Chapter 1187: The Bait

Zhou Andong clinked glasses with Guan Shengjie, the bottles hitting each other with a 'ding'.

"I just did what I could do. As for being a leader, I don't dare to accept that. After all, there must be many people younger and more excellent than me; it's just that they are not showing their faces, and we don't know about them."

"Are you being this humble?" Guan Shengjie looked at Zhou Andong in surprise: "This doesn't sound like your personality."

"My patriotism is actually just a small sentiment," Zhou Andong picked up a cigarette and lit it: "Sacrificing one's family for the country is the true great sentiment; it is a national spirit."

"It is a deep love that a person shows for their country and people, an ideal pursuit for the country's prosperity and the people's happiness, and even more, a sense of responsibility and mission to one's own country."

"Receiving light in the courtyard to illuminate the hall, receiving light in the world to illuminate the four directions—being able to bring warmth and happiness to all living beings is the true great heart and great realm. I can't do that yet."

Guan Shengjie stared blankly at Zhou Andong, and it was a long while before he said: "I'm truly convinced."

Zhou Andong raised his bottle: "Come, let's have one."

Guan Shengjie clinked glasses with Zhou Andong again and drank more than half the bottle in one breath: "The height of life determines the breadth of life. Vision and perspective determine thought, and determine the direction of life's efforts. Zhou Andong, I am not as good as you."

"I like hearing you say that," Zhou Andong laughed loudly.

Guan Shengjie rolled his eyes: "Let's talk about business."

Zhou Andong briefly explained the situation: "Miss Yang will go with you. When you arrive in Nanhong City, Tang Lin and the others will pick you up at the airport. At that time, Liu Zhengming will meet you in Ji'an."

Guan Shengjie said with dissatisfaction: "Miss Yang is going too? Are you kidding?"

"My original intention was to let her find a trustworthy, capable man to go," Zhou Andong said with a helpless face: "But she insisted on going herself, and I had no choice."

"I can only arrange for Dachao to take a few people to follow you, so that your safety is guaranteed, and I can be at ease."

"You're not going?" Guan Shengjie glared.

"I've already arranged everything, so why should I go?" Zhou Andong's tone was very righteous.

"Damn!" Guan Shengjie couldn't help but curse: "You buried the explosives, let us go light them, and then you hide far away to watch the show. Are you even human?"

"I'm not going for another reason," Zhou Andong said: "Tong Huaiyu is there. If he knows I'm in Ganzhou, he'll definitely stir up trouble. To avoid accidents, I won't go."

Guan Shengjie said: "Tong Huaiyu also knows me. If he sees me in Ganzhou, he might be even more alert than if he saw you."

Zhou Andong said: "Tomorrow, major newspapers will report that Yuan Wanqi, General Manager of Xiangjiang Qiudongfang, is coming to the capital to inspect investments. And the second city she will inspect is Ganzhou. Even if Tong Huaiyu finds you in Ganzhou, he won't suspect anything."

"..."

Guan Shengjie had nothing to say: "Fine, this bait you threw out will definitely attract everyone's attention, so no one will notice us."

The three chatted for a while. Zhou Andong and Jian Qiu hadn't eaten dinner, so they found a roadside barbecue stall to eat, drink, and chat.

By the time they finished eating, drinking, and chatting, it was already past ten o'clock when Zhou Andong and Jian Qiu got home.

The next morning, Wu Chao placed the morning paper in the living room for Zhou Andong.

After washing up, Zhou Andong came to the living room, picked up the morning paper, and saw the front-page headline, along with a photo of Yuan Wanqi's team.

Zhou Andong looked at the report, and a smile appeared on his face.

By the afternoon, half of China knew that the Xiangjiang Qiudongfang Financial Investment Company was coming to the country to invest in a big way.

The first stop was the capital, which surprised no one, but the second stop was Ganzhou, which no one had expected.

Then, everyone thought in unison that Qiudongfang must be going for the rare earth mines.

Because for foreign capital like Qiudongfang, the only thing worth looking at in Ganzhou was the rare earth mines.

Ganzhou!

The Xiangjiang Qiudongfang Financial Investment Company was actually coming to Ganzhou to invest, which immediately ignited everyone's enthusiasm.

Especially Deputy Squad Leader Li Xingquan. The Squad Leader was about to move up, and he wanted to take the position and move into the East Courtyard.

Besides frequently running to the provincial level, he needed political achievements.

If he had eye-catching political achievements, he wouldn't need to run to the provincial level to easily secure the position.

And in the environment of reform and opening up, the fastest way to grab political achievements was through investment attraction.

But in recent years, investment attraction in Ganzhou had been very bleak.

Even with rare earth mines, because of illegal mining and rampant smuggling, no one was willing to come and invest.

No one was a fool; with such serious illegal mining and smuggling, coming to Ganzhou to invest...

That wasn't coming to make money, but to do charity.

Li Xingquan held the newspaper, looked at the news report, and couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"It's truly a timely rain. As long as I can keep Qiudongfang here, my move into the East Courtyard will be a done deal."

When he first transferred to Ganzhou, he had aggressively cracked down on illegal mining and rare earth smuggling.

However, he didn't do all this out of responsibility, but for his own selfish desires.

With such a big piece of fat like rare earth, how could he, the Deputy Squad Leader, not take a piece for himself?

And the Squad Leader in the East Courtyard also had to cut off a piece of this meat and share it with Li Xingquan.

But Li Xingquan's aggressiveness also annoyed the Squad Leader, but because they had common interests, they had to cooperate.

Li Xingquan grabbed the phone and called his secretary, Sun Xuehui, next door.

"Notify the members of Group D; we're having a meeting in an hour."

At this time, Liu Zhengming was also looking at the newspaper in his office. After receiving Sun Xuehui's notification, he smiled, and his gaze fell back on the newspaper, on the words "Qiudongfang".

Everyone in the city knew that Li Xingquan was seeking the position in the East Courtyard.

It was almost time to get off work, and he was suddenly calling a Group D meeting; the purpose was self-evident—it was for Qiudongfang.

Liu Zhengming placed the newspaper on his desk, stood up, and raised his arms to stretch his body.

"It seems this bait is really fragrant; even a shark like Li Xingquan can't help but bite the hook."

Liu Zhengming moved his body in the office for a while, then filled his tea mug.

After drinking, the time was about right, and he walked out of the office holding the refilled tea mug.

At this time, several people had already arrived in the third-floor conference room; they were all members of Group D, the heads of various bureaus.

Seeing Liu Zhengming enter, these people all stood up to greet him.

Regardless of whether Liu Zhengming had been sidelined, and regardless of how they were insubordinate behind his back...

On the surface, everyone was harmonious; face had to be given, and it had to be given.

"Why are you all here so early?"

Liu Zhengming smiled, still maintaining the harmless appearance he had always had.