Chapter 340: Drinking and Talking Happily

The car just drove out of the gate of the county government, and my mobile phone rang inappropriately.

The County Magistrate has the treatment of the County Magistrate. I am sitting in the seat behind the driver, feeling the superiority of being a leader. It is said that leaders sit in cars, and the position is very particular. For example, any leader with a special car will not sit in the passenger seat. If a person does not open his eyes and let the leader sit in the passenger seat, it must be a novice in officialdom. Even in the back seat, there are still particularities. The leader's position must be behind the driver. This will increase infinite safety.

Of course, there are also some small officials who like to sit in the passenger seat. Therefore, any official who likes to sit in the passenger seat will not be bigger than the deputy division level.

Some experts have concluded that when people encounter the most dangerous times, they will subconsciously protect themselves. The leader sits behind the driver, and while the driver protects himself, he naturally also protects the leader.

I took out the phone impatiently, muttered and scolded: "Who is it? Annoying!"

The voice that came out of the phone was Guan Peishan's, laughing and asking me: "Little Chen, you are a County Magistrate, and you are not close to the people."

Anyone can hear the blame in his words. Although Guan Peishan is not a secretary, the tiger is dead and the prestige is still there. In this land of less than fifty square kilometers in Chunshan County, he has been a feudal lord for so many years, and he will make Chunshan County tremble if he coughs casually.

Such a person, whoever neglects him is the number one fool in the world.

I accompanied with a smiling face and said: "Old Secretary, I am going to save people."

"Save people? Save what people?" Guan Peishan's tone was clearly a feigned tension.

"The son of Little Li in our town's finance office, entered the hospital, very urgent." I explained, took out a cigarette with my hand, and smelled it under my nose.

"Oh, this is a big deal, can't be delayed." Guan Peishan pondered for a while and asked me strangely: "Can't do it without you?"

I was speechless for a while. Yes, saving a person, can't do it without me? But can I tell him about Zhao Yu'er's blood transfusion? Even if Zhao Yu'er wants a blood transfusion, what does it have to do with me?

"It's not like that." I hesitated and said: "The child's father is still in the town, I want to send him to Hengyue City."

"Since this is the case, you can ask your driver to send it, which is also possible." Guan Peishan increased his tone and said: "Today is Secretary Liu's personal banquet to celebrate your promotion to Deputy County Magistrate. It is Secretary Liu's trust in you and his concern for you. You look at it yourself!"

He hung up the phone, leaving me covered in cold sweat.

The driver cleverly stopped the car, pulled out the cigarette lighter and handed it to me, smiling and saying: "County Magistrate Chen, you light it."

I leaned close to the cigarette lighter, took a deep breath, leaned my body heavily on the seat, and exhaled a long smoke ring.

"County Magistrate Chen, I think you should accompany Secretary Liu. Leave the matter of sending someone to me. You can rest assured." The driver looked at me and smiled, patting his chest and saying: "Guaranteed to be sent safely."

I looked at him, this is a very young guy, with hard hair, making people look energetic.

"I am Yu Wei, just retired from the army, assigned to the county government car class. Being able to serve County Magistrate Chen, I am really happy." Yu Wei introduced himself, his eyes full of humility and humbleness.

"Not bad!" I patted him on the shoulder and said: "I like people who are soldiers."

Yu Wei smiled, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"I also think, County Magistrate Chen, you should arrange a secretary as soon as possible. In the future, let the secretary answer the phone, and the phone you don't want to answer will be solved in the secretary's hands." He pointed to the mobile phone in my hand.

"Yu Wei, what did you do in the army?" I asked him, a complicated emotion surging in my heart.

"I was also driving in the army, driving for our deputy regiment commander." Yu Wei said very proudly: "I am a driver with 100,000 kilometers of no accidents in the army."

I said "Oh," and turned to ask him: "Why did you think about retiring?"

Yu Wei looked at me, his face turned red instantly, and he couldn't make a sound for a long time. He turned around, started the car, and asked me: "County Magistrate, where are we going now?"

Men who blush are cute men! A man who can blush means he still has a sense of shame!

He didn't answer my question, clearly having unspeakable difficulties. Meeting him for the first time, I didn't ask too much. Not to mention that he is my driver in the future, I am not worried about not asking the truth.

I said: "You send it to the county hotel."

"Okay!" Yu Wei turned the steering wheel happily and walked towards the county hotel.

"After you send it, go to Suxi Town, find a person named Zhao Jinming, and send him to the First Affiliated Hospital in the city. Hard work!" I arranged for him, the tone was very polite, I didn't know if I could command him.

