[Urban] The New Five Golden Flowers (Complete Version) - 34

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(Volume Nine) Chapter Four: Planning Ahead

Chapter Four: Planning
Ahead Friday, March 20, 1998
Xie Xiangjie of Haitian Entertainment City reviewed the reservation records for that evening, pointed to the most luxurious room, and asked the manager beside him, "Do you know who they're entertaining?"
The manager glanced at the records and replied, "No, they didn't say."
"Arrange for their prettiest and most alluring waitresses tonight."
"Boss, who are they? Why are you so concerned?"
"Don't worry about it, just do as they say." Xie Xiangjie didn't explain. "Also, notify me when the guests arrive."
"Yes!" The manager had no choice but to leave obsequiously and go to make the arrangements as Xie Xiangjie instructed.
Seeing the manager close the door, Xie Xiangjie leaned back in his executive chair, muttering, "As long as I keep them under control, I don't believe I can't beat you, Fang Zhenyu." It turned out that since Fang Zhenyu rescued Xiaomei from Haitian Entertainment City, his business had plummeted. Partly due to a lack of outstanding singers, and partly because a more luxurious entertainment city, Jinxiao Entertainment City, had opened in Linhai, his business had declined drastically. So, he simply closed down and renovated. Now, his business was booming again. However, he harbored a deep hatred for Fang Zhenyu, always believing that Fang Zhenyu had caused him to lose a large sum of money, and he always wanted to find an opportunity to avenge that humiliation.
Judging from the orders just now, the person coming here tonight was Ye Peidong, the CEO of Zhenhua Group. Xie Xiangjie had a considerable understanding of the political and economic circles in Linhai. He knew that Zhenhua Group was currently the only enterprise group in Linhai that could rival Dongfang Group. Moreover, Ye Peidong was a favorite of the new mayor, Yu Suibo. Since they were hosting a dinner at such a high-class venue tonight, even if it wasn't Yu Suibo, it must be some high-ranking figures. Therefore, he was determined to treat them well.
After resting with his eyes closed for half an hour, the manager finally returned, excitedly shouting, "Boss, the guests have arrived! It's Mayor Yu and Executive Director Li!"
"What's all the fuss about? I know, you can go now," Xie Xiangjie reprimanded the manager.
Although Xie Xiangjie reprimanded the manager for overreacting, he was actually very nervous. In his business, he naturally had a certain social foundation and dealt with many people, including many important figures, but he had never reached the level of a deputy mayor. Now, he was going to deal with the mayor, so he naturally had to proceed with caution. He suppressed the urge to go immediately, pondering what to use as an entry point, because he knew that people coming here weren't just there for enjoyment; they must have business to attend to.
After waiting a full three hours, Xie Xiangjie felt it was about time and finally headed towards the luxurious private room.
"Hehe, Mr. Ye, you're a rare and distinguished guest! Welcome to our Haitian Entertainment City!" Xie Xiangjie was led into the private room by a waiter and warmly shook hands with Ye Peidong.
Ye Peidong also recognized Xie Xiangjie and immediately smiled, "You, Boss Xie, have made this place so nice; I couldn't refuse."
"Aren't you going to introduce your guests to me? Hmm..." Xie Xiangjie pretended to have just recognized Yu Suibo's Li Xiaokang.
"This is Boss Yu, and this is Boss Li. Boss Xie, if you take good care of these two guests, you'll be rolling in money." Ye Peidong stopped him, preventing him from revealing Yu Suibo and Li Xiaokang's official titles.
"Of course, if there's anything lacking in our entertainment center's service, please let us know, and we'll definitely correct it. Tonight, consider it my treat. Here, waiter, bring a bottle of XO."
The waiter responded and went out. Yu Suibo didn't stop him, but just smiled and said, "Boss Xie, there's really no need to be so polite."
"Yes, yes, it's not about being polite. With three distinguished guests like you, how could Haitian not thrive?" Xie Xiangjie seemed very enthusiastic.
"Boss Xie, you're so generous. Okay, I'll come here to enjoy myself next time." Yu Suibo smiled.
"Welcome, welcome!" Xie Xiangjie said repeatedly. The waiter quickly brought the wine and poured it for the group. Xie Xiangjie raised his glass and said, "Thank you for your hospitality. I'd like to toast you all."
"How can that be? One at a time." Ye Peidong said.
"Alright, I'll toast you this time, and then one after another." Xie Xiangjie said heartily. Sure enough, after drinking one glass, he toasted Yu, Li, and Ye in that order. After finishing his toast, he said, "Alright, I won't bother you any longer. You go ahead with your work." He then turned to leave.
"Boss Xie, we're fine. Why don't you stay and chat with us?" Yu Suibo invited with a smile, appearing very approachable.
"I'm afraid it might be inconvenient," Xie Xiangjie said, somewhat flattered.
"It's alright, we just came here to have a drink and chat," Li Xiaokang added.
Xie Xiangjie then sat down. In his plan, just being able to greet the two men today would be a good thing; now he was actually chatting and drinking with them. It seemed that developing a relationship in the future wouldn't be difficult. So, he used all his skills to please these two big bosses.
Having just met them, and not knowing their temperaments, Xie Xiangjie didn't dare say too much. He simply listened to them while diligently attending to their needs, doing what a waiter should do. Of course, he didn't dare offer the full range of services from the pretty waitresses.
Although he was sweating profusely, Xie Xiangjie's mood tonight was better than ever!
On Sunday, March 22, 1998, Zhan
Dajun and Qiao Jiaxin, carrying their child, followed Jiang Wenying up to the third floor. Seeing everything was spotless, they gratefully said to Jiang Wenying, "Sister Ying, thank you so much for these past two years. You've made this place look like it's always occupied."
Jiang Wenying gave Zhan Dajun a playful glare and said, "When did you become so polite? Even if you treated the shop like it was a gift, just because we're sisters, I have to keep your place clean."
Zhan Dajun told Qiao Jiaxin to take the child to rest, then looked around and laughed, "Looks like I was wrong. This isn't just my home, it's many people's home, isn't it?"
Jiang Wenying blushed and said, "You know that's good."
"Tell me, does he come here often?"
Jiang Wenying sighed and said, "How could that be? Even if he had time, he couldn't possibly come all the time. He only stays for a night or two when Xiaoying and Suling come."
"And what about you?" Zhan Dajun looked at her ambiguously.
Jiang Wenying shook her head and said, "Of course I can't escape either. But my husband is often here, so it's really not easy to be with him. Besides, it's not advisable to do this kind of thing too often."
"Really? You can tolerate it?"
"Let's not talk about this. Tell me, does he know you're back? Should I call him?" Jiang Wenying changed the subject.
"No need, he already knows. After work, he came over with Sister Fang and Sister Mei. I think you should go get me some food first."
"Okay. You rest for a bit." Jiang Wenying said, and then went out.
"Sister Dajun, is she also one of our sisters?" Qiao Jiaxin asked, watching Jiang Wenying's back.
"Yes!" Zhan Dajun was a little helpless. Although she had pulled Jiang Wenying into Fang Zhenyu's group of lovers, she wasn't really willing. She only did it for convenience.
"He's really too strong." Qiao Jiaxin reminisced about the happiness Fang Zhenyu had brought her. Originally, Zhan Dajun didn't plan to bring her back with him, but she simply quit her job in Hong Kong, saying she wanted to develop her career in Linhai. Zhan Dajun understood her intentions, so he had no choice but to bring her along to fulfill her longing for him.
Zhan Dajun looked at her and warned, "Jiaxin, this isn't like Hong Kong. You have to be careful. If people find out, his future will be ruined."
"Don't worry, Sister Dajun, I'll control myself," Qiao Jiaxin replied.
Zhan Dajun told Qiao Jiaxin to go inside and take care of the child while he packed the luggage he had brought back. After a while, someone knocked on the door. When they opened it, it was Ning Yufang and Tan Chunmei, followed by Fang Zhenyu, of course. As soon as the door closed, Ning Yufang laughed and said, "Dajun, I've brought him to you. You can punish him however you want."
Originally, when Zhan Dajun told Fang Zhenyu about his return date, Fang Zhenyu said he would come to pick her up, but today Fang Zhenyu had something urgent to attend to and didn't go. On the phone, he said he would let Zhan Dajun punish him as he pleased. However, as soon as she saw Fang Zhenyu, Zhan Dajun forgot everything, cried out "Zhenyu!", and threw herself into Fang Zhenyu's arms.
Fang Zhenyu held her tightly, lifting her head and gazing at her somewhat haggard face. He said with heartache, "Dajun, you've worked so hard." Then he kissed her deeply.
Indeed, from before the Spring Festival until now, Zhan Dajun had been incredibly busy, showing Xu Xiangjun and Jiang Yongqi around Hong Kong and participating in preparations for the company's IPO. But Fang Zhenyu's embrace and that passionate kiss made it all worthwhile. Their lips parted, but she remained close to Fang Zhenyu, saying, "I just missed you so much." Her longing was palpable.
"From now on, I won't let you leave me again," Fang Zhenyu said tenderly. Of all his lovers, Zhan Dajun was the one he was sure he would spend his life with. He naturally wanted her to stay by his side often, but for the sake of his career, she had to wander far from home, and she had raised two well-behaved children for him. "What about our children? Are they alright?" he asked.
For most women, their daughters always matter more than themselves, and Zhan Dajun was no exception. Upon hearing Fang Zhenyu ask about their children, she broke free from his embrace, took his hand, and led him towards the guest room, excitedly saying, "They're doing very well."
Fang Zhenyu, feeling a pang of disappointment at the loss of his beautiful wife, couldn't help but say, "It seems I'm not as good as Xiaohua and Xiaoling." Zhan Dajun
laughed, "Of course! How could someone like you be relied on? It's better to have children to provide for you in your old age."
Ning Yufang nudged him from behind, laughing, "How pathetic! You're actually jealous of your own children!"
They had already reached the guest room. The two children, exhausted from their journey, were already asleep. Qiao Jiaxin was beside them. Seeing Fang Zhenyu, although she was also excited, she could only gaze at him tenderly so as not to wake the children. Fang Zhenyu went over and kissed her delicate cheek, holding her hand tightly, his eyes filled with affection, warming Qiao Jiaxin's heart.
Seeing their state, Ning Yufang whispered, "Let's go to the bedroom."
Fang Zhenyu kissed Qiao Jiaxin again and whispered, "You come too." Then he turned around and led Zhan Dajun to the bedroom.
"Yu." This time, Zhan Dajun couldn't hold back any longer, tightly embracing Fang Zhenyu, offering his lips while exploring her body. It had been more than half a year since their last intimate encounter. On the way back, she often thought about the pleasure Fang Zhenyu brought her. Just now, she had only restrained herself because of their children.
"Jun." Fang Zhenyu did not disappoint her, beginning to soothe her long-lonely heart. Ning Yufang and Tan Chunmei exchanged a smile and went to help Fang Zhenyu in his evil deeds. Before long, the three of them placed Zhan Dajun naked on the bed, allowing Fang Zhenyu to give him the deepest caresses. Immediately, Zhan Dajun's pleasurable moans echoed in the bedroom. At this moment, Qiao Jiaxin also entered. Ning Yufang gave Tan Chunmei a wink, signaling her to stay with them, and then left.
Under Fang Zhenyu's fierce onslaught, Zhan Dajun's pent-up desire was finally released. He collapsed onto the bed, enjoying the afterglow of Tan Chunmei's caresses, while hearing Qiao Jiaxin's moans, no less passionate than his own. He felt an inexplicable reverence for his man, deeply grateful to have such a good husband, even if it was a secret affair. When Fang Zhenyu entered her again, bringing her to another climax and releasing his essence inside her, she murmured, "Yu, it's so wonderful to be your woman!"
"To have women as beautiful and talented as you, I am truly happy!" Fang Zhenyu said sincerely. He withdrew from Zhan Dajun and embraced all three beauties.
The four caressed each other, whispering sweet nothings. Fang Zhenyu's penis slowly rose again. If Ning Yufang hadn't reminded them it was time for dinner, another battle might have ensued.
After washing up, the four returned to the dining room. Ning Yufang and Jiang Wenying had already prepared the food. Jiang Wenying laughed at Zhan Dajun, "I thought we didn't need to eat dinner after having soy milk and fried dough sticks!"
Zhan Dajun didn't take her teasing to heart. He pulled her close and pushed her into Fang Zhenyu's arms, saying, "Don't worry, there's plenty of soy milk and fried dough sticks. You'll have something to eat
later." Fang Zhenyu knew that if they continued their playful antics, they might not be able to eat, so he said, "Come on, you've worked hard. Let me toast you." He raised his glass, which was filled with wine.
The women stopped their playful antics and raised their glasses.
"Yu, about the listing..." After drinking and sitting down, Zhan Dajun wanted to talk about company matters.
Fang Zhenyu stopped him, saying, "We can talk about business tomorrow. Tonight, let's have some fun." With that, he launched his attack on the women, starting with alcohol, of course. But alcohol is the matchmaker for lust, and what came next was obvious.
Tuesday, March 24, 1998, at the port.
"Zhenyu, you're really capable!" As soon as the door closed, Zhan Dajun threw herself into Fang Zhenyu's arms, praising him sincerely.
