Just running through all these departments would take at least a month, yet Xu Chunliang wasn’t too worried. With the power of Equatorial Capital, handling these procedures shouldn’t be a problem at all. Mo Han is quite sharp and has already started dealing with these issues.

This incident can be considered a fortunate mistake; contracting the winery and getting a hot spring in return. It couldn’t be said he tricked her.

Some are happy, while others are worried. The Da Heng Weishan Island Business Department is still in a state of suspension. Zhang Hengyang came over to hold an internal meeting early on the fifth day of the lunar year. During the meeting, he heard about the hot spring discovery at the winery. Zhang Hengyang was frustrated because after promoting the Hot Spring Yiyang Town for so long, there was finally a hot spring, but unfortunately, it had nothing to do with them.

Currently, Da Heng is plagued by negative news. The family of the deceased has already officially sued them, and public opinion has shifted its criticism from Hua Nian to Da Heng. Outside, dozens of elderly people are gathered, demanding Da Heng buy back their properties and include additional compensation conditions.

This morning, the meeting was about discussing buyback plans. Their emergency proposal was to buy back Jiang Ailian’s property, intending to appease the family of the deceased by compensating at the current market price. It could be said that Da Heng made considerable concessions, but their sincerity did not move the Liu Brothers, who ultimately sued Da Heng. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

During today’s meeting, Zhang Hengyang rejected their previous compensation plan. Even if the Liu Brothers did not sue them, they couldn’t buy back properties at the current market price. Once such a precedent is set, it would lead to endless future troubles. Other owners would demand their properties be bought back by Jiang Ailian’s standards.

Da Heng had a hard time selling those properties, yet now they’re not only not making money but also losing a significant sum. What kind of crazy operation is this?

Currently, real estate sales are sluggish, and Da Heng is also caught in a debt crisis. This half-month’s sales statistics show that the domestic total sales have barely exceeded 50 billion. Based on this standard, annual sales are around 120 billion, but Da Heng’s debt has exceeded a trillion. As things stand, it would take ten years of property sales to fill this big hole, assuming no new crises occur.

After the meeting, Zhang Hengyang immediately went to Hu Shan Town Government with Liu Jiaqi to pay a visit to Vice Mayor Zhou Hongyuan, who is currently specifically responsible for supervising Da Heng’s restructuring work.

Zhou Hongyuan and Zhang Hengyang have known each other for a long time and invited them to sit down.

Zhang Hengyang got straight to the point: "Town Mayor Zhou, to be honest, we’re here today regarding the closure of the sales office."

Zhou Hongyuan said: "Secretary Qin has instructed that closure is not the goal. The main purpose is to promote improvement within the related enterprise. There have been many incidents lately, and we have also received a lot of reports."

Liu Jiaqi said: "Town Mayor Zhou, we have made improvements according to the town’s suggestions. We also hope that the leaders will consider the specific situation of our sales. We can’t just deny the contributions our group has made to the local economy because of some recent incidents, right?"

Zhang Hengyang asked: "Can Town Mayor Zhou give us a clear answer on when we can resume normal operations?"

Zhou Hongyuan smiled and said: "You can’t ask me about this matter. The decision to impose penalties was made by the newly arrived Vice Mayor Xu. According to Secretary Qin’s instructions, the enterprises involved must deeply realize their mistakes and make substantive changes. I’m only responsible for supervising your rectification process. As for when operations can resume, it will be discussed and decided at a meeting."

Zhang Hengyang said: "Town Mayor Zhou, we suffer heavy losses every day that we’re closed."

Zhou Hongyuan said: "I will report your request to the higher-ups, but I estimate that the closure won’t last too long."

Zhang Hengyang saw that Zhou Hongyuan was just a slick character, talking nicely but doing nothing practical, and regretted coming to him as it was a complete waste of time.

Zhang Hengyang didn’t want to continue playing Tai Chi with him and got up to say goodbye.

Outside, Liu Jiaqi said: "President Zhang, should we go find Secretary Qin?"

Zhang Hengyang shook his head, letting Liu Jiaqi go back first. He had already visited Qin Zhengyang at home, so there was no need to find him at the office. Despite Qin Zhengyang’s youth, he has a clear count in his heart and probably won’t make things too difficult for Da Heng.

The instigator of the situation was Xu Chunliang. Zhang Hengyang wanted to meet him, so he inquired and heard that Xu Chunliang was not in the office but at the site where the hot spring was discovered at the winery.

When Zhang Hengyang heard about the hot spring discovery at the winery, his first reaction was that it was fake news. After all, Da Heng had previously invited geological experts to explore the area for the Hot Spring Yiyang Town project. Those experts had confidently claimed that there were no hot springs on Weishan Island.

The Weishan Island Winery is less than 800 meters in a straight line from the Da Heng Weishan Island Business Department. Zhang Hengyang decided to see it for himself.

