Sun Dongming hesitated for a moment and said, "I dare not fire."
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't be afraid. All guns have recoil. As long as you control it, it won't happen every time or to everyone."
Sun Dongming gritted his teeth and stood up from his chair to minimize the recoil. Zhao Mingming helped him put a chair back on, and then, blast! Sun Dongming fired a shot, with equally significant effect. If that were used on a person, probably four or five people wouldn't be able to get close; the power was astonishing. Because Sun Dongming was prepared, he didn't fall down like Zhao Mingming.
"Great!" Sun Dongming stroked the compactor gun affectionately. Zhao Mingming, envious, rearranged his posture and fired a second shot at the last chair. Wood chips flew everywhere again. This time, he was used to the recoil of the compactor gun and was unharmed, except for a slight numbness in his arm. He moved around a bit and got used to it.
"Brother-in-law, this thing is really amazing. If you take it out in a fight, you'll definitely dominate everyone."
Zhao Qiang said, "These two guns are for you to use in times of crisis. Don't take them out to show off unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, everyone will know that you have these two guns. Do you think they will still be effective in a fight? You'll be killed before you can even draw your gun or get into a shooting position. Do you understand? No matter what kind of weapon it is, surprise is the best way to win. If you use it every day, the opponent will get used to your fighting style, and it will become a burden to you."
Zhao Mingming nodded: "Understood. We will hide them carefully. Even when we use them, we will do so discreetly, preferably without our opponents noticing. This will also increase our mystery and add to our prestige."
Zhao Qiang said, "Giving you only one piece of equipment is not enough for you to conquer the world. I'm afraid you'll be lying dead in the streets in just a few days. So I've also prepared a few pieces of armor for the two of you."
Sun Dongming asked in surprise, "Armor? Like the ones in anime and science fiction movies?"
Zhao Qiang said, "More or less." As he spoke, he took out a few items from his bag. Zhao Mingming curiously peered into Zhao Qiang's bag and asked, "Brother-in-law, is your bag some kind of alternate dimension?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Get out of here. I wish I had that stuff. A vest and a pair of underwear. Put it on yourself."
Sun Dongming picked up the two light pieces of clothing and asked, "What are these for? Are they related to armor?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Just wear it if I tell you to. How will you know if it's effective if you don't wear it?"
Zhao Mingming glanced at Sun Dongming, and the two gritted their teeth and began to take off their clothes. They were wearing quite a few clothes in the dead of winter, and the cold made it even more difficult for them to undress. However, they eventually stood naked in front of Zhao Qiang and reluctantly put on their underwear and vests that looked like women's thongs.
Zhao Mingming asked tremblingly, "I've put it on, brother-in-law. Is this what you call armor?"
Suddenly, Zhao Qiang grabbed the iron skewer used to skewer meat from the table and stabbed it into Zhao Mingming's chest with lightning speed. Zhao Mingming only had time to let out a half-sound of "Ah!" before the iron skewer pierced his chest. He clutched his chest and howled, "Sister, brother-in-law, are you trying to kill me?"
Zhao Qiang shoved Zhao Mingming: "You won't die."
Zhao Mingming looked down and saw that the tips of the iron rods were all bent, and none of them had pierced his body. Strangely, he picked one up from the table and stabbed himself in the chest. Only then did he realize that the vest had suddenly hardened. The iron rods stuck on it but did not cause any damage. When the force of the stab disappeared, the vest returned to its normal softness.
"Wow, it really is armor!" Zhao Mingming exclaimed.
Sun Dongming went even further, grabbing a few iron rods and stabbing them into his buttocks. His underwear immediately hardened like an iron plate, blocking the piercing force of the iron rods. Sun Dongming said, "Not bad, but the area is a bit small. It would be better if it could protect the entire thigh and body. This thing is also a high-tech product of the military."
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, it is a high-grade bulletproof vest. You will not be noticed when you wear it, and even if you are caught, it will not be easily taken off. It can save your life in critical moments. It could have been made bigger, but the raw materials are limited, so we will make do with this."
