Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 239: What’s Your Game?

Mayor Lin wasn't privy to the details, so he was hesitant. "I'm more inclined to have the area develop its tourism and retirement industries..."

"Mayor Lin," Ding Kaifang said, trying to persuade him, "we've looked into transitioning to tourism. The natural conditions there are simply too poor. Forcing it would just create a vanity project, wasting money and manpower, and the local people would be the ones to suffer in the end. Rather than dangle an impossible dream in front of them, let's do something practical."

Seeing that Mayor Lin remained unmoved, Ding Aiguo knew it was time for some strong medicine.

He lowered his voice, revealing a sliver of information. "Mayor Lin, frankly, we've discovered a... very rare mineral resource there. This resource is exceptionally rare, not just in this country but across the globe. It possesses immense medicinal and economic value. Once we start mining it, the potential will be incalculable."

He looked Mayor Lin in the eye and made his final, solemn promise. "The Ding Group is prepared to make a formal pledge. As long as the city government supports our bid for this project, we guarantee that once production begins, the annual tax revenue we pay will only be more, never less, than the previous total tax revenue of the entire Shanyang County quarrying industry!"

"More, never less?!"

Those words held immense appeal for Mayor Lin.

As the mayor of a city,

what he valued most was tax revenue.

Higher tax revenue meant a higher GDP.

And that meant political achievements for him.

"What kind of mineral is it, exactly?"

Mayor Lin had to know.

"Well..."

Ding Kaifang hesitated, worried that Mayor Lin might change his mind after hearing what it was.

But then he remembered they had already secured the land-use rights, and given the Ding Group's influence, Mayor Lin had no reason to make an enemy of them. So, he said, "It's Dragon Bone Ore."

"Hm?" Mayor Lin froze. 'Dragon Bone Ore? What's that?'

Ding Kaifang explained in detail, "Mayor, Dragon Bone Ore is an extremely rare deposit of ancient biological fossils with significant medicinal value..."

Mayor Lin listened while searching for the value of Dragon Bone.

He fell silent after he finished reading.

And that silence was followed by excitement.

If the Shanyang County mining district could be revived, who would want to waste time on pointless endeavors?

After all, the taxes from mining would be far greater than those from a tourist area with no real prospects.

Besides, he still had three years left in his current term.

If they pursued the tourism project,

he might be transferred to another post before the foundations were even laid.

Mining, however, was different.

As long as they could dig it up and sell it, the tax revenue would be massive.

Economic growth in the province's other cities was slow, even declining.

If Feng City's economy boomed,

it would absolutely capture the attention of the provincial leadership.

He might even get a promotion out of it.

"What are the estimated reserves of Dragon Bone Ore?"

Mayor Lin asked, suppressing his excitement.

Ding Kaifang shook his head. "We don't know yet, but we've been down there for a look. It's definitely not a small amount."

Mayor Lin made his decision. "I'm behind you! I'll personally oversee the relevant paperwork and give you the green light all the way. Determine the reserves and start production as soon as possible."

"Thank you for your support, Mayor."

Ding Aiguo and Ding Kaifang were overjoyed. They both stood and thanked Mayor Lin sincerely.

They knew that with the mayor's promise, the most critical piece of their plan had just fallen into place.

After leaving the municipal building, Ding Kaifang didn't waste a moment and immediately set things in motion.

Using his connections, he quickly contacted one of the nation's top professional teams specializing in paleontological exploration. He had them secretly deploy to Mopan Mountain in Shanyang County under the guise of a "geological hazard risk assessment."

...

In a high-end teahouse in downtown Feng City, Chairman Zhao and President Qian were leisurely sipping fragrant tea.

Inside the purple clay teapot, top-grade Jin Jun Mei leaves unfurled, filling the air with their rich aroma.

"Old Zhao, have you noticed? It seems like things have gone quiet on the city government's end."

President Qian took a sip of tea and spoke slowly. "Regarding that whole mess in Shanyang County, Mayor Lin has stopped calling to pressure us."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that myself," the pot-bellied Chairman Zhao said, leaning back in his traditional armchair with a relaxed expression. "I really thought Mayor Lin wouldn't stop until he'd squeezed us dry. Why the sudden silence?"

"Heh, isn't it better for us that he's not?" President Qian chuckled. "You just have to drag these things out. Give it time, and his development fever will cool down. Looks like we've dodged a bullet. To be honest, I was getting worried. If we'd been strong-armed into taking it on, it would've been like a mute eating Huang Lian—a bitterness we couldn't even complain about."

"You can say that again," Chairman Zhao said, nodding in complete agreement.

Just as the two were gloating, President Qian's phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the caller ID. It was a friend of his from the municipal land and resources department.

"Hey, Old Zhang... What? Are you serious?... When did this happen?... Right, right, I understand."

President Qian hung up, the smile frozen on his face. In its place was a look of stunned disbelief.

"What is it? Who was that? Did something happen?"

Seeing the look on his face, Chairman Zhao asked with concern.

President Qian frowned and said slowly, "Old Zhang said that just yesterday, a highly professional survey team moved quietly onto Mopan Mountain in Shanyang County. Judging by their equipment and the scale of the operation, it doesn't look like a standard geological survey."

"What? A survey team went into the mountains?" Chairman Zhao was stunned, too. "What's going on? Did some clueless sucker actually decide to go develop that place?"

They exchanged a look, both seeing the same confusion in the other's eyes.

They immediately started using their own networks to dig for information.

Soon, they received a piece of news that left them utterly shocked.

"It's the Ding Group! The Ding Group is behind this survey!" President Qian said as he put down his phone, his voice filled with incredulity.

"Old Ding? Has he lost his mind?!" Chairman Zhao shot bolt upright. "Just a few days ago at that meeting, wasn't his son, Kaifang, tearing that project to shreds with self-righteous conviction? How could he turn around and secretly start working on it himself? This... he'd actually take on such a money-losing venture?"

"If something seems this strange, there must be more to it," President Qian speculated. "A guy like Old Ding never makes an investment he isn't sure of. For him to be doing this, there has to be some angle we're not seeing!"

Neither of them could sit still any longer. Chairman Zhao immediately dialed Ding Aiguo's number.

"Hey, Old Ding! I'm going to ask you something, and I need a straight answer. Did you... did you take over that mining district in Shanyang County?" Chairman Zhao asked, cutting right to the chase.

Ding Aiguo, on the other end of the line, laughed when he heard the question.

He knew a move this big could never be kept from these old foxes.

Besides, with the paperwork all but finalized, there was no longer any need for secrecy.

"I did," Ding Aiguo admitted freely. "Not only did I take it over, but the survey team is already on-site."

"You... What in the world are you playing at?" Chairman Zhao demanded. "That place is a known money pit! Why would you jump right into it?"