Chapter 2291

In the car, Zhao Desan couldn't hold back the joy in his heart and said to Ma Lan, "Sister Lan, I want to tell you some good news."

Ma Lan turned her head, raised her beautiful eyebrows slightly, gave him a suspicious look, and said with a light laugh, "What good news? Tell me!"

Zhao Desan said with a smile, "Sister Lan, I'm getting a promotion."

"A promotion? Then congratulations!" Ma Lan was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

Seeing that Ma Lan didn't seem surprised at all, Zhao Desan asked in confusion, "Why don't you look surprised at all, Sister Lan?"

Ma Lan gave a faint smile and said, "What's there to be surprised about? It's not like I don't know your ability; a promotion is a matter of course."

Hearing Ma Lan say this, Zhao Desan felt very gratified and couldn't help but laugh triumphantly, saying, "You're the one who understands me best, Sister Lan."

Ma Lan smiled, a smile like the sunlight in this autumn day, making one feel warm and pleasant.

Zhao Desan then said mysteriously, "I won't be staying at the Provincial Construction Committee for much longer."

Hearing Zhao Desan's words, Ma Lan did indeed turn her head, looking at him in bewilderment. Knitting her beautiful eyebrows, her eyes filled with a layer of confused mist, she asked in puzzlement, "No matter how you get promoted, can you really be promoted out of the Construction Committee?"

Zhao Desan said, feigning mystery, "Of course, it's impossible to leave this system, but I won't be at my original unit..."

Ma Lan slowed the car down, looked at him in confusion, and pressed, "Then where are you going?"

Zhao Desan then told the truth, saying, "To the District Construction Committee, to be the director of the District Construction Committee."

Surprise immediately flooded Ma Lan's confused face, and she asked, "You're going to be the director of the District Construction Committee?"

Zhao Desan nodded triumphantly.

Ma Lan said with pleasant surprise, "Then that means in the future, when I'm doing real estate in the district, you'll be able to help your sister out a lot."

Zhao Desan nodded and said proudly, "Needless to say!"

Ma Lan said happily, "That's truly great. It seems this lunch today is quite meaningful; let's consider it your sister congratulating you in advance on your promotion."

Zhao Desan said with a smile, "That's fine, too; I haven't had anyone to share this joy with yet."

On the way to the city center, the car was filled with a pleasant atmosphere. Zhao Desan couldn't help but share his joy with Ma Lan, chatting about some interesting things from when he was in Yuyang. Ma Lan had always felt ashamed that Zhao Desan, in order to help her while in Yuyang City, had offended the leaders of the Coal Bureau and was forced to resign and leave Yuyang. Only then did she tell Zhao Desan a secret she had kept in her heart for the past few years: that two years ago, when she learned that Zhao Desan had left Yuyang without knowing where he had gone, and his phone couldn't be reached and his QQ had been blocked, Ma Lan, who had truly given her heart to Zhao Desan, felt that although she had gained a lot in her career by winning the coal mining rights, she had suddenly lost the man who could bring her happiness and joy in her life. She even had thoughts of death and had considered suicide several times. But when she thought of her daughter Tingting, who was not yet fully grown, she dismissed that negative and terrible thought.

Ma Lan had never told Zhao Desan her inner thoughts, but today, because she was happy for him, she mentioned these things inadvertently. When Zhao Desan heard these words, a warm current immediately surged in his heart. On this autumn noon, the sunlight spilling into the car window felt like a spring breeze brushing against his face, warm and comfortable, giving him an indescribable feeling—always, this feeling was very, very special...

Sitting down in the Western restaurant, Ma Lan ordered a steak, and Liu Hai followed her lead and ordered the same meal. To celebrate Zhao Desan's promotion and to match the atmosphere of eating Western food, Ma Lan specifically ordered a bottle of red wine, poured half a glass for each of them in the stemmed glasses, raised her glass to Zhao Desan, and said with a warm smile, "Come, Desan, your sister toasts you with this glass; congratulations on your career advancement!"

Zhao Desan hurriedly picked up his glass to meet hers and said with a silly laugh, "Sister Lan, you're really too polite. We're so close, is there any need to be so polite?"

A gentle smile spread across Ma Lan's face. She raised her glass, clinked it gently with Zhao Desan's, took a small sip, put the glass down, picked up a napkin, wiped her mouth elegantly, and said, "Desan, to tell you the truth, this is my first time eating Western food with a man, and I'm very happy."

Zhao Desan put down his fork, wiped his mouth messily, picked up his glass, took a gulp, and said, feigning, "Sister Lan, to tell you the truth, this is also my first time in a place like this. Look at how I'm eating this steak; don't laugh at me." Before this, Zhao Desan had been to a place like this with another woman.

It would have been better if Zhao Desan hadn't said anything; once he did, Ma Lan realized that Zhao Desan looked like he had never eaten Western food at all, cutting a piece of steak into a mess, looking dirty, and not knowing any of the rules for drinking red wine. She couldn't help but smile and said, "It's okay."

