The Strongest Master Venturing Urban-Chapter 40 One-Sided

Seeing that Wang Jun’s expression was turning grim, Chen Bin quickly spoke up.

"Mr. Ma, my friend’s business is actually quite big. He thought your wine was excellent and wanted to come over to discuss a partnership with you."

Shooting a sidelong glance at Chen Bin, the old man asked, "How big is this business? How much can you sell in a day?"

After a brief moment of thought, Chen Bin slowly raised three fingers.

"At least three hundred pounds!"

The old man frowned immediately upon hearing this.

"Young man, don’t try to brag in front of your elders! Three hundred pounds? Hmph!"

At this moment, the old woman chimed in as well.

"Young man, our wine is handmade, we simply can’t produce that much."

Clearing his throat lightly, Wang Jun asked casually.

"Since your wine is this good, why don’t you expand production?"

"Of course, we’d love to expand production, but the money we’ve saved over the years is earmarked for our grandson’s marriage. Besides, my family’s old man is getting up in age, and the recipe..."

Before the old woman could finish her sentence, the old man shot her a glare.

"What nonsense are you spouting? I don’t have any recipe!"

The old woman grew upset too, hands on her hips, replying sourly.

"The Ma family has been making wine for over a hundred years; everyone knows there’s a secret recipe. What’s the big deal about mentioning it?"

Seeing the situation, Chen Bin immediately interjected. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

"If you don’t have the money to start a factory, you could partner with others instead."

"How do you want to partner?"

"My friend will invest in building the factory and handle sales. All you’d need to do is take charge of production, and we’ll split the profits equally. What do you think?"

Chen Bin had barely finished speaking when the old man shot to his feet.

"I’m just a farmer. I’ve been poor for a lifetime and don’t want to set up any factory you’re talking about. If you want to buy wine, fine, but partnership is out of the question!"

With that, he took a drag on his pipe and stalked into the inner room.

"Old man, can’t you speak properly? They’re just making a suggestion, why are you in such a hurry?!"

The old woman shouted at the old man twice before turning to apologize to Chen Bin and Wang Jun.

"I’m so sorry, Old Ma’s got a terrible temper; please don’t take it personally."

"It’s fine."

Forcing a dry laugh, Chen Bin bought another bucket of wine before he and Wang Jun took a taxi to leave.

On the drive back to the County, Wang Jun spoke softly to Chen Bin, seated beside him.

"It seems setting up a factory isn’t going to be so simple after all."

Chen Bin let out a cold snort, his expression also souring.

"If he doesn’t want to cooperate, then we’ll just figure out a way to get both him and the recipe."

These words left Wang Jun taken aback.

"The old man’s got such a foul temper; how are you planning to pull that off? Let me warn you upfront, we can’t go using any shady tricks."

"Relax, I’ve got it under control."

Wang Jun wanted to ask Chen Bin what he had in mind but, after a moment of thought, decided to keep quiet.

After all, Chen Bin was always reliable in handling matters. When the time was right, he would surely share his plan.

The next day, Wang Jun convened a meeting.

He proposed an approach to development focusing on "industry first, agriculture second."

Moreover, he planned to invest heavily in light industries with lower environmental impact.

As soon as this idea was introduced, Huang Ming opposed it.

"I think our County should prioritize the development of heavy industries. Heavy industry is better for economic growth and can propel us toward prosperity."

Yang Lin, the County Committee’s Vice Secretary, nodded his agreement.

"Choosing the right path for economic development is a monumental issue. We can’t make decisions lightly. Our responsibility as leaders is to engage in a broad discussion, not to insist solely on our own views!"

Seeing someone take the lead, others began voicing their opinions.

Unsurprisingly, nearly everyone sided with Huang Ming.

Witnessing this, Wang Jun’s face grew darker.

Taking a deep breath, he spoke loudly.

"I completely agree with Vice Secretary Yang’s point, and I want to make it clear: no one is dictating terms in this meeting. However, I also want everyone to listen closely. I won’t tolerate anyone resorting to underhanded methods!"

Huang Ming and the others remained expressionless, as if they hadn’t heard a word.

Turning to Huang Ming, Wang Jun continued.

"County Magistrate Huang, since you believe heavy industry should be prioritized, why don’t you elaborate on its advantages?"

Huang Ming shrugged off the question. "You go first; after you finish, I’ll respond."

Wang Jun scanned the room before slowly beginning.

"Heavy industry is easier to develop and generates quick profits, but it causes severe pollution. We mustn’t sacrifice long-term livelihoods for the sake of short-term gains!"

Upon hearing this, a few people nodded slightly, finding the argument logical.

But Huang Ming sneered dismissively.

"Secretary Wang, yes, heavy industry pollutes the environment, but it’s not nearly as bad as you’re making it sound. You talk about destroying future generations’ habitats—do you have evidence? What are you basing that on?"

This rebuttal left Wang Jun speechless.

Huang Ming continued.

"Times have changed. Diseases that used to be fatal can now be treated. Even if the environment suffers damage, in ten or twenty years, hospitals will be able to handle it. It’s nowhere near as dire as you claim."

Many in the room nodded slightly, agreeing.

For the moment, Wang Jun lost his footing. Instinctively, he glanced at Chen Bin.

Chen Bin quickly mouthed the word "counter-question."

Gathering himself, Wang Jun turned back to Huang Ming.

"County Magistrate Huang, let me ask you then—what specific advantages does heavy industry hold over light industry?"

Clearing his throat, Huang Ming replied evenly.

"First and foremost, there’s immense demand and a vast market for it. Secondly, it creates a large number of jobs. Once our County’s population increases, consumer spending will naturally rise."

He then signaled to Zhou Jiajun to distribute materials to everyone present.

"This is a report I commissioned from the provincial academy recently. It shows there are coal deposits beneath our County. With such resources, why bother investing in light industry?"

Seeing Wang Jun’s furrowed brow, Huang Ming continued.

"The priority right now is to get the economy rolling. Without money, the people’s lives won’t improve. As public servants, we must ensure our citizens’ well-being instead of leaving them to struggle on an empty stomach."

In Huang Ming’s view, boosting economic performance was the top priority.

Environmental concerns, to him, were someone else’s problem for the future.

After all, by the time environmental issues arose, he would have already left Qingshi County.

Yang Lin spoke up in response to Wang Jun’s silence.

"Secretary Wang, you’re advocating for light industry—do you have any promising projects?"

Wang Jun’s furrowed brow deepened, clearly at a loss for how to respond.

After all, Old Ma had no interest in setting up a factory, while Huang Ming had already outlined the merits of developing heavy industry.

At this point, several opportunists decided to weigh in.

"If Qingshi County has coal resources, we should start mining immediately. Money is the ultimate reality."

"Agreed. In addition to coal mining, we can branch into other heavy industries."

"I support this! Whether it’s heavy industry or light industry, as long as it contributes to our County’s development, it’s a path worth pursuing!"

In an instant, the meeting’s tone shifted decisively.

Nearly everyone who spoke voiced support for Huang Ming’s stance.

Wang Jun found himself in an increasingly precarious position...