Chapter 132: Weaving a Network of Connections

Lu Kun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He had managed to secure an ally with both impressive background and strength for the Huakun Group. Although the Huakun Group did not gain any tangible financial advantage from this partnership—in fact, it even suffered a slight loss—the overall impact was negligible.

Removing other high-end baijiu brands from their shelves might temporarily affect the Huakun Group's performance, but in the long run, the loss was minimal. If managed well, it could even yield significant intangible benefits.

After all, once this partnership was finalized, the Huakun Group would logically become the sole supplier of Moutai in the Angui retail market. For Moutai, beyond the standard commercial transaction, they were essentially gaining the high-end liquor market of an entire province and indirectly establishing a monopoly in exchange for nothing more than invisible political protection. It was a massive win for them.

Of course, Lu Kun also coveted shares in the Moutai distillery. He had even toyed with the idea of swapping some Huakun Group shares for a stake or investing directly in the distillery.

Clearly, such thoughts were nothing more than daydreams. Everyone knew that shares in the Moutai Group were a prized asset. Even at a time when Moutai was relatively stagnant, it was not something just anyone could target.

The Moutai Distillery (Moutai Group) was a state-owned enterprise. Even after its eventual public listing in the future, its core assets remained strictly separated. Lu Kun recalled that in his previous life, Moutai had nine well-known wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Guizhou Moutai Wine Co., Ltd. (the listed entity), the Moutai Technical Development Company, Changli Wine Co., Ltd., Xijiu Co., Ltd., the Moutai Group itself, the Health Liquor Co., Ltd., Guizhou Moutai Beer Co., Ltd., the Moutai Import and Export Co., Ltd., and the Moutai Investment Company.

Among these, the Moutai Distillery was the core of the core. The state never allowed private capital to enter, nor would it allow private individuals—aside from the leadership team—to become shareholders. Most of the other subsidiaries didn't even exist yet. Furthermore, Ji Keliang did not have the authority to allow private investment in the distillery. A few years later, the state would even pass specific legislation to protect Moutai’s production techniques from being leaked, which showed just how much the state valued this "fat piece of meat" in its own bowl.

As for pushing Moutai to invest in the Huakun Group, that was equally complicated. The state would not permit Moutai to "neglect its proper calling" by meddling in private enterprise affairs. Lu Kun had full autonomy over the Huakun Group, but Ji Keliang could not make unilateral decisions for Moutai; he still had to answer to his superiors.

Ji Keliang had agreed so readily this time primarily because the partnership heavily favored Moutai, and he felt confident he could convince the distillery's elders and higher-ups.

Once the general framework of the partnership was established, the remaining details were left to the professional negotiation teams of both sides. This was a tedious, grind-it-out process. As leaders of their respective groups, Lu Kun and Ji Keliang would certainly not descend into the arena to argue over specific clauses themselves. What they had signed for now was simply a memorandum of understanding.

"Brother Lu, let me treat you to a drink tonight," Ji Keliang said with a beaming smile, his left arm draped over Lu Kun’s shoulder.

With this partnership secured, Ji Keliang’s influence within the distillery was far greater than before. Having a well-developed channel and a stable partner would significantly improve Moutai’s long-standing issues with distribution and capital turnover. This was a major achievement! Even if it wasn't enough to secure him a promotion, the political capital he gained would be substantial.

"Of course we must drink; I'm the one who took the biggest hit this time," Lu Kun joked.

"Tonight, I’ll introduce you to some important figures," Ji Keliang whispered, leaning close to Lu Kun’s ear.

Lu Kun understood and nodded with a smile. The friendship between men always seemed to revolve around the "four great bonds."

However, there were a great many people at the banquet tonight. Lu Kun scanned the room, estimating there were at least a hundred guests. Of course, many of them were members of the Moutai leadership team, whose political support for the Huakun Group was quite limited.

"Brother Lu, let me introduce you. This is Vice Governor Liu of Guizhou. He oversees economic affairs. If you want to expand the Huakun Group here in the future, you might need to knock on his door," Ji Keliang said, offering a playful hint.

"It’s an honor, Leader!"

Lu Kun knew his own situation—he had absolutely no roots in Guizhou. It was better to build a bridge than to build a wall.

"Haha, no need to be formal, no need to be formal! Brother Lu is truly young and promising. Remarkable!" Vice Governor Liu was a short, elderly man, but he spoke with great charm.

"Brother Lu, if you want to expand your business into Guizhou, I represent both myself and the provincial government in welcoming you warmly. We offer more preferential policies than other provinces, all procedures will be fast-tracked, and the local government will provide full support to protect your enterprise," Vice Governor Liu stated earnestly.

Lu Kun gave a non-committal laugh to brush it off. He wasn't a fool. What was the situation in Guizhou right now? It was a bottomless pit! The infrastructure was lagging, and consumption levels were extremely low. If the Huakun Group moved in, he feared it would be difficult to make any money.

Seeing that Lu Kun wasn't particularly interested in the proposal, Vice Governor Liu showed no sign of disappointment.

In just a short while, Lu Kun had already collected dozens of business cards. Many were from heads of local small and medium-sized enterprises in Guizhou, but quite a few were private contact numbers from local power brokers.

"Brother Lu, let me take you to meet *that* person," Ji Keliang said mysteriously.

"Who?" Lu Kun was curious. Ji Keliang hadn't even shown this level of importance toward the vice-provincial official from earlier.

"The head of the Provincial Tax Bureau," Ji Keliang whispered.

"Oh? Is that director very well-connected?" Lu Kun asked, his expression tightening.

"That director’s surname is Wu!" Ji Keliang said solemnly.

"The Wu family of Beijing?" Lu Kun’s eyes twitched.

"Oh? You know of them, Brother Lu?" Ji Keliang asked, looking greatly surprised.

"I’ve just heard of them," Lu Kun replied, his expression complex.

In his past life, that family had been one of his most important pillars of support, and he had dealt with them many times. He hadn't expected that, after all this time, he would end up entangled with them again.

"Could it be that there is truly some predestined fate at work?" Lu Kun felt a bit dazed, taking a long moment to regain his composure.

"Let’s go. Let's head over to meet that important figure together," Ji Keliang said, patting Lu Kun on the shoulder.