Chapter 2821

"Director Li!" Lin Maoqiang said: "Since Director Zhou has come to Yangcheng, I definitely want to meet him. This way, I'll go with you to the airport to pick him up."

Li Ling did not refuse, after all she is the Executive Vice Mayor of Shencheng, and there will be many more collaborations in the future. Having Lin Maoqiang and the chairman meet is only beneficial for future cooperation, with no drawbacks.

Li Ling said with a smile: "As long as Mayor Lin has time, I naturally welcome it very much."

Lin Maoqiang joked: "Going to the airport to pick up Director Zhou, even if there's no time, I still have to go."

"Alright!" Li Ling made a gesture of invitation: "Mayor Lin, let's go together."

Compared to more than ten years later, Baiyun Airport in this era can absolutely be described as desolate—there were only a few people scattered inside the airport, and outside, aside from taxis and some street vendors, there weren't many people either.

But when a convoy of seven or eight luxury vehicles slowly drove up and stopped outside the airport, it immediately drew everyone's attention. Even quite a few taxi drivers got out of their cars, craning their necks to look over.

Time passed bit by bit. Li Ling got out of a Mercedes-Benz, and shortly after, Lin Maoqiang got out of an Audi 100.

"Director Li, it seems the flight is delayed."

Li Ling glanced at her watch: "It's already five o'clock, delayed by twenty minutes."

Lin Maoqiang said with a smile: "We have plenty of time, let's wait slowly."

The flight was delayed by half an hour, landing at five ten. At five thirty, Li Ling saw Zhou Andong holding Su Su come out, followed by Jian Dong and the nanny holding little Yu Mao. Then came Wang Wentian and the others dragging their luggage.

"Here they come!" Li Ling said, leading the group forward at a quick pace, while Lin Maoqiang and his secretary also hurried after them.

"Director Zhou, Director Jian!" Li Ling greeted them, then introduced Lin Maoqiang: "This is the Executive Vice Mayor of Shencheng, Lin Maoqiang."

"Director Zhou!" Lin Maoqiang enthusiastically shook Zhou Andong's hand: "I've long admired you. Last year when you came to Shencheng, I was out of town on an inspection and missed the chance to meet you—I regretted it for several days."

"Hello, Mayor Lin!" Zhou Andong said politely: "Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to come to the airport to pick us up."

"It was just a coincidence," Lin Maoqiang said: "I had just finished discussing with Director Li the matter of the integrated project settling in Shencheng, and was preparing to return to Shencheng overnight. Then I heard Director Li say he was coming to pick someone up at the airport, so I tagged along, thick-skinned as I am."

Zhou Andong laughed and introduced: "This is my wife, Seeing Jian Qiu, also the Vice Chairperson of Yu Gong Group."

"Director Jian, hello, hello!" Lin Maoqiang shook hands with Seeing Jian Qiu: "To have developed Yu Gong Group into a top-tier giant, you two as a couple are undoubtedly the strongest couple in the country."

"Mayor Lin, you flatter me," Seeing Jian Qiu said with a smile: "The development of Yu Gong Group is all due to my husband Dongzi's efforts; I merely support him from behind the scenes and don't cause him trouble."

Lin Maoqiang couldn't help but sigh inwardly: having a wife like Seeing Jian Qiu supporting him from behind, Zhou Andong would find it hard not to succeed.

"Mayor Lin, I really envy you for having Director Jian as such a wife."

Zhou Andong laughed heartily: "To be honest, I envy myself—I managed to marry such a good wife."

Zhou Andong's words left Lin Maoqiang stunned for a moment, then he realized it and burst out laughing as well.

"Chairman!" Wang Wentian walked over and said: "The luggage has already been loaded onto the car."

Zhou Andong nodded and said to Lin Maoqiang: "Mayor Lin, let's get in the car, we'll go back to the hotel to talk."

"Alright!" Lin Maoqiang agreed.

Everyone got into the car and headed straight for the Garden Hotel.

………………

At the same time, in the provincial government family compound, in a quiet two-story building, on the first floor in the living room, Gu Minglan sat on the sofa absentmindedly watching TV, occasionally lifting her head to glance at the clock on the wall.

