The dinner that evening was scheduled for six-thirty. As the time approached six, Ye Tian changed his clothes and drove with Lin Ziyi to the Imperial Kitchen.
Ye Tian was a major shareholder of the Imperial Kitchen, so whenever Lin Ziyi's company hosted guests for dinner, they often chose the Imperial Kitchen. It was a matter of keeping business within the family, so to speak. More importantly, the Imperial Kitchen was renowned as the most famous restaurant in Haicheng, and dining there ensured guests felt valued.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Kitchen, the two proceeded to the Imperial Study. As the guests had not yet arrived, they waited. While chatting, Lin Ziyi suddenly received a call from the manager of the public relations department.
"Alright, I understand." After hanging up, Lin Ziyi sighed softly.
Ye Tian asked, "What is it? Aren't they coming?"
Lin Ziyi replied, "Those people have found their own place to eat. It's called 'Dragon Manor.' I've never even heard of it."
Ye Tian said, "It's fine, we'll go there then."
Despite his words, Ye Tian made a call to Li Yuanhu on the way. Li Yuanhu was well-connected in Haicheng and knew far more than he did.
"Old Li, I need to inquire about a place," he said.
Li Yuanhu replied, "Mr. Ye, please go ahead."
"Do you know Dragon Manor?"
Li Yuanhu responded, "Dragon Manor? Let me think..."
Ye Tian added, "I'm planning to host some people from the provincial government, and they've chosen Dragon Manor for dinner."
Li Yuanhu suddenly recalled, "Mr. Ye, Dragon Manor is invested in by those scoundrels from the provincial government. They say it's for hosting dinners, but it's actually a way to extort money."
Ye Tian exclaimed, "So that's how it is. No wonder they want to change the venue. Old Li, do you know about the expenses at Dragon Manor?"
Li Yuanhu recounted, "The last time a friend of mine was fleeced there, the total bill for various dishes and drinks came to 1.09 million yuan. However, the actual cost was no more than 20,000 yuan."
Ye Tian remarked, "They made 1.07 million yuan from one meal. These people really know how to play."
Li Yuanhu added, "Mr. Ye, these people have many ways of making money. It's usually a case of one willing to be beaten and the other willing to beat."
Ye Tian acknowledged, "Alright, I understand."
After hanging up, he asked, "Ziyi, are the provincial authorities still pressuring us regarding environmental protection?"
Lin Ziyi confirmed, "Yes. They originally demanded we halt production for rectification, but Mayor Meng personally intervened, which is why we weren't shut down."
Ye Tian sneered, "We are such a large enterprise, paying tens of billions in taxes annually. We don't need to grovel. If Haicheng can't accommodate us, we'll move to Zhonghai; if Zhonghai can't, we'll go to Beijing. The world is vast, and I don't believe everyone is against making money."
Lin Ziyi asked, "Tian Ge, are you saying we're not going to meet the provincial officials?"
Ye Tian replied, "No, we won't. You call Meng Zhijun and tell him the company is facing difficulties and we're planning to relocate to Zhonghai."
Lin Ziyi smiled and said, "I understand."
The two immediately turned the car around and headed back to the Lin family residence for dinner.
Meanwhile, Ye Tian made a call to Jiang Yulin, asking him to inquire with his friends in Zhonghai about the benefits Baozhi Company would receive if it relocated there.
Jiang Yulin was highly efficient. The call came in just as Ye Tian arrived at the Lin family residence.
"Xiao Tian, Mayor Zhao heard about this and is very interested. He's planning to visit Haicheng personally to meet you."
Ye Tian chuckled, "A visit isn't necessary. Just make the inquiries first. The business environment in Haicheng isn't very friendly, and I think changing locations might be a good idea."
Jiang Yulin advised, "Mayor Zhao's secretary should be calling you. You can ask them directly, or even state your terms."
Lin Ziyi, on her end, had also dialed Meng Zhijun. Meng Zhijun had been enjoying a period of success lately. Haicheng's economy had seen rapid growth in the past six months, and the rise of Baozhi Company, in particular, had significantly boosted Haicheng's fiscal revenue.
On the phone, Lin Ziyi stated, "Mayor Meng, it seems the provincial environmental assessment didn't pass. However, in reality, our pharmaceutical factory's wastewater treatment equipment is the most advanced in the world, with extremely high costs. Several shareholders have unanimously agreed that Haicheng might not be suitable for Baozhi's development, and we are now considering relocating to Zhonghai. Mayor Zhao of Zhonghai is currently meeting with our boss to discuss cooperation."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhijun was almost driven to curse. Those scoundrels from the provincial government were truly a nuisance!