Chapter 2978

That afternoon, near the end of the workday, Cui Wenbin called again to ask if Su Xinghui had set off yet and if he needed him to send someone to pick him up. Su Xinghui said no need, he was about to set off.

Su Xinghui got up and went downstairs with Xia Song, got into Zhai Yingjie's car, and went to the Baozhou Grand Hotel. After getting out of the car, he told Zhai Yingjie to go back; he wouldn't need his car tonight.

This was Su Xinghui's consideration for Zhai Yingjie. He was willing to walk back after dinner, so there was no need for a car. In that case, why make Zhai Yingjie wait here for him? Such dinners usually lasted an hour or two, which was too hard for a driver to wait through.

Zhai Yingjie was used to it. He nodded, told Su Xinghui to call him if he needed anything, and then drove away.

Cui Wenbin was already waiting in the lobby. Seeing Su Xinghui get out of the car, he smiled, stood up, and came out to greet him. He smiled and said, "Mayor Su is truly punctual, arriving so quickly."

Su Xinghui said, "Since I promised General Manager Cui, I naturally had to arrive on time."

Cui Wenbin ushered Su Xinghui into the Baozhou Grand Hotel and they entered a private room together. Xia Song followed behind and entered the room as well.

Also accompanying Cui Wenbin were some senior executives from the Daye Real Estate Development Company. As guests, they also followed Cui Wenbin and Su Xinghui into the private room.

Cui Wenbin had Su Xinghui sit in the seat of honor, and he sat beside him to accompany him, while Xia Song sat on the other side of Su Xinghui.

Su Xinghui said, "Why is General Manager Cui being so polite? We are old acquaintances."

Cui Wenbin said, "Although we are old acquaintances, this is the first time I've invited you to dinner. Besides, I am also a Baozhou native, so it's only right for me to invite you, the local official of Baozhou, to a meal."

Su Xinghui smiled slightly and said nothing more.

Cui Wenbin poured tea for Su Xinghui and Xia Song, then had the waiter come in to order dishes. He asked Su Xinghui to order a few, but Su Xinghui said, "My taste is very casual, General Manager Cui, you can just arrange it."

Cui Wenbin was polite for a few more sentences and even asked about Xia Song's taste before he started ordering. He ordered all the signature dishes of the Baozhou Grand Hotel and even instructed the waiter to tell the kitchen to serve the dishes a bit faster.

However, the serving speed at the Baozhou Grand Hotel wasn't as fast as it used to be, because business at the hotel was currently booming, almost packed every day, so the kitchen's output speed couldn't quite keep up.

Although Cui Wenbin was a big boss, who among the people eating at the Baozhou Grand Hotel now wasn't a person of status and power?

If Su Xinghui spoke up, he could indeed make the serving speed faster, but Su Xinghui disdained using his status for such things.

Therefore, everyone could only patiently drink tea, chat, and wait for the waiter to serve the dishes.

Cui Wenbin didn't bring up the old city renovation project. He knew that even if he brought it up, Su Xinghui wouldn't open any back doors for him, so it was better not to ask for trouble and simply not mention it at all.

Cui Wenbin talked about the changes in Baozhou City, saying that these changes had all happened after Su Xinghui arrived in Baozhou. As a local of Baozhou, he wanted to thank Su Xinghui.

Su Xinghui said that this was what he should do as an administrative official, and there was nothing to thank him for; it was the duty of every administrative official.

Cui Wenbin said that while that might be true, there were too few administrative officials nowadays who could fulfill their duties like Mayor Su.

Cui Wenbin recounted the changes that had taken place in Baozhou City. He was quite thoughtful and knew these changes like the back of his hand. Su Xinghui was a bit startled; it seemed Cui Wenbin had been keeping a very close watch on his movements during this period.

The dishes hadn't been served for a long time, so Xia Song went out for a moment to use the restroom. Before long, he returned.

He leaned into Su Xinghui's ear and said, "Mayor Su, I saw Ling Shanshan enter a private room with that Cheng Kaibin."

Ling Shanshan? Why did she enter a private room with Cheng Kaibin? Su Xinghui's brows furrowed, but they immediately relaxed again.

Could it be because of Cheng Huangong? But that didn't make sense; Cheng Huangong shouldn't have told his son about his relationship with Ling Shanshan, so how did Cheng Kaibin know Ling Shanshan?

However, Su Xinghui didn't think too much about it. He didn't have any special feelings for Ling Shanshan; he just thought the program she hosted was good and that she was a talent, which was why he had talked to her once and kept her at the Baozhou TV station, even if it was only for three months.

In his feeling, Ling Shanshan was a woman with a loose private life. Since she had entered the private room with Cheng Kaibin voluntarily, he had no reason to manage her.

Su Xinghui nodded gently to Xia Song and said, "I know."

Xia Song had told Su Xinghui this only because Su Xinghui had talked to Ling Shanshan that one time and specifically asked her to stay, and Su Xinghui didn't have a good impression of Cheng Kaibin. With the two of them together, he had a responsibility to tell Su Xinghui.

Since Su Xinghui had no intention of intervening, Xia Song didn't say anything else.

After a while, the dishes started to be served. Cui Wenbin raised his glass and said to Su Xinghui, "Come, Mayor Su, let me toast you!"

Su Xinghui raised his glass and had a drink with Cui Wenbin.

Cui Wenbin had always been polite, living up to his name, and his knowledge was quite good; he spoke with eloquence. This made it hard for Su Xinghui to feel any ill will toward him, even though he knew full well that Tian Xiaopeng was behind Cui Wenbin, he still chatted and laughed with him.

This meal lasted for over an hour. After finishing, Su Xinghui bid farewell to Cui Wenbin. Cui Wenbin prepared to send a driver to take Su Xinghui back, but Su Xinghui said the government compound wasn't far, and he wanted to walk back to help digest the food. Cui Wenbin then gave up.

Bidding farewell to Cui Wenbin, Su Xinghui and Xia Song left the Baozhou Grand Hotel and walked on the sidewalk toward the municipal government compound.

It was almost eight o'clock in the evening, and the sky was dark, but there were streetlights on the sidewalk, and there were many shops on both sides of the road, with many pedestrians. It was quite lively. Public security in Baozhou City was getting better and better, which also made the commercial atmosphere in Baozhou City better and better.

After leaving the hotel, Su Xinghui accidentally looked back and saw a somewhat familiar figure coming out of the hotel. He seemed to be supporting someone, dragging that person toward a Mercedes-Benz car, half-supporting and half-carrying them.

Su Xinghui nudged Xia Song and said, "Look, is that Cheng Kaibin? Who is the person he's supporting?"

Xia Song looked back and nodded, saying, "Yes, that's Cheng Kaibin. The person he's supporting seems to be a woman, right? Could it be Ling Shanshan?"

Su Xinghui actually saw that the person Cheng Kaibin was supporting seemed to be a woman, because she was wearing a dress, had long hair, and a slender figure. Although they were quite far away and it was dark, it was still possible to tell that it should be a woman.

Su Xinghui said, "That's likely Ling Shanshan."

Xia Song said, "He wouldn't have gotten Ling Shanshan drunk, would he?"

Xia Song's words made Su Xinghui alert. He didn't doubt for a second that a playboy like Cheng Kaibin would use such despicable means. If Ling Shanshan was willing, that would be one thing, but if she wasn't willing and Cheng Kaibin had gotten her drunk, then the nature of the situation was different.