[Adult City] Lonely Officialdom (Final Chapter) - 1

Book Introduction:

He seems to have a powerful and unfathomable background, but he is actually the son of a farmer; he seems to be surrounded by beautiful women, but he often cries at night and suffers from insomnia; he seems to have risen through the ranks with endless glory, but he is often filled with anxiety and tormented by responsibility and desire; he strives because of a woman, and ultimately loses himself because of this woman—tell the story of a man who is almost 30 years old and starts as a college graduate village chief.

Chapter One: Leaving Beijing in Sorrow Zhang Bing

pulled out a cigarette from his desk, clumsily lit it, and took a deep drag with all his might, only to cough violently, almost bringing tears to his eyes

. "I'm still not used to it. Looks like I can't be a chain smoker." Zhang Bing looked away from the computer screen, which he had been staring at for a full half hour, and glanced at the blue cigarette pack on the desk. "Crane dances on white sand, my heart soars, white sand, white sand, my hometown that I don't particularly like, I'm finally coming back! I'm coming back!" He was going back to his hometown. Thinking of his white-haired parents and his strong sister, Zhang Bing felt a mix of sorrow and determination. He fixed his gaze on the screen, on the sentence he had written just an hour earlier.

The wounds I've suffered are unforgettable;

the love deep in my soul is always etched in my heart.

Every word

, every related action

, makes me suffocate with pain.

I want to forget you,

forget the one who will love you forever in my life.

Your days have left too many scars.

My weary body can no longer bear

your every phone call,

making me tense, trembling, bleeding,

and leaving me stunned and crying late into the night.

I want to forget you,

forget the one who gave my daughter, the one who gave me fleeting tenderness.

The promises made over time are so fragile

in this floating, materialistic world.

The butterfly is beautiful, fragile, and dies.

I want to reenact the story of the moth drawn to the flame

100 times.

But on the 101st time, I found that the magnificent fireworks had become ghosts.

I want to forget you.

In this lonely, bountiful autumn ,

to find my strong and fearless self again

, Zhang Bing wants to cry, to wail and cry without restraint, to cry freely under the bustling night of the capital in this golden autumn. Silent tears flow out, and Zhang Bing immediately stubs out the cigarette in her hand, quickly wipes her eyes, stands up, and pulls her cheeks, forcing a smile in front of the mirror. Too much sadness and love from the past... Now that I've decided to say goodbye to the past, to say goodbye to Beijing, the city I loved for ten years, and to embark on a new path of enduring loneliness and fearless strength, what reason is

there to return to my past vulnerability? Three months have passed; I quit my job, soothed my wounded heart, sorted out my thoughts, and finally determined my direction. So, goodbye to my love, my hate, my guilt, and my Beijing! I look at the clock; it's 4:10 AM. My train should leave at 7:40 AM, so I have three and a half hours, but I'm not sleepy at all. Time to pack some things. I walk around the apartment, sigh, and realize there's nothing left to pack. Five years after graduation, all my belongings are in this rented room. The only thing I'm going to take is this laptop on the table—his most cherished possession. Everything else holds too many memories, too much trouble. Forget it!

Zhang Bing sat back down at the table, waved his hand as if to shoo her away, and beckoned another person over. "Leave her a letter, you silly woman who makes me feel so guilty."

"My dear, after thinking about it for over three months, I've decided to live a different life. I don't believe I'll live such a pathetic life. Thank you for your support all these years! The reason I left quietly while you were away was because I didn't want to see any joy or sorrow. The officialdom is too dangerous. I don't know if I can succeed, but I will try my best with a man's will. For five years, our relationship has been very uneventful. You've always silently supported and tolerated me. Give me three more years, and I think I will succeed and come back to marry you. You and I both know that you're not the woman I love most, but I will always be yours. You've become an inseparable part of me. I think our marriage will be happy! Thank you!"

Overwhelmed with guilt, he didn't know how to express it. In just a short while, Zhang Bing lit another cigarette, took a few deep drags, slammed his fist on the table, checked his watch—6:30. Time to go!

After packing his laptop into his bag, putting on his coat, wallet, and phone, and slinging the laptop bag over his shoulder, Zhang Bing snapped a quick photo of himself, placed the camera and letter on the table, went downstairs, and headed towards a taxi. —

Chapter Two: College Student Village Chief

Zhang Bing had been back in his rural hometown for a month, and he had been incredibly busy. There was no way around it; he had too much to do for the village committee elections in early December. First, he needed to transfer his personnel file and household registration, which were still in Beijing, back to his rural hometown. This alone required two trips to the county public security bureau. He also made a point of treating them to a meal to familiarize himself with the officers in the county bureau's household registration department. Then, he officially registered his household in the town, specifically inviting Chief Huang of the town police station and Director Li Huan of the town's party and government office to a luxurious all-inclusive meal at the Furong Hotel in the county seat. He also met Zhang Kai, the deputy mayor whom Director Li had temporarily brought along. Zhang Bing still felt he was a bit too bookish, and when he sang with these people, he blushed and was thoroughly ridiculed by the hostesses for their advances

. Fortunately, his sister had many connections and knew many of the town's leaders, so the conversation at the dinner table was extremely pleasant, and everyone left happy. Besides settling his household registration and getting to know the town's officials, Zhang Bing followed his sister's advice and focused on getting to know the villagers. As the first college graduate from the village, Zhang Bing was quite well-known, but because he had rarely stayed home in the past 10 years, and because he was somewhat reserved and bookish, many villagers didn't recognize him. Under the guise of visiting his elementary school classmates scattered throughout the village, Zhang Bing essentially toured the entire village, which was nearly 10 square kilometers long and narrow like a seaweed. He made many acquaintances, uncles, aunts, older brothers, and sisters whose names he couldn't even remember. The elderly men and women with their snow-white hair and wrinkled faces spoke of his grandfather with nothing but nostalgia and praise:

"Secretary Zhang was such a good man! He led the underground party members in the village to fight against the Japanese invaders, protecting many people. He was even received by the provincial governor at the time! He served as the village secretary for over 30 years, and everyone respected him. He did so many good things for the village!"

"You're Secretary Zhang Fuqin's grandson? Haha, Secretary Zhang's good deeds are rewarded, not bad at all! Bing, remember to come visit sometime."

Rural people are always hospitable, especially Zhang Bing, who, bearing the title of the old secretary's grandson and the village's first college student, has been warmly welcomed everywhere for over a month. He hasn't even been home for a third of the time. He's been treated to good food and drink, and many enthusiastic aunties have even insisted on taking him on blind dates, or subtly hinting to his mother how wonderful their daughters are, suggesting that Zhang Bing is almost thirty and should be married. During these visits, Zhang Bing, always laughing and joking, has become the biggest talking point in the village. Everyone knows that the old Secretary Fuqin's grandson, the village's first college student, has returned from Beijing, and that he's a very good person. Families often seek his advice on school choices for their children, or on finding work outside the village, as it's considered important. After all, college students from Beijing have broad experience and might even have connections. It's said that someone's son was introduced by him to a factory in Beijing, earning over two thousand yuan a month—very good indeed!

Finally, in early December, the village committee election officially began. On the day of the nomination, Zhang Bing got up very early and arrived at the village committee office early, greeting everyone with a smile and offering them good cigarettes, saying he wanted to learn about the village committee election experience. Since Zhang Bing had already submitted his application to run for village chief, those who knew nodded and patted him on the shoulder, while those who didn't looked confused, but still treated him politely, after all, Zhang Bing was now a celebrity in the village. At 10 a.m., the nomination meeting officially began, chaired by village secretary Luo Yunchu. He first explained the election policies and the town's expectations, then directly asked the candidates to speak about their advantages and future work plans.

When it was Zhang Bing's turn, he stood up confidently, a slight smile on his face, and glanced at everyone:

"Hello everyone, I'm Zhang Bing. Everyone sitting here is here to run for village chief. I came back from Beijing, and I want to make it clear that I'm here to run for village chief. I'm the youngest here, and you are all my elders. Logically, I shouldn't be sitting here giving orders, so I won't. I'm here with a humble attitude to learn. The country has recently been calling on college graduates to go to the grassroots level, to serve practically and start from the bottom. I wouldn't dare say I'm so noble that I only came to respond to the country's call. I'll be frank with you all; after graduating in Beijing, I spent five years working in human resource management, and later I also worked in the business world." I worked my way up to HR manager, but I never felt it was meaningful. The money I earned was barely enough to get by, and when I came back, I was still penniless. As you all know, my family still lives in a dilapidated house. As you all know, my father's hair turned white at 40. He's always done manual labor and some people look down on him. Everyone thinks my mother is very capable, but now she's overworked, old, frail, and sickly. Some people even say that my family's situation is because I, as their son, am unfilial, not giving them money so they can enjoy their retirement.” At this point, the whole room burst into laughter—a good-natured laugh, since the situation was true; these rumors circulated in the village.