Hong Min, who had just closed the door and turned back, laughed, "If he wasn't capable, could he have tamed a wealthy little hussy like you?"
"Do you even need to tell me? You're the same." Zhan Dajun turned back and glared at Hong Min, saying, "He's saying that in just six months, the port has changed dramatically."
It's no wonder Zhan Dajun said that. She had only spent one night partying with Fang Zhenyu in the city, and yesterday she came to the port to welcome the financial experts from Hong Kong who were preparing for the listing of the Development and Investment Corporation. Today, she accompanied the experts on a tour of the port and saw that it had developed even more than when she last left. The entire port area presented a prosperous scene. Having witnessed the depression in Hong Kong caused by the Southeast Asian financial crisis, she naturally admired Fang Zhenyu even more for the port's current scale.
At this point, Hong Min was naturally speechless, as she knew how much the port had changed.
Fang Zhenyu reached into Zhan Dajun's arms, kneading her large, soft breasts, and laughed, "I've been working so hard these past two days, can't I satisfy your little mouth?"
"I wouldn't dare, you should go find your mistress." Zhan Dajun quickly pushed Fang Zhenyu towards Hong Min. For two nights in a row, she had received immense satisfaction from Fang Zhenyu, and now her body couldn't take it anymore.
Fang Zhenyu chuckled, walked into the lounge, lay down on the bed, and said, "I thought this wouldn't be enough to satisfy you!"
"I know how good you are now." Zhan Dajun said, walking over with Hong Min to massage him. But she dared not touch his sensitive areas.
Fang Zhenyu smiled smugly, put his arms around the two women's slender waists, and said, "Alright, let's talk about the listing. What do you think of the experts' opinions?"
When it came to serious matters, the two women, though still holding Fang Zhenyu's hands, became serious. After a long while, Zhan Dajun said, "I think the experts are very right. Going public in the current weak market might be a bit disadvantageous for our company, but the company's development has reached a bottleneck. If we don't find ways to increase financing, the company's development will stagnate. Besides, the financial crisis has basically passed, the market has begun to recover, and the stock market is gradually stabilizing."
"Sister Dajun is right. Going public now, although it involves certain risks, when in business is there no risk? Going public to raise funds and align with the world is imperative." Hong Min also agreed with Zhan Dajun's point of view.
Fang Zhenyu also pondered for a long time before finally deciding, "Alright, starting tomorrow, we will formally conduct a comprehensive review of the listing." Originally, Fang Zhenyu's intention was to go public as soon as possible, but there was a group of people in the city who suggested postponing the listing for the time being, citing the current sluggish stock market.
“That’s how it should be,” Hong Min said. “If you don’t get on the IPO now, you might not have a choice later.”
“Really?” Fang Zhenyu said reluctantly.
“What’s going on?” Zhan Dajun heard them talking like this, and it seemed that Fang Zhenyu was facing some kind of crisis.
Hong Min glared at Fang Zhenyu and said to Zhan Dajun, “There have been a lot of personnel changes in Linhai recently, and they’re all unfavorable to him. I’m really worried that after Secretary Zhong leaves, he won’t be able to remain the chairman.” Then, she told Zhan Dajun about the situation in Linhai.
Zhan Dajun, being from the mainland, naturally knew about things happening there. Moreover, she had witnessed the political changes in Hong Kong's market after its return to China. She said, "Zhenyu, we can't be too careful about what Hong Min said."
Actually, Zhong Yuguang had already told Fang Zhenyu about this, and judging from Yu Suibo's attitude towards him recently, what Hong Min said was highly likely. However, Fang Zhenyu didn't take it to heart. Seeing the two women so nervous, he smiled and said, "Being the chairman is too much work. Whether I accept it or not, it doesn't matter much to me."
Although Zhan Dajun had been away from Fang Zhenyu for so long, she had worked and lived with him for a considerable time and understood him well. She was very perceptive and knew he wasn't interested in politics. However, she understood Fang Zhenyu's importance to Linhai Port, and she knew even more that if something happened to Fang Zhenyu, she and the group of women who followed him would definitely not have a good life. So she said, "Of course you're fine, but what about us? We're still waiting for you to support our families. Even if you don't think about us, there's Song Bin, Qian Daixin, and the others. They've followed you for so long, and now they're old. You don't think the new chairman will value them as much as you do, do you?"
Fang Zhenyu had considered these things, but he had his own thoughts, so he didn't take Zhan Dajun's words to heart.
Seeing Fang Zhenyu's expression, Hong Min said, "Even if you don't consider all of this, shouldn't you at least think about the port? I remember you once told me that the reason you abandoned your printing factory and came to this difficult place was to build an international port for the people of Linhai. Aren't you afraid that the person who takes over will use their power for personal gain? Aren't you worried that the business you've worked so hard to build will be ruined?"
"Of course I'm worried." Hong Min's words jolted Fang Zhenyu awake. All along, he had thought that whoever took over his job would do their best to build the port, and that would be enough. He hadn't considered that others might not be as dedicated to the port's construction as he was.
Seeing Fang Zhenyu's moved expression, Zhan Dajun couldn't help but look at Hong Min. Although she knew that every girl around Fang Zhenyu was quite capable and had a deep understanding of him, she hadn't expected Hong Min to understand him so well, knowing how to move him through his career. Perhaps it was because of their child; she was more concerned about Fang Zhenyu's family.
Hong Min's next words surprised them even more. She said, "Not only do we need to be careful about the port, but we can't let our guard down with the Oriental Group either."
"With Chunmei and Changlin around, what could possibly happen to Oriental?" Fang Zhenyu asked.
"Think about it. Although you're the chairman of the Oriental Group, you're not the largest shareholder. It wouldn't be difficult for them to force you to step down. If you do, can Secretary Chen and Sister Chunmei hold on?"
"That's right!" Zhan Dajun exclaimed. She knew about the Oriental Group too. Fang Zhenyu only owned 35% of it; 40% was held by the state, and the remaining 25% was in the hands of the workers. In other words, Fang Zhenyu's position as chairman wasn't rock-solid.
Fang Zhenyu knew his situation, but he hadn't thought about it that deeply. Hearing Hong Min's words, he became worried. The Oriental Group was his lifeline; if he lost even the Oriental Group, he would have no way out. He knew the two women were worried about him, so he rallied, kissed each of them on the cheek, and said, "Don't worry, I know what to do."
The two women also knew that with Fang Zhenyu's intelligence, he could handle the situation perfectly well, so they didn't bring it up again. Zhan Dajun massaged Fang Zhenyu's strong chest, thinking how happy a woman would be to lean against such a broad chest and enjoy his tenderness. She couldn't help but look at Hong Min, who was gently massaging Fang Zhenyu's thigh. Thinking that Hong Min hadn't been by Fang Zhenyu's side for long, yet had provided him with immense help at the port and even taken notice of the Eastern Group's affairs, she could imagine the depth of her affection for him. She smiled and said, "Hong Min, after you graduate, no matter the cost, I will bring you back to his side."
Hong Min didn't stop, but gave Zhan Dajun a bitter smile: "Do you think I can leave him?"
Seeing the two women's deep affection for him, Fang Zhenyu was deeply moved. He immediately said to them, "You two should rest too, or I won't let you off the hook!"
The two women understood what "won't let you off the hook" meant, so they stopped massaging, nestled close to Fang Zhenyu's chest, and closed their eyes.
On Saturday, March 28, 1998, at Chen Xiangdong's home,
Chen Xiangdong returned home to find Chen Bingbing holding her daughter in the living room watching TV. He put down his briefcase and took his granddaughter.
Chen Bingbing put her briefcase away and asked, "Dad, are you still so busy on a Saturday?"
While playing with his granddaughter, Chen Xiangdong replied, "Yes, I used to be too busy with mundane matters and didn't understand the situation at the grassroots level. Now it's a good time to do some research."
"You're almost retired, why are you still so busy?"
"How can I not be busy? Your port makes me feel like I'm falling behind. By the way, Bingbing, you're doing a great job at the port." Chen Xiangdong rarely praised his daughter, but this time, hearing everyone praising Chen Bingbing, he couldn't help but compliment her.
"Compared to others, I'm far inferior." Although Chen Bingbing was a little embarrassed, she felt deeply proud, after all, she had indeed contributed to the development of the port. Now, she's a section chief in the district's finance bureau, and she truly earned that position through her own hard work.
"Where's your mother?" Chen Xiangdong didn't talk to his daughter about work anymore. Realizing he hadn't seen his wife after being back for so long, he asked.
"I'm here!" Chen Xiangdong had barely finished speaking when he heard his wife's voice coming from Chen Bingbing's old apartment.
"What are you doing there?" Chen Xiangdong couldn't help but walk over.
His mother was tidying the bed inside. Seeing him carrying his granddaughter and about to enter, she stopped him, saying, "Don't come in, don't choke Leilei." Seeing Chen Xiangdong stop, she said, "Bingbing and her daughter are moving back in. Can't you tidy up a bit?"
"Bingbing is moving back in? Why?" Chen Xiangdong was utterly puzzled, staring wide-eyed at Chen Bingbing.
"Dad, Ye Peidong and I are divorced!" Chen Bingbing said, meeting her father's gaze.
"How could you divorce so easily?" Chen Xiangdong was somewhat bewildered by the young couple's situation. He knew Ye Peidong and Chen Bingbing's relationship wasn't good, but he never imagined it would escalate to divorce. In his opinion, unless absolutely necessary, it was best to stay together.
"His heart wasn't with me at all," Chen Bingbing said somewhat indignantly.
"No, I think he still cares a lot about Leilei."
"He only cares about Leilei."
"Should Dad say something to him?"
"Dad, no need, I don't want to get angry with him."
"Sigh, I can't interfere in your young people's affairs. You handle it yourself," Chen Xiangdong shook his head.
"Actually, even if you did, it wouldn't make any difference. Do you think he'd still listen to you?" Chen Bingbing said.
"He should at least give me some face, shouldn't he?"
"Face? If he cared about your face, he wouldn't be flirting with another woman in front of our daughter." Chen's mother came out after tidying the bedding, looking very angry. Clearly, she knew quite a bit about her daughter's affairs.
As a man, Chen Xiangdong naturally knew that most problems between couples stemmed from infidelity. Although he somewhat despised men who didn't love their families, he wasn't entirely on the right side himself, so he didn't dare say much about it. He asked his daughter, "So, do you really want to raise Leilei yourself?"
"Of course, it's not like I can't afford to raise her. At least Leilei has her mother to help take care of her, and besides..." Chen Bingbing almost blurted out that Leilei wasn't Ye Peidong's biological child, but thankfully she stopped herself in time.
Chen Xiangdong sensed something was amiss and asked, "Besides what?"
Chen Bingbing tensed up and quickly changed the subject, saying, "You don't care about 'besides what,' but Dad, you need to be careful. Now Ye Peidong not only doesn't respect you, but he's also getting very close to that Yu Suibo."
"Sigh, these days, who doesn't gravitate towards power? Dad doesn't have that much power anymore."
"It's just that I'm afraid someone like him will betray you after using you."
Chen Xiangdong was a little nervous. Although Ye Peidong didn't know much about him, just his relationship with Chen Chunyan, if leaked, could make him very unlucky. Before, he was still Ye Peidong's father-in-law, but now that his daughter was divorced, just as she said, would he still respect him and keep his secrets? Of course, he wouldn't show his unease, but said, "So what if he really betrays me after using me? I haven't done anything shameful."
"Yes, your father has always been an honest official, what's there to be afraid of?" Chen's mother also said.
Chen Bingbing worked at the port and was close to Xu Xiangjun, Shi Xiaoyan, and others. She overheard many discussions about her father and knew a little about his affairs. She knew that Xu Xiangjun and the others wouldn't speak ill of someone lightly, so she was certain her father had another woman. But seeing her parents' comments, she felt embarrassed to say anything more and simply said, "Dad, someone like him is capable of anything. Whether something happens or not, we should still be careful."
Chen Xiangdong knew Ye Peidong quite well and knew his daughter was right, but what could he say? He handed his granddaughter to his wife and said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine." Then he went back to his study. He needed to think carefully about how to respond if Ye Peidong really confronted him.
"Bing'er, is your father alright?" Although she had been very certain earlier, seeing Chen Xiangdong's state, his mother couldn't help but worry.
Seeing Ye Peidong's indiscretions with other women, and reflecting on her own relationship with Fang Zhenyu, Chen Bingbing had become quite indifferent to matters of the heart. Not wanting her mother to worry about her father, she said, "Mom, don't worry, Dad's fine. Even if something happens, he can handle it."
"Sigh, he's so old. I hope nothing bad happens to him. That damned Ye Peidong, how could he do this?" Chen's mother, remembering her daughter's grievances, couldn't help but curse Ye Peidong.
Thursday, April 2, 1998, at Long Zhongxiang's house
: "Jiaojiao, come in, Dad wants to talk to you." Long Zhongxiang called to his daughter, who had just returned from outside, from his study.
"Dad, is something wrong?" Long Jiaojiao asked somewhat reluctantly.
"Can't we, father and daughter, talk if there's nothing wrong?" Long Zhongxiang said somewhat displeased.
