On the evening of April 30, 1978, I received a phone call from Aunt Wen, who said that Boss Ma wanted to ask me to discuss project cooperation at the China-Hong Kong Border Office.

Then, I discussed with Xiaoda what to do?

Xiao Da said with some worry: "Ah Cai! Now, everything the mainland wants us to do is on your shoulders alone! The China-Hong Kong Border Free Trade Zone project is a project for the benefit of the people in charge of Uncle Ma, and he must be in a hurry to ask us to pay for the work! At the same time, Uncle Ma's project seems to be also a project of the CIA service station, right?! Therefore, we should let Li Xiaohu, Ouyang Fengxing and Xue Meifeng and other reliable colleagues and friends be responsible for the specific things of the China-Hong Kong Free Trade Zone project operation, you only need to be responsible for paying money and controlling the general direction of the operation! Otherwise, as soon as the Yangcheng project comes up, you can only become Monkey King! But you're not going to change seventy-two, are you?! ”

I laughed and said, "Oops! Recently, I watched "Journey to the West" again?! Yes! Xiaoda! In the future, you will be the head of Li Xiaohu, Ouyang Fengxing and Xue Meifeng! You are responsible for leading and holding them accountable! In the future, I will focus on Yangcheng and investment! In this way, we don't have to be Monkey King! ”

Everyone laughed!

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At 9 o'clock in the morning of May 1, in the parking lot of the CIA service station of the port, I, Xiaoda, Li Xiaohu, Ouyang Fengxing, and Xue Meifeng took a CIA commercial vehicle that had been converted into a civilian department, and hung up the mainland's customs clearance and inspection-free license plates, and brought the mainland's customs passes.

We got on the bus and left the CIA service station parking lot, and we went along the northbound highway to the China-Hong Kong border.

At around 10 a.m., we arrived at the project office near Shekou Village through the Luohu border crossing.

At this time, the signboard of "Engineering Headquarters of Industrial and Commercial Bonded Zone in Border Port Area" has been hung here.

This office is the guest house where we used to be, and it has been rebuilt and renovated at this time, and has the environment and conditions for receiving foreign guests.

After we parked in the parking lot of the headquarters, a well-mannered young civilian boy in a suit and leather shoes took us to see Director Ma.

In the lobby on the first floor of an office building, we met with Director Ma Fengfeng and consultant Gu Yunong and other managers of the bonded zone project.

After everyone met and shook hands, we went into a conference room with them.

Director Ma smiled and said, "Ah Cai! You're so uninteresting! If you don't say hello to me, you will run away and become the chairman of Zhongnan Science and Technology Group Company! ”

Everyone laughed!

Director Ma smiled again and said, "Alas! I originally thought that our China-Hong Kong Free Trade Zone project was ahead of others, but I didn't expect that others would take the lead again! But we don't care! Working is the same as fighting! Rely on real kung fu to speak! Now, we're a pack of hungry wolves! The China-Hong Kong Free Trade Zone project is a group of big fat sheep with white flowers! So think for yourself the next story."

Everyone burst into laughter!

After everyone returned to silence, Ma Toyoda continued: "Let's stop talking nonsense!" Ahh Our China-Hong Kong Free Trade Zone project has been approved! Now, this project is in place, we have land, supporting facilities, and a management team, we don't have to give any example, this project is officially launched! So, we're asking you guys to come and help me eat my first crab! Whether this crab is delicious or not, you know for yourselves! However, you must say that our crabs are the most delicious! ”

Everyone laughed again!

I smiled and said, "Thank you Director Ma for paying attention to us!" Crabs are the most unpalatable food, but as long as we have a complete set of tools such as opening shells, crushing bones, removing meat, and sucking marrows! We'll be able to eat it! Director Ma, everyone's time is very precious, you say! What should we do?! ”

Director Ma said, "Okay! Chairman Zhou! On October 1st last year, we held a seminar here on the Free Trade Zone! At that meeting, you agreed to help us do overseas investment research for this project, how are you doing this work so far? ”

I said, "Director Ma! After the last meeting, we conducted a comprehensive survey of the manufacturers, supporting suppliers and suppliers of the three major industries of the labor-intensive industries in the port city, such as electronic processing and manufacturing, clothing, shoes, hats and luggage processing industry, and household goods processing and manufacturing. Still very worried! In addition, they generally believe that the prices of labor, land and raw materials in the mainland are far lower than those in the port city area and overseas markets! Therefore, in terms of attracting investment for our projects, we need to make up for our shortcomings and demonstrate our advantages in operating costs! In this way, our project will definitely be completed! Let's take a look at our research report first! ”

Then, Xiaoda handed over three thick copies of the "Research Report on the Settlement of Industrial and Commercial Manufacturers in the Port City by the Industrial and Commercial Bonded Zone Project in the China-Hong Kong Border Area" to Director Ma and them.

