Chapter 637

From the moment Meng Xiaoyu first saw the stele rubbing, his eyes never left it.

I sat quietly to one side, watching him in his entranced state, thinking to myself that if this man weren't in politics, his obsession alone might have made him a master. I sighed, thinking the world had lost an artist and gained a bureaucrat.

In fact, historically, anyone who became an official had a certain amount of refinement, and art was passed down by them, becoming highbrow. As for rural street performances and folk crafts, they were at most the pastimes of the common folk.

It's just that today's cadres have no heart for refinement. The power of money and authority is more tempting than anything else. Human beauty, wine pools, and meat forests have shattered how many poetic moods; deceit and sycophancy have created how many political careers. Who still has the mood to pursue the word "refinement"?

However, some say that great vulgarity is great refinement, and conversely, great refinement is great vulgarity. Little do they know that between great refinement and great vulgarity, there is ultimately a high mountain, and one can only look up to it in awe.

Great refinement is the highest manifestation of a person's spiritual cultivation and moral character. It is not only innate but must also be diligently cultivated throughout one's life. Great vulgarity is different; anything from belching while eating to passing gas while talking falls into the category of great vulgarity.

Great refinement requires tempering; great vulgarity comes easily!

People of great refinement are first and foremost obsessed; for instance, someone as infatuated as Meng Xiaoyu, whose eyes seemed unable to move, staring at the stele rubbing while constantly drawing in cold breaths. As for great vulgarity, that is like me, sitting on the side watching others be obsessed while inwardly cursing them as idiots.

Meng Xiaoyu's expression made me feel as sweet as if I had been filled with honey. From his performance, it was clear that if I were to take the stele rubbing away from him right now, he would feel like dying.

I coughed a few times on purpose, but it didn't attract his attention. So, I increased the intensity of my coughing, hoping to draw him away from the stele rubbing.

These few coughs finally brought Meng Xiaoyu back to his senses. He looked at me blankly, looking utterly lost.

I smiled and said, "Secretary-General Meng, I see you are an expert; why don't you give it a deeper appraisal?"

Meng Xiaoyu's brows jumped, and he asked me, "You mean to leave it with me for now?"

"Of course!" I said lightly. "I'm not familiar with this thing, and it's meaningless in my hands. It's like a precious sword matching a hero; since you are a hero, it is naturally more valuable in your hands."

Meng Xiaoyu's lips trembled a few times; he wanted to speak but made no sound.

I seized the moment to take my leave, saying, "Secretary-General Meng, I must return to Hengyue City first. When I have time, I will come to disturb you again."

Meng Xiaoyu said in surprise, "Is your business all finished? Are you in such a hurry to go back?"

I smiled bitterly and said, "It can't be done anyway. Secretary-General Meng has no money in hand, and I can't force you, can I? Besides, our Hengyue City Industrial Park is a designated park of Central Province; I believe your provincial leaders will not fail to consider us."

Meng Xiaoyu laughed, tapping his desk with his fingers, and said, "Chen Feng, you really are a clever one. Tell you what, don't be in such a hurry to return to Hengyue City. I will go help you think of a way. If it succeeds, don't thank me. If it doesn't work out, don't blame me either."

I accompanied him with a smile and said, "I wouldn't dare! You are taking care of me, Leader. Regardless of whether there is hope or not, I must thank you."

Meng Xiaoyu smiled brightly and said, "Wait here for a moment; I'll be right back."

He carefully wrapped the cloth bundle, hesitated for a moment, and then pulled open a drawer and shoved it inside.

Meng Xiaoyu going out was definitely related to my business. I looked around his office with confidence. After all, it was the office of a provincial leader, more than twice the size of my office at the Hengyue City Petition Bureau. Even the desk alone was far more imposing than mine.

There were a few green plants in the room, full of vitality. There was a cactus with plump leaves, and the fine white needles on the leaves were hard and tenacious.

I didn't understand why he would put such a thing in his office until I saw a piece of calligraphy hanging on the wall that read "Empty-hearted as a valley." Meng Xiaoyu is a person with a very strong sense of self-protection; a piece of calligraphy tells others he is broad-minded, but a cactus completely betrays him.

I was feeling smug about having figured out Meng Xiaoyu's life when Lao Bi suddenly pushed the door open. Seeing me, he was shocked and said, "You haven't left yet?"

I smiled faintly and said, "Why should I leave? Secretary-General Meng asked me to sit for a moment; he'll be right back."

Lao Bi was stunned, then slapped his thigh and said, "Oh my, Chen Feng, your business is done."

Of course I knew it was done; I had long seen hope in Meng Xiaoyu's eyes. A stele rubbing had made Meng Xiaoyu fall into my trap.

Before Lao Bi had even sat down properly, Meng Xiaoyu pushed the door open and hurried in.

He didn't even look at Lao Bi, speaking directly to me: "Where is your project report?"

I had indeed prepared the project report, but I didn't take it out; instead, I looked at Lao Bi.

