"Ten times the resources! Or at least..."
Old Gao's words stunned everyone, and then they felt an overwhelming toothache.
Only the wealthy and powerful Shuanglong Province could say such a thing!
After all, it had been a prosperous region since ancient times, and now it ranked second nationwide in economic volume, naturally giving them the confidence to speak like this.
The development of any enterprise certainly requires various resources.
For example, to promote his electric water heaters in Jiangyang County, Wang Yu had to give away a large batch for free in government buildings and expend considerable effort to acquire the initial batch of customers.
If he were in Shuanglong Province, they would have been promoted and sold out in minutes.
The economic volume of any single county there was comparable to an ordinary prefecture-level city in Guwan Province. Jianghan City, as the capital of Guwan Province, was merely in the lower-middle tier when compared to Shuanglong Province.
Although the two provinces were adjacent, they were like the son of a landlord and a hired hand next door, utterly incomparable!
Moreover, Old Gao's seniority and experience were undeniable, giving him the full authority to honor his promises.
This meant that it was not a joke or a casual remark, but a genuine attempt to attract and tempt... well, it could also be understood as blatant poaching!
"Old Gao, that's not playing fair!"
Yu Chengyang's expression changed instantly. He could discern the value of Wang Yu's automobile factory, and so could Old Gao and the others present.
It was laughable that the provincial government had never noticed it before, leading to brilliance being obscured and treasures being overlooked.
He had originally planned to ask Wang Yu to relocate their automobile factory to the provincial capital, Jianghan City, for development. However, he hadn't expected Old Gao to speak up directly, aiming to get there first!
The other party's strength and conditions were far superior to their own.
Of course, the most crucial point was that Jiangyang County's geographical location, right at the junction of three provinces, was indeed not far from Shuanglong Province!
Before Yu Chengyang could speak, another representative stepped forward, extending an olive branch to Wang Yu.
"Shuanglong Province has a developed economy, but the pressure of competition is also high. Why not come to our Sanshan Province?"
The speaker was a smiling middle-aged man, whose face was full of warmth, making people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze. He was the representative from the neighboring Sanshan Province.
Sanshan Province was also adjacent to Guwan Province. Shuanglong Province was to the east, and Sanshan Province was to the south, also at the border with Jiangyang County!
It was even closer; it only took half an hour to cycle from Jiangyang County to the administrative area of Sanshan Province!
"Young man, would you consider it? Our Sanshan Province has abundant reserves of various mineral resources, and the cost of production materials is extremely low.
Furthermore, we are a major populous province with very rich demographic dividends, making labor costs very cheap.
And we are so close; there will be no pressure to relocate your automobile factory here, and you will receive support from our local government, even the entire province!"
The middle-aged man's words were factual. Sanshan Province was poorer than Guwan Province and had no outstanding enterprises.
If Wang Yu were to go there, he would truly receive preferential treatment. It was the principle of "better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a dragon."
More importantly, the labor and various resource costs there were truly very cheap. Establishing a factory there would save at least one-third, or even more, of the costs compared to Shuanglong Province!
Coupled with the close proximity of Sanshan Province, there would be no pressure for Wang Yu's automobile factory to relocate!
"Why not come to our Zhonghai Province? We have the most comprehensive industrial support system in the country."
"Come to our Chuyun Province; we have vast amounts of land that are almost free. You can develop as you wish."
"Come here!"
"Develop here!"
...
Representatives from other provinces also spoke up one after another, openly brandishing their spades to poach Wang Yu.
Some genuinely wanted to invite Wang Yu to develop there. Such a capable young man was a rare opportunity that wouldn't come again.
As for potentially offending their colleagues from Guwan Province?
When it came to their own vital interests, who cared about colleagues?
Others were simply enjoying the show and adding fuel to the fire, wanting to join in the fun. If everyone was speaking, why shouldn't they chime in? Perhaps the young man would feel a connection and impulsively agree.
If that happened, wouldn't their province gain both tangible and intangible benefits!
"You... you guys..."
Yu Chengyang was trembling with anger, completely taken aback by these shameless individuals poaching right in front of him, each offering more tempting conditions than the last. Anyone would find this unbearable!
Damn it, he should have brought a bus, no, a bullock cart to pick them up! It would have been best if they were all stuck on the road!
Yu Chengyang felt bitter but could say nothing.
He could only open his mouth in helplessness, but no words came out as he watched Wang Yu become a highly sought-after commodity.
"Heh, thank you all for your concern and support, leaders. However, I haven't considered relocating the factory for the time being. If you could give me some time, I would appreciate it if you would allow me to go back and consider it carefully, and also discuss it with my employees."
Wang Yu spoke to the representatives of the various provincial governments with a humble and polite demeanor.
But his intention to refuse was quite clear. How could he give up the territory he had established in Jiangyang County for so long? Although the county town was small, it had infinite potential for development.
Going to those so-called larger places might not guarantee better development.
Putting aside other matters, he couldn't freely lead and direct all the operations of the automobile factory as he could now. Other aspects, such as land, factories, equipment, and labor, couldn't be resolved as simply as they were now!
Moreover, Secretary Yang had treated him well. Wang Yu was not someone who was ungrateful or forgot his roots. How could he go to another place?
As soon as Wang Yu finished speaking, everyone present understood.
What was this so-called consideration? And discussing with employees? They had all inquired; their factory was now privately owned, and he wasn't the sole decision-maker?
Everyone present was an old fox... no, an experienced hand, and they naturally understood that Wang Yu was merely offering a polite way out for everyone.
Following that, they all chuckled, uttering words of praise such as "young people need to consider their plans carefully," and "young and promising, with unlimited potential." As for how much of it was sincere, no one knew.
Yu Chengyang also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Wang Yu had some conscience and knew not to forget his origins.
He then jokingly chided the representatives for their unfair poaching tactics on the spot. They, in turn, laughed it off, saying it was just a harmless joke, and everything returned to a harmonious scene of pleasantries.
...
On the other side of the exhibition hall, in the exhibition area of Jiangping Machinery Industry Company, Zhao Guozhu frowned slightly, his expression somber. A group of people, all members of other machinery industry associations and representatives of well-known manufacturing companies from Guwan Province who had qualified for the exhibition, were gathered around him.
"That guy Xia Ping? Where did he go? He's been gone so long from going to the restroom, did he fall into the latrine?"
Before Zhao Guozhu could finish his question, he heard a very noisy argument and commotion from outside. Then, someone rushed up to him and plopped down on their knees.