Chapter 281: The Conflict (Part 2)

Chapter 281: The Conflict (Part 2)

The Lingxi Expressway officially opened to traffic on June 1st. For Yiyang, this was a monumental event. Before the Shayi Highway was built, a bus trip from Yiyang to Shazhou took over two hours. After the Shayi Highway was completed, the journey was reduced to just over an hour. Now, with the expressway open, it took only half an hour.

Hearing the news, Hou Weidong felt an irresistible urge to test the road. He drove his car back and forth between Yiyang and Shazhou, then went to his home at the Xinyue Building to boil water and drink tea. By the time he returned to the Yiyang New Management Committee, he had spent only an hour and a half. After exiting the expressway, he turned on the air conditioning and the music, driving around the New Management Committee’s jurisdiction several times. Although the design plans were comprehensive, nothing compared to the intuitive clarity of an on-site inspection.

Hou Weidong gained more confidence in the expressway strategy proposed by Zhu Yan. Yiyang was now only a half-hour drive from Shazhou, yet land prices and housing costs were at least half of Shazhou’s average. With the expressway complete, Yiyang’s investment value was becoming evident. The New Management Committee was indeed the best vehicle for Yiyang to realize this expressway strategy.

In this regard, Zhu Yan truly had vision. It was no wonder that Secretary Chang Quan praised the expressway strategy so highly.

Thinking of Zhu Yan, Hou Weidong’s mind drifted to Yang Senlin. The image of Yang Senlin, with his lips tightly pressed and his gaze piercing, was particularly clear in his mind. He thought to himself, Yang Senlin is interesting. He really thinks he is the County Party Secretary. What kind of trouble will he stir up when he comes to inspect the New Management Committee this afternoon?

With matters on his mind, he lost the desire to wander through the fields any longer. Seeing that it was time, he drove back to Shazhou College.

He went upstairs. Hearing movement inside Guo Lan’s apartment, he knocked gently on the door.

Guo Lan’s sleep had been poor due to caring for her father. Hearing the knock, she looked through the peephole and saw it was Hou Weidong. She quickly adjusted her clothes. Because of the heat, she was wearing only a nightgown at home. After smoothing her clothes and checking that everything was in order, she opened the door.

Seeing Guo Lan’s appearance, Hou Weidong couldn’t help but smile. In his impression, Guo Lan was always well-groomed. Although her clothes did not strictly follow the latest trends, they were always fitting and elegant, revealing a sense of nobility in their simplicity. Today, however, her hair was messy, which inadvertently added a touch of intimacy.

“Is Professor Guo feeling better?”

“Fortunately, the rescue was timely. He can now walk around. His left hand can also move, and there are no sequelae. If it hadn’t been for you, the situation would have been much worse.”

Guo Lan casually smoothed her hair and stepped back. “Come in and sit. When does Master Wang have free time? I want to treat you to a meal. And Yang Liu too. My father likes the flowers she sent.” Wang Bing had driven all the way to Shazhou to pick up medicine, rushing along the way to get the injections back in time. Guo Lan was very grateful for this.

Although Hou Weidong and Guo Lan were neighbors, he had only entered Guo Lan’s home twice in the past two years. Sitting on the sofa, he looked around at the furnishings. It was a typical intellectual household. Their financial condition seemed decent, but the decoration was ordinary, yet it carried an indescribable scholarly atmosphere.

He glanced at the calligraphy scroll on the wall, which read, “Neither wind nor rain, neither shine nor gloom.” He felt the sentence was familiar, but after thinking for a while, he couldn’t quite place it. “You should focus on taking care of Professor Guo now. Don’t worry about these things.”

Guo Lan poured a glass of water and bent down to place it on the tea table. Because her nightgown was loose, the beautiful curve of her chest was exposed through the neckline, and even the red tips of her nipples were visible.

Although Guo Lan did not notice, Hou Weidong quickly averted his gaze. He happened to see the piano in the corner of the living room. “It’s a pity that you can’t play the piano anymore since coming to Shazhou.”

“Do you like the piano too?”

“I know nothing about it, but I find it pleasant to listen to, so I like it.”

“I’ll play a piece for you.”

Hou Weidong had always felt a bit like a eavesdropper when listening to piano music in the past. Today, however, it was the first time he sat in the living room to listen to Guo Lan play.

The music soon echoed in the small room. It was clean, with a faint sense of nostalgia, a fleeting remembrance, and a sorrow like flowing water.

After the piece ended, Guo Lan sat by the piano for a while longer before standing up.

Hou Weidong also stood up. “When are you returning to Shazhou? I can send someone with you. While Professor Guo is recovering, it would be best to hire a nanny. Someone is needed to buy groceries and cook.”

Guo Lan sighed softly. “Sometimes I really want to transfer back to Yiyang so I can help take care of my parents. But I know my father wouldn’t agree. Since you work at the New Management Committee, please keep an eye out for opportunities.”

“I will keep an eye out.”

After saying these few words, the two fell silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Hou Weidong said, “I have to go now. Give my mobile number to Auntie. She can call me anytime if there is an emergency.”

The moment Hou Weidong stepped out of the door, Guo Lan was suddenly overwhelmed with an indescribable emotion. She whispered softly, “Do you still remember the girl who danced in ’93?”

Her voice was too low, and Hou Weidong did not hear it. He turned his back and returned to his own apartment.

