Power and Wealth

The evening arrived.

It was past eight o'clock.

In the hotel elevator, Dong Xuebing, Chang Juan, Chen Yunsong, and Gong Na were heading upstairs to attend the small banquet organized by the City Investment Promotion Bureau. There were only a few people in the elevator.

Fourth floor…

Fifth floor…

Sixth floor…

Chang Juan asked, "I heard you had a dispute with Director Lu?"

Chen Yunsong and Gong Na had heard about it, too, and they both looked at Dong Xuebing.

Dong Xuebing shook his head. "What dispute? We just had a small disagreement."

Chen Yunsong said, "The city wants us to hand over the foreign businessmen, which is too much. Why should we?"

Dong Xuebing said, "Regardless of how they mess around, our plan remains unchanged. Gather at 8 am tomorrow, and contact the cars in advance. If the city doesn't lend us any, we'll find a way to get them from Zhen Shui County. If there aren't enough cars, contact a leasing company. Then, I'll take the foreign businessmen back to Zhen Shui County. You guys continue to hold down the investment promotion event and try to expand our advantages as much as possible. The foreign businessmen's visit to Zhen Shui County this time has given us a lot of momentum. We can't miss this opportunity. I hope it will also attract some domestic small investors. As for the others, we don't need to worry about them."

Gong Na blinked. "But what if the city…"

Dong Xuebing calmly said, "Cross the bridge when we come to it."ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ɴovᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet

Chang Juan smiled, "Exactly. We'll stay the same amid the changes. Anyway, the foreign businessmen can't stay with them. We must go to our county first."

Dong Xuebing looked at them and said, "Let me mention one more thing in advance. The interests involved this time are significant. Similarly, there will be a lot of things happening below, and even some means that cannot be seen will be directed towards us. Everyone, be vigilant and be smart."

"Okay."

"We understand."

Ding! The elevator door opened.

The four of them stopped talking and walked out.

Outside, a staff member from the City Investment Promotion Bureau guided them. However, the person looked at Dong Xuebing with unfriendly eyes. After all, Dong Xuebing had confronted Lu Weiguo and the City Investment Promotion Bureau this time. They might have tried to cover it up in the past, so the people from the City Investment Promotion Bureau certainly wouldn't have a good attitude towards Dong Xuebing now.

Banquet hall.

The main door was open.

After Dong Xuebing entered with his team, he attracted everyone's attention. The dishes hadn't been served yet, but Lu Weiguo and several City Investment Promotion Bureau officials had already arrived. They were chatting with Chen Mingming and others at the main table. Others were also talking and chatting, but their eyes frequently glanced at Dong Xuebing.

The atmosphere was a bit strange.

No one came up to talk to Dong Xuebing's team. They probably heard about the argument between Dong Xuebing and Lu Weiguo.

Dong Xuebing didn't care. He led the team inside straightforwardly, looking for empty seats without saying anything.

Surprisingly, Lu Weiguo was the first to talk to Dong Xuebing, waving and saying, " Mayor Dong, sit here."

Hmm?

Is he calling me?

Dong Xuebing was a bit puzzled. He thought, what kind of show is Lu Weiguo playing? Dong Xuebing didn't think this guy would be so magnanimous. He had just confronted him, and there was no way he would not take it to heart. This old guy is not letting it go, so Dong Xuebing is on guard. He said, "Director Lu, it's unnecessary. Your place is almost full. I'll just sit with Old Chang and Xiao Chen. Any place is fine." After speaking, Dong Xuebing found the last table with a few people and sat down.

Chang Juan and the others followed suit.

Lu Weiguo didn't mind and continued chatting with people.

Soon, everyone had arrived, and all six tables were filled. The dishes were served one after another.

Lu Weiguo stood slightly and said, "Everyone, you've worked hard today. Before we start the meal, I'd like to say a few words. The foreign businessmen participating in the investment promotion conference this time have set a record in the history of Meihe City. The scale of foreign companies is incomparable to previous years. During lunch, the mayor highly praised the achievements of each investment promotion department, especially the comrades from Zhen Shui County. The city leaders also expressed appreciation. The comrades' efforts from Zhen Shui County are indispensable for the scale of this foreign investment inspection."

After finishing, Lu Weiguo led the applause.

People from other counties' investment promotion bureaus exchanged glances and also applauded.

Chen Yunsong and Gong Na looked at each other, not understanding why Lu Weiguo suddenly praised them. They wondered what kind of game Lu Weiguo was playing. Not only did he not cause trouble for Zhen Shui County, but he also praised them. However, everyone hoped their work achievements would be recognized. Chen Yunsong and Gong Na felt a bit proud seeing everyone applauding them. Although Dong Xuebing had arranged this, they hadn't put much effort into it.

Dong Xuebing clasped his hands in gratitude to the crowd, but he remained vigilant.

The applause stopped.

Lu Weiguo smiled and said, "The city specially approves this meal to reward everyone for their hard work over the past two days. It's already past working hours, and the investors have mostly rested. Therefore, there are no alcohol restrictions today. Feel free to drink, eat, and relax so we can better prepare for the investment promotion work tomorrow and next week. Well, let's start eating."

It was already this late, and many people were hungry. When Lu Weiguo's voice fell, everyone started eating. Some picked up food with chopsticks, while others poured wine.

The liquor was a local brand Dong Xuebing hadn't heard of.

Looking at the alcohol content, it was 52 degrees, considered high.

Suddenly, Lu Weiguo poured a full glass of wine and raised it towards Dong Xuebing's group. He said, "Come, County Mayor Dong, let's drink with our comrades from Zhen Shui County."

Dong Xuebing waved his hand. "Director Lu, our alcohol tolerance is not good."

Lu Weiguo smiled and said, "Who engaged in investment promotion work doesn't have good alcohol tolerance? I've raised my glass, and you haven't given face like this?"

Dong Xuebing said, "I usually don't drink. If it's possible, let's stop after one cup."

Lu Weiguo said nothing, raised his glass, and quickly drank all 150ml of wine.

Seeing this, Chen Yunsong had no choice but to drink a glass. Chang Juan and Gong Na didn't drink the entire glass; they just took a sip.

Now, only Dong Xuebing was left. Seeing everyone looking at him, Dong Xuebing had no choice. He poured a full glass of wine and slowly drank it. It took him half a minute to finish the 150 ml of wine.

Just after finishing, Chen Mingming raised his glass and stood up. " Mayor Dong, Zhen Shui County has made a name for itself this time. I'll have a drink with you. Haha."

Hmm…

Dong Xuebing finally realized that something was wrong.

What's the meaning of this? Are they trying to get me drunk?

Dong Xuebing's mind was quick, instantly understood Lu Weiguo had sinister motives. If he got drunk, he probably wouldn't be able to get up early tomorrow morning. He might even end up in the hospital, and without him contacting Ms. Zhang, Lu Weiguo and the others would likely find opportunities to keep Ms. Zhang and the others in the city. By then, they could use some means to detain the foreign investors for a more extended period, and the time for inspecting Zhen Shui County would be uncertain.