"Since you want to be on good terms with him, why didn't you go when he invited you to the town government?"
On the way back, Jiang Jie was somewhat puzzled.
She knew her man well and understood that if Yu Zhou didn't want to befriend people from the town government, he would never have acted that way.
But the other party had already invited him, and seemed quite humble. Why did Yu Zhou make an excuse and refuse?
To Jiang Jie, Yu Zhou was her world, but sometimes she couldn't understand what he did.
However, Yu Zhou was patient this time.
He smiled slightly and began to explain, "The reason is very simple! I just want to be on good terms with these people in the town government, but I don't want to invest in Dushan Town."
"If I had accepted his invitation today, within a week, they would definitely have come to me for information, or even emotionally blackmailed me into investing in Dushan Town."
Yu Zhou said with some helplessness.
This situation, perhaps, was not uncommon in later times, as people still cared about their reputation back then.
But in the early 90s like now, it was perfectly normal.
Whether it was the town government or the city or district, economic development was their top priority.
A rich businessman with hundreds of thousands of yuan on him was not just someone they would curry favor with, but at least someone they would try their best to get involved.
In such a situation, Yu Zhou, whose hometown was Dushan Town and whose parents lived there, would inevitably become their primary target.
At that time, whether for the sake of reputation or for the entire Yu family, doing nothing was unacceptable.
As for him now, it would be foolish to say he had no money at all.
But raising another sum for investment was definitely impossible.
Therefore, a temporary refusal would only prevent awkwardness for everyone. Not going to the town government was also a way for him to show his attitude.
"Won't they be disappointed, or lose their enthusiasm?"
"What if they hold a grudge because of your refusal?"
As expected, Jiang Jie was a novice in business. Yu Zhou couldn't even explain it in detail when she asked this question.
He even felt a sense of gratitude, wishing his wife were one of those officials or merchants. Then he could have milked them as much as he wanted.
"No! As long as I don't outright refuse, they will continue to try. And when I actually have surplus funds, the treatment I receive for investing will be even better."
"As a businessman, you inevitably have to deal with them, but getting too close is absolutely taboo."
"Maintaining this distance is actually the best choice."
Yu Zhou's explanation wasn't complicated, but Jiang Jie still felt a little lost.
However, since the matter was resolved and her parents were not harmed, Jiang Jie naturally didn't need to dwell on it. This was the best outcome.
So, the two stayed at their old home for another night and returned to their home in the factory area the next day.
Since it was Saturday and Yu Zhou also wanted to give the dried fruit factory some preparation time, he didn't rush to the factory the next day.
Whether it was about implementing reforms or continuing previous production, all these things required the factory employees to have some time to prepare.
What's more, for Yu Zhou, the most urgent thing now was to gain complete control of the dried fruit factory and consolidate the workforce.
The Lunar New Year had just passed, and the dried fruit factory didn't have much business. Naturally, it wasn't busy in such a situation, so he didn't need to constantly supervise it.
"Yu Zhou! If you have time, can we have a meal together?"
Hearing Song Qing's voice on the other end of the phone, Yu Zhou became a little puzzled.
His wife had gone to work early that morning, saying the factory needed overtime.
Why was Song Qing calling him before he had even left the house this morning?
His wife was currently working at Tailong Light Industry. The beautiful general manager of Tailong Light Industry was inviting him to dinner alone. It felt like something was off, right?
"Okay, you pick the place. I'll be there later."
After hanging up the phone, Yu Zhou still felt that this matter was not that simple.
Could it be that the beautiful general manager had feelings for him?
It was not surprising that Yu Zhou was overthinking at this moment. The timing of this invitation made him feel quite helpless.
He knew that most of his previous interactions with Song Qing had involved his wife. Even when his wife wasn't present, they hadn't had much direct contact.
But this time, Song Qing chose such a time to invite him for a private dinner.
If he said there was no ulterior motive or deliberate intention, Yu Zhou himself wouldn't believe it.
He felt a bit speechless. He didn't think he had that much charm. Why would this happen at this particular time?
It was truly not Yu Zhou's fault for overthinking. Anyone in his situation would have overthought it.
If she weren't his wife's boss, and they didn't have some cooperative projects, Yu Zhou would have firmly refused, even if he knew she might not be what he imagined.
Unfortunately, the two parties were not deeply intertwined, and the cooperative projects couldn't be easily resolved.
Therefore, after some thought, Yu Zhou decided to go and see what Song Qing wanted.
Regardless of anything else, the cooperation between the two parties still needed to continue. Under this premise, Yu Zhou couldn't ignore her summons.
Moreover, although he had some suspicions in his heart, upon closer thought, the possibility wasn't that high.
When he arrived at the coffee shop Song Qing had mentioned and saw only Song Qing there, his sense of caution immediately heightened.
"Could it really be what I thought, and something is going to happen?"
He felt a bit awkward, thinking he was overthinking it. But the setup and the private meeting made it impossible for him not to think so.
"You're here!"
As soon as Song Qing saw Yu Zhou, her face lit up with a different kind of smile, as if her boyfriend had arrived.
This made Yu Zhou feel a chill, but he couldn't do anything about it.
"Ms. Song, are you looking for me just to invite me for coffee?"
"I've been so busy lately that this is the only time I could squeeze out."
Yu Zhou changed his expression, a slight smile appearing on his face as he said.