After receiving our report, they announced a temporary adjournment, and they continued to meet in the conference room to study our research report.

They let us go to a living room for tea and chat.

Ouyang Fengxing smiled and said, "Alas! Ah Cai, I don't think they can do this! They should be very good at collective farms or supply systems! But they are laymen in industry, commerce, and the free market! ”

Li Xiaohu said: "Ouyang! You're too absolute! The mainland is also doing well in commerce and industry! It turns out that they don't need the market, they only need reasonable distribution to be able to solve the needs of society! Therefore, they do not engage in the market and commerce, but now the mainlanders have a new understanding, and they have begun to think that the role and function of the market and commerce are irreplaceable, so they have brought out the market concept and business methods of their ancestors! Look at it! Within a few years, Taiwan will become the mainland's little brother again! ”

Xue Meifeng smiled and said, "Alas! Who is the eldest brother and who is the younger brother, what does it matter to us? We are businessmen, as long as we feel that business is good for us, we will do it! If we feel that the business is not suitable, we will leave! Anyway, we're here to listen to Uncle Ma's jokes, and we don't suffer?! By the way, I think the meat dishes such as braised fish, barbecued pork and button pork made here are particularly delicious! Ahh They should have treated us to lunch, right?! ”

Everyone laughed!

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At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, in the living room of their office, Director Ma and they sent us a copy of the promotional materials of "Introduction to the Industrial Bonded Zone Project and the Occupation Business Manual", let us read it carefully, and then, we discussed it together!

The main contents of the promotional materials are:

The main title is: The port city of the mainland, the mainland of the port city!

The subtitle is: A large-scale, socialized, modern, free manufacturing base and trade port!

1. The overall planning of the project: 30,000 acres of land is planned in the early stage, the construction of customs fences and ports, industrial manufacturing and processing areas, office and living supporting areas in the park (including manufacturers' offices, functional areas such as education, medical care, industry and commerce, customs, finance and administration of the authorities, commerce, staff dormitories and canteens), special wharves for import and export in the park, special customs land border inspection ports, and supporting facilities in the park (including transportation layout, basic supply and guarantee of production and life such as water, electricity and energy). The goal of the project is to build a modern, international industrial, technological and commercial metropolis with Huabang characteristics in the port area.

2. Customs services: The park and the port city area are seamlessly connected through ports and land ports. Goods, equipment, personnel and funds between the park and the port city can enter and exit freely, and customs duties are exempted!

2. Financial services: In the park, RMB and foreign currencies are freely convertible and circulated. Implement the free circulation of currency between the park and the port city.

3. Supporting services: the construction of freight and passenger port terminals and land passenger and freight ports in ports managed by the authorities to ensure the normal and free entry and exit of goods and personnel between the park and the port city and the world.

Supporting production and living facilities such as thermal power plants, water supply plants, banks, hospitals, schools, hotels and accommodations, shopping malls, and entertainment venues for the construction of the park. Improve the on-site service facilities and service functions of the authorities in the areas of education, medical care, industry and commerce, customs, finance and administration.

4. Land supply: The first phase will contract 10,000 acres of land in the form of general contracting. The land is used for the construction of a core industrial demonstration zone, which will house 100,000 jobs. And include or support the above services (see the planning diagram for details). The authorities provide basic services such as land acquisition, roads, electricity, water and communications, and set up industrial plant areas, banks, hospitals, schools, hotels and accommodations, shopping malls, entertainment venues and other functional places in the park.

5. Land policy and price: the lease term is 40 years, the unit price is 2,000 yuan/year/mu, and the rent for 40 years is 80,000 yuan/mu, which is converted into US dollars at the national exchange rate of 40,000 US dollars/mu. The total value of the land is US$400 million.

After reading the materials, we had a discussion.