"I don't know what you all think, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, I'm really ashamed to tell you that I haven't made any money, not that I hid money in the bank to prepare for my wedding! I quit my job in Beijing and thought about it for three months, thinking every day about how to change my family's situation, before finally deciding to come back to run for village chief. Why do I say this? Because I feel that if I'm earning money in another city and supporting my family alone, even if I have money, it still won't change my family's situation: my parents are old and can live comfortably at home, that's fine, but I also have my younger sister. Everyone knows that I went to university, and it was my sister who supported me. To support me, she went to work in the city after graduating from junior high school, and now..." "She's always stayed at home, eating rice in the fields. Even if I gave her money, she'd still be in this village, in the same environment. After all, I don't have the means to bring her to Beijing to live a better life!" Zhang Bing took a sip of water, paused, and looked at the somewhat mocking smiles on everyone's faces. "Maybe you'll think I look down on my hometown, on this remote mountain village, but let me make it clear, I don't mean that! I just want to say that I've thought about it for a long time, and I believe that for my family to become wealthy, everyone should become wealthy; for my parents and sister to live well, the entire village's environment should change drastically, and I believe I have the means and the ability to achieve that." Looking around again, the smiles vanished, replaced by expressions of doubt and longing.

"I have the ability to make the whole village rich! That's what I said. Let me tell you a secret: I know County Chief Ma in our county, and we have a very good relationship. With my qualifications and the national policies, it would be really easy for me to become a cadre in the county! But I don't want to do that. If I want to be an official, I want to make the village better first before climbing the ranks. County Chief Ma also advised me to do the same, and it was County Chief Ma who persuaded me to finally give up my job in Beijing that paid 6,000 or 7,000 yuan a month and come back. County Chief Ma told me, 'Even earning 6,000 yuan a month in Beijing is low income; you can't even afford a house. But if you go back...'" "To increase your village's per capita annual income from 2,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan—that's an incredible achievement! Your parents would be happier than any amount of money you give them. It would be a reward for the hometown that raised you for over a decade! That's why I decided to come back. Although I know it will be tough and tiring, I'll find a sense of accomplishment in it! That's why I'm standing here today, hoping for everyone's support and encouragement."

Zhang Bing paused, then turned his gaze to Secretary Luo, who sat calmly on the sidelines. "Of course, simply knowing County Chief Ma won't bring much wealth to our village and make everyone rich. I certainly have other ways. Secretary Luo is someone everyone..." I trust the old Party Secretary, and I think he'll be the Party Secretary again this term. I promised him that if I become the village head, I will do two major things. First, I will raise money to pave the road from the town to the village with cement, so that everyone will no longer have wet trousers and muddy feet on rainy days. As for the roads from the village to the individual groups, we'll see how things go; everyone might have to contribute some money. Second, the development plan for Hongqi Lake in our village has been in the works for many years, and the county has even issued an official document, but there has been no real progress. I will contact the developer, and construction will definitely begin within a year. After completing these two tasks... "This is a major event. I believe the village's economy will improve, and various investments will flourish. If it doesn't, I'll be sorry to everyone, and I will never leave our village. I can write this guarantee here! Okay, that's all I have to say, thank you everyone!"

Zhang Bing's final guarantee filled everyone's eyes with excitement and respect, a stark contrast to their previous disdain. These two major events could indeed bring tremendous development to the village. Everyone had been hoping and talking about them for countless years. Now, this college graduate with the broadest horizons was about to fulfill their long-held expectations. How could everyone not be excited? Although he was only talking about it, considering his guarantee, his credibility, and the fact that others were powerless to help, why not trust him for now? Thunderous applause and cheers erupted as everyone discussed, debated, and dreamed—the slogan "To get rich, build roads first" had been chanted for years. Other villages in the town, either because of their successful village-run enterprises or their superior geographical conditions, had long since built paved roads for every household. Only Songshang Village, being the most remote and poorest, had been unable to secure sponsorships or start-up funds. Relying on the town's financial allocations was out of the question. As a result, Songshang Village had always been the most looked down upon and insignificant place in the town and even the county. Many good things seemed to have been forgotten by the leaders. Even the planning for Hongqi Lake, the largest and most famous scenic spot in the county, had been delayed for years due to a lack of funds.

Undoubtedly, Zhang Bing, the candidate for village chief, quickly became a hot topic as the news spread, becoming the focus of everyone's conversation. Even more interestingly, the leading candidate for women's director was also a young woman, 25-year-old Song Xue'er, who had just returned from working in Guangzhou. After graduating from the provincial civil affairs college, she worked in hotel management in Shenzhen for three years and had only been home for less than six months. When Zhang Bing first returned, a kind older sister had dragged her to a blind date. Upon meeting her, Zhang Bing was immediately attracted by her elegant demeanor, so different from that of someone from the countryside, coupled with her delicate face and expressive eyes. Zhang Bing almost thought she had returned to the countryside. Standing on the streets of Beijing, Zhang Bing stared blankly at those beautiful eyes for a long time. It was only the playful banter of the villagers that brought him back to his senses. He was then invited to sit down by the poised and elegant Xue'er, and they discussed their experiences working far from home for quite some time, feeling as if they had known each other for ages. However, Zhang Bing deliberately declined the well-meaning older sister's matchmaking offer. The reason was simple: he knew why he had returned; he couldn't forget the love and hate he had felt in Beijing. Nevertheless, the two became good friends. Although Zhang Bing wasn't handsome, with a dark complexion and short stature, his steady demeanor and the aura of being the first college graduate in the village made everyone like and approach him.

A week later, the new village committee list, approved by the town leaders, was revealed. Surprisingly, Zhang Bing's votes surpassed those of the old secretary, Luo Yunchu, to take first place, much to the villagers' surprise and raising their expectations even higher. However, considering the stability of village-level administration, the town leaders did not determine the positions entirely based on the number of votes. They insisted that the old Party Secretary serve as the village Party Secretary, Zhang Bing as the village head, and the beautiful Song Xue'er, who came in third place, successfully became the women's director. The three of them formed the smallest village-level Party branch to lead 287 villagers and shoulder the responsibility of leading Songshang Village to prosperity over the next four years.

Chapter 3: The First Village Committee Meeting

On a sunny morning, the air in the picturesque mountain village was particularly fresh. Zhang Bing stood on the highest peak near the village and greedily inhaled the sweet air. His body, which had just undergone strenuous exercise from climbing the mountain, immediately felt much lighter. Looking around, the village resembled a narrow jade ribbon winding through the mountains. In the distance, clouds and mist swirled around the mountains, while nearby, the wind blew gently through the trees. Pheasants and rabbits occasionally darted through the flowers and trees, accompanied by the cheerful songs of various birds, truly making it a fairyland. He loved his hometown's environment. Whenever he was home, he would climb the mountain every morning to enjoy the scenery, partly for exercise, and partly to appreciate nature and cultivate his mind. No matter where he was, no matter how annoyed or bored he was, just recalling his time climbing the hill would immediately calm his mind and bring a faint smile to his face. Yesterday, the village committee list was announced, and today the new committee members would gather for the first time to exercise their rights and obligations. So he got up half an hour earlier than usual to come here, carefully reviewing the tasks in his mind. Feeling confident, he then hummed an unknown tune as he descended the mountain.

At nine o'clock in the morning, Zhang Bing arrived at the village committee office on his motorcycle right on time. To make things convenient for the villagers, the office was located next to the village market, right next to the main road into the village—practically in the village center. Since it was the new leadership's first day, everyone had high expectations, so many people had come early to find out more. The office door was full of villagers with eager smiles. Seeing Zhang Bing arrive, they quickly greeted him and made way for him. However, no one was used to calling him "Village Chief Zhang"; some called him "college student" with a chuckle, and many more called him by his nickname, "Bing Ya Zi," just like his parents did. This made him feel both amused and defeated. The old Party Secretary, probably preparing some documents for the meeting, had arrived earlier and was chatting with Song Xue'er. Seeing Zhang Bing arrive, he quickly stood up and greeted him, "Alright, our new village official is really punctual! No wonder he's a college graduate with management experience! Alright, get ready for the meeting!"

