"Sheep Sheep" is a casual game that went viral in the blink of an eye.

On the surface, the game is simple and easy to play—just find three matching symbols to clear them. In reality, you can’t lose the first level, but you can’t pass the second.

The “Sheep Got Sheep” phenomenon, when applied to investment promotion, reveals striking parallels.

One might assume that with a little talk and some legwork, reaching out to three or five hundred companies would easily meet the targets. Yet, after running from one venue to another and engaging in hit-and-run tactics, securing six or seven signed deals only leads to tears of regret upon reflection.

You can quit a game at any time. But the investment promotion campaign has no exit. Once you’ve committed, you must target precisely and ensure successful implementation.

To the uninitiated, investment promotion seems like this

Only you know the reality

Investment promotion is like a puzzle

Take one step, plan three

As a "match-3" game, you simply need to match three identical tiles to clear them. However, since the tiles that appear are random, you must complete a match within at least six moves to clear the level.

Additionally, the game features multiple layers. While clearing the first layer, observe the second and plan for the third—only by anticipating future moves can you maintain control of the game.

Isn’t investment promotion much the same?

Market conditions are unpredictable; you never know what the next “card” will be. To ensure a project’s successful implementation, you must think three steps ahead with every move.

On one hand, you must cultivate a long-term perspective and the ability to “look ten years ahead.”

Thinking in terms of “days” offers no clarity at all. When you shift to a “quarterly” perspective, certain trends begin to emerge. And when you adopt a “yearly” perspective, you can discern cyclical patterns.

The success of the “Hefei Model” stems from the local government’s precise grasp of future market trends and industrial development dynamics. Coupled with its geographical advantage of proximity to the Yangtze River Delta, it offers greater convenience in industrial relocation compared to inland provinces and cities, enabling the formation of a relatively complete industrial ecosystem.

On the other hand, adopting a holistic perspective requires understanding that there is no gain without sacrifice.

Local governments adhere to the principle of “sacrificing first to gain later.” By taking a broad view, considering the long-term perspective, and focusing on development, they strive to ensure investors profit—only then can they secure greater and more substantial benefits, ultimately achieving a win-win outcome.

Conversely, truly high-quality enterprises will not be drawn by “no-holds-barred” incentives; instead, they will value the quality of local services, particularly the spirit of contractual integrity and keeping one’s word.

What comes easiest

is the easiest to lose

This game gives people a visceral sense of being deceived.

Why is that?

The first level can be passed with your eyes closed; the second level has only a 0.01% chance of success—a losing battle from the start.

Once the competitive spirit is ignited, players fall into the designed “trap.” Victory seems within reach every time, but clearing the level is actually a distant dream.

The same applies to investment promotion. Some regions fail to attract legitimate businesses and instead end up with “fake companies.” Who bears responsibility for being deceived?

“Investment promotion” turning into “inviting trouble” is not an isolated case. In particular, when local governments seek to attract major enterprises, fearing that projects might fall through, they rush to sign agreements, losing their ability to discern, and ultimately fall into the “traps” set by others, becoming sitting ducks.

In many of these cases, foreign-funded enterprises receive preferential treatment over domestic ones—sometimes even within the same city.

A domestic enterprise seeking to invest and establish a site locally may struggle to meet with relevant officials, while a foreign enterprise bearing the “Fortune 500” label receives personal reception from leaders at all levels. Since officials at various levels often have only a superficial understanding of such enterprises, these “foreign firms” easily exploit the loopholes.

Therefore, some investors who pretend to be highly influential—yet whose company names, business sectors, and financial records are unclear—are most likely “speculators.”

Under any circumstances, attempting to accomplish a 10-billion-yuan project with only 100 million yuan in capital is either the act of a madman or a conspiracy. Investment promoters must learn to think critically and make sound judgments; otherwise, they risk getting caught in a trap without even realizing it.

In investment promotion, the “first line of defense” in project evaluation must never be compromised; do not let “sugar-coated bullets” blind you.

So how can you attract investment efficiently without ending up “hurt” instead?

Don’t worry! Use the [Investment Promotion Network] to call and contact companies directly.

Leverage big data for investment promotion, using intelligent matching to filter precise information. Behind the scenes, our professionals verify corporate identities; after companies submit genuine site selection requests, we conduct assessments and background checks, updating project details in real time.

Let go of preconceptions

If one door closes, another opens

Games like this often have a set success rate. When you see others succeed, even if the odds are low, you tend to think, “Since there’s a chance, I have to try.”

In reality, when attracting investment, it’s easy to see other regions engaging in venture capital or performance-based agreements and assume the model can be “replicated,” amplifying the urge to imitate.

For high-risk, long-term projects, people know they shouldn’t do them but do them anyway; they hit a brick wall, get bloodied, and still keep charging ahead. It’s like waiting for a ship at an airport or waiting for the sea to dry up and the rocks to crumble in the desert.

For major projects, there is indeed a “lead sheep effect.” Attracting or establishing a flagship project will draw a host of supporting projects to follow suit. Not only does this provide core competitiveness, but it also fosters the rise of an industrial cluster.

However, once the lead sheep starts moving, the rest will rush in en masse, completely oblivious to the possibility of wolves ahead or whether there is better pasture.

Hefei has built a systematic investment framework based on innovative thinking. Some regions have subsequently adopted the “Hefei Model,” blindly replicating it without regard for local conditions—especially amid the semiconductor industry boom, where failures are far from rare.

Economic conditions, leading industries, and corporate landscapes vary from region to region. If localities across the country rush to imitate this model without deeper consideration, merely engaging in superficial, blind trend-chasing, they will likely end up in failure—a perilous outcome!

Local investment promotion efforts should focus on solid, grounded work rather than pinning hopes on slim odds.

Some regions have “broken through” and emerged as “pioneers,” attracting a steady stream of “followers” to join the “herd.” However, just because the “pioneer” can reach a destination, does that mean the “herd” will necessarily follow?

The reality is far from certain. Most regions simply “go with the flow” and take a gamble, only to fail and end up as the “scapegoats.” It is crucial to understand that capital injection is not merely for investment attraction, but to drive the comprehensive development of a city’s industries.

Conclusion

Letting go is the key to success. We may have lost the game, but we’ve learned the lesson. Attracting investment is a difficult task, but it begins with the simple; major projects are built on attention to detail.