Chapter 340: A New Nickname: The Silver Fox!

As night began to fall, the streetlights lit up one by one.

Liu Quan drove his brand-new Mercedes-Benz slowly toward the Municipal Government.

In less than half a year, he had completely turned his life around by franchising a beauty salon from the Haihua Group; now, dressed in designer brands from head to toe, every gesture he made exuded the air of a successful man.

In front of the Municipal Government gate, Liu Quan had expected to undergo some questioning, but to his surprise, as soon as he stated his intention to find Tang Ye, the security guard let him through directly.

It wasn't until he saw a car behind him being stopped, with the driver anxiously explaining things to the guard, that he suddenly realized Tang Ye must have given instructions in advance.

Tang Ye had demonstrated his influence without a word, making the hand Liu Quan held on the steering wheel tighten involuntarily.

Liu Quan parked the car in a spot in front of Building No. 2 and dialed Tang Ye's number.

Two minutes later, the glass door opened in response, and Tang Ye walked over quickly, carrying a briefcase.

In the twilight, he was dressed in a crisp dark suit with his tie knotted meticulously, a coat draped over his shoulders, his entire demeanor possessing a composure that belied his age.

Liu Quan marveled inwardly; how could this be a young man? The aura he carried in every gesture was more like that of a veteran official who had been immersed in the bureaucracy for years.

He knew well that in an environment like the Municipal Government, such a mature appearance was not just a matter of image, but a survival strategy—only by establishing authority through one's presence could one avoid being looked down upon for no reason.

"Brother Liu, this car looks very high-class! It seems business is booming." Tang Ye opened the car door, his tone three parts teasing and seven parts gratified.

Liu Quan grinned and said, "Isn't that all thanks to your connections? After franchising with the Haihua Group, business has been surprisingly good, and the profits are even more generous. The key is having the sister-in-law looking out for us behind the scenes, which has saved us so much trouble. Mingyu and I have been talking about it for a long time; we insisted on treating you to a meal to show our appreciation."

"Don't be so formal! Last time my mother went to the shop, you added quite a lot of credit to her card, which made me feel quite embarrassed." Tang Ye waved his hand.

"It is our honor that Auntie is willing to patronize us! It was just a small discount, that's nothing." Liu Quan explained hurriedly, his gaze inadvertently sweeping across Tang Ye's forehead, "Section Chief Tang, how come you have an extra lock of white hair..."

"It's fake, just dyed it for fun!" Tang Ye laughed it off.

Some time ago, a lock of white hair had suddenly sprouted at his temple, and Du Xi had shed tears of distress over it.

Tang Ye had teased that "the yang energy was sucked away by you."

When Xiao Qin heard about it, she specifically prepared a lot of supplements for Tang Ye.

At some point, the nickname "Silver Fox" began to spread in private.

Tang Ye knew those people had ulterior motives, mocking him for being full of schemes and as cunning as a fox.

They chatted and laughed all the way.

The car stopped in front of an elegant restaurant.

Pushing open the door to the private room, Tang Ye saw Cheng Lin at a glance.

Today, she was wearing a simple white shirt with a delicate, diamond-shaped silk knot at the collar, paired with a black skirt, which made her figure appear even more slender and graceful.

Her dark hair was gathered loosely at the back of her head, adorned only by a crystal hairpin, and every movement she made was dignified and charming.

Song Mingyu, by contrast, formed a sharp contrast with her; her slightly rounded face exuded a mature, voluptuous beauty, and her meticulously applied makeup was striking, her whole being radiating a rich, worldly aura.

One was like an elegant fairy who had stepped out of a poem.

The other was a vibrant, charming, and beautiful woman.

Two different styles, each with its own merits, both equally captivating.

After three rounds of drinks, Liu Quan got up to go to the restroom again.

Tang Ye joked, "Brother Liu is really diligent about going to the bathroom; it seems you write too much at work, and your lower back isn't doing well."

Song Mingyu covered her mouth and smiled, taking the opportunity to steer the conversation to the main point: "We are thinking about opening a branch, but we still need the sister-in-law's authorization, and we also hope she can give us a bit more in terms of policy benefits."

