"Stop rambling. Don't I have important things to do? Go handle the situation in the conference room quickly."
Nie Xiaosu shouted angrily.
It wasn't just Nie Xiaosu; any woman would be annoyed if interrupted at a moment they wanted to be intimate with the man they liked.
"Understood, Miss Nie."
Seeing Nie Xiaosu's anger, the secretary dared not persist in her persuasion.
"Miss Nie, why don't you ask who this important person in the conference room is, and then make a decision. I'm not going anywhere. After we finish important matters, we can do this anytime,"
Chen Feng advised Nie Xiaosu.
Hearing Chen Feng say this, Nie Xiaosu's anger subsided.
"Wait a minute, who exactly is this important person in the conference room?"
Nie Xiaosu called out to the secretary.
"The important person in the conference room is Old Feng from the Municipal Finance Bureau,"
the secretary replied crisply.
"Got it. Hurry over and tell Old Feng that I'll be there shortly."
Nie Xiaosu said as she put her clothes back on.
"Chen Feng, isn't this strange? Why would the Sandon City Finance Bureau look for me? It's not the tax bureau. What connection could Hongfeng Electronics Factory have with the Finance Bureau?"
Nie Xiaosu asked curiously.
"I'm not sure about the specifics. However, I know the general purpose of Old Feng's visit to Hongfeng Electronics Factory,"
Chen Feng said calmly.
"What general purpose?"
Nie Xiaosu continued to ask curiously.
"He's definitely here to borrow money,"
Chen Feng replied crisply.
"Chen Feng, did I hear that right? The Finance Bureau needs to borrow money?"
Nie Xiaosu asked in astonishment.
"It's quite normal for the Finance Bureau to borrow money. In the political arena, nothing is fixed, and anything can happen. As for the reason why the Finance Bureau needs to borrow money, you'll have to ask to find out."
"Chen Feng, you're so smart, can you tell me whether Hongfeng Electronics Factory should lend money to the Finance Bureau?"
Nie Xiaosu asked tentatively.
"Even the banks lend money to the Finance Bureau,"
Chen Feng replied without hesitation.
"Isn't that an exaggeration?"
Nie Xiaosu asked, looking bewildered.
"Miss Nie, you must understand that China is a society where power dictates everything. Although the boss has money, if the relationship with power is not managed well, power can leave the boss with nothing overnight. From another perspective, if a boss wants to make big money, it's absolutely impossible without close ties to power. Historically, in China, no great merchant was not colluding with power. Money needs power to escort it, and power needs money to escort it. The two are natural allies."
Chen Feng explained patiently.
"But what if the Finance Bureau doesn't repay?"
Nie Xiaosu asked tentatively.
"Don't worry about them not repaying; worry about them not borrowing. If the Finance Bureau comes to borrow money, you can establish a connection with them. To put it mildly, even if they don't repay, consider it as giving money to build connections, and there's nothing to worry about."
Chen Feng advised Nie Xiaosu.
Hearing Chen Feng's words, the weight on Nie Xiaosu's mind lifted.
Without another word, Nie Xiaosu went to the conference room to meet Old Zhao.
Just as Chen Feng had predicted, Old Zhao's visit to Hongfeng Electronics Factory this time was indeed to borrow money.
"Old Zhao, Hongfeng Electronics Factory has the money you need and can lend it to you immediately. However, I'm curious, why would the Finance Bureau, a unit with ample funds, need to borrow money?"
Nie Xiaosu asked tentatively.
"Miss Nie, since you're so straightforward in lending the money, I'll be straightforward in telling you the reason. Originally, the Jiangcheng Finance Bureau had money, but recently, the provincial government borrowed all of it. So, I've come to borrow money to pay salaries. As soon as the provincial government repays the borrowed money, I'll immediately return it to Hongfeng Electronics Factory."
Old Zhao was also frank.
"Old Zhao, I don't understand. If the provincial finance department is so wealthy, why would they borrow money from Jiangcheng? That doesn't make sense."
Nie Xiaosu asked, feeling a bit confused.
"It's not that the provincial capital is wealthy, but this year, the provincial capital needs to calculate its GDP. You understand..."
Old Zhao said, stopping short of a full explanation.
"I understand, Old Zhao. I'll arrange for the finance department to transfer the money to the Finance Bureau's public account immediately."
Nie Xiaosu said, suppressing her confusion.
In reality, she still didn't quite grasp the provincial government's maneuver.
She would first send Old Zhao away and then ask Chen Feng.
Chen Feng had a knack for understanding the political arena, and he should be able to figure out the provincial government's actions.
"This maneuver is quite easy to understand."
Chen Feng said with a smile.
"It's all so foggy and unbelievable. How is it easy to understand?"
Nie Xiaosu looked at Chen Feng curiously.
"The provincial capital's GDP target this year is to achieve significant growth on the basis of last year's trillion mark. However, in reality, the strategy of a major provincial capital has drained resources for decades, leading to a slowdown in economic development. To prevent outsiders from knowing the truth, they have no choice but to borrow money from the treasury to manipulate the data. It's as simple as that."
Chen Feng explained earnestly.
"Chen Feng, why would the provincial capital go to such lengths and exert so much effort to falsify data? What's the point?"
Nie Xiaosu asked, not understanding.
"No one acts without a motive. The provincial capital goes to great lengths to falsify GDP because the benefits are too numerous. With a GDP of one trillion and continuous high growth, first, the careers of the relevant bigwigs in the provincial capital will soar. Second, preferential policies from the higher authorities will come one after another..."
Chen Feng replied truthfully.
"Now I understand. But I still have a question. If reporting higher GDP figures brings many benefits, why do some regions report lower GDP figures?"
Nie Xiaosu continued to ask, still puzzled.
"That's also without a motive. To put it bluntly, it's a tactic to appear poor, to let the higher authorities know that they are impoverished regions, so that they will receive a large number of poverty alleviation subsidies from the top. Honestly, I admire those political figures who report lower GDP. They disregard their own career prospects and focus wholeheartedly on securing benefits for the local people. Don't underestimate the designation of impoverished areas. Once approved, the local people will receive substantial poverty subsidies from the government each year."
Chen Feng said with admiration.
It was precisely for this reason that very few political figures in China's power circles reported lower GDP figures; they all reported higher ones.
In short, regardless of whether the Chinese economy was good or bad each year, GDP growth had to be consistently high.
"Chen Feng, with your explanation, I finally understand. I can only say that the ways of the political arena are too deep. Fortunately, I didn't enter the political arena, otherwise, I wouldn't even know how I was ruined."
Nie Xiaosu lamented.
"That's true. Without exaggeration, anyone who can survive in China's political arena is absolutely a shrewd operator."
Chen Feng said with a smile.
"By the way, Chen Feng, while chatting with Old Zhao earlier, Old Zhao mentioned, intentionally or unintentionally, that the Municipal Finance Bureau has tax preferential policies for agricultural development this year. I was thinking, Hongfeng Electronics Factory has no relation to agriculture, so why did he suddenly bring this up?"
Nie Xiaosu asked Chen Feng.
"Miss Nie, congratulations. Hongfeng Electronics Factory will earn a lot more money this year."
Chen Feng's eyes shot out a brilliant gleam.
People in the political arena could see Old Zhao's intention at a glance.
Old Zhao was reciprocating the favor, subtly suggesting that Hongfeng Electronics Factory should exploit loopholes in tax preferences.