Chapter 20

Li Dongling’s Dongling High-Tech was still just a shell company; now that Li Dongling had gone independent, he definitely needed to find an office or headquarters for Dongling High-Tech—otherwise he couldn’t hire staff or start operations, since even scam companies had to put up a facade before swindling people.

Li Dongling stared at the marble building behind Gao Peng; though built in the 1970s or 1980s, it didn’t look old, its design grand and still modern by today’s standards, clearly having been built with considerable thought and expense.

Pingyang Machinery Plant No. 2 had originally manufactured diesel engines, tractors, and other products, and back then its profits were excellent—even selling to other provinces. Because its production base was in a county district, it built this office building in the city to better host clients from afar.

But all that was yesterday’s news. Pingyang Machinery Plant No. 2 had ceased production years ago; its workers had either left or transferred to other state-owned factories. Now only its signboard and some remaining assets remained, still unprocessed.

“I’ve got the keys already—we can go in anytime!” Gao Peng pulled out a large bunch of keys.

Hearing this, Li Dongling stepped forward, but noticed Gao Peng hadn’t moved. He turned back, eyeing him suspiciously, then understood—smiling faintly, he said to Gao Peng, “What, you think I can’t afford this place?!”

“Brother Li, don’t misunderstand—I didn’t mean that. This building really isn’t cheap. It’s currently under the management of the city’s Industry Bureau. I’ve got some connections, but I can’t pressure the price down.”

“I’ve got other places better suited for an office, much cheaper than this…”

“Let’s look at this one first. If we really take it, don’t worry—I won’t shortchange you on your hard work!” Li Dongling told him.

Hearing Li Dongling’s words, Gao Peng said no more. Li Dongling had been introduced by Zhang Ao, and Gao Peng got along well with Zhang Ao—they’d often teamed up to fight and cause trouble. He owed Zhang Ao some face, even if he wasn’t sure Li Dongling could actually afford the building.

The wooden door opened, and Li Dongling stepped inside. The first floor had been divided into separate offices; desks, chairs, and other equipment had all been cleared out. The interior decoration was nothing special—just typical of years past.

Li Dongling mainly assessed the building’s structural integrity—it was in excellent condition. On the second floor, he saw the space was noticeably larger, likely originally used as offices for senior management.

Entering a large office, Li Dongling saw several courtyards behind the building, plus a sizable open area.

“Are those grounds behind the building part of this property?!”

Gao Peng paused, surprised Li Dongling had asked about the land first. “They’re all included with these two floors. The land’s worthless—if you want it, you can buy it all.”

Li Dongling nodded. “How much is this building selling for now?!”

Gao Peng hadn’t expected Li Dongling to actually ask the price—he’d just come along to show him around. “Three hundred thousand. No—two hundred and eighty thousand. If you really want it, I can help you negotiate the price down!”

In this era, two hundred and eighty thousand yuan for a two-story office building in Pingyang was indeed not cheap—but in Yashan or Pengcheng, that sum wouldn’t even buy half a apartment.

Decades later, in this location, this two-story building could easily fetch tens of millions. Tear it down and build a high-rise, and the profit would be even greater.

But Li Dongling didn’t just want this two-story building. “I’m offering two hundred and fifty thousand. How much you can cut off is up to you—the savings are all yours!”

“As for the land behind, how much you can acquire is also up to you—I won’t forget your hard work!”

Gao Peng’s breath quickened. “Brother Li, you’re not joking, are you?!”

Li Dongling looked at him. “This money counts as a deposit.”

Seeing the fifty-thousand-yuan check Li Dongling handed over, Gao Peng took it without further doubt, his face beaming with eagerness. “Brother, leave it to me! This month—no, at most ten days—I’ll get it done!”

“It’s getting late—how about we head to Pingyang Grand Hotel for dinner? Today’s meal is on me!”

Now Gao Peng was utterly attentive to Li Dongling—not because of Zhang Ao’s connection, but because if he handled this deal well, he could make several thousand yuan from it alone. If he didn’t have to grease other palms, he could make even more.

