"Speak directly."
Chen Feng asked calmly.
If he couldn't keep his composure at this moment, Li Hongbing would look down on him.
Being looked down upon was not a big problem.
He had almost been looked down upon every day since he went from being a deputy town mayor's driver to where he was today.
Back then, everyone in Mingshan Town thought he had slept his way to the top.
He didn't feel anything about it.
The reason was simple: it was impossible to enter the political arena without being talked about behind your back.
To do well in politics, one must have a good mindset.
The reason he didn't want Li Hongbing to look down on him was mainly because if Li Hongbing looked down on him, he wouldn't tell the truth.
To solve problems in politics, one must hear the truth.
"China's local protectionism cannot be solved in a short time. Since it cannot be solved, we must find another way. If we try to solve it by force, it will only be counterproductive. This applies to everything, not just politics; it must follow the rules. Shouting alone is not enough. Even if you shout until your throat is raw, will it work? No. For example, in the past, China shouted every day that it was Asia's number one navy, and for several years, everyone in China believed it. Did it work? No. Whether the military is strong or not has its rules. The rule of military strength is that it is not shouted into existence, but fought for. In the past, China, using the so-called 'Asia's number one navy,' fought a small island nation and suffered a crushing defeat. It's like today, some people are shouting again, claiming China's military is the world's number one. No matter how strong the military or weapons are, it's more useful to have one real combat experience than to shout ten thousand times. In this regard, China has made progress compared to the past, knowing to sell some weapons to other countries and let them gain practical experience. In a sense, China's military is capable, but calling it the world's number one is still a bit of bragging. Most American weapons have combat opportunities, while most Chinese weapons lack combat experience. The day China's weapons have as much combat experience as America's, resisting America will no longer be an empty promise. Returning to politics, knowing that local protectionism cannot be resolved anytime soon, we must change our methods and not deceive ourselves. My suggestion is to cooperate with Hong Kong."
Li Hongbing said excitedly.
To be honest, this was only in front of Chen Feng.
In front of others, he would certainly not say so much.
Others had too narrow a perspective and were not humble; no matter how much he said, it would be in vain.
"Li Hongbing, you truly are someone who has been to Hong Kong. Your thinking has great depth, and every word you said struck a chord with me. Whether it's in business or politics, one must never go against the natural order. How about this: you continue to assist the Zhao family in managing the financial industry of Wuzhou District well, and I will personally go to Hong Kong."
Chen Feng stated frankly, without concealment.
"Director Chen, you don't need to rush to Hong Kong. I want to ask you a question. I mentioned earlier that Wuzhou District should cooperate with Hong Kong. Do you know the specific aspects of this cooperation?"
Li Hongbing looked at Chen Feng with anticipation.
Whether Chen Feng was truly capable or just full of talk could be seen from how he viewed the cooperation between Wuzhou District and Hong Kong.
"Li Hongbing, since you want to gauge my abilities, I won't be modest. To tell you the truth, Wuzhou District and Hong Kong have great potential for cooperation, especially in the financial industry. In fact, Hong Kong has other industries, such as real estate and light industry, but these industries account for a very small proportion of Hong Kong's total economic output. When Wuzhou District cooperates with Hong Kong, we definitely cannot cooperate in these dispensable industries of Hong Kong. We can only cooperate in the financial industry. Hong Kong is the fourth largest financial center in the world, second only to New York, London, and Singapore, and its development potential is much greater than Singapore's."
Chen Feng elaborated.
"Director Chen, you say Hong Kong is a world financial center. There's a contradiction here. Since Hong Kong is primarily focused on its financial industry, wouldn't it want to be the sole dominant player? Why would it go to the trouble of cooperating with Wuzhou District in finance?"
Li Hongbing retorted.
"Li Hongbing, most people do think that way. Hong Kong is a world financial center, and it wishes to absorb all of China's financial industry into Hong Kong. I can only say that you all do not understand Hong Kong's broader vision. Hong Kong's goal is the world, not just China. To maintain its status as a world financial center, it must keep an eye on the vast emerging financial industries, such as virtual finance in the metaverse, finance for the Starlink plan, fundraising for Mars colonization in the future, and so on. Only by staying at the forefront of the world can Hong Kong secure its position as a global financial center. To operate with a lighter load, Hong Kong will inevitably transfer some of its lagging financial industries to regions that can align with its financial industry. Wuzhou District is precisely the region Hong Kong is looking for."
Chen Feng explained calmly.
"..."
Li Hongbing was impressed.
Before meeting Chen Feng, he arrogantly believed that in terms of financial knowledge, no one in Wuzhou District, Jiangcheng City, or Sanshui Province could match him.
Now, with Chen Feng's easy-to-understand analysis, Li Hongbing realized he was not even worthy of carrying Chen Feng's shoes.
It was often said in textbooks that in a great nation, individual geniuses would emerge once a century.
Undoubtedly, Chen Feng was a genius who had emerged in China a century.
Few people could reach his height of perspective.
Moreover, he was also humble and down-to-earth, having accumulated various experiences at the grassroots level over the years without feeling unrecognized for his talents.
Such young people were definitely a blessing to China.
"What's wrong, Li Hongbing? Did I say something wrong?"
Chen Feng asked Li Hongbing.
"Director Chen, you are not wrong. Your insights are too spot on. With you at the helm in Wuzhou District, its financial industry will surely take off. By the way, Director Chen, since you already know how Wuzhou District's financial industry should develop, shouldn't you go to Hong Kong as soon as possible? The business world is a battlefield; speed is of the essence."
Li Hongbing said tentatively.
"There's no rush. You can't make hot tofu by being impatient. Before going to Hong Kong, I need to visit the capital."
Chen Feng responded calmly.
Negotiating cooperation with Hong Kong was indeed an unprecedentedly significant matter.
However, the more important the task, the more one needed to be calm.
Haste and impatience would surely lead to failure.
"You need to visit the capital? Why?"
Li Hongbing asked, puzzled.
"Hong Kong is not an ordinary place. With my current status, I am clearly not qualified to negotiate cooperation in Hong Kong. I must find a high-ranking official from the capital to accompany me."
Chen Feng replied truthfully.
"Let a high-ranking official accompany you to Hong Kong? Isn't that making a wedding dress for others? That capital official only needs to appear, while you do the work. However, if the cooperation between Hong Kong and Wuzhou District is successful, the credit will belong to that capital official."
Li Hongbing said indignantly.
"Li Hongbing, you've been in the Chinese political arena for quite some time, so you should understand a bit about the unwritten rules of Chinese politics. To be honest, for minor figures to do the actual work and let the credit go to the higher-ups is a basic operating procedure in politics. However, it doesn't matter. As long as Wuzhou District can develop, I don't mind bearing some grievances."
Chen Feng said sincerely.
"Chen Feng, I have underestimated your perspective."
Li Hongbing said with shame.
"You flatter me. By the way, this time, when we go to Hong Kong for cooperation talks, besides the capital official, you will also accompany me."
Chen Feng said with a smile.
"Ah? I'm going too? Isn't that inappropriate? I'm just a junior staff member in the Wuzhou District Development and Reform Bureau. How can I be qualified to negotiate cooperation in Hong Kong?"
Li Hongbing replied with a flushed face.
But his heart was pounding furiously.