Long Jiaojiao quickly put on a smile and said, "Of course you can. Dad, I want to take a shower first, is that okay?" She had just returned from being intimate with Ye Peidong, her body still sticky, and she was afraid her father would smell the scent of their lovemaking.
"Go on, Dad will wait for you."
Long Jiaojiao quickly returned to her bedroom, thoroughly washed herself, and then put on her pajamas before going to her father's study. Although she was very decisive in public, she still respected her father quite a bit.
"Sit down," Long Zhongxiang gestured to the chair opposite him.
Long Jiaojiao sat down and looked at her father, asking, "Dad, what do you want to talk to me about?" Usually, her father didn't interfere in her affairs, so she had thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out what he wanted to say to her.
Long Zhongxiang was carefully observing his daughter. She exuded a fresh, clean beauty, and even though she was sitting, her soft pajamas revealed the full figure of a mature woman. A faint blush graced her beautiful face. Long Zhongxiang, being an experienced man, could see that the blush revealed a kind of springtime pleasure after physical satisfaction. His daughter had grown up, he thought to himself. Hearing Long Jiaojiao's question, he paused for a moment, then said, "Jiaojiao, you're all grown up now. Your personal matters are usually none of my business, but it's best if you're careful."
Hearing her father's words, Long Jiaojiao knew what he wanted to say. She said, "Dad, just tell me what's on your mind."
Long Zhongxiang pondered for a moment, then said, "Alright, I'll be frank then. I heard that your relationship with your boss is very close, going beyond that of boss and employee. Isn't that inappropriate?"
"I...I don't think there's anything wrong with it," Long Jiaojiao said boldly, though her voice was soft.
"That's true. Ye Peidong is indeed a capable man, but he already has a wife, and she's the daughter of the mayor of a city. What do you think you can get from him?"
"I...I can get everything from him!" After a moment's hesitation, Long Jiaojiao said with absolute certainty. It's no wonder she was so confident; just now, Ye Peidong had told her that he and Chen Bingbing had divorced.
"Everything?" Long Zhongxiang frowned.
“Yes!” Long Jiaojiao was full of confidence. Ever since Ye Peidong had tried to seduce her, she had thoroughly investigated him and knew exactly what kind of person he was. She knew how to win him over. She said, “They’re divorced. Chen Bingbing is no longer his wife. Besides, Chen Xiangdong is no longer the mayor.”
“Bingbing and Ye Peidong are divorced?” Long Zhongxiang was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Ye Peidong to act so quickly. Chen Xiangdong had only just left the mayor’s position when he abandoned Chen Bingbing. But what was so good about his daughter that made him interested? He couldn’t help but worry even more about his daughter. He said, “You like him even though he’s so fickle?”
“He’s not fickle. It’s all Chen Bingbing’s fault for betraying him,” Long Jiaojiao defended Ye Peidong.
"What's wrong with Bingbing?" After all, he was Chen Xiangdong's old subordinate, and Long Zhongxiang had always been very concerned about Chen Xiangdong's family. However, in recent years, he had not done a good job at work, while Yang Mingji, Liu Yandong and others had done very well. He had been less close to Chen Xiangdong. To be honest, he was a little ashamed to see Chen Xiangdong.
"It's nothing," Long Jiaojiao said calmly. Knowing her father didn't like talking behind people's backs, she stopped there and said, "These days, divorce isn't a normal thing."
"But you shouldn't have gotten involved. Being a third party isn't a good thing, especially since your Uncle Chen treats us quite well!"
"What do you mean 'quite well'? He only likes people who flatter him, like Yang Mingji and Liu Yandong. Look at Liu Yandong, what does he have that you don't, yet he's so powerful and influential. And you? You're always stuck in that insignificant corporate bureau, unable to find a new place. And look at Zhang Shupei, he's been with Chen Xiangdong for quite a while now, but because he doesn't know how to flatter, he's been labeled a 'proxy' for almost two years, and they still haven't gotten rid of it." Long Jiaojiao spoke eloquently, as if the person in front of her was just a greenhorn.
"Jiaojiao, you're not allowed to talk about Uncle Chen like that. He's not the kind of person you're describing." Long Zhongxiang had followed Chen Xiangdong for over ten years and knew Chen Xiangdong's character quite well. He knew that he himself hadn't been able to manage the Enterprise Bureau well, which was why he couldn't achieve the same success as Yang Mingji and his colleagues. Besides, he also knew that Yang Mingji hadn't risen through the ranks because of Chen Xiangdong.
A mocking look flashed across Long Jiaojiao's face as she said, "Maybe he's not that kind of person, but he's a has-been. You'll see, in less than two years, nobody in Linhai will remember him. Smart people are all choosing to align themselves with Yu Suibo now."
"Mayor Yu?"
"Yes, look at Zhang Shupei, he's only been aligned with him for a few days, and he's already dropped the 'adopted' part."
Long Zhongxiang was a timid man. Although he knew that Zhang Shupei's promotion wasn't simply due to aligning himself with Yu Suibo, seeing his daughter's certainty, he didn't argue with her. Instead, he said, "Forget it, you young people have your opinions. I'm old, I don't care about your affairs. But since you want to be with him, get the paperwork done. I don't want people gossiping about you and your mother."
"Dad, don't worry, I will. I promise he'll treat you, his father-in-law, with utmost respect. If things go well, getting you a better position won't be difficult."
“I don’t want him to pull any tricks on me, as long as he’s good to you, that’s enough. It’s late, go back to sleep.” Long Zhongxiang seemed exhausted.
“Okay then, Dad, you should rest early too.” After talking to her father about her and Ye Peidong, Long Jiaojiao felt relieved. She said “Goodnight” to her father and went back to her room, quickly falling asleep.
Long Zhongxiang, however, wasn’t so comfortable. He stayed in the study for hours, and even after returning to his room, he couldn’t sleep, his mind filled with thoughts of his daughter.
On Friday, April 10, 1998, Fang Zhenyu
saw his parents off at the Fang family mansion. Before he could even close the door, Ouyang Ruoli threw herself into Fang Zhenyu's arms, tilting her head back and gazing at him with her dark, amorous eyes. She said in a coquettish voice, "Good teacher, good lover, I've helped you, haven't I? How will you reward me?"
Fang Zhenyu, seeing that Lan Ruomei had closed the door, wrapped one arm around her slender waist and pulled her firm, round buttocks towards his lower body. His eyes lingered on her deep cleavage for a long time before he kissed her lips and smiled, "Tell me, how should I reward you?"
Ouyang Ruoli knew exactly what he was looking at. It was a hot day, and she had changed into her summer police uniform, which was issued last year. After being "nurtured" by Fang Zhenyu, Ouyang Ruoli had become even more mature and voluptuous, making her already high breasts even more prominent. She understood the meaning behind Fang Zhenyu's words. She didn't know if she was being too lewd. Every time she was with Fang Zhenyu, all she could think about was sex. She had almost forgotten that coming to Linhai and sleeping with Fang Zhenyu was to get revenge on Zeng Hua. Hearing Fang Zhenyu's words, she couldn't help but shyly push him away, laughing and scolding, "You bad boy, do you think I only think about that kind of thing?"
Lan Ruomei had just turned around and hugged her, her jade hand grasping her breasts, laughing, "What else can you think about besides that kind of thing?"
"Ah." Ouyang Ruoliu, who had already been aroused, immediately went limp and could only hug Lan Ruomei tightly, moaning, "And you're still talking about me, aren't you the same?"
Fang Zhenyu watched from the side with a smile, without saying a word. Hong Min, watching the two women playfully bickering for a while, finally said, "I'm going to help Sister Fen prepare the food. If you really want to, hurry up and go upstairs; he won't have time tonight."
Ouyang Ruoliu certainly wanted to. Her parents had been in Linhai for almost a week, and she had to spend time with them every day. Although she was often with Fang Zhenyu, she couldn't find an opportunity to be intimate. After hearing Hong Min's words, she disregarded her shyness and, along with Lan Ruomei, escorted Fang Zhenyu upstairs. She knew Fang Zhenyu's work schedule for the evening, and she herself happened to have to return to the port for her shift.
Fang Zhenyu was also extremely fond of these two policewomen. In the elevator, he began to grope them. By the time they returned to the study, the two women were already bare-breasted and panting heavily. He pressed Ouyang Ruoliu onto the sofa, his large hand reaching into her wet, gushing vulva to knead it, saying, "Ruoliu, come on, let me reward you properly!"
"Come on, I'm waiting," Ouyang Ruoliu cried out wantonly, frantically removing Fang Zhenyu's clothes, her round buttocks thrusting upwards powerfully to meet Fang Zhenyu's fingers.
Lan Ruomei, though also burning with desire, couldn't help but shake her head and smile bitterly at Ouyang Ruoliu's wanton state, and went to help the two disarm themselves. She sighed inwardly; hadn't she herself thought of pleasure with Fang Zhenyu whenever she saw him? And who could imagine that two policewomen, cold and aloof in the police force, would writhe and moan beneath the same man, displaying a wantonness that would make even prostitutes blush?
Fang Zhenyu swiftly filled Ouyang Ruoliu's emptiness, powerfully and repeatedly stimulating her soul with waves of love, eliciting moans of pleasure. Watching the woman beneath him gradually soften, her skin glowing like a rosy hue, he felt a surge of masculine conquest. Ouyang
Ruoliu also felt the man's love and wholeheartedly reciprocated, seeking even greater pleasure. She loved being conquered by him, having forgotten her boyfriend in Guiyang who deeply loved her. That's why she had so desperately tried to persuade her father to invest in Linhai, even hoping he would relocate his business there. Today, her father had already signed a preliminary agreement with this man; it seemed her goal was about to be achieved.
As Ouyang Ruoliu's good friend, Lan Ruomei knew Ouyang Ruoliu's thoughts and Fang Zhenyu's intentions. Therefore, despite being tormented by desire herself, she endured it until Ouyang Ruoliu was completely satisfied before joining the fray.
A frenzied battle continued until Hong Min came to call them for dinner. After Fang Zhenyu brought the two limp and weak women to the dinner table, everyone began to discuss the specific operational methods of the agreement signed with Ouyang. However, in this setting of one man and four women, this discussion quickly came to an end, replaced by even more erotic entertainment, leaving Fang Zhenyu with only a wry smile. In the end, he had no choice but to hand over the task of writing the plan to Hong Min.
Hong Min was one of the drafters of the agreement and was very familiar with its contents. She also knew that Fang Zhenyu's cooperation with the Ouyang family was to prevent the change of power in the Oriental Group. This problem was raised by her, so she spent a lot of effort studying how to crack it. Entrusting the task to her was making the best use of her talents.

(Volume Nine) Chapter Five: Dark Clouds Gather

Chapter Five: Dark Clouds Gather
Thursday, April 16, 1998 In the city,
He Weiqiang, slightly drunk, came out of Ding Daliang's house, muttering, "What is this? He actually forgot how I helped him before, and now he's pretending to be serious in front of me?"
Since being expelled from the Dongfang Printing Factory, He Weiqiang tried to find several jobs, but none of them worked out. Initially, thanks to his previous printing experience, he could still get some work from other printing factories and earn a small commission. However, after the establishment of the Printing Association, the commissions disappeared. In the end, he could only wander around, doing whatever work seemed suitable. When he had nothing to do, he would go back to his wife and ask for money. Fortunately, his wife was frugal and had saved all the money he had earned, which allowed him to live a decent life for the past few years. Of course, his former glory was gone forever.
However, he never examined why he acted this way, harboring deep resentment towards Fang Zhenyu. He believed Fang Zhenyu was the reason he had become this way, so he paid close attention to everything that happened at the Dongfang Printing Factory. Whether it was accusations of Fang Zhenyu persecuting cadres or embezzling port construction funds, he believed it was all fabricated through Ding Daliang. Although he couldn't actually do anything to Fang Zhenyu, seeing Fang Zhenyu busy dealing with the situation pleased him, leading him to become even more concerned about the Dongfang Printing Factory.
After the Dongfang Group went public, He Weiqiang could no longer find any leverage against the Dongfang Printing Factory. Just when he was feeling disheartened, he discovered that Fang Zhenyu wasn't the largest shareholder of the Dongfang Group. With some effort, even if he couldn't remove Fang Zhenyu from the chairman's position, he could at least make things difficult for him. However, when he told Ding Daliang about this, Ding Daliang was very indifferent, saying he no longer wanted to deal with such matters and only wanted to find ways to make more money. Hearing Ding Daliang's words, He Weiqiang was naturally furious. Ding Daliang invited him to stay for lunch. He initially wanted to refuse, but then he thought that he hadn't had good food and wine in a long time, so why bother his stomach? He stayed and drank a bottle of Wuliangye with Ding Daliang.
Little did he know that Ding Daliang didn't want to deal with Fang Zhenyu; it was just that his brother-in-law, Chen Xiangdong, had already sided with Fang Zhenyu, and no matter what he said to Chen Xiangdong, he wouldn't listen.
He Weiqiang turned the street corner, heading towards his home, when he saw a very beautiful woman and Tan Chunmei emerge from a small building. Each of them was carrying a child, and a little girl followed behind. Tan Chunmei's familiar voice came from the other side: "Dajun, Xiaohua is looking more and more like Zhenyu. Aren't you worried at all?"
