Chapter 296: Eating Crabs (Part 2)

A woman stood there in a formal evening gown, her shoulders bare and glowing with an ivory-like sheen under the lights. Years of rigorous training had given her a figure that was exceptionally symmetrical and healthy. Seeing Bu Gao and his companions enter, she politely rose to her feet.

Zhu Yingying had originally intended to skip this dinner. However, the temptation of ten thousand yuan was hard to resist. She thought of the distant, mysterious Paris of her dreams, and then of her parents, who were laid off and waiting for reassignment, as well as her brother and sister-in-law, who had lost their jobs. She made a silent resolution: "Just close my eyes and endure it; it will pass quickly." When she saw Bu Gao enter with two men, neither of whom was old and both of whom were decent-looking, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Man gently touched Zhu Yingying’s hand and whispered, "The young man with Bu Gao is Hou Weidong."

Zhu Yingying’s gaze slid over Hou Weidong’s dark, tanned face. He was dark, yes, but it was a clean, healthy darkness, and his beard was neatly trimmed. Psychologically, she did not feel overly resistant to him.

Xiao Man stepped forward and greeted Bu Gao warmly. "You said you’d be here at six. Look, it’s almost seven."

Bu Gao pointed at Hou Weidong. "Don’t blame me for this. Blame Director Hou. He insisted on climbing every single building. He has boundless energy."

"Zhu Yingying, a colleague of Xiao Man’s from the Song and Dance Troupe."

"Hou Weidong, Director of the New Management Office of Yiyang County."

"This is Director Zhang from the New Management Office."

As Zhang Xiangyu entered the room, he was stunned by the radiant beauty of Xiao Man and Zhu Yingying, the two performers from the Song and Dance Troupe. His eyes involuntarily drifted toward the two actresses, yet he dared not look them directly in the eye. He sat properly at the table, feeling his mouth go dry.

Seeing Zhang Xiangyu’s demeanor, Bu Gao thought to himself, "What a country bumpkin. He can’t even move his legs when he sees pretty women."

When Hou Weidong entered, his eyes were also caught by the two exceptionally beautiful women. However, his immunity to beauty was clearly stronger than Zhang Xiangyu’s. He quickly regained his composure and began discussing the development concept of "Lingdong Jiawan" with Bu Gao.

The New Management Office was planning to build a residential area of five square kilometers, which forced Hou Weidong to absorb real estate knowledge like a sponge. Bu Gao was an expert in the Shazhou Construction Association and had developed quite well in Lingxi. His professional standards were unquestionable. Hou Weidong seized every opportunity to humbly ask for his advice. As the two men discussed business, they left Xiao Man and Zhu Yingying on the sidelines.

Zhu Yingying kept stealing glances at Hou Weidong, thinking, "This young official from the county town speaks quite well." This observation made her feel somewhat more at ease.

After dinner, the three men drank two bottles of foreign liquor with unrecognizable brands and became slightly tipsy.

Xiao Man said, "Let’s go to Shangjia Karaoke City to sing. Director Hou, Director Zhang, shall we go together?" Bu Gao encouraged them from the side. "Xiao Man and Zhu Yingying are the leading performers of the Song and Dance Troupe. We must certainly support them today."

The group drove to Shangjia Karaoke City. Xiao Man had pre-booked the most luxurious large room in the establishment. The room was fully equipped, with a mahjong room on the left and a small dance floor of about twenty square meters on the right. All facilities were first-class, and the cost was naturally high.

Princesses—waitresses in short skirts with bare arms—brought in foreign liquor, snacks, and fruits one after another.

Once inside the room, Zhu Yingying naturally sat next to Hou Weidong. After Xiao Man and Bu Gao sang "Pearl of the Orient," Zhu Yingying asked softly, "Mr. Hou, what song would you like to sing? I can order it for you."

"I have no sense of pitch. Forget it, you all sing."

Hou Weidong was telling the truth. Over the past two years, he had been busy with daily affairs and had rarely had the leisure to listen to or learn songs. Therefore, apart from a few old songs he knew by heart from his school days, he could not sing a single new song completely.

Zhu Yingying did not press him further. She ordered "Night on the Prairie."

"The night on the prairie is so quiet and beautiful,

Only the sound of my lute remains on the grassland.

I wish to write a letter to the girl far away,

But alas, there is no postman to convey my feelings.

Wait until the ice and snow melt over a thousand miles,

Wait until the spring breeze blows across the prairie.

When Kedana changes its appearance,

The girl will come to accompany the sound of my lute…"

The song seemed to drift from the depths of the prairie, carrying a strong flavor of the borderlands. Her professional foundation was indeed different from that of amateurs; it sounded very flavorful. After finishing the song, Zhu Yingying sat down next to Hou Weidong again.

Zhang Xiangyu sat in the dark corner of the room. His eyes had never left Xiao Man and Zhu Yingying. Seeing the two women sitting on either side of Bu Gao and Hou Weidong, he felt a sour taste in his heart.

While Zhu Yingying was singing, Bu Gao and Xiao Man walked out, one after the other. Only Hou Weidong, Zhang Xiangyu, and Zhu Yingying remained in the room.

Zhu Yingying gritted her teeth, stood up, and said, "Director Hou, may I invite you to dance?" Hou Weidong, knowing that Zhu Yingying was a professional dancer, felt somewhat intimidated. "I don’t dance well."

