Zhou Maotong wore an innocent expression:

“Teacher, Guosheng, isn’t my suggestion good?”

Good? Not at all!

At this moment, Mao Guosheng and Mao Kangshan, father and son, actually found themselves sharing the same thoughts.

Mao Kangshan felt that pushing his poorly-educated son onto his young disciple would only create trouble for her. Guosheng already had issues with Xiao Lan, and with her company just being established, even if Guosheng didn’t actively cause problems, his half-hearted work would be enough to give Xiao Lan headaches!

Mao Guosheng also thought Zhou Maotong’s suggestion was completely absurd. While he could go work at Guangdong Provincial Construction, how could he possibly work for Xiao Lan?

Just a few days ago, Xiao Lan had been pointing her finger at him, scolding him.

Making him work for Xiao Lan? He’d rather die quickly by a knife!

Even if Mao Guosheng couldn’t find work elsewhere, he absolutely wouldn’t live under Xiao Lan’s scrutiny. Besides, it wasn’t like he didn’t have a job – his discontent at the Zhejiang Design Institute stemmed from his high ambitions.

The Provincial Design Institute wasn’t an easy place to enter for ordinary people. Professional expertise and educational credentials served as two major barriers, keeping those who didn’t meet the requirements outside its doors. Moreover, positions at the Provincial Design Institute were limited, and they didn’t recruit new people every year. Many were quietly waiting in line, hoping to get in.

Yes, exactly – he’d rather keep his current job than work for Xiao Lan!

“Senior Zhou, Little Xia’s company is still in its infancy, working for her would be…” Mao Guosheng hesitated, his interest in the proposal visibly waning.

Zhou Maotong secretly shook his head. Even if he wanted to help Mao Guosheng, the latter needed to help himself first.

Zhou Maotong changed the subject accordingly. “I wasn’t thorough in my consideration. Since there are doubts, let’s put this matter aside for now.”

Sigh, here was an opportunity going to waste because someone couldn’t recognize it.

Zhou Maotong had wanted to send Mao Guosheng to Xiao Lan’s company as a founding member. If Xiao Lan’s company developed successfully, Mao Guosheng would certainly receive many benefits. Even if it didn’t succeed, his organizational relationship wouldn’t change, and Zhou Maotong would still arrange a position for him at Guangdong Provincial Construction.

Who would have thought Mao Guosheng would reject his suggestion out of pride?

Was face worth that much?

It depended on whose face it was.

Only someone in Zhou Maotong’s position could say their face had some value.

For someone like Mao Guosheng, if he didn’t seize this opportunity now, who would give him a face after Teacher Mao passed away?

Zhou Maotong decided to discuss this privately with his teacher again.

Having worked at Guangdong Provincial Construction for so many years, he had achieved his current position through constant competition. Not to mention, after the Construction Bureau’s restructuring, it had developed rapidly within two short years. Zhou Maotong had dealt with people from various backgrounds, which had honed his judgment of character.

Xiao Lan’s company should have good prospects.

Xiao Lan felt Mao Guosheng’s gaze on her was quite strange.

But she didn’t mind.

Whether this stubborn stone Mao Guosheng could open his mind wouldn’t be determined in a short time.

She entertained Zhou Maotong well. She personally quite liked this senior fellow apprentice who could both communicate and help.

Zhou Maotong invited her to visit his home:

“I haven’t told Limin about your situation. I think your relationship from school is very pure, and we shouldn’t bring outside matters into it too early. If you come to visit, you’re just my junior apprentice and Limin’s classmate. What do you think?”

Zhou Maotong meant that her real estate company business in Shenzhen shouldn’t be known to their schoolmates yet.

Xiao Lan agreed.

If Yang Yonghong’s family hadn’t been truly poor, Xiao Lan wouldn’t have wanted a Huaqing Civil Engineering student to do unskilled work at a clothing store. She wouldn’t have brought her to Shenzhen.

She didn’t regret bringing her, though. As long as she cautioned Yang Yonghong before school started, her activities in Shenzhen would remain unknown at school.

“Senior Brother has thought this through well. I’ll drink to you!”

Xiao Lan was already 20, and no one would stop her from drinking on her initiative. She wouldn’t get drunk either – occasional small drinks, especially in such settings, were good for building relationships.

Zhou Maotong had brought her support.

Uncle Liu Yong also provided powerful financial backing.

The registration capital was deposited in a bank account to prove her company’s capability. Once she acquired the land, she could return this registration capital to her uncle.

Then she would use project funds from her uncle to pay for the land purchase.

The third step would be to pledge the land to the bank for another loan to repay the project funds.

As for the actual construction costs, the few hundred thousand yuan Xiao Lan had earned from the Nanhai Hotel renovation project wouldn’t be enough, but by then, she would have repaid the 700,000 yuan loan to Manager Wu, and she could easily get a third loan… After personally experiencing this process twice, Xiao Lan had become very skilled at these operations.

On August 20th, with Secretary Peng’s help, the company registration process in Shenzhen went incredibly fast.

“Qihang Real Estate.”

The finally registered company name changed one character – ‘Qihang’ had more charm than ‘Qihang’ with a different first character.

Secretary Peng had to give Xiao Lan a thumbs up.

To make money, one had to be as swift as Xiao Lan.

“Now you have the company, and you’ve secured Guangdong Provincial Construction’s strong qualifications. You’ve managed to accomplish this too.”

Secretary Peng helped simplify the company registration procedure time.

The registration capital, procedures, and affiliated unit were all arranged by Xiao Lan herself, with efficiency that exceeded Secretary Peng’s expectations. Since Xiao Lan had set up the foundation, Secretary Peng naturally wanted to help her secure the land.

He had been holding back, worried that if Xiao Lan wasn’t ready, others might snatch the land away.

Xiao Lan understood Secretary Peng’s good intentions. “Now I’ll need your help. I’ll submit a letter of intent to the city government.”

Secretary Peng nodded slowly.

This was the normal procedure – Xiao Lan would submit a letter of intent to the city government, and its viability would be discussed in government meetings. If Secretary Peng himself had proposed selling the Chou Zhugou land, the final procedure would have been a public auction, and Xiao Lan would have faced numerous competitors… At that point, neither Secretary Peng nor Xiao Lan could guarantee how high the land price might be bid up.

Could they prevent others from bidding?

Xiao Lan wasn’t a foreign investor, and her proposed land purchase was small – her investment didn’t even qualify for the city council meeting discussion. It would need to go up through layers, from the Futian Street Office to the Shangbu District. The only points worth discussing were two: first, Xiao Lan’s proposed waste management, and second, this would be Shenzhen’s first land sale to a private real estate company for commercial residential development.

With school about to start, Xiao Lan was getting anxious.

The company had just been established, and she was already writing planning documents.

Her “Qihang Real Estate” currently had only her – a lone commander.

At most, counting Ge Jian, there were only two employees.

The company didn’t even have its own office, borrowing space from Yuanhui – it was all virtual.

Xiao Lan sighed, “Once we get the land, we must first build a sales office.”

A sales office could sell houses, and serve as an office space, and after all the units were sold, it could be sold as a shop – absolutely worth it!

So, should they build shops around the perimeter of the residential area to sell? That was another question to consider.