Chapter 382: The Evil Gardenia Plan!

At ten o'clock the next morning, the doorbell rang.

Shen Mingcheng arrived for a visit with his wife, Chen Lan. Although Chen Lan and Du Xi were cousins, their appearances and styles were completely different.

Chen Lan wore a plain-colored long dress, her figure delicate and graceful; every gesture she made carried the elegant charm of a woman from a prominent family.

Du Xi wore a simple knit sweater, her figure tall and slender, with a spirited, heroic air between her brows.

The two stood side by side, much like a rose and a magnolia, each with her own allure.

Because they had little interaction during childhood, the relationship between Chen Lan and Du Xi was distant. More importantly, when Du Xi had just graduated, she had politely declined a male classmate Chen Lan had enthusiastically introduced to her, and Chen Lan had always harbored a slight grudge in her heart.

Shen Mingcheng was different; his gaze landed on Tang Ye repeatedly.

This junior, who was a few years younger than him, had already reached the rank of Deputy Division Chief and was outstanding among his peers. If he could build a good relationship with him, he might become an important asset in the future.

Although Xiao Qin had always been at odds with her eldest sister, Xiao Fang, she was exceptionally warm toward the younger generation.

"Mingcheng, Chen Lan, don't be formal. Drink some tea in the courtyard; Du Xi and Tang Ye will keep you company. I'm going to buy some groceries and we'll eat at home at noon."

"Auntie, you're too kind. We'll just sit for a while and then leave," Shen Mingcheng said with a smile, declining.

"It's rare for you to come here, you must stay for lunch," Xiao Qin said firmly, picking up her grocery basket and heading out.

Once their mother had left, the four of them sat around chatting.

Shen Mingcheng glanced at the car Tang Ye had parked outside the courtyard and laughed: "Tang Ye is truly low-key, only buying a Bora worth a little over a hundred thousand. Back then, Chen Lan insisted on buying a BMW, but I told her they are all German cars, just for getting around, why be so flashy?"

Chen Lan sighed softly: "Most of my colleagues in the banking system drive high-end cars; the environment is just like that... Why don't you transfer me to Hanzhou?"

Tang Ye smiled faintly and said: "Cousin, you work in the province, so your circle of contact is different. I serve in the county; if I drove a luxury car, it would inevitably invite criticism. It's safer to be low-key."

Shen Mingcheng took a puff of his cigarette and said, as if casually: "Speaking of cars, I heard that Suiyuan is also competing for the Hanxing Group project?"

Tang Ye looked humble: "Brother-in-law must have heard wrong. How could Suiyuan have the foundation to compete with Tianling for this project? The spirit is willing, but the strength is lacking."

Cheng Lin was indeed taking materials to the province to lobby.

As for whether it would succeed, it was not yet known.

However, Tang Ye still had confidence in this project.

It was not that Shen Mingcheng's resources were inferior to Cheng Lin's.

It was that Shen Mingcheng now presented an appearance of being certain of victory.

If one were to compare a competitive project to a battlefield, the principle that a proud army is bound to lose applied just the same.

"I originally thought you would come to Tianling to gild your resume, so we could interact more," Shen Mingcheng patted him on the shoulder. "At your age, if you grind for a year in Tianling, get adjusted to the Standing Committee, and then grind for another three or four years, it is possible to reach the Division Level before you are thirty-two."

Chen Lan was startled upon hearing this; her husband had been promoted to the Division Level at exactly thirty-two, and he was already a benchmark for "young talent" in the Huainan officialdom.

Since childhood, she had known that Xiao Qin's branch was not well-regarded in the family, and Du Xi had often been marginalized in the past. Now, seeing that Tang Ye actually had the momentum to catch up, she couldn't help but feel strange. She then thought that perhaps her husband was just saying polite things, so she didn't say much more.

Tang Ye naturally heard the sense of superiority in Shen Mingcheng's words, but he understood it.

The Shen Family was originally a prominent family in Huai Province, and with the addition of the Xiao Family, their foundation was deep; it was no surprise he had this mindset.

Tang Ye was not angry and went along with it: "I originally wanted to go to Tianling, but unfortunately, I couldn't control my own circumstances. If there really is an opportunity, I hope for your guidance, brother-in-law. It's too late to regret it now."

