Chapter 2692: Wandering Around Alone

After driving in the city for a while, Zhao Desan suddenly remembered he had to meet Tong Lan in the evening, so he didn't need to rush back to the district. He decided to just spend the afternoon in the city. Having finally found time to be alone, Zhao Desan drove around the streets, found a leisure club, parked his car in an inconspicuous spot, and then sneaked into the place that, to outsiders, seemed a bit improper.

Recently, he had been too busy, so busy that Zhao Desan felt a bit dizzy. It wasn't that work was so busy, but that the women who had intricate ties to him brought him too many things. Just like the small matter of Du Xiaochan and Zheng Jie being jealous of each other, not to mention the big things happening one after another. Zhao Da was beaten up for no reason, and that matter hadn't been investigated clearly yet. Now there was something with Tong Lan. It was truly a chaotic mess, keeping him physically and mentally exhausted. Having finally given himself a half-day off, he lay on the massage bed in the leisure club, receiving a full-body massage from a beautiful technician dressed sexily. It was just a regular massage, but under the technician's skillful hands, Zhao Desan gradually felt his whole body relax. It seemed every inch of skin, every joint, and every bone on his body was loosening up. Gradually, he actually fell asleep.

It wasn't until more than an hour later, after the beautiful female technician finished the full-body massage and greeted him to say it was over, that Zhao Desan suddenly woke up. Seeing the female technician already standing to the side bowing to say goodbye, he nodded to acknowledge her. After the female technician left the room, he lit a cigarette and lay spread-eagled on the wide, soft massage bed, enjoying this rare moment of leisure. He felt an incomparable relaxation in his body, as if every cell had been reborn.

He lay on the massage bed like this all afternoon until after five o'clock, when Tong Lan called to arrange a meeting. After agreeing on a location, he climbed off the bed, put on his clothes, paid the bill, and once again sneaked out of the leisure center. With his head down, he walked quickly to his car not far away, dived into the car with lightning speed, started it, and drove toward the location agreed upon with Tong Lan.

As the sun set, the shops along the street lit up, neon lights flickering, showing the colorful nightlife of the city. Along the bustling road, ten minutes later, Zhao Desan parked his car in front of a coffee shop, got out, and walked inside.

"Comrade Xiao Zhao, over here." Just as Zhao Desan walked into the coffee shop and looked around, a familiar voice came from not far away.

Turning his head to look in the direction of the voice, Tong Lan was sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass window, smiling and waving at him. Seeing Tong Lan today, Zhao Desan couldn't help but widen his eyes. It was almost the first time he had seen Tong Lan with her hair down. A head of jet-black, shiny hair hung over her shoulders like a waterfall. She was wearing a beige trench coat, completely in a Korean style, making her look younger than before. Compared to when she wore a qipao with her hair up, she had less elegance and nobility, but more freshness and naturalness, yet she was still just as charming. After walking over and sitting down, Zhao Desan noticed that Tong Lan had applied delicate, light makeup, making her look even more enchanting and charming.

"What would you like to drink?" Tong Lan asked gently.

"Anything is fine." Zhao Desan didn't have many opportunities to come to Western restaurants. As he spoke, he looked at the coffee in front of Tong Lan and said, "Then I'll have the same as you."

Tong Lan smiled slightly and instructed the waiter to bring a cup of Blue Mountain.

Soon the coffee was served. The two drank coffee while chatting, and the topic naturally revolved around Tong Lan's current situation. Tong Lan looked at Zhao Desan with those pitiful eyes and said, "Comrade Xiao Zhao, I'm very worried now. I'm afraid 'Golden Leopard' will find me and definitely won't let me go. I feel like I'm walking on thin ice every day. What should I do?"

Seeing Tong Lan's worried expression, Zhao Desan quickly comforted her, "Sister Tong, you don't need to worry so much. Xijing is so big, with tens of millions of people; it's not that easy to find someone. I've been thinking of ways too. Relax a bit, don't keep your nerves so tight."

Tong Lan smiled bitterly and said, "I know very well what kind of person 'Golden Leopard' is. He is ruthless and cruel. He will definitely send people everywhere to look for me. I'm afraid that once he finds me, my end will be miserable. Comrade Xiao Zhao, in Xijing, I have no one to rely on. Can you help me?"

Seeing Tong Lan's helpless eyes and pitiful appearance, Zhao Desan encouraged her, "Sister Tong, don't worry. Aren't I helping you? As long as I, Comrade Xiao Zhao, am here, 'Golden Leopard' won't be able to do anything to you. No need to worry so much."

Seeing Zhao Desan's nonchalant appearance, Tong Lan felt a little comforted. For her, the only person she could turn to now was Zhao Desan. She smiled faintly with relief and said, "With your words, I am satisfied. Comrade Xiao Zhao, thank you."

"Why be so polite?" Zhao Desan said with a chuckle, took a sip of Blue Mountain, and suddenly remembered something. He asked Tong Lan, "Sister Tong, do you have any plans for what to do after leaving 'Golden Leopard'?"

