Chapter 775 - 744: The Cake
Xu Chunliang actually guessed just now that it was Geng Wenjun. He’s Fu Guomin’s direct superior. Since he spoke up, Fu Guomin couldn’t really argue, especially since an open bid for naming rights is the proper procedure, and it’s the best way to avoid under-the-table operations.
Xu Chunliang said, "Brother Fan, what do you think of this Dongzhou Barbecue City plan?"
Fan Lidada chuckled, raised his glass, and said, "Let’s drink, let’s drink."
Xu Chunliang said, "Brother Fan, you’re not even willing to tell me the truth?"
Fan Lidada, caught between laughing and crying, said, "It’s not that I don’t dare to say it, but does my opinion really matter? Dongzhou Barbecue is so popular right now, everyone sees it. You were the first to push this trend, but at the beginning, nobody took it seriously. Human nature is just to seek profit and avoid harm."
Xu Chunliang said, "What, are they trying to steal our credit now?"
Fan Lidada said, "Nobody wants to steal our credit. Even if all the credit goes to you, at most you’ll be promoted to a full section chief. Don’t you understand? The pie is too big for you to eat alone, even the whole tourism bureau can’t finish it, so the higher-ups are just helping out. It’s a good thing, after all, we can’t eat it all. Isn’t it perfect if they come over to help share?"
Xu Chunliang said, "No one’s stopping them from eating, but they come over and start pointing fingers, arranging how we should eat, determining who should eat and who shouldn’t."
Fan Lidada said, "Once they come over, we just become the ones stoking the fire and running errands. You have to realize that. Originally, the cake we made was big enough." He gestured about the size of a basin, then spread his arms wide: "Now the leadership thinks what we’ve done isn’t big enough, and we must make it bigger so more people can have a slice."
Xu Chunliang said, "Brother Fan, you understand everything, yet you stay silent."
Fan Lidada said, "I’m insignificant, just saying what’s on my mind to you. It’s not necessary with Director Fu. He’s eager to show results now; the higher-ups want to use the barbecue’s popularity to make a big splash. Could he dare to disagree? Why do we need to say so much? Good advice is unpleasant, and no one is immune. Just do our job, and there’s no need to worry about other things."
Xu Chunliang said, "Easy for you to say, but I promised Zhang Hengyang. Now if I change my stance, how can I face him in the future?"
Fan Lidada said, "Brother, you might not like what I say, but you’re just a deputy section chief with an external secondment. Zhang Hengyang knows your situation well. How could he not understand how things work within the system? He certainly won’t hold this against you because we couldn’t stop the open bidding for naming rights. At the current level of popularity, I estimate you can’t get the naming rights without millions. If you really helped Zhang Hengyang get it with three million, who knows how many people would accuse us of underhanded dealings in the cultural and tourism bureau."
Xu Chunliang knew that Fan Lidada was speaking the truth, and said in a low voice, "I’ve never gone back on my word like this in my life."
Xu Chunliang thought for a moment, then immediately called Zhang Hengyang to inform him that the city had changed its mind and decided to require open bidding. Zhang Hengyang seemed quite open-minded about it. In fact, as the popularity of Dongzhou Barbecue increased in these past few days, he began to feel anxious, fearing things might change. He was eager to sign the contract, but Xu Chunliang had to deal with Qiao Rulong’s matters, so he didn’t push it.
Actually, it was partially his own fault. When he decided to sponsor initially, he should have signed the contract, but businessmen have a habit of holding onto money for as long as possible. No one thinks of money as burdensome.
In conclusion, he wasn’t mentally prepared for the barbecue to become so popular.
Zhang Hengyang asked if Xu Chunliang wanted to go to a bar for a drink, but Xu Chunliang invited him to come directly to Leizi Barbecue instead.
Zhang Hengyang soon arrived, carrying two bottles of Moutai.
Fan Lidada said, "You didn’t need to bring anything."
Zhang Hengyang said, "I’m used to bringing my own liquor when I drink with leaders."
After sitting down and having a couple of drinks, Zhang Hengyang said, "To be honest, I heard about the plan to build the Dongzhou Barbecue City."
Xu Chunliang and Fan Lidada exchanged glances. They had only just heard it from Fu Guomin, so if Zhang Hengyang knew, it must have been through another channel.
Zhang Hengyang said, "The High-Tech Zone has already started leveling about two hundred acres of land. The responsible engineering company is Celestial Sea Construction. Their president, Tian Fangqiang, has some business relations with me; he mentioned it inadvertently."
Xu Chunliang furrowed his brows. He knew Tian Fangqiang; many of Changxing’s renovation projects were contracted to him. Later, due to improper operation, a worker was electrocuted and died, causing many problems for Changxing Hospital. It seemed that the idea of the barbecue city really wasn’t Fu Guomin’s.
