Apricot's Revenge

by Song Ying

  When Xiaochuan and Yao Li returned to the station, the other squad had also returned. Zheng Yong reported that data provided by Section Chief Xu at the District Environmental Protection Bureau, showed that there had been no pollution at either Greater or Lesser Meisha between June nineteenth and twenty-seven. The water quality was normal, and there had been no red tide.

  That corroborated what they’d learned at the Nanhai Environmental Monitoring Center.

  This was a major breakthrough, and Zhou Zhengxing became their prime suspect.

  “So Zhou could be the man,” Cui said excitedly. “Watch him carefully.”

  FIVE

  The New Boss

  — 1 —

  Guanlan Lake Golf Club. The Southern Real Estate Elite Forum meeting site.

  With its luxurious décor, the room was truly fit for real estate tycoons. Xiaochuan and Yao Li arrived five minutes before 9:00 A.M., when the Forum was scheduled to begin. Nearly every seat was taken, and signatures in all styles filled the red satin register at the door.

  Smiling receptionists handed out gift bags and material to late arriving guests.

  Xiaochuan and Yao Li went straight to the meeting room and stood in the back. Since they were in street clothes, they didn’t attract any attention.

  The podium was decorated with fresh flowers, formal but with a touch of style under the spotlights. Behind it a gold screen proclaimed in big bold script, “Southern Real Estate Elite Forum,” under which were listed the sponsoring units: N Business Post, The Southern Housing and Real Estate Alliance, and the South City Real Estate Association; media representatives included, STV Satellite TV, Real Estate Elite Net, and Housing Trend Magazine.

  Those sitting behind the podium were the elite of various fields, mostly real estate figures in South China, plus the editor-in-chief of N Business Post, senior members of the banking industry, and economists. Most were in business attire; their faces glowed with health. The only imperfection was the absence of the real estate heavyweight of Southern Guangdong, Hu Guohao.

  Reporters were frantically taking pictures of the podium, lighting up the area with flashes from their cameras.

  Presiding over the forum that day was the CEO of Jiayi Real Estate Group, Wu Shi, also Chairman of the South City Real Estate Association, a dignified man with an agreeable smile. To his left and right were the editor-in-chief of N Business Post and the bespectacled CEO of Wanda Realty. Ceremonial flowers were pinned to their chests. Wanda Realty’s CEO and Wu were engaged in a lively discussion.

  Xiaochuan nudged Yao Li to check out the man in the third seat on the left. It was Landmark’s deputy CEO, Zhou Zhengxing, who looked subdued and cautious. If not for the June twenty-fifth incident, it would have been Hu Guohao sitting in the seat.

  One seat to Zhou’s left was Big East’s CEO, Hong Yiming.

  The forum began on time at nine o’clock, with introductory remarks from the editor-in-chief of N Business Post.

  “Honorable Chairman, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Today gathered here are all the leading figures in Southern Guangdong real estate, from nearly a hundred companies. We are here to talk about development trends and patterns in China’s real estate. This is a rare occasion to steer real estate development in the south in a healthy direction and to continue making progress. For us in the media, this represents a way to display a sense of civic duty, which is why we organized today’s forum. We wish everyone great success. Thank you.”

  The audience rewarded him with sustained applause.

  New Century Realty’s CEO was first to speak.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, the title of my talk today is ‘Mistakes in China’s Real Estate.’”

  A key player in Southern Guangdong real estate and founder of the “New Housing Movement,” he had an attentive audience.

  “There is a common misunderstanding in our society, which is, people believe that real estate is where you can make sudden, huge profits, while in fact the time for explosive profits is long past. That might have been true seven or eight years ago, but now we are talking about limited profits. The second misunderstanding is that people think money comes easy in this business, with very low risk. That is why so many people in other lines of work have joined the competition, without realizing that real estate is the most complex business of all. The third misunderstanding is that people think that land bids can solve all ‘black box’ problems, whereas the truth is, there are still issues of unfair access to capital and illegal money. The fourth misunderstanding is that people think that consumers are powerless and that developers are all-powerful, holding total control over consumers. Fifth, all problems arising from real estate development are being blamed on the developers, whereas they have rights, too. Companies with a good name that make contributions should be protected. Sixth is the phobia over unsold units…”

  He continued to dissect the major misconceptions about the current realty situation with refreshing views that even laymen such as Xiaochuan and Yao Li found interesting.

