Monday, February 29, 1644.

Another year of Spring Festival has passed, the winter break of all walks of life in Huamei has ended, and Qingcheng, the capital of Haizhou, has entered a busy period again. Merchant ships that have finished their winter maintenance are densely packed in the harbor, and mountains of cargo are being loaded one after another.

Guan Ruzhong officially stepped down as governor of Haizhou after the Spring Festival holiday, and the manor in the western suburbs of Qingcheng City was organizing a move. Guan Ruzhong himself will officially leave Haizhou today and return to the long-idle nest in the capital Manchester City.

The resignation of the old governor made the old citizens of Qingcheng City very sorry, so during the Spring Festival, there were constantly local celebrities or old citizens who came to see them off, and the density was so large that it directly delayed the relocation plan of Guan Ruzhong's family.

After more than 20 years, Guan Ruzhong, who is tall and strong, is also over 50 years old at this time, showing a trace of old age. But Guan Ruzhong's life was not alone, and in 1624 he married a woman who was originally a textile worker, and in addition to Guan Zhanyun, the eldest son of the adopted son, the couple also had four other biological children.

The eldest son, Guan Zhanyun, and daughter-in-law, Cheng Yuan, both teach at Manchester City National No. 1 High School, and they are about to have children; The second son, Guan Zhanpeng, is 20 years old and will graduate from the Department of Mathematics of Fudan University next year. The third son, Guan Zhanhe, is still studying in the preparatory class of an Ivy League college and will enroll in law in the future; The remaining two daughters are still in middle school, and they have basically set the tone of their lives early, so they don't have to worry too much about Guan Ruzhong.

Most of the books in the study have been emptied, and Guan Ruzhong is still sitting alone behind his desk and looking through his latest popular science book - because Guan Ruzhong had the title of master's degree in mechanical and electrical engineering before the crossing, he is also a senior professor at Fudan University.

"Brother Guan, why are you reluctant to leave, I paid a high price for your second-hand house."

The door of the study rang, and I saw Mao Jian, the new governor of Haizhou, walking in, still joking in his mouth. Mao Jian is a good friend of Guan Ruzhong for more than 20 years, not only as a dock worker when he crossed, but also to build the famous West Point Town together. It is also a difficult brother who has borne the responsibility of the crime together in the dark history of the rape and murder of an Indian Pecot girl.

Compared with Su Zining and Guan Ru, Mao Jian is very young, and he is only 43 years old this year. As a dock worker, although Mao Jian has a low level of education, he has a flexible brain, and has accumulated rich experience in West Point with Guan Ruzhong. Later, he not only built Elm City himself, but also made great achievements in the mayor of Manchester, and its West Point Tobacco Company and Elm Building Materials Company have always been well-known taxpayers in China. Whether in politics or business, Mao Jian has walked ahead of many people. In contrast, Guan Ruzhong has a better reputation for political affairs. However, the private sector is weaker, with only one national retail chain company and one wool spinning enterprise, except for a number of farms purchased in Haizhou.

Mao Jian took office as the governor of Haizhou this time, and for convenience, he directly bought the manor property vacated by Guan Ruzhong, and waited for Guan Ruzhong's family to "go to the empty building".

"I don't have to pay for my house at the governor's mansion, so why do you have to spend money on my house?" Guan Ruzhong smiled and beckoned the servant to serve tea, while pointing out the direction outside the window, "This is the suburbs." If you want to expect real estate to appreciate, it is estimated that you will have to wait for your grandchildren. ”

"I'm going to be here for a few years, and besides, my daughter is getting married, and I'm going to use this as her dowry...... That's right. Brother Guan returned to the capital this time, what are his plans in the future? Mao Jian looked around the study with a smile, very satisfied with what Guan Ruzhong had left behind, and then picked up the teacup. Deliberately said nonchalantly.

"I don't know, Lao Qi and Lao Bao them, I hope I will be the new prime minister after the House of Representatives election in April." Guan Ruzhong didn't plan to hide too much from his friends. Even if Mao Jian joined the board of directors of the Oriental Union Group a few years ago because of the expansion of the Oriental Union Group's shares, he has already been classified as a liberal in China.

