Power and Wealth

Afternoon.

A little past two.

Not a cloud in the sky.

The intense sun flaunted itself in the midday sky. The early summer heat pressed down on the streets and the asphalt road, the exterior walls of the hotel, and the surfaces of the electric poles seemed to be hanging with fire, giving a sensation of imminent combustion. Cities with significant temperature differences between day and night are like this: in the morning, you might need to tighten your collar and add a thin jacket, but by the afternoon, you'll be sweating, and even the birds seek refuge in the shade of the tree branches, calling weakly.

Outside the hotel.

Under the shade of a few green trees.

Dong Xuebing was talking to a city's investment promotion office staff member.

"Mayor Dong, the rooms are ready."

"Everything is prepared. What's up?"

"The luggage of the foreign businessmen is still in the car. Shall we bring it up?"

"Sure, but don't put the luggage in the rooms. Put them in the storage first. Later, when the foreign businessmen finish their meal, let them choose their rooms themselves."

"Alright, I'll go in and have someone move them."

"Make sure they are careful not to damage anything."

"Okay, I'll remind them to be careful when moving."

"By the way, just give me Ms. Zhang's luggage. Her room is not on the top floor."

Dong Xuebing invited these people. Naturally, he had to take care of such matters himself. After a brief consideration, he felt uneasy and followed the hotel staff in. While walking, he kept instructing, and when going upstairs, he made a few phone calls to check the situation of the county exhibition booth and the banquet in the hotel's banquet hall. The foreign businessmen were still having dinner with the Party Secretary and the Mayor. Chang Juan and Gong Na had already returned to the Central Park. Zheng Dayou was on his way back to Zhen Shui County. The investment promotion work in the county was proceeding smoothly, and Dong Xuebing no longer needed to worry about it. His current task was to accompany these foreign businessmen and bring them back to Zhen Shui County tomorrow.

On the upper floor.

After settling the luggage, Dong Xuebing went down one floor. He then walked to the end of the corridor and lit a cigarette in the smoking area next to the elevator. It had been a busy day, and he was tired.

Ring, ring, ring, the phone rang.

It was a call from Xu Yan, Sister Xu.

Dong Xuebing answered, "Hello, Sister Xu."

A woman's smiling voice came from the other end. "Met with Old Zhang?"

"Yes, they are having dinner now. It has been two hours. Why did you call when you already knew Sister Zhang was here?"

Xu Yan laughed, "We've already met."

"Sister Zhang said she visited the provincial capital to see her old classmates."

"Hehe, the two of you are quite close now. Old Zhang is coming over; she didn't even inform me in advance. She wouldn't have contacted me if I hadn't received a letter and called her first. She is not allowed to contact me unless I take the initiative." Xu Yan is now the Deputy Director of the National Security Department. She naturally knows the situation in the province.

Dong Xuebing coughed, "No, I didn't know when Sister Zhang would come. I just invited her. I didn't expect Sister Zhang to bring so many foreigners."

"Still, you are quite something."

"Where? Please don't embarrass me."

"For these years, I have invited Old Zhang to come over several times, asking her to come back to play, but this old woman has never agreed. She has been busy, busy, busy. You just made a call, and she came from far away. I think you have more face than me."

"Alright, no need to be so formal. Hehe, take good care of Old Zhang. I just took office, and there's a lot of work to do. We can catch up when everything settles down."

"Well, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, doing well. You take care of yourself, too."

"Got it, I will. I've been going to bed earlier now."

"Good, that's important. Big Sister still has some matters to attend to, so let's talk later."

"Sure, if we go to the provincial capital, we'll call you. You take care, and I'll hang up."

After hanging up the phone, Dong Xuebing finished his cigarette, waited for a call that didn't come, and closed his eyes, taking a short nap to rest.

But instead of a call, someone arrived.

Ding! The elevator door opened not far away, and Zhang Longjuan walked out.

Behind her were Lu Weiguo and several staff members from the city's investment promotion office.

"Ms. Zhang, your room is over there."

"Alright, then I'll rest. You can go back."

"Do you have the room key? Here's my business card and phone number. If you need anything, just call me."

"Hehe, thanks, Director Lu. Look at us making you all busy for a visit."

"We must provide good service to investors. You rest, and by the way, take a look at tomorrow's itinerary."

"Let's talk about it tomorrow, ha."

"Well, okay. We won't disturb your rest."

