Back when the System's beginner daily check-in randomly awarded her a 0.3% stake in Caesars Palace, it had also crafted a plausible backstory for Lu Chuyu to justify her ownership—namely, her identity and background.
So even if someone investigated, there was nothing to fear, especially since this wasn't yet the era of big data.
Lu Changgui was already sobbing uncontrollably, and his grief infected Lu Chuyu as well. "The child wants to care for their parents, but time waits for no one"—that sentiment always struck the softest part of the human heart.
Beside him, Zhang Liping's eyes had also reddened as she listened to Lu Chuyu talk about her time in America. Only when one was abroad did overseas Chinese truly stand tall!
But when she heard Lu Chuyu mention her intention to invest back in China, Zhang Liping's eyes seemed to practically sparkle.
She forcibly suppressed the smile that threatened to break across her face—laughing out loud at a moment like this would be terribly inappropriate.
She cleared her throat softly and joined the chorus of consolers, first expressing sympathy for Lu Chuyu's hardships—losing her loved ones at such a young age—then urging Lu Changgui to look on the bright side: his niece had returned, and better days lay ahead.
Liu Jinfeng was quick on the uptake. Though she was technically the sister-in-law, she hadn't officially married into the family yet, so she felt it inappropriate to linger inside and listen. Besides, Brother Baohua wouldn't keep anything from her anyway.
She'd noticed that the leaders from the town commune were waiting in the courtyard. She pulled Lu Baoxi along to borrow tables and benches from the neighbors and set them up outside—after all, these were commune leaders, and one couldn't afford to be negligent or disrespectful. She thoughtfully brewed hot tea and brought out a plate of peanuts and sunflower seeds.
Then she took the initiative to head to the kitchen and cook. The braised meat had been done for a while, kept warm on a low simmer—she just needed to scoop it out. As for the other home-style stir-fries, all the ingredients were prepped; she just had to toss them in the wok. Liu Jinfeng's cooking skills were nothing to sneeze at.
The family doted on her—she didn't have to work the fields or do chores—but she wasn't ungrateful. When her parents and brothers and sisters-in-law came back from the fields, they deserved a hot meal waiting for them.
Shi Cuixia raised her hand and wiped away her tears. "Father, don't be so upset now. Look what's happened—you've made your niece cry too. It's already past noon; let's eat first. Don't let the children go hungry."
Lu Changgui nodded with a choked sob. He'd thought of it long ago—he just didn't dare. Didn't dare admit it.
All these years, even if his parents were furious with him, they couldn't have sent him not a single letter.
He truly regretted it! He had been utterly unfilial!
At the dinner table, Guo Weihua, secretary of the Shanghu Town Commune, opened his mouth several times only to hold back. In the end, it was Zhang Liping who couldn't stand it anymore and carefully broached the subject of Lu Chuyu's investment intentions.
"Ms. Lu, Nanhu City hasn't had it easy. Though it's the provincial capital, due to geographical constraints, it can't even compare to some coastal cities' subordinate towns. I just heard you mention your intention to invest back in China—I wonder if you might give Nanhu a chance. Rest assured, at the municipal level, we will absolutely tilt policies in your favor as much as possible. We won't fall short of the Special Economic Zones."
Guo Weihua, who had been looking at Zhang Liping with an expression of deep gratitude, grew increasingly uneasy as he listened. This woman was trying to bypass Shanghu Town entirely and pull the investment straight to the city level!
Forgetting his embarrassment, he hurriedly interjected, "That's right—Shanghu Town has it even harder. There are only three state-owned factories in the entire town, and their performance is declining by the day. Ms. Lu, I heard you've been staying at the municipal guesthouse all this time. Now that you've returned to your hometown, how could you not have a place to settle? The old Lu family residence in town is still there—it was requisitioned by the beverage factory. We're already processing the paperwork, and within this month, within this month, we'll have your family's old home vacated and returned to you, a patriotic overseas Chinese."
Guo Weihua was pulling out all the stops.
Zhang Liping was frantic with worry. The provincial meeting had to be scheduled today of all days, preventing the leadership from accompanying her. She was merely a clerk at the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, unable to make many decisions on the spot. This put her at a disadvantage, and she could only emphasize that the city's facilities were far more convenient than the town's to compete for the investment.
Lu Chuyu listened to the verbal sparring between Zhang Liping and Guo Weihua, each trying to outdo the other, and felt quite pleased. The fish was taking the bait.
A deal you chase isn't a deal—what she wanted was exactly this effect.
Still, her funds were limited. She glanced at the Emotion Points on her system panel—enough to exchange in the System Mall for the most advanced instant noodle production line of this era.
Caesars Palace's third-quarter dividends wouldn't hit her Chase Manhattan Bank account until next month.
She couldn't spend all her Emotion Points at once either; she needed to keep some in reserve for emergencies. The funds she could currently deploy were around $200,000. While that was enough to invest at the city level, if she put that money into the town, it would make a much bigger splash.
Lu Chuyu offered an apologetic smile to Zhang Liping. "I know that the investment environment in the city is certainly better than in the town, but I have an indescribable attachment to Shanghu Town. This is where my mother was born, and it's the root of the Lu family. Although I have a small investment company in the United States, I still lack experience in running substantial businesses. So I'd like to test the waters here in Shanghu Town first, and once I gain more experience, I'll move to the city. When that time comes, I'll need to rely on Comrade Zhang's support."