Zhu Yingying just smiled and waited. Hou Weidong followed her into the small dance floor.

The room door opened again. Bu Gao’s short, stout assistant brought a girl to Zhang Xiangyu’s side and said, "You take good care of this gentleman."

The girl who entered was a pretty girl from Shangjia Karaoke City. She had not yet graduated from vocational high school and was only seventeen or eighteen. She had started frequenting entertainment venues since her second year of high school and was always at home in such places. Though young, she had many tricks up her sleeve. Seeing Zhang Xiangyu dressed somewhat shabbily and not looking like a local from Lingxi, she schemed to squeeze some more money out of him.

At this moment, Hou Weidong followed Zhu Yingying into the small dance floor. The lights inside suddenly dimmed, and Zhu Yingying casually closed the door behind them.

The sound system inside was independent and controlled from the outside. The princess waiting outside was prepared and had already switched the music to a soothing tune. Under the dim light, Zhu Yingying saw Hou Weidong standing still, looking somewhat stiff, and felt relieved.

When Zhu Yingying casually closed the door, Hou Weidong had already become alert.

His alertness was not directed at Zhu Yingying, but at Bu Gao. There had been an incident of stalking and secret photography in the past. From that incident, it was clear that Bu Gao liked to take unconventional paths. As the Director of the New Management Office, Hou Weidong had to be on guard. On the other hand, when Hou Weidong first started working, he had gone to Hanhu with Zeng Zhaoqiang, Zhu Bing, and others. He had not withstood the temptation of beauty and had fallen into the trap. At that time, he was a cadre forgotten in Shangqinglin, with nothing to seek and nothing to fear. Now, his political future was bright, and he did not want to easily fall under a woman’s skirt in such a setting.

However, Bu Gao was the first developer to invest in the New Management Office, and his background was deep. Hou Weidong had to give him some face.

When Hou Weidong placed his right hand on Zhu Yingying’s waist in a standard dance posture, he felt that her waist was exceptionally elastic. It was the unique elasticity of someone who had undergone training, as if countless jumping molecules were dancing at her waist. Hou Weidong wanted to pinch Zhu Yingying’s waist to test its elasticity, but he restrained himself.

Because he understood that today was Bu Gao’s test of him.

The two most common methods used by people from all walks of life to corrupt officials were beauty and money. Although these tricks were ordinary and cliché, they always hit people’s weak spots.

It was like the market makers in the stock market. They always liked to use the most common tricks to play with small shareholders. Before raising the prices, they would cause a few fierce drops, which would scare most shareholders who were full of knowledge into fleeing in panic. Only when the prices rose did they realize it was a simple washout tactic.

In such a game, intelligence and knowledge were secondary. Greed and cowardice in human nature often prevailed. Those who could control greed and cowardice would win more and lose less in every battlefield of life.

After dancing for half a song, Zhu Yingying praised him in his ear, "You dance quite well." As she spoke, a faint scent of perfume, mixed with an even fainter youthful aura, was intoxicating.

Hou Weidong remained humble. "I am an amateur, just dancing randomly."

Seeing Hou Weidong standing straight and polite, like a gentle scholar, Zhu Yingying developed a bit more好感 (goodwill). "Can you dance the waltz?"

"Barely."

After dancing a slow four-beat song, Zhu Yingying looked for a waltz tune. At this point, the outer room was empty. Her face flushed slightly, and her heart began to pound.

Hou Weidong had danced the waltz in college and had even performed it at the freshman welcome party. His level was quite good among students, although there was still a gap compared to professionals. However, this was beyond Zhu Yingying’s expectations. Apart from being a bit stiff at the beginning, Hou Weidong’s dance steps were actually quite good. Although not as smooth as flowing clouds and water, he could dance smoothly to the rhythm.

After two songs, Hou Weidong remained proper and restrained. Zhu Yingying, on the other hand, was at a loss. For her to take the initiative and throw herself into his arms was somewhat difficult.

Hou Weidong took the initiative. "Let’s go out and rest for a while." The two left the small dance floor, but they had nothing in common to talk about, so they sat there staring at each other.

Zhu Yingying knew Hou Weidong’s identity. She thought, "Bu Gao has something to ask of Hou Weidong. It seems Hou Weidong is a man of real power. And he is so young. If he were working in Lingxi, he would be worth getting to know." Seeing that sitting there awkwardly was no solution, she invited Hou Weidong to sing again. Hou Weidong, knowing his limitations, did not dare to show off his lack of skill in front of a professional.

Zhu Yingying took the initiative and sang two songs. After finishing, seeing Hou Weidong still sitting there seriously, she was even a bit annoyed. "What a blockhead."

She came to Hou Weidong, extended a hand, and bent slightly. "Let’s dance."

Under the lights, Zhu Yingying stood gracefully, her temperament elegant and refined. Her chest was not too prominent, but from the open collar of her evening gown, one could just see a beautiful curve.

For such a beauty, it would be a lie to say Hou Weidong was not moved. Desire was stirring within him, but he had always remained vigilant toward Bu Gao. After hesitating for a moment, he thought, "I’ll dance one more slow dance, and then I’ll leave."

Having made up his mind, he followed Zhu Yingying into the small dance floor. The song was a familiar old tune: "The midnight radio keeps repeating that song."