[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-romantic-path-to-success":3,"chapter-the-romantic-path-to-success-the-romantic-path-to-success-chapter-522":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Romantic Road to the Top",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},2146713,3567,"Chapter 522","the-romantic-path-to-success-chapter-522",522,"\u003Cp>It wasn't until after four o'clock in the afternoon that Hou Guangbi returned to Shangjun County. After a day, even though his body was strong, he was somewhat exhausted. On the way back to the county seat, Su Xinghui deliberately drove the car very steadily, letting him rest in the car for nearly an hour, and his spirit finally recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning to the county seat, Hou Guangbi finished his meal and returned to the Hou family’s old house, where he started talking to Su Xinghui again.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Su Xinghui smiled, \"Grandpa Hou, this trip today must have tired you out, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi said, \"No, my spirit is very good today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui said, \"Do you have any thoughts on this trip to Menghuling today?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi said, \"The biggest thought is that the people of Menghuling really respect you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui smiled faintly and didn't speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of Menghuling have nothing to say about their feelings for Su Xinghui. Today, no matter where they went, as long as the villagers saw Su Xinghui, they would call out \"Mayor Su\" from the bottom of their hearts and would affectionately pull him to their homes to let him eat delicious food. This kind of emotion cannot be faked, even for the cadres in their own villages and townships, they wouldn't be like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi sighed, \"I have read history books for so many years and lived in Shangjun County for more than thirty years, and I have never seen an official who can be so respected by the people like you. Even in history books, officials like you are few and far between!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui said, \"Actually, it’s not difficult to do this, as long as you keep the people in your heart. Like the Zhuangyuan Hou back then, wasn't he also deeply loved by the people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancestor of the Hou family, Zhuangyuan Hou Chongguo, was outstanding in learning, proficient in both literature and martial arts, noble in character, honest as an official, and deeply loved by the people. He served as a county magistrate, prefect, Vice Minister of Works, Minister of War, and Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. He once pacified the Japanese pirates and, when he was in charge of border affairs, repelled the Mongol invasion many times. Because of his merits, he was made the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor and was relied upon by the Emperor as a pillar of the state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after he retired and returned to Shangjun County in his old age, he did many good things for the people of Shangjun. To this day, his stories and legends are still circulating in Shangjun County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Legend has it that when Hou Chongguo retired and returned to his hometown, he declined the honor guard and carriages arranged by the Emperor, as well as the gold, silver, and silk bestowed upon him, and returned to Shangjun County with only an old servant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the day he returned to Shangjun County, Hou Chongguo happened to encounter the county magistrate of Shangjun at that time who was corrupt and exploited the people. After a secret investigation, he found out the various illegal practices of the magistrate, took out the plaque with the two characters \"Loyalty\" written by the Emperor, and after a battle of wits and courage, took down the magistrate, cleared the grievances for many victimized people, and returned a clear sky to Shangjun County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this story is not recorded in history books and is mostly a beautiful imagination of the people of Shangjun County. However, it also represents the people’s love for Hou Chongguo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Su Xinghui mention his ancestor, Hou Guangbi’s face was solemn, \"The ancestral teachings of Chongguo Gong, I dare not forget for a day. It’s just a pity that the descendants are unfilial and haven't been able to follow the ancestral teachings. Sigh, sigh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui said, \"As long as you can benefit the hometown and do things beneficial to the country, you are following the ancestral teachings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi looked at Su Xinghui and said, \"Speaking of which, you are more like the ancestor Chongguo Gong. None of our Hou family descendants can compare to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui was shocked, \"Grandpa Hou, you are overpraising me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi shook his head, \"I am not overpraising you at all. In fact, since I bought that painting from Joao, I have been paying attention to you. He later brought back a few more of your paintings from China, and I bought two more, one of which is your 'Man Conquers Nature' painting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"'Man Conquers Nature' painting?\" Su Xinghui said, \"You bought this painting too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi nodded, \"Yes, I bought it. I like this painting very much. When I saw this painting, I seemed to be decades younger. Can you tell me under what background you created this painting?