After saying goodbye, Lu Weiguo and the others took the elevator downstairs. They still hadn't seen Dong Xuebing in the rest area. Dong Xuebing stood up when they left, feeling helpless about Lu Weiguo and his group's actions. These people wanted to build relationships with foreign businessmen and deliberately excluded him. They didn't even want him to be involved with certain people.

Too petty.

That was Dong Xuebing's evaluation of these people.

Before coming to Meihe City, Dong Xuebing always thought his overall view was lacking, his political experience was weak, and he was relatively "petty" in his considerations. However, after coming to this place, he realized he wasn't worse than these people. These people were even more petty than him.

Ahead.

Zhang Longjuan used her room card to open the door.

"Sister Zhang," Dong Xuebing smiled and called out from behind.

Zhang Longjuan turned around, laughing, "When did you come?"

Dong Xuebing pointed to the smoking area behind, "I've been here all along. Didn't you see me?"

"Haha, you hid quite well. Come in and talk." Zhang Longjuan opened the door and walked in.

Knowing surveillance cameras were in the corridor, Dong Xuebing said nothing outside. He followed her inside. With a thud, he closed the door. It was an executive suite, not the best, but not the worst. There was a foyer, a guest area, and an office area inside. Dong Xuebing didn't enter the bedroom, so he didn't know how it was decorated. From the outside, it looked average; there was no kitchen and only one bathroom.

Dong Xuebing asked, "Is this room okay?"

Zhang Longjuan, after entering, casually kicked off her high heels onto the floor, stepped on the black stockings, took a few steps, and then fell onto the big sofa in the guest area, laughing, "What? Are you worried Sister Zhang won't have a good place to stay?"

One high heel lay down.

The other high heel flipped over.

"Oh, these are expensive shoes. Don't throw them around like this."ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by N(o)vᴇl(ꜰ)ire.nᴇt

"Hehe, tired today. The people in your city are too enthusiastic."

"Of course, they're enthusiastic. They're all thinking about getting you to invest. Haven't you seen their eyes turn red?" Dong Xuebing bent down to pick up her black high heels, neatly placing them in front of the sofa, "Is the room a bit small? I can book a presidential suite in another hotel for you."

Zhang Longjuan laughed, "You ah… Do you think I am fussy about the room? An executive suite is pretty good. Don't be so extravagant. Sister Zhang started from scratch. Don't be fooled by my luxury house in Florida. Give me a little flat of ten square meters, and I can live comfortably. I'm not that delicate. Old Xu knows me. When I was in school, I went through a lot of hardships. Haha." Zhang Longjuan, with her beautiful feet wrapped in black stockings, raised them slightly in the air, crossed her legs halfway, and appeared in Dong Xuebing's eyes with a faint allure, her tiny blue suit long gone. She was left with only a shirt and white casual pants, revealing a mature and charming figure, vaguely visible.

Full.

Sexy.

And that seemingly intentionally posed figure.

Zhang Longjuan, with a smiling expression, took her fingers and gently rubbed them on her thigh, raising her eyebrows. The charm immediately radiated.

Dong Xuebing felt agitated and confused. This was the first time he had seen a woman in her forties being so enchanting. In Dong Xuebing's impression, middle-aged women were mostly like Xu Yan, conservative and reserved. Even if they were sexy, it was restrained. Where could you find someone like Zhang Longjuan, so unrestrained?

"Cough, cough."

"Why are you coughing? Come and sit here."

"You've occupied the entire sofa. Where should I sit?"

"Isn't there space here? Come over. It's been a long time since I've seen our handsome young man. Come over and let me take a look."

"Are you teasing me again?"

"Come quickly, and let me see if you've slimmed down."

Dong Xuebing was helpless. Sister Zhang’s enthusiasm had always been something he found troublesome, always flirting with him. Seeing the only space left on the sofa, which happened to be in front of Zhang Longjuan's slightly bent abdomen, Dong Xuebing figured it out and sat down.

Zhang Longjuan's eyes carried a hint of charm. She smiled and looked up and down at Dong Xuebing a few times, saying, "Not bad, you've become handsome again."

Dong Xuebing smiled bitterly, "It's only been a couple of months since we last met. What's changed?" Although he had this self-awareness, Dong Xuebing was still happy. Apart from Zhang Longjuan, no one had praised him like this. People like to hear compliments, and he enjoyed being admired.

"Sigh, tired." Zhang Longjuan curled her legs, sandwiching Dong Xuebing's buttocks and waist. Her body also softly lay on the sofa.

Dong Xuebing's heart was in turmoil.

A captivating fairy.

A captivating old fox.