Chapter 2904

Xiao Shiyan said, "Mayor Xin, there are over a hundred mines in the city. This application also has a process. I estimate it will take a few more days to deliver the notices to everyone."

Xin Jing nodded and said, "In any case, you must speed up your progress. The province was asking about this matter last time."

Xiao Shiyan nodded and said, "Fine, I came today to report this matter to you. Let me show you the delivery list first."

Xin Jing took the materials from Xiao Shiyan's hand and read them carefully. After reading, she was quite satisfied. She nodded and said, "Old Xiao, you still need to hurry up. This work really cannot be delayed any longer."

Xiao Shiyan nodded and said, "Mayor Xin, do you have time tonight?"

Xin Jing asked, "Do you have something?"

Xiao Shiyan smiled and said, "Someone wants to invite you to dinner tonight at the Baozhou Hotel."

Xin Jing became alert immediately. She asked, "Who is inviting me to dinner?"

Xiao Shiyan said, "Do you know Zhang Dacheng? A member of the Municipal CPPCC."

Xin Jing naturally knew the name Zhang Dacheng. She knew that Zhang Dacheng was the boss of Dacheng Mining Co., Ltd. He invited her to dinner; she could guess his intention just by thinking about it—it must be about that fine. She subconsciously wanted to refuse, but then she thought that it would be better to ask for Su Xinghui's opinion on this matter.

Unknowingly, Xin Jing had become somewhat dependent on Su Xinghui.

Xin Jing asked, "Old Xiao, why does he want to invite me to dinner?"

Xiao Shiyan said, "I'm not too sure, but I think he must also want to make a friend of Mayor Xin."

Xin Jing said, "Then why did he entrust you to invite me? Are you two very close?"

Xiao Shiyan laughed dryly, "Not very close. He runs a mine, and I manage land resources, so naturally, we've had some dealings. He was afraid it would be too presumptuous to invite Mayor Xin himself, so he asked me to invite you. I hope Mayor Xin can do him the honor."

Xin Jing pondered and said, "I don't know my schedule for tonight yet. You go back first; I'll give you an answer this afternoon."

Seeing that Xin Jing didn't refuse directly, Xiao Shiyan thought to himself that there was a chance. He got up and said, "Fine, Mayor Xin, then I'll go back first. If you decide, just give me a call."

Xin Jing nodded, and Xiao Shiyan went out. Xin Jing continued to read the documents.

About half an hour later, Xin Jing called Su Xinghui to ask where he was. Su Xinghui said he was in his office, so Xin Jing said she was coming over to see him about something, and Su Xinghui told her to come over.

Xin Jing went to Su Xinghui's office. Su Xinghui smiled and let her sit down, then sat opposite her and asked, "What's wrong, Xin Jing? Do you have something for me?"

Xin Jing said, "That Zhang Dacheng said he wants to invite me to dinner tonight."

"Zhang Dacheng?" Su Xinghui said, "The boss of Dacheng Mining?"

Xin Jing nodded and said, "Yes, it's him."

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "Having a boss invite you to dinner is a good thing. Where are you eating? I guess it's at the Baozhou Hotel. The food there is quite good."

Xin Jing was furious: "People came to you specifically for advice, and you're still joking like this."

Xin Jing looked a bit angry, so Su Xinghui stopped joking with her. He said, "You don't want to eat this meal?"

Xin Jing said, "Of course I don't want to eat this meal. He invited me to dinner; it's a wolf paying respects to a chicken—he has no good intentions."

Su Xinghui said, "Then how do you think he has no good intentions?"

Xin Jing said, "Isn't it obvious? He must be doing it for that fine, wanting to go through the back door."

Su Xinghui said, "Then how big of a fine did Dacheng Mining get?"

Xin Jing said, "Twenty million. They also have the largest fine among all the mines in the city, including the confiscation of illegal gains and environmental restoration funds."

In fact, if calculated carefully, Dacheng Mining's illegal gains were far more than that, and the environmental pollution they caused would require far more money to restore. However, this twenty-million-yuan fine was already the largest fine in Baozhou history. If the fine were issued according to the real figures, it would be too shocking, so they could only issue such a fine.

Of course, just such a fine was enough to make Zhang Dacheng's heart ache.

Su Xinghui said, "Twenty million. No wonder he wants to invite you to dinner. He wants you to waive this fine!"

Xin Jing said, "That's why I don't want to go. How can this fine be waived? It must be fined. If they aren't fined until it hurts, such things will never be stopped and will happen forever."

Su Xinghui said, "If you don't want to go, then don't go. Why come and ask me?"

Xin Jing said, "I still want to ask for your opinion. Only after listening to you do I feel at ease."

Su Xinghui pondered and said, "I think it's just a meal. You might as well go and eat, see what he really means, test his bottom line, and see what price he offers."

Xin Jing smiled and said, "What if he offers a high price and I can't resist the temptation?"

Su Xinghui also smiled and said, "If you really couldn't resist the temptation, you wouldn't have come to see me. I believe in you!"

Su Xinghui's "I believe in you" made Xin Jing lose her focus for a moment. After a brief moment of distraction, she laughed: "Fine, then I'll go eat this meal and treat it as a Hongmen Banquet. Since you believe in me, I will never let you down."

Xin Jing's desire for money was not strong, and she truly never thought about receiving benefits from Zhang Dacheng.

Although Xin Jing came from a worker's family, she was the only girl in the family, so she had been very pampered since childhood. Her parents and brothers all doted on her. She hadn't suffered much since she was a child. She grew up very smoothly, went to university, and started working. Her work had always been very good. Although her conditions couldn't be said to be very affluent, they were quite good.

Such a background made Xin Jing's desire for money very indifferent. Since she started working, she had never received benefits from anyone.

So, even if she went to attend this "Hongmen Banquet" today, she was confident that she would not receive any benefits from Zhang Dacheng. However, Su Xinghui's trust in her was the most precious thing, which made her feel a bit elated, but she could only bury such feelings deep in her heart. ===== CHAPTER 2906 =====