Xu Que's expression faltered, and with a tentative tone, he asked, "Is this because of me?"
"No, it has nothing to do with you," Tang Guoshan replied, taking a deep breath and gesturing for the secretary to bring over the documents.
Xu Que was somewhat puzzled, wondering what Mayor Tang meant.
But the moment he saw the documents handed to him, he understood.
The first two company names boldly emblazoned on the contract were Shen Yin and Rongyu.
"As you probably know, these two companies have recently risen in prominence here in Linan, and they have assured us that their resource distribution will be on par with the terms you proposed," Tang Guoshan continued, his unfinished sentence leaving the implication clear.
"I understand. I hope we can work together again in the future," Xu Que said, rising and extending his hand.
"Certainly, if any uncontrollable rifts occur, we may consider hiring your company to handle them," Tang Guoshan added.
Upon hearing his words, Xu Que merely smiled, realizing that this trip had ultimately been in vain.
As for future collaborations? Xu Que couldn't promise anything, for after all, whether Linan even remained standing was yet uncertain...
"This..."
Before Tang Guoshan could finish his sentence, Xu Que smiled and said, "This is a gift from Mayor Li, and as for other matters, you should direct your questions to him."
Upon hearing Xu Que's sudden shift in tone, Tang Guoshan's mood soured, though he maintained a professional smile.
"Very well, I'll contact Old Li."
After bidding Tang Guoshan farewell, Xu Que swiftly mounted his flying sword, heading toward Modu, knowing full well that the rift crisis outside Modu needed his attention.
As Xu Que departed, Tang Guoshan's secretary quietly asked, "Mayor, about Mayor Li...?"
"It doesn't matter," Tang Guoshan waved dismissively. "Though the Zha Tian Hunter Company contributed the most during this calamity, they didn't send anyone here immediately. That means they don't consider Linan important. Now, only after the catastrophe has passed, they think they can just swoop in and share the spoils. Do they think they can smooth things over with a single token?"
In short, Tang Guoshan had no intention of giving Xu Que any advantage, and moreover, he simply didn't like the man.
Having spent many years navigating the political world, this was the first time Tang Guoshan had encountered someone so tactless.
Thus, there was no way he would allow the Zha Tian Company to set up shop in Linan.
On his way back to Modu, Xu Que, after finding Mayor Li's contact, sent him a message and then put aside his concerns about Linan.
Since Tang Guoshan wasn't welcoming them, there was no reason to press the issue. As for the other anchor points in space, Xu Que figured he could just rely more heavily on the original sword's abilities.
After checking his small group chat, noticing only casual chatter, Xu Que was reassured.
He then announced, "The meeting for the company will be at 3 PM this afternoon."
Everyone in the group was momentarily taken aback by his sudden statement, but then the usual rounds of greetings and inquiries followed.
Seeing the questions, Xu Que decisively sent another message: "Details will be shared in the meeting, but make sure to notify the team and prepare for battle."
Understanding the implication, the group quickly began relaying the order in their respective subgroups.
Xu Que then opened the messages from Shen Mengchu, who had not only checked on his well-being but also included a note about other companies potentially settling in the Future International Building.
Xu Que had mentioned early on that the building would become the core of Z country's hunter companies, and he had asked Shen Mengchu to conduct some research on these companies.
As for how to decide, Xu Que had no intention of making the final call himself. After all, based on what he knew from his previous life, those companies were far from clean, so he preferred to leave the decision to the higher-ups.
Xu Que quickly sent two messages to Shen Mengchu.
Having solved the current issues, he accelerated his spiritual energy, disappearing in the blink of an eye above Linan.
...
"Bang!"
Cheng Ye slammed his fist on the table, glaring at the middle-aged supervisor before him.
"How are you handling things? Wei Yanqing is dead, and yet you're still alive?!"
The middle-aged supervisor, trembling, was about to explain when Cheng Ye continued, "Listen, if you don't secure compensation, don't bother coming back!"
Just as Cheng Ye finished speaking, a tall, beautiful woman entered the room.
"This is the boss's information. We only need to deal with Da Yu, that small company. As for Zha Tian and Rongyu, we can't afford to offend them," the tall woman said.
Cheng Ye took the information, and when he saw Xu Que's name listed among those who entered the rift, he immediately understood what was happening.
"These idiots! They can't handle anything!" Cheng Ye muttered, tossing the documents aside and glaring at the middle-aged supervisor. "This task is now yours. If you mess it up, don't bother coming back, understand?"
"Yes, Cheng Zong. I'll notify the others right away," the middle-aged supervisor quickly nodded.
Cheng Ye waved him off and turned his gaze toward the tall woman.
Once the supervisor had left, Cheng Ye smiled and asked, "Little sis, is there something you want to say?"
"Your boss asked me to tell you to lay off the dirty work for now. He's planning to move the company to Modu," the tall woman replied.
"Has the deal for Future Building been finalized?" Cheng Ye hurriedly asked.
"Negotiations are ongoing, but it should be fine. We just need to wait for their response," the woman answered.
"That's great!" Cheng Ye clapped his hands. "I've always told the boss that Modu is the best place for our development, and it's also the safest place in Z country right now."
The tall woman didn't respond, instead tossing a set of documents onto the desk. "These are the latest details on Zha Tian Company. You'd better take a look. If we're looking to cooperate, there are certain people we shouldn't antagonize."
Watching her leave, Cheng Ye picked up the documents and began perusing them.
The first name that caught his eye was Shen Mengchu.
In his previous life, Shen Yin had been the first to enter Future International Building. Their methods at the time had been ruthless.
This time, though they hadn't been the first to move in, they'd identified various issues with Z country's current situation.
As a result, Cheng Ye's suggestion was soon accepted by Zhou Qingyun.
...
Rongyu Company
When Liang Jinyu returned, Chai Xiaohai and the rest of the senior staff gathered quickly.
After hearing the series of plans Liang Jinyu had prepared, they were all left confused, unable to make heads or tails of her intentions.
"President Liang, are we really going to settle in Modu's Future Building?" Gao Hewei asked.
"Yes, that's the reason I called everyone together," Liang Jinyu nodded.
"What about Yin Chuan?" Zhang Jidong asked.
In the previous life, Rongyu Company had opted not to enter Modu but instead set up in the He Li Power Energy Company's building in Yin Chuan.
"We'll leave it for now. If necessary, we can let Xiao Hao open a branch there," Liang Jinyu said.
"Huh?"
Everyone was dumbfounded. Modu and Yin Chuan were so close... and now they had to set up a branch?
Not to mention the personnel, the resource issues alone were a major hurdle.
Seeing the confusion on their faces, Liang Jinyu smiled and said, "I know you're all wondering, but let me tell you this: right now, Modu is the safest place, and we can also cooperate with Zha Tian Hunter Company. If they help us in the future, do you think we'll be short on resources?"
Hearing this, everyone quickly understood Liang Jinyu's strategy.
Just as they were about to agree, Yu Xiaochuan raised her hand. "President Liang, while I don't know what your vision for the company is, I want to ask: if Zha Tian Company proposes unreasonable terms, how will we handle it? Moreover, if there are conflicts between the two companies, what will you do?"