or more of the pine nut production in Feng City to stay in our storage center! Since we’re in this business, and since Heaven has given us this opportunity, why don’t we play the role of the dealer?” Su Ping Nan’s eyes were filled with ambition.
“Good!” Everyone was filled with excitement and exclaimed unconsciously.
Su Ping Nan waved his hand to Guo Guang Yao, “Guang Yao, take a few guys with you to help. Use the company’s name to negotiate with the Ertai Town government. 200 acres is the bottom line. If they agree to more, we can promise to invest in building a factory there. Ensure that the annual tax revenue reaches 5 million.”
If you don't have the strength, bluff your way through. Su Ping Nan’s plan was to first deceive the government into approving the land. He would take things one step at a time, taking each bite of food one after another. Walnut production near Ertai Town was also considerable. In the future, "Six Walnuts" would become a household name. He was eager to seize this opportunity, though it was not entirely a deception.
After assigning the next tasks, Su Ping Nan took out a thick file from the safe and threw it to Su Wen Wen.
Su Wen Wen caught it and opened the file, confused. Inside were five thick real estate certificates and keys.
Looking at the bewildered crowd, Su Ping Nan's lips curved into a smile, and he calmly said: “May you live a prosperous life. Brothers of a lifetime. A new residential area has been developed in the south of Wu City. This is for you to all have a place to call home.”