Chapter 291: Hard Dishes of Unknown Origin!

Hu Zhongping had not originally intended to accept Chen Ping's invitation.

He knew that Tang Ye and Chen Ping were on good terms, but after weighing it repeatedly, he ultimately decided to go.

After all, Chen Ping had good connections in the Municipal Government, and making an extra "know-it-all" friend was no bad thing; he might find a use for him at some point in the future.

Hu Zhongping's gaze fell upon Tang Ye, and a cold look flashed in his eyes.

He already knew that Tang Ye and Du Xi were married.

Despite this, he still could not let go of the resentment in his heart.

In Hu Zhongping's view, Tang Ye was his lifelong enemy.

"President Qin, let me introduce you; this is Director Hu Zhongping of the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Political Department, and also the Class Monitor for our current Study Class." Chen Ping spoke with solemnity, introducing Hu Zhongping to Qin Xue.

The Political Department of a prefecture-level Municipal Public Security Bureau is a Deputy Division Level unit, and as a Deputy Director, Hu Zhongping held the rank of Section Chief.

This department holds core functions such as personnel appointments, removals, inspections, and deployments within the Hanzhou public security system; it can be called the "Organization Department" of the police world, and its prospects for promotion are vast.

With the accumulation of seniority, Hu Zhongping's promotion to Deputy Division Level could be considered a natural progression.

It is precisely because of this that in the competition for the position of Suiyuan County Public Security Bureau Chief, while it appeared on the surface that Wan Ming had lost, in reality, Hu Zhongping had quietly occupied a more critical post.

Tang Ye sighed inwardly; in terms of ability, charisma, and actual performance, Wan Ming far exceeded Hu Zhongping, but the latter relied on the connections of his uncle, Zhao Disheng, to advance his career quickly and steadily.

Nearly forty years old, Wan Ming had only reached the rank of Section Chief after experiencing many major cases, while Hu Zhongping had surpassed him without the slightest effort.

Official promotions have always been restricted by age limits.

Hu Zhongping is six years younger than Wan Ming, giving him at least two or three more opportunities for promotion in the future.

Hearing Chen Ping's solemn introduction, Hu Zhongping was secretly pleased: "Secretary Chen is too kind; this Class Monitor title is just an empty name. In terms of ability, you are the true expert."

He took the opportunity to offer a compliment, and this appropriate response made Tang Ye sigh that Hu Zhongping seemed to have improved in his interpersonal dealings.

However, Tang Ye soon realized he had overestimated him.

After taking his seat, Hu Zhongping took the initiative to start topics; the others, out of politeness, focused their attention on him, but in reality, they all saw his intention to steal the limelight.

Chen Ping regretted it so much his guts turned green; had he known, he shouldn't have dragged him to the banquet.

Tang Ye, however, did not mind; since he wasn't the one being upstaged, he just continued to eat to his heart's content.

The steamed sea bass at the restaurant was to his liking, and in the blink of an eye, he had finished more than half of it.

Before long, the waiter brought out another sea bass.

Qin Xue walked to Tang Ye's side, crouched down slightly, and whispered: "Section Chief Tang, seeing that you like it, I specifically had the kitchen make another one."

Tang Ye thanked her immediately, and Qin Xue smiled gently: "It is my honor to host you."

She had a tall figure, skin whiter than snow, and was surrounded by a fragrance as elegant as an orchid.

While they were speaking, two "hard dishes" (specialty/exotic dishes) were brought to the table.

"I prepared two specialty dishes today; the ingredients are all farmed." Qin Xue said euphemistically, "A while ago, a friend was doing stone business in Jiang Province and accidentally injured two small animals while blasting the mountains. They sent them to me to dispose of, and I even hired a local chef to cook them. The taste was even more incredible than this."

As soon as Tang Ye heard this, he knew the origin of these ingredients was likely suspicious.

Hanzhou is located on a plain, so mountain delicacies and seafood are rare to begin with.

He smoothed things over: "President Qin has gone to great lengths. Thanks to Chen Ping, I have a treat today."

Chen Ping waved his hand with a bitter smile: "I've known President Qin for many years, and this is the first time I've seen her go to such trouble."