"Don't worry! It's not hard work at all!" Yu Wei didn't look back; his eyes were fixed straight ahead as he drove the car steadily.

When we arrived at the County Hotel, the car had barely come to a stop before Yu Wei stepped out in a flash. Before I could even collect my thoughts, he had already opened the door for me, waiting respectfully for me to get out.

I hesitated for a moment before stooping to climb out of the car. It was the first time someone had opened a car door for me, and before I could emerge from this feeling of being treated with such courtesy, I saw the Government Office Director running over in a hurry. He grabbed me and, without a word of explanation, led me toward the hotel.

The County Hotel was a calling card for the outside world; it was the most luxurious hotel in Chunshan County with the most complete facilities. Although I had stayed there many times before, coming back today, I felt many differences. Suddenly, I had the mindset of an owner, and looking at the County Hotel again, it seemed incredibly lovely.

The County Hotel had a Chinese restaurant, which was the best restaurant in Chunshan County. It was rarely open to the public, and even when it was, few people could afford to eat there.

After turning a few corners, the County Party Committee Office Director pulled open a door, and I saw a massive table set in the middle of the room, with a few people sitting around it in isolation.

Sitting upright in the center seat was Secretary Liu Qimeng, with Guan Peishan on his left, and Deng Hanyu past Guan Peishan.

The seat on the right was empty; past the empty seat was Guo Wei, and past Guo Wei was the County Party Committee Office Director.

"You're here!" Liu Qimeng didn't look at me, but pointed to the empty seat beside him and said, "Come and sit."

I smiled at everyone and walked toward Liu Qimeng with cautious, light steps.

"A child worth teaching!" Guan Peishan teased me, his face full of smiles.

I accompanied him with a smile, sat down beside Liu Qimeng, and said apologetically, "Secretary Liu, Team Leader Guan, I'm sorry."

"No need for explanations!" Liu Qimeng waved his hand to interrupt me and said, "Just being here is enough."

A waiter came over to ask if they should serve the dishes. Guan Peishan waved his hand and said, "Serve the dishes. Of course, serve the dishes! The host has arrived, are we not allowed to eat?"

His words made everyone laugh together.

"Shall we drink Moutai today? Old Liu." Guan Peishan asked for Liu Qimeng's opinion.

"Sure!" Liu Qimeng said readily, "Old Guan, you are now the God of Wealth for our Chunshan County. Never mind drinking Moutai, even if you wanted to drink my blood, I wouldn't hesitate to let it out for you to drink." Secretary Liu Qimeng laughed, smoothed his cuffs, turned his head to look at me, and said, "Deputy County Magistrate Chen, you must keep them company well tonight!"

I nodded repeatedly, thinking to myself, I can handle a bottle of strong Daqu liquor, so why would I care about Moutai?

Guan Peishan clearly understood the meaning behind Liu Qimeng's words and said with a smile, "We are family to begin with, so there's no question of who is keeping whom company. Today is the day of Deputy County Magistrate Chen's promotion; if we're talking about company, it's us who have come to keep him company. Wouldn't you agree?"

I was flattered and felt uneasy in my heart.

With the two great giants of Chunshan County keeping me company, what kind of divine being am I to receive such a special honor!

"Old Guan is right! Everyone is family. Let's not stand on ceremony, just be at ease," Secretary Liu Qimeng said with a laugh.

Once the food and wine were served, the table was full.

The waiter poured wine for everyone, and just as Liu Qimeng was about to raise his glass to speak, he was beaten to it by Guan Peishan.

"It's all settled then. This meal tonight is the first meal between the Chunshan County Party Committee, the County Government, and our Economic Leading Group. After this meal, everyone will get on the same boat and pull together, striving to sail this great economic ship of our Chunshan County out into the big rivers and oceans." Guan Peishan scanned everyone with a smile. Under his gaze, Liu Qimeng picked up his glass very reluctantly, without a trace of a smile on his face.

In Chunshan County, Liu Qimeng was now the boss in the true sense of the word. This first glass of the banquet should have been presided over by him. I don't know if Guan Peishan did it intentionally or unintentionally, but he had taken the lead, making Liu Qimeng feel he had lost some face.

I observed the expressions on their faces. After a glass of wine, I indeed saw Guan Peishan's calculating smile, while Liu Qimeng remained silent as if he had been struck by a blunt object.

In such an occasion, everyone knew it clearly. If Secretary Liu Qimeng were to speak for the second glass, it would make him appear to be lagging behind Guan Peishan.