Song Xue'er looked stunning today, captivating Zhang Bing just as much as when they first met. Xue'er was already tall and slender, wearing a light blue denim outfit with a leather belt as wide as a hand around her waist, which further accentuated her slender figure. Her mature and beautiful face always wore a faint smile, and her beautiful eyes, which hid a touch of sadness, were captivating. Coupled with her wavy, black hair that framed the delicate, white skin on her swan-like neck, Zhang Bing completely understood why so many people used the word "angel" to describe her!

"Village Chief Zhang, what's wrong?" Xue'er noticed that Zhang Bing was staring at her without moving, his gaze constantly shifting. She thought there was something wrong with her outfit. But that couldn't be. She had carefully dressed up for an hour this morning and had her mother check it several times. There shouldn't be any problem. She checked herself again before confirming that it wasn't her fault.

"Oh, it's nothing." Zhang Bing snapped out of his reverie, "You look so beautiful today!"

"Huh?!" Although Song Xue'er had been praised for her looks countless times, this was the first time Zhang Bing had complimented her. He had even refused a matchmaker's proposal back then, and Xue'er had thought he was just bookish and didn't appreciate beauty. "Really? It's so rare to hear you compliment me!" Xue'er expressed her feelings generously, though she was still a little shy.

"Alright, you two, stop dawdling and making a spectacle of yourselves. Come on over and get ready for our first village committee meeting! We have a lot to do today!" Hearing the two young people whispering sweet nothings, the old secretary was pleased, but still kindly reminded them, then turned to the villagers crowding at the door to watch the spectacle and called out, "Alright, everyone, please leave. We're having a meeting, and we'll let you know afterwards! Thank you all!"

The three of them carried chairs to a slightly larger desk and sat down. The village was poor and couldn't afford a meeting table, and besides, with only a few people, it wasn't necessary.

The former Party Secretary spoke first: "Let me say a few words. As your former Party Secretary, I've watched Zhang Bing and Xue'er grow up, and I'm very happy for your past achievements. I'm very grateful that you gave up your previous jobs to serve your hometown. Songshang Village is too remote and too poor; it needs young college graduates like you to lead the villagers on the road to prosperity!" Seeing that the two were about to be modest, the former Party Secretary waved his hand, "Don't be modest, let me finish. You were elected by everyone, so you are trusted by the villagers. Of course, the town leaders also highly praised our village's team for being younger and more educated this year, which is a national requirement! Especially Village Chief Zhang, who proactively outlined his work plan and resources, and the plan is highly feasible." "Mayor Huang of the town really values this and has high expectations for you. He even wants you to have time to report to him!" The old Party Secretary chuckled a few times, pulled out a box of silver cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and laughed self-deprecatingly. "You two are young and don't smoke much, so don't look down on this old smoker later, haha! Anyway, you're young, educated, knowledgeable, and have connections outside, so from now on, our village committee's work will be mainly yours, focusing on economic work and getting rich. I'll mainly assist you in handling various relationships. This is also Mayor Huang's intention. You can boldly do things; everyone is watching your achievements. Of course, don't be afraid of failure or taking responsibility. I'll take responsibility for you if anything happens. That's the use of this old guy, haha."

“Old Secretary, you’re really putting us in a bad position! We need your leadership to get to work! Neither of us has ever done this job before, so there are bound to be things we don’t know well and we need your guidance. Besides, we don’t know anyone in the town, so isn’t it you who communicates with us and leads us? And as for economic work, who in our village knows the situation as well as you? If you don’t know the situation, you’re completely clueless. As the saying goes, ‘No investigation, no right to speak.’ So you are our leader, an indispensable and essential leader.” Zhang Bing quickly expressed his obedience to the old secretary’s leadership, even jokingly quoting the old secretary’s favorite saying: “The Party leads everything. If the village chief doesn’t listen to the secretary, doesn’t that mean the Party has no leadership? This is a political issue that must be clarified.” Of course, he also knew the old secretary’s favor and support. Many actions during the election process were taken based on the old secretary’s advice. Zhang Bing’s grandfather had once saved the old secretary’s life and had long led him, so the two families had always had a good relationship. The old secretary was incredibly excited about Zhang Bing’s return as village chief and fully supported him.

"That's right, we'll listen to the old Party Secretary!" Xue'er chimed in enthusiastically.

"Hehe, alright, let's not waste any more time. Although this is our first meeting, I've spoken with each of you individually for a long time and I know your abilities and ideas. Now I'll assign tasks and see if everyone agrees. Our village committee will focus on the economy, mainly on Zhang Bing's plans for road construction and the development of Hongqi Lake. Zhang Bing will be responsible for attracting investment and the specific organization and implementation of the projects. Director Song will be responsible for family planning, student education, and receiving investment visitors, and will also act as the accountant. I'll mainly be responsible for handling relations with the government and other miscellaneous matters. I know you young people aren't patient with these things, so you'll handle the big tasks, and I, this old man, will take care of the household and logistics. How about that? If there are any other matters, we can discuss them." This was something that had already been agreed upon during the election, and everyone was doing what they were best at, so they all nodded in agreement.

“This is how I see things regarding economic work. The development of Hongqi Lake must be based on transportation, so we must build roads first. Only when the roads are built can investment come in. Otherwise, if the people who come to inspect see our roads, they will immediately return to the county town. How can we talk about investment then! Specifically, there are three main directions for road construction. One is the main road from the town to our village. I have already heard that the county has a plan for this, and construction will begin after the New Year. We just need to cooperate. The second is the road from our village to Liuhu County. Liuhu County has already built a road to the border between the two counties. The vertical distance from the main road built by the county to the border is only 3 kilometers. But for some reason, the county did not include this distance in its plan. We must fight for this. We need to explain to the county the importance of the exchange between the two counties and the benefits to economic development. I estimate that with some effort, it shouldn't be a problem. At most, the villagers will have to do some extra voluntary labor. The most difficult thing is the road needed for the development of Hongqi Lake and the village-to-household road. Everyone, please give your opinions on how to build it?” Zhang Bing saw that the old secretary was looking at him and knew that he was to start the discussion, so he spoke first.

“Yes, road construction is a fundamental project and should be given top priority. As for the road issue for the development of Hongqi Lake mentioned by Village Chief Zhang, I suggest rebuilding a cement road from the main road in the village center along the dirt roads of each production group. This would also solve part of the problem of roads reaching individual households. This road would connect to Longwang Village downstream of Hongqi Lake, linking with their cement road.” This was a plan that the old Party Secretary had thought of long ago, and he had been working on it for the past few years, but unfortunately, it hadn't been very effective.

“Secretary Luo, the road to Longwang Village has already been repaired. The distance from there to the town is the same as ours. Is it really necessary for us to repair the main village road to Hongqi Lake? We'll have to find the funding ourselves! I heard you've been trying for years without success. Wouldn't it be better to just repair the roads around Hongqi Lake and connect them to Longwang Village? As for the roads leading to individual households, we can put that aside for now and apply to the county for development matching funds once the development of Hongqi Lake is settled.” Song Xue’er hesitated and was uncertain because she lacked experience and wasn't as close to the old secretary as Zhang Bing, mainly because she was afraid of offending him, but her thinking was clear.

“But if we can’t confirm the Hongqihu developer for a long time, our road construction plan can’t be implemented. If it takes too long, we won’t be able to face our fellow villagers! Once they think we’re deceiving them, our village committee’s work will be put on the defensive. The previous village committee has already lost a lot of credibility. If this continues, we’ll all have to leave!” Secretary Luo was still somewhat skeptical about Zhang Bing’s ability to secure the Hongqihu development. To be on the safe side, even if it meant risking his reputation by going to the county and town to beg and plead, he believed that after a few more trips, he could still raise some money to build the road, even if it was just a partial one. As long as it started, he could give the villagers an explanation.