Hu Zhongping, however, chimed in at an inappropriate time: "I inspected Jiang Province a few years ago, and hunters took us up the mountain to hunt. We cooked the game simply, and it was so fragrant. Although this chef's skills are good, it's a pity the seasoning is too heavy, losing the original flavor."

Once these words were out, the atmosphere at the table turned cold.

Even though Qin Xue had skillfully changed the subject, he insisted on steering it toward a taboo topic.

Tang Ye said, half-jokingly and half-warning: "Class Monitor Hu, as public servants, we cannot do illegal things."

Hu Zhongping only then realized what he had said and hurriedly explained: "There are legal quotas every year; that time was to host important guests..."

Tang Ye sighed inwardly, thinking that this mouth would sooner or later cause a major disaster; if someone recorded this and posted it online, it would likely cause a huge uproar.

After a few drinks, Hu Zhongping became increasingly uninhibited, frequently touching upon the taboos of a drinking party.

Chen Ping pulled Tang Ye aside and complained in a low voice: "I really shouldn't have called him here, what a piece of work!"

Tang Ye comforted him: "Don't take it to heart, just treat it as a joke; without him, this party would be quite dull."

Endangered animals that would land you ten years in prison, wine from French chateaus... paired with gold-rimmed crystal porcelain, with soft music flowing in his ears, everything exuded the extravagance of high society.

Tang Ye felt resistant inside, thinking it was extremely corrupt, yet he felt helpless, knowing that "when one is in the world of men, one cannot always act as one wishes."

Facing those "hard dishes" of unknown origin, he suppressed his curiosity and strictly adhered to his principles.

Chen Ping urged him to taste them, but Tang Ye declined, claiming he was feeling unwell.

Chen Ping knew that Tang Ye avoided such things and felt a bit of admiration for him.

Tang Ye was extremely principled in his actions, but he never made people feel a sense of distance. This kind of person is suited to go further.

Initially, Chen Ping had also wanted to be like Tang Ye and follow the rules, but after a few years, he had long been influenced by his surroundings and dragged into the water.

After three rounds of drinks, Hu Zhongping seized the opportunity to toast Qin Xue alone: "President Qin, thank you for your hospitality. By the way, do you know Mayor Zhao Disheng? He is in charge of Hanzhou's economy, and he has the final say on investments. I will introduce you another day."

Qin Xue was stunned for a moment; she had met Zhao Disheng on certain occasions, but she was not particularly familiar with him. "Of course I know Mayor Zhao; he is a Standing Committee Member of the Municipal Party Committee."

Hu Zhongping patted Qin Xue's shoulder intimately, "Mayor Zhao is my uncle; I'll organize a gathering when I have time."

In fact, Hu Zhongping knew that his uncle would never deign to attend such a dinner, but seeing Qin Xue's graceful appearance, he was simply casting out bait.

How shrewd was Qin Xue? She saw through his intentions at a glance and smiled as she played along: "Then I thank Director Hu in advance."

Having said that, she looked up at Tang Ye, and seeing that there was no one beside him, she walked over with her wine glass.

Qin Xue sat beside Tang Ye and said softly: "Section Chief Tang is young and promising, but if you want to develop further, you still need to know people in the province. If you have time to go to the province soon, I will introduce a capable person to you; he is very close to Director Zheng of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department."

Hearing Qin Xue say this, Tang Ye suddenly realized that today's dinner party seemed to be aimed at him.

As for helping him with introductions, that was the bait she had thrown out.

This woman had studied him very deeply and knew that he was not interested in material possessions, but was quite eager for power.

Tang Ye wore a faint smile on his face and nodded slightly.

Qin Xue thought Tang Ye had taken the bait and smiled as she stated her true intention, "I heard Hanzhou plans to build a new regional hospital, and there is still controversy regarding the site selection for this project. Your father-in-law is Secretary-General Du Chengfeng, who is the most well-informed, so I wanted to ask about the situation and the general location of this site."

Regarding the site selection for the new hospital, Tang Ye was one of the few people who knew the inside story, because he had participated in the entire process when the project proposal was submitted to Provincial Governor Fu.

Why do businessmen revolve around politicians?

Sometimes, just by knowing one piece of accurate information, one can sit back and wait for their assets to double without having to do anything at all.

Tang Ye felt alert in his heart and put on a helpless expression, "I am not very clear about this matter!"