Chapter 438: The Wind Fills the Tower (Part 2)

Hou Weidong arrived at the Tuocheng Hot Springs as promised. On the newly developed top floor of the resort lay a restaurant with rather distinctive decor. It was not large, containing only ten private rooms, all nestled among green trees and flowing water. According to Shuiping, the general manager of Tuocheng, this design was intended to "provide urbanites with a green sanctuary."

Hearing Shuiping speak this way for the first time, Hou Weidong found it somewhat amusing in his heart. "Surrounded by wild grass and wasteland, calling this a 'green sanctuary in the city' is a stretch. It’s more like reinforced concrete standing in a field of weeds."

Around seven in the evening, Hou Weidong drove his Bluebird sedan to the Tuocheng Hot Springs. Upon entering the lobby, he saw Deputy Manager Li, dressed in attire reminiscent of a flight attendant. Tall and fair-skinned, Deputy Manager Li was skilled at handling important figures. She often acted as a versatile hostess, helping General Manager Shuiping navigate various social situations. The two worked together seamlessly, their physical proximity in those moments often bordering on the intimate.

"Director Hou, you’re late. Everyone is waiting for you. No excuses—you must penalize yourself with three cups," she said, adopting her usual familiar demeanor. Because she was beautiful, people rarely minded her forwardness.

Hou Weidong asked, "Who is the guest today? Director Gao called and urged me repeatedly."

Deputy Manager Li accompanied him upstairs, her presence carrying a faint fragrance. She smiled brightly. "Director Gao, President Shuiping, President Yao, and another lady of noble bearing—Ms. Qin."

Hearing the name Qin Li, Hou Weidong’s steps slowed involuntarily. He thought to himself, "What does Gao Jian mean by bringing Qin Li and me together?" A few days prior, Zhou Changquan had mentioned Qin Li, specifically warning Gao Jian to "act with principles." Given this background, Gao Jian introducing Qin Li to him was suspicious. Furthermore, Li Jing had also specifically mentioned Qin Li on the phone. This heightened Hou Weidong’s alertness.

Just as they reached the door, Deputy Manager Li’s mobile phone vibrated. She offered Hou Weidong an apologetic smile and stepped into a corner to take the call.

Hou Weidong was about to push the door open when he heard laughter from inside. He paused, pretending to wait for the deputy manager, but in reality, he wanted to listen to what was being said.

A woman’s voice came from within: "Next year will be 2000. According to popular belief, the millennium will bring great disasters, and the 'Y2K bug' will wreak havoc globally. We have survived the Cultural Revolution, been educated youth, gone hungry, and endured hardship. Now, we should live freely. 'Drink while there is wine, do not let the golden cup stand empty against the moon.' The ancients were so open-minded; what is there for us to worry about? We must live boldly to not waste the good times of reform and opening up."

Another voice chimed in, "To President Qin’s boldness, let us all drink."

The woman’s voice continued, "This is a realistic society. To live freely, one must have conditions—specifically, one’s own career. Director Gao is the 'Land Lord' of the Southern New District. If we want to live freely, we must toast the Land Lord together."

Gao Jian replied, "You are all entrepreneurs investing in the Southern New District. Without you, there would be no development here. I should be the one toasting you."

At that moment, Deputy Manager Li finished her call. Hou Weidong gracefully gestured for her to enter, and they walked into the room together.

"Director Hou, why the delay?" Gao Jian stood up warmly.

Hou Weidong said, "I just dropped my boss off at home and rushed over immediately. When Director Gao summons, I dare not be slow."

Although the secretaries of the city’s main leaders held important positions, they lacked actual power. Therefore, they had to rely on agents to convert their potential influence into actual kinetic energy. Local power brokers like Gao Jian needed insiders near the leadership to provide information. Both sides needed each other, often becoming good friends. Although Hou Weidong did not lack money, making friends with such local power brokers was not without benefit, so he and Gao Jian had become close.

Gao Jian said, "President Yao and President Shuiping are old friends, so I won’t introduce them. Here is a distinguished guest, President Qin from Lingxi." He naturally remembered Zhou Changquan’s warning, but sometimes, once in the world of business and politics, one is not entirely in control of their actions.

Yao Qiang, formerly the president of the Lingxi Construction Association, had returned to Shazhou to practice his old trade. He had a good relationship with Zhou Changquan and was naturally warm toward Hou Weidong. He introduced, "President Qin is a highly capable entrepreneur from Lingxi. The Lingxi Convention and Exhibition Center was built under her direction." He then added in a solemn tone, "The Vice Governor of Lingxi is President Qin’s second brother."

Qin Li spoke straightforwardly, "I have been in Shazhou for some time and often hear people mention Director Hou. Seeing is better than hearing. Director Hou is young, handsome, and talented, with an unlimited future." Her hair was styled fashionably, her clothing appropriate, and her movements elegant, though her speech was somewhat masculine, subtly fitting the contemporary trend toward gender-neutral aesthetics.

Hou Weidong had followed Zhu Yan and Zhou Changquan, gaining considerable experience with provincial leaders. Recently, he had even accompanied the wife of Provincial Party Secretary Meng Haofang to Chengjin. Qin Li was merely the sister of a vice governor; this title did not intimidate him. He replied politely but formally, "President Qin, the Lingxi Convention and Exhibition Center is now a city landmark in Lingxi. I have visited it many times; it is truly impressive. Welcome to Shazhou, and even more welcome to invest in the Southern New District."

