Chapter 558: Refinement

Li Dongling raised his glass and clinked it with Shen Qingyuan's. Giving Lin Benjian such treatment—as the current top semiconductor engineer in the world—he certainly deserved it.

But this was not only for Lin Benjian, but also for Dongling Gao Ke and Pingyang University.

This was a case of "paying a thousand gold for a horse's bones." Dongxin Semiconductor had already shown enough sincerity. In the future, recruiting other big names in the semiconductor industry would also be a bit easier.

For the future technology industry, it was not only necessary to cultivate talent oneself but also to recruit top big names from home and abroad for one's own use.

In his past life, more than twenty years later, the country had already become the top choice for global scientific research big names. Countless overseas technical personnel, top R&D experts, and professors had all flocked to the country.

Applied to Pingyang University, if the Semiconductor College could be built and this major could become Pingyang University's flagship, then there would be hope in the future to rank among the top-tier universities in the country.

Given the future status of the semiconductor major in the country, universities capable of cultivating top semiconductor talent would definitely be highly sought after.

Dongling Gao Ke went without saying; the more semiconductor talent Pingyang University cultivated, the more beneficial it would be for Dongling Gao Ke.

After all, in the future technology industry, what kind of product didn't require chips?

The atmosphere at the dining table gradually became lively. Everyone reminisced and also briefly discussed some matters regarding Pingyang and Dongling Gao Ke.

Some things couldn't be discussed in overly formal occasions; instead, tentative exchanges over a meal were beneficial for both sides.

After the meal, Li Dongling and Yao Zhengru came to the open-air terrace outside the restaurant's private room, where they could overlook the entire Yuhe Leisure Resort.

"I wonder, when I leave Pingyang, will the Pingyang city area have such scenery at night, and how will the people of Pingyang view me!"

It was already autumn, and the night wind was chilly. Yao Zhengru looked at the brightly lit night view of the Yuhe Leisure Resort and couldn't help but sigh with emotion as he spoke to Li Dongling.

Li Dongling frowned slightly, looking at Yao Zhengru, who had quite a few gray hairs. "Uncle Yao, this year is only your second year in the position of Pingyang's leader. It's too early to talk about leaving!"

According to domestic rules, generally speaking, a person's term as a city leader was about two terms, but it was estimated that Pingyang would find it hard to let one person truly serve two terms as leader.

Especially with Pingyang's development momentum, with GDP growing at a rate of nearly doubling every year, staying in Pingyang meant one's resume would almost effortlessly gain credit. For anyone with ambition, who wouldn't want to come here to "gild" themselves?

But Yao Zhengru had been in charge of Pingyang for less than two years. Talking about leaving now was really too early. Even if someone wanted to take over Yao Zhengru's position, their behavior would be too ugly.

"Next year is likely my last year in Pingyang. In fact, this year, there have already been rumors that someone wants me to 'get promoted' to serve in a provincial capital city!"

Yao Zhengru turned his head and said calmly to Li Dongling. Clearly, he wasn't surprised by these rumors. He also knew that in three years at most, he would have to be transferred. Just in these two years, Yao Zhengru's resume was already too bright and brilliant; those credits were something others in the same position might not accumulate in many years!

"I just don't know what kind of evaluation the people of Pingyang will give me after I leave!"

Yao Zhengru couldn't help but shake his head and smile, his expression carrying a hint of helplessness.

Since Yao Zhengru took office, although he had brought many major projects to Pingyang, Pingyang's debt had also been rolling upwards. Coupled with the current road construction, laying of gas, tap water, and sewage pipes, it had affected the lives of many families, leading to quite a bit of controversy.

These natural gas and tap water projects certainly improved the quality of life for countless Pingyang families and made things much more convenient, but at the same time, living expenses had increased, causing dissatisfaction among some families.

The impact of those major projects on Pingyang would only gradually manifest in the years to come. Not everyone could immediately understand the impact of the projects Yao Zhengru pushed for on Pingyang.

This led to quite a few voices in Pingyang now complaining that Yao Zhengru had left Pingyang heavily in debt. Based on Pingyang's current income, it was unknown how many years it would take to pay off those debts.

Even if Yao Zhengru said he didn't care about these voices, that he had gambled his official career for Pingyang's future, so what? Could he really not care at all?

"Ten thousand years is too long, seize the day!"

"Merits and faults will be judged by future generations."

"Within three years, there will be controversy over Pingyang's evaluation of you, Uncle Yao. Within five years, more people in Pingyang will understand you. Within ten years, the city annals will definitely write your name into them. Within twenty years, there will be no one in Pingyang who doesn't miss you!"

Li Dongling looked at Yao Zhengru and said. Only time would smooth over all controversies and then give a person a true evaluation.