Tang Ye nodded slightly and dialed Zhu Junting's number: "A small matter, let's talk to her about it right now."

Zhu Junting's hearty laughter came from the other end of the line.

Tang Ye stated his intention.

"If you're the one asking, how could I refuse? Don't worry, I will definitely give my full support to Boss Song's new shop!"

"Thank you, sister-in-law. When you have time, let Boss Song treat you to a meal, and I'll tag along for a free one."

"No need for Boss Song to host; I'll host," Zhu Junting said readily.

"It's a deal! We'll continue our meal, and you keep busy; I won't disturb you anymore!"

After Tang Ye hung up the phone, Song Mingyu, having achieved her goal, picked up her wine glass and said with a radiant smile, "Thank you, I'll toast you."

Tang Ye glanced at Cheng Lin, "Why be so formal! Sister Lin has helped me a lot; if you want to thank someone, you should thank her. We have a triangular debt here."

Song Mingyu laughed in spite of herself, "It's a good thing it's a triangular debt and not a triangular love affair."

Cheng Lin glared at Song Mingyu, though she was happy inside.

It was said that the sister-in-law, Zhu Junting, was as clever as a fox, and trying to gain an advantage when negotiating with her was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

But Zhu Junting treated Tang Ye differently.

Tang Ye knew clearly that this phone call, while seemingly simple, was actually adding chips to the negotiation table for Song Mingyu—the franchise fee for the new store would, through his mediation, save them a significant sum at the very least.

And Zhu Junting's readiness to agree naturally had her own considerations.

During the new hospital project some time ago, he had secretly pushed things along, helping her join forces with Xu Xiangchun and others to surround and suppress the Mingsheng Group.

The returns from that were not something that could be measured in the millions.

Cheng Lin tapped the edge of the table lightly, looking both annoyed and playful: "We agreed not to talk about work tonight, and you're breaking the rules again."

Song Mingyu stuck her tongue out at her, her eyes darting: "Only a fool wouldn't use the connections right in front of them! You don't want to use them, but you won't let others use them either—how can you be so overbearing?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" A blush rose to Cheng Lin's cheeks, and she glared at Song Mingyu, though her peripheral vision couldn't help but sweep toward Tang Ye.

Their eyes met briefly before hurriedly looking away.

A subtle atmosphere suddenly permeated the air.

Just then, fierce arguing came from the hallway, instantly breaking the subtle atmosphere in the private room.

Tang Ye's ears were sharp; he recognized Liu Quan's voice immediately and stood up to push the door open.

He saw Liu Quan lying on the ground in a disheveled state.

Two Koreans reeking of alcohol were cursing loudly in Korean, spittle flying everywhere.

A waitress nearby was so terrified that her face was covered in tears and she was trembling all over.

"Old Liu, what's going on?" Song Mingyu's expression changed abruptly as she rushed over to help her husband up.

Liu Yang clutched his stomach, his face flushed red with anger: "These two drunks were molesting a waitress in the restroom! I stepped in to stop them, and they attacked me! If it weren't two against one, I would have beaten them until they lost their teeth!"

The two Koreans not only failed to restrain themselves, but became even more arrogant.

One of them suddenly lunged at Liu Yang and kicked out.

Tang Ye was quick-witted and fast-handed, stepping sideways to block in front of Liu Yang.

He used a sweeping leg to trip the opponent's calf, followed immediately by an uppercut that struck the chin precisely, and the man let out a miserable shriek as he fell backward to the ground.

The other man put away his contempt, assumed a Taekwondo starting stance, and let out a loud shout as he flew over with a kick.

Tang Ye flashed to the side, grabbed the opponent's ankle, and yanked it hard.

With a "Crack!", the man fell into a split on the ground, clutching his crotch with both hands and letting out a scream like a slaughtered pig.

As the commotion grew louder, the door to the private room where the Koreans were staying was pushed open.

A group of people swarmed out.

The restaurant Manager also hurried over; just as he was about to speak to mediate, his gaze suddenly locked onto a figure in the crowd, and his face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Feng Lin, Young Master Feng, this was the son of the Deputy Director of the Municipal Finance Bureau!

This matter tonight was likely going to blow up.