Chapter 128: The Press Conference Begins

In the conference room at Zhongnanhai, Premier Zhu sat at the head of the table, flanked by the top officials from various departments of the Beijing municipal government. They sat upright and rigid in their seats, barely daring to breathe. Uncertain of why the "Big Boss" had summoned them on such short notice, they feared they might have made a mistake and were being called in for a reprimand.

Observing the expressions of everyone present, Premier Zhu smiled and said, "Everyone, relax. I called you here today for good news, so there is no need for such long faces."

The attendees, including Lin Chuanyan, finally let out a sigh of relief. As their expressions softened, the heavy atmosphere in the room dissipated.

Seeing that everyone had relaxed, Premier Zhu continued, "The theme of today's meeting is the overseas distribution rights for Future-Tech. As you have likely seen in the news, Lin Feng’s company is holding a signing press conference on March 1st. They have established a Beijing branch, and the assembly plant will be located here. Think about the scale of the overseas market and the number of plants needed to meet that demand. We are talking about tens of thousands of jobs, not to mention the secondary industries that will spring up. This is both an opportunity and a test for all of you!"

The officials exchanged surprised looks. None of them had expected Lin Feng to place the assembly plant in Beijing. For them, this was a massive boon—a chance to secure significant political achievements. However, after a brief moment of silent consensus, their eyes turned toward Lin Chuanyan, filled with a mixture of envy and jealousy.

Lin Chuanyan felt the weight of their gazes. He understood their thoughts, but there was little he could do; his family simply lacked a figure as formidable as Lin Feng.

In a good mood, Premier Zhu teased Lin Chuanyan, "Chuanyan, it’s not just them who envy you. If this news gets out, I don't know how many provincial leaders will harbor a grudge against you. I’ve already received word that many provincial heads are eyeing Lin Feng’s assembly plant with great interest."

Lin Chuanyan flushed a deep red, unable to find a response. He could only scratch his head and mutter, "Just good luck, purely good luck!"

"Hahaha!" Seeing Lin Chuanyan’s awkwardness, the Premier burst into laughter. The others, who had been holding back, joined in, and the room was soon filled with genuine mirth.

Once the laughter subsided, the Premier turned serious again. "Now that you have this opportunity, you must seize it. You need to coordinate the site, transportation, and other relevant departments. These products are being produced in collaboration with major foreign conglomerates and corporations; you must assist Future-Tech to ensure they can deliver to their overseas distributors on time."

The officials nodded in solemn agreement. After finalizing the details, the meeting concluded.

As the officials filed out, Lin Chuanyan stood up to take his leave as well. "Chuanyan, wait a moment!" the Premier called out, stopping him.

Lin Chuanyan turned back, surprised, wondering what else the Premier could want. The Premier gestured for him to sit back down. "Don't stand, take a seat."

"Oh, right, of course!" Lin Chuanyan replied, embarrassed, and sat back down.

"Confused as to why I kept you behind?" the Premier asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Lin Chuanyan leaned in, nervous.

"Relax, it's nothing bad," the Premier reassured him. "That brat Lin Feng held such a massive press conference and didn't even send me an invitation! It drives me crazy!"

Lin Chuanyan was speechless. He couldn't very well explain that it wasn't that Lin Feng didn't want to send one, but that for someone of the Premier's stature, an invitation would be a trivial gesture.

The Premier continued to grumble, "Even Old Xie got an invitation! Why didn't I? You’re coming with me on March 1st. I’m going to ask that kid personally if he looks down on an old man like me, or if he thinks I’m too unimportant to get things done!"

"Isn't that... inappropriate? Given your position, attending an unofficial commercial event might be too..." Lin Chuanyan began, shocked.

The Premier waved his hand impatiently. "It’s not inappropriate. The scale of the guests justifies my attendance. Furthermore, these distribution rights were allocated by the central government; my presence will serve to support Lin Feng."

Lin Chuanyan considered this. It made sense, though he still had reservations. "Your attendance is justified, but what about me? The Mayor of Zhanhai is enough. If I, the Mayor of Beijing, show up, it will look like I’m trying to steal the credit."

"Oh, what are you all thinking?" the Premier laughed, shaking his head. "I’m not asking you to go for that. Zhanhai already has Future-Tech's headquarters; as long as they don't move, their leadership has nothing to worry about. You're overthinking it."

Because the Premier was a family friend of the Lins, he was lenient with Lin Chuanyan. After a mild scolding, he revealed his true intention: "I want you there to show your face. There will be plenty of media. If you let it slip that the assembly plant is coming to Beijing, the exposure will bring immense benefits—talent, resources, and capital—that will keep the city busy for a long time."

Lin Chuanyan’s eyes lit up. He realized the strategic value, stood up, and thanked the Premier before hurrying out, his mind already racing with development plans.

On March 1st, the Imperial Hotel was buzzing. Though the event was set for 2:00 PM, Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi were already at the entrance by 1:00 PM to greet guests.

The media had staked out their positions early, with cameras and lighting equipment filling the lobby. The red carpet outside was lined with reporters. Lin Feng watched the commotion, impressed by the scale of the turnout.

Soon, the first guest arrived: Ma Tianming, a business associate and the father of "Young Master Ma," an acquaintance of Lin Feng.

"Uncle Ma, thank you for coming, but you're quite early!" Lin Feng greeted him warmly.

Ma Tianming smiled. "My family's business is in Zhanhai, so I consider myself a partial host. I had to be first! And this must be President Xia? Truly one of the two beauties of the Zhanhai business world. A pity a lucky guy like Lin Feng snatched you up!"

"Beauty deserves a handsome man," Lin Feng said, pulling Xia Ruoxi closer. She blushed and pulled away, though the cameras captured the moment perfectly.

Lin Feng ignored her reaction and asked, "I've been away from Zhanhai for a few days—since when is Xia Ruoxi one of the 'two beauties'? Who is the other one?"