Chapter Thirteen: The Bet

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  Chen Yuan was standing beside Yang Jie at this time, listening to Xiao Yuan's translation of the conversation. Seeing Jimmy agreeing to Yang Jie's bet, her heart suddenly moved. With Yang Jie's drinking capacity, it shouldn't be a big problem to knock Jimmy down tonight. Now that Jimmy had agreed to bet with Yang Jie, it was equivalent to sending himself to be slaughtered.

  Yueqing County Committee and Government attach great importance to the investment promotion of this stone project. Jimi's Italian Red Beech Stone Group under its umbrella is Italy's No. 1 high-end stone industry group and Europe's second-largest high-end stone decoration industry group.

  This time, Hongfeng Stone Group came to Yuhang County for inspection and attached great importance to the high-end stone materials with a storage volume of 500 million cubic meters in Yuhang County. This is also the first time that Hongfeng Stone Group has tried to invest in China. If it can win this project, it will have immeasurable political and economic benefits for Yuhang County.

  "Yang Jie, Secretary Zhou attaches great importance to this stone project and the city also highly values Jimmy's inspection this time. You are a talent that Secretary Zhou holds in high esteem, you must not disappoint him." Although Chen Yuan was anxious in her heart, she couldn't overdo it in front of Jimmy, so she whispered a sentence to Yang Jie before smiling at Jimmy with a pleasant expression.

  "Jimmy, Quzhou County is my hometown. This land nurtures 500,000 people of Quzhou, who are all my relatives and friends. Your investment is very important to Quzhou County, it can help a significant number of people get rid of poverty and become rich, living a happy life."

  "I know that as a businessman, you prioritize profit. I hope that under equal conditions, you can give priority to investing in Xunhe County, so that I can be free from any pressure and enjoy drinking with you freely. I don't like our friendship being tied down by interests or having any ulterior motives. Can we do that?" Yang Jie said sincerely, looking at Jimmy with a genuine and candid expression.

  Jimmy didn't expect Yang Jie to say that, earlier Chen Yuan whispered in Yang Jie's ear, he thought in his heart, Yang Jie would definitely use the drinking and betting thing to make a deal with him to invest in the stone material project in Yuhang County.

  Although Yuhe County has a superior geographical location, convenient and developed transportation, concentrated stone reserves, and most of them are high-end stones, with the convenience of easy mining and transportation. In the vast and rich China, there are still many places with these conditions. They chose to come to Yuhe County for inspection first, just because it is closer to Guangdong Province.

  Yang Jie's sincere and selfless gaze, without a hint of ulterior motive, deeply moved Jimmy. Having traveled far and wide, Jimmy knew that Yang Jie's words had gone against the wishes of the leaders of Xunhe County, and one misstep could lead to disciplinary action. Yet, Yang Jie still genuinely hoped for their friendship, untainted by any selfish interest, which was truly beyond Jimmy's expectations.

  "Jie, this friend of mine, I've made up my mind!" Jimmy changed his formulaic smile to a genuine one, stretched out his hand and shook Yang Jie's firmly, saying warmly.

  Xiao Yuan looked at the two people shaking hands and smiling in front of him with a complex gaze. He didn't think Yang Jie would go against Director Chen's request, but he was an old foreign trader, knowledgeable and experienced. He knew that Westerners, although prioritizing interests, rarely showed human emotions, and the Chinese custom of giving gifts at banquets wouldn't work on these Western businessmen like Jimmy. However, there were always exceptions, and perhaps this time, the Shihe County stone project would rely on the friendship established between Yang Jie and Jimmy.

  Chen Yuan saw that Xiao Yuan did not translate the conversation between Yang Jie and Jimmy earlier, although he was anxious in his heart. Seeing Jimmy and Yang Jie laughing and going downstairs together, he didn't bother to ask again. He called out to the staff of the county committee office, first went to inform the driver of the vehicle team, and immediately came to the reception building to pick up Secretary Zhou and others.

  "Thanks a lot, Xiao Da Ge!"

  Yang Jie is not a fool, just now Xiao Yuan did not translate what he said, obviously selling his goods, others will do things, Yang Jie can't pretend to be foolish, so he found an opportunity to thank Xiao Yuan in a low voice.

  "It's all for work, everyone has their own way of doing things, and we follow the leader's requirements. It doesn't necessarily mean that things will be done well, sometimes flexibility is needed. You can establish a personal friendship with Jimmy, which will be of great help to Wuhe County in winning the stone project. Don't worry about it! If you need any help, just say so!" Xiao Yuan said with a faint smile and patted Yang Jie's shoulder lightly.

