Chapter 175: The Vegetable Basket Program

Although Li Erfu feigned ignorance day in and day out, claiming in conversations that he had not saved up much money, he would stubbornly insist even when pushed into a corner that his net worth was a mere twenty or thirty million.

Should anyone suggest he possessed other assets, he would immediately throw a fit.

The notion that Li Erfu was worth only twenty or thirty million was a grand joke; it might fool outsiders, but it stood no chance of deceiving Lu Kun.

Perhaps Li Erfu’s immediately accessible cash flow was indeed limited to that amount, but Lu Kun would not believe for a second that his total net worth was so modest.

One only had to consider that the fat man had established businesses across both sides of the strait, Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asia, to know that he was simply playing dumb.

Li Erfu held plenty of fine treasures in his possession; cashing in just a single piece at random would recover a massive sum of capital.

The fellow even held many items whose value was entirely beyond his own estimation.

Naturally, a great deal of these things could not easily see the light of day.

Some time ago, when Li Erfu visited Lu Kun’s home as a guest, the gifts he presented to Lu Kun’s wife and children were top-tier jade ornaments, while the gift for Lu Kun himself was a vintage pocket watch with considerable age behind it.

Lu Kun had initially dismissed the watch, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was an Omega timepiece.

Although Lu Kun did not know the exact value of the pocket watch, he figured it could not be cheap, being an antique after all. Even at present, it would likely command a starting price of tens of thousands.

Roughly calculated, the total value of the gifts Li Erfu brought during this visit alone exceeded one hundred thousand!

These items were hard currency, possessing rock-solid value-preservation qualities!

It was beyond doubt that Li Erfu was a low-key tycoon.

Even if Li Erfu did nothing at all, simply holding tightly to the precious items in his hands, he would undoubtedly end up a multibillionaire in the future, no matter how things turned out.

Lu Kun picked up his mobile phone and dialed Li Erfu's number. "Hello, Elder Brother Li, where are you enjoying yourself right now?"

"Haha, I just woke up, Brother Lu. Is there something you need?", Li Erfu's voice came through the receiver.

Lu Kun glanced up at the clock; it was already past three in the afternoon. The fellow had probably been playing games in bed with some young woman the previous night.

"I've got some good news for you."

Lu Kun shared his earlier discussion with District Chief Lin regarding the investment in the vegetable basket project and egged him on: "Aren't you unable to return to Guangzhou and Hong Kong for the time being?

Since you spend every day doing nothing but fishing, playing chess, going to massage parlors and bathhouses, or chasing women, life must be dreadfully dull. You might as well just carve out a career here in Guangxi instead.

Didn't you used to have a rosewood business in Guangxi that made a pretty penny? This current venture has the full support of both the district and provincial governments. You simply cannot lose!"

District Chief Lin guessed Li Erfu's identity as a Hong Kong businessman from Lu Kun's words, and a wave of pleasant surprise washed over him. If this deal went through, it would yield major political bonus points.

As for the crude banter in Lu Kun's words, District Chief Lin paid it no mind.

When Chinese people negotiated business, they traditionally followed a three-step process: use cigarettes to break the ice, use alcohol to make them lose their principles, and send hostesses to "wear them down" in bed!

Once this combination of tactics was deployed, the business deal was practically guaranteed to succeed.

On the other end of the line, upon hearing that he could establish connections with the district and provincial governments, Li Erfu was clearly somewhat tempted. "However, I'm not familiar with this sector. In business, one always sticks to familiar territory since every trade has its own tricks and rules. I'm just afraid I won't be able to handle it..."

Lu Kun knew that the old rascal was already willing to invest, but still harbored some timidness, afraid of being scammed. "Elder Brother Li, this investment is something we are undertaking together, not just by one person.

The situation right now is that I lack sufficient idle cash on hand, yet the investment quota is quite large, meaning I can't swallow such a huge piece of the pie by myself. That's why I thought of inviting you to join in. To be frank, undertaking this investment comes with government backing; striking it super rich might be unlikely, but its greatest strength lies in stable returns and low investment risk."

"Then how much do you plan to invest?", asked Li Erfu, tempted yet still hesitant.

"Well, probably a few million. This project is quite substantial, and if we invest too little, the fruits won't fall into our mouths," Lu Kun said with a smile, looking at District Chief Lin and Secretary Xiao Zhang, whose faces beamed with joy.

"All right then, since Brother Lu is taking the lead, I'll co-invest a few million as well. Why don't you ask them when we can schedule a time to meet?"

Li Erfu had long harbored the intention to invest and establish businesses in Guangxi, effectively whitewashing his background completely.

The industry he currently engaged in, though lucrative, ultimately leaned toward the gray market; at the slightest sign of trouble, he had to go on the run, making life far too unstable.

Lu Kun hung up the phone, turned to District Chief Lin, and said with a beaming smile, "District Chief Lin, my Hong Kong businessman friend has expressed that he is willing to invest in the district's vegetable basket project, and he happens to be touring Nanning City right now. He asked me to check with you on when we might schedule a meeting?"

Upon learning that the matter could succeed, District Chief Lin was radiant with joy. This major headache had plagued him for so long, and at last, a solution had been found.

"Brother Lu, tell your friend that I am free this Wednesday," District Chief Lin patted Lu Kun's arm and said, "Brother Lu, we truly owe this success to you!"

"Oh, it's just a small matter. However, my funds are indeed a bit tight lately, so I can probably only invest around two to three million," Lu Kun said sincerely.

"Haha, today I have truly come to understand Brother Lu's loyalty," District Chief Lin looked at Lu Kun and continued, "Brother Lu, you may not know this, but I courted quite a few investors over the past month or so, and after more than a month, the investments I managed to pull in amounted to less than a million."

At this, District Chief Lin raised a single finger and smiled bitterly, "Even so, those people avoided me like the plague. Now, not only are you investing two to three million, but you've also brought in another investment of several million, completely solving my massive dilemma. Say no more; whenever you run into any trouble in the future, as long as I can resolve it, I will never shirk from it."

Everyone was thoroughly satisfied with this collaboration.

Through this partnership, the relationship between Lu Kun personally—as well as the Master Kong Food and Beverage Group—and District Chief Lin was vastly strengthened.

"District Chief Lin, let me share another piece of intelligence with you. My Hong Kong businessman friend possesses considerable financial strength. Of course, as for how much you can ultimately persuade him to invest, that will depend entirely on your capabilities." Lu Kun stopped right at the crucial point.

District Chief Lin and Secretary Xiao Zhang exchanged glances, their eyes growing noticeably brighter.

"Haha, rest assured, Brother Lu. Not only will we offer your Hong Kong businessman friend the most preferential policies, but we will also treat him as the most esteemed guest of our district government," District Chief Lin said warmly, shaking hands with Lu Kun.

Wasn't it just about attracting investment and introducing foreign capital? Even if one had never eaten pork, hadn't they seen pigs run? If all else failed, they would just find someone to "wear him down" in bed!