"With Brother Guan's qualifications and achievements, it is easy for a cabinet prime minister, and Haizhou, which is the second most economically developed in China, is not blown out!" Mao Jian blinked his eyes and nodded frequently, "But, Brother Guan, I think you have to think about it a little more this time......"

"Huh?"

Looking at his friend's somewhat mysterious smile, Guan Ru suddenly jumped slightly in the center. The teacup in his hand was also slowly lowered, and then stared intently at Mao Jian's face, hoping for further explanation.

"Lao Wu has been prime minister for two terms, and he has blossomed everywhere overseas, and he has earned face. Now whether it's east or west, it's all in full swing, Lao Bao and Lao Qi they are now pushing you out, a bit of the taste of other people's plates grabbing food. Mao Jian pressed his voice and whispered, and kept nodding his fingers on the table, as if these words had been prepared for a long time.

"Whose food is it robbing? Shouldn't Ren Changle and Guanyun invite you to be a lobbyist? Guan Ruzhong asked coldly.

Guan Ruzhong is very clear about the current rules of the game for the change of power in the cabinet, and the conservatives led by Bao Zitu have probably reached an agreement on the exchange of interests with Dong Jiunan and others, and with the support of a relatively large number of progressives, they have the opportunity to run for prime minister in a high-profile manner on behalf of the conservatives. From this point of view, from the moment he agreed, he became the opponent of Ren Changle and other liberals.

Mao Jian was stunned for a moment, and after a few seconds, he smiled, avoided Guan Ruzhong's face, and played with the teacup in his hand: "Lao Qi and Lao Bao have been emphasizing the policy of stable development, especially strengthening the control of overseas groups and canceling the preferential tax rate policy for overseas enterprises. I think that's a bit of a breach of unity. ”

"That's all right, right? Otherwise, some demon moths will come out sooner or later. Nowadays, the country's foundation is not thick enough, excessive overseas expansion will reduce the speed of local investment and construction, and the low-tax goods of overseas enterprises will also squeeze the living space of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises, and accelerate the merger of monopoly enterprises into small and medium-sized enterprises, which is not conducive to healthy development. ”

Guan Ruzhong pulled the internal text on the side and threw it in front of Mao Jian: "Although there are many new small and medium-sized private enterprises in the local area every year, the number of monopolies and oligopolies is also increasing every year. Because some people directly set up factories overseas to control raw materials and market channels, the scale of the domestic textile industry has not increased for four consecutive years, not to mention, a number of small spinning enterprises have disappeared, and the textile industry has basically been monopolized by a few oligarchs. In addition, there are building materials industry, wood processing industry, tanning industry, ......"

"But it has also greatly reduced the cost of industrial operation, expanded foreign markets, increased the country's tax revenue, and enriched the supply of low-priced domestic goods." Mao Jian solemnly interrupted Guan Ruzhong's words.

"Well, the benefits are many. But the consequence of this is the kidnapping of the homeland. In the years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, overseas expansion has developed rapidly, but the income of ordinary national households has barely increased for 15 consecutive years. Population growth is one factor, but where does more wealth go? Guan Ruzhong smiled coldly and unceremoniously turned the conversation in a certain direction, "Whether it is the Oriental Union Group or the Guoxing Group, it is unreasonable to have obtained the right to monopolize overseas operations, but they still have to enjoy the low tax policy on the import and export of commodities other than raw material trade." It looks like the country's tax revenues are climbing every year. But the state also has to spend a lot of budget to support their overseas expansion. It is still not ordinary citizens who benefit from the upgrading of armaments and the frequent use of troops. The overseas expansion and low-tax policies have essentially transferred the hard work of the state and ordinary citizens into the pockets of individuals, and the vast majority of the costs of overseas expansion are borne by the state and ordinary citizens! ”

"That's also for national rejuvenation!" The other party hit the nail on the head, and Mao Jian hurriedly defended himself with a little blush.

"Forget it, we know both the slogan and the substance. Once there is an uncontrollable situation overseas, the country will have to wipe their butts when the time comes, and those who eat overseas are full of fat. But only make money and don't lose money. I have never opposed the implementation of proactive and targeted overseas policies from the perspective of strategic interests, but strengthening the management of overseas groups and raising the industrial tax rate of overseas enterprises is just to let everyone bear some due obligations, rather than blindly enjoying the results! ”

"Hey. Brother Guan, I understand what you said, but aren't everyone grasshoppers on a rope now? Lao Qi and Lao Bao are half of the ground, why do you stand up and offend people during this critical period? Everyone will be able to enjoy the scenery for more than 20 years. It's never too late to adjust. Mao Jian sighed, looking serious.