"Secretary, I think Director Song is right. We can apply to the county for the supporting funds for the Hongqi Lake development. That way, it'll be easier to get approval, and the amount of funds will be larger, which will meet our needs. Of course, Secretary, you're also right. If we do this, we must find a developer as soon as possible, otherwise the road can't be built, and the villagers will rebel! It seems my previous thinking was too simplistic. I always thought that if the road was built well, the developer would have a good impression and it would be easier to get investment. It seems that won't work. We must do the road construction and development together, otherwise we won't be able to get enough funds." Zhang Bing listened carefully to the opinions of others and also carefully considered his original plan, trying to continuously improve it. "Secretary, Director Song, when I heard your opinions, I had an even bolder idea. Come and look at the map. From our town's road plan, the town wants to build a ring road around the town." "So, the distance from our village to the town is the same as from Longwang Village, and both require a detour, bypassing the ring road and then taking the Changping Highway that runs through the town, a journey of about 7 kilometers. However, looking at the whole county, the county seat's economy is developing rapidly, and they are currently undertaking a major overhaul of the provincial highway. I heard that they are building a provincial highway that runs directly from the county seat to the Changping Highway. The junction is located at the border between our town and Huanghua Town, 10 kilometers from the county seat, 14 kilometers from Huanghua Town's airport, 3 kilometers from the town center, and only 4 kilometers from our village center. It's 7 kilometers to Hongqi Lake. But if we build a straight road from the junction to Hongqi Lake, the distance is only 3 kilometers. Wouldn't that attract more investors, be more beneficial to the economic development of our village and even our town, and make our roads more convenient and faster?" After saying this, Zhang Bing took a deep breath, quite pleased with his quick thinking.

Secretary Luo and Song Xue'er both gathered around the county map hanging on the wall, carefully considering Zhang Bing's suggestion. "Really? This plan is great! It saves money and improves the town's road network. Plus, a large part of this road passes through our village, which will definitely benefit our economic development!" Song Xue'er quickly concluded. "However, the prerequisite for this road is the success of the Hongqi Lake development plan. We need to confirm that developers are investing before the county and province will invest in road construction. Otherwise, it's hard to be convincing."

"Village Chief Zhang, I'd like to confirm again. Is it true that you told me during your campaign that developers are interested in developing Hongqi Lake? Can you guarantee you can attract investment?" The old secretary stroked his goatee and pondered for a while, then looked up at Zhang Bing with a bright gaze.

"I guarantee it's no problem!" Zhang Bing replied without hesitation.

The old secretary took a big gulp of tea, waved his hand, as if he had finally made an important decision, "Zhang Bing, put your ideas into a written plan. We'll have another meeting tomorrow morning to review and improve it together. Then we'll go to the town to visit the leaders. First, to get acquainted with them, and second, to seek their support for this plan and see what they think. What do you think?"

The three agreed in unison, then chatted about other things before getting busy with their own plans. Song Xue'er accompanied the old Party Secretary to various groups to understand the family planning situation, while Zhang Bing went home to rush to draft the plan.

Chapter Four: The Flirtatious Sister.

Zhang Bing's writing was excellent, and her thinking was broad. In addition, due to her previous work, she often wrote documents, so her work was relatively easy. The plan was unanimously approved the next day, and then they rode their respective motorcycles to the town.

This was Zhang Bing and Song Xue'er's first official visit to the town government. Previously, both of them had worked in other places, so they had little contact with this place. Zhang Bing's only memory was coming here to apply for an ID card when she was 20 years old, before starting university. Because she was past the age limit, she found an acquaintance who worked in the village's radio and television department. With the acquaintance's help, it was all done in less than half an hour, without any fines. According to her mother, without an acquaintance, the fine would have been at least 200 yuan. So at the time, she was very fortunate that many departments had separated; the police station had moved to another location, and the radio and television station had its own small building, but the overall architectural layout hadn't changed. Nearly 10 years had passed, and things had changed drastically. Zhang Bing sighed for a while. Because they weren't familiar with each other, the two followed the old Party Secretary obediently, which made him laugh at them.

The three of them parked the car, chatting and laughing. Following the old Party Secretary's advice, they planned to first visit Wang Qianjin, the town's Party Secretary, and then report to Mayor Huang Yihang. According to the old Party Secretary, Mayor Huang had considerable power; his younger brother was the police station chief, and their family had a lot of influence in Chunhua Town. Mayor Huang basically made all the decisions in the town. Party Secretary Wang had just been transferred from elsewhere, and his work style was unpopular and controversial, but he was still the top leader and controlled personnel, so they should visit him first.

"Oh, isn't this our college student village chief? Don't you recognize your sister?" Suddenly, a woman jumped out and grabbed Zhang Bing's arm. She had almond-shaped eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, and slightly thick red lips—very sexy. Her voice held excitement, but her tone was sarcastic.

Upon hearing the voice, Zhang Bing immediately frowned. It was Li Huan, the director of the Party and Government Office, a mature and alluring divorced woman in her thirties. Zhang Bing had treated her to a meal when he was settling his household registration. Li Huan took an instant liking to Zhang Bing, constantly teasing him during their time together, even forcing him to call her "sister," which made Director Huang and Deputy Mayor Zhang, who were also present, burst into laughter. But to be honest, Zhang Bing felt that behind Li Huan's teasing was genuine concern for him, truly like a sister. He could tell from her cold attitude towards others and her shielding him from drinks. Strangely, even Deputy Mayor Zhang seemed extremely polite to Li Huan, not daring to offend her in the slightest. It was said that even the most powerful Mayor Huang dared not provoke her, instead showing her great respect. Moreover, although Li Huan appeared very alluring, her reputation wasn't bad, and she was very dedicated to her work. Therefore, although Zhang Bing felt awkward, he was genuinely grateful to her. They had kept in touch for the past few months, having eaten together several times. Li Huan had introduced him to many people in town, and even offered him many good suggestions during his election campaign. But he was afraid of her teasing him. After all, risqué jokes were common in the countryside, and Zhang Bing was thin-skinned. She had never experienced such things before, and as she put it, she had always been a polite and civilized person. How could she withstand such jokes?

"Hehe, Sister Huan, hello! I'm sorry, I was in a hurry when I came in and didn't notice you. I was just about to visit you later." Zhang Bing immediately changed to a smiling face and looked at her watery, charming eyes earnestly.

"Visit me? You came to town without calling me beforehand. Have you forgotten about your sister? With a pretty young girl by your side, how could you remember your old woman

like me?" Li Huan held Zhang Bing's hand tightly, nodded to the old secretary, and then gave Zhang Bing a hard tap on the head. She pointed at Song Xue'er as if she were jealous and also marveled at Song Xue'er's beauty. "Sister Huan, please don't make fun of me. This is Song Xue'er, the women's director of our village." Zhang Bing knew that Li Huan wanted him to introduce her. Having known her for so long, he understood Zhang Bing's logic. Behind her seemingly flirtatious demeanor was a kind and clever heart. "Secretary Luo, you two are old acquaintances, there's no need for me to introduce you. Director Song, this is Director Li from the town's Party and Government Office, my sworn sister, hehe."

"Hello, Director Li! I'm Song Xue'er, you can just call me Xue'er. Director Li is so beautiful!" Song Xue'er was very adept at social etiquette and immediately offered a small compliment.

"Hehe, you guys don't know, do you? Director Li is the most beautiful girl in our town government, even prettier than those young ladies!" The old Party Secretary, afraid of delaying business, immediately smoothed things over. "Director Li, is Secretary Wang here? We need to report to him."

"Hehe, Secretary Luo, you're not here to report, but rather to get acquainted, aren't you? These past few days, new village cadres have been elected in waves, I see you're doing the same, hehe." Li Huan was very familiar with the old Party Secretary and spoke casually. "Secretary Luo and Mayor Huang have gone to a meeting in the county and won't be back until 2 pm. Looks like you've made a wasted trip." Then she turned to Zhang Bing and tapped him on the head again. "See if you know your sister, kid. If you had called beforehand, you wouldn't have made a wasted trip, understand?"

Zhang Bing could only chuckle helplessly. He hadn't thought that far ahead; he assumed the old Party Secretary was in charge and had already made all the arrangements. He simply ignored Li Huan. "Old Party Secretary, Director Song, it's such bad timing. Should we go back and come back tomorrow?"

Li Huan glared at Zhang Bing and smiled at the old Party Secretary. "Secretary Luo, look, it's already past 10 o'clock. It's not easy for you to come all this way. Just wait here and have lunch. Secretary Wang and the others will definitely be back at 2 pm. Isn't that great? I still need Zhang Bing to treat me. He's such a cheapskate. He's the village head now and he doesn't even treat his sister to a meal. It's infuriating." After saying that, he pinched Zhang Bing hard on the back, making Zhang Bing almost cry out in pain.

