Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 943 - 899 Fury of Thunder
Chapter 943: Chapter 899: Fury of Thunder
Chapter 943 -899: Fury of Thunder
Nie Zhenbang was surprised for a moment. He knew Zhu Lufeng quite well; Zhu was someone who dealt with people and handled matters with propriety and was very precise with his sense of measure. Furthermore, now that Zhu Lufeng and Yan Fengjiao were married and their children were already two or three years old, under the influence of his family, Zhu Lufeng had become even more knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the system.
At this time, Zhu Lufeng was seeking him out. Didn’t he fear being criticized or distrusted? On the surface, though, Nie Zhenbang maintained a calm smile and nodded, saying, “President Zhu, of course you can. How did the Zhu Clan Group fare in this bid?”
Regarding the results of the bidding, Nie Zhenbang hadn’t paid much attention, as he had been accompanying Song Lihe and the Xibei Military Region’s Commander Zhang earlier.
Moreover, in Nie Zhenbang’s view, Zhu Lufeng had come fully prepared; Zhu’s construction enterprise was full of ambition. In these aspects, Zhu Lufeng was full of confidence and thoroughly prepared, and given the foundation and strength of Zhu’s construction company, there was no reason for them not to achieve results.
Yet at that moment, Zhu Lufeng gave a self-deprecating laugh, while Yun Fei whispered from the side, “Director Nie, just now, Plot Number Seven was taken by Victorious Construction Co.”
Hearing this, Nie Zhenbang’s brow furrowed, and he said, “Old Zhu, shall we find a place to sit down and talk?”
One car after another left the Gold Sail Hotel, and they randomly chose a tea house in Lanxi District of Ganzhou City that appeared somewhat simple and elegant. Nie Zhenbang and Zhu Lufeng took their seats in the establishment.
Yun Fei and Zhu Lufeng’s accompanying staff waited in the outer hall. Nie Zhenbang picked up the teapot on the table and poured Zhu Lufeng a cup of tea, then said, “Old Zhu, you seem upset. Don’t worry, just take your time and tell me what’s the matter. We can always clear things up. If it didn’t work out this time, there will be chances in the future.”
The meaning in Nie Zhenbang’s words was clear to Zhu Lufeng, who chuckled inwardly. As a cadre from Lizhou City, and as the old leader of his wife, how could Zhu Lufeng not understand Nie Zhenbang’s character? Mayor Nie was well known for dealing with matters impartially.
If Zhu’s construction company really didn’t have the ability and was edged out, Zhu wouldn’t have the face to come and complain. Nie Zhenbang’s earlier words were very clear; they served as a preemptive warning, telling Zhu that if everything was legal and his own capabilities were inadequate, seeking him out now would be in vain—he wouldn’t help.
Zhu Lufeng gave a bitter smile and then said, “Old Mayor, since you are Feng Jiao’s old leader, I’m taking the liberty of addressing you in the same way she does. I know your character, old leader. This time I’ve come not to ask for your favor, but to report the situation to you.”
As he spoke, Zhu Lufeng recounted his bid price and his in-depth analysis of the entire Plot Number Seven in full detail.
With each sentence, Nie Zhenbang’s eyebrows moved, starting with a slight frown, then locking together tightly, until now, when Nie Zhenbang was thoroughly enraged.
If you talked about what Nie Zhenbang most detested, in summary, it was really just one core issue: he was most opposed to illegal and undisciplined behavior.
Now, after listening to Zhu Lufeng’s analysis, one could say that Nie Zhenbang’s thunderous anger had been stirred. Looking at Zhu Lufeng, Nie Zhenbang’s expression became very serious, “President Zhu, tell me the truth. Can the issues you are talking about with this bid withstand scrutiny?”
Pondering for a moment, Nie Zhenbang perhaps felt that his own words weren’t fully expressed and added, “In other words, are you certain that the price you quoted for the construction project was indeed the minimum profit, calculated under the premise of standard construction, and included the assumption of significant risk? Could there be other influences, like the impact of low-priced labor costs or raw material supplies?”
Zhu Lufeng shook his head emphatically, saying, “Old Mayor, let me put it this way: Zhu’s construction has always pursued high wages for employees. This time, our goal was to break into the market of top-tier construction and establish our reputation. The employees were very supportive and volunteered to lower their wage standards. Additionally, Zhu’s construction has agreements with several of the country’s major material suppliers. Other companies can’t possibly go lower. I stake my head on it.”
As he spoke, Zhu Lufeng, almost inadvertently, exhibited his own kind of streetwise air.
Nie Zhenbang nodded and then stood up, “President Zhu, I understand. You should find a place to stay in Ganzhou City for now and not rush back. There are quite a few scenic spots in Ganzhou City worth visiting. Go around and have a look, relax a bit.”
Nie Zhenbang’s words were somewhat veiled but they made it clear he intended Zhu to stay. What else could it mean if not to handle the situation? Zhu Lufeng nodded and replied, “We’ll definitely follow the old leader’s suggestion. This is a good opportunity to see the sights and treat it as a company perk for our executives.”