  The second speaker, the CEO of Wanda Realty, was a representative of new real estate trends in Southern Guangdong.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to share my personal views of the market,” he said, sounding a bit like an academic. “What is the market? Some say it is synonymous with trade, while others say the market is our lifeline. Both seem sensible, but I think that the market is the very mechanism that makes investors who believe they are right wind up slapping their own faces.”

  Lighthearted laughter greeted this opening comment.

  He went on to analyze current conditions in the real estate market, market predictions, and the needs of consumers once the market is fully diversified. The audience reacted enthusiastically to his detailed analysis and new perspectives.

  During the speech, the moderator, who was famous for his sense of humor, injected comments to liven up the forum. Earlier, when introducing guests from the finance field, he had characterized real estate developers’ relationship with capital as “leaning on moneybags,” which drew roars of laughter.

  Next to speak was Hong Yiming, who was well known for his understated style and introspective personality; but he was decisive and firm in business decisions, an aggressive competitor, which was why his opinions often created a stir.

  “I don’t think anyone has a clear sense of the market yet,” Hong said in a mild tone that nonetheless surprised the audience. “That’s because we can look at it from many angles. It’s like a prism; whatever one sees is real to the beholder, but there’s no consensus as to what that is. Everyone here today is an experienced player on the stormy seas of the real estate market. Take my company, Big East, for example. We’ve been at it for eight years, and we continue to adjust our company’s position vis-à-vis the shifting market, while we keep learning from the experts how to function in that market. That’s the only reason we’re still in business. I believe that a healthy market is one that is left to do what it does, without the interference of administrative directives. I’m sure you all remember the real estate bubble in Hainan some years ago. Why did that happen? And how did the bubble get so big before it burst? Because people blindly threw in their money at a time when the planned economy was transitioning to a market economy, which in turn created a real estate black hole. Luckily, my old friend, Hu Guohao, and I got out quick enough. Regrettably he can no longer join in our discussion of the market.”

  The room turned quiet, though there was plenty of whispering.

  Those in the business knew that as a soldier turned real estate tycoon, Hong talked and acted like a military man, but on that day he seemed evasive somehow. That did not escape the attention of the two officers.

  “The market is the developer’s god, and I hope this god of ours will bless Big East with smooth sailing.” Hong Yiming ended his speech with a quasi-prayer.

  Wu Shi leaned forward and spoke into the microphone: “Now please welcome Mr. Zhou Zhengxing, deputy CEO
of Landmark Realty.”

  Zhou nodded and walked to the podium.

  “Mr. Hu Guohao, the CEO of Landmark, should have been the speaker today, but you all know that he suffered a swimming accident a few days ago. I may not be the best substitute for this topic, but I’ll do my best.”

  Hushed discussions rippled through the room, but only for a moment.

  Resting his hands on the flower-festooned podium, Zhou began with confidence mellowed with modesty.

  “I’ll share some of my own humble views on what the previous speakers have just said.” He paused. “What is the market? It is actually a changeable, unstable entity. I think we should all face the market with awe and apprehension, particularly tomorrow’s market. There’s a saying in England that goes, ‘God will make you go crazy before he wants you dead.’ Likewise, we must be careful when the market is about to go crazy. Or to put it differently, you go someplace where everyone, friends included, tells you to buy a house, and when you go home, your wife wants to jump into the buying frenzy. That’s when you have to worry. That said, I must admit that I’ve yet to see such a frenzy in Southern Guangdong. It is, in fact, a far cry from the bubble in Hainan, when everyone was hyping the land and housing markets. But you’ll notice that real estate companies elsewhere have started buying up land again. I heard that a large Realtor in Beijing is hoarding eight thousand acres of land, while the Kelly Corporation in Tianjin, trying to compete, has signed a contract to develop a parcel of fourteen thousand acres. Think about it, gentlemen, fourteen thousand acres. This is precisely why we must keep a cool head; we must never be followers. We mustn’t let the market overheat or mindlessly hoard land.”