Shen Mingcheng clearly took it seriously, his tone extremely generous: "Don't worry, there are plenty of opportunities. You gain experience in Suiyuan first; if you feel unhappy, a word from your uncle can get you transferred to Tianling. Even if it's inconvenient for your uncle to step in, I can help you maneuver it."

He was immersed in the pleasure of being flattered, failing to notice the flash of deep meaning in Tang Ye's eyes.

Du Xi, however, was all too familiar with her husband.

The smile Tang Ye was wearing right now was exactly that "killing with kindness" smile.

It looked sincere and humble, but it actually hid a sharp edge, like a gardenia wrapped in soft thorns.

At noon, Shen Mingcheng ate at the Du Residence, and the hospitality of the Du family left him very satisfied.

On the way back to Tianling County, Shen Mingcheng asked curiously: "Didn't you say your mother and aunt don't get along? I think she treated us quite well."

Chen Lan let her hair down and tied it up again, her tone cold: "My uncle has only had a smooth career path in the last two years. I heard from my mother that it was my eldest uncle who secretly helped him, which is why he was promoted from Division Level to Deputy Department-level Official and entered the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee. If it weren't for the second uncle-in-law suddenly getting cancer and retiring, how would it have been his turn to pick up this windfall?"

Shen Mingcheng nodded: "In the year I've worked in Tianling, I have heard that your uncle has a good reputation; his subordinates all praise him for being incorruptible."

"What's the use of being incorruptible?" Chen Lan sneered. "When the water is too clear, there are no fish. Someone like him will eventually be marginalized by the circle."

Shen Mingcheng glanced at her sideways, his tone flat: "Don't underestimate your uncle. If I want to achieve political success in Tianling, I still need his cooperation."

"I know," Chen Lan turned around, took a compact out of her bag to touch up her makeup, her arched brows looking exquisite in the mirror. "My uncle knows what's what. If he wants to move further up, he still has to rely on my eldest uncle. My eldest uncle values you so much, he wouldn't dare not listen to him!"

Shen Mingcheng said no more, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, but he was secretly pondering.

It seemed that this family of his aunt's did not have a particularly close connection with the Xiao Family.

However, Shen Mingcheng did not place his entire hope for achieving political success in Tianling on Du Chengfeng's assistance.

With his family background and workplace maneuvering, gaining a firm foothold in Tianling County was an easy task to begin with.

As long as Du Chengfeng did not deliberately obstruct him, maintaining political stability would suffice.

After the Shen couple left, Du Xi gently gripped Tang Ye's hand, her fingertips trembling slightly: "I let you suffer a grievance today."

Tang Ye understood she was referring to Chen Lan's showing off during the meal, fearing it would discourage him, but he just smiled faintly: "What kind of grievance is this? Sometimes one needs to acknowledge the excellence of others."

"Shen Mingcheng's current position relies mostly on external forces," Du Xi looked up, her eyelashes casting a stubborn shadow under her eyes, "but you, every step you've taken to get here, wasn't it fought for by yourself?"

Tang Ye ruffled her hair, his voice gentle yet firm: "Family background is part of one's personal strength. But don't worry, I will make up for this shortcoming with other skills. One day, you won't feel I'm 'suffering a grievance' anymore, and I won't let anyone look down on you."

Du Xi buried her face in his shoulder, her voice muffled yet clear: "Chen Lan will realize sooner or later how ridiculous those words were today."

Tang Ye chuckled out loud.

He knew his wife too well.

Du Xi appeared broad-minded, but deep down she hid a pride that refused to show weakness.

She could suffer grievances herself, but she didn't want to see Tang Ye suffer because of her.

However, as a man, he had an obligation to prove that his wife's choice was correct!

Shen Mingcheng was indeed a benchmark that was difficult to surpass at the moment.

On the surface, the two were only separated by one administrative rank, but in reality, from Deputy County Magistrate to County Party Secretary, what spanned between them was not just a gap in rank, but a comprehensive disparity in resources, connections, and political and business maneuvering.

This situation was very much like the difference in realms in a cultivation novel—both were in the Nascent Soul stage, yet some were already peak great cultivators, while others were still groping in the early stages.

Tang Ye felt that Shen Mingcheng appearing in his life was not a bad thing.

Without a clear goal, it is very easy to lose the motivation to strive!