The farmhouse restaurant was not too close to the central city hospital. Song Qiao took nearly half an hour to rush there.
Pan Bei and Liu You were already waiting in the private room.
As soon as Song Qiao entered, the two of them quickly got up to greet him, their attitude extremely enthusiastic.
"Boss Song, we've only met for half a month, and you've already bought a car?" Pan Bei casually glanced at the car keys on Song Qiao's waist and said with some surprise.
He clearly remembered that half a month ago, Song Qiao had come to discuss cooperation with him by taxi.
Song Qiao followed Pan Bei's gaze and looked down, smiling as he explained, "Director Pan is joking. I just borrowed this car from a friend to drive for a couple of days."
"Boss Song's business is booming, yet you remain so low-key," Pan Bei clearly didn't believe Song Qiao's words.
In this era, cars were relatively rare items, and most people wouldn't be willing to lend them out.
Seeing this, Song Qiao didn't want to explain any further and sat down calmly as arranged by the other party.
"Boss Song, see if you need to add anything. We won't go home tonight until we're drunk," Pan Bei smiled and handed the menu to Song Qiao.
"I say, you two, stop calling each other Director and Boss. It sounds so distant," Liu You couldn't help but roll his eyes from the side, saying somewhat helplessly.
"Hey, look at my mind. Old Liu, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten this." Pan Bei suddenly slapped his thigh.
"Boss Song is a few years younger than me. Today, I'll take the liberty and call you Brother Song," Pan Bei said, raising his wine glass to Song Qiao.
Song Qiao smiled slightly, picked up his wine glass, and clinked it with Pan Bei's.
"Then I'll call you Brother Pan from now on."
After speaking, the two raised their glasses and drank them dry.
Seeing that Song Qiao didn't order anything else, Pan Bei waved to the waiter to start serving the dishes.
"Brother Song, have you been to this place before? their stewed goose in cast iron pot is absolutely delicious in this area," Liu You said with a chuckle.
"Oh? Then I must try it properly later," Song Qiao raised an eyebrow, putting on an expectant expression.
"I say, no matter how delicious it is, it's not as good as Brother Song's Xiang Piaopiao stinky tofu," Pan Bei said dismissively from the side.
"You might not know this, but my daughter has always been a picky eater since she was young. She never liked tofu, whether it was fried, pan-fried, or stir-fried. She wouldn't eat a single bite. But ever since I bought two bags of Xiang Piaopiao stinky tofu, the little girl actually got addicted to it and asks me to buy it for her as a snack every day."
"Director Pan is too kind. It's just that our local diet is relatively light, and occasionally eating something so flavorful naturally whets the appetite." Song Qiao blushed slightly at Pan Bei's praise.
"Brother Song, you don't need to be so modest. The quality of Xiang Piaopiao's products is indeed undeniable."
"My wife tasted it and also praised it highly," Liu You added from the side.
Song Qiao nodded slightly, very satisfied in his heart with the reputation Xiang Piaopiao had achieved. In the food industry, word-of-mouth was the most crucial. As long as the taste was good, every customer was their advertisement.
As the dishes were served one by one, Song Qiao began to toast and drink with the two of them in rounds. His alcohol tolerance was quite outstanding; in his previous life, he was practically invincible in the business world. Even when Liu You and Pan Bei took turns urging him to drink, he accepted it all with a calm expression.
The three of them were clearly in good spirits, drinking and chatting. They talked about the town's economy, national development, the global landscape, and even their views on the Syrian war. During this time, Song Qiao spoke eloquently, offering many novel ideas that impressed the two officials, increasing their admiration for him.
"By the way, Brother Song, there's one thing I don't know if you're interested in?" After another round of drinks, Director Pan, slightly tipsy, asked him mysteriously.
Song Qiao slowly put down his wine glass and feigned curiosity, "Oh? What good thing is it that makes Brother Pan so mysterious?"
"Our government is planning to take the lead in building a three-star hotel in our county. The estimated investment is around eight million yuan, but we are currently short of funds. We wonder if you are interested in investing?" Liu You chimed in from the side.
Song Qiao's heart stirred. In his previous life, this three-star hotel had brought enormous profits to the entire city and gradually became the most famous landmark building in the city. Because of its existence, attracting investment in the city became much easier than in other places.
Suppressing his excitement, he asked calmly, "What is the approximate deadline for raising this fund?"
Director Pan thought for a moment and replied, "If it's fast, it'll be a little over a month; at the longest, it will be three months."
"That's good. How much more funding does the government specifically need?" Song Qiao breathed a sigh of relief internally and continued to ask.
"About two million yuan."
"Two million yuan, that's not a small sum," Song Qiao's heart tightened slightly. After all, in this era, in this small county town, the monthly salary of a strong adult laborer was only about 1000 yuan.
"Brother, two million yuan is not a small amount, but in my opinion, this investment is definitely worth it," Director Pan said, seeing Song Qiao's hesitation, and couldn't help but try to persuade him.
"Yes, Brother Song, and this matter is guaranteed by the government, so there won't be any major risks. Once it's built, it will be a money-making tree. Besides, this can be considered a contribution to the country," Mayor Liu also advised him from the side.
"So you two don't have to spend money, and two million yuan. You really think I'm a money-printing machine," Song Qiao thought to himself, feeling a bit speechless. However, thinking about it, according to his memories of his previous life, this matter was entirely worth investing in.
"Gamble and you might go from a bicycle to a motorcycle."
Song Qiao no longer hesitated and gritted his teeth, agreeing, "Okay, I'll provide these two million yuan."
"Brother Song is indeed a man who does great things. Liu and I sincerely admire this boldness," Director Pan and Mayor Liu, sitting beside him, were overjoyed when Song Qiao agreed.
It was almost ten o'clock in the evening. After three rounds of drinks and five courses, the relationship between the three had clearly improved significantly. They ended the banquet amidst laughter and conversation.
After seeing the two off, Song Qiao walked out of the restaurant, and a hint of regret suddenly arose in his heart. It was a good business, and the opportunity was indeed rare, but two million yuan was still not a small amount for him at the moment.
"I shouldn't have agreed so readily. I should have asked them to extend the deadline," Song Qiao thought, stroking his chin. "However, since I've already agreed to them, the top priority is to quickly secure these two million yuan. After all, with shares in that three-star hotel, the scale of my business should be able to improve further."