Qin Li remained neither humble nor arrogant, showing a calm demeanor. She was secretly impressed: "Hou Weidong is young yet has a strong reputation in Shazhou. He is not famous without reason. If he follows the right people, his future is indeed unlimited."

As Hou Weidong took his seat, Shuiping, the general manager of Tuocheng Hot Springs, adjusted his glasses and said, "Today, we have prepared a grand meal: a giant salamander brought down from the mountains of Chengjin. Mining operations in Chengjin are particularly intense now, and wild giant salamanders are becoming increasingly rare. Sooner or later, they will go extinct in Shazhou and even throughout Lingxi. The one I obtained was injured by falling rocks from blasting in a small mountain valley and was brought to me. It was in poor condition, so I invited a master chef from the Lingxi Flavor Restaurant. Let us all enjoy this delicacy."

He adjusted his glasses again and added, "President Qin specifically instructed that the giant salamander should not be cooked until Director Hou arrived. It seems President Qin is biased, showing great favor toward Director Hou."

The deputy manager sitting next to Shuiping exaggeratedly said, "Director Hou, I have a younger sister who is exceptionally beautiful. She works for Lingxi Airlines. If you don’t have a girlfriend yet, I can introduce you."

Gao Jian laughed heartily from the side, "Little Li, why didn’t you say this earlier? Director Hou just became a father."

Deputy Manager Li looked disappointed. "That is truly a pity. But if you ever divorce in the future, you must let me know. Perhaps my sister will still have a chance."

Shuiping spat playfully, "You talk nonsense. Director Hou and his wife respect each other like guests. How could they divorce?"

Deputy Manager Li acted coquettishly in public, "Respecting each other like guests makes divorce easier."

Yao Qiang blinked his eyes and said, "Little Li means that men need to be fierce like wolves and tigers for women to like them. Being too gentle is like a wax spearhead—ineffective. Looking at Little Li’s expression, I guess President Shuiping has good skills in bed."

Everyone burst into laughter. Little Li’s face turned slightly red, but she did not get angry.

Hou Weidong pondered, "Why does this meal feel deliberately targeted at me? With Qin Li’s status, she could directly contact Zhou Changquan or Liu Bing. There is no real need to bother with me. What is her intention?"

The dish was the giant salamander, a nationally protected animal. The wine was authentic French vintage. The tableware was crystal porcelain with golden rim patterns. Soft music drifted through the steam rising from the dishes, giving the gathering a touch of upper-class atmosphere.

After the meal, Qin Li found an opportunity to be alone with Hou Weidong. She acted like an older sister, first asking about Hou Weidong’s family and daily life. She said, "Deputy Minister Ding, who oversees regional affairs in the Organization Department, is my good friend. He has significant say in the staffing of regional leadership teams. When you come to the provincial capital, I will introduce you to him."

Hou Weidong asked, "Deputy Minister Ding? Is it Director Ding Yuan?"

"You know Minister Ding?"

Ding Yuan was a subordinate of Zhu Yan’s father. Previously a director in the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department, he had developed well. After serving as a deputy secretary in a local post for a year, he returned and was promoted to Deputy Minister of the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department. During the Spring Festival this year, Zhu Yan had taken Hou Weidong to visit Ding Yuan specifically.

At this moment, Hou Weidong was unsure of the relationship between Qin Li and Ding Yuan. He became more cautious and said, "I have seen Director Ding Yuan’s name in documents several times. I know he is a director in the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department."

Qin Li sat beside Hou Weidong and said, "Director Hou is young and promising. However, to develop further, you need to know some people in the province. Hard work alone at the grassroots level is not enough. You must not only pull the cart with your head down but also look up at the road. If you have time to visit the provincial capital soon, I will introduce you to Minister Ding. Minister Hao also has a good relationship with me, but your current rank does not require disturbing him yet."

Hou Weidong nodded frequently, but in his heart, he thought, "This is Qin Li’s bait. She is about to state her conditions." Indeed, Qin Li quickly got to the point. "Shazhou’s development concepts are still backward. The city’s master plan has not been finalized after all this time, and the development of the Southern New District is chaotic. I heard that Xiao Hou served as the director of the Yiyang New Management Committee. The committee developed quite well, and conceptually, it even surpasses the Southern New District."

Hou Weidong smiled and said, "The Yiyang New Management Committee is a county-level development zone, while the Southern New District is a prefecture-level development zone. They are different concepts and cannot be compared."

Qin Li circled around for a few sentences before finally approaching the main topic. "The relocation of the four major leadership teams in Shazhou has been discussed for so long, yet there is no action. This leaves investors like us at a loss. As the Deputy Director of the Municipal Party Committee Office, you have the most reliable information. I want to ask about the real situation: Has Secretary Zhou really chosen Xinwozi as the location?"

Regarding the relocation site of the four major leadership teams, only Hou Weidong and two or three others knew Zhou Changquan’s intentions. Qin Li asking Hou Weidong about this was hitting the right mark. Since having a Hong Kong feng shui master inspect Xinwozi, she had already purchased two hundred mu of land in the surrounding area. If the four major leadership teams really moved to Xinwozi, she could sit back and wait for the money to roll in without doing anything else.

Hou Weidong firmly remembered Zhou Changquan’s words and hesitated before saying, "I am not very clear about this matter."

(End of Chapter 438)