At the entrance of the Weishan Island Winery, he saw security guards stationed there. After explaining his purpose and making a phone call to Xu Chunliang, he was allowed to enter.

Before getting out of the car, Zhang Hengyang could already smell the sulfur in the air, confirming it was indeed the unique scent of hot spring water.

Getting out of the car, he saw Xu Chunliang walking over. Zhang Hengyang smiled and hurried to greet him: "Town Mayor Xu, you really are here."

Xu Chunliang shook hands with him, both appearing very friendly. Interaction between people often is just this hypocritical—disliking each other but putting on an act.

Xu Chunliang said: "We just discovered a hot spring, so I’m here on behalf of the town to check it out."

Zhang Hengyang asked: "A real hot spring?"

Xu Chunliang replied: "You shouldn’t question it like that. Your Da Heng was the first to promote that Weishan Island had hot springs."

Feeling like he got slapped, because Da Heng promoted the Hot Spring Yiyang Town for so long only to end up being labeled for false advertising, when it was Equatorial Capital that contracted the winery at a very low price, nearly a giveaway, discovering a hot spring right after. If true, it couldn’t be such a coincidence. Perhaps they investigated beforehand.

Xu Chunliang led Zhang Hengyang to take a look at the hot spring. Zhang Hengyang saw the steam rising continuously and bubbling spring water. He personally tested the temperature and closely sniffed the scent. Even though he’s not an expert, he could basically confirm it was indeed a hot spring.

What luck! If only this hot spring had been discovered within Da Heng’s construction site.

The first thought was to share resources, figuring out a way to pip hot spring water into their project, making the Hot Spring Yiyang Town truly live up to its name and removing the label of false advertising.

Zhang Hengyang said: "It really is a hot spring."

Xu Chunliang nodded and said: "You’ll be able to come here for a bath soon."

Zhang Hengyang asked: "This place is contracted by Equatorial Capital?"

Xu Chunliang laughed: "President Zhang, your information is really up-to-date. I introduced them; it’s the first project I facilitated since taking charge of attracting investment."

Zhang Hengyang thought to himself that Xu Chunliang was doing it on purpose to annoy him and lamented: "You struck gold. Had they investigated earlier?"

Xu Chunliang shook his head: "The initial investigation was done by Qianfan Group. Their intention was to set up a winery here and establish a brewing base. Considering the pollution from wineries, the town asked them to come up with an environmental plan. Qianfan Group couldn’t provide a mature plan for a long time. Equatorial Capital then got interested in the place, planning a wine culture park to develop tourism. Today, while digging a fish pond, they unexpectedly discovered a hot spring."

Zhang Hengyang said: "Equatorial Capital loves speculative business." Equatorial Capital and Da Heng have had a longstanding feud, with Luan Yuchuan having targeted Da Heng several times, earning significant profits from Da Heng.

Xu Chunliang said: "We don’t care what kind of business they do, as long as they play by the rules in Hu Shan Town. We treat all investors equally."

Zhang Hengyang said: "Having Town Mayor Xu’s assurance puts me at ease. I’m here today to ask you for a favor. We’ve rectified the sales office according to your instructions and hope to resume normal operations soon."

Xu Chunliang said: "President Zhang, the rectification notice was indeed issued by me, but currently, Secretary Qin has reassigned the tasks. I’m now responsible for supervising Hua Nian Group, while your Da Heng’s rectification is supervised by Vice Mayor Zhou Hongyuan."

Zhang Hengyang smiled: "I just came from there."

Xu Chunliang asked: "Did he pass the buck to me?"

Zhang Hengyang shook his head: "Not exactly."

Xu Chunliang said: "Old Zhou loves shirking responsibility. Take Jiang Ailian’s suicide incident, for example. He was on administrative duty but shifted the blame to me. It’s really unlucky for me, carrying the can for him, with all the unpleasant tasks falling to me."

Zhang Hengyang thought that Xu Chunliang was no saint either, having set traps for them behind the scenes before. He had dealt with Xu Chunliang more than once and concluded one thing: he never gained any advantage. In the past, when Xu Chunliang was merely the dean of Weishan Island Hospital, it was already challenging, and now that he’s a vice mayor in Hu Shan Town, Zhang Hengyang certainly has no intention of crossing swords with him.

Zhang Hengyang said: "I’m sincerely convinced by the town’s penalties. There were indeed many issues with our sales operations. Through this incident, it also prompted me to reform the management structure here."

Zhang Hengyang has already implemented a series of measures to address the current situation. A major overhaul was made in the sales department at the sales office, and the person in charge of Jiang Ailian’s sales was fired. As for the general manager of the Weishan Island Business Department, Liu Jiaqi, she will be transferred elsewhere, and new management will take office after the holidays.

He has already talked it over with Liu Jiaqi, and she will comply with the higher-ups’ decision, but before she leaves, she needs to handle this matter.

While they were chatting, Zhang Haitao called to report to Xu Chunliang that Zhao Feiyang had arrived.

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