Zhao Desan's words stirred up an idea that Tong Lan had been brewing in her heart for a long time. A year or two ago, she actually wanted to break away from Golden Leopard and open a small bar of her own to be the boss. She knew more about the operation of such entertainment venues, was familiar with management, and would do quite well. If she were asked to do other things, she had no special skills and no confidence at all. But hindered by 'Golden Leopard's' lecherous power, she could only hide this idea in her heart and dared not tell anyone. But since Zhao Desan asked her, she thought about it and told him.

After listening to Tong Lan's idea, Zhao Desan pondered for a long time and felt it was feasible. After all, she had worked in such places for so many years; if she set up her own business, she would definitely manage it well. However, if she really did it, there was another very serious problem in front of her: if she left Golden Leopard and set up her own business, it would clearly be a provocation to Golden Leopard. And once it affected Golden Leopard's bar business, that old rascal definitely wouldn't let it go. Besides, how to peacefully resolve the potential danger Tong Lan faced was still a problem. Before this problem was resolved, Zhao Desan didn't think it was the right time to open a bar. He thought while saying to Tong Lan, "Sister Tong, opening a bar is a good thing, but things in entertainment venues are too complicated. Especially once your bar opens, I believe that with the customer connections you've built over the years in Golden Leopard's bar, you will snatch away a large group of VIPs from Golden Leopard, which will impact his business. I'm afraid that old rascal will cause trouble."

The problem Zhao Desan considered was also what Tong Lan was worried about. She hadn't failed to think about these subsequent problems. She nodded and said, "Comrade Xiao Zhao, what you said is true. I've thought about these things too, but other than this, I don't know how to do anything else."

Zhao Desan looked at Tong Lan's serious appearance. He furrowed his brows and thought for a moment, then said, "Let's get through this hurdle first. If I can settle Golden Leopard, this matter isn't impossible to do. Anyway, opening a door to do business, everyone competes fairly. Whoever has the ability makes the money."

Tong Lan smiled faintly, but still had some concerns. She said, "What I'm most worried about is that once it affects the business at the Yi Jia Yi bar, Golden Leopard will definitely come to cause trouble. What should I do then?"

"Aren't I here?" Zhao Desan said very easily.

"You have your work, your career. You are so young and promising, with a bright future. That will implicate your career. Besides, I know Golden Leopard very well; he is very cunning. If you keep going against him, he will definitely frame you in secret." Tong Lan spoke solemnly. In her heart, Zhao Desan was helping her so selflessly; she couldn't implicate such an excellent man who was good to her just for the sake of making money. After all, the two could be said to be from different worlds. She belonged to the world of "wind and dust," while he was a leader in a government unit, young, energetic, and with a limitless future. Being able to know him and receive his selfless help, she was already very satisfied. As for whether she could eventually become the harbor for her lonely boat to rest in, she didn't dare to think about it completely.

This question really made Zhao Desan a bit difficult. He really didn't want to take the initiative to provoke that guy Golden Leopard. Now for him, he had already made enough enemies. If he added another big shot from the Xijing underground world and got involved in such complex relationships and matters, it wasn't about how much ability Golden Leopard had to do anything to him, but if he kept getting involved with these negative figures, it would affect his reputation over time. After all, he represented the image of the vast number of young party and government cadres. In the eyes of Wu Min, the secretary of the Chanba Development Zone District Committee, she had always been committed to packaging Zhao Desan as an excellent representative of the young party and government cadres of the District Committee and even the entire Xijing. He couldn't let Wu Min down, nor could he let down Su Qing, who had high hopes for his career. "Then... then Sister Tong, do you have any ideas?" Zhao Desan couldn't think of any good coping strategies for a moment.

Seeing Zhao Desan furrowing his brows and looking anxious about not finding a coping strategy, Tong Lan lowered her beautiful brows, thought for a moment, raised her head, and looked at Zhao Desan with those jet-black, shiny, beautiful eyes, saying faintly, "I did think of a way, it should work, but I don't know if it's good..." Saying this, Tong Lan paused, waiting for Zhao Desan's reaction.

"What way? Sister Tong, tell me." Seeing that Tong Lan had thought of a way, Zhao Desan quickly asked.

"It's like this. Do you think you can get Han Wu and the others to come and help me? This time, it was because I couldn't get Han Wu and the others to join Golden Leopard that he tortured me like that. Since I have completely broken with Golden Leopard now and am standing on the opposite side of him, I don't know if it's possible to get Han Wu and the brothers to come and help me?" Tong Lan considered that since she was standing on the opposite side of Golden Leopard, she, a weak woman, definitely couldn't fight against Golden Leopard alone. Only by standing with Han Wu and the brothers would she have the confidence. After all, Han Wu and that group of people had become famous in one battle after two skirmishes at the entrance of the Yi Jia Yi bar, and they were becoming more and more famous in the Xijing underground world. Even the big shot Golden Leopard was a bit worried that their current development trend would soon affect his ruling position. If they could be won over to help her at this time, she believed Golden Leopard would definitely not dare to act rashly. After all, she was a woman who had been mixing in the world of wind and moon for more than ten years. Tong Lan, who looked charming and gentle on the outside, had her own unique way of considering problems. ===== CHAPTER 2693 =====