Three days later, just as Zhang Hao was about to take a boat out to sea, he suddenly received a call from his father.
"Xiaohao, are you still in Shanghai?"
The old man's tone was a little low.
"Here you are! Dad, is there something going on here?"
Zhang Hao cautiously probed.
What he fears most now is hearing the news that his father is ill. After all, a man in his eighties may not have been unusual in the past, but now, he is definitely considered a birthday boy.
You know, since the eruption of the Yellowstone volcano, the elderly population has been the hardest-hit area of death, so that the aging population crisis that has intensified in the past has completely disappeared after this battle, and the pension pool has become extremely full.
Zhang Chongxin sighed and said straight to the point:
"Your Uncle Zhou passed away last night. If you have time, go and see him off for the last time for me. After all, our two families have had a relationship for so many years."
"Uncle Zhou?" Zhang Hao couldn't help being surprised, and then sighed: "Zhou Hengming came over a few days ago, and we talked about Uncle Zhou's situation. I didn't expect that this happened just after he left..."
"Old people are like this. They'll be gone if they say they're gone."
"Dad, I'll just go. You're not in good health, so don't show off." Zhang Hao hurriedly warned.
Zhang Chongxin was delighted and couldn't help but remind him:
"Don't force yourself here, business matters are important. If it doesn't work, I'll ask your eldest sister and eldest brother-in-law to make a trip."
Zhang Hao quickly comforted him: "Dad, don't worry. Shencheng is not far from Minde. I will take the train there tomorrow morning and try to go back the same day. It shouldn't take much time."
"That's good, give me a call when you get there."
"I know, I'll hang up now if it's okay."
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Hao immediately called his wife.
"Honey, I just received the news that Uncle Zhou is gone. The old man is not in a good mood. Please take Guoguo home to stay for a few days."
"Uncle Zhou? Which Uncle Zhou?"
Yang Huaqing was confused.
"I'm talking about Uncle Zhou Jianneng and his son Zhou Hengming. He comes to our house every New Year to pay New Year greetings. Have you forgotten?" Zhang Hao reminded.
"It turns out it's their house!" Yang Huaqing quickly remembered, and then simply said: "Then I'll clean up right away and go back later."
"By the way, please notify the eldest and second eldest brother again and ask them to go home quickly on the weekend and try to talk to the old man as much as possible." Zhang Hao added.
"I know, is there anything else?"
"No, I will officially go to sea the day after tomorrow. I will let you know in advance."
"Well, make sure you get enough rest and don't get tired."
Yang Huaqing said casually with concern.
"Don't be tired, I'm not even 70 or 80 yet!"
Zhang Hao joked to himself.
…
The next morning, it was just before seven o'clock.
Zhang Hao dressed lightly, took his brother-in-law, and a security team of dozens of people, and boarded the temporary special train heading south to Minde.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Minde finally arrived.
Zhou Hengming, who received the news, was wearing a black coat and had been waiting at the train station in advance.
After Zhang Hao got off the car, he stepped forward and held the other person's hand: "Brother Hengming, my condolences!"
"Consul, I didn't expect you to be so busy..."
Zhang Hao waved his hand and interrupted: "Let's not talk about the long-term friendship between our two families. To be honest, Uncle Zhou is also my destiny. If it weren't for his help back then, I wouldn't even be able to raise the funds to start a business."
"You are too harsh."
Zhou Hengming quickly excused himself.
He was also a participant in what happened back then and knew everything about it. To be honest, his family definitely took advantage of it.
"Stop talking about this, let's set off now!"
Zhang Hao waved his hand.
On the way, Zhou Hengming briefly reviewed the entire process of Zhou Jianneng's death. It was a blessing to say that if he had come back one day later, he might not even be able to see his old father for the last time.
Zhang Hao asked casually: "Brother Zhou, did Uncle Zhou have any last wishes before his death?"
"When it comes to my last wish, I do have one."
"What is it?"
"My dad started from scratch and has worked hard all his life. The one thing he can't let go of the most is Xinyu Electric. He hopes that I can rebuild the Xinyu Electric brand."
Zhou Hengming replied.
Zhang Hao heard this and said tentatively: "Brother Zhou, what do you mean by this sentence? Do you want to go it alone?"
"That's the idea."
Zhou Hengming simply admitted.
"Is it over there at the power plant..."
Zhang Hao frowned.
"Consul, the power plant is very good, and no one can challenge my position, but no matter how good it is, it is not our family's industry." Zhou Hengming explained.
