Chapter 3824

"Cheers!"

The two clinked their glasses lightly, took a sip of red wine, and set their glasses down one after the other. Su Qing looked at the young man in front of her with a serious gaze, noticing that the current Zhao Desan had gained a sense of maturity and steadiness compared to when she first met him, and had lost some of his naivety. She said with a touch of emotion, "Desan, we've known each other for a long time now, haven't we?"

Zhao Desan thought for a moment and said, "It's been almost four years since we first met."

Su Qing smiled and said, "You've changed a lot."

Thinking that Su Jie's words might have some other meaning, Zhao Desan frowned slightly and asked with a smile, "How have I changed?"

Su Qing said, "You look much more mature and steady, not as naive as when I first met you."

Only then did Zhao Desan realize that Su Jie's words were a compliment to him. He smiled happily, his true nature emerging, and said with a cheeky grin, "But my heart is still the same heart; my feelings for Su Jie have remained unchanged."

Su Qing smiled indifferently and said, "You look more and more mature, but your sister here is getting older and older." For a woman around fifty, that feeling is completely different from that of a young woman. With every passing year, that sense of crisis intensifies because every woman wants her beauty to last, but time is ruthless; as time flows by, one becomes increasingly aged and frail.

Su Qing's words were not without reason, because Zhao Desan could clearly see from her skin that it was no longer as smooth and delicate as when they first met. Although it was still fair, it appeared somewhat loose, and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes were becoming more numerous. But to make Su Jie happy, Zhao Desan said against his conscience, "What are you talking about? I can't see that at all. You look just as young and beautiful as you did four years ago."

Although Su Qing knew Zhao Desan's sweet talk was intentional flattery, she was still quite happy inside. She gave him a playful, feigned-angry glare and said with a smile, "You still have such a sweet tongue." As she spoke, she reflected, "But in officialdom, you can't get by without a sweet tongue. Who doesn't like to hear pleasant words? As long as you can keep the leaders happy, that's all that matters."

Zhao Desan chuckled. Su Jie's words could be said to hit the nail on the head. Although he had genuine ability, Zhao Desan also knew that his smooth sailing in officialdom over these past few years could not be separated from his glib tongue. If he didn't know how to please his superiors, even with heaven-defying talent, he probably wouldn't have been able to become a deputy district head at the age of twenty-nine.

The two chatted idly, eating their food and occasionally drinking together; the atmosphere was very pleasant. The meal lasted for a full two hours. Before it ended, Zhao Desan finally revealed the real purpose of his visit to Su Qing today. Before saying it, he first feigned a heavy-hearted appearance, sighing from time to time to make Su Qing feel that he had something on his mind.

Sure enough, seeing Zhao Desan's distracted state, Su Qing asked, "Desan, is there something on your mind?"

Zhao Desan nodded and said gloomily, "I've run into a bit of trouble at work."

"What happened?" Su Qing pressed.

"There was originally a fifty-million-yuan support fund from the city that our district could have secured, but I messed it up," Zhao Desan said, looking at Su Qing with great frustration.

Su Qing asked, "How so?"

Zhao Desan said with a depressed look, "This fund is managed by Deputy Mayor Tang, who is in charge of urban construction in the city. I think I offended Deputy Mayor Tang because I said some things I shouldn't have." Zhao Desan could only say this much; he couldn't explain the specific details too clearly, as he couldn't let Su Jie know about the relationship between him and Wu Min.

Fortunately, Su Qing didn't dig for the root of the matter. She just nodded, thought for a moment, and asked Zhao Desan, "Is this support fund very important?"

Zhao Desan nodded affirmatively and said, "It's very important for our Chanba District. Our district is currently in the midst of development and construction, and we have always been short on funds. If we had this urban construction support fund, I, as a newly appointed deputy district head, would be able to launch some projects with it."

Hearing Zhao Desan say this, Su Qing lowered her head and pondered for a moment. She looked up at Zhao Desan and said, "How about this: I'll make a call to Deputy Mayor Tang and help your district secure this support fund."

Hearing Su Jie's words, Zhao Desan felt a surge of joy; the purpose of his visit to Su Jie today had finally been achieved. However, he wore a look of worry on his face and said to Su Qing, "Would this cause you trouble, Su Jie? You are currently under review, and I don't want to add any more trouble for you."

Su Qing smiled and said, "It's fine. I'll just make a call to Deputy Mayor Tang; I don't need to do much. Old Tang will still give your sister this much face." After all, Su Qing was the Minister of the Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee and the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; how could a mere deputy mayor not give her face?