Chapter 825: The deadline has arrived, Wang Qigang flies into a rage

General Manager Su, I really don't know how to thank you, thank you!

Chu Lingxi was moved to tears, actually bending down to bow to Su Qingyu. Her excitement today was no less than when she received the Spring Festival Gala invitation.

In her view, the importance of this international competition far surpasses the Spring Festival Gala performance.

No need to thank me.

Su Qingyu politely handed over his business card, saying, "Specific matters, I'll have my assistant coordinate with you. If you have any needs, just mention them; I'll make sure the students compete in their best condition."

He then glanced at those pretty female students.

Clenching his fist to encourage them: "Students, give it your all, bring glory to the country, and also bring glory to our Wuzhou! I believe in you; you will surely stand on the highest award podium."

Thank you, General Manager Su!

The students thanked in unison, their voices loud and full of vigor.

Su Qingyu smiled and nodded, exchanged a few more pleasantries, then politely took his leave. Walking out of the rehearsal hall, the smile on his face gradually faded.

After getting into the car, he didn't start it right away, but leaned back in the seat, closed his eyes, and thought.

Was this move right or wrong?

He didn't know either.

But he knew he had to seize any possible opportunity to leave a good impression on Lin Dongfan. Chu Lingxi is Lin Dongfan's soft spot, the tenderest place in the heart of that iron-fisted mayor.

Sponsoring the school's dance team to compete.

This move would not leave any questionable leverage, yet it could naturally establish a connection with Chu Lingxi. If anything ever came up, at least there would be a channel to talk.

As for Zhao Tianyu's side…

Su Qingyu recalled the look Zhao Tianyu gave him at the club last night—that scrutinizing, doubtful gaze, like a blade hanging over his head.

Zhao Tianyu's trust in him was already low.

After being summoned by Lin Dongfan a few days earlier, he went home and was forced to say a few things that went against Zhao Tianyu's wishes. Now Zhao Tianyu's trust in him, Su Qingyu, has sunk to rock bottom.

In the Zhao family!

He, Su Qingyu, has always been just a dog at others' beck and call; in the Zhao family, his status is even lower than a live-in son-in-law in a melodramatic novel, never having been valued.

So he must seize the time and find his own way out.

His phone suddenly rang.

It was a call from his wife Zhao Linlin.

As soon as he pressed the answer key, the phone blared a piercing tirade: "Su Qingyu, where the hell have you gone again?! My mother told you to pick her up for a beauty treatment—where are you?!"

"I'm discussing business."

Su Qingyu struggled to suppress his anger.

He replied calmly, "Let the driver pick her up; I can't leave this side."

"Business? What business could be more important than your mother's affairs?!" Zhao Linlin angrily demanded over the phone.

"It's a very important matter."

Su Qingyu hung up after saying that; it was the first time since his marriage that he had taken the initiative to end a call—before, he wouldn't have dared.

He watched the screen go dark.

For the first time, he felt that refusing the Zhao family might not be so hard after all.

As the car drove away from Jianglan Daxue, Su Qingyu didn't know that shortly after he left, the rehearsal hall burst into cheers.

The students gathered around Chu Lingxi, jumping up and down: "Teacher! We can go to the competition! We really can!"

Chu Lingxi nodded with a smile, tears glimmering in her eyes.

She took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Lin Dongfan: "Husband, let me tell you some good news—an enterprise is sponsoring our dance team to compete!"

A few seconds later, Lin Dongfan replied: "Which company?"

"General Manager Su of Green Wild Landscaping—Su Qingyu." After replying with that, Chu Lingxi sent another message: "He came to the school today especially to watch the rehearsal, said he was deeply moved, and decided to fully fund us."

Meanwhile.

Sitting in his office, Lin Dongfan furrowed his brows upon seeing this message.

Is this Su person trying to curry favor with me?

Or is there some other calculation behind this?

After a moment's thought, Lin Dongfan muttered to himself with a smile: "Su Qingyu, Su Qingyu, are you extremely clever, or too clever for your own good?"