"What's there to worry about? It's not a crime for people to look alike." It was the beautiful woman's voice.
He Weiqiang recognized the name Dajun; it quickly reminded him of Zhan Dajun, the deputy general manager of the port development and investment company, her emigration saga, and that she had officially immigrated to Hong Kong and married there. Hearing Tan Chunmei's words, he wondered if these two children were actually Fang Zhenyu's offspring. He hid to the side, listening intently.
"Of course they're innocent, but it's always better to be careful," Tan Chunmei said. Zhan
Dajun sighed and said, "I know I should be careful, but we can't keep the children at home all the time. Besides, they'll need to go to school when they grow up."
Tan Chunmei didn't reply, clearly unsure what to say.
After that, Tan Chunmei and Zhan Dajun talked about trivial matters. Only when they reached a car on the road did she instruct the girl named Xiaohui to take good care of the children before driving away.
He Weiqiang was about to leave when he noticed that Xiaohui wasn't taking the children home, but rather leading them to a small park nearby. A thought struck him, and he followed.
In the small park, there were slides and a merry-go-round that children loved to play on. The two children immediately started playing happily, while the girl watched over them. He Weiqiang washed his face at a nearby tap before walking over to them, observing the two children and pondering how to strike up a conversation. Looking at the two adorable children, he felt a pang of jealousy.
The two children were already on the merry-go-round, and Xiao Hui, completely focused on them, slowly turned the wheel, oblivious to He Weiqiang's observation.
Suddenly, one of the children slipped, losing his grip on the handrail and about to fall. He Weiqiang immediately rushed over, catching the child before Xiao Hui could, saying, "Little friend, hold on tight."
"Thank you, Uncle!" Xiao Hui said gratefully, seeing someone help her child prevent him from falling.
"It's nothing! Hehe, whose child is this? So cute, and they look so alike," He Weiqiang said casually, almost to himself.
"Uncle, you live here too?" Xiao Hui asked.
"Yes, I live on that street, and I often come here to play," He Weiqiang said, pointing in the direction of his house. He did live nearby, but he didn't come to the park often.
Xiao Hui was a relative of Jiang Wenying from the countryside. Although she was seventeen years old, she was naive and didn't know much. After hearing this, she said, "Those are Deputy General Manager Zhan's children, twins. They just came back from Hong Kong not long ago, so of course you haven't seen them."
"Oh, so they're Boss Zhan's children. No wonder they're so pretty and cute," He Weiqiang pretended to like the children very much.
"Uncle, do you know Aunt Zhan?"
"Of course I know her. She and General Manager Fang Zhenyu are both celebrities in Linhai. It's because of them that our Linhai Port has been built so well." He Weiqiang helped Xiao Hui spin the carousel, carefully supporting the two children, appearing very caring, while chatting with Xiao Hui.
Little did Xiao Hui know the dangers of the world. Hearing He Weiqiang's high praise for Fang Zhenyu and Zhan Dajun, she struck up a conversation with him, telling him many things about them. To ordinary people, these things wouldn't seem like anything to complain about, but to He Weiqiang, they were different. Especially when Xiao Hui mentioned that Fang Zhenyu was Xiao Hua and Xiao Ling's godfather, it excited him even more.
He Weiqiang was about to continue talking to Xiao Hui to learn more about Fang Zhenyu and Zhan Dajun when he noticed the car that had picked up Tan and Zhan had returned. He immediately made an excuse and left.
Tan and Zhan got out of the car. Tan Chunmei got out first. She saw He Weiqiang's back and felt a sense of familiarity, but also a feeling of unease.
"Sister Chunmei, what's wrong?" Zhan Dajun asked, noticing the change in Tan Chunmei's mood.
"It's nothing." Tan Chunmei shook off the unease and went with Zhan Dajun to the children. She asked Xiaohui, "Xiaohui, who was that person just now?"
"I don't know. He said he lives nearby and really admires Aunt Zhan!"
"Oh." The unease returned. She thought it necessary to have Zhan Dajun talk to Xiaohui; nothing at home should be told to outsiders. She suppressed the feeling and played with Xiaohua and Xiaoling with Zhan Dajun. She didn't have children of her own, so she especially loved children, particularly Fang Zhenyu's children. Soon, she forgot all her unease.
Tuesday, April 21, 1998. Gangkou Shangguan
Wenxin returned to her room, closed the door, and collapsed onto the bed, burying her head in the covers. Her mind was in turmoil. Just
an hour or so ago, she had been very excited. On one hand, Gangkou had another project; on the other hand, her boyfriend, Tong Zhiwei, had won the bid and obtained the construction rights for the project. After weighing her options, and also out of fear that Qin Dezhi would discover her relationship with Fang Zhenyu and cause a falling out, she finally chose Tong Zhiwei. After all, Qin Dezhi had become Fang Zhenyu's most capable assistant.
However, before she could fully calm down, Fang Zhenyu called, asking her to come to his office. At first, she thought Fang Zhenyu, like her, was excited about a project and wanted to have some fun, so she dressed up again before rushing off.
Upon entering Fang Zhenyu's office, Shangguan Wenxin was stunned. Besides Fang Zhenyu, Zhan Dajun, Hong Min, and Qin Dezhi were also present, all with serious expressions. She approached Fang Zhenyu cautiously and asked, "Brother, what happened?"
Fang Zhenyu shook his head and said, "Amin said there might have been a leak within our organization, but I'm not sure yet."
"A leak? What secret was leaked? Is that even possible?" Shangguan Wenxin exclaimed. She knew the company was very united, everyone centered around Fang Zhenyu; it was impossible for anyone to leak company secrets.
"Amin, tell Wenxin what you found," Fang Zhenyu said.
So, Hong Min explained what she felt was amiss. It turned out that Hong Min herself wasn't sure if someone had leaked the secret, but she felt that the bid from Zhenhua Group, where Tong Zhiwei worked, was far too close to the price set by the head office—almost the lowest price offered by the development headquarters.
"I also think it's too much of a coincidence," Zhan Dajun said. It's no wonder she said that, because there were many companies bidding this time, but their bids were far from the investment amount planned by the development headquarters. Only Zhenhua Group's bid was 50,000 yuan higher than the lowest price.
Everyone present was a senior or middle-level employee of the headquarters, and only these few people knew about the headquarters' bid. Seeing the looks they gave her, Shangguan Wenxin could sense that they suspected her, so she said to Hong Min, "You know I will never leak the headquarters' secrets."
"I also believe that none of you here will leak the headquarters' secrets. Moreover, we are not here today to investigate anyone's responsibility, but just to remind everyone that from now on, anything related to the company's development, no matter how big or small, and no matter when, must not be spoken of casually." Fang Zhenyu said solemnly.
"Understood." Everyone responded in unison.
Shangguan Wenxin also responded very readily, but after leaving Fang Zhenyu's office, because she felt that if there really was a leak, it would definitely be her fault, so even after returning to her room, she still couldn't calm her feelings.
After a long while, Shangguan Wenxin finally calmed down. She called Tong Zhiwei and learned that he was still at Baiyutan Resort. She quickly tidied herself up and headed towards the resort.
"Wenxin, you're finally here!" Tong Zhiwei seemed very excited. After all, this was the first time Shangguan Wenxin had taken the initiative to come to see him.
Shangguan Wenxin's feelings were initially very complicated, but seeing Tong Zhiwei like this, her heart softened. She said, "I missed you too, but I've been too busy with work."
"As long as you're by my side, it doesn't matter how busy I am." Tong Zhiwei seemed deeply affectionate, holding Shangguan Wenxin tightly in his arms and kissing her lips.
After a passionate kiss, their lips parted, and Shangguan Wenxin, while caressing Tong Zhiwei's body, said, "Wei, congratulations!"
"What is there to congratulate me on?" Tong Zhiwei said, his hands caressing Shangguan Wenxin's body without stopping for a moment.
"Congratulations on winning the bid today."
"Oh, it's nothing. Speaking of which, I should thank you."
"Thank me?"
"Yes, if you hadn't let me see the contents of your notebook, I'm afraid our company wouldn't have won the bid so easily." Tong Zhiwei seemed very excited, and his hand moving more vigorously between Shangguan Wenxin's legs.
Shangguan Wenxin let out an "oh" and moaned, seemingly enjoying Tong Zhiwei's caresses. But at this moment, she was perfectly aware of what was going on. She remembered that after the meeting with the people from head office that day, she had come to the resort at Tong Zhiwei's invitation. Under Tong Zhiwei's all-out attack, she opened her heart and ultimately lost herself completely. "It seems that's when the leak occurred," Shangguan Wenxin thought to herself.
Tong Zhiwei, oblivious to Shangguan Wenxin's changing emotions, assumed she was lost in the pleasures of lovemaking. He intensified his efforts, skillfully stripping her clothes off. His large hands roamed freely over her breasts, indulging in the smooth, creamy feel of her skin. He spoke of how he would leverage this successful bid to create a new era for Zhenhua Group in Linhai Port, thereby elevating his own position within the company and establishing his own business. Shangguan Wenxin, however,
paid no attention to his words. Aside from occasionally responding to his caresses, she was preoccupied with how to handle the situation. Frankly, when she heard that Tong Zhiwei had been secretly reading her notebook, she was initially furious, but this anger quickly turned into disgust. Having navigated the business world for two or three years, she knew that every company was trying to obtain business intelligence from others to gain a competitive advantage. Therefore, Tong Zhiwei's actions were understandable. Unfortunately, he had chosen the wrong target, using his methods on his lover. Being used was never a pleasant feeling.
After expressing his ambitions, Tong Zhiwei, feeling that Shangguan Wenxin's genitals were already wet and that he himself was unyielding, changed the subject and boldly entered her, using his strength to demonstrate his love.
Shangguan Wenxin moaned softly; her heart was now completely calm. She had come to terms with it: she loved her elder brother, Fang Zhenyu, and her relationship with Tong Zhiwei was merely a formality. Since he could use her, why couldn't she use him in return? Having understood this, she wholeheartedly flattered him, wanting him to believe she loved him deeply, to hold him tightly, and ultimately make him her servant.
After a fierce battle, Tong Zhiwei was exhausted and quickly fell asleep. Shangguan Wenxin tidied up a bit and returned to her room. After a thorough cleaning, she went to find Fang Zhenyu. Although she knew her brother Fang would never suspect her, she didn't know about others. It was better to clarify things early to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
On Thursday, April 30, 1998,
Xie Xiangjie of Haitian Entertainment City arrived at the entertainment city after dinner, excitedly directing his employees to do various tasks. His long-time employees found it strange; they had never seen their boss so diligent.
He had reason to be excited. Tonight, Zhenhua Group had booked the entertainment city for a May Day party. Although the revenue wouldn't be huge, possibly even less than usual, it was groundbreaking for Haitian Entertainment City, which had never hosted such a large-scale party before. If it went well, more companies would cooperate with them, making his business even better. What excited him even more was that tonight's attendees included not only all of Zhenhua's employees, led by Ye Peidong, but also the mayor and executive vice mayor of Linhai City.
Since Ye Peidong had hosted Yu Suibo and Li Xiaokang here last time, whether it was due to Hai Tian's excellent hospitality or because they found Xie Xiangjie trustworthy, the two distinguished guests had accompanied other guests twice more, both times inviting him to join them and introducing him to the others. This not only brought him more business but also made him feel incredibly flattered.
He was naturally pleased to be favored by the leaders, but how could he further strengthen this relationship? Xie Xiangjie wasn't stupid; he knew that besides being courteous, he also had to be useful to the leaders. Of course, courteousness had to be done tactfully; otherwise, flattery would backfire. But what constituted being useful to the leaders? This was a matter that troubled him, but that was a matter for later. Tonight's most important task was to ensure the success of the event and make the leaders feel that he was capable. Therefore, contrary to his usual behavior, he arrived at the entertainment center early.
"Brother Jie, it's really hard to find you." Just as he was extremely busy, a man hurried over; it was He Weiqiang.
"Weiqiang? Is something the matter?" Xie Xiangjie wasn't very familiar with He Weiqiang. They had only become acquainted after He Weiqiang and his friends had drunk at Haitan once, where He Weiqiang had berated Fang Zhenyu, and Xie Xiangjie had been tricked by Fang Zhenyu. He was busy at the moment and naturally didn't want to deal with him.
"There's something very important, it's about Fang Zhenyu." He Weiqiang knew Xie Xiangjie was busy, so he got straight to the point.
"About Fang Zhenyu? What is it? Let's talk in my office." Xie Xiangjie harbored deep resentment towards Fang Zhenyu for rescuing Xiaomei from Haitan and had been looking for an opportunity to retaliate, but he couldn't find any fault with him. So, hearing it was about Fang Zhenyu, he became more attentive. Since Ye Peidong and the others wouldn't arrive for another twenty minutes, he invited He Weiqiang into his office.
"Thanks, Brother Jie." He Weiqiang took the drink Xie Xiangjie offered, took a sip, and then recounted his discovery from a few days ago. He then asked, "Do you think this will be enough to bring him down?"
