Chapter 850: Late‑Night Pipe‑Clearing Project

I was challenged today.

When Zhao Linlin pressed her hands down, Lin Dongfan felt as if he had been electrified.

This isn't hyperbole; it's real—from his shoulder blades to his lower back, numbness spread all the way down, even the hand holding his cigarette froze mid‑air! She's a woman who knows how to give a massage.

After so many years in office, what scene haven't I seen?

Some brought money, some brought calligraphy, some brought paintings, alcohol, and tea; even someone once gave a purebred German Shepherd, saying it was for the leader to guard the house.

But no one had ever given him a shoulder rub in the Mayor's office.

And it was done quite professionally.

"What are you doing..." Lin Dongfan feigned ignorance: "You want to give me the full service?"

"Yes, we have a SPA department in our club."

Zhao Linlin, like a seductive, boneless fox spirit that brings calamity to the state, leaned forward as she chatted, her 36D bust almost brushing against Lin Dongfan's nape.

At this moment, her two hands were resting on Lin Dongfan's shoulders.

She laughed enthusiastically: "Shoulder‑neck clearing is our signature service, 880 per session. Since you serve the people wholeheartedly, I can't be unreasonable—I'll give you a discount."

"That's a decent reason, but I don't like shoulder‑neck clearing, thanks."

"Are you afraid?"

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid I'll push my luck."

"I didn't expect you to be so self‑aware."

"How about this: we don't take advantage of each other—I'll clear your shoulder‑neck, then you clear my drain, and we'll be even, owing nothing."

As she said this, Zhao Linlin's red lips almost brushed his ear, warm air blowing, her sultry words entrancing him, leaving Lin Dongfan stiff and speechless on the spot.

That's why he was speechless!

The key is his mind was tangled, and he actually felt Zhao Linlin made sense—helping each other with shoulder‑neck and drain clearing really means nobody owes anyone.

We're all engineers; why pretend to be immaculate saints?

Just as he was repeatedly pondering whether to align his life attitude with that of Cao Mengde from the Three Kingdoms, the phone screen on the tea table lit up, showing an incoming call from Sha Bai Tian.

Suddenly, an inexplicable sense of deep guilt welled up in his mind.

This is the Mayor's office, not a construction site—how could we carry out drain‑pipe work here? If something went wrong and caused casualties, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Cao Cao has his own Cao camp, so he can mess around with projects.

We are definitely not Cao Cao!

In that moment, Lin Dongfan decisively snuffed out that lingering thought, tried to rise, and said: "Forget it, I need to get off work..."

"Don't move."

Zhao Linlin firmly pressed Lin Dongfan back into the chair: "Your right shoulder blade has a tight knot; isn't your right shoulder usually sorer than the left?"

She hit the nail on the head, leaving Lin Dongfan speechless again—he hadn't expected this woman to actually have some skill.

"You work long hours at a desk, using a mouse, right arm extended—this muscle stays tense." Zhao Linlin kneaded while explaining, "In our line of work, a glance at your posture tells us where the problem lies."

Lin Dongfan wanted to say, "Damn, your basic technique is really solid," but he swallowed the words as her hands slid from his shoulder blades to his cervical spine, kneading the Fengchi point.

As she pressed, Lin Dongfan could barely hold himself together.

It wasn't painful.

But rather a sore, distended feeling tinged with numbness, crawling up from the base of his skull, making his scalp tighten.

In short, just two words—comfortable!

"Your cervical spine wear is quite serious." Zhao Linlin adopted the pose of a professional therapist: "If you don't pay attention, you'll suffer for it after fifty."

"Then I can still hold out a few years, no problem."

Lin Dongfan replied offhandedly, "At fifty one knows one's destiny," thinking that when that time comes, whether mule or horse, one's fate is set, so he might as well enjoy the present, which is more tangible.

Outside the window, the night grew deeper.

The office's main light had been switched off by Zhao Linlin, leaving only the desk lamp on. The light converged into a beam, shining on the spread‑out documents, not reaching the tea table side.

Lin Dongfan sat on the sofa, Zhao Linlin stood behind him, the two close in the dim light, near enough to smell her fragrance.

Today it wasn't soap scent, nor the path of the underworld.

It was pure natural body scent.

"Hasn't your home's drain pipe been unclogged for Along time?" Lin Dongfan guessed based on feeling; as soon as he asked, he regretted it.

Right after asking, he wanted to slap himself.

Zhao Linlin's finger paused, then she thought better of it, a smile flickering in her eyes as she continued kneading his cervical spine: "Yes, would you be willing to help me with this?"

"I'm a proper Mayor—you're asking me to do this rough, tiring work, disgracing me," Lin Dongfan said, closing his eyes and silently enjoying the massage from behind.

Zhao Linlin teased unhurriedly:

"What did TV used to say? Officials come from the masses and go back to the masses. If you don't stoop to empathize with the people, how can they support you?"

Hearing this, Lin Dongfan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

Damn it!

This woman has become a spirit—she can turn even a flirty chat into a headline, speaking with full conviction.

I also want to stoop and empathize with the people—it's not that the sky is too dark or the road too slippery, I'm just afraid I'll tweak my old back if I'm not careful.

Who knows how many pairs of eyes are watching him around, hoping Lin Dongfan will take a fall.

Lin Dongfan sighed, "You're right—stooping to empathize with the people is the awareness our officials should have…"

"Then today, first empathize with me, this little commoner, how about that?"

Zhao Linlin truly knows the essence of 'strike the snake while holding the stick'; without letting Lin Dongfan finish his sentence, she swayed and sat onto his lap, her arms locking around his neck.

This left Lin Dongfan on the verge of becoming a negative example of 'sitting with a woman in his arms without losing composure'.

Fortunately, the phone lying on the coffee table lit up its screen again.

It was still a call from the sweet, naive girl.

Lin Dongfan took the opportunity to push aside the soft, boneless Zhao Linlin, got up, picked up the phone, and made a shushing gesture toward Zhao Linmo.

"Hello, wife…… uh, I understand…… okay, take care while you're abroad."

After saying just a few words, Lin Dongfan hung up the phone.

Zhao Linlin, who had been silent until now, also spoke up with a laugh: "Is your wife still checking up on you?"

"She told me not to forget to eat." Lin Dongfan picked up the jacket from the sofa, and sincerely thanked Zhao Linlin: "Thanks for bringing me soup, thanks for the massage, let's leave it at that for today."

"Then about helping me unclog the drain…… shall we set another time?" With a faint smile, Zhao Linlin winked one eye, secretly giving off an electric spark.

"The drainage project you mentioned needs thorough investigation and deep research before we can start." Lin Dongfan straightened his back, lifted his leg and walked away: "We'll discuss it later."

"Then…… I'll wait, I'll wait for your research plan."

Although she didn't succeed today, Zhao Linlin's mood was still very pleasant; she felt she hadn't taken a wrong step, and in her view, as long as the other party didn't outright reject it, there was still a chance.

She hurried two steps, like a sensible assistant, helped Lin Dongfan pull open the door: "Mayor, please."