After breakfast, everyone went about their business, and Qin Chuan was not idle either. He went to the government building.
Here, he met Wang Ping'an and Ye Qingping.
Neither of them seemed surprised by Qin Chuan's arrival. Wang Ping'an poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Qin Chuan, who thanked him.
"Your foot injury hasn't healed yet. Why are you running around instead of staying home!" Ye Qingping teased.
"County Magistrate, I just can't sit still!"
"Everyone else is busy. I'm the only patient left at home, and I'm very bored, so I came to visit you." Qin Chuan said with a smile.
"My dignified county magistrate's office, solemn and majestic, when did it become a place for you to hang out!" Ye Qingping was left speechless and bitter by Qin Chuan's reply. This young man was truly a handful. When he was serious, he was more serious than anyone else, but when he wasn't, he became like a stubborn mule, making people feel helpless.
Perhaps only someone like him could contend with Han Shifei!
"Heh heh, of course, I was just joking!"
"I came today mainly to inquire about the matters concerning our new urban area. I wonder when those major real estate developers you contacted will arrive, so I can prepare accordingly!" Qin Chuan said earnestly.
"What? Are you planning something devious again?"
"Let me tell you, those real estate developers were hard for me to get. You can't mess things up for me!" Ye Qingping said with a hint of caution.
"County Magistrate, how can you say that about me? Although I'm not a good person, I would never do something as foolish as fighting amongst ourselves!" Qin Chuan said with an expression of injustice. "The reason I want a definitive answer from you is because of my sand quarry. Getting some advance notice will allow me to raise funds and do some preparatory work!"
"Don't you think that makes sense?"
"Damn it, you're cheating!" Wang Ping'an couldn't help but curse.
"How can this be considered cheating? I'm just asking my friend for a little insider information. As friends, who wouldn't help with such a small favor? Don't you two agree?" Qin Chuan spread his hands, looking innocent.
Wang Ping'an glared, realizing Qin Chuan had turned the tables on them.
"Qin Chuan, since you say we are friends, let's have a good talk. Perhaps what I say won't be pleasant to hear, so please bear with me." Ye Qingping walked out from behind his desk and sat down in front of Qin Chuan.
"County Magistrate, what are your instructions?" Seeing Ye Qingping's serious expression, Qin Chuan also became serious. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Qin Chuan, you're a smart person, so I won't beat around the bush."
"You know my intentions. I want to achieve something significant and use Yongnan County as a stepping stone." Ye Qingping said, "And the planning of the new urban area is what I care about the most."
Qin Chuan nodded. He knew this, of course. Given Ye Qingping's background and abilities, a mere county magistrate was clearly not enough for him; he was like a dragon confined to shallow waters.
"You're only twenty-two years old, and you're already a big boss worth millions, running clothing stores, supermarkets, and building houses. Strictly speaking, you've done very well!"
"If you continue on this path, your net worth will surely multiply by more than ten times!" Ye Qingping continued, "But..."
Qin Chuan narrowed his eyes, knowing that anything following the word "but" was the most important part.
As expected, Ye Qingping said, "But the influence you have is still too small. What I need is far beyond your current achievements!"
"As a simple example, I want to develop a new urban area, and there will undoubtedly be many residential buildings, right?"
"The amount of capital involved in such large-scale construction would probably exceed one hundred million. With your current strength, even if I gave you all the land, how many buildings could you actually build?"
Qin Chuan remained silent, as this was the stark reality. Perhaps in the eyes of many ordinary people, he was already formidable, the "child of someone else" that many spoke of, and his parents were proud of him. However, it depended on who you compared him to. To a county magistrate like Ye Qingping, his wealth was insignificant. Ye Qingping's ambitions were grand; he wanted to develop an entire new urban area, which required a colossal amount of funding. His current wealth might not even qualify as a drop in the ocean.
"To reap rewards, you must first make an investment. I believe you understand this simple principle better than anyone else!" Ye Qingping continued.
"I can provide you with a lot of first-hand information to seize market opportunities, but what can you offer in return?" Qin Chuan's expression stiffened slightly.
"Do you think I'm being too pragmatic?" Ye Qingping seemed to see through Qin Chuan's thoughts, his face wearing a peculiar expression. Wang Ping'an, standing beside them, remained silent. Qin Chuan realized he had underestimated this county magistrate. Even with his two lifetimes of experience and encounters with many people and events, Ye Qingping was undoubtedly a top-tier individual. Such people were not only deep-thinking but also highly intelligent, belonging to the most difficult category to fathom.
"No need to answer. Your expression has already told me the answer!" Ye Qingping smiled wryly.
"I admit, I am a pragmatic person. I don't engage in politics outside my position. Because I am the county magistrate, do you understand what I mean?"
"To put it bluntly, if you hadn't saved my sister and niece, people like us might not have had much interaction in this lifetime!"
"Out of gratitude, and because my sister has repeatedly asked me to help you more, I've had Secretary Wang help you with whatever you needed during this period. I've helped you with connections and the processing of various permits, even getting your sand quarry license."
"I was also involved in last night's operation. Otherwise, do you think a deputy bureau chief like Zhou Congrong would personally lead the team!" Ye Qingping dropped another bombshell. Qin Chuan clenched his fists. He had been wondering last night why Deputy Bureau Chief Zhou Congrong would personally lead the team. Now he understood the reason.
"I feel that the debt my sister owes you has been repaid by now."
"We are even between us!"
"What I need now is a mature partner, a large financial group, not a child who needs to constantly rely on me to grow!"
"If I were an old cadre nearing retirement with no ambitions, I might choose to nurture a clever and capable child, which would bring great satisfaction. Unfortunately, I am not that kind of old cadre!" Ye Qingping's words were very clear. He still felt Qin Chuan was too weak. A young man who constantly relied on him to get rich was not his ideal candidate. Instead of giving Qin Chuan that first-hand intelligence, why not give it to more powerful partners? That would be a win-win collaboration.
Qin Chuan remained silent. Seeing this, a hint of pity appeared in Wang Ping'an's eyes. He seemed to want to say something but ultimately restrained himself. The two men watched Qin Chuan quietly, and the atmosphere in the office became somewhat oppressive.
"County Magistrate Ye, what if I had ten million yuan right now?" Qin Chuan suddenly looked up and said, his eyes fixed on Ye Qingping.
"Ten million yuan?" Ye Qingping and Wang Ping'an were both startled. Then, sharp glints appeared in both their eyes.
"Qin Chuan, ten million yuan is not a small sum. Where did you get it?" Wang Ping'an couldn't help but ask. Ye Qingping also stared intently. Ten million yuan was indeed a significant amount of money, and even as county magistrate, he couldn't underestimate it.
"Don't worry about where I got the money. Let's just discuss whether we can continue our cooperation if I had ten million yuan." Qin Chuan's voice was low. Perhaps if it were someone of the same age, after Ye Qingping's words, they would have completely broken down and gone their separate ways. Because it was truly damaging to one's pride. But who was Qin Chuan? Beneath his seemingly twenty-two-year-old exterior was a soul that had lived for decades, long past the youthful impetuosity where a little blow to one's pride was unbearable. Having lived two lives, he was highly immune to Ye Qingping's words. Moreover, what Ye Qingping had said was not entirely wrong.