Chapter 184: Pulling Someone Out (Part 3)
Cheng’s face turned a deep, mottled red, his tongue twisting clumsily in his mouth as he stammered, “President Mu, President Hou… it’s our first time meeting. You must share a full glass.”
Once the banquet began, Hou Weidong noticed that Ji Cheng was the most talkative, occasionally making playful remarks at Li Jing. This sparked a strategic thought in Hou Weidong: to catch the king, one must first capture the general. Seizing an opportunity with Li Jing’s subtle support, he clinked glasses with Ji Cheng, filling his wine glass to the brim—a generous two liang (approximately 100 grams) of liquid.
Hou Weidong had endured long-term alcohol testing during his tenure in Qinglin Town. His tolerance for liquor was legendary there; even heavy drinkers like Qin Dajiang and Su Ming were no match for him. The Maotai they were drinking had a high alcohol content and was far superior in quality to the local Yiyang Red. If he could handle inferior high-proof white spirits, this fine sauce-aroma liquor posed no threat.
He set his glass down with calm composure. In contrast, Ji Cheng gradually shifted from clarity to having bloodshot eyes.
Ji Cheng’s teasing of Li Jing had stemmed from a man’s natural desire for beautiful women. However, now that Li Jing had brought along a handsome and dignified vice president, Hou Weidong, Ji Cheng abandoned his flirtatious intentions. There were plenty of beautiful women in the world, and he was never short of female companionship. Although he had lustful thoughts, he never forced himself on others.
Zhang Mushan, the oldest at the table, also had a good capacity for alcohol. Seeing Ji Cheng show signs of intoxication after just one drink, he said to the woman beside him, “Xiao Wen, please bring President Ji a glass of juice. Watermelon juice would be nice.”
Xiao Wen responded with a charming smile. As she stood up, she caught Hou Weidong’s eye. Trained as a professional dancer, her figure was slender and graceful, with beautiful lines and not a trace of excess fat, yet her chest and hips possessed a delicate, subtle curve.
Hou Weidong suddenly wondered why so many people racked their brains to become officials or get rich. It was because wealth and power allowed them to enjoy luxury cars and beautiful women, the finest pleasures in life. His thoughts drifted to Yang Feng. How different women can be, he thought. Then, a more impure thought followed: It would certainly be very comfortable to have Xiao Wen on top of me.
While his mind wandered into such indecent territory, Zhang Mushan raised his glass. “President Hou is a young talent. When I was your age, I was still working on the factory floor.”
This was Hou Weidong’s first time entering this high-end entertainment venue. Eager to leave an impression of being bold and straightforward, he accepted the toast without hesitation. “I’ll toast you, President Zhang. I hope you will guide and support me in the future.”
Zhang Mushan replied politely, “You are too kind, President Hou. Let’s speak of mutual development rather than guidance.”
They drained their glasses in one go. Zhang Mushan then asked, seemingly casually, “I heard from Jingjing that you are in charge of the quarry in Shangqinglin?”
Hou Weidong countered, “President Zhang knows about Shangqinglin?”
“Of course. I’ve been there twice this year. Our Qingda Company plans to build a cement production line with an annual output of 300,000 to 400,000 tons. With the recent improvements in transportation, the stone quality in Shangqinglin is ideal for cement production. If conditions are right, Qingda Company intends to set up a factory there.”
Hou Weidong extended his hand. “Welcome, President Zhang. Please call me next time you visit Shangqinglin. If you enjoy hunting, I’ll take you to hunt mountain pheasants.”
Zhang Mushan looked surprised. “How did you know I like hunting?”
“President Zhang has a masculine aura. You must have a military background.”
Zhang Mushan laughed. “You have a sharp eye, young man. I served as an engineer in the engineering corps for twenty years before coming to the civilian sector to establish Qingda Company.”
Xiao Wen brought the watermelon juice to Ji Cheng. Ji Cheng took the opportunity to hold her hand, his tongue still slurring, “Xiao Wen, I’m all alone and lonely. Why don’t you introduce me to a girlfriend?”
Knowing that Zhang Mushan’s eyes were watching her, Xiao Wen quickly withdrew her hand and whispered in his ear, “If Section Chief Ji wants a mistress, just say so directly. We don’t need love, only money. I have a few good sisters available; it just depends on whether you’re willing to spend.”
Ji Cheng hadn’t expected Xiao Wen to be so direct. He looked at her with amusement and smiled, “I’ll contact you separately another day.”
Wei Lü and Wu Yong had been speaking in low voices throughout.
Wu Yong was a figure of real power. Whether it was a department-level director of a large state-owned factory or a wealthy private enterprise boss, everyone treated him with respect. Consequently, he generally looked down on most people. Among this group, he was most polite to Wei Lü because Wei Lü had a close friend in the public security system who could solve many unexpected troubles.
He felt somewhat helpless regarding Ji Cheng. Every time Ji Cheng drank, the dignified provincial government section chief would reveal his playboy nature, causing trouble and headaches. However, Ji Cheng’s networking abilities were formidable, so he could not be underestimated.
He maintained a sincere cooperative relationship with the well-funded Zhang Mushan. He appreciated Li Jing but inevitably slighted Wu Kening. As for Hou Weidong, who was merely Li Jing’s vice president, he hadn’t even registered in Wu Yong’s field of vision.
