Chapter 373: Unintentional planting of willows

The Foreign Affairs Office dinner was held at the Huihuang Hotel as usual. Everyone who came was well-dressed and looked dignified.

I looked at myself, also in a suit and leather shoes, and remembered Zhu Hua Yu's meticulousness. Although Zhu Hua Yu hadn't been a secretary for long, judging from her means and level of handling affairs, this woman was a natural material for a good secretary.

Yu Wei was still struggling with my displeasure and didn't dare to say a word along the way. But I knew he was peeking at me; this kid Yu Wei was slick, his heart as fine as hair. He could read people and understand the ways of the world.

When the car arrived at the hotel entrance, the Foreign Affairs Office Director greeted us at the door himself. Who was I? I was his direct superior; the Foreign Affairs Office was under my management, and without my support, he couldn't move half a step.

Entering the lobby, everyone saw me and came over to greet me.

I was no longer what I used to be; wearing the coat of an Executive Deputy County Magistrate, in the entire Chunshan County, besides Secretary Liu Qimeng and County Magistrate Yu, who else could there be?

People say, the spring wind makes the horse's hooves fast! And so it was for me.

Not only me, even my secretary and driver were a cut above others.

The City Foreign Affairs Office sent a Deputy Director to accompany a group of foreign businessmen to Hengyue City. The City Foreign Affairs Office Deputy Director's rank wasn't high, but his airs were very big; seeing me, he only nodded.

I couldn't be the same as him. He nodded, but I had to shake hands. To put it bluntly, he was a God of Wealth, although he didn't have money himself, he could find money for me.

No matter how arrogant I was, I wouldn't push the God of Wealth out the door.

I shook his hand with both hands, incredibly sincerely, "Thank you for the leader's support!"

The Deputy Director smiled, very reserved.

"Secretary Huang's instructions, I am just following orders." The Deputy Director clarified the relationship, making my heart much clearer.

Before coming, I had been thinking that Chunshan County was poor and mountainous, what kind of tourism could we do? Foreigners coming to China to invest in tourism, besides large amusement parks, what else was worth their attention?

Now, reminded by the Deputy Director, I suddenly realized that this was all arranged by my cousin.

The County Foreign Affairs Office Director was as honest as a grandson in front of the City Foreign Affairs Office Deputy Director. After we finished our pleasantries, he came over respectfully and said, "County Magistrate Chen, meet the foreign businessmen."

I agreed readily. My purpose in coming was to see what these foreigners were thinking about investing in Chunshan County. I even thought, were these foreign devils' brains short-circuited?

It wasn't until the Foreign Affairs Office Director invited the foreign businessmen over that my heart felt a joy—damn it, so it's you! No wonder you specifically requested to see me.

I was familiar with the person who came; at least I had met him once.

This person was exactly the Mr. Liu my cousin introduced to me at the cocktail party, a pure American.

Seeing him, a smile rippled in my heart. Remembering that day he followed Huang Weiwei like a leech, I almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Mr. Liu saw me, shook hands with me with a smile, and used force on his hand, wanting to make me suffer a bit.

Who was I? Having struggled in the township for seven years, I had long since forged a body of copper and iron. He, a little white man, was secretly playing tricks on me—wasn't that playing with a big sword in front of Guan Yu?

Perhaps, in his view, Chinese government cadres were all weak and frail, or perhaps, in this handshake, he had once taken advantage of others.

I secretly used force. Mr. Liu wanted to shake me off, but how could I let him escape easily?

Sure enough, he was defeated by my means, and his originally fair face flushed with a layer of red.

I laughed, let go of his hand, patted his shoulder, and said, "Mr. Liu, how have you been?"

This guy was half a China-hand and replied to me, "County Magistrate Chen, truly well-deserved."

We smiled at each other and moved to the VIP table.

Just as we sat down, Mr. Liu asked me impatiently, "County Magistrate Chen, where is your confidante?"

I smiled, "She works in the city, I work in the county."