"The sooner the rules are established, the better it is for the country. Now the capital is in our hands. It's easy to say whatever you want. But when a few decades later, more companies will grow and abandon their locals, capital will run outside, and overseas groups will not fall, and the country will become more and more 'hollow', and when the time comes, it will not only be their own people who will be offended! ”

The more Guan Ruzhong spoke, the more excited he became, and he had already stood up at the back.

"Lao Guan, the port is here to urge us, it's time to get on the ship."

When he was in a stalemate, suddenly the door of the study was pushed open again, and he saw Guan Ruzhong's wife standing at the door dressed up.

"Hehe, sister-in-law is Mali, it's cleaned up so quickly. It just so happens that I'm free today, so I'll send Brother Guan and my sister-in-law away! Mao Jian shrewdly adjusted his feelings and smiled at the Guan family couple.

……

A few hours later, the main content of a private meeting was sent to the headquarters of the OUCC group in Manchester City via an encrypted telegram. The recipients of the telegram were a group of core directors of the OUCC Group, including Liu Yun, the former Secretary of Homeland Security who had retired for many years, and Foreign Minister Yan Xiaosong, a rare guest at the headquarters of the OUCC Group.

"Guan Ruzhong refused to withdraw from the prime minister's race...... Probably his thoughts have been communicated with Lao Qi and Lao Bao a long time ago. I heard that they also plan to reduce the tax rate of domestic production enterprises to win over Lin Youde and You Qi. Guan Yun, chairman of the board of directors of the Oriental Union Group, shook the telegram helplessly, "Lao Qi and Lao Bao support Zhou Yi as the speaker of the House of Representatives, and Dong Jiunan will naturally support Guan Ruzhong as the premier." ”

"What are you kidding, strengthening the management of overseas groups and raising the tax rate of overseas industries is not good for their Guoxing Group, right?! Dong Jiunan, their brains are in water?! Deng Mingquan, chairman of the board of directors of Huamei Wood, slapped the table and shouted.

"On the contrary, both the Diet and the Cabinet have always had an ultra-low tax rate on the import of industrial and agricultural raw materials. Most of Guoxing Group's current overseas industrial layout is the development of industrial and agricultural raw materials in the Viceroy of South Africa, and the impact of Guan Ruzhong's position on them is basically ignored. If we want to adjust and raise the tax rate of overseas industries, it will not hit them at all, but it will obviously be bad for us! Now that Lao Bao and Dong Jiunan and Lin Youde may join forces, our hope of winning the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Prime Minister is very slim, and we have no chance of winning any of the positions. ”

After receiving the telegram, Ren Changle's face was very bad. Yan Xiaosong pinched the telegram and said nothing, because he knew that the ideas pursued by Zhou Yi and Guan Ruzhong in ordinary times would offend some of the people present, but it would not do any harm to the country. Whoever wants to compete with these two people for Speaker of Parliament or Prime Minister of the Cabinet will not be able to come up with more convincing things.

"If my views are similar to those of Guan Ruzhong, and I put forward some similar conditions to win the support of Lin Youde and them, will everyone give up some and continue to support me?" Yan Xiaosong crumpled the telegram and stood up with great difficulty.

The room fell into dead silence, and Ren Changle, who had rarely smoked, grabbed his cigarette and sat aside to swallow the clouds. In the smoke, several eyes kept staggering, but no one said anything.

"Dude is still haggling? According to me, even if we don't want those two positions according to their appetite, what are we afraid of......" Suddenly, Liu Yun, who was sitting in the corner, stood up and looked around at his companions present with a smile.

"Huh? Lao Liu, do you have a good way to convince others? Ren Changle's eyebrows jumped slightly, and he looked at Liu Yun, and Yan Xiaosong was even more thoughtful.

"I don't have the skills to convince them. But let some trivial things come out without losing a piece of meat. After all, it's all in the same boat, isn't what we have now enough to influence the country? ”

After speaking, Liu Yun smiled, put on his coat and left the conference room, and the people in the room looked at each other for a while and then laughed again. (To be continued......)