Chapter 96

Zhou Ming raised his hand to signal everyone to quiet down before he said, "I know everyone is dissatisfied with the new policy. I can also tell you that I was the one who proposed this policy. Whether you believe it or not, my suggestion is actually to help you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of boos erupted from below: "Who are you trying to fool? You're lying at such a young age? Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe you!"

"Exactly!" another person chimed in, "You encourage Mayor Chen to issue restrictive policies from the provincial government, and then you say you're helping us. Your logic is absurd! So, are you saying that if I slap you today and say it's for your own good, you'll be grateful? How childish!"

"Don't jump to conclusions yet. Please listen to me patiently," Zhou Ming said.

As soon as Zhou Ming finished, someone below said, "Alright, let's hear what you have to say."

"You all know that I hosted the first land auction in Nanjiang, and I sold that land for 8.5 million yuan. It was this price that truly convinced the municipal government to proceed with land auctions," Zhou Ming said.

Zhou Ming's statement was shameless, and he himself felt embarrassed because he knew that even without him, the Nanjiang municipal government would have conducted land auctions to pilot housing reforms for the central government. However, Zhou Ming still said this because it was necessary, and it was indeed true. Since he had been reborn, this life was different. His previous success gave the Nanjiang municipal government great confidence, so his statement seemed reasonable to everyone.

"You all know how much I sold the land for, but does anyone know how much I paid for it?" Zhou Ming asked.

This question stumped everyone below. The bank managers looked at each other, clearly no one knew the answer.

"1.5 million yuan. That's the price I paid the government for the land," Zhou Ming answered.

Zhou Ming's answer shocked everyone. Everyone stared at him in disbelief: "How is that possible?"

No one believed this answer. The starting bid for the land auction was 5 million yuan. If the purchase price was only 1.5 million yuan, how could he have set such an outrageous starting bid? Wasn't he afraid that no one would buy it, and it would end in a farce? Moreover, the final price increased by 3.5 million yuan, meaning he made a net profit of 7 million yuan without doing anything. Even a printing press couldn't match this speed!

"Impossible? But that's the truth," Zhou Ming said, "Given your positions, I have no reason to lie to you."

The bank managers nodded. Zhou Ming indeed had no reason to lie about this. Given their positions, it would be easy to verify the truth. So, was this guy telling the truth? Did he really buy the land for 1.5 million yuan and sell it for 8.5 million yuan?

Thinking about this, everyone looked at Zhou Ming with admiration: What kind of person is he? He's too amazing!

Amidst the admiring gazes, Zhou Ming said, "I'm not telling you this for any other reason, but to make you think about the current land prices."

"I asked yesterday, and if you want to buy land now, you need at least 15 million yuan," Zhou Ming said. "From 1.5 million yuan to 15 million yuan, the land prices in Nanjiang have increased tenfold in just over a month. Do you think this is reasonable? Is the land in Nanjiang really worth that much?"

Below, there was a moment of silence. The bank managers who had been shouting earlier were now quiet. Zhou Ming continued, "You are all bank managers, financial giants in Nanjiang. I'm sure you've heard of the term 'bubble economy.'"

"Are you saying that the land prices in Nanjiang are a bubble economy?" someone asked instinctively.

Zhou Ming replied with a slight smile, "Isn't it obvious?"

The person who asked the question blushed. Indeed, if it wasn't a bubble economy, how could the land prices rise so quickly? As a bank manager, asking such a question was embarrassing.

"Since it's a bubble economy, the bubble will eventually burst. If it's just some capitalists speculating, it might be manageable, but the key is that we don't have capitalists in our country. The money for speculating on land comes from your banks. So, who will pay for this bubble when the speculation fever is over?"

No one answered Zhou Ming's question, and no one dared to. Everyone knew the answer.

"It will be you, the people in this room!" Zhou Ming said, emphasizing each word. "Imagine the consequences when the bubble bursts. Your banks will be left with a pile of land that isn't worth much. The result will be a pile of bad debts, even a payment crisis. The higher-ups will be furious, and you will not only lose your positions but also go to jail!"

This statement made everyone tremble. They all thought about the consequences, but someone tentatively said, "Isn't that a bit too severe?"

"If you think I'm exaggerating, you can leave right now!" Zhou Ming said.

A few minutes earlier, this statement would have enraged the bank managers, and they would have attacked him. But now, the manager who was scolded by Zhou Ming could only lower his head like a student who had made a mistake. The others looked at him with disdain, all agreeing that he was being too talkative and shouldn't have contradicted Advisor Zhou.

This contrast left Du Peng and Kong Xiaolin, who were watching from the side, stunned. Du Peng was used to Zhou Ming's miracles, but Kong Xiaolin, the hotel manager, was completely dumbfounded. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. How could a group of defiant people suddenly become so obedient? What magic did Zhou Ming use?

But Kong Xiaolin didn't realize that this was just the beginning. More unexpected things were to come.

"You are all bank managers, leaders. You understand these issues better than I do. Whether I'm exaggerating or not, you can judge for yourselves. Your own thoughts will be more convincing than what I tell you."

Zhou Ming paused deliberately and then continued, "Here, I have only one question for you. Do you want to pay for this economic bubble, take the blame for the speculators, and go to jail, or do you want to get promotions, higher positions, and more power? Tell me!"

As soon as Zhou Ming finished, someone below immediately answered, "Of course, we want higher positions!"

Zhou Ming, as if he hadn't heard, raised his voice and asked again, "Tell me, do you want to be in higher positions?"

"Yes!" they all said in unison.

But Zhou Ming was still unsatisfied and raised his voice again. The bank managers answered even more enthusiastically.

"Very good!" Zhou Ming said immediately. "Since you want promotions and higher positions, but someone is trying to stop you, not only preventing your promotions but also sending you to jail, what should you do?"

"Of course, we should remove them!" someone said, clenching their fists.

Zhou Ming followed up, "But the speculation on land is so intense. Many companies want loans to speculate on land, and they are legally entitled to these loans. They will also offer you many benefits. What should you do?"

"Of course, our future is more important. Those who can't afford it shouldn't speculate. Those speculators should die!" someone else shouted.

Zhou Ming clapped his hands and said, "That's right! That's exactly what I thought! I understand your feelings, which is why I did this!"

Zhou Ming then calmed down and continued, "To be honest, when I first suggested to Mayor Chen to control the speculation on land through the financial system, many people didn't understand me. They thought I was cowardly, useless, and afraid to confront the speculators, so I chose to target the financial system. Some even wanted to kill me!"

"But," Zhou Ming changed his tone, "I didn't back down because I am your friend, and I want to help you."

"To be honest, I started my career through finance. You might have heard of the treasury bond business in Jingchu Province. That was my first business. Later, I had the opportunity to trade futures in Hongcheng, also through bank loans. So, the banks are like my brothers. I couldn't stand to see the banking system take the blame for a group of speculators who deserve to be punished!" Zhou Ming said with deep emotion.

Zhou Ming's emotions and words moved everyone. The manager of the Bank of China, Tian, said on the spot, "Advisor Zhou, I'm sorry. We misunderstood you. You truly have our best interests at heart!"

Then, the manager of the Bank of Communications, Wu, said, "I'm sorry, Advisor Zhou. We all misunderstood you. You truly treat us like family! Rest assured, I will recall the funds and cut off the speculators' funding. We'll see what they can do without money!"

With the lead from these two major bank managers, the other managers also expressed their willingness to follow Advisor Zhou's advice and cooperate fully.

Seeing the bank managers' commitment, Zhou Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief: It seems I did well today, and the brainwashing was very successful!