The King of Urban Mercenaries
Chapter 369 - 369 369 The Billion-Dollar Charisma

369: Chapter 369: The Billion-Dollar Charisma 369: Chapter 369: The Billion-Dollar Charisma Lin Fei, Mu Shanshan, and Gu Lanzi were in the private VIP room of a high-end restaurant, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense following Mu Shanshan’s mention of the Key Enterprise Support Fund.

Regarding the Key Enterprise Support Fund, the final decision rested in the hands of Gu Lanzi, the authoritative deputy leader in charge of economic affairs.

All the corporate CEOs in Zhonghai were acutely aware of this.

No CEO would complain about having more cash flow on the books.

But the significance of the Key Enterprise Support Fund for a company wasn’t just about increasing cash flow.

Once a company secured the Key Enterprise Support Fund, the City Council, in order to ensure their investment wasn’t wasted, would inevitably offer corresponding policy benefits and support.

Low interest rates and favorable policies were exactly why, before the Fang Family fell, Fang Zhentao never forgot about the Key Enterprise Support Fund and even went as far as to openly clash with Gu Lanzi, a powerful deputy leader.

Under Mu Shanshan’s leadership and initiative, the Mu Group was in a phase of rapid development, making the significance of the Key Enterprise Support Fund for the Mu Group self-evident.

“I’m afraid I must disappoint President Mu.

You must understand that the matter of the Key Enterprise Support Fund is of great significance.

It’s not something I can decide alone or with just a few words.

If, President Mu, you are willing to make a different request, I believe I can strive to fulfill it.”

Gu Lanzi, representing the City Council, was prepared to bridge the gap with the Mu Group and had mentally readied herself to offer Mu Shanshan, the ice queen CEO, some policy benefits.

But that clearly did not include the Key Enterprise Support Fund, which she saw as one of her most important bargaining chips.

Gu Lanzi had been heading the establishment of the Key Enterprise Support Fund for some time.

However, she had steadfastly resisted lending even a penny to any company despite significant pressure.

It wasn’t that Gu Lanzi was stingy, nor that she was trying to extract huge benefits from companies when the fund was loaned out.

Rather, Gu Lanzi knew all too well what kind of consequences she would face if a massive sum like the Key Enterprise Support Fund went to the wrong company.

“I understand what you mean, Director Gu.

However, at this stage of our development, the Mu Group can no longer be propelled by mere policy incentives.

Thank you for your hospitality today.

There are still many matters awaiting my attention back at the company, so I must take my leave now.

Additionally, as a gesture toward Director Gu, I am willing to let go of the unpleasantness regarding the Chen Zimo incident.

Once I return to the company, I will have my secretary retract the previously issued notice.”

Gu Lanzi’s refusal was so clear that even Lin Fei, who was an outsider to politics and business, understood it, and Mu Shanshan, the ice queen CEO, obviously understood it too.

While Mu Shanshan very much hoped to secure the Key Enterprise Support Fund, she was clearly not the type to persistently nag to achieve her goals.

Securing the Key Enterprise Support Fund would have been ideal, but if it wasn’t possible, she was more inclined to rely on her own business acumen to accelerate the development of the Mu Group.

Refusing Gu Lanzi’s offered policy benefits was, for one, just as Mu Shanshan herself had said.

At this stage of its development, simple policy benefits were, to some extent, insignificant for the Mu Group.

More importantly, Mu Shanshan knew very well that rather than asking Gu Lanzi, the powerful deputy leader in charge of Zhonghai’s economic affairs, for some insignificant policy benefits, it was better to use the opportunity to owe Gu Lanzi a favor.

Favors from someone like Gu Lanzi, who wielded real power within Zhonghai’s economic landscape, were obviously more valuable than insignificant policy benefits.

This was where Mu Shanshan, the ice queen CEO, showcased her intelligence.

Of course, Mu Shanshan’s actions also somewhat intended to take a step back to advance.

“Please, Ms.

Mu, stay a while.”

Having been a powerful deputy leader in Zhonghai for quite some time, Gu Lanzi could easily see through Mu Shanshan’s intentions.

Although Gu Lanzi also very much hoped to resolve the estrangement between Mu Group and herself with minimum cost, given her status, she clearly did not want to owe Mu Shanshan, the icy CEO, any favors.

Rising personally, Gu Lanzi pulled Mu Shanshan, who was about to leave the private room, back to her seat and said solemnly, “I do not mind telling Ms.

Mu that when I just launched the establishment of the Key Enterprise Support Fund, I indeed considered Mu Group.

The reason I ultimately excluded your company was not due to a lack of management capability on Ms.

Mu’s part, nor because I was pessimistic about your company’s development prospects.

Rather, it was because your company’s overall scale is, relatively speaking, somewhat small.”

Gu Lanzi’s words were sincere; her reason for founding the Key Enterprise Support Fund was none other than to lend to a company within Zhonghai that had good development prospects to boost Zhonghai’s economic growth, indirectly accumulating some political capital for herself.

With Mu Shanshan, a renowned businesswoman of Zhonghai as the CEO, Mu Group was naturally within the scope of Gu Lanzi’s considerations.

However, because Mu Group’s scale was inferior to those top-ranked large enterprises in Zhonghai, Gu Lanzi had excluded Mu Group.

Perhaps to the ordinary person, Mu Group was already a huge entity that required one to look up.

However, since Zhonghai is one of Mo Country’s major international cities, in the whole of Zhonghai, Mu Group barely ranked around thirtieth in terms of scale.

Compared to the substantial amount of money involved with the Key Enterprise Support Fund, Mu Group’s scale indeed was insufficient.

“The Chen Zimo incident was indeed an oversight by the police.

Perhaps, Ms.

Mu might not know that the evidence against the Fang Family was personally collected by my people and given to the police.

I mention these two points not for any particular reason but to let Ms.

Mu understand.

I truly value you, Ms.

Mu.

Due to your company’s scale, I couldn’t allocate the entire Key Enterprise Support Fund to your company.

But, out of respect for your importance, I am prepared to loan part of the Key Enterprise Support Fund to your company.”

As Gu Lanzi spoke these words, her attention mostly on the delicacies, Lin Fei, who had not been involved in the conversation between Mu Shanshan and Gu Lanzi, obviously became somewhat uneasy.

The evidence against Fang Family was clearly obtained by him at personal sacrifice from Xue Mei, that enchantress, and later transferred to Gu Lanzi via the hands of Chen Qi, that violent policewoman.

Nowadays, Gu Lanzi attributed all the credit to herself, especially in his presence; how could Lin Fei be pleased!

Lin Fei intended to voice a protest to Gu Lanzi, this powerful deputy leader, but alas, Mu Shanshan, who was keen on the Key Enterprise Support Fund, spoke up first.

“I wonder, what is the specific amount of the partial Key Enterprise Support Fund, Leader Gu mentioned—”

“Ten billion!”

As Mu Shanshan’s voice fell, Gu Lanzi’s somewhat clear and authoritative tone followed…