He then fell into contemplation again.

Lin Dongfan picked up the internal line: "Secretary Chen, check Green Wild Landscaping's recent business situation. Also, keep an eye on whether there have been any changes in the relationship between Su Qingyu and the Zhao family."

"Yes."

He hung up the phone.

Lin Dongfan picked up his phone again.

He replied to his sweet-but-naive wife with a message: "It's good that someone is sponsoring us. However, with Manager Su, the proper procedures still need to be followed—his sponsorship is for the school activity, not for you personally, so the boundaries need to be clarified."

Chu Lingxi quickly replied: "Got it, I'm not stupid. Husband, will you be home for dinner tonight?"

"I'll be back."

After sending the message, Lin Dongfan leaned back in his chair and fell into deep thought.

Su Qingyu's will to survive was much stronger than he had imagined. He never expected Su Qingyu to abandon the Zhao family's thigh and switch sides.

What does this indicate?

This actually indicates that the Zhao family already has internal rifts, and that Zhao Tianyu's situation may be worse than imagined.

And this Su Qingyu line.

Could perhaps become a breakthrough to tear through the Zhao Group's defenses.

Lin Dongfan curled the corner of his mouth in a cold smile: "Zhao Tianyu, Zhao Tianyu, you think cutting off the migrant workers' rations can force me to compromise? How naïve."

Time is like sand in your hand; the tighter you try to hold it, the faster it slips.

In the blink of an eye.

Lin Dongfan's promised "settling migrant workers' wages within a week" issue has already passed six days; tomorrow is the final deadline.

At 9 a. m., the small meeting room of the city government was already full of people.

Wang Qigang sat in the seat of honor, holding a thermos, his expression solemn; other standing committee members entered one after another, each finding a seat and sitting down. No one spoke, and the air was filled with an oppressive silence.

Lin Dongfan was the last to arrive.

He wore a white shirt, no tie, held a folder, and walked calmly. He glanced at the venue at the door, then went straight to the empty seat on Wang Qigang's left and sat down.

"Everyone's here." Wang Qigang set down his thermos: "Let's begin."

Today's meeting topic is—urgent coordination of key livelihood issues!

But everyone knows the real focus is only one thing—the Zhao Group's arrears of migrant workers' wages, and tomorrow is the final deadline.

Each department began reporting.

Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau: "The Zhao Group's seven projects remain completely halted; migrant workers' emotions are extremely unstable. Yesterday another two batches gathered at the Zhao Group headquarters, almost causing a clash."

Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: "The labor inspection has issued a third rectification order, but the Zhao Group still refuses to accept it. We tried contacting Zhao Tianyu himself, but his phone is always off."

Public Security Bureau: "Currently, we have deployed police at each project site and around the Zhao Group to prevent mass incidents. But police resources are limited; if the situation further expands..."

Reports came one after another, their content largely the same.

The problem remains! No progress! Immense pressure! Everyone present focused their gaze on Lin Dongfan, silently seeming to say, "Your pot, you carry it."

Wang Qigang listened quietly, occasionally jotting down two notes on his notebook.

After everyone had finished speaking, he then raised his head and turned his gaze to Lin Dongfan.

"Comrade Dongfan."

Wang Qigang's voice was not loud.

But each word was clear: "Tomorrow is the seventh day. You once promised the migrant workers to resolve the issue within a week. Now you have also heard the situation reported by each department; the outlook is not optimistic."

After a brief pause, he observed Lin Dongfan's expression.

Wang Qigang continued to press Lin Dongfan: "I want to ask, do you now have a concrete, feasible solution? After all, if the problem isn't resolved tomorrow, those migrant workers might again surround the city government gates... Then how will we explain to the masses? How will we explain to the provincial party committee and provincial government?"

This question was heavy and also tricky.

It directly pinned the responsibility on Lin Dongfan—it's your promise; if you can't solve it now, then it's your problem!

All eyes focused on Lin Dongfan's face.