As it approached six o'clock, Zheng Xue pushed the door open and entered. Gu Minglan merely glanced outside, then her gaze fell back onto the clock.

Zheng Xue changed into slippers and walked over, somewhat tiredly sitting on the sofa: "What's wrong, you seem distracted?"

Gu Minglan looked outside at Zheng Xue: "At this time, Dongzi and Qiuqiu should have gotten off the plane by now, right?"

"Mm!" Zheng Xue nodded: "They've gotten off the plane."

Gu Mingyue then asked: "You said they're staying at a hotel tonight or coming to our place?"

Zheng Xue said with a smile: "Definitely staying at a hotel."

Gu Minglan said dissatisfied: "How can you be so sure they'll stay at a hotel?"

"Don't you see what time it is?" Zheng Xue said, leaning comfortably against the sofa: "Besides, they couldn't possibly bring the kids by themselves—there must also be a nanny and bodyguards, so they definitely couldn't stay at our place."

Gu Minglan glanced again at the clock, got up, walked to the room, quickly changed clothes, and came out still holding her bag.

Zheng Xue asked doubtfully: "Where are you going?"

Gu Minglan sat down: "They'll definitely call when they get to the hotel—I'm going to the hotel to find them."

Zheng Xue said helplessly: "They've been on the plane for several hours tonight—they definitely need to rest well. What are you going to do? They'll come tomorrow anyway."

"No way!" Gu Minglan said: "I miss Yu Mao and Su Su—I must see the kids tonight."

After all, when Su Su was brought back, Gu Minglan, as Liu Laolao, had spent the most time with her. And when Yu Mao was born, Gu Minglan had taken care of him for a month—being suddenly separated, how could one not miss them?

"Ding ling..."

The living room phone suddenly rang. Gu Minglan quickly picked up the receiver, and from the handset came Seeing Jian Qiu's serious voice: "Hello, I'm looking for Comrade Gu Minglan."

Gu Minglan laughed: "You little rascal, hurry up and tell me which hotel you're at."

Immediately after, Seeing Jian Qiu's laughter came through: "We're in Room 6018 of the Garden Hotel."

"Alright, I'm coming over now." Gu Minglan hung up the phone, stood up, and walked away.

"I'll go with you." Zheng Xue grabbed the phone: "Wait, I'll call the motor pool to send a car over."

Gu Minglan turned around and walked back: "Okay!"

…………

Garden Hotel!

In the 6020 luxury suite, Zhou Andong and Lin Maoqiang were chatting—truly chatting, not discussing work.

"Director Zhou!" Lin Maoqiang asked with a smile: "This time you came to Yangcheng, will you also swing by Shencheng on the way?"

Zhou Andong said tactfully: "This time I came to Yangcheng, time is very tight—mainly because I'm making up the wedding on October first in my hometown. This trip to Yangcheng is to pick up the wedding attire. Additionally, there's another very important matter—I need to make a trip to Qiong Province."

Lin Maoqiang felt a bit disappointed, but he remembered Zhou Andong's October first wedding: "Then let me wish you an early happy wedding, Director Zhou."

"What wedding!" Zhou Andong waved his hand with a laugh: "We already have two kids—we're an old couple. It's just that we didn't hold a wedding back then, always feeling I owed my wife something, so I decided to make it up."

"Oh, that's how it is." Lin Maoqiang laughed: "Then we can only invite you to Shencheng as a guest after the wedding is over."

Zhou Andong picked up his teacup and took a sip: "The integrated project is settling in Shencheng; I will definitely visit Shencheng next year. Additionally, there is the home appliances project—the production line will be installed before the year ends, and formal production will begin next year; I also want to take a look at that."

"Good, then I will await Chairman Zhou's arrival in Shencheng." Lin Maoqiang stood up and said: "You've been sitting on the plane for several hours; I won't disturb you further."

Zhou Andong rose to shake hands with Lin Maoqiang, then saw Lin Maoqiang out of the room.

"Chairman Zhou, there's no need to see me off—hurry back to your room to rest."

Lin Maoqiang shook Zhou Andong's hand once more, then turned to leave; immediately afterward, his body stiffened, his eyes blinked hard, and he actually saw the newly appointed Governor Jian. So late at night, how did this person suddenly come to the Garden Hotel? Could there be an important reception?