"I understand." Zhang Hao nodded, and then advised: "The environment in recent years has not been good, and it is not a good time to start a business. I suggest you wait a few more years."
"It's okay to wait a few years, but I'm a little confused about entrepreneurial projects. I don't know which project to choose?"
"You don't make electrical appliances anymore?"
Zhou Hengming nodded: "Well, the electrical appliance market has long been saturated. I don't have any skills, and I don't have much capital. It would be unwise to rush in."
"Would you like to listen to my advice?"
Zhang Hao wanted to give him a hand.
"Consul, I've been waiting for your words."
Zhou Hengming was obviously relieved.
Zhang Hao said straightforwardly: "My Shuguang New Energy Company... you should know about it, right? It has developed a lot of new technologies in recent years. You can go there and try your luck. You may get unexpected gains."
"Shuguang New Energy?" Zhou Hengming thought thoughtfully.
"Well, Shuguang Company has always been very low-key and has a low reputation, but tens of billions of dollars are spent on scientific research every year. With so much money spent, it has produced some results to some extent."
Zhou Hengming nodded, and then took the opportunity to ask: "Consul, when will the graphene battery project that Mindera cooperates with Shuguang Company be successful?"
"It's still early, I'm afraid it will take more than ten years."
Zhang Hao sighed helplessly.
Scientific research sometimes really depends on luck. He recruited so many talents in advance and did not hesitate to invest a lot of money, but the progress did not speed up much.
I don't know which part has the problem.
"You are still patient. If it were me, I would have given up long ago." Zhou Hengming said sincerely.
"I have no choice. I have spent so much money up front and can only go all the way. Besides, I am still very optimistic about graphene batteries. This project will definitely succeed. At most, it is only a matter of time."
Zhang Hao showed a hint of helplessness.
Zhou Hengming immediately gave a thumbs up: "I really want to see the day when Minde Era surpasses BYD sooner. My dad often told me before that his biggest regret in his life is that he failed to bring Minde Era forward."
"Uncle Zhou has tried his best, but it's a pity that the foundation of the Minde era is too weak. If you want to surpass BYD, you will definitely not be able to succeed in a short time."
Zhang Hao sighed.
The two chatted and soon the funeral home arrived.
In order to facilitate Zhang Hao's worship, Zhou Hengming sent his old father's body over overnight. When he learned that the consul was coming, the funeral parlor was crowded with people.
Most of them are members of Tongxinhui.
Zhang Hao exchanged greetings with everyone, and then briefly paid his respects. When he was about to leave, Mayor Jiao blocked him at the gate of the funeral home again.
"Consul, why didn't you notify me in advance when you came to Minde?" Jiao Huaxian pretended to be surprised.
"Lao Jiao, you should call me Lao Zhang! My coming here this time is purely a private matter, so I don't want to disturb you."
Zhang Hao explained casually.
Jiao Huaxian raised his eyebrows: "How can it be an interruption? This is a rare opportunity, and I just want to report to you our Minde's development plan!"
"How about next time? You also know that I will go to sea soon, and Shencheng is waiting for me!"
Zhang Hao spread his hands and declined politely.
"Isn't it okay to just waste two hours? It's almost dinner time. I've prepared a table of simple meals nearby. How about we chat while eating?"
Jiao Huaxian tried his best to persuade him to stay.
Zhang Hao couldn't refuse, so he could only agree.
…
In a hotel next to the funeral parlor, for the safety of the consul, Jiao Huaxian has booked the entire hotel in advance. These are basic operations.
"Old Zhang, please sit down."
Zhang Hao glanced at the dining table, shook his head on the spot, and said casually: "The food is very rich! This is not the simple meal you said."
"These are nothing. Thanks to you, Minde has developed rapidly in recent years, and its living conditions have also been greatly improved. It is not much worse than your capital."
Jiao Huaxian explained casually.
"Okay, then I'll be disrespectful."
Zhang Hao did not dwell on this issue anymore.
Jiao Huaxian took out a bottle of red wine from the bag on the side: "Would you like some?"
"Forget it, I'm not in the mood."
Zhang Hao quickly waved his hand.
Jiao Huaxian put down the red wine and then smiled:
"Then eat more food."
Zhang Hao was not polite, picked up his chopsticks and ate happily. He had taken the train for seven or eight hours today and had hardly eaten at noon. The smell of the food now whetted his appetite.
After eating half full in one go, the two of them started talking about business.