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui said, \"Didn't the Yangtze River have a relatively large flood this summer? I am the mayor of Pengjiawan Town, so naturally, I have to take the lead in flood fighting and emergency rescue. This painting depicts the scene of flood fighting and emergency rescue at that time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi nodded, \"When I was young, I also went to the river embankment for flood prevention and rescue. Seeing your painting brought back my long-lost memories!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi said, \"From your painting, I can see your talent, and from my contact with you these few days, I can see that your character and ability are very outstanding, and you are also dedicated to the country and the people. Shangjun County having an official like you is the blessing of the people of Shangjun, and also the blessing of the investors who invest in Shangjun County!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui said, \"Grandpa Hou, you are overpraising me, which makes me a little embarrassed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi smiled noncommittally and said, \"You say if I invest in Shangjun County, what industry is better to invest in?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui was pleasantly surprised, but there was no change in his face, and he still had a faint smile, which made Hou Guangbi look at him even more highly. *Remaining calm even when Mount Tai collapses before one’s eyes—this is a person who can accomplish great things.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui asked, \"Grandpa Hou, what industries does your Hou family have in France?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi said, \"The Hou family is involved in many industries in France, including ecological agriculture, textile industry, machinery industry, electronic appliances, hotel industry, financial industry, etc.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui pondered, \"Ecological agriculture is actually quite suitable for Shangjun County. However, now the land in the country is contracted to every household, and the state has not yet introduced policies on land transfer. Therefore, it is quite troublesome to invest in this area now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi nodded in understanding. He knew that things at the policy level were quite troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui said, \"The financial industry is also unrealistic now. The country has not fully opened up to foreign banks entering China. The other industries are quite suitable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi said, \"Then which industry do you think has the best prospects?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui said, \"Based on the objective conditions of Shangjun County and the situation in China, I think investing in the household appliance industry is quite suitable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Household appliances?\" Hou Guangbi said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, household appliances.\" Su Xinghui nodded, \"Nowadays, the country’s economic development is very rapid, the people’s economic ability is getting stronger and stronger, and the demand for household appliances is getting bigger and bigger, especially the demand for high-end appliances is getting stronger day by day. Most of the domestic appliance enterprises have relatively backward technology and are still at the assembly stage. If you can invest in an appliance enterprise now to produce relatively high-end appliances, the return should be quite considerable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi nodded thoughtfully. He still trusted Su Xinghui’s judgment. The several enterprises that Su Xinghui promoted investment in Menghuling are all developing very well now. In the process of enterprise development, they have all received Su Xinghui’s suggestions, and Su Xinghui’s suggestions have played a very critical role in their enterprise development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It can be seen that Su Xinghui is very knowledgeable about China’s economic development today. Since he says the appliance industry has good prospects, it must be correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Hou Guangbi couldn't make a decision casually. He would also entrust a professional information consulting company to investigate the domestic related industry prospects and market status, synthesize information from many aspects, and then make a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi said, \"Xinghui, you still have to say what advantages there are in investing in Shangjun County. According to my meaning, I am willing to invest in Shangjun County, but I still have to go back to persuade others in the Hou family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xinghui pondered for a long time, sorted out his thoughts, and then said, \"If we talk about the investment environment, needless to say, Shangjun County cannot compare with Jiangcheng, and it cannot compare with Jingcheng and Shanghai. However, there is one advantage, that is, the Hou family is from Shangjun County, and the Hou family’s roots are in Shangjun County.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Guangbi nodded and smiled, \"Benefiting the hometown is the duty of the Hou family. However, businessmen also need returns when investing. If Shangjun County has no other advantages, if the Hou family wants to benefit the hometown, the Hou family can donate to Shangjun County, build bridges and pave roads, and donate to help education, all of which are fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1586,"2026-06-16T17:50:43.208Z","2026-06-16T17:54:34.477Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","8e3f35371a22f2dbaebb73cfaeee155876804211cb9828155f5f4a234fd79713","the-romantic-path-to-success-chapter-523","the-romantic-path-to-success-chapter-521",572,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-romantic-path-to-success-cover.jpg"]