“Alright, since Director Li has spoken, we’ll stay. Our new village committee in Songshang Village needs the town leaders' guidance, and we’ll be troubling you all quite a bit in the future.” The old Party Secretary was very straightforward. He had already planned to treat everyone to a meal to build good relations with the town, and Li Huan’s words were a perfect opportunity for him to take the initiative to invite people. Although the two top leaders weren’t there, the other leaders were also important. Based on the old Party Secretary’s experience, some leaders were difficult to invite—he didn’t have that much influence—but Li Huan was sure to get them. “Please help me call the other leaders who are home, Director Li. I know you have a lot of influence.” "My old bones can't afford to invite so many people. Let's have a meal at Chunya Villa in our town. Please give us your guidance in our future work."

Li Huan didn't agree. He smiled and invited them to sit in his office. Then he called all the department heads, speaking bluntly without giving a reason, just asking them to have lunch at Chunya Villa. Surprisingly, the leaders on the phone were very agreeable and readily agreed, even saying they would cancel their other engagements to come. Song Xue'er found Li Huan's influence quite strange, while Zhang Bing had already witnessed it on other occasions and, although she didn't understand, wasn't surprised.

Chapter Five: Dinner at Chunya Mountain Villa.

After finishing his phone call, Li Huan gave some work instructions and then led the three of them straight to Chunya Mountain Villa. Originally, the old Party Secretary suggested going by motorcycle, but Li Huan immediately rejected it. Then, pointing to the extremely dazzling red BMW in the yard, he said, "Take my car, it's more convenient!"

Looking at the latest BMW worth over a million, the Songshang Village group was amazed. Song Xue'er covered her mouth with envy, and Zhang Bing was also quite surprised. The last few times they went out, Li Huan had a Jetta, which already made Zhang Bing, who could only ride a motorcycle, very envious. How could he have changed to a BMW in the blink of an eye? It was too exaggerated! But at this moment, he couldn't ask, since there were other people with him. He was embarrassed to be too friendly with Li Huan and cause misunderstandings, and he was even more afraid that Li Huan would tease him again.

Zhang Bing was very familiar with Chunya Mountain Villa. It was a farmhouse inn run by someone from out of town, only 1 kilometer from the town government. It included dining, leisure, and accommodation, and could be considered the best entertainment venue in Chunhua Town. His sister worked there as the manager, so he had been there many times before. Because his sister was highly regarded by the owner, they were very familiar with each other. According to his sister, almost all town government activities were held at Chunya Mountain Villa, indicating an excellent relationship with the government. The villa was indeed very nice, nestled against the mountain and by the water, with buildings arranged in a pleasing manner. It also had many artificially transplanted flowers, plants, and precious trees, reportedly costing several million yuan. The environment was very popular with the leaders who came to patronize the villa, and several of its homemade signature dishes had become famous throughout the county. Zhang Bing had even considered hosting all his banquets there in the future. He would have to negotiate a discount with the owner, since the investment promotion work was extensive and he would be hosting many banquets in the future. If he could get a 20% discount or something similar, he could save a lot of money. As for any lower discount, he didn't dare to think about it, because his sister said this was the lowest discount she had seen.

A striking red BMW pulled up to the entrance of the resort's banquet hall. Before Li Huan even got out, the resort owner, Yu Jie, greeted her: "Haha, Director Li, welcome, welcome! I knew it was you just by looking at this BMW. Your car is the only one of its kind in our town."

Li Huan smiled but didn't say anything. Zhang Bing greeted them with a smile, and then the group was led to a private room on the second floor by a hostess in a cheongsam. The old Party Secretary handed over the ordering power to Li Huan, citing unfamiliarity with the area. She didn't stand on ceremony and told the owner to prepare a table of dishes typical of the town, except for a few bottles of fine wine, Five Star Jin Liu Fu, and a new specialty, Yellow Duck Hot Pot. Then she smiled at the group beside her: "It's okay if the dishes are simple. These people love to drink, so I must make sure they drink well. This Yellow Duck Hot Pot is also a favorite of all the leaders. For my silly little brother, I'll definitely save you money and make sure it's delicious!" The old Party Secretary was deeply moved, because he knew it was the truth. He had spent a lot of money on previous banquets, but the leaders didn't seem to like them, and the atmosphere at the table wasn't very good.

While they were still ordering, some impatient leaders came over, immediately thanking Li Huan upon meeting her, as if receiving her invitation was a great honor. The atmosphere was more like subordinates addressing superiors, while they paid little attention to Secretary Luo's pleasantries.

At 11:30, everyone had arrived, including Deputy Secretary Qin and three deputy mayors, a total of 12 people. They sat down according to their positions, with Deputy Secretary Qin being seated at the head of the table. Zhang Bing was supposed to sit at the end, but Li Huan insisted on pulling him to her right. Everyone seemed to have a tacit understanding, and no one objected to Zhang Bing, so he had no choice but to obey his domineering older sister's arrangement.

The waiter poured the wine, and everyone looked at Li Huan, the hostess, expecting her to give the opening toast. Li Huan smiled sweetly, pointed to the old secretary, and said, "Don't look at me, everyone. Today isn't my treat; it's the new village committee of Songshang Village hosting everyone, hehe."

Everyone smiled, some even sighing, turning their faces towards the old secretary. Zhang Bing could detect a hint of annoyance and disdain in the sigh, as if someone regretted not coming.

The old Party Secretary quickly interjected, thanking all the leaders for their support and introducing Zhang Bing and Song Xue'er, the two newly elected officials. He then led the two in toasting each leader. After a round of toasts, Zhang Bing was fine, but Song Xue'er was flushed and somewhat overwhelmed by the alcohol. Fortunately, she skillfully used her social skills honed in the hotel industry and drank less. However, the rural cadres were somewhat uncouth, and some, seeing her youth and beauty, took advantage of the drinking to openly take advantage of her, even touching her inappropriately. Xue'er, who had never experienced anything like this before, panicked. Luckily, Li Huan came to her rescue.

Li Huan pulled Zhang Bing to her side, smiled at everyone, held a wine glass in one hand and Zhang Bing's arm with the other, looking very intimate: "Alright, everyone, let's not make things difficult for the newcomers from Songshang Village. For their sake, Zhang Bing is my newly adopted brother, and from now on, his affairs are my affairs. So, I hope you leaders will take good care of Songshang Village!" She looked around and, seeing the leaders nodding, her face brightened even more. "Thank you for your support, leaders. I never drink baijiu, but today, for the sake of my brother, I'll make an exception. This glass is a toast from my brother and me to everyone." She then pulled the bewildered Zhang Bing aside, downed her drink in one gulp, and even boldly showed everyone the bottom of her glass.

Hearing this, the leaders were quite surprised. Li Huan had been in the town for over half a year and never drank baijiu, not even when the county magistrate came. No one had forced her to drink, though. Rumors circulated that she had a powerful background, being the daughter of a high-ranking provincial official. Coupled with her easygoing personality, everyone respected her greatly. Although she appeared quite flamboyant, she never had any scandals. She always maintained a low profile, interacting with everyone purely professionally, rarely forming personal relationships. Even when someone tried to curry favor, she was rudely rejected. Now, she had suddenly adopted a younger brother, which seemed quite serious, and that was something to ponder.

As a result, many people's expressions changed. They all egged Zhang Bing on to offer a toast, saying that a college graduate village chief was a novelty in the county and that everyone should interact more in the future, no longer showing their previous disdain. Fortunately, Li Huan stepped forward again, acting as if protecting her younger brother, and said with a smile that several people from Songshang Village had a work report that afternoon, and she would definitely entertain everyone next time, thus rescuing Song Xue'er and Zhang Bing from the awkward situation.

As the banquet was drawing to a close, Zhang Bing went to the counter to settle the bill, explaining that he wanted a discount and that all future banquets would be held there. When the owner, Mr. Yu, heard that all banquets for the Hongqi Lake development would be held there from now on, his eyes lit up. He patted Zhang Bing on the shoulder and said, "Village Chief Zhang, we're old friends, and your sister is a key member of my team. I have to give you the lowest possible discount. How about this: 30% off all expenses, and I'll issue you a full-price invoice. How about that? Pretty generous, right?" Zhang Bing was delighted. He thought that this single table cost over 2,000 yuan, even with the discount. A 30% discount would save him a considerable amount of money, potentially up to 100,000 yuan a year. He wasn't being stingy; he could pocket the discount money himself, it wasn't embezzlement, and everyone was doing the same thing, so why not?