I said, "Director Ma, this is a letter of commitment from you to overseas manufacturers!" Can you do what you write on paper? ”

Director Ma smiled and said, "Chairman Zhou! This free trade zone is not a matter for a few of us! The country's thing! This is a state promise, if you can't do something, we won't write it on this blank piece of paper! In terms of infrastructure, we have a 1 million KW coal-fired power plant already under construction and is expected to be completed, commissioned and energized by the end of this year! Commitment to the construction of a highway, port, airport, international long-distance telephone, international computer Internet, etc., as long as the funds are in place, we will start construction immediately, we have created many miracles in the world! These projects are nothing to us! We are also ready in terms of customs, finance, social services and other industrial support, and we can also do what you can do overseas! Moreover, we want to do better, we can guarantee that as long as they dare to settle in the project to set up factories and stores, they will definitely be able to make a lot of money! You have to do something, just help us go to the port city to wave the flag and shout, beat the gongs and drums, and help us drive the first batch of prescient manufacturers to the bonded zone! We'll do the rest! ”

I said, "Director Ma! We believe you can do it! How do you want us to help you wave your flags and shout, beat gongs and drums?! ”

Director Ma smiled and said, "Ah Cai! To be honest, we want you to contract the first phase of our project, you pay us land rent, help us build the park infrastructure, property, factory, market, etc., and then, you will fill the manufacturers and merchants in this park, and we will discuss and do the management and service of this park! That way, you should be able to make more money! ”

I said, "Director Ma! We can discuss this matter! Please tell me how you are going to hand over these lands to the contractors! ”

Director Gu said: "We carry out land transfer and leasing in accordance with international practice, especially the land transfer method of Hong Kong City! Land acquisition, leveling, access, electricity, water, communication and other basic work will be completed and matched by us! ”

I said, "Good! How did you calculate the land price for the first phase of the project in your letter of commitment? ”

Director Gu said: "When setting the land price here, we conducted a detailed investigation of the land policy and price of the port city! The prices in the report are based on the prices of village land and wasteland in the New Territories near the border between China and Hong Kong in Hong Kong two years ago. The land price there was $140,000 per mu two years ago, with a 140-year tenure! This is exactly $40,000 per mu for 40 years! ”

I said, "Director Gu! Personally, I don't think the price is very reasonable! First, there is no comparison between the current land value here and the land value of Port City! It is true that the frontier land in the New Territories is as remote and barren as the land here, but the New Territories belong to the category of overseas economic circles, and the New Territories have a legal system of free market and capital markets, and are within the scope of international financial, commercial and logistics centers, while the mainland border areas are not! Second, two years ago, I invested in a port in Port City and took 2,100 hectares, or 31,500 acres of land, at a price of $1,000 per mu, and the land use right was 140 years. According to the official exchange rate, it is 2,000 yuan/mu, but when converted into a 40-year lease, the land price should be 471.4 yuan/mu, so two years ago, the price of barren land in Hong Kong City was 500 yuan/mu! That's the ideal price! If calculated at the market exchange rate of 1:50 between the US dollar and the RMB, the price of the land in this li is only 20 RMB/mu, and it is a 140-year usufruct right! I can also reveal a situation, my total investment in the development and construction of 31,500 acres in the port city is only 400 million to 500 million US dollars! At present, the total price of your 10,000 acres of land has reached 400 million US dollars! And the follow-up development and construction of the whole project still needs to invest funds, right?! Well, the total investment in the first phase of this project should exceed $1 billion! It's not a math problem, it's a real-world problem! I hope you guys figured it out! Otherwise, a smart businessman won't do the work for you! ”

Director Ma smiled and said, "Chairman Zhou, you are indeed very powerful!" If you can't do something, others won't dare to do it! In this case, let's discuss the price of land internally! Don't worry, we won't be forced to death by this soaked urine! You guys take a tea break first, and then we'll talk! ”

Everyone laughed!

Then, they went to a meeting and we had tea and chatting in the living room.

Xue Meifeng smiled and said, "Ah Cai! You're too hard, but it's very reasonable! I'm afraid you'll offend these great officials because of this! ”

Ouyang Fengxing said: "Alas! It's better to offend, so that we don't have to do it! ”

Li Xiaohu said: "I don't think they will be so stingy! This piece has been deserted for thousands of years, and they have not been in a hurry! It's just to set a reasonable price, and they can't calculate this simple arithmetic problem?! As long as this place is developed, it will be the mainland that will make money in the end! If they can calculate the rent of 1,000 yuan/mu for 40 years, and convert it into a pricing method of 140 years rent, the land price here is equivalent to 3,500 yuan/mu, which is 7,000 US dollars/mu according to the official exchange rate between RMB and US dollars! At present, the average land price in the New Territories is US$300,000 per mu, and it is also a tenure of 140 years. The price of land in the border area of China is set at the right to use for a period of 140 years, and the price is 7,000 US dollars per mu, which I think is very attractive to manufacturers in the port city! Ah Cai, what do you think? ”

I said, "Yes! Pricing is a problem in economics! Let them decide! The price is right, let's play with them! The price is not right, so let's go back to our own business after listening to the story! ”

Everyone laughed!

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