Mr. Liu said "Oh" in disappointment, his eyes shifting to Zhu Hua Yu standing behind me, his eyes lighting up, and he whispered, "Who is she to you?"

"Secretary," I introduced, "You foreigners call it an assistant."

Mr. Liu laughed loudly, clapped his hands, and said, "Chen, in your Hengyue City, beauties are everywhere."

I laughed along and said, "Mr. Liu, you are a China-hand, you know that the south of the Yangtze River produces beauties. Our Hengyue City is authentic south of the Yangtze, how can it not be beautiful scenery everywhere?"

Mr. Liu gave a thumbs up and praised, "Chen, I envy you."

I waved my hand and said, "Mr. Liu, no need to envy. As long as you invest in our Chunshan County, why worry about not being in beautiful scenery every day?"

"Must be," he said in a thick Northeastern accent, making everyone around laugh.

"It's just that I don't quite understand, of course, it's a bit presumptuous. Mr. Liu, tell me, why come to our Chunshan County to invest?"

Mr. Liu clearly misunderstood my meaning, stuttered for a while, flushed red for a while, scratched his ears and cheeks for a while, and said, "Chen, I'm not here to cheat for food and drink."

I laughed; actually, my words didn't have that meaning. It's just that there have been many such jokes in society—any foreigner, under the guise of investment, cheats for food and drink in society. Even worse, they cheat for money and then cheat for sex.

When the country first opened its doors, everyone thought the moon in foreign countries was rounder than in China. When a foreigner farted, some people thought it was a product of high-level genes.

Of course, some governments without connections, as long as they saw foreigners, wished they could call them mom and dad.

Of course, I didn't doubt Mr. Liu at all. From our first meeting until now, counting it up, it had been almost a year. No matter how capable Mr. Liu was, without real stuff, could he have mixed in Hengyue City for so long? Besides, he was introduced by my cousin himself; my cousin was a man of wisdom and courage, would he introduce a liar to me?

It's just that I was still muttering in my heart, our Chunshan County, besides the hot springs in Suxi Township, is the tea oil that can be brought to the table. Tea oil trees are beautiful, but they can't be developed into tourist attractions. I really didn't know which piece of our Chunshan County Mr. Liu had taken a fancy to.

"Chen, you are a leader, I heard you have worked here for seven years, you should know the purpose of our coming, right?" Mr. Liu went straight to the point; foreigners don't like to be long-winded when talking business.

I shook my head and said seriously, "Mr. Liu, you are our honored guest, you are family when you come, we don't talk about purpose."

Mr. Liu shook his head and said, "Chen, I'm here to invest, not to play."

I smiled without speaking.

"You don't believe me?"

"How is that possible."

"Chen, do you know how many treasures you have here?"

My curiosity was piqued. I had been in Chunshan County for half my life, and I hadn't heard of any treasures here, except for the eighteen stone coffins dug out at Laoyingzui; I hadn't even heard of anyone having any antiques or cultural relics.

"Your Chunshan, does it have hot springs?"

I nodded.

"Your Chunshan, does it have a forest of steles?"

"Forest of steles?" I was speechless for a moment. Indeed, I had heard of such a place, right in Mao Shi Town where Mao Ping was. It is said that there is a forest of steles of several square kilometers, high and low, spectacular. Unfortunately, I had never been there.

"Is there a large reservoir next to the forest of steles?"

I still nodded.

"In the jungle upstream of the reservoir, does the giant salamander live there?"

Hearing this, I almost jumped with fear, and cold sweat broke out.

How could a foreign devil figure out the situation so clearly? I, as the parent official of this place, was completely in the dark.

"Giant salamander. You Chinese call it the doll fish," Mr. Liu smiled mysteriously, "This giant salamander is a prehistoric living treasure."

I nodded and said, "Mr. Liu, you are truly a China-hand. I admire you, tell me, how should we cooperate?"

"This, we need to talk about in detail." ===== CHAPTER 374 =====