Back at the town government in Li Huan's car, it was exactly 2 PM, the start of the afternoon workday. Before parting, Li Huan specifically called Zhang Bing back, telling her to finish her report to the old secretary and Song Xue'er and go home first. She told Zhang Bing to come to her office; she had something to discuss with Zhang Bing. Then she hurriedly left.

Chapter Six: First Meeting with Mayor Huang.

At the office door, they bumped into Secretary Wang, who was nearly 50 years old, short and stout, wearing glasses. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they were invited into the office. Secretary Wang's office wasn't very luxurious; the most distinctive and eye-catching feature was the painting of winter plum blossoms hanging by the door. The plum blossoms blooming proudly in the snow seemed to foreshadow Secretary Wang's aloof demeanor. According to the old secretary, Secretary Wang's lack of influence in Chunhua Town was related to his aloofness and impracticality. Even with connections and flattery, it was all in vain without results. In contrast, Mayor Huang was a pragmatist, and with the support of his family's influence, the current situation had arisen.

Facing Secretary Wang, the three were extremely respectful, especially Zhang Bing and Song Xue'er. They first presented their resumes, then outlined their plans for the work they were responsible for, and finally asked Secretary Wang for guidance. After a string of official pronouncements, Secretary Wang became quite interested in Zhang Bing's Hongqi Lake development plan, asking if he had already contacted any investors. He said he could continue the negotiations as the Party Secretary, which would make investors feel respected and more attentive, thus facilitating the process. Zhang Bing inwardly cursed; this was tantamount to stealing business and discrediting his achievements! He dared not tell the truth. Moreover, his personal connections played a significant role in the negotiations, and interference from others would surely ruin things. So, while inwardly shaking his head and lamenting the Secretary's unfairness and treating others like fools, Zhang Bing could only humbly say that the matter was still unresolved and everything was just a plan, and he would certainly ask the Secretary for guidance if needed. After a long and drawn-out discussion, they finally left the office, only to find that it had far exceeded the expected half hour, much to their frustration.

The three hurriedly ran towards Mayor Huang's office. Fortunately, there weren't many people looking for the town mayor today. The three of them waited in the reception room for less than half an hour before being ushered into the mayor's office. Mayor Huang was a native of the area, and in his own words, he was half a farmer. He usually spoke with a lot of coarse language and was very forthright, a style that was very popular in the countryside; otherwise, all the town's officials wouldn't listen to him. His office was somewhat rustic, lacking the calligraphy and paintings that Secretary Wang had. The walls were covered with maps—national and county maps—and most notably, the largest enlarged map of Chunhua Town, clearly custom-made. Zhang Bing found it very familiar and enviable; having this map would certainly save a lot of trouble, especially in investment planning. Mayor Huang had the most common buzz cut among rural people, was around 40 years old, with dark skin, high cheekbones, and a tired face, but he looked very energetic and approachable. Upon meeting them, he nodded to the three of them, then chuckled and took the old secretary's hand, calling him Old Luo, and they exchanged pleasantries for a while.

After they sat down, and the old Party Secretary introduced Zhang Bing and Song Xue'er, Zhang Bing was about to introduce himself, reciting his resume as he had with Secretary Wang, when the town mayor interrupted him: "Alright, no need for a resume. I hate bureaucrats. You two are locals, and now you're my subordinates. How could I not know you!" He looked at Zhang Bing, then smiled at Song Xue'er, "A college graduate village head, a beautiful director—both of you have seen the world, are cultured and knowledgeable. This roughneck is going to benefit from your connections, so work hard!"

Hearing the old Party Secretary state his purpose, Mayor Huang became very interested: "Oh? " "Your new team has just started working, and you've already completed the Hongqi Lake development plan? Excellent! I wasn't wrong about you. The other village cadres came to pay their respects and offer gifts, which was quite off-putting. You, on the other hand, have started working diligently and created a work plan right away—very good! Tell me, what do you need me to handle? I'll fully support you!" He then pointed to Zhang Bing, "I've just heard about your work assignments, and I've also heard a lot about the election. I know this plan will definitely be based on you, so you'll explain in detail. Let's have a good chat. I'll dedicate my entire afternoon to you; this is a major event for our town." He then picked up his teacup from his desk, took out a black notebook, and... He sat down directly next to Zhang Bing. "Let's discuss this behind closed doors, everyone. Don't be shy, help yourselves with the tea, the cigarettes are on the table, smoke as much as you like, don't be polite, just get the job done."

After reading Zhang Bing's report, Mayor Huang pondered for a good ten minutes, seemingly considering the feasibility of the plan. Then he looked up, his face serious, and patted Zhang Bing's shoulder heavily. "Judging from your report, you've been working on the Hongqi Lake development for quite some time now. It seems you have a clear idea of the investment plan and the investors, very good. Therefore, for the sake of convenience, all work will be based on your village's decisions. The town will fully support you, but will absolutely not interfere in decision-making, especially in investment negotiations." "The decision is yours. The town will provide logistical support. If you need anything, just contact me directly. I won't even yell at you if you call me at 3 AM. Your village isn't wealthy, so here's what we'll do: go to the finance department later and collect 500,000 yuan. Consider it your hospitality expenses for the first two months of investment promotion. The specific plan will be decided in a town meeting two months later based on your progress."

The three were taken aback. 500,000 yuan for hospitality expenses on just a few sheets of paper? It seemed Mayor Huang was very optimistic about this, but this also put more pressure on them. The old Party Secretary had never seen the town so generous in decades. He was touched, but also uneasy. "Secretary Huang, do you think our proposed plan is feasible?"

"Hehe, you guys are really well-informed! The main road from the town to the villages will indeed start construction in the county after the New Year, but this information is still being kept secret for now, just in case someone tries to pull strings and cause trouble for the governments at all levels. As for the road from your village to Liuhu County, that was indeed a miscalculation on our part. The passage between the two counties is very important, so you don't need to worry about that. I'll help you get it included in the main road project. As for your idea of a provincial highway directly to Hongqi Lake, that's a good idea and it will benefit the economic development of our entire town. However, including your road-to-household plan, it must be based on the development of Hongqi Lake. The town and the county are both short of funds, and without that, it's impossible." "We can't ask higher authorities for money or supplies; of course, on the other hand, as long as Hongqi Lake receives investment, I guarantee there will be absolutely no problem with a direct connection to the provincial highway, and it's even possible that your village's main road will be upgraded to a provincial highway, depending on the size of the investment. Of course, it can't all be funded by the government; the developers will definitely invest a portion. Zhang Bing, you need to pay attention to this during negotiations. Make sure the investors contribute a portion of the money for road construction; otherwise, the government might not be able to provide that much funding. We can repay the investors' road construction costs over ten years in the form of road maintenance fees. There's experience to draw on in this regard." Mayor Huang laughed after saying this, probably quite pleased with his clever plan.

Zhang Bing listened and pondered. Seeing everyone watching him, he downed the tea in his disposable cup in one gulp, refilled it, and, gathering his thoughts, asked a question he wasn't entirely sure about: "Mayor Huang, what should we say about preferential investment policies?"

Mayor Huang paused, giving Zhang Bing a strange look before looking at him earnestly: "Young man, please don't be offended by what I'm about to say. After all, I'm older than you and have some experience in investment negotiations. The Hongqi Lake development is a project involving at least several hundred million yuan. Such a large project isn't just a town matter; even the county and province will get involved, especially regarding preferential policies. The province will definitely be involved. If the amount exceeds tens of billions, the province will certainly send someone to handle it, which is beyond our control. It will then be up to the investors and higher authorities." We handle the specifics of the negotiations; we only do the execution. We don't deal with policy matters, nor can we. Of course, if investors raise any concerns with us, we must report to our superiors and handle them promptly—we can't delay. So, don't expect to achieve everything at once; that's impossible. What you need to do now is bring in potential investors to assess their investment scale. Once that's confirmed, we'll report the matter upwards, and they'll negotiate with them. If we were to negotiate directly with the investors, we wouldn't have the authority, and even if we made promises, they wouldn't believe us; they'd think it was a private deal. Understand? Of course, you must participate in the entire negotiation process. You're the one who brought them in; no one can take the credit from you. Your role as the coordinator between the two sides is crucial.”