  Applause.

  Seemingly unprepared for such a warm reception, Zhou nodded with an abashed smile as he continued:

  “Over the past ten years, at Landmark, we’ve had our ups and our downs. We’ve learned from both, and that is our invisible wealth. The real estate industry has considered our development in Shenzhen, which includes the Landmark Building and New City Garden Estates, to be a success story. While developing New City Garden Estates, we borrowed the idea of “selling after furnishing” and considered the real estate production as a total cultural package, not just a housing project. Sales at the Estates set an all time high, eight hundred units in less than two months, and all twenty-five hundred units in half a year. That was a record in new housing sales in Shenzhen. Our foremost selling point was that the units came with fine furnishings. But we’ve also made mistakes. Two years ago, Landmark hastily bought a large parcel of land in Hexi at the cost of over a billion yuan. The land still lies vacant, a costly liability for us, which is why I’m dead set against hoarding land.”

  A man in an STV vest trained his video camera on Zhou.

  On a velveteen desktop to the left below the podium, two young women were pecking away on their laptops. The audience was listening with rapt attention.

  Zhou was known as a careful planner and strategist, not someone who made rash, risky decisions. The success of New City Garden Estates was a result of his meticulous design. His speech gave the impression that he was tough and resilient, with an unshakeable will, the exact opposite of Hu Guohao, who had swaggered with expansive gestures, and could be hot to the touch. Zhou was the personification of “great wisdom appearing to be slow-witted.”

  “The relationship between real estate and capital can indeed be characterized as ‘leaning on moneybags,’” Zhou continued. “Our chairman’s analogy was excellent. Another way to put it is, ‘traveling with a giant.’ But there’s a potential problem with that. That is, a giant can cast you off at any time. When the giant, or an elephant, refuses to budge, it can lift its leg and crush you. Then there’s the marketplace description created by pretty women. It goes, ‘Eat off moneybags, drink off moneybags, lean on moneybags, then destroy moneybags to become moneybags yourself.’ I agree with the conclusion drawn from the chairman’s analogy—we must be alert to these two pitfalls when looking for joint ventures. Rather than mindlessly searching for a giant, we must seek out compatible traveling partners. As for the final analogy, harboring ulterior motives, with a secret desire to destroy others, is a failed strategy.

  “We at Landmark pledge to work with all of you in real estate and finance, as well as the astute media, to promote and continue to develop our industry. I’d like to conclude by wishing everyone in the development and finance sectors great success. May Southern Guangdong real estate remain forever in good health.”

  The audience applauded enthusiastically, to which he responded with a humble smile.

  The strong personal imprint of Hu Guohao on Landmark had begun to fade as Zhou stepped down off the podium. Few had imagined that a relatively nondescript individual who had always been in Hu’s shadow would rise up to help Landmark shake off its rudderless image.

  The two police officers were surprised to witness Zhou’s performance. They had not realized that this mild-mannered man could so cleverly seize the opportunity and so easily take over from Hu Guohao on so public an occasion. Either Hu’s death had given him the chance to shine, or he was a master of deception.

  “That Zhou Zhengxing is quite a character,” Yao Li whispered to Xiaochuan.

  “He might have the talent to be an effective and inspirational leader. But then maybe he just knows how to put on a show,” Xiaochuan said as he nodded in agreement.

  Zhou was surrounded by reporters as he walked out after the morning session.

  “Mr. Zhou, is Landmark still going to bid for Tiandongba?”

  “I’m sorry, but that is a company matter.” Zhou smiled good-naturedly.

  “Mr. Zhou, everyone says you’ll take over as Landmark’s CEO. Your comment?”