As Zhao Mingming put on other clothes, she said, "I will never take off these two pieces of clothing for the rest of my life. Brother-in-law, do you have any other good things? Show them to us."
Zhao Qiang threw the bag on the table: "That's all. See for yourselves if you don't believe me." There really wasn't much in the bag besides cash, but the observant Sun Dongming still found a few rings. He curiously held them up and said, "What are these? They don't look like gold. These are tokens of love you bought for your two girlfriends?"
Zhao Qiang said, "No, since you've seen it, each of you can take one."
Zhao Mingming snatched one and put it on her finger, asking, "Brother-in-law, is this also military-grade equipment? What's it used for? Is it for eavesdropping or cutting things?"
Zhao Qiang said, "No, this is equipment that can be used for both offense and defense."
Zhao Mingming held up the ring on her finger and said, "Can such a tiny thing be used for offense? To swat ants or mosquitoes?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Clench your fist and smash the wall."
Zhao Mingming was puzzled and first made a gesture, "Brother-in-law, are you sure you want me to smash the wall? If it's gentle, I can handle it, but if it's forceful, I think my fist will definitely break. It's cold now, and I might get frostbite and infection."
Zhao Qiang said, "I'll emphasize it again: clench your fists, slam them against the wall with all your might, use as much force as you can."
Sun Dongming acted decisively. Without saying a word, he clenched his fist and slammed it into the wall with a loud thud. The wall seemed to tremble. Zhao Mingming was startled: "Dongming, you really dare to hit me? Stop punching me!"
Sun Dongming originally thought he was going to suffer physical pain, but just as his fist was about to make contact with the wall, the ring suddenly extended into a gauntlet that enveloped his entire fist. As a result, the impact force was distributed to his entire arm, and Sun Dongming was not injured except for a sore and numb arm. As the impact force on his fist disappeared, the gauntlet immediately contracted and turned back into a ring.
After looking at it for a while, Zhao Mingming finally understood: "So that's how it is. I'll try throwing a punch too." With that, Zhao Mingming used all his strength to punch the wall. Thump! Another sound, and a piece of cement fell off the wall. If it hit a person, it would definitely be enough to hurt their opponent.
Surprised, Zhao Mingming cursed, "Damn it, he's suddenly a boxing expert!"
Sun Dongming was also extremely excited. He kept touching his underwear, then the ring on his finger, and occasionally checking if the compressed gun hidden in his waistband was missing. With these treasures as his support, how could he not subdue those thugs?
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Zhao Mingming, annoyed, went to pull open the door to the private room and said, "What's all the noise about? Didn't I just compensate you?"
The boss cautiously peeked over and saw that several more chairs were broken. Since he had already received the money, he didn't say much, only saying, "Your friends are getting impatient and are asking when you're coming out."
Zhao Mingming peeked out and saw Zhao Ling and Chen Xinxin, who were waiting impatiently in the car, eating beef tendon while warming themselves by the fire at the barbecue stall. When they saw Zhao Mingming, the two girls shouted, "Haven't you had enough to drink yet?"
Zhao Mingming chuckled: "Right away, right away."
Zhao Qiang stood up and left the private room first, saying, "Let's go, it's getting late."
Zhao Mingming and Sun Dongming immediately followed. Now, the two of them admired Zhao Qiang even more. To be able to obtain military-grade equipment, this person must be incredibly powerful.
Volume 2 [506] The Situation Is Not Optimistic
[5o6] The situation is not optimistic.
On the way, Zhao Ling asked, "What were you three doing inside? We heard a lot of noise outside."
Zhao Qiang said, "I'll tell you when we get back."
Seeing her younger brother's overjoyed expression, Zhao Ling asked again, "Did they receive some benefits?"
Zhao Qiang said, "You also have them, and they're better than theirs."
Zhao Mingming was displeased and said, "Ah, brother-in-law, you're not being biased."