Lao Bi was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening. He hurriedly fished my project report out of his bag and handed it to Meng Xiaoyu with both hands, saying, "Secretary-General, I've looked at it; the project is quite reasonable."

Meng Xiaoyu snorted, took the report, scanned it hurriedly, and pressed it under his hand, saying, "There is a Standing Committee meeting in two days. I intend to bring up your project at the meeting."

I had been feeling quite confident, but now that he said this, my heart hung in the air again.

The Provincial Party Standing Committee could not possibly hold a meeting specifically for my project report; at most, Meng Xiaoyu would just go over it at the meeting. As for whether it would succeed, I wasn't very certain.

I couldn't make Meng Xiaoyu give me a guarantee; the fact that he was willing to go over it at the Standing Committee meeting was already giving me immense face. A project report like mine was just a trivial matter in the province.

I decided to take my leave and wait for fate to take its course.

Lao Bi still had things to report, and as an outsider, it wasn't appropriate for me to listen to their work reports. Therefore, when I said goodbye, neither of them tried to keep me.

As soon as I stepped out of the provincial government compound gate, I let out a long sigh.

I had been out for almost a week, and I needed to report the progress of my work to the Mayor.

When the Mayor heard that our project report was going to be reviewed at the Provincial Party Standing Committee meeting, his voice trembled.

"Chen Feng, you must hold your ground for me. This is a critical moment; there can't be the slightest mistake."

I said fearfully, "Mayor, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold it!"

The Mayor laughed on the phone, and after laughing, he said, "If you don't hold your ground, you'd better not come back; just die in the province. And don't you think about messing with my industrial park; I'll replace you!"

I accompanied him with a smile and said, "Mayor, I am determined to give my all!"

"Hmm." The Mayor pondered for a moment and said, "You can skip the last part."

I had just hung up the phone when the Mayor added, "Do you need anyone else right now? To assist you in your work."

I shook my head and said, "Not for now. Besides, nothing is set in stone yet; if it doesn't work out, it'll all be for nothing."

The Mayor laughed loudly, "Since nothing is set in stone, let's write the first stroke for him."

"Write a stroke?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing what the Mayor meant.

"We'll build momentum first." The Mayor said seriously, "Once the momentum is built, I'm not afraid the leaders won't consider it."

"But how do we build it?" I was still hesitant. In fact, I already understood what the Mayor meant; he wanted to stage a "forcing the palace" drama.

"You just wait in the province with peace of mind. I'll send a reporter from here to find you in the province. We'll build the momentum with a front-page headline in the Hengyue Daily." The Mayor instructed me, "I will send a reporter who will give you face."

The Mayor finally hung up, but I became increasingly uneasy.

If the "forcing the palace" drama the Mayor wants to stage goes wrong, I'll be the first one to go to hell.

I waited at the provincial government gate for a long time without seeing Lao Bi come out, and I didn't feel like calling him. I simply sent him a message: "Division Chief Bi, waiting for your call."

Less than three minutes after the message was sent, Lao Bi's call came in, and he asked me point-blank: "Chen Feng, what tricks did you pull? The Secretary-General scolded me."

I hurriedly defended myself: "I didn't say anything, I didn't do anything."

"The ghost knows you." Lao Bi grumbled, "You bastard, you got me scolded; let's see how you compensate me."

Lao Bi using profanity meant he didn't treat me as an outsider. So I said with a grin, "Division Chief Bi, from now on, I'll cover your tea, and I guarantee it will all be top-grade tea, how about that?"

Lao Bi laughed, "That's more like it." Before the words were out, he hurriedly asked me, "Where are you now? You left me behind?"

I told him I was right at the gate, waiting for him.

Less than five minutes after hanging up with Lao Bi, I saw him waddling out of the provincial government gate, looking around in all directions.

I honked the horn, he looked toward me, and I reached out of the car window and waved in his direction. He clearly saw me, his pace quickened significantly, and before long he climbed into my car, panting, and glared at me: "Why didn't you wait for me?"

I smiled and said, "Division Chief Bi, would I dare not wait for you? Look, I didn't even dare to go far, I've been waiting for you with bated breath."

Lao Bi laughed, his bulky frame making my car seat creak.

"Where to?" I asked.

"It's up to you now." Lao Bi closed his eyes comfortably and said, "Go wherever you want."

I hesitated for a moment, remembered Lao Bi's number one hobby, and said, "How about we go for a sauna?"

Lao Bi first refused, saying that going for a sauna at this time would have a bad influence.

I understood his ulterior motives and told him, "Don't worry, we're going to a place very few people know about. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Lao Bi beamed and said, "Whatever you say, there's not much to do anyway. It's not easy for you to come to the provincial capital, why don't I treat you."

Lao Bi's words were insincere; he kept saying he would treat me to a bath, but if I really let him pay, could he afford the bath fee?

I didn't want to say more and took him to the place Deng Hanyu had told me about.

To show off how well he was doing in the provincial capital, Deng Hanyu had once told me everything about where to eat, drink, and play in the city. I had never been to many of the places he mentioned, but having studied at university here for four years, as long as he gave me the name, I could find the place.