"Lao Zhang, I read the news a few days ago. It's really good. Now is really not the time to be anxious. The more anxious you are, the easier it is to do bad things."
Zhang Hao smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Haha, I heard that many people are scolding me secretly, saying that I occupy the latrine and don't shit, so I should get out of here if I don't have the ability."
"Ignore them. They just stand and talk without pain. They have forgotten the economic crisis of the past few years? If it happens again, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Jiao Huaxian scoffed.
"Well, actually, after all, this society is too impetuous, people's minds have changed, everyone is dissatisfied with real life, and they always feel that no matter how hard they try, it won't make any difference." Zhang Hao was sighing.
"How can running a country be so easy? We have been struggling for more than ten years and have accumulated too many conflicts. It is time to calm down, practice hard, and recuperate."
Jiao Huaxian echoed.
"Lao Jiao, what you say makes sense."
Zhang Hao toasted the other party with tea instead of wine.
Jiao Huaxian put down his tea cup and then changed the topic: "However, Lao Zhang, our situation in Minde is somewhat special. Our development has reached a critical period. We cannot stop just because we want to..."
"I knew it would be up to you to find me."
"Old Zhang, Minde is the base camp of your Tongxin Association. We have a relationship where both prosper and lose. Besides, this is not my personal intention..."
Zhang Hao shook his head: "Tell me? What do you want to do?"
"Well, here's the thing. Due to the continuous decline in sea level in recent years, Minde has added a large area of land, totaling more than 2,000 square kilometers. We want to build a new economic development zone."
“You don’t have enough industrial land?”
Zhang Hao suddenly frowned.
The economic crisis in the past few years has dealt a heavy blow to various places, and many companies have gone bankrupt. Logically speaking, there should be no shortage of industrial land.
"It's not that it's not enough, but..." Jiao Huaxian paused for a moment, and then said frankly and honestly: "Old Zhang, I won't hide it from you. The city's finances are tight. We want to launch a number of real estate projects, sell more land, and get more
Absorb some labor."
"No, you really dare to think that with the unemployment rate still high, you still want to attract new immigrants, and you are not afraid of shooting yourself in the foot?"
"Lao Zhang, Fujian and Germany have developed industry and commerce, and we have the ability to absorb the remaining labor force."
Jiao Huaxian said with confidence.
Zhang Hao waved his hand: "That won't work. The real estate industry is no different than other industries and occupies too many resources. As far as the current situation is concerned, it is not strictly needed."
"How come food, clothing, housing and transportation are not just necessities?"
Jiao Huaxian argued for the truth.
"Don't argue with me. I can't promise you this. And as far as I know, the future housing policy will be mainly public rental housing. I'm afraid the spring of real estate will be difficult to come." Zhang Hao reminded patiently.
Jiao Huaxian was a little unwilling: "Lao Zhang, there are so many immigrants going south every year. If we develop more communities, it can be regarded as a project to benefit the people."
"Haha, by 'people' you mean rich people, right? How can ordinary people have money to buy a house now?"
Zhang Hao said angrily.
"Lao Zhang, please help us. At the worst, we can build a few more public rental housing complexes at a one-to-one ratio."
Jiao Huaxian looked pleading.
"It's not that I'm unaccommodating. Many people know that I have major interests in Minde. It's too late for me to avoid suspicion for this kind of thing. You'd better not embarrass me."
Zhang Hao said sincerely.
Jiao Huaxian lamented, and then chose the next best thing: "What about setting up an industrial zone head office? Zhucheng established Lingding New District a few years ago. Our request is not excessive, right?"
"Please forgive me for my incompetence." Zhang Hao picked up the tea and took a sip, "Lao Jiao, how can Minde compare with the capital? Let me tell you the truth, in recent years, except for energy development, all other major infrastructure projects have been suspended from approval."
"Are you serious?" Jiao Huaxian said in surprise.
"Of course, the infrastructure construction craze is a thing of the past. During my term, the main task is to improve people's livelihood issues. This is the top priority."
Zhang Hao spoke with great care and sincerity.
“Housing is also a livelihood issue, isn’t it?”
Jiao Huaxian didn't want to give up.
"Lao Jiao, we have been old friends for many years. Let me tell you this..." Zhang Hao tapped the table lightly: "It is fundamental to delve deeply into industry and commerce. Don't always think about taking shortcuts. Minde does not have the capabilities of a big city.
There is no need to put more pressure on yourself.”