Chen Xinxin said, "So what if he's biased? Why don't you come and keep him company tonight?" This girl was different; her words were also assertive.
Sun Dongming said, "If I were a woman, I would definitely cling to Brother Qiang and never let go. It's reassuring to be with a man like him."
"Of course," the two women said happily.
How Zhao Qiang teased the two women after returning home, under the guise of testing equipment, is not for outsiders to know. In short, time flies when there are beautiful women by your side. In the blink of an eye, the first month of the lunar calendar was over, and the location of the rubber industrial park had been finalized. The civil engineering work began before the end of the first month.
Considering the nature of industrial enterprises, the industrial park was chosen to be located outside the city, about five kilometers away. It was a barren, rocky mountain area, requiring minimal relocation of households and avoiding the hassle of land compensation. The government essentially gave it to Chen Guangwei for free, and even offered a three-year tax exemption. Once the rubber industrial park is developed, it will radiate outwards to form a new development zone.
The spring breeze was blowing hard that day. Zhao Qiang drove Chen Xinxin to the construction site. Although the temperature was still low, the bustling construction site was inspiring. Excavators were working day and night on earthwork, and the cable laying team was also working in multiple phases to get water and electricity delivered as soon as possible, which was the foundation of all the work.
Chen Xinxin was less noisy and restless than before, and more calm and serious. Looking at the people coming and going on the construction site, she frowned a little. "Zhao Qiang, I have seen the budget. If we build according to the scale you proposed, we will have a serious funding gap, and half of the completed factory buildings will be vacant. This is not worth it."
Zhao Qiang said, "I know."
Chen Xinxin said, "Since you know why you still insist on this, why don't I go back and ask Chen Guangwei for more funds? He's the one who benefits the most from this whole thing. You think you can beat us up with just a few tens of millions? That's impossible."
Zhao Qiang said, "Your dad..."
Chen Xinxin corrected her seriously, "He is not my father. My father is dead. Please change your form of address."
Zhao Qiang said helplessly, "Chen Guangwei is also helpless now. Chen Kezong promised him the power to manage 1 billion yuan, but so far only 30 million yuan has been received. He has urged Chen Kezong several times to transfer the remaining funds as soon as possible, but there has been no response."
Chen Xinxin snorted: "Need I say more? Chen Guangwei is the kind of person who's disliked in the Chen family. It would be strange if the Chen family were willing to support him. Look at how simple he is when he goes out. Even a municipal party secretary has a grander procession than him."
Zhao Qiang retorted, "This is because Chen Guangwei is a low-key person. Do you think it's good to be arrogant and make a big show?"
Chen Xinxin said, "That proves his strength. Do you think he doesn't want to be high-profile? But he needs to have the means to be high-profile first."
Zhao Qiang said, "Think what you want, but I have to build it according to my plan."
Chen Xinxin said, "Why don't we reduce the size of the staff living area first, and then expand it when we have the funds in the future?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't worry, the remaining funds in the account are enough to last for three to five days."
Chen Xinxin said, "What about three to five days later?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I'll try to raise funds in the next couple of days."
Chen Xinxin said, "But there aren't any major repair jobs for you to do."
Zhao Qiang said, "I have my own way. Let's go back."
A sign hangs in front of Chen Guangwei's building: "Preparatory Committee for the Bafang Rubber Industrial Park in Baiyuan City." To save money, the staff of the preparatory committee are currently working here, and will move to the industrial park's office building once it is completed.
Chen Xinxin angrily opened her office door and slammed it shut as she went inside. Chen Guangwei, standing in the corridor, saw everything clearly. He looked at Zhao Qiang with concern, and Zhao Qiang said, "It's nothing, the child is just having a bad temper."
Chen Guangwei said, "I know Xin Xin is usually not in a bad mood lately. It must be because of the funding issue again. I'm sorry, Qiang, I didn't handle this well. I'll urge my father to transfer the funds to this account as soon as possible."
Zhao Qiang said, "Uncle Chen, there's no need to be in such a hurry. I'll think of a way too. In short, everything is difficult at the beginning."