"Good, very good. Ms. Lu, please rest assured. Our Shanghu Town Commune will absolutely handle this with special priority and open a green channel for you. We won't let you down."
Guo Weihua was so excited that he forgot all propriety. He stood up directly and grabbed both of Lu Chuyu's hands, completely leaving no opportunity for Zhang Liping, whose smile had stiffened, to speak.
Lu Chuyu politely stood up and shook hands with Guo Weihua. "We'll be troubling Secretary Guo in the future."
After all that effort, it had ultimately served as a wedding dress for Shanghu Town. Zhang Liping was genuinely displeased, but she could understand Lu Chuyu's choice. After all, the Lu family's ancestral home was still in Shanghu Town. And that Secretary Guo was a shrewd operator who knew how to seize any opening—who would have thought he'd bring up returning the Lu family's ancestral home to Ms. Lu? If it were her, she'd probably choose Shanghu Town first too.
Sigh. When she got back to the city, the leaders would probably be jumping out of their shoes when they found out.
"Congratulations, Secretary Guo. Congratulations, Ms. Lu. Please rest assured that the city will definitely provide you with full support and protection. You're also welcome to inspect the investment environment at any time."
After the meal, Zhang Liping left first.
On the way over, she had learned that Liu Changxing could drive and had a driver's license, so before leaving, she left a Beijing Jeep 212 for Lu Chuyu's convenience. And when the car was returned, there would still be a chance to make further contact. What if Shanghu Town dropped the ball, or what if Ms. Lu, in a good mood, decided to invest in a factory in the city too? After all, if you can raise one child, you can raise two.
Guo Weihua naturally didn't leave. Although haste makes waste, the city was eyeing this hungrily. He had essentially snatched food from a tiger's mouth today, so how could he let his guard down? The sooner they reached an agreement, the sooner he could relax.
"Does Ms. Lu have any specific ideas about the investment?"
Lu Chuyu proposed opening a food factory specializing in instant food products. She would use her connections to purchase the most advanced instant noodle production line from the United States.
Guo Weihua nodded. He had eaten instant noodles before. Both Beicheng and Haishi had food factories producing instant noodles, with equipment imported from Country R. But the taste was just average.
Still, in a small place like Shanghu Town, it would be a rare novelty. And a production line imported from the United States would surely be more advanced than the one from Country R. The taste should be better than what was currently available too.
Moreover, from what Ms. Lu was saying, it wouldn't just be instant noodles. He didn't dare think too big, but a food factory would need at least a hundred workers, wouldn't it? That would solve so many employment problems. The people of Shanghu Town knew how to be content.
"This is my first investment since returning to China, so I shouldn't take too big a step. After all, I lack experience. So I was thinking—could you allocate me a piece of land on the outskirts of Shanghu Town, preferably near the Beiquan Production Brigade? It doesn't need to be too large—three to four hundred mu would be enough. Besides the office building and production workshops, I also need to consider housing. Worker dormitories, future family quarters, and supporting facilities all need to be planned in advance."
Guo Weihua instinctively swallowed. Three to four hundred mu—that was no small area. The town's most profitable garment factory only occupied a little over two hundred mu. By the looks of it, she was planning to build a large factory! How could he not be excited?
"No problem. I'll convene a meeting at the commune as soon as I get back. We'll finalize the location as quickly as possible and fully meet your needs. Our new policies offer very favorable terms for foreign-invested factories. However, for joint ventures, the red line is that foreign equity cannot exceed 49%. Shanghu Town's finances are relatively tight, so we can only contribute land as our share. That's something we can't change. But in other areas—taxes and such—we'll absolutely make the maximum concessions possible."
Lu Chuyu had no objections to this. After all, even if she did object, it would be futile.
"I can understand China's current policies. But I do have a few bottom-line requirements that need to be written in black and white in the contract. In the entire food factory, I don't want to hear a second voice. I am the sole decision-maker. Of course, if the factory's performance suffers due to my decisions, I will unconditionally use my personal assets to cover the losses.
Additionally, I know that China is a society built on personal connections. But in my factory, only work capability matters—not personal relationships. As for privately handing out quotas or slots, I hope that can be eliminated.
Furthermore, once new policies come out, I want to be allowed to purchase 10% of the shares at market price at the earliest opportunity. After all, China has already permitted wholly foreign-owned enterprises in the special economic zones. I believe this is a good start, and in the near future, this policy will take effect nationwide."
Guo Weihua's face showed signs of difficulty. "Ms. Lu, to be honest, I can't make a final decision on these requirements on my own right now, but I will apply to my superiors. Please wait for my good news."
"Then let's hope for a pleasant cooperation."
After seeing Guo Weihua off, Lu Chuyu signaled Sun Yueying to bring over the large handbag she had prepared separately.
"These are a few Piaget Polo gold watches I bought in Los Angeles. They'll fit my uncle and cousin just right. These Patek Philippe 18K gold diamond-set watches are for my aunt, my female cousins, and my cousin's wife."
Liu Jinfeng looked utterly incredulous, her face turning bright red as she stammered and pointed at herself, "I… I… I get one too?"
"Of course, we're family."
Even though Lu Chuyu said this, Liu Jinfeng still didn't dare reach out to take it. Seeing that even the Lu family members were declining, how could she feel comfortable accepting?
"Alright, these aren't a burden for me at all. It's just my way of showing my appreciation."
The Lu family members all exchanged glances with each other. Setting aside the watches that clearly looked expensive, even the gifts filling the entire room and courtyard were more than enough to show how generous her intentions were.