  “No comment. That’s just idle talk.”

  “I hear Landmark will soon hold a board meeting to select the next CEO. Do you think you’ll win?”

  “It sounds like you know more than I do about the Board,” Zhou joked to skillfully skirt the sensitive issue.

  “Don’t you media people put a dragnet around our Mr. Zhou,” Wu Shi said in jest, as he and Hong Yiming were on their way out of the hall.

  A reporter thrust her pocket recorder at Hong Yiming.

  “Mr. Hong, is Big East set on winning the bid for Tiandongba?”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to ask Landmark’s Mr. Zhou.” Hong also skirted the question.

  “I’m personally against mindlessly buying up land,” Zhou remarked.

  “So, does that mean Landmark will give up its bid for Tiandongba?” she persisted.

  “We may put a hold on our plans for the land.”

  “Then we at Big East will reap the benefits,” Hong Yiming joked.

  “Tiandongba is a piece of choice meat.” Wu Shi patted Hong on the shoulder.

  “I guarantee you its value will double in three years,” Hong said with confidence.

  “Such decisiveness! Mr. Hong is a real trooper,” Zhou mocked.

  “A powerful dragon can’t compete with the local snake lord. Ha ha.”

  Quietly observing the group, Xiaochuan and Yao Li could sense sparks flying.

  As he turned his head, Zhou spotted the officers and greeted them with a nod.

  Yao Li remained impassive, but Xiaochuan returned the greeting.

  But Zhou had no intention of speaking with them; instead, he waved at the reporters and left the meeting hall alone, leaving the crownless kings to crowd around Wu Shi and the other top executives behind him.

  The two officers were right behind Zhou, who climbed into a black Audi waiting at the entrance. The door slammed shut and the car quietly glided away from the club. Xiaochuan and Yao Li rushed to their blue-and-white Jetta. Xiaochuan turned the key, gunned the engine, and took off after Zhou’s black Audi.

  — 2 —

  That same afternoon, at the Y District Public Security Bureau, the entrance to the eight-story main building was guarded by two uniformed policemen.

  A vi
sitor signed in at the reception and headed for the elevator. He was wearing casual shoes, a black T-shirt, and a beige baseball cap. With his bronze tan, he looked like a member of a walking tour, an image enhanced by the white, red-strapped ESPN tote bag. “Cool” is the best way to describe him.

  Two uniformed female police officers gave him a second look in the hallway, but he ignored them and knocked on the door of room 808.

  Chief Wu, who was on the phone, called out, “Just a moment.” Then the door opened to reveal a smiling, honest-looking face.

  “I’m Nie Feng, a reporter for Western Sunshine,” the visitor said politely as he handed over his business card.

  “Ah, come in.”

  Taking the card, Chief Wu offered Nie Feng the sofa with a welcoming gesture before pouring him a cup of tea.

  “Propaganda Section Chief Jiang from the Provincial Bureau called. We’re happy to accommodate you.”

  “I’m completely ignorant of police work,” Nie said modestly. “I’d just like to know how the investigation is progressing.”

  “This is a complicated case, but we’re hard at work on it.”

  Nie told Chief Wu that time was an issue for him, since he must return to Chengdu within the week.

  “I know how tough a job you have, and we’ll tell you everything we can,” Chief Wu replied.

  True to his word, Chief Wu personally walked Nie Feng over to the sixth-floor crime squad office, where he met Team Leader Cui outside the conference room. Nie respectfully handed Cui his letter of introduction from the Provincial Security Bureau.

  Cui took a quick glance at the red official seal before fixing Nie with a meaningful gaze, as if to say, “Not bad, young man.” Or maybe it was a silent grumble, “So you’re here to show me up.”

  “I’ll appreciate any help Officer Cui can give.” Nie bowed and smiled, a typical Nie Feng gesture—respectful yet expansive.

  With awkwardness written all over his face, Cui was obviously feeling cornered, but could say nothing, not when Nie Feng was giving him no cause for offense.