Chapter 439: The Net (Part 1)

Before Qin Li ventured into business, she had originally been a sales representative for a large factory. Having traveled extensively across the country, she had seen much of the world. After entering the business world, aside from some initial setbacks, her ventures proceeded relatively smoothly. As her second brother’s official rank rose, her business in Lingxi Province became increasingly prosperous, and her scope of operations expanded. Starting in 1995, she focused primarily on real estate investment.

Her operational methods bore a slight resemblance to those of Liu Mingming, the son of Liu Tiesong, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Provincial CPPCC. Liu Mingming specialized in mature areas, acquiring land through various means and reselling it at a markup. Qin Li, however, leveraged the accurate and timely information provided by her second brother, Qin Lu. She would purchase land at low prices in areas with high potential for appreciation. Once these areas became hotspots, the increase in land value alone would yield substantial profits.

Shazhou was an industrial powerhouse in Lingxi Province, showing strong momentum in recent years. The Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government intended to connect the provincial capital with Shazhou to form an economic belt, creating a robust growth pole for the entire province. This meant that Shazhou’s status would be further elevated. The Southern New District was a key development focus for the Shazhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government. The offices of the "Four Major Teams"—the Party Committee, Government, CPPCC, and Political Consultative Conference—were the heart of this new district. Knowing the relocation site of these offices in advance held significant strategic importance for developers with substantial resources.

When Qin Li first arrived in Shazhou, she approached Mayor Liu Bing directly. However, she quickly realized that the most influential figure in Shazhou was Zhou Changquan, the Municipal Party Secretary. No major project affecting the overall situation could succeed without Zhou Changquan’s approval. Therefore, while maintaining a close and friendly cooperative relationship with Liu Bing, she also began frequent contact with key figures in Zhou Changquan’s faction. Gao Jian was one of the important pieces in this strategy.

What Qin Li could offer in exchange for Gao Jian’s cooperation was the backing of her second brother. Especially after Qin Lu entered the Provincial Standing Committee, her ability to influence matters and get things done improved significantly. In her interactions with Hou Weidong, she employed the same approach.

Through her contact with Gao Jian, Qin Li met with Hou Weidong again. According to her initial assessment, an official of Hou Weidong’s level should not have been difficult to handle. Unexpectedly, the young Hou Weidong was tight-lipped. He spoke with great politeness, but whenever the conversation touched on critical issues, he would deflect, refusing to say a single word of substance. His manner of speaking was almost identical to Zhou Changquan’s.

Qin Li dared not act arrogantly in front of Zhou Changquan, but she felt quite at ease with Hou Weidong. "Meeting is fate, Director Hou. You have a bright future ahead. If there is anything Qin Li can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask."

"President Qin is a distinguished guest coming to Shazhou to invest. If there is anything we can do to serve you, please speak up. If anyone deliberately makes things difficult for you, call my mobile phone directly. I will report it to the relevant leaders." Although Hou Weidong did not wish to tell Qin Li the truth, he also did not want to offend her lightly, so he remained very polite.

"As for the relocation site of the Four Major Teams, it has indeed not been finally decided yet. Moreover, according to the rules of procedure for the Shazhou Municipal Party Standing Committee, such major matters must be discussed by the Standing Committee before a conclusion can be reached." Hou Weidong said sincerely, "Once the relocation site is determined, I will certainly inform President Qin at the first opportunity."

Seeing Hou Weidong’s attitude, Qin Li knew that the conversation would yield no results today. Understanding the strategy of casting a long line to catch a big fish, she chatted casually for a while. Then, seemingly from nowhere, she produced a small box. "I went to Italy in the first half of the year. This is a small gift I brought back from Italy."

As she handed the box to Hou Weidong, she added, "This is a token of appreciation from your 'big sister.' If Wei Dong refuses, your big sister will be angry. We hit it off immediately upon meeting, and besides, I am not asking you for anything. This doesn’t count as bribery, does it?"

Hou Weidong accepted the small box.

When he returned home, Chen Qingrong was pacing back and forth in the living room, holding the baby in her arms. Hou Weidong walked over and said, "Mom, hasn’t the baby fallen asleep yet?" The baby stared at Hou Weidong with wide, dark, round eyes, unblinking. Hou Weidong placed the small box on the table and said, "Let me hold the baby."

Chen Qingrong stepped back. "You haven’t washed your hands, and you smell of alcohol. Don’t stifle the baby with that smell."

Hou Weidong’s hand, extended halfway, awkwardly retracted. He made small talk, "Has Dad gone to sleep?"

Chen Qingrong nodded toward the bedroom. "Your dad has been waiting for a long time. He has something to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"I don’t know. I guess it’s something related to the factory. Wait here, I’ll go get your dad." Chen Qingrong carried the baby toward the inner room, saying, "You entertain guests outside every day; it’s bad for your health. Also, you need to find more time to accompany Xiaojia."

Hou Weidong felt quite disheartened. He returned to the bedroom first. Xiaojia was sitting on the bed reading. She looked up and asked, "What is that in your hand?"

"A small gift from someone. It’s a belt. Dad wants to talk to me about something. Do you know what it is?"

Xiaojia took the small box and opened it. It was a belt. Although the craftsmanship was exquisite, there was nothing extraordinary about it. She said, "The belt Dad uses is over ten years old. Give this one to him."