As Nie Zhenbang exited the private room of the tea house, Yun Fei, with her sharp eyes, stood up. Now, as the secretary, Yun Fei was becoming more and more proficient in her work.
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Nie Zhenbang nodded, and Yun Fei directly walked to the bar to settle the bill. Nie Zhenbang always paid close attention to such details. At his level, caution was imperative in all matters, and one’s reputation was particularly important. A simple tea outing might seem trivial, but paying oneself versus someone else paying carried entirely different implications.
After leaving the tea house, Nie Zhenbang got straight into the car and instructed the person beside him, “Little Wu, drive to the company.”
When he was done speaking, he turned to Yun Fei and said, “Secretary Yun, notify all members of the group’s party committee to hurry to the conference room. I need to convene an emergency meeting.”
…
Inside the conference room, Nie Zhenbang sat alone, his expression dark and foreboding. Without a doubt, certain individuals had trespassed on Nie Zhenbang’s forbidden ground in this tender bidding.
Yes, a dragon has its reverse scales, and for Nie Zhenbang, his reverse scale had always been the national interest. This saying might sound grandiose and make Nie Zhenbang seem like a morally superior figure.
But the truth was exactly that; throughout his life, starting with his family, followed by the local people, and ascending step by step, Nie Zhenbang now looked at issues from a whole new level.
It was acceptable to be self-interested to some extent, but everything had to be based on the premise that it should not harm national interests or the benefits of the majority. Back then, Li Guohua did just that, angered him, and Nie Zhenbang unmercifully dealt a crushing blow, making the Li family’s rising star wilt into oblivion. The same had been true in WangHai.
Now, this bidding conference had undoubtedly incensed Nie Zhenbang. Although reallocating some funds was wrong, the group ultimately benefited from it. Privately constructing a wall hadn’t pleased Nie Zhenbang. Nonetheless, when construction began, the money could still be shifted to the contractor’s head, so the loss for the group wasn’t significant. But this bidding conference had clearly crossed Nie Zhenbang’s bottom line.
Zhu Lufeng’s words were clear enough, or to put it more bluntly, Zhu Lufeng’s bid would definitely not be profitable. A project worth several billion with only a few million in profit – and that’s under the most favorable conditions. To say it wasn’t profitable was no exaggeration.
Now, Victorious Construction Co. had offered a price even lower than Zhu Clan Group’s construction bid. Nie Zhenbang was unclear and did not care to know what Victorious Construction Co. was thinking. But there was definitely a problem.
Outside the conference room, there came a knock on the door. Subsequently, Secretary Yun Fei entered, carrying a stack of materials in her hands, which she respectfully placed on the table, “Director Nie, these are the tendering documents for bid section number seven, including the engineering budget and detailed bidding proposals from three companies. Additionally, here’s the information on Victorious Construction Co. Please have a look.”
Receiving Nie Zhenbang’s notification, Ding Weiguang and others didn’t dare to be negligent. Also, they felt a mix of trepidation and confusion – it should have been a time for Huaxia Group to celebrate, yet Director Nie had suddenly called a meeting.
When the group arrived in the conference room and saw Nie Zhenbang’s grim expression, they each felt a chill and consciously took their respective seats.
Zhang Shengshan appeared quite pleased, though he veiled it well. However, a faint smugness laced his brows, giving away a trace of triumph.
Nie Zhenbang scanned the room; all the deputy directors, heads of finance, human resources, logistics, infrastructure, and other departments were present. Seeing that everyone was there, Nie Zhenbang lifted his head, looked around the room, and spoke solemnly, “Everyone seems very pleased, eh? The bidding conference is concluded. It fully reflected the principles of fairness and justice. Indeed, it’s something to celebrate.”
Had this statement been made at the Gold Sail Hotel, in the midst of a celebration, it would have meant something different. But in the current context and with Nie Zhenbang’s demeanor, everyone knew it was ironic, a form of sarcasm, and that Director Nie was harboring deep anger.
Those present, including Ding Weiguang, found it hard to breathe under the pressing fury of this Director Nie.
Zhang Shengshan raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. After all, the younger ones just couldn’t contain themselves. Then, with a smile, Zhang Shengshan said, “Director Nie’s assessment is very pertinent. I also believe that it was a successful bidding conference which fully demonstrated our group’s transparency and fairness in the tender process. The success of the bidding also signifies that our group’s operations are about to enter a period of accelerated development.”
At the conclusion of Zhang Shengshan’s speech, Nie Zhenbang looked at him impassively – Zhang Shengshan kept a normal facade as if he had truly won a great victory.
Nie Zhenbang let out a cold chuckle, the corners of his mouth slightly tilting up – those familiar with him knew that Nie Zhen was truly furious. He said, “Vice-President Zhang, it seems you are quite satisfied with the outcome of the bidding conference.”
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