Zhao Desan swallowed the piece of meat in his mouth, wiped his mouth again, smiled, and took the initiative to ask Zhao Desan, "By the way, Sister Lan, is there any situation on your side regarding the land?"

Speaking of this, Ma Lan's expression immediately dimmed. She sighed 'ai' and said, "What other way could I have on my side? Even Director Liu of the Municipal Committee has no way, let alone me." Having said this, Ma Lan gave Zhao Desan a strange look; she was worried that Zhao Desan would feel uncomfortable if she mentioned Liu Jianguo.

Seeing Ma Lan lower her head with a dejected expression, Zhao Desan smiled triumphantly and said, "It seems this matter still depends on me, Little Zhao."

Hearing the tone of Zhao Desan's voice, which seemed very confident, Ma Lan looked up and, seeing him looking so sure of himself, asked, "Do you have a way to convince Director Sun?" Although she asked this, Ma Lan didn't hold much hope in her heart because she had seen Director Sun with Zhang Hui, the daughter-in-law of Lin Dafa, at the Big Tycoon that night, and knew that the old thing had already been bought off by the Lin family.

Zhao Desan said with full confidence, "I definitely have a way to subdue the Sun guy. I'll contact him this afternoon; Sister Lan, you just wait for my good news." After working in government units for these past few years, Zhao Desan had already figured out the mentality of those big leaders clearly. Sometimes money couldn't buy them, but anything that affected their political life would definitely make these people change the ideas they had decided on for money. The scandal of this old man Sun soliciting a virgin online had been seen with his own eyes by Xu Min and the police when they were checking rooms at the hotel. Now that Xu Min had already agreed to come forward, this old thing couldn't deny it even if he wanted to.

Seeing Zhao Desan's confident look, Ma Lan was very suspicious of what kind of supernatural power he had that would make Director Sun change a decision he had already made. Ma Lan knitted her beautiful eyebrows, her eyes filled with a layer of confused mist, and asked in puzzlement, "Desan, are you really sure you can make Director Sun change his mind?"

Zhao Desan nodded affirmatively. In his view, as long as he had Xu Min's cooperation, getting Director Sun to nod would be as easy as turning over his hand.

The expression on Ma Lan's face became increasingly complex, not only covered with clouds of confusion but also adding a few traces of worry. Her eyes were full of concerns as she gazed at Zhao Desan and said, "Desan, if it's necessary to use illegal means to make Director Sun change his mind, I won't let you do that. I don't want to affect your future. You've already delayed your future at the Coal Bureau because of my affairs, and I've always felt guilty and unable to make up for it. I won't let you delay your own future for me again." Ma Lan felt that for Zhao Desan to change the decision Director Sun had already made, he could only use illegal means to threaten him.

Seeing that Ma Lan's face was covered with a worried expression, Zhao Desan smiled indifferently and said, "Sister Lan, you

don't worry. I, Zhao Desan, am not ignorant of the law; I definitely won't use illegal means to threaten him. I have my own clever tricks; you just wait for my good news."

Zhao Desan's confidence left Ma Lan at a loss for a moment. This guy sometimes seemed too mysterious; she didn't know what kind of ability he had, but anyway, she knew this guy had some supernatural powers.

This Western meal lasted for a full hour, and the two chatted a lot, from their first meeting until now. Zhao Desan had always had a question in his heart: as a woman, and without a son, why did Ma Lan earn so much money? Why did she always have to go against the Lin Dafa family? Although he was full of doubts about these questions, Zhao Desan still didn't ask them.

A bottle of red wine was finished before they knew it. Ma Lan divided the last bit of wine between the two of them. Having drunk a few glasses of red wine, Ma Lan's cheeks became increasingly rosy, setting off that charming and noble temperament, making her look even more graceful and charming. With a flirtatious smile on her glowing face, she picked up her glass and said, "Come, Desan, let's stop here after this glass. You still have to work this afternoon, so I won't delay your work."

Looking at Ma Lan's charming appearance, Zhao Desan suddenly felt a sense of reluctance growing in his heart. Compared to ordinary women, Ma Lan exuded a noble and refined temperament; it was a difference between clouds and mud. He picked up his glass as well and said tactfully, "Actually, I don't have anything to do this afternoon."

Ma Lan understood Zhao Desan's meaning and smiled knowingly. A captivating luster swirled in those dark, bright eyes of hers, and she said, "Come, Desan, let's finish this wine."

"Come, Sister Lan." Zhao Desan raised his glass, clinked it gently with Ma Lan's, and the two raised their glasses in unison, tilted their heads, and the remaining wine in the glasses was poured into their stomachs.

After putting down the glass, Ma Lan then asked with a flirtatious look, "Desan, are you busy at your unit this afternoon?"

Zhao Desan looked at the charming Ma Lan and suddenly wanted to relive the old feelings between them, so he shook his head and said, "Not busy."