After being slapped and rubbed by Mayor Huang, Zhang Bing realized he had been too naive. It seemed the rules of officialdom were far more complex, and he'd have a lot to learn. This was for the best; it allowed him to see his place more clearly, unlike before when he felt insecure, thinking he had to rely on himself alone, or at most the village committee. Seeing Mayor Huang casually give him 500,000 yuan, he was sure Mayor Huang would keep his word and provide full support. After all, any achievements in Songshang Village were thanks to Mayor Huang; who would trust a leader without his leadership?

Mayor Huang seemed to be in a good mood, giving the three of them many instructions on important matters, including suggestions for other village work. He especially offered valuable advice to the two newcomers, praising the old Party Secretary's diligence and commending his foresight in the Songshang Village election. He said the old Party Secretary had good judgment, making the old Party Secretary blush with excitement. Songshang Village was the poorest and most remote village; praise was rare, only criticism was heard.

Time passed quickly until the secretary came in to remind them it was time to leave. Mayor Huang needed to pick up his children, so he told them to hurry home and be careful on the road.

Chapter Seven: The Ambiguity in the Car

Leaving the office, Zhang Bing saw the lights in the Party and Government Office and remembered Li Huan's earlier instructions. He guessed Li Huan was indeed waiting for him there, so he quickly told the two to go back first and ran to find her. However, Song Xue'er's strange look and hesitant expression before leaving puzzled Zhang Bing; he didn't know what she was thinking.

Reaching the Party and Government Office door, before he could even knock, the door suddenly opened, revealing Li Huan's anxious face: "Goodness, you still remember what your sister said! I thought you'd already run off. I'll teach you a lesson then!" She then ran back to her desk, grabbed her bag, and dragged Zhang Bing out without letting him in. "Hurry up, Fei Fei must be getting impatient!"

Zhang Bing, confused, followed her into the red BMW. Only then did Li Huan notice the sweat on his face and his heavy breathing from running. She tenderly grabbed his arm, took out a wet wipe from her bag, and gently wiped his face: "I'm sorry, I was in a hurry earlier. I didn't expect your report to take so long, and I didn't explain things clearly enough, which made you anxious."

"Sister Huan, what do you want from me?" Zhang Bing had never let a girl wipe his sweat before, especially not a very alluring mature woman like Li Huan. Li Huan wasn't wearing a coat, and her full breasts were swaying close to his eyes. Looking down, he could glimpse a deep cleavage through the gap in her collar, enough to make any man's mind wander. Li Huan's action instantly aroused him; he wanted to plunge straight into her ample bosom, his eyes glued to her white, muscular chest.

Li Huan noticed the man's lecherous gaze and her suggestive actions, hurriedly withdrew her hand, sat up straight, glared at the still-dazed Zhang Bing, and angrily threw the tissue at his face. "You pervert!" she yelled, then stopped looking at Zhang Bing and started the car.

Zhang Bing didn't realize he'd acted foolishly until the tissue hit his face. He felt incredibly bewildered; he'd just acted like a lecherous scoundrel, completely lacking in manners. And Huan-jie had been so kind to him, yet he'd treated her so disrespectfully—it was truly inhuman.

The atmosphere in the car was heavy. Zhang Bing composed himself. Seeing that Li Huan seemed still angry, he leaned over from the passenger seat and said in the most ingratiating and pitiful tone, "Huan-jie, are you still angry? I'm sorry, I—I didn't mean it, I know I was wrong. Can you hit me a few times? Don't be angry!" Having spent so much time with Li Huan, Zhang Bing had noticed that Li Huan was always very compliant and never angry with him, especially when he acted pitiful.

But this time, it seemed to have no effect. Li Huan remained silent for a long time, only giving him a resentful glare before continuing to drive.

"Good sister, don't be angry anymore, okay?" Seeing that it had no effect, Zhang Bing waited a while and then used his ultimate move. He grabbed Zhang Bing's arm and shook it gently, pretending to beg for mercy in a disgusting female voice. This was a trick he had learned from experience, and it would immediately make the other party laugh.

Li Huan really couldn't resist this trick. He chuckled and then realized that it wasn't good to be angry. He immediately stopped laughing and forced a smile, scolding Zhang Bing in a fierce voice: "Here we go again! A grown man pretending to be a woman, it's disgusting. If you want to pretend, get lost. Don't pull my arm, I'm driving!" Perhaps he felt that he was being too fierce. After all, he knew that Zhang Bing was usually a pretty honest person, which he could tell from the way he usually bullied him. So his tone softened a bit, "Look at you, you've never seen a woman in eight lifetimes. How are you going to get along in the future?" Then he glared at him fiercely.

It must be said that Li Huan was very charming; even when she was angry, she possessed a certain allure, especially that last glance. Though her expression was one of scolding, the hidden affection in her alluring eyes was unmistakable. This was far more powerful and irresistible than any other woman's flirtatious glance. Seeing that she was no longer angry, Zhang Bing, aroused by that captivating look, blurted out without thinking, "Who told you to be so beautiful? Much prettier than other women, so big and white."

"You still dare to say that?" Zhang Bing suddenly slapped her hard, seemingly genuinely angry. The slap left five bloody welts on Zhang Bing's face, but she seemed to regret it immediately afterward, glancing at him timidly without uttering a sound.

Zhang Bing was completely jolted awake by the slap. She quickly banished the bad thoughts from her mind and hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Sister Huan, I said the wrong thing again, I deserve to die!" After saying that, she slapped herself hard. "I said Sister Huan is very beautiful. I have never seen a more beautiful woman than Sister Huan."

Zhang Bing never expected Zhang Bing to slap her. The slap was very loud, even louder than her own slap. This startled her. Slapping Zhang Bing was not her intention, it was just a moment of anger, and she regretted it immediately. Seeing him belittling himself like this, she knew he cared about her feelings and felt Zhang Bing's sincerity. She quickly slammed on the brakes and pulled the car over to the side of the road. Before the car had even come to a complete stop, she grabbed Zhang Bing's arm. "What are you doing? Is it fun to hit yourself? Is this how you do things?" Her face was full of reproach and affection. She didn't bother to pretend to be angry anymore and even wanted to touch Zhang Bing's slapped face with heartache.

Unexpectedly, the car hadn't come to a complete stop yet, and with Zhang Bing slamming on the brakes, the forward momentum slammed both of them towards the driver's seat. Since Zhang Bing was holding onto Zhang Bing's arm, they involuntarily bumped their heads together. Then, Zhang Bing almost fell onto Zhang Bing, her head hitting Zhang Bing's thigh. In her haste to steady her, Zhang Bing's hands ended up on Zhang Bing's high breasts, and the incredibly soft feeling made Zhang Bing involuntarily grab them.

Neither of them expected this outcome; their minds were completely blank. They remained in that position for a full minute without moving. Zhang Bing suddenly felt a sharp pain in her thigh muscles, which brought her back to her senses. She heard Li Huan's soft voice: "You rascal, aren't you going to help me up?"

Zhang Bing hurriedly helped Li Huan up, not thinking much of it. One hand was still on Li Huan's chest, and the other was grabbing her arm. Only after pulling hard did she realize how ambiguous and impolite this was, and she quickly let go. So, without a doubt, Li Huan once again pounced on Zhang Bing's thigh, and this time, even more so, this time face down, with Zhang Bing's red lips pressed against Zhang Bing's inner thigh.

Her thigh muscles were once again being tormented. With Li Huan's help, Zhang Bing finally returned to her seat, but the ambiguous atmosphere couldn't be dispelled. Neither of them dared to speak, and they simply started the car and drove off in silence.

As Li Huan drove, her thoughts raced. The sudden movement had startled her quite a bit. Partly, she was afraid of a car accident, but more so, she was overwhelmed by the close contact with Zhang Bing, the shy yet bewildered feeling of his masculine presence. Twice she had pressed herself against his lap, wondering if he had noticed. Both times her lips had touched that hard mound. As a married woman, she knew what it was; the masculine hormones emanating from it were suffocating. Coupled with Zhang Bing's large hand on her full breasts, she was incredibly shy and dared not move. It was only the honking of car horns on the road that suddenly reminded her that she was still driving and needed to hurry to pick up her precious daughter. Thinking this, she couldn't help but spit at herself, gathering her thoughts to focus on driving, while also stealing a glance at the people beside her.

