Chapter 300: Arriving at Baishan, the Municipal Party Secretary

The Tiger‑Head smoothly entered Baishan City, and its speed gradually eased.

Outside the window, the monotony of the wasteland was replaced by rows of Soviet‑style buildings stamped with the era's mark—gray walls, flat roofs. On the streets, pedestrians wore heavy cotton coats, tucked their hands in, craned their necks, and each breath of white vapor froze into frost in the biting air, lingering for a long time.

The scorching heat inside the car and the icy cold outside formed two completely different worlds.

Lu Fang and Lu Qingjun, just having recovered from the shock brought by the Tiger‑Head, immediately fell into another immense tension stemming from the ladder of power.

The person they were to meet was no longer the imagined Section Chief or Director, but the true helmsman of the city—the Municipal Party Secretary.

That realization, like an invisible hand, clutched their hearts. Instinctively, both straightened their backs, their limbs stiffened, even their breathing became cautious.

Although their father Lu Hua was also a Central Military Commission‑level official, he was a family elder; now they faced a stranger who wielded regional power, and that pressure was entirely different.

The car finally came to a slow stop before a solemn, beige building.

Baishan City Guesthouse.

It lacked the lavish décor of modern hotels, having only a tall porch and thick brick walls that displayed an unassailable dignity. At the entrance, two sentries in military coats stood upright, their eyes sharp as hawks, scrutinizing everyone who approached.

This place is reserved for senior cadres and important guests; for ordinary people, it is a forbidden zone never to be set foot in in a lifetime.

Lu Qingjun swallowed hard, his Adam's apple rolling violently up and down. He felt his calves weaken a bit, and a cold sweat broke out on his palms.

Lu Fang clutched the hard‑cover notebook so tightly that her finger joints whitened from the strain, the corners of the book nearly deformed. The notebook seemed less a tool for recording than the only lifeline she could grasp at that moment.

With a "click", the car door opened, and Lu Qingshan was the first to step out. A piercing, bone‑cold wind rushed in at once, scattering the car's lingering warmth.

He remained composed, as if merely stepping out for a walk from his own doorstep, not even furrowing his brows. He turned to the driver Ahu and another security guard, saying, "Ahu, you all find a place to settle, have a hot meal, thank you for your hard work."

Then he walked around to the other side and, very naturally, opened the door for Lin Yue'e, his broad palm gently shielding her head from the cold door frame.

Lin Yue'e stepped out, affectionately looping her arm around her husband, her gaze calm yet tinged with a perfectly measured curiosity as she surveyed the city that would soon bear their family's new enterprise map.

At that moment, a middle‑aged man in a Zhongshan suit, wearing gold‑rimmed glasses and looking scholarly, practically jogged out of the guesthouse to greet them.

"May I ask if you are Comrade Lu Qingshan from Beijing?" his voice carried a hint of urgency and respect.

Lu Qingshan nodded calmly.

"Ah, Mr. Lu, we finally awaited your arrival!" the middle‑aged man exclaimed, extending both hands. "I am Secretary Wang, the secretary to Municipal Party Secretary Zhang. Secretary Zhang is holding an urgent short meeting and truly cannot spare a moment; he specifically instructed me to first settle you and the others. All the rooms have already been prepared."

Secretary Wang's posture was exceedingly low, his words filled with impeccable courtesy, even tinged with the sub‑ordinate deference toward a superior.

Those words, like a heavy hammer, struck the hearts of Lu Fang and Lu Qingjun behind them, causing their hearts to race wildly.

The Municipal Party Secretary's secretary! Greeting them personally at the door! What an honor! It far exceeds their most extravagant imagination!

The party was led by Secretary Wang through the lobby, where the terrazzo floor was polished to a mirror shine, reflecting their silhouettes. The air was thick with the scent of Lai‑Su water disinfectant, mingling with the quiet aroma of aged wooden furniture.

Inside the guesthouse, an unusual silence prevailed; occasionally a few people in cadre uniforms passed by, all moving briskly, eyes never wavering, daring not to cast even a stray glance.

"Mr. Lu, Ms. Lin, this suite is prepared for the two of you." Secretary Wang unlocked a heavy wooden door, respectfully stepping aside.

A spacious reception room far beyond their imagination unfolded before them. Thick red carpet covered the floor, a set of dark‑colored fabric sofas stood in the center. Beside it was a mahogany desk dedicated to work, on which rested a black rotary‑dial telephone—a symbol of rank. Further in lay a private bedroom and a bathroom equipped with a flush toilet.

"Comrade Lu Fang and Comrade Lu Qingjun's rooms are next door, two standard rooms." Secretary Wang opened the two adjacent doors.

Lu Fang peeked into the so‑called "standard room": two single beds dressed in snow‑white sheets, a desk, a thermos, all impeccably clean—ten times better than the finest hotel she had ever stayed in.

But when she turned to look at her older brother's suite, it was a different level altogether—one a guestroom, the other an official residence.

A sudden realization surged in her mind, like cold water dousing her head, instantly waking her. This trip to Baishan had only one protagonist—her older brother, Lu Qingshan. They were merely a few stars orbiting the moon, serving as accompaniment.

Secretary Wang settled them, then politely said, "You're all weary from the journey; please rest first. The thermos contains freshly boiled water for tea. Secretary Zhang's meeting should finish in about half an hour; he'll come directly to visit once it ends."

Having finished, he bowed slightly, carefully stepped back, and gently closed the door.

A light "clank" rang, separating the inside from the outside into two worlds.

Lu Qingjun could no longer hold on and flopped onto the soft sofa, feeling his bones and strength drained in an instant. His eyes stared blankly as he muttered, "Brother… the Municipal Party Secretary… coming to our room… to visit you?"

His voice carried a heavy sense of unreality, as if speaking in his sleep. In his mind, outsiders like them could only see a leader by waiting at the office doorway to report, never by the leader personally coming to their door.

Lu Fang also stood dumbfounded, the heavy notebook in her hands nearly slipping from her grip. She stared at the excessively spacious suite, at the black telephone, her mind a tangled mess. She had thought her older brother's influence stemmed only from his power in Beijing and connections to the Ministry of Agriculture, but now it seemed entirely different!

The other side's attitude was not merely superior‑to‑subordinate courtesy, nor simple politeness, but… respect!

A near‑equal, even earnest, collaborative respect!

Lu Qingshan shed his heavy coat, casually hanging it on a rack, his movements unhurried as if this were all natural. He picked up the thermos stamped with "Baishan Guesthouse" in red, poured a cup of hot water for Lin Yue'e, saying, "After such a long ride, have some water to warm yourself. Let Ahu and the others rest as well."

Lin Yue'e took the enamel cup, the warmth spreading through her palm and dispelling the last trace of unease. Watching her husband's steady, mountain‑like silhouette, pride and love swelled within her.

The world's shifting storms and towering waves seemed unable to affect this man in the slightest.

As long as he is present, even the grandest scenes become ordinary scenery.