Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 238: Intense Preparations

"Huh?" Guo Hengchang froze, his face a mask of confusion.

He asked uncertainly, "President Ding, you... you want to buy my factory? You’re not joking, are you?"

He shook his head with a bitter smile. "To be honest with you two, my factory is a complete mess right now. We’ve already mined almost all the quality bluestone from Mopan Mountain, and all that’s left is useless waste rock. On top of that, environmental regulations are strict now, and the city has explicitly banned any more mining. If you buy that place, forget about making money—you’ll lose a fortune just on the annual fees you have to pay the county. Why... why would you want to get into a money-losing business like this?"

Of course, Li Xu and Ding Kaifang weren’t going to tell him the real reason. Ding Kaifang laughed it off and replied with a pre-prepared excuse. "Boss Guo, we’re obviously not planning to mine for bluestone. As you know, the city has been wanting to redevelop that area for a while now. The Ding Group wants to answer the government’s call and get in on the ground floor. We’re looking to see if we can start a different kind of project there, like a large-scale storage facility or a new-materials processing plant."

The reason sounded perfectly logical.

Guo Hengchang didn’t overthink it. He knew the city did have plans to develop that area, and it made sense for the Ding Group, as Feng City’s largest enterprise, to make a move in advance.

To him, the mine was currently a white elephant—worthless to keep, but a shame to abandon.

Since someone was willing to take this mess off his hands, he couldn’t have been happier.

"Oh, I see." Guo Hengchang’s face lit up with understanding. "Then there’s no problem! As long as the price is right, I can transfer it to you anytime!"

Things were progressing with unexpected smoothness.

But Li Xu didn’t want to push his advantage too far.

He knew that the truth would eventually come out. Once news of the Dragon Bone Ore spread, Guo Hengchang would realize he had sold a gold mine.

If they took too much advantage of him now, it would be unscrupulous and could easily lead to trouble down the road.

Li Xu thought for a moment before saying to Guo Hengchang, "Boss Guo, as for the price, President Ding certainly won’t treat you unfairly. But beyond that, I have another proposal."

"Please, go ahead, Doctor Li."

"After we take over the mine, we’ll need a trustworthy person who is familiar with the local situation to help with the initial management and operations. I think you’re the perfect fit," Li Xu said slowly. "We’d like to sign an employment contract with you, in addition to the transfer agreement, hiring you as the general manager of the mine to oversee daily affairs. Of course, you won’t have to work as hard as before. Your main role would be to help us coordinate local relationships and handle miscellaneous tasks."

Guo Hengchang hesitated upon hearing this. "Doctor Li, my health..."

"Don’t worry about your health; I’ll help you get back in shape. Besides, this job is very relaxed. It’s mainly to give you something to do." Li Xu looked at him and dropped a bombshell. "In return, we’re willing to give you a 1% profit share in the new company as dry stock."

"What? A 1% profit share?!" Guo Hengchang was so shocked he shot up from his chair.

He didn’t know what kind of project the Ding Group was planning, but given the company’s scale, any new venture would involve an investment of at least hundreds of millions.

A 1% share meant he could earn millions, or even several millions, in dividends every year without lifting a finger!

’This... this is like a pie falling from the sky!’

"Doctor Li, President Ding, I... I can’t accept this! I haven’t done anything to deserve such a huge benefit!" Guo Hengchang waved his hands repeatedly. He was an honest man and felt he was unworthy of such a reward.

"Yes, you can!" Ding Kaifang said with a smile. "Boss Guo, what we value is your character and your local connections. This 1% profit share is what you deserve. From now on, we’re all family."

Li Xu’s proposal also made Ding Kaifang see him in a new, more impressed light.

This wasn’t just about winning someone over; it was about clearing the path for future cooperation.

With a "local snake" like Guo Hengchang on their side, many future matters at the mine would be much easier to handle.

Finding the generous offer too hard to refuse, Guo Hengchang finally agreed. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

...

With the matter settled, Li Xu and Ding Kaifang took their leave.

On the way back, Ding Kaifang immediately started making calls, mobilizing the company’s legal and finance teams to handle the mine’s ownership transfer as quickly as possible.

At the same time, upon returning to the group’s headquarters, the first thing he did was tell his father the news.

Ding Aiguo was also incredibly excited after hearing his son’s report.

"Dragon Bone Ore... a massive deposit of Dragon Bone Ore..."

He was grinning from ear to ear.

As the man at the helm of the Ding Group, he knew better than anyone what this meant!

It meant that the Ding Group had found a new, more stable, and more promising industrial pillar outside of the real estate sector!

In recent years, the golden age of real estate had passed. With tightening policies and a saturated market, Ding Aiguo had been constantly worried about the group’s future and its need to transition.

But now, the Dragon Bone Ore that Li Xu had brought them was like a ray of dawn, completely illuminating the path for the Ding Group’s future!

With this ore, they could build their own unique pharmaceutical brand.

From raw material extraction to production and processing, all the way to final sales, they could form a complete, self-sufficient, and closed-loop industrial chain.

The profits and prospects involved would far exceed those of real estate!

"Good! Good! Good!" Ding Aiguo said the word three times. "Kaifang, you handled this beautifully! Remember, you must maintain a good relationship with Doctor Li. He is a great benefactor to the Ding Family, the pillar of strength that will ensure our family’s future prosperity!"

"Of course."

Ding Kaifang nodded.

Even without the Dragon Bone Ore, Ding Kaifang would have maintained a good relationship with Li Xu just for saving his mother and daughter.

The father and son came to an agreement and decided to go see Mayor Lin immediately to finalize the matter of contracting the mine.

At the same time, they would drop a few hints.

It was a sign of respect for the local official.

Inside the mayor’s office at the municipal government building, Mayor Lin frowned as he listened to the proposal from Ding Aiguo and his son, Ding Kaifang, about taking over the entire abandoned mine area on Mopan Mountain.

"Chairman Ding, you two... why are you so impulsive?" Mayor Lin sounded a little displeased. "I made it very clear at the symposium the other day: the future of Shanyang County lies in transformation! We need to develop green and environmentally friendly industries! Now you want to go back to developing a mining area. Isn’t that just taking a step backward?"

Ding Aiguo remained calm and said with a smile, "Mayor Lin, you’ve misunderstood. Of course we aren’t planning to take a step backward and mine bluestone, which pollutes the environment. After a detailed investigation, we’ve discovered that the area is perfect for a new type of industry with high added value."

"Oh? And what industry would that be?" Mayor Lin’s interest was piqued.

"Well... that’s a trade secret for now." Ding Aiguo was deliberately vague. "But I can assure you, our project will absolutely boost local employment and revitalize the entire economy of Shanyang County."