Zhang Bing was oblivious to her peeping; his mind was racing with desire. He hadn't been intimate with a woman for months, and young men are naturally sexually active, especially with a stunningly beautiful, alluring mature woman like her. The softness of her breasts, the distinct sensation of her small nipples hardening, the thrill of her breath on his erection—it was driving him crazy. His penis was still erect, making his pants bulge. But the current situation was incredibly awkward. Beside him was the woman he'd just offended, a woman he was still infatuated with, a woman who had been very kind to him. He quickly shifted, trying to hide his erection, and tried to clear his mind of those thoughts, regaining his composure.

Chapter Eight: Brother and Father

Arrived at their destination, a prestigious private kindergarten. Neither of them spoke another word, but as their thoughts returned to normal, the awkward atmosphere eased, and the previous embarrassment disappeared. As they were about to get off the bus, Li Huan suddenly glanced at Zhang Bing and asked hesitantly, "Little guy, you just said that my sister is the most beautiful woman you've ever seen, are you lying?"

"No, absolutely true, I can guarantee that. Sister Huan is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Zhang Bing was very good at saying this; only a fool would deny it, especially since Zhang Bing was definitely a stunning beauty, almost exactly as he had promised. So her reply was loud and decisive.

"You're so smooth-talking, I can tell you've fooled a lot of girls. But I'll let you off the hook. It's better to flatter your older sister than to fool other girls, hehe!" Li Huan was very happy. Although she was confident in her looks, hearing praise from someone she cared about still excited her. "We're going to pick up my daughter Feifei from kindergarten later. It's her birthday today. Usually, it's just the two of us, and the little one always seems lonely. I know you like children, so I brought you along hoping you can play with her and make her happy on her birthday. Don't refuse!"

"No problem, Huan-jie's daughter must be very beautiful and cute. I love children the most, hehe." Since he was already there, he might as well accept it. Besides, Huan-jie had helped him so much, so of course he wouldn't refuse such a small favor; on the contrary, he was eager to do so.

The two got out of the car, and as usual, Li Huan linked arms with Zhang Bing, her ample breasts rubbing against him subtly as they walked, seemingly unaffected by the ambiguous atmosphere in the car and not at all concerned about avoiding suspicion. They only let go once they entered the kindergarten gate.

Upon arriving at the reception room, a three- or four-year-old girl was waiting at the door, pouting and idly playing with her long braids. As soon as she saw Li Huan, she skipped over, exclaiming, "Mommy, bad Mommy, you made Fei Fei wait so long!" She jumped and hugged Li Huan's bent neck, climbing into her mother's arms.

Li Huan affectionately kissed her little face and cuddled with her for a while before putting her down. "Okay, Feifei, baby, come down. Mommy is very tired. Come on, it's your birthday today. I'll introduce you to an uncle."

Feifei then noticed a smiling man behind her mother. Seeing her looking over, he reached out his hand to her: "Come on, Feifei, baby, give me a kiss!" Before she could answer, he hugged her little body, lifted her high, gave her a good kiss, lifted her up a few more times, gave her another kiss, and then spun her around. The feeling of being high up and about to take flight excited her, making her giggle non-stop. Unfortunately, before she could finish playing, she was put down and immediately started to whine, clinging to Zhang Bing's hand. "Brother, again, higher, higher, I want to fly higher!" Her little hands were still waving around, and she jumped around, making flying shapes.

Zhang Bing discovered he really had a way with children, especially little girls. His actions, tested on many children, were universally loved; they excited the little ones and quickly won their favor. Hearing Fei Fei's sweet talk, he knew he had succeeded. He had initially gained the little princess's trust, and they could get along well with her in the future. Children are strange like that; often, it's all about the first impression. If you can make them happy and get along well the first time, they'll trust you a lot later—that was his experience.

He fulfilled Fei Fei's request and picked her up to play with her for a few more minutes. It was Li Huan, worried about the child, who urged them to stop. "Okay, Fei Fei, baby, get down quickly. Uncle will get tired. It's your birthday today; we need to go back and have a birthday party for you."

Although Fei Fei didn't want to stop, she listened to her mother, but still disagreed with her mother's arrangements. Holding Zhang Bing's hand, she smiled seriously and said to her mother, "Mommy, he's not an uncle, he's a brother, the brother who plays with me."

Li Huan affectionately pinched her cute little nose. "Nonsense, Uncle Zhang is Mommy's colleague. You have to call him uncle."

"No, he's my brother! Uncle has a mustache, and his breath smells like smoke when he kisses me. My brother doesn't have a mustache, and he doesn't smell like smoke. Uncle doesn't play with me, but my brother plays with me happily. He's my brother, Feifei's good brother!" The little girl was stubborn, determined to stick to her belief. She ran over and grabbed Zhang Bing's hand, still acting coquettishly, "Brother, isn't he? You're Feifei's good brother, aren't you?"

Zhang Bing loved children and had always been a leader among kids. He was especially fond of this adorable little princess and picked up Feifei in one go. "Yes, I'm Feifei's good brother." Then he looked up at Li Huan and smiled, "Sister Huan, just call him brother, it's okay. I really like Feifei, my little sister, hehe."

Li Huan hadn't expected Zhang Bing to be so popular with her daughter. It was rare for Feifei to be this happy when she ran into colleagues. This made her very happy, which was exactly why she had brought Zhang Bing along. So she didn't insist anymore and smiled as she let Zhang Bing carry the little girl into the car.

Once in the car, the little one was still restless, insisting that Zhang Bing hold him and let him sit on his lap. Then, he looked at Li Huan, who was getting in the car, and said ingratiatingly, "Mommy, darling Mommy, it's still early. I don't want to eat so early. Let's go shopping, okay? Brother, come shopping with us. I want to buy delicious food and fun things."

Li Huan had no choice. She usually had to work and rarely took the little one out. She often left her alone at home or at kindergarten, which she felt very guilty about. Today, Zhang Bing was there, and it would be nice to have him accompany her for a walk. So, when she saw Zhang Bing nod, she smiled and agreed.

It was rush hour, and the streets were still quite crowded. The narrow streets were packed with people. To prevent the little one from getting lost and to avoid being jostled by others, Zhang Bing simply let her ride on his shoulders, telling Xiao Feifei that it was "riding a horse." This made the little one extremely happy. High on Zhang Bing's shoulders, she held her brother's head and swayed left and right, sometimes letting go and waving her little hands randomly in the air. When she saw something she liked, she used Zhang Bing's neck as a steering wheel, pointing wherever her little finger went. Her mother would then take out money to buy it for her. She had never felt so loved before and was very excited. She hung the little parts she bought on her brother's neck, arms, her own and her mother's chests, and even hung two shiny little bells on her little feet, attracting a lot of attention and envious glances.

"Feifei, you're so pretty!" A crisp little girl's voice came from beside her. The little princess turned around and saw that it was Xiaoli, one of her kindergarten classmates, who was also shopping with her parents. However, Xiaoli wasn't as impressive as the little princess; she was walking on her own. "Feifei is so lucky! She can ride on her dad's shoulders. Daddy, I want to too!" Xiaoli said, then looked at her father with envy and begged him for help. Finally, she happily rode on her father's shoulders. "Feifei, let's go shopping together, okay? I finally met your dad today. Everyone thought you didn't have a dad."

“He’s not Dad, he’s my brother, a good brother who loves Feifei.” The little princess corrected her seriously, “A brother who’s even better than Dad.” After saying that, she gave Zhang Bing a kiss, then her tone changed, and she became very sad, “Mom said Dad went to a very far place, and I’ve never seen him. I want to ride on Dad’s shoulders too—”

The two little ones were chatting happily, but Xiaoli’s parents knew something was wrong when they heard Feifei’s last sentence. Seeing Li Huan’s face turn from sunny to gloomy, they knew they had probably broken a taboo. If they let the two little ones continue chatting so seriously, they didn’t know what might happen. So, they wisely said goodbye and forcibly pulled Xiaoli away.

Perhaps the previous conversation had made the little princess miss her father, and she felt a little disappointed, so she quickly lost interest in playing and started clamoring to go back for her birthday cake. However, before getting into the car, she suddenly pulled Zhang Bing aside. "Brother, I have a question for you, but please don't tell Mom, okay? Do you think Feifei is pretty? Is she well-behaved?"

"Of course, our Princess Feifei is the best-behaved and prettiest, and brother loves her the most." Zhang Bing really liked this little sprite, pinching her nose and kissing her cheek.

"Then will you be my dad? Will you be my brother-dad, the brother-dad who often takes me shopping and plays with me?"

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