Fang Zhenyu had always been known as a womanizing chairman, but whether he was truly promiscuous was unverifiable; no one dared to say for sure. It seemed they could gather some evidence. If such things were true, even if they couldn't bring him down, they would at least make him infamous. Xie Xiangjie thought for a moment and said, "It should be possible, but the evidence isn't enough. He has so many women around him; I'm afraid it's not just Zhan Dajun. See if you can find a few more, of course, they have to be genuine." He didn't know that finding evidence against Fang Zhenyu wasn't easy. Even Chen Xiangdong, with his considerable power, had tried to make a breakthrough in this area but ultimately failed.
"Got it, Brother Jie! This time, we'll make sure he never recovers!" He Weiqiang excitedly downed his drink.
"Also, be careful to keep it a secret. The opportunity isn't quite ripe yet," Xie Xiangjie cautioned.
"When will the opportunity be ripe?" He Weiqiang, eager to bring down Fang Zhenyu, asked hastily.
"There will be an opportunity, and it will be soon, as long as you really get your hands on the materials." Xie Xiangjie remembered Ye Peidong telling him that Zhong Yuguang would be transferred soon.
"Okay, let me discuss what you find with you first." He Weiqiang replied.
"That's all for now, I have other things to do. Go out and have some fun, do whatever you want, put it on my tab." Xie Xiangjie said to He Weiqiang, noticing that it was almost time.
"No need, Brother Jie, I'll go out and find some people to help me, try to get more solid evidence." He Weiqiang was very excited at the opportunity to bring down Fang Zhenyu, said goodbye, and left. After
seeing He Weiqiang off, Xie Xiangjie tidied his hair and went to the lobby. The employees of Zhenhua Group had already arrived in twos and threes. He walked towards the door, and Ye Peidong and Feng Zuquan arrived just then. He quickly went to greet them: "President Ye, President Feng, thank you for your care!" He shook their hands tightly.
"I should be the one asking you to take care of us," Ye Peidong chuckled.
"Not at all, not at all," Xie Xiangjie replied politely, then shook hands with Tong Zhiwei and Long Jiaojiao who were walking behind before welcoming them inside. "Mr. Ye, what do you think of this arrangement? If not, I'll have them rearrange it," he said, pointing to the setup in the hall.
Ye Peidong glanced at Feng Zuquan, who nodded, and said, "This is fine. But don't make the main stage too extravagant. We're having a party with our employees; we want to create a harmonious atmosphere, so everyone feels that everyone at Zhenhua is a member of the group, and everyone is equal."
"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant," Xie Xiangjie gave Ye Peidong a thumbs up, then called over a waiter and quietly gave him instructions.
After the waiter left, Ye Peidong said, "However, the other places need to be a little special."
Xie Xiangjie understood that he meant the place for Yu Suibo and the others, and nodded repeatedly, saying, "I know, I've arranged everything, I guarantee our distinguished guests will be satisfied."
"That's good. You go ahead and get busy, we'll just take a stroll, they won't arrive until half an hour." Feng Zuquan said.
"Alright, I'm leaving, you guys have fun." Xie Xiangjie tactfully left. He was genuinely happy, he believed that as long as Yu and Li came here more often, he would definitely be able to rely on this powerful patron, and in the future, he wouldn't be bullied like that time.
Saturday, May 2, 1998, Fangjia Building
"I'm exhausted." Sun Shaomei exclaimed as soon as she entered.
Ning Yufen took her handbag, helped her hang it on the coat rack, and smiled, "It's just accompanying those experts, why does it seem more tiring than carrying a thousand-pound burden?" As she spoke, she poured her a glass of water.
"Stop talking, has President Fang returned yet? I'd better hand the task back to him." Sun Shaomei tilted her head back and downed a glass of water.
"Not yet. I heard Sister Xiang is back, and he took Xiao Jian to pick her up. I'm afraid she won't be going back to Linhai tonight; she'll stay in the provincial capital with Yu Fang and the others. Is it really that tiring? If so, I'll have Da Jun find someone to replace you." Ning Yufen looked at her, seeing that although her face was flushed, she looked exhausted and indeed very tired, and said with concern.
"Forget it, I'll handle it myself. Anyway, tomorrow we'll only be going to Jiangxin Island at most. Don't underestimate these old guys; when they travel, they really don't care about their lives! Wuling is so high, and they actually climbed to the top." Sun Shaomei said. It turned out that she had accompanied a financial expert from Hong Kong to climb mountains in Fang Zhenyu's hometown today. Sun Shaomei originally worked for the Oriental Group, but because she had been involved in the Oriental Group's listing, Fang Zhenyu had borrowed her to the Port Development and Investment Corporation to assist Zhan Dajun in handling the company's listing affairs. Today was a day off, and that group of people wanted to go traveling. Someone recommended Fang Zhenyu's hometown, saying the scenery was beautiful and they'd recently launched a farm stay tour. These people, who greatly admired Fang Zhenyu, said they wanted to go there for sightseeing, but not with a tour group. They wanted to see what kind of feng shui produced someone as outstanding as Fang Zhenyu.
"Hehe," Ning Yufen smiled knowingly, saying, "Actually, even if he's at home, and tomorrow is even more tiring than today, you'll still go with them tomorrow. What you need is just a shot in the arm for him, right?"
"Get lost! You're the one who needs a shot in the arm!" Sun Shaomei pinched Ning Yufen's ample breasts, scolding her playfully, but a ripple of emotion stirred within her. Ning Yufen was right. Since getting a boyfriend, she and Fang Zhenyu had less contact, and both were very busy with work. She hadn't received Fang Zhenyu's attention in a long time.
As the two were playfully bickering, the doorbell rang again. Opening the door, they saw Zhan Dajun and Hong Min, each carrying a large stack of documents. Ning Yufen smiled at Hong Min, "Secretary Hong, you're not even spending your holiday with your father? Aren't you afraid he'll say you're an unfilial daughter?"
Sun Shaomei immediately sided with Ning Yufen, saying, "Serving my husband is more important than being filial to my parents!"
"I'm afraid that's exactly what you think," Hong Min retorted, noticing their slightly disheveled clothes. She immediately knew what they had been doing and her beautiful eyes slyly fixed on Sun Shaomei's crotch. If it weren't for the documents in her hands, she probably would have pounced on her already.
Zhan Dajun coughed and said, "It's getting late, let's take care of business first. If you really want to have a casual fling, then save it for tonight."
Ning Yufen knew Zhan Dajun was busy and rarely came here unless it was something important, so she said, "You guys go to the study. We'll all eat here tonight. I'll prepare some good dishes to treat you."
"Okay," Zhan Dajun didn't object and went upstairs with Sun Shaomei and Hong Min. "Shaomei, tell me, what new developments have occurred in the experts' argument today?"
It turned out that the financial experts invited from Hong Kong and other parts of China were very optimistic about the development prospects of Linhai Port, and gave high praise to its planning, the company's investment direction, scale, and its hardware and software. However, they held different opinions on when to list the company. They were mainly divided into two camps: one believed that with the Southeast Asian financial crisis just over and the global economy in a slump, listing at this time would be detrimental to fundraising; the other camp, on the contrary, believed that the global economy had recovered, and given Linhai Port's superior geographical location and the strong momentum of its parent company, listing at this time would attract many investors. The two sides argued back and forth, from the conference table to the dinner table, without stopping, and each argument presented many new arguments. Therefore, Fang Zhenyu sent Sun Shaomei on a trip with them to see what new things their arguments had to offer.
"There's a lot," Sun Shaomei said, immediately focusing her attention as she took out a small notebook from her handbag and began to explain to Zhan Dajun and Hong Min.
Zhan Dajun and Hong Min listened attentively, taking notes and occasionally asking Sun Shaomei for details. After Sun Shaomei finished speaking, Zhan Dajun couldn't help but sigh, "Experts are experts after all. They can even find evidence from over a hundred years ago to support their arguments. It seems our leader's decision wasn't easy!"
"It certainly wasn't easy," Sun Shaomei sighed. "I thought that after preparing for the Oriental listing, I would have a certain understanding of finance. Now it seems I only know the basics. There are many things they talked about that I don't understand at all. I had to ask them about them afterward."
When Zhan Dajun was in Hong Kong, knowing that she would be in charge of the listing upon her return, she had crammed on this knowledge and knew it wasn't easy to learn. She said, "Yes, it seems we need to strengthen our studies in this area. It would be best if we could take some further training."
Hong Min said, "Let's talk about further training later. Now is the time to come up with our plan."
"What's your opinion?" Zhan Dajun asked, staring at Hong Min.
Hong Min pondered for a moment and said, "I prefer an immediate IPO. Although the Southeast Asian financial crisis has had some impact on China, it's not as significant as in other places. Moreover, because we've maintained the RMB's stability, Southeast Asian countries should have confidence in our mainland market."
"I share that view," Zhan Dajun said.
"In that case, let's make a decision. In the end, it's still his decision," Sun Shaomei said.
"Alright, then Amin will be in charge of writing the proposal," Zhan Dajun said, looking at Hong Min.
"Seriously? Me again?" Hong Min exclaimed, "I really want to take some time to go back and be filial to my parents."
"Being filial to your parents can wait until this matter is settled, or you can bring your husband back to be filial after this is done," Sun Shaomei chuckled, pushing the materials towards her.
Hong Min had no choice but to accept them, burying her head in the table and starting to work. Of course, Zhan and Sun didn't leave either; one helped Hong Min find information, while the other wrote another proposal from a different angle.
On Saturday, May 9, 1998, Yu Suibo,
after watching the central and provincial news broadcasts, decided to take a shower before watching his TV drama. He generally didn't watch local news, as it was mostly just reports on the whereabouts of his secretaries and mayor.
He grabbed his clothes and was about to go to the bathroom when his phone rang. It was Li Xiaokang calling. He asked, "Xiaokang, are you in the provincial capital? What's up?"
"I didn't go home today. I'm having tea at Haitian. Want to come over?" Li Xiaokang sounded very cheerful on the phone. Yu Suibo
found it a bit strange. Li Xiaokang's home was in the provincial capital, and he usually went back to see his wife every weekend. Why was he at Haitian Entertainment City today, and unusually, inviting him? Since watching TV was optional for him, he said, "Sure, I'll come over after my shower."
Yu Suibo hung up and went to shower, thinking about his work in Linhai over the past few months. Overall, he was quite satisfied with his work during this period. Unlike others who, upon taking office, immediately set off to make a big splash or adjust the existing government work plan, he focused on conducting thorough research. This gave him a clear understanding of the situation in Linhai, and he also learned which faction the heads of various ministries and bureaus belonged to. He even managed to place a few people he considered promising in his own circle. He didn't know much about Li Xiaokang, but since he was sent by the provincial party secretary to work with him, he was naturally on his side.
Yu Suibo was currently staying in the dormitory of the Linhai Hotel, not far from the Haitian Entertainment City, so he didn't even call a taxi. After showering, he walked there himself.
"Oh, Mayor Yu, why did you walk here?" As soon as he reached the entrance of the entertainment city, the owner, Xie Xiangjie, greeted him, clearly knowing Yu Suibo was there.
"Anyway, I didn't have anything urgent, so I just took a walk. Mr. Xie, how's business?" Yu Suibo was very approachable.
"Thanks to you, it's doing well. This way, please." Xie Xiangjie personally led Yu Suibo to the private room where Li Xiaokang was.
Inside the private room, Li Xiaokang watched the waiter prepare the Kung Fu tea. Seeing Yu Suibo enter, he quickly rose to greet him.
Yu Suibo grasped Li Xiaokang's hand tightly and smiled, "Xiaokang, it's rare to find such leisure!"
"Yes," Li Xiaokang replied with a broad smile, "My wife isn't as understanding as yours. Since she's not home tonight, I'm staying to relax."
Yu Suibo said knowingly, "It's tough being a man, especially for men like us with some status."
The two sat down, and Li Xiaokang said to Xie Xiangjie, "Didn't you say you have a waitress who's skilled in tea ceremony and can sing? Why don't you invite her over so Mayor Yu can relax?"
"Yes, yes, yes, you two chat first, I'll go see if she's ready." Xie Xiangjie, clearly having discussed it with Li Xiaokang, nodded to Yu Suibo and left.
Seeing that Xie Xiangjie had closed the door, Li Xiaokang said to Yu Suibo, "Mayor, I've been in Linhai for two or three months now, and I've never had a chance to properly learn from you. Since you have some free time today, you must teach me a few tricks."
"What do you want me to teach you?" Yu Suibo glanced at the waiter who was intently preparing tea.
"Everything, of course. Xiao Tang, why don't you offer Mayor Yu a cup of tea on my behalf?" Li Xiaokang called to the waiter, his voice tinged with pride.
"Mayor Yu, please have some tea!" The waiter picked up a cup of tea, knelt down beside Yu Suibo, and presented it to him with both hands. Her voice was as melodious as a nightingale's song. Yu
Suibo carefully examined the waiter. She wore a well-fitting cheongsam that accentuated her beautiful curves. Although she was kneeling, her long waist revealed her considerable height. Her delicate, peach-blossom-like face looked at Yu Suibo with infinite shyness. Yu Suibo took the tea, staring at her ample bosom for a while before smiling at Li Xiaokang, "Young people are young after all. It seems I still have some things to learn from you."
"Hehe, we can discuss these things together, but how to win the old man's favor, you'll have to teach me."