This was a gift from Qin Li, brought back from Italy. It should not have been cheap; in fact, it was likely very expensive. With Kong Zhengyi’s previous case as a warning, Hou Weidong dared not be careless. Especially with a woman of Qin Li’s background, he remained vigilant. "Forget it. I need to keep this belt. I’ll buy Dad a good leather belt tomorrow."

Since giving birth, Xiaojia had not returned to work and had been staying at home. After a long time, she inevitably felt bored. After dinner, she had argued with her mother, Chen Qingrong, over how to bathe the baby. She was still feeling somewhat depressed. Hearing that Hou Weidong did not want to give the belt to her father, she felt displeased. "I don’t want yours. I’ll buy one myself tomorrow."

Seeing Xiaojia’s unhappy expression, Hou Weidong hurriedly explained, "This belt is untouchable. It was given by the sister of Provincial Secretary Qin. It’s an Italian belt. This matter could be big or small; I cannot handle it carelessly."

Xiaojia said, "Director Xie came to see me today. She said that Liu Chuanda and Kong Zhengyi have both been placed under shuanggui (suspended from duty and detained for investigation). Why haven’t I heard you mention these things?"

"This is our private space at home; we agreed not to discuss official business. That was a rule you set. Besides, these matters are not good news, and I do not wish to discuss them at home." Hou Weidong sat on the edge of the bed and kissed Xiaojia’s cheek. He originally intended to reach under the covers for a moment of intimacy, but remembering Chen Qingrong’s earlier words, he withdrew his hand from the edge of the blanket.

"My dad wants to see me, probably regarding factory matters. I’ll come back after we talk. Don’t fall asleep; wait for me."

"Hmm, hurry up." Xiaojia put down her book and complained, "Dad is too meddlesome. He is already retired, yet he still interferes in the factory’s trivial matters. I think Zhu Yanbing brought Dad back with no good intentions. You are not the Municipal Party Secretary, so do not promise too much. Help if you can, but do not force yourself if you cannot."

Hou Weidong walked into the living room, where Zhang Yuanyuan was already waiting. Seeing his son-in-law sit down, he tossed him a cigarette and said, "You drank again today. Drink less in the future. Your mother dislikes drunkards. When I used to work at the factory, if I got drunk, I couldn’t even get home."

In fact, Zhang Yuanyuan had many more things left unsaid. Chen Qingrong was like an old hen, always spreading her wings to protect her chicks. She had finally realized that her son-in-law was exceptionally capable. Her thoughts had shifted from left to right. Seeing Hou Weidong entertaining guests every night, she worried daily about Xiaojia, fearing that their marital relationship might suffer. However, she could not bring this issue into the open. She could only nag Zhang Yuanyuan every day, until his ears were calloused.

"I have no choice. Being a secretary is a job of serving others. Dad, what is the matter?"

Zhang Yuanyuan perked up. "Today, Factory Director Zhu told me that he would like to invite you to dinner sometime." Hou Weidong smiled bitterly. "Let’s skip the dinner. I am already afraid of eating out."

Zhang Yuanyuan had just advised his son-in-law to drink less, and now he was inviting him to dinner on behalf of a leader. He felt somewhat embarrassed. However, thinking of the hopeful look in Factory Director Zhu Yanbing’s eyes, he said, "This dinner is for serious business. Factory Director Zhu wants to discuss specific matters with you. I estimate it is still about the restructuring."

Restructuring was a major issue. Previously, it had been handled by Vice Mayor Liu Chuanda. Now that Liu Chuanda had been placed under shuanggui, the city had not yet adjusted the division of labor. Hou Weidong said, "This matter is currently quite complex and may not be settled soon. Also, the dinner tomorrow cannot be confirmed yet. It depends on Secretary Zhou’s schedule. If Secretary Zhou has other engagements, we will have to reschedule."

Zhang Yuanyuan now held a high status in the factory. He had worked there for decades, and the number of times he had visited the factory director’s office was few. However, after being rehired upon retirement, he visited the director’s office as easily as walking on flat ground; his fingers were not enough to count the visits. As for workshop directors and others, their attitudes toward him were exceptionally good.

Seeing his son-in-law hesitating, he said dissatisfiedly, "Factory matters are my matters. You must keep this in mind. You must help where you can. The factory deals with practical matters, not those empty and fake things of yours."

After a quick shower, Hou Weidong returned to the bedroom and got into bed. He told Xiaojia what had happened. Xiaojia said, "Don’t worry about so much. Zhu Yanbing is unreasonable to use an elderly person as a bargaining chip."

The air conditioner was on in the room, and the air-conditioned quilt was particularly comfortable. Hou Weidong buried his head in the quilt, removed Xiaojia’s bra, and kissed her abdomen and chest repeatedly, making soft sounds. Since Xiaojia was still breastfeeding, Hou Weidong dared not kiss her nipples. The idea of competing with the baby for food was amusing. Therefore, except for the nipples, Hou Weidong kissed every part of Xiaojia’s body.

Since giving birth, they had not had formal intercourse. During this period, they had been caressing each other, but had not yet fully engaged.

Xiaojia’s whole body felt warm. She reached down and grasped a harder, hotter rod, squeezing it firmly.

Hou Weidong lifted his head and said, "Slow down." He turned over in the air-conditioned quilt, reaching through Xiaojia’s small underwear to caress her sensitive areas. Soon, a damp patch appeared on the underwear.

Waves of heat burned in Xiaojia’s abdomen, much stronger than usual. She had forgotten her depression and reached down again, but Hou Weidong caught her hand.

(End of Chapter 439)