Chapter 1173: Meeting

At this time, it was almost mid-December. Ganzhou, known as the southern gate of Ganzhou Province, was a scene of beautiful weather, without the bleakness of autumn or the chill of winter.

The evergreen street trees flowed with thick green, and the flowers planted on the streets were still colorful. The sun hung precariously in the western sky, emitting an orange-red glow.

Around five in the afternoon, it was time for various enterprises to get off work. The streets gradually became crowded with people in groups of three or five, some walking, more riding bicycles. Occasionally, taxis passed by, honking their horns.

When everyone was completely unprepared, a layer of gray clouds covered the sky, also covering the precarious sun in the west, and the temperature suddenly dropped as a cold wave arrived unexpectedly.

Compared to half an hour ago, it felt like two seasons, two different worlds. The wind started to blow, and then freezing rain began to fall. The rain particles fell to the ground with a rustling sound, the size of rice grains.

City Hall!

Liu Zhengming stood by the window holding a teacup, looking at the scene outside, and muttered: "It's going to snow!"

There weren't many years when it snowed in Ganzhou, but it wasn't rare either. Soon, snowflake-like flakes drifted down, covering the outside world.

Two little girls, twelve or thirteen years old, with schoolbags on their backs, jumped happily on the snowy ground, leaving two clear and messy rows of footprints.

Then they stood there, looking up at the sky, letting the snowflakes drift onto their faces full of surprise.

I don't know how much time passed, but the streetlights outside came on, and the office door was knocked.

Liu Zhengming shouted without turning his head: "Come in."

The door was pushed open with a creak, and Yu Wei walked in.

"Leader, everything is ready, the car is waiting."

Liu Zhengming raised the already cold teacup to his mouth and took a sip, then turned to put it on the desk, and casually took off his coat and put it on.

"Let's go."

Yu Wei looked at the somewhat thin coat Liu Zhengming was wearing: "The temperature has dropped outside, do you want to go back and change into a thicker coat first?"

Liu Zhengming waved his hand: "No need."

The two left the office building. Liu Zhengming shivered and wrapped his coat tighter: "It really is a bit cold."

Yu Wei wanted to say something, but Liu Zhengming had already quickened his pace toward the gate, so Yu Wei could only swallow his words and trot to catch up.

At this moment, Deputy Squad Leader Li Xingquan stood by the window and happened to see Liu Zhengming walking out of the gate, then turning a corner and disappearing from his sight.

"Where is he going? He didn't even take a car."

Li Xingquan muttered, but didn't pay much attention. After stretching, he also picked up his coat and left the office.

Secretary Sun Xuehui was already waiting outside. Seeing the leader come out, he hurriedly followed.

"Little Sun, has Li Jun looked for you these past few days?"

Sun Xuehui said: "He has."

Li Xingquan asked: "What did he look for you for?"

Sun Xuehui replied honestly: "Contracting the rare earth mines in Gan County. Fan Yu and Tong Huaiyu of the Tong family in Jingcheng are both shareholders."

Upon hearing that Fan Yu was involved, Li Xingquan nodded and didn't say anything.

After leaving the office building and getting into the car, when he returned home, he unexpectedly found that Li Jun was also at home.

"Why did you come today?" Li Xingquan took off his coat.

"I missed you and Mom."

Li Jun said with a smile, looking like a completely different person from the vicious and poisonous one outside.

Li Xingquan said: "Did you get into trouble and run home to hide?"

"I really missed you." Li Jun diligently handed his father a compromise.

"You're being overly attentive for no reason." Li Xingquan snorted: "I'm warning you, Li Jun, Lian Wenyuan of the East Courtyard is going to be promoted to the province. Whether I can move into the East Courtyard depends on this time. Don't you dare cause me any trouble."

Li Jun said: "I'm working on rare earth mines with Fan Yu and Tong Huaiyu, and I'm busy to death every day. I don't even have time to go out drinking with friends."

"Oh my!" Li Xingquan's wife, Tai Qiufang, came out of the kitchen with the stir-fried dishes: "It's rare for Xiao Jun to do something proper, and you're nagging as soon as he comes back."

"I'm just giving him a preventive shot." Li Xingquan went to the restroom to wash his face, and after coming out, he said again: "I'm going to the province tomorrow to talk to the old leader, and it will probably take three or four days to come back."

"Dad!" Li Jun sat down and served Li Xingquan a bowl of rice: "Before I started working on rare earth mines, I didn't know that private mining and theft of rare earth mines in our city were so serious. It should be thoroughly rectified."

Li Xingquan finally understood why his son had come back.

"Are you thinking of integrating those rare earth mines?"

"Yes!" Li Jun said: "Private mining and theft have no safety measures at all, and cave-ins burying people happen frequently. It's just that the mine owners used money to bribe the families, so such things have never been exposed.

And environmental pollution—the losses caused to the country are also immeasurable. If handed over to our company for integrated mining, not to mention anything else, the annual tax revenue alone could reach 200 or 300 million."

Li Xingquan nodded: "We'll talk after I'm done with this busy period."

Li Jun smiled. He came back today just to blow some wind. Fan Yu was exerting effort in the province, and he had to exert some effort in the city.

………………

Past ten at night, a taxi stopped in front of a hotel in Ji'an, and Liu Zhengming got out of the car.

Immediately after, Yu Wei and the driver also got out, and then the three entered the hotel. Zhou Andong, Zhang You, and Chang Meng Weihua were already waiting.

"Mayor Liu, hello." Zhou Andong extended his hand to shake Liu Zhengming's.

Liu Zhengming sized up Zhou Andong and said with a smile: "Chairman Zhou, I have long admired your name."

"Those are all empty names." Zhou Andong said modestly: "You haven't eaten yet, right? The restaurant is already prepared. Let's go eat first, and we can talk about business after we finish eating."

"Okay!" Liu Zhengming was indeed a bit hungry and didn't stand on ceremony.

At nine o'clock, the restaurant should have been off work, but because Zhang You had booked a table, the chef and two waiters were waiting.

Seeing them arrive, without any instructions, the waiter urged the kitchen to serve the dishes.

Zhou Andong and the others had just entered the private room and sat down when the dishes started being served.

Zhou Andong joked: "This is the first time I've encountered such proactive work."

"What time is it?" Chang Meng Weihua said with a smile: "After serving us, they can get off work."

In less than twenty minutes, all the dishes were served. The waiter asked if there was anything else needed, and upon hearing the answer no, turned and left, leaving only two apprentices in the back kitchen.

Just as Zhou Andong said, when eating, they just chatted about family matters, and not a single word was mentioned about business.

As for Liu Zhengming, he was also an old fox. Zhou Andong wasn't in a hurry, so naturally, he wouldn't be either.

However, the emperor wasn't anxious, but the eunuchs were. Zhang You and Chang Meng Weihua kept winking at Zhou Andong, while Yu Wei was also eating absent-mindedly, looking at Liu Zhengming and Zhou Andong from time to time.