"The old man?" Yu Suibo was momentarily confused.
Li Xiaokang said, "Yes, I still don't understand what he was thinking, sending both of us to Linhai."
Yu Suibo immediately understood that Li Xiaokang was revealing his allegiance. Seeing his frankness, he said, "I don't see it very clearly either, but I think that in the past, our province focused on the Northwest region, but it was poor and barren, and it couldn't develop for decades. So, apart from those old revolutionaries, none of the secretaries were very successful. But when Xu Guanghua came, he sent Zhong Yuguang to develop Linhai, and they made a name for themselves, almost reaching the central government. Now that the old man has taken over, of course he wants to take over the cause of Linhai as well. He sent us here simply to firmly grasp Linhai in his own hands."
"Hmm, I've thought about that too, but I don't understand it as thoroughly as you do. Now he's the top leader. Even if we hadn't come, wouldn't Linhai's development have benefited from his achievements?"
"How can that be? He wants Linhai to be completely his own." Seeing that Li Xiaokang was actually embracing Xiao Tang in front of him, Yu Suibo also opened up and explained in detail what he understood about the purpose of sending them. He believed that Li Xiaokang's willingness to flirt with women in front of him was a sign of his trust. Of course, he still held back on some crucial points.
"A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study. Now I understand why I've been with this old man for so many years and am still just a standing official. From now on, Mayor, you'll have to give me more guidance." After listening to Yu Suibo's analysis, Li Xiaokang pushed Xiao Tang away and said sincerely.
"Hehe, someone as smart as you doesn't need my constant guidance. Let's work together to get the old man's task done." Yu Suibo smiled and asked, "You've been in Linhai for a while now, tell me your thoughts on Linhai."
"Okay." Li Xiaokang then shared his impressions of Linhai, concluding, "My general feeling is that Linhai is Zhong Yuguang and Chen Xiangdong's domain. Fortunately, they started cooperating a little late, otherwise, it would have been really difficult for us to take it over."
This was exactly what Yu Suibo had analyzed. He thought to himself: It seems this Li Xiaokang is no ordinary person. No wonder the old man put him aside to cooperate with me. He said aloud, "Yes! It's rare that we share the same opinion. What do you think we should do next?"
Li Xiaokang was secretly pleased. He believed he had seen through Yu Suibo, so he shared his thoughts. Finally, he said, "In that case, in less than two years, Linhai will be your domain, Mayor Yu."
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy, will it? However, with your help, I think we can carve out our own niche in Linhai."
"Yes, as long as we work together, there's nothing we can't accomplish."
"Well said! Come, let's toast to our common cause!" Yu Suibo raised his glass to Li Xiaokang.
"Cheers!" Li Xiaokang downed his drink in one gulp and then smiled, "It seems our Manager Xie's tea master should be here soon. Mayor, shouldn't we change the subject?"
"Alright, alright, let's change the subject." Yu Suibo knew exactly what Li Xiaokang was thinking. He was about to tease him when there was a knock at the door. Xie Xiangjie then brought in a petite and beautiful young woman, about eighteen or nineteen years old, who introduced herself to Yu Suibo before leaving.
"Xiao Tang, I heard you've got a batch of good tea. Won't you take me to see it?" Li Xiaokang said to Xiao Tang, seeing that Yu Suibo was quite satisfied with the girl who had come in.
Xiao Tang was also a quick-witted person. Upon hearing Li Xiaokang's words, she replied, "Yes, Mayor Yu, you and Xiao Yun chat first. I'll take Boss Li to see it." With that, she really led Li Xiaokang away. Only Yu Suibo and the girl named Xiao Yun remained in the private room.

(Volume Nine) Chapter Six: Port Listing

Chapter Six: Port Listing
Friday, May 15, 1998 Tan Chunmei from Jiangxin Island breathed a sigh of relief after arranging for Su Weipeng, He Yuanbiao, and their group to settle down. This year's printing seminar of the five provinces in Central and Southern China was held in Linhai City. Originally, Fang Zhenyu had planned to hold the meeting at Baiyutan Resort, but due to a conflict with a meeting in the province, it had to be held in the city. Of course, Fang Zhenyu himself rarely had time to attend the printing seminar. Although Su Weipeng and He Yuanbiao appeared calm on the surface, Tan Chunmei could tell that Su Weipeng was quite unhappy. Fortunately, Su Ling intervened, preventing an outburst.
"Zhenyu, can you come over tonight?" Tan Chunmei asked anxiously, hiding under a fruit tree near the service counter and calling Fang Zhenyu.
Fang Zhenyu understood Tan Chunmei's predicament; he had been required to attend the port meeting by Yu Suibo and couldn't leave. Fortunately, the meeting was finally over, and he could leave. He told Tan Chunmei, "Make arrangements for them first, and I'll definitely be there tonight."
"Okay, you must come! They're already a bit unhappy." Tan Chunmei felt more exhausted than ever before.
"Okay, please take care of them."
Tan Chunmei hung up the phone, sighed, and was about to go talk to Su Weipeng about Fang Zhenyu when she saw Su Ling approaching and stopped. "Ah Ling, how are you?"
Since getting involved with Fang Zhenyu, Su Ling, like other women, only had Fang Zhenyu in her heart. She smiled bitterly, "Everyone else is easy to deal with, but Wei Peng is extremely dissatisfied with him. He thinks he looks down on the friends from the five provinces in Central and Southern China. Sigh, Wei Peng seems to have changed a lot since he became that deputy director. Sometimes even I don't understand him anymore." After saying that, Su Ling sighed.
"He really has no choice. He can't get away from there at all."
"Yes, his burden is too heavy." Su Ling said understandingly.
Seeing that it wasn't time for dinner yet and no one had come to look for her, Tan Chunmei asked, "Are you and Xiao Ying doing well in the provincial capital?"
"We're both fine!" Su Ling said with an envious look, "Xiao Ying is even better. Although Qi Chaowei isn't very nice to her, he loves the children, so she lives a very easy and carefree life." "
Qi Chaowei hasn't noticed anything, has he?" Tan Chunmei asked with concern.
“What could he possibly see? The child looks a lot like Xiaoying. As the saying goes, a child who resembles his mother is destined for success.”
“That’s good.” Tan Chunmei relaxed a little. To be honest, she felt that Fang Zhenyu was going through a lot right now. If something happened to Xiaoying, things would become even more difficult.
Seeing her like that, Su Ling asked, “Sister Mei, is something wrong with him?”
“Nothing’s wrong right now, but…” Tan Chunmei sighed and said, “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you another time.”
Su Ling didn’t press further. She suddenly remembered something and said, “I heard something about the port’s listing. I wonder if it will help him?”
“Of course it will! He needs information on that the most. Tell me about it.” Tan Chunmei asked eagerly.
“I heard that many people in the province are against listing at this time, saying the timing is wrong.” Su Ling told her what she knew. She had overheard people talking about this when she attended a meeting of the Propaganda Department as a secretary of the Press and Publication Bureau. She had also heard some things from Su Weipeng.
Tan Chunmei became even more anxious upon hearing this. She didn't know much about this and was about to ask more questions when several people called her name and approached. They were the people who had come to attend the meeting. She hurriedly said, "These next two days, you absolutely must have a good talk with Shaomei or Dajun. Of course, it would be even better if he had time to talk to you. It seems he'll have to put in even more effort regarding the port's listing. Come on, let's go and appease these people first, and I'll think of something tonight."
Su Ling also saw people approaching and replied, "Okay, I hope it will help him." With that, she and Tan Chunmei walked towards the group.
It was Su Weipeng and his group who summoned Tan Chunmei, naturally asking when Fang Zhenyu would arrive. Tan Chunmei had to try her best to navigate between them. Fortunately, Fang Zhenyu arrived shortly after, accompanied by Sun Shaomei and Hong Min.
"Hehe, my dear boss Fang, you really value women over friends, taking stunning beauties around and ignoring even old friends who have come to visit," Su Weipeng said half-jokingly as he greeted Fang Zhenyu and shook his hand. He wanted to tease Fang Zhenyu a bit more, but He Yuanbiao and the others also came to greet him, making the scene lively, so he refrained from doing so.
Fang Zhenyu apologized repeatedly, saying, "It's not that I didn't want to come, but the port is preparing for its IPO, which has kept me tied up. Otherwise, do you think I wouldn't want to travel around like you guys?" He glanced ambiguously at Su Ling beside Su Weipeng and a pretty girl beside He Yuanbiao.
"You have a general manager, an assistant, and a secretary by your side, aren't you satisfied?" He Yuanbiao said, his eyes never leaving Sun Shaomei and Hong Min after shaking hands with Fang Zhenyu.
Sun Shaomei and Hong Min both noticed He Yuanbiao's gaze. Sun Shaomei was a little unhappy and was about to say something when Hong Min pulled her aside and took the hand of the girl next to He Yuanbiao, asking, "Director He, you haven't introduced your companions yet?"
Su Ling immediately went over and smiled, "This is our Director He's secretary, Miss Qin Fangfang." Then, she introduced Sun Shaomei and Hong Min.
Hong Min looked at Qin Fangfang's beautiful face and praised, "Miss Fangfang, you are so beautiful. No wonder Director He dotes on you so much, even bringing you to meetings."
"Miss Hong, no, it's not like that." Qin Fangfang blushed. Although He Yuanbiao had taken advantage of her at this meeting, seeing him looking at other beautiful women like that made her uncomfortable. Hearing Hong Min praise her and talk about her and He Yuanbiao made her a little shy.
Tan Chunmei, observing Su Weipeng's words and actions, knew that Su Weipeng was already upset about Fang Zhenyu's lateness. Knowing that continuing the conversation would likely lead to trouble, she said, "The food is ready. Shall we chat over drinks?"
"Yes, let me also offer everyone a proper toast and apologize!" Fang Zhenyu, noticing He Yuanbiao's gaze, echoed Tan Chunmei.
Actually, Su Weipeng didn't have a major problem with Fang Zhenyu; he just felt that Fang Zhenyu's absence from the meeting was a slight to him. He also knew that Fang Zhenyu was no longer the small-time printing factory owner who relied solely on his own efforts, and that he had a reputation as a charismatic chairman in Linhai. Worried that He Yuanbiao might clash with him, he invited everyone to the restaurant as well.
Fang Zhenyu indeed apologized to the representatives from various provinces during the meal. Everyone's pride was satisfied, and they stopped pursuing the matter of his absence. That evening, thanks to the warm hospitality of Qiulan and others on Jiangxin Island, everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Although no one was completely drunk, few were sober when they returned to their rooms.
However, Fang Zhenyu couldn't relax. During the meal, Su Ling had taken the opportunity to tell Sun Shaomei what she knew, and Sun Shaomei had secretly told him while everyone was fooling around. Therefore, when the guests had all rested, although the women wanted to be intimate with him, he could only disappoint them. He rushed back to the city that night with Sun Shaomei and the others, and called Zhan Dajun and the others together to discuss countermeasures. At
dawn, the guests on Jiangxin Island woke up. They saw Fang Zhenyu exercising, but his eyes were dark. Su Weipeng thought it was because of the repeated encounters with several women!
On Thursday, May 21, 1998, Yu Suibo, in the mayor's office, looked at the documents in his hand and pondered for a long time before saying to his secretary, "See if Executive Director Li and Director Zhang of the Finance Bureau are free. Ask them to come over."
The secretary responded and left, while Yu Suibo remained lost in thought, staring at the documents in his hand. This was the material he received today regarding the port's listing, but it wasn't sent by the port authorities. Instead, it was prepared by some financial experts at the request of a friend in the provincial capital. The content was similar to the port's, but it leaned more towards temporarily postponing the listing. Yu Suibo had already read the port's material many times and vaguely felt that Fang Zhenyu's opinion was correct. However, if he really agreed with Fang Zhenyu's approach, it would further enhance Fang Zhenyu's power, which Yu Suibo didn't want to see. Therefore, he still wanted to postpone the port's listing. However, he couldn't say this himself. He called Li Xiaokang and Zhang Shupei over to try and get their ideas on how to bring the matter to light.
About half an hour later, Zhang Shupei arrived first. Yu Suibo asked him to sit down, gave him a copy of the material, and told him to take a good look. Then, Li Xiaokang arrived as well.
"Old Li, what do you think we should do?" Yu Suibo asked after they had finished reading the material. Although he tried to maintain a calm demeanor, a hint of unease was still visible on his face.
“It is indeed worth considering. Director Zhang, what do you say?” Li Xiaokang noticed Yu Suibo's mood. He wasn't stupid, so he didn't speak first.
Zhang Shupei hadn't thought of any hidden meaning in this situation. Besides, he couldn't remain silent under these circumstances, so he said, “If you ask me, we should hold off on the IPO.” He didn't know much about the stock market, but he instinctively tried to obstruct anything that would benefit Fang Zhenyu.
“Why?” Yu Suibo remained remarkably calm.
Zhang Shupei organized his thoughts and said, “I can't say for sure about other things, but rushing the IPO will put a lot of pressure on our city's finances.” He then explained his reasons in three points.
“Hehe, I didn't expect Director Zhang to be so knowledgeable about finance.” Li Xiaokang smiled slightly and said, “I also believe that although the company is listed in Hong Kong, it will still have a significant impact on our city's economy. The materials you provided, Mayor, fully demonstrate this point.”