The feelings Guo Lan had buried deep in her heart seemed to be stirred by a gust of chaotic wind. After cleaning the living room, she returned to her small bedroom, bent down, and took out a small box from the bottom drawer.

Time seemed to be frozen in the photographs. The protagonist of the photos was a youthful girl with long hair, by the water, in the mountains, on campus, and on the city streets. In a few photos, there was a tall, handsome young man. He often wore a shirt tucked into his jeans, looking capable. His eyes seemed to transcend time, breaking through the barriers, looking at Guo Lan with tenderness.

As she slowly flipped through these photos, Guo Lan’s eyes gradually grew moist.

Hou Weidong entered his own apartment, and his thoughts quickly turned to the New Management Committee. He sat in his study, set his phone to vibrate, took the New Management Committee materials and the report he had previously written to the county government from the bookshelf, and began to read them carefully.

He recalled the suggestion made by Jiang Dali: “The Pearl River Delta has formed a continuous urban belt. There is little difference between large cities and small cities. Yiyang can consider moving in this direction.”

Jiang Dali had traveled extensively and seen much. He had also offered his own views on the construction of the New Management Committee, strongly encouraging Hou Weidong to develop real estate. Hou Weidong had been undecided at the time, but after the expressway opened, he drove his beloved Bluebird for a trip, visited the Xinyue Building, and looked at the expressway exit. This further confirmed Jiang Dali’s ideas.

“Yiyang New City, Shazhou Garden.”

Hou Weidong wrote these eight characters heavily in his notebook. This would be the theme of his report this afternoon.

In the afternoon, Hou Weidong went personally to the County Party Committee compound. At 1:59 PM, Yang Senlin appeared in the compound on time, followed by Yang Dajin and Yin Dahai. Yang Dajin had formerly been the Director of the Planning Commission and had also served as the Director of the New Management Committee. Naturally, when Zhu Yan sent Hou Weidong to the New Management Committee, Yang Dajin was moved from his position. He was now transferred to the County Party Committee Office, serving as the Office Director, although he had not entered the Standing Committee.

Zhuang Guoguo remained the Deputy Director of the Office. His eye condition had flared up again, and he had dumped all the work of the Secretariat Section onto Yin Dahai.

When Hou Weidong was in charge of the Office, he had relied heavily on Yin Dahai. During this period, several young people had managed the complex work of the Office in an orderly manner. Therefore, Yin Dahai confidently took over the work Zhuang Guoguo had discarded, which was originally his responsibility anyway.

Everyone gathered around Yang Senlin. Yang Senlin looked at his watch and said, “Entrepreneurs should be very punctual. Why are they late?” As soon as he finished speaking, an Iveco van drove into the compound from outside.

The car stopped, and about ten people got out one by one. They all looked like confident, successful individuals. One of them was someone Hou Weidong knew: Bu Gao, the boss of the Xinyue Building.

Yang Senlin shook hands with a thin man in his sixties and said, “President Lu, how do you feel about the Lingxi Expressway?”

Lu Xiaoqing’s name sounded small, and he was indeed thin, but his expression was full of self-assurance. This was the demeanor cultivated by someone who had been giving orders for a long time.

Before the age of thirty, a person’s appearance is a gift from heaven. But after thirty, a person’s appearance gradually diverges from their genes. Their subsequent environment and personal cultivation determine their looks.

“Ha, I used to have reservations. But after taking this ride today, I have a real feeling. Everyone in the car became interested in investing in Yiyang.”

“Our first stop today is to see the new urban area in the southern suburbs, which is the new district south of the expressway exit.” Yang Senlin pointed at Hou Weidong and said, “This is Hou Weidong, the Party Secretary and Director of the New Management Committee. He will be the guide for today’s tour.”

He turned to Hou Weidong and said, “The Shazhou Construction Association is here to visit the New Management Committee today. The association members are all capable and successful people. If one stays, a residential community will rise. Director Hou, calculate how many bosses are here.”

He added, “This is President Lu, a veteran in the Shazhou construction industry.”

Hou Weidong had heard the name President Lu mentioned by Xiaojia. He respectfully shook hands with President Lu and said, “Welcome, President Lu.”

Bu Gao stood next to President Lu. This year, he had expanded his business across various places in Lingxi, achieving great success. He had also met a popular drama star who was extremely famous in Lingxi. After interacting a few times, they became intimate. As a result, Zhang Xiaojia had faded from his heart.

After all, life is not like some romance dramas. Love cannot be eaten as food. Bu Gao’s career was on the rise. Although love is beautiful, it is not on the same level as his career.

Hou Weidong and Bu Gao looked at each other. Both proactively extended their hands and shook. Hou Weidong offered a formulaic welcome, but Bu Gao smiled and said, “President Lu, Director Hou is not an outsider. Zhang Xiaojia’s mother is Director Hou’s mother-in-law.”

When Xiaojia was at the Shazhou Construction Commission, she often participated in association activities and knew these bosses. Hearing Bu Gao’s playful remark, everyone laughed. Upon hearing this, Hou Weidong knew this was a signal of reconciliation. He immediately smiled and said, “Welcome the Xinyue Building to enter the Yiyang New Management Committee.”

Yang Senlin looked at his watch again, his face full of smiles. “Let’s get in the cars.”

Hou Weidong was the last to get in the car. He thought to himself, Yang Senlin really manages things too meticulously. These matters should always involve a Vice County Mayor.