Xu Chunliang said, "President Zhang, from a business perspective, do you think this barbecue city can work?"
Zhang Hengyang smiled and said, "I’ve always worked in physical businesses and don’t understand the influencer economy. I’ll just share an example. Do you know about Noodle Brother? He kept selling noodles at three yuan a bowl, then got the attention of social media. People flocked to him, crazily exploiting the traffic and interacting with him. These content creators made a fortune from this hype, but they caused congestion in the village, affecting the residents’ normal lives, even impacting Noodle Brother’s business."
Fan Lidada said, "I’ve been following that story too. Noodle Brother was such a genuine person, but later he started singing, live streaming, and selling goods; his temper changed too. I remember once entering his live stream to find him yelling in awkward Mandarin for people to leave."
Zhang Hengyang said, "That’s human nature. To be honest, I don’t think the barbecue city has much significance. Of course, the investment isn’t large either. Attracting tourists to a specific place for unified consumption management is good, but have they considered supporting facilities? I heard it can accommodate 20,000 diners simultaneously. I’m curious, how will they solve the restroom issue for these 20,000 people?"
Fan Lidada said, "They’ve thought about that and will provide enough restrooms."
Zhang Hengyang said, "Even if everything is designed perfectly, did you consider how long Dongzhou Barbecue’s popularity can last? I wasn’t finished with my previous example. Now Noodle Brother’s hometown has returned to its original state. The influencers are gone, the spectators vanished, even Noodle Brother left. Dining is an experiential consumption. I’m curious, do tourists come from afar just to have a barbecue meal together? Or do they want to experience a culture different from their hometown while having barbecue?"
Xu Chunliang said, "Hearing you say this makes me see things clearly."
Zhang Hengyang smiled and said, "It’s just my personal opinion. Take it for what it’s worth."
Xu Chunliang said, "Are you going to participate in the open bidding?"
Zhang Hengyang said, "Any open bidding is a front. I bet they’ve already decided who will get it; others are just there for show."
Fan Lidada said, "You can’t say that. Our bidding process is still open and transparent."
Zhang Hengyang said, "I’m too familiar with the tricks involved. I estimate this year’s Dongzhou Barbecue Festival naming rights will exceed ten million, so I’ll refrain from joining the fun."
Xu Chunliang said, "You always see through things clearly."
Zhang Hengyang said, "After so many years in the business world, I’m full of wounds. There’s no way I couldn’t see clearly."
The three burst into laughter and shared a drink.
Fan Lidada said, "No matter what, I still hope the Dongzhou Barbecue Festival can succeed. Dongzhou tourism has been sluggish in Pinghai for so many years. This May Day, I feel we can finally redeem ourselves."
Zhang Hengyang said, "Dongzhou has quite a lot of tourism resources, but it’s a pity that its development lacks planning. Over the years, there have been many small developments but almost no large, influential attractions."
Fan Lidada said, "After the rise of Dongzhou Barbecue, city leaders are paying more attention to our cultural and tourism work. They’re already reviewing the proposal for creating a Dongzhou Cultural Lineage. If it passes, our cultural tourism development will have great achievements."
Zhang Hengyang said, "Make sure to keep me in the loop then."
Fan Lidada said, "Definitely."
When the evening ended, Fan Lidada went to settle the bill, but Li Quanguai refused to take payment, insisting on covering it as his treat.
Fan Lidada’s home was nearby; he parted ways with Xu Chunliang and Zhang Hengyang at the door.
Zhang Hengyang offered to walk with Xu Chunliang for a bit, knowing he had something to say privately.
The two walked in the direction of Hidden Dragon Lake. Xu Chunliang said, "As for the naming rights, I’ll try to discuss it again with Director Fu."
Zhang Hengyang laughed, "No need. They’ve already decided on an open bid. Even if you get it, it’s a hassle. People will think there’s underhandedness. There are many ways to make money; the worst is doing it when everyone’s watching. Once they see you profiting, there’s bound to be someone who wants to cause trouble for you."
Xu Chunliang nodded; Zhang Hengyang indeed had experience in business.
Zhang Hengyang said, "Mayor Xu, there are some things I probably shouldn’t say, but I thought it’s necessary to give you a reminder."
"Go ahead," Xu Chunliang responded.
Zhang Hengyang continued, "You who work within the system are different from those of us in business. The relationships in the system are intricate; those who get in either have abilities or connections. Those who stand out aren’t ordinary. Businesspeople focus on profits, whereas people in the system focus on achievements. When it comes to interests, compromises can be made, but when it comes to achievements, few are willing to compromise."
Xu Chunliang pondered over Zhang Hengyang’s words, realizing he must have seen something.