Seeing that Li Xiaokang hadn't offered any substantial opinions, Yu Suibo was quite annoyed, but he didn't show it. Moreover, with Zhang Shupei stepping forward, as long as he supported his opinion, that was enough. So he said, "Then, at the joint meeting, you must express your opinions!"
Li Xiaokang and Zhang Shupei both knew that the municipal party committee had decided to hold a joint meeting of the four leading bodies to decide on the port's listing. Before Li Xiaokang could say anything, Zhang Shupei said, "Please rest assured, Mayor, in the spirit of being responsible to the more than two million people of Linhai, I will express my opinions."
Yu Suibo couldn't help but laugh when he saw Zhang Shupei making himself sound so noble. He said, "Good, good, good. If all the officials in Linhai City had your ideas, then the take-off of Linhai City would be just around the corner. However, you still need to elaborate on your opinions."
"Mayor, I know what to do," Zhang Shupei said with a show of determination.
"Alright, you go back and prepare the materials first. I have something to discuss with Executive Director Li," Yu Suibo said, and then saw him off.
Zhang Shupei tactfully took his leave.
"Xiao Kang, tell me your true thoughts." As soon as Zhang Shupei left, Yu Suibo asked Li Xiaokang, his eyes fixed on him.
"To be honest, both plans are well-reasoned, and I actually lean towards Fang Zhenyu's plan." Li Xiaokang hadn't wanted to speak, but seeing that Yu Suibo had pressed him so hard, he knew that if he didn't, it would create a rift between them. Besides, since they were alone, it didn't matter what he said, so he revealed his true thoughts and quietly observed Yu Suibo's reaction.
Yu Suibo's face twitched slightly, but it quickly disappeared. He asked calmly, "So you agree with Zhang Shupei's opinion?"
"We're family, so let's not be so formal." Li Xiaokang already had a good understanding of Yu Suibo's thoughts, so he pretended to be very understanding and said sincerely, "Actually, both plans have their merits, and they're not that different. It's just that Fang's plan will be more effective sooner. However, if we agree to his plan, it will embolden him, which will be detrimental to our future control over the port."
He didn't say he had control over Fang Zhenyu, but rather that he had control over the port, which struck a chord with Yu Suibo. Yu Suibo's eyes lit up, and he asked, "So, what should we do next?"
"Without real control over the port, our foundation in Linhai will be unstable. Therefore, what we need to do is to undermine Fang Zhenyu's prestige as much as possible, even if it means temporarily sacrificing some of the port's development speed and profits." Now that they were out in the open, Li Xiaokang simply revealed his thoughts.
Yu Suibo listened and nodded repeatedly. After listening, he exclaimed, "Xiaokang, you are truly a master! No wonder the old man sent you. It seems your future is much brighter than mine!"
"Not at all, not at all. Compared to you, Mayor, I am far inferior. Besides, we are both people cultivated by the old man! In the future, you must put in a good word for me with him." Li Xiaokang, having revealed his thoughts, seemed much more relaxed and began to flatter Yu Suibo.
"Not at all, let's make progress together." Yu Suibo found Li Xiaokang's words pleasing. Yes, even if you're talented, you're still just an executive under me.
"Then I'll thank you in advance!"
"We're brothers, no need for formalities. By the way, please arrange how to proceed." Yu Suibo casually tossed this difficult task to Li Xiaokang.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it." Li Xiaokang smiled wryly, but couldn't refuse, so he had to take on this hot potato. "Mayor, I should go now."
"Alright, go ahead." Yu Suibo warmly saw Li Xiaokang to the door.
Back at his desk, looking at the materials on the table, Yu Suibo's face showed a satisfied smile.
On Monday, June 1, 1998, at Xingguang School, as soon as they got off at the school gate, a deafening drumbeat erupted in the campus. Along the path to the rostrum on the playground, rows of students waved flowers, turning the entire playground into a sea of flowers.
Faced with the long line of students welcoming them, not only Zhong Yuguang but also Fang Zhenyu were greatly surprised. He took the flowers from Yue Shanshan and asked Zhong Yuguang and Chen Xiangdong beside him in confusion, "Secretary Zhong, Director Chen, what kind of trick are you playing?" He had received an invitation from Xingguang School, which required him to make time to participate in the school's "Children's Day" activities no matter what, but he did not expect such a grand event.
Zhong Yuguang looked at Chen Xiangdong and smiled, "Old Chen, why don't you explain?"
Chen Xiangdong didn't refuse and said, "Actually, they are indeed celebrating Children's Day, but there's an extra element: Xingguang School was named an advanced school in quality education in the province. I've already accepted the award on their behalf, and I'm here today to present it to them. Think about it, as the largest sponsor of Xingguang School, how could you, as the chairman, not attend?"
Fang Zhenyu could only smile wryly. In recent years, his reputation had grown even more, but so had the number of non-economic activities he had to attend. Often, it was these trivial matters that kept him tied up. He couldn't help but glare at Zhong Yuguang.
Zhong Yuguang noticed his expression and quickly said, "This wasn't my idea, but rather our Deputy Director An's arrangement. She said she wanted to use your reputation to help the school get the title of Provincial Experimental School for Quality Education."
Fang Zhenyu wanted to say something, but it was too late. A group of students had already surrounded them. Beside him were Yue Shanshan, Aunt Thirteen, and Xiao Jian. Xiao Jian led the way, while Yue Shanshan and Aunt Thirteen each took his arm and led him towards the stage. This made him extremely embarrassed. Putting aside Aunt Thirteen, whose little honey pot he had already tasted, even Yue Shanshan, who was not yet fourteen, had breasts that showed extraordinary elasticity, coupled with the unique fragrance of a young girl. After only a few steps, his lower body became aroused.
"President Fang, I thought I couldn't invite you to come!" Just then, An Jing came up to greet them, giving Yue Shanshan and Aunt Thirteen a meaningful look.
The two women's faces turned as red as if they had applied rouge, and they quickly let go of Fang Zhenyu's arms and walked to the side.
"If the president of Anhui University calls, how could I not come?" Fang Zhenyu breathed a sigh of relief, walked over and shook hands with An Jing, his eyes filled with deep affection as he looked at her.
Although An Jing was now the deputy director of the Chaoyang District Education Bureau, she also served as the principal of Xingguang School. She understood the affection in Fang Zhenyu's eyes and returned a look that only Fang Zhenyu could understand. After releasing Fang Zhenyu's hand, she shook hands with Zhong and Chen, saying, "If Secretary Zhong hadn't personally come, I'm afraid we wouldn't have been able to invite you."
"I'm afraid I don't have that much influence. It must be that Boss Fang values the successor of the revolution more," Zhong Yuguang dared not take credit.
"Anyway, it's good that you're here," An Jing said proudly. She knew that even without Zhong Yuguang, Fang Zhenyu would have come as long as she asked.
As they spoke, everyone was already seated on the stage, and the celebration began. The program was no different from usual, except for the addition of an awards ceremony, and finally, of course, was a cultural performance.
Watching the students' outstanding performance, Chen Xiangdong said with emotion, "Zhenyu, without your ideas and support, relying solely on government investment, a school like this might not have been built even in ten years."
"You can't say that," Fang Zhenyu said modestly. "There are others, even without me."
Chen Xiangdong sighed, "Perhaps there are people as wealthy as you, and willing to invest in education, but whether they have your innovative approach is another matter."
Zhong Yuguang said, "That's right! You can't get anything done without money, but having money doesn't guarantee good results. Old Chen, this whole mess is up in your hands from now on; the burden on your shoulders is heavy."
Chen Xiangdong hadn't expected Zhong Yuguang to change the subject, so he interjected, "Aren't there Wenhua and Zheng Bin? They're both very capable."
"Wenhua can't help you anymore; he's going back to the provincial capital to become the director of the Cultural Bureau," Zhong Yuguang sighed. This was the decision made by the provincial party committee standing committee yesterday; although he opposed it, it was to no avail. "That's right, returning to the provincial capital as the director of the bureau means a higher rank, but less real power. He knows Zhao Wenhua doesn't care about that, but with Zhao Wenhua gone, Zhong Yuguang's power in Linhai has weakened considerably. From the actions of Yu Suibo and others recently, he has already realized that the future situation in Linhai will be difficult for him to control.
" "How could this be?" Chen Xiangdong felt somewhat taken aback, clearly having never heard of this before.
"This was just decided by the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee," Zhong Yuguang said helplessly. Looking at the somewhat bewildered Chen Xiangdong, he said, "So, not only is the future situation uncertain, but the port's listing is also facing some obstacles."
Chen Xiangdong had also heard Fang Zhenyu say that some people in the province opposed the current listing. With his position, he naturally knew what was going on. He then understood why a joint meeting of the four leadership teams was needed for the listing. Of the seven Standing Committee members, Gu Yuan was hospitalized and unable to attend the meeting, Zheng Bin was studying at the Central Party School, and with Zhao Wenhua gone, only four people remained, a two-to-two vote, making it impossible to decide. He said, "In that case, the vice mayors and vice chairmen will have to do some work."
Zhong Yuguang glanced at Chen Xiangdong, deeply admiring the man's quick thinking. He thought to himself that if he had joined forces with him earlier, Linhai might not be in this state now. But now was not the time for self-reproach, so he said, "That's right, you'll need to put in more effort in this area."
"Don't worry, I will," Chen Xiangdong said solemnly. He looked at Fang Zhenyu and asked, "Zhenyu, what are your thoughts on this?"
Fang Zhenyu had been listening attentively to their conversation and replied, "What can I do? I can only make our plan more thorough."
Zhong and Chen, knowing that Fang Zhenyu was neither very knowledgeable nor enthusiastic about officialdom, couldn't help but sigh simultaneously. At this time, the school's arts performance was nearing its end, so the three stopped talking and tried to concentrate on the event.
An Jing had already noticed their distracted state, but knowing they were busy, she didn't disturb them. Only after they stopped talking did she strike up a conversation, discussing the student performance and school matters. The student performance was indeed excellent, and when the three turned their attention to the stage, they were quickly captivated by the program.
On Friday, June 5, 1998, after touring the new factory site of the Oriental Group, Fang Zhenyu and the women returned to Tan Chunmei's general manager's office. He sat down on the sofa, took the tea Nangong Yu'er offered, took a sip, and then asked, "Do you think there are any aspects we haven't considered?"
Li Fanghua, while massaging his thighs, said, "I think this design is quite good; there's nothing to criticize." After Kong Lifan was transferred, Chen Changlin, the only remaining man in the group's upper echelons, was hospitalized due to illness. Now, only a few female generals were by Fang Zhenyu's side, so she boldly touched Fang Zhenyu's secret place.
"Yes, the layout of the warehouse, workshop, and rest area is very reasonable, and even future development has been planned. I think there's nothing better than this," Nangong Yu'er said. "
I agree with Fanghua's statement; Engineer Xu has considered all aspects," Hu Liping echoed. Because the typesetting center was still in the city, and Fang Zhenyu had been spending more time at the port and the group recently, her longing for Fang Zhenyu intensified. Seeing Li Fanghua like that, although she didn't know how to massage, she still massaged Fang Zhenyu's shoulders.
"I think all you're thinking about is that big thing the boss has," Hong Min said to Hu Liping with a smile.
Hu Liping replied unabashedly, "Of course! Who else is like you, always by the boss's side, able to enjoy his services anytime? Just tell me your brilliant ideas."
Tan Chunmei smiled and said to Hong Min, "I think what you're worried about isn't the factory design, but the land issue, right?"
"Yes, Sister Chunmei, you're so thoughtful," Hong Min said.
"What about the land? Isn't this port land? Even if Mr. Fang is their chairman, with our strength in Linhai, they can't refuse to sell it to us, can they?" Hu Liping asked, puzzled. She was focused on her typesetting center and rarely concerned herself with the group's overall situation.
"They will sell, of course, but whether it will be so easy to get it is another matter," Hong Min explained the situation. It turned out that the Municipal Land Bureau had recently begun interfering with the port land transfer, and their attitude was quite forceful. Although the Port Development and Investment Corporation had made considerable efforts, the other party insisted that all transfers must go through them, citing changes in national land policy.
“Didn’t the city already allocate those lands to the Port Development and Investment Corporation? Why are they still making a fuss?” Hu Liping asked, puzzled.
“But they say the port has changed the land use, so there’s a change fee.” Xu Qiang was also furious, because she had gone to the Land Bureau at least five times. Although she had the relevant documents from the city and had said a lot of nice things, she still got the same answer.
“Doesn’t the city care?”
“Care? Now the Land Bureau is directly under the higher authorities. Why would they listen to the city’s decisions? In fact, most of this money still ends up in the pockets of those officials.” Tan Chunmei was also a little angry. Although she hadn’t handled this matter herself, she could understand Xu Qiang’s bitterness and hardship. She knew that Xu Qiang, like the other women, didn’t care much about suffering a little grievance for Fang Zhenyu and their career.
“Where’s Secretary Zhong? Isn’t he a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee? Asking him to step in should be enough to handle it, right?” Hu Liping still didn’t quite understand the ways of officialdom, assuming that a single member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee could resolve the matter.