Li Dongling thought for a moment and agreed. He still had tasks for Gao Peng to handle, and in Pingyang, he needed someone reliable to get things done.

Whether Pingyang Grand Hotel served the best food in Pingyang was uncertain, but it was unquestionably the most prestigious place to host guests—just like in Beijing, where young people took pride in dining at Lao Mo Restaurant, seeing it as a symbol of status. Dining there wasn’t about the food—it was about the elegance, luxury, grandeur, and the prestige of being served by Russian waitresses.

Pingyang Grand Hotel, of course, didn’t have Lao Mo’s level of refinement, but in Pingyang, it was still the top choice for hosting meals.

Entering Pingyang Grand Hotel, Li Dongling saw its interior. Compared to top-tier restaurants of the future, it was inferior—but for now, it was dazzlingly opulent. Though its prices were high relative to local wages, the dining hall was already three-quarters full.

Gao Peng directly requested a private room—a service requiring extra payment. In the past, even when he dined here, he always sat in the main hall.

After ordering several premium dishes, Gao Peng added, “And one bottle of Maotai!”

Li Dongling glanced at Gao Peng. He could see Gao Peng was trying to curry favor—and he didn’t refuse. Snakes have their paths, mice have theirs. The world wasn’t black and white. Some tasks were easier for men like Gao Peng to handle.

“Brother Li, I toast you! Drink as you like—I’ll down mine first!” Gao Peng poured Li Dongling’s glass, then lifted his own and drained it in one gulp.

After several rounds of drinks, Gao Peng cautiously asked Li Dongling, “What business are you in, Brother Li? If you ever need anything, just say the word!”

Li Dongling looked at him, thought briefly, then said, “I’ve partnered on a few ‘small’ projects with the Yuqi Factory in Shangguan Town. Nothing worth mentioning.”

“Satellite dishes?!”

Gao Peng burst out in shock.

“Satellite dishes? Your company’s partnered with Yuqi Factory in Shangguan Town?!” His voice had grown hoarse.

“You know about it?” Li Dongling glanced at him.

Gao Peng slapped his thigh. “How could I not? Zhang Ao’s been making commissions off satellite dishes—he’s already made twenty to thirty thousand!”

Just thinking about it made Gao Peng grit his teeth, his molars nearly grinding to dust. Classic case: afraid his brother would suffer, yet afraid his brother would drive a Santana. Seeing his brother land a beautiful woman and roll up in a Santana was worse than being killed.

Gao Peng’s gaze toward Li Dongling grew even hotter, making Li Dongling feel slightly overwhelmed.

Gao Peng kept toasting Li Dongling, who drank only one cup while Gao Peng downed every one. Gao Peng tried several times to speak, wanting to beg Li Dongling for a few satellite dish allocation slips. These slips had already been secretly inflated in value: a batch of a thousand slips, bought at three hundred yuan per slip from the factory, could be resold to out-of-town distributors at a markup of thirty to fifty yuan per unit—netting two or three thousand yuan per batch.

It was faster than robbery. Those with connections were already approaching officials in Shangguan Town and Pingyang’s municipal government, trying to get them to order allocation slips from Yuqi Factory for resale. The profits were that insane.

Li Dongling ate his food. Pingyang Grand Hotel’s dishes were excellent—mainly because the chef used generous amounts of oil, seasonings, and fresh ingredients. There was no frozen meat back then; as long as the chef wasn’t incompetent, the food tasted great.

Watching Gao Peng’s shifting expression, Li Dongling could guess what he wanted. If Gao Peng asked outright for a few satellite dish slips, Li Dongling would give them to him—but after that, he’d never cultivate a close relationship with him, nor entrust him with important tasks.

After long hesitation, Gao Peng ultimately didn’t ask for the slips. Instead, he raised his cup. “Brother Li, if you ever need anything, just give me the word!”

Saying that, Gao Peng drained his cup. Li Dongling watched him drink, then raised his own cup and drank it down in one go.