  Jimi came down from the VIP building of the reception office surrounded by Chen Yuan and Yang Jie, and walked towards Zhou Dalong and his party.

  Before long, a fleet consisting of two police cars, four Santana and one Jinbei vehicle slowly drove into the courtyard of the reception center.

  Zhou Dalong and Jimmy got on Car No. 1, Yang Jie as a temporary translator also sat in the co-pilot seat of Car No. 1, waiting for Zhang Daxian and Lei Shuping, two leaders, accompanied by Xiao Yuan and Deng Xiaohui, two translators, invited Luo Lun and Jamieson to get on their cars, the motorcade quickly left the hotel.

  Yuanhe County is located in Yuanhe Town, 50 kilometers away from Fuxin Tungsten Mine. A provincial highway runs through six towns along the way. Although the entire journey is paved with asphalt roads, by the time everyone returns to the county, it's already dark.

  Jimmy and three other foreign businessmen stayed at the Huaihe Hotel during their inspection in Huaihe County. The predecessor of the Huaihe Hotel was the Huaihe Reception Office, which was a government reception office managed by the Huaihe County Government Office. After renovation, it became the current Huaihe Hotel.

  The environment and hardware facilities of the hotel are among the best in the whole county, including computers, printers, photocopiers, and dial-up internet access in the business suites.

  The fleet returned to the county town from Fuxin Tungsten Mine and came directly to the Huanhe Hotel, where a dinner party had been prepared. Chen Yuan had already called the hotel during the journey to inform them of their arrival.

  A group of people had been on the bus for a whole day and were already exhausted, especially Jimmy. At noon, he had competed with Yang Jie in drinking and ended up not eating anything, just drinking. His stomach was already hungry on the road.

  So after everyone sat down as host and guest, Jimmy first apologized and started eating the sandwich that was specially prepared for him on the table.

  "Jie, aren't you going to make a bet with me? I've thought of what we should bet on." Jimmy ate two sandwiches and felt less hungry, then wiped his mouth and said to Yang Jie with a smug face.

  Earlier, Jimmy made a bet with Yang Jie, but Yang Jie didn't bring it up. At this time, Jimmy's drunkenness surged, and he ignored the people around him, including Zhou Daliang, and looked at Yang Jie, who took the initiative to say: "Didn't you invite me to visit your father's winery? If you can get me drunk tonight, I'll design a complete brand promotion plan for your father's winery and invest in it.

  "If you lose, then you have to give me a hundred bottles of white wine produced by your father's winery. Do you agree with this bet?"

  Yang Jie was surprised at Jimmy's sudden bet and looked at Jimmy beside him, "You want to invest in my father's winery?"

  Jimmy's eyes gleamed with cunning as he stretched out his right hand, wagging his index finger and said: "No! No! It's only when you win against me that I'll invest, but if you lose, you have to give me a hundred bottles of white wine. How about it?"

  "Deal!" A strange light flashed in Yang Jie's eyes as he stretched out his hand and slapped palms with Jimmy, confirming the bet.

  Zhou Daliang and others listened to Xiao Yuan's translation, feeling somewhat incredulous at the bet between Jimmy and Yang Jie in front of them. If Jimmy lost, he would invest in the Huaihe Wine Factory, but if he won, it was just a matter of sending Jimmy 100 cases of white wine. Such an asymmetrical bet could only be proposed by someone like Jimmy, for whom good wine was life itself.

  Jimmy is not in charge, and it does not affect the subsequent bilateral negotiations. At Fuxin Tungsten Mine, Jimmy has already stated that he will end the investigation of Yuhe County and formally enter the bilateral negotiation stage. The follow-up work will be taken over by Roland and Jamieson.

  So Jimmy can completely be a figurehead and no longer participate in the follow-up negotiations, while Yang Jie's task is to entertain Jimmy well and make him satisfied. The leaders did not have any dissatisfaction with Yang Jie for privately drinking with Jimmy.

  On the contrary, in Zhou Dalong's heart, he still hopes that Yang Jie and Jimmy will gamble. After all, if Yang Jie wins, Jimmy will have to invest in the Huohe Winery. Once Jimmy has his first investment in Huohe County, it will naturally bring benefits to the next stone project negotiation that cannot be ignored.