Fang Zhenyu, of course, understood why this had happened and knew that Zhong Yuguang had made considerable efforts. Since they insisted on this arrangement, he feared that even Zhong Yuguang couldn’t mediate. It was just a matter of spending a few million more. After all, the Oriental Group wasn’t just his company. He was just worried that they would treat other companies investing in the port in the same way, which would have a significant impact on the port’s development. However, he couldn’t say these things to Hu Liping and the others, so he said, “I’ve already spoken to Secretary Zhong about this matter. He promised to go to higher authorities to smooth things over for us. Let’s wait and do our part. Once it’s approved, we can start construction immediately.”
“I’m just afraid it won’t be approved in the end,” Xu Qiang muttered.
"No way," Fang Zhenyu feigned confidence, pulling Hu Liping close and kneading her ample breasts with his large hands. He laughed, "Liping is so hard to get, and I've already taken care of her. What's a mere land bureau?"
Hu Liping blushed deeply at Fang Zhenyu's words, letting out a soft moan as she nestled into his arms. She pinched his thigh hard, scolding, "You're getting a good deal and still acting innocent!"
Fang Zhenyu let out an exaggerated scream, but his hands had already slipped under Hu Liping's clothes, caressing her smooth skin, and his lips were already kissing hers.
Although Tan Chunmei sensed that Fang Zhenyu was being somewhat insincere, she knew he was trying to comfort Hu Liping and the others, so she smiled and said, "Nothing is impossible in front of our Boss Fang. Amin, let's go out and take care of some business. Let them have some fun." With that, she pulled Hong Min away. Nangong Yu'er followed them out.
Xu Qiang wanted to follow, but Fang Zhenyu stopped him, saying, "Don't go. You've worked so hard lately, I need to reward you properly."
"Yes, only by gaining the boss's support can I better serve him." Li Fanghua stopped massaging Fang Zhenyu and instead began undressing Hu Liping, quickly stripping her naked.
Xu Qiang hadn't been intimate with Fang Zhenyu in a long time either. When Fang Zhenyu pulled her, she stayed and began undressing him. She wasn't worried about anyone interrupting their tryst; with Tan Chunmei and the others outside, it was practically impossible for outsiders to get in.
"That's a good girl." Fang Zhenyu kissed her, then focused his attention on her body. Compared to southerners, Xu Qiang was much taller and had whiter skin. Her breasts were like mountain peaks piercing the clouds, with her nipples standing erect and very eye-catching. Fang Zhenyu wasn't about to let her go, and immediately pounced on her.
Xu Qiang groaned, trying to push Fang Zhenyu away, but she couldn't budge him. She could only cry out, "You bad boy, play with Sister Ping and the others first."
Fang Zhenyu didn't let her go, his fingers probing her already soaked vulva as he said, "You know I'm all the same, who goes first and who goes last."
At this moment, Hu Liping was sucking on Fang Zhenyu's erect penis, and upon hearing this, she spat it out, smiling seductively, "I know you're amazing, but let's go back to the rest room."
Fang Zhenyu didn't speak, but forcefully spread Xu Qiang's beautiful legs, thrusting his lower body forward with a "whoosh," and his thick, long penis entered Xu Qiang's body. He lifted her round buttocks with both hands and began to thrust powerfully, instantly producing a series of sensual sounds.
The empty vagina felt so full, and the friction was so pleasurable that Xu Qiang couldn't help but cry out loudly. Her long arms wrapped around Fang Zhenyu's neck like snakes, and her lower body thrust forcefully towards him in rhythm with Fang Zhenyu's movements. In just a few minutes, her whole body trembled, and she reached her climax. She was too weak to move or cry out anymore, but she could only hold Fang Zhenyu's neck tightly, panting heavily.
A few beads of sweat appeared on Fang Zhenyu's forehead. He kissed Xu Qiang and smiled at Hu Liping and Li Fanghua, who were still comforting each other, saying, "Now is the time to go back to the room." With that, he carried Xu Qiang into the lounge.
What was called a rest room was essentially Tan Chunmei's bedroom. The large bed inside could easily fit four or five people. Fang Zhenyu and Xu Qiang rolled around on the bed, continuing their encounter while simultaneously teasing Hu and Li. Before long, one man and three women were locked in a passionate battle, and a trio of female voices filled the room. After
an unknown amount of time, Xu Qiang was the first to snap out of her daze. She gently stroked Fang Zhenyu's muscular chest and said, "Yu, I'm afraid I won't be able to complete the mission according to the original plan." Her eyes were filled with apology as she looked at Fang Zhenyu.
“Don’t be silly, you’ve already done your best. I expected this situation. If it’s really not working, just do as they ask.”
“But…”
Fang Zhenyu interrupted her, saying, “Nothing is ever smooth sailing. I’ve had several years of peaceful life, and it seems I’m about to face another hardship. But I managed to get through it even with such a poor foundation before, so I’m sure nothing will happen now.”
Hearing Fang Zhenyu say this, Xu Qiang stopped talking about those things and said firmly, “No matter what happens, I will stand by your side.”
“We will too.” Li Fanghua and Hu Liping, who had woken up at some point, said in unison.
Fang Zhenyu deeply felt the women’s affection for him. He hugged them tightly and said excitedly, “Having such a group of confidantes as you, even if I die, my life will not have been in vain.”
“No, you will live to be a hundred years old and bring us happiness forever!” Li Fanghua became excited when she heard him say these ominous words.
Xu Qiang gently stroked his soft, bouncy member and said, "Husband, what will we do without this treasure if you die? Let's just die together! We can be husband and wife again in the underworld!"
Fang Zhenyu's sigh was merely a momentary reflection. Seeing the three women's deep affection, he was filled with courage, as if no difficulty could defeat him. He confidently said, "Alright, let's face everything that's to come together!"
On Tuesday, June 9, 1998, the joint meeting of the four leading bodies of the Municipal Party Committee finally convened in the conference room. Chen Xiangdong, the newly appointed CPPCC Chairman Luo Weisheng, the deputy heads and secretaries-general of the four leading bodies arrived at the conference room early. Only Zhong Yuguang, Yu Suibo, and Li Xiaokang had not yet appeared. Although everyone knew the theme of the meeting beforehand, no one discussed it. They only talked about the recent international situation, and a few whispered some gossip.
With one minute left before the meeting started, Zhong, Yu, and Li finally appeared in the room, each taking their assigned seats. Judging from their expressions, they had clearly had a significant argument.
"Let's start the meeting," Zhong Yuguang said to Lin Jianhua, the deputy secretary beside him.
Lin Jianhua responded with a "Yes," took a sip of water from her cup, and then began to speak. From her slightly trembling hands and voice, it was clear she was nervous. She said, "Today's meeting has only one agenda item: to discuss and decide on the listing of the port development investment company. The materials have already been distributed to everyone. Please speak your true thoughts from the perspective of
the overall development of Linhai." A moment of silence fell over the meeting room. After scanning the room, Zhong Yuguang's gaze settled on Lin Jianhua, trying to discern her background. Lin Jianhua was a female deputy secretary who had been transferred from the capital city a few months prior. She was young, just over forty, and had only recently taken up her post in the capital. According to the cadre allocation, Linhai should have a female deputy secretary or deputy mayor, but because Linhai couldn't find a suitable candidate, she was transferred instead. Zhong Yuguang had also noticed her nervousness earlier; from this, perhaps she really didn't have any connections, though other possibilities existed.
"Doesn't anyone have any opinions?" Yu Suibo glanced at the others, and seeing no one speak, he turned his gaze to Li Xiaokang.
"Let me say a few words," Li Xiaokang said. Actually, he didn't want to speak up, but originally, he had planned for several heads of important ministries and bureaus to attend the joint meeting, so that Zhang Shupei could take the lead. However, in the end, Zhong Yuguang canceled those attendees. On the one hand, he was under pressure from Yu Suibo, and on the other hand, he was in charge of finance, and the opinions were mainly discussed from a financial perspective, so he had no choice but to speak up. He said, "Judging from the port's feasibility study materials, the analysis is quite thorough, taking into account both domestic and international situations. Listing now will indeed have certain benefits for the port's development, but I think it will have a certain negative impact on the finances of our Linhai City." He discussed several aspects, including the need for the company to make adjustments after listing, which would affect production and reduce tax revenue, and the need for the finance department to increase investment to maintain controlling stake. He cited a series of data to illustrate the impact of listing on public finances. His core argument was that listing now would reduce civil servants' incomes and even temporarily cancel some subsidies. "This would dampen the enthusiasm of the vast majority of cadres and the masses, and also damage the image that Linhai has painstakingly built up over the past few years," Li Xiaokang concluded.
Zhong Yuguang and Li Xiaokang listened attentively, but their reactions were drastically different. Zhong Yuguang's smile grew wider, while Yu Suibo shook his head more and more frequently.
Li Xiaokang spoke eloquently for nearly ten minutes, clearly stating his opposition to listing now. Once someone started, others followed suit. Because their incomes were involved, many echoed Li Xiaokang's views, but unfortunately, they only whispered among themselves, and no one spoke up.
“My view is exactly the opposite.” A loud voice drowned out the whispers. It was Luo Weisheng, who stood up. He said, “What Vice Mayor Li said earlier does make sense, and that situation could indeed occur. But you have to understand, no matter when we go public, the company will need to make adjustments, and the problems Vice Mayor Li mentioned will arise. Moreover, the longer it drags on, the greater the impact will be. I have some data here.” Luo Weisheng recited his figures before continuing, “As you can see, although our revenue may decrease temporarily, after a period of time, due to the investment of external funds, the development speed of our port will be even faster.” Our tax revenue will increase exponentially. I believe everyone remembers that our port's current scale is the result of the hard work and frugality of the people of Linhai. We built the port despite the hardships we faced before, and now that things are so much better, why can't we endure another period of hardship to make our port take off again?"
Most of the people present had witnessed the port's development over the past few years. Luo Weisheng's words reminded them of the difficult years they had endured. After all, a slight reduction in economic income wouldn't have a significant impact on them, but the port's success would also bring them prestige. Therefore, the crowd began to discuss again.
Despite the discussion, no one stepped forward to speak. These people had spent so many years in officialdom, reaching their current positions, and they were all adept at reading people's expressions. They already knew that what appeared to be a discussion about listing the company had actually turned into a factional struggle. Everyone knew how much power Zhong Yuguang wielded, and they understood the background of Yu Suibo. Although they were all talking, they were secretly weighing their options.
Seeing everyone whispering amongst themselves, Lin Jianhua said, "What are your thoughts? Please share them. I'll start. In my opinion, Chairman Luo is right. Since we're bound to experience pain eventually, why not let it come sooner and allow for faster development?"
"Yes, things should be done decisively and efficiently, without dragging things out. That's the style of Linhai!" A voice, though not loud, was very firm, rang out from outside the door. With that, a soldier appeared at the meeting room door—Gu Yuan, a member of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee and Commander of the Military Sub-district.
Due to illness, this tall and robust man seemed somewhat shorter, but it did not diminish his imposing military image. Zhong Yuguang and Yu Suibo quickly went to greet him. Zhong Yuguang grasped his hand tightly and said, "Commander Gu, you're not feeling well, why did you come?"
Yu Suibo also grasped Gu Yuan's hand and said, "Yes, health is the foundation of everything. Since I'm sick, I need to take good care of myself."
"At this critical juncture where the fate of Linhai rests on our shoulders, how could I not be here?" Gu Yuan gently freed himself from Zhong and Yu's hands, gave Yu Suibo a deep look, walked to a microphone, and surveyed everyone, saying, "I'm a soldier, and I don't mince words. We are currently facing a major battle. From a military perspective, no battle is ever completely certain of victory, nor can any battle guarantee no casualties. When faced with two evils, choose the lesser. The key is not to miss the opportunity. As long as we are accurate in our assessment, consider all the factors, and rise to the challenge, I believe we will achieve final victory." Perhaps he was too excited, for he was slightly out of breath by the end.
Zhong Yuguang helped Gu Yuan sit down, then glanced around and said, "I think everyone understands the situation in Linhai, so I won't say anything more. My opinion is to proceed with the listing process immediately. Mayor Yu, what do you think?" Yu
Suibo felt quite uncomfortable. Li Xiaokang's words weren't very persuasive to begin with, and with Gu Yuan's involvement, everyone's inclination was already very clear. Of course, he wouldn't stand alone against everyone, so he said, "I also think this is better."
"Yes, we should carry forward the spirit of Linhai, tighten our belts, and work hard for a few more years," Chen Xiangdong, who hadn't spoken until now, said.
With the heads of the four committees all saying this, naturally no one dared to object. When it came time to vote, Li Xiaokang hesitated for a moment, then also cast his vote in favor. However, seeing the looks he received from those around him, he felt extremely uncomfortable, and in his heart, he cursed Yu Suibo's female relatives countless times.
The meeting finally ended. As Chen Xiangdong walked at the back, he watched Zhong Yuguang and Yu Suibo leave. He couldn't help but recall the scene of his battle with Zhong Yuguang two years ago. He felt a sense of relief and thought to himself: With Yu Suibo's abilities, he was still a little short of Zhong Yuguang in a battle of wits.

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