Zhao Qiang then entered Chen Xinxin's office. Chen Xinxin was sitting in her boss's chair, fuming. She ignored Zhao Qiang when he came in. At this moment, in her mind, Zhao Qiang was just like Chen Guangwei.
Chen Guangwei stood silently in the corridor for a while, then said in secret, "Mr. Chen, a vice president of the provincial branch of China Merchants Bank would like to see you."
Chen Guangwei asked, "Are you here again to solicit loans?"
Secret: "He didn't say, but I think it must be like that."
Chen Guangwei said, "Xin Xin and Zhao Qiang both disagree with using patent loans, so my opinion doesn't count on this matter."
Secret: "Mr. Chen, without enough start-up capital, we can't build the basic structure of the industrial park, and we can't get loans for fixed assets. Using patent-backed loans is indeed our only option at the moment."
Chen Guangwei said, "Let me think about it and then we'll talk. You can handle the vice president of China Merchants Bank."
In Shanghai, at the Chen family headquarters, Chen Guangmin brought his two sons to see Chen Kezong. Chen Guangmin was unfazed, but his two sons' legs trembled slightly. They were fearless, but they were afraid of their grandfather, Chen Kezong. It was unclear whether the old man's excessive killing had caused him to have too much yin energy, or whether his long-standing power had created a psychological shadow on his two grandsons.
Chen Kezong didn't look too good today. Chen Guangmin, who was always carefree, didn't become cautious because of this. He immediately asked, "Dad, what's the matter that you asked us to come along?"
Chen Kezong put down the documents in his hand and asked, "How's the matter of allocating funds to your elder brother going?"
Chen Guangmin said, "The transfer has been made six times already, each time with five million. There was just one transfer the day before yesterday."
Chen Kezong was somewhat annoyed: "Didn't I tell you to allocate 100 million yuan for the first time?"
Chen Guangmin said, "Dad, I'd like to transfer all 1 billion to my eldest brother at once, so I don't have to worry about it every day. But have you looked at our account balance?"
Chen Kezong asked, puzzled, "What's wrong? Are you out of money?"
Chen Guangmin counted on his fingers and said, "Dad, you do the math yourself. How much fixed expense do we have in the new year? Spring is the time for investment, and most products are in the off-season. The current situation is that we have a lot of capital investment but little output. It's already difficult enough that we haven't gone out to borrow money."
Chen Kezong sighed deeply. Even landlords don't have surplus grain. Despite their large estate, most of it consists of fixed assets, which can't be easily cashed out.
Chen Kezong said, "But your elder brother's infrastructure construction and equipment procurement need to be carried out at the same time. Let alone 100 million, even if 200 million is invested, it won't make a profit. You need to find a way to solve the funding problem immediately."
Chen Guangmin said, "I can't solve this, Dad. You should find someone else who can help."
Chen Kezong glanced at his grandson behind his son and asked, "Yaohui, Yaocan, I know you two are always smart. Tell me your thoughts, is there any way to raise enough start-up capital for your uncle in a short period of time?"
Chen Yaohui said, "Grandpa, isn't that simple? I heard that my uncle has already applied for a patent for synthetic rubber. He can use the patent to get a loan from the bank. With the weight of that patent, let alone two hundred million, he should be able to get a loan of two billion without any problem."
Chen Yaocan said, "Yes, Grandpa, why not take such an easy route? Is my uncle deliberately trying to squeeze all your funds out of us and put our Chen family business in trouble so that he can have his own schemes?"
Chen Kezong snorted: "Children shouldn't make wild guesses."
Chen Yaohui said, "Grandpa, are we just making wild guesses? Not to mention our Chen family, which one, internationally or domestically, doesn't rely on loans for development? Does my uncle really want to take up the banner of hard work and self-reliance again? If he really wants to, should we satisfy him? Instead of scrimping and saving to find funds for him, wouldn't that ruin his plans?"
Chen Kezong waved his hand: "Go out, Guangmin stays."