With everything Yao Zhengru had done, for Pingyang, it was no less than changing its fate. Only time would allow the people of Pingyang to know the significance of everything Yao Zhengru had done. The more fiercely they cursed Yao Zhengru now, the louder the praise would be then.

It was estimated that Pingyang's future successors would all be dragged out and compared with Yao Zhengru, and then Yao Zhengru's "gold content" would be continuously elevated...

"Ten thousand years is too long, seize the day!"

Saying this sentence, the slight depression and confusion in Yao Zhengru's heart were swept away.

"I was the one who was obsessed!"

Yao Zhengru let out a long breath and said. He had been too concerned about what he was doing in Pingyang now, instead becoming anxious about gains and losses.

But Li Dongling's words made Yao Zhengru understand that worrying about his legacy now was useless. Instead, he should push forward all the plans, regulations, and projects he had implemented in Pingyang and complete them as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he left behind a mess,

then forget about any legacy; Yao Zhengru estimated he would be in deep trouble, and his reputation would never have a chance to recover!

An Audi drove out of the Yuhe Leisure Resort. In recent years, Pingyang had successively purchased a batch of Audi cars to use as municipal government vehicles. From these vehicles, one could see Pingyang's fiscal situation; general municipal governments weren't yet this wealthy and generous.

When passing the food court outside the Yuhe Leisure Resort, Yao Zhengru in the car looked outside, and then, in an indifferent tone, said to Chen Linfeng, "Make a call and notify the main personnel of the municipal government to hold a meeting now, especially the police department, the Pingyang Armed Forces Department, and the Pingyang Armed Police Department—they must be present.

Also, help me contact the secretary of the Provincial Government Office and the Provincial Police Department; tell him that I hope to speak with the Provincial Government after I arrive at the municipal government!"

"Yes!"

Chen Linfeng sat up straight, recorded Yao Zhengru's words without missing a single one, and then took out his mobile phone and started making calls one by one.

When Yao Zhengru's vehicle returned to the Pingyang Municipal Government, the Pingyang Municipal Government, which had been in silence, suddenly became brightly lit. Looking from the air, one could see Audi cars driving from different directions towards the Pingyang Municipal Government.

The police departments at all levels in Pingyang were even more like boiling water, starting to seethe, with people constantly rushing over.

"Brother Hao, this is the protection money collected today, a total of 3,450 yuan!"

"If you ask me, we should just collect a management fee of 50 yuan directly. Even 100 yuan would be reasonable. Those street vendors, the ones with good business, make 300 to 500 yuan a day!"

A man with a face full of flesh poured a bag of money onto the table in front of a man with a scar on his face. Inside were notes of 5, 10, and 20 yuan denominations.

This man with a face full of flesh was exactly the person Li Dongling and the others had seen at the entrance of the Yuhe Leisure Resort earlier.

Looking at the man who was still chattering away, the man with the scar on his face said to him, "You forgot the rules again, didn't you? Where is there any 'Brother Hao' here?!"

The man, who had been crossing his legs and preparing to light a cigarette, felt his hand tremble upon hearing this. The cigarette fell to the ground. He stood up with a start, trembling slightly as he said to the man, "Hao... Manager Huang, I remembered wrong!"

Huang Guanhao took out a cigarette, threw it to the man in front of him, and then took out a few more notes, rolled them together, and threw them to the few lackeys and underlings around him.

"I've said it before, we are not some thugs or hooligans. That set of fighting and killing is not allowed. We are now legitimate business people. We are a legitimate company registered with the Administration for Industry and Commerce, paying wages to the cleaners we hire!"

Listening to Huang Guanhao's words, the man with the face full of flesh lowered his head even further. If he didn't know what kind of ruthless person Huang Guanhao was, and hadn't seen with his own eyes how he carried a machete and hacked down a whole group of people who came to snatch their food court management fees, and then chased them for two miles, he might have actually believed this nonsense.

"We are outsiders. Pingyang is currently full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; it's better to keep a low profile!"

Huang Guanhao pointed his finger at the few people in front of him. He had come from outside Hanxi Province. He had committed a crime in his hometown and couldn't stay there, so he came to Hanxi to make a living.

He had previously stayed in many places like the provincial capital and Shangzhong, and finally gathered a group of people and came to Pingyang because he saw that the opportunities in Pingyang were much greater than in other places.

Just like the food court outside the Yuhe Leisure Resort, who could have imagined that in a suburb, one could collect thousands of yuan in management fees in a single day?

"With Manager Huang here, what business in Pingyang can't be taken? If you ask me, we might as well just take the business of the Yuhe Leisure Resort. I heard that the daily turnover in there is already hundreds of thousands!"

At this time, the man with the face full of flesh flattered Huang Guanhao. ===== CHAPTER 559 =====