I beckoned the waiter over, took the wine pot from her hand, and consciously filled Secretary Liu Qimeng's glass first, then Guan Peishan's, followed by the County Party Committee Office Director, the Government Office Director, Deng Hanyu, and Guo Wei, before finally filling my own.

After pouring the wine, I respectfully raised my glass with both hands and said with infinite sincerity, "Thank you, Secretary Liu and Team Leader Guan, for your care and support. Thank you to all the leaders present for your trust, and thank you to the masses for their support. I will drink this glass first; I will drink three glasses in a row. In the future, I will still need to ask all the leaders for more criticism and guidance in my work."

As soon as I finished speaking, I tilted my head back and downed the drink without hesitation, then poured and drank for myself. After three glasses, I looked at everyone with a smile, my face unchanged and my heart steady.

There was a moment of silence at the table, and Guan Peishan took the lead in applauding.

I stole a glance at Liu Qimeng and found a look of approval on his face. My heart, which had been beating wildly, was finally comforted. I knew that Liu Qimeng had felt my respect for him!

Deng Hanyu tapped the table and said, "Deputy County Magistrate Chen, drinking like this isn't enough; you have to do a 'clearance' round. Only when you clear the round does it prove you are sincere."

As soon as Deng Hanyu finished speaking, he immediately received a response from Guo Wei, who joined in the clamor, saying, "That's right, that's right!"

I turned to look at Liu Qimeng, and Liu Qimeng looked at me and said, "Can you do it?"

I looked at Guan Peishan again; Guan Peishan smiled without a word, but I could feel his tacit approval.

"Alright!" I picked up the wine pot and said with a smile, "Team Leader Guan, you are our former Secretary and now a wealthy man. Team Leader Deng and Team Leader Guo want me to clear the round, you have to give an instruction."

Guan Peishan smiled and said, "Deputy County Magistrate Chen, if those two want you to clear the round, you can clear it if you can; if you can't, let them clear it. It's like the joke that says, Chairman Mao once said, shining a flashlight on others but not on oneself."

I laughed, "No matter who shines the flashlight. If I clear the round, you have to agree to one condition, Old Secretary."

Guan Peishan asked with great interest, "What condition? Let's hear it."

"If I clear the round, your Economic Leading Group has to give me money," I said, looking righteous and stern.

"What money? What do you need money for?" Guan Peishan's face darkened as he asked.

I accompanied him with a smile and said, "Secretary Liu just said it, you are now the God of Wealth for our Chunshan County. Everyone knows you hold a large sum of funds in your hands. How this money is invested and where it is invested is just a matter of a word from you. Since the money has come to our Chunshan County, there is no reason for it to go back to Hengyue City. Don't you agree?"

Guan Peishan was stunned by my words and said, "Deputy County Magistrate Chen is quite a greedy person."

I smiled bitterly and said, "Old Secretary, you also know that we had a plan to relocate the town government while in your hands. Now the plan has started, but it's still hanging in mid-air. Without money, even with three heads and six arms, I'm afraid there's no way to do it."

"I understand!" A smile appeared on Guan Peishan's face, and he said to Secretary Liu Qimeng, "Old Liu, you have a good eye!"

Liu Qimeng smiled calmly and said, "Old Guan, why don't you just state your position."

Guan Peishan seemed to be in a dilemma now, and after pondering for a long time, he said, "You have to state a figure first."

I was overjoyed, but I didn't show it at all: "Whatever Team Leader Guan gives is fine. One million is not too little, ten million is not too much. The more, the better!"

Guan Peishan's expression tightened. He frowned and thought for a long time, then sighed and said, "Deputy County Magistrate Chen, oh Deputy County Magistrate Chen, you're not bad. You ask for a million from me right off the bat. If I don't give it, it makes me, Old Guan, look like I'm not supporting you enough. How about this, you draw up a budget and let Secretary Liu approve it. Whatever Secretary Liu approves, I, Old Guan, will give. How about that?"

I was overjoyed and turned to look at Secretary Liu Qimeng.

Secretary Liu Qimeng smiled and said, "Old Guan, aren't you afraid that I'll empty your coffers with one stroke?"

Guan Peishan laughed, "Anyway, fat water doesn't flow into outsiders' fields. If you, Old Liu, approve it, and I, Old Guan, don't give it, then I've wasted all these years as County Party Secretary."

He then turned to me and said, "Deputy County Magistrate Chen, I agree to give you the money, but you also have to agree to one thing for me."

I quickly stated my position, "Team Leader Guan, please just say it. As long as I can do it, I will do it even if it means climbing a mountain of swords or descending into a sea of fire."

"Good!" Guan Peishan tapped the table boldly and shouted, "Bring the wine!"