When Wu Kening came to toast, Wu Yong continued to turn his head and talk to Wei Lü, pretending not to hear.
Wu Kening was accustomed to such scenes and did not feel awkward. She stood aside with her glass, waiting patiently.
Wei Lü, however, found it hard to watch. “Old Wu, your sister is toasting you.”
Wu Yong then pretended to notice Wu Kening, raised his glass, and said, “President Wu, sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
Wu Kening was wearing a low-cut top. As she leaned forward slightly, her full chest was subtly revealed. She smiled, “Section Chief Wu, please take care of our company in the future.”
“Naturally. Customers are our gods. Without entrepreneurs like you, we would have collapsed long ago.”
There was only a small amount of wine at the bottom of Wu Yong’s glass. He was preparing to take a symbolic sip when Ji Cheng, his face red, objected from the side. “Section Chief Wu, President Hou and I both drank full glasses. You and President Wu should also have a full glass, otherwise it’s unfair.”
As a provincial government official, Ji Cheng did not need loans and thus was not afraid of Wu Yong. Furthermore, due to work connections, he was familiar with Wu Yong’s superiors, giving him the courage to advocate for fairness.
Wu Yong tried to decline repeatedly, but Ji Cheng became more insistent. He moved to Wu Yong’s side, personally filled Wu Yong’s wine glass to the brim, and poured a small half-glass for Wu Kening. Then, he stood by, watching them like a tiger.
In this high-end venue, the surface was filled with handsome men and beautiful women, romance, and atmosphere. In reality, however, this place involved more complex利益 (interests) and entanglements than others. Conflict and cooperation, struggle and smiles coexisted within the glittering surroundings. The subtle relationships were like the unwritten rules of the officialdom; only those inside could understand.
Hou Weidong, new to this circle, remained conservative. He did not actively propose toasts. After drinking two large glasses, he spent most of the time silently observing the behavior of the group. He keenly noticed Wu Yong’s slighting of Wu Kening and thought, Wu Kening is a general manager, and Zhang Mushan is also a general manager. Judging by everyone’s attitude, Zhang Mushan’s Qingda Company must be significantly stronger.
His activities had always been limited to Shazhou, and he was unfamiliar with companies in Lingxi. However, by intuition, he knew that Zhang Mushan and Wu Kening were not on the same level.
Wei Lü raised his glass to Hou Weidong. “Weiguo calls me Big Brother. Since you are Weiguo’s brother, you are also my brother.”
Seeing that Hou Weidong had drunk two large glasses without changing color or losing clarity, Wei Lü signaled the waiter. “Fill our glasses.”
They drained their glasses again. Ji Cheng turned back, originally intending to joke with Li Jing, but seeing Hou Weidong finish another drink with Wei Lü as if nothing had happened, he dared not provoke Li Jing and instead resumed joking with Xiao Wen.
By the middle of the banquet, everyone’s drinking pace slowed. Among this table, only Hou Weidong had clinked glasses five times, consuming nearly one jin (500 grams) of alcohol. The others had only drunk two or three liang.
***
Seeing Hou Weidong’s extraordinary alcohol tolerance and his demeanor resembling a seasoned general, Zhang Mushan said to Li Jing and Hou Weidong, “President Jing, I can consider the matter you mentioned. Since Brother Hou is familiar with the Shangqinglin quarry, let him help me run things for a while. Let’s strive to get the Shangqinglin cement plant up and running.”
Hou Weidong replied, “That’s easy. Yiyang County is vigorously attracting investment. If President Zhang is willing to invest in Shangqinglin, Yiyang County will welcome it with open arms. County Mayor Gao is in charge of enterprise affairs. I will report to him first. As long as the county agrees to the project, I will handle all the trivial matters in Shangqinglin.”
Zhang Mushan extended his hand. “Pleasure doing business with you.”
Li Jing was overjoyed. Her main purpose for attending this gathering was Zhang Mushan. Qingda Company was a powerhouse in the construction industry, and its subsidiary, Qingda Bridge Company, was as famous as Shadao Company. If Jinggong Group could secure a share of the business from Qingda Bridge Company, it would be completely revitalized. Her secondary purpose was to escape Ji Cheng’s harassment. Although Ji Cheng appeared flirtatious and even reckless, he was an official and knew his limits. Indeed, seeing that Li Jing was taken, Ji Cheng stopped pestering her.
Having achieved her expected results perfectly, she felt happy with her clever planning. As the saying goes, one key opens one lock. But the most crucial element is the hand holding the key. Zhang Mushan was the lock, Hou Weidong was the key, and Li Jing was the hand.
Zhang Mushan’s target, however, was Wu Yong. Due to the foundation incident, banks had been tightening credit. If he could secure Wu Yong’s support, he could be the first to obtain loans once the situation eased. The Lingxi Expressway was a linear project, and less than a quarter had started construction. He needed to prepare fully for the next round of competition.
Xiao Wen answered two phone calls and then said to Ji Cheng, “Section Chief Ji, I’ve invited a few more good friends from my dormitory. They are pure and innocent girls, so please be polite and don’t scare them.”