Seats at the Huitong Hotel were in high demand, and there were no private rooms available when the staff made arrangements. Chen Xinyu stopped her entourage from buying a private room, saying, "Let's just go to the lobby. We don't want to look like we're sneaking around." Actually, it would be better to be in the lobby, so that anyone looking for us would be easily seen.
Guo Gang would take some time to arrive, so Zhao Qiang, Chen Xinyu, and Tang Na sat down in the hall to wait. The two women flanked Zhao Qiang on either side. Tang Na was unaware of the true relationship between Zhao Qiang and Chen Xinyu, but Chen Xinyu could tell that Tang Na was interested in Zhao Qiang, and she would occasionally give Zhao Qiang ambiguous smiles with her eyes.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" someone exclaimed softly behind Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang turned around and saw Liu Zhi. The swelling on his face hadn't subsided yet, and he was having dinner with a heavily made-up girl, seemingly quite engrossed in the meal, completely ignoring the fact that Qiushi Trading was about to go bankrupt. Zhao Qiang said, "What a small world."
Liu Zhi snorted, "You'll soon know what 'death' means. Don't think that having that bitch Deng Xiaofu in your hands is enough. It's useless." Liu Zhi had heard from his father that the case had alarmed the special police. He thought that Zhao Qiang's capture would be a quick thing, but how could he know that things would take a turn for the worse? Not only were the special police useless, but even the deputy director of the branch office didn't get any benefits.
Zhao Qiang snorted in response, indicating that there was no need to take Liu Zhi seriously at this moment. If he really wanted to kill him, he wouldn't need a second punch, but that would be useless and wouldn't truly help Guo Yang, so Zhao Qiang was too lazy to reply.
Liu Zhi was in a bad mood because of Zhao Qiang's appearance, so he left with his girlfriend. Before he even left the restaurant, he started calling his father: "Dad, I saw Zhao Qiang at the Huitong Hotel restaurant... Yes, he's perfectly fine, not a single hair is missing. What happened? Didn't you say you had it all sorted out?"
Liu Mingzhen was furious. How come the Jiangquan City Public Security Bureau couldn't do anything about Zhao Qiang's huge commotion? This was clearly a case of inaction. When they were giving him benefits, everyone was all smiles, but now that they were asked to help him get rid of someone, all talk and no action. Were they deliberately trying to appease him?
Liu Mingzhen decided to try to find connections in the provincial government. If he didn't deal with Zhao Qiang soon, that bitch Deng Xiaofu could definitely send him and all the leaders of Jiangquan City to jail. Right now, he didn't dare to openly tell the leaders of Jiangquan City that Deng Xiaofu had taken the evidence of bribery. But if this matter couldn't be covered up again, or even if Zhao Qiang took Deng Xiaofu to the Discipline Inspection Commission, there would be no way to handle it. Liu Mingzhen could imagine how furious the higher-ups would be then.
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao got out of the car and exchanged a glance. Assaulting a police officer was a serious crime, but the suspect was safe and sound under Chen Xinyu's protection. Chen Xinyu was definitely a big shot, and Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao dared not offend her. However, they couldn't rest easy until they got to the bottom of the matter. There was a reason why they had assaulted a police officer; they wouldn't even know how they lost their jobs. So, they didn't call Wang Dong and went straight to the Huitong Hotel after receiving the news. They didn't have any direct conflict with Zhao Qiang, so it might be more convenient for him to question him.
"Where is he?" Secretary Gao asked the manager of Huitong Hotel with a pale face.
The manager answered cautiously, "In the lobby." There were two pretty girls sitting there so obviously, and a group of ostentatious followers behind them. Anyone in the hotel who couldn't tell was blind. Although the hotel manager was well-known in Jiangquan City, he didn't dare to breathe too loudly in front of the municipal party secretary.
"Why wasn't a private room provided for Miss Chen?" Mayor Chao asked, his face also turning pale.
The manager said, "The private rooms were full. We didn't know their identities at first, and they didn't ask to go to a private room later."
Secretary Gao said, "Please invite them into the private room immediately."
The manager dared not disobey. He made his living under Secretary Gao's jurisdiction, and a single word from Secretary Gao could ruin his business. Therefore, he dared not disobey Secretary Gao's orders. He immediately organized people to clear out a private room and then personally went to invite Chen Xinyu and the other two.
Not long after Liu Zhi left, before all the dishes had been served, a man in a suit approached Chen Xinyu with great humility, bowing slightly as he said, "Miss Chen, I didn't expect you to grace my hotel with your presence. I have prepared a private room for the three of you. Please follow me."
Chen Xinyu glanced at the manager: "Are we that close?"
The hotel manager said, "Of course not, but how could we not know Miss Chen's name? Sky Media has many media outlets under its umbrella and is a pioneer in news media, always engaged in anti-corruption work..."
Chen Xinyu interrupted the hotel manager: "That's a matter for the Anti-Corruption Bureau, not me."
The hotel manager smiled obsequiously, "Ms. Chen, please come with me. Please do me the honor. The lobby is too crowded for people of your status."
Chen Xinyu glanced at Zhao Qiang and said, "Since you are so sincere, let's go." Chen Xinyu had actually seen Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao, and knew that if they didn't go in, they wouldn't be able to talk to these two officials. They wouldn't stoop to talk to Chen Xinyu and her two companions in public.
Once inside the private room, a variety of dishes were served in quick succession. Chen Xinyu giggled, "Boss, we didn't order any of these dishes. If you insist on serving them to us, then we'll just have to dine and dash."
The hotel manager chuckled, "Miss Chen, you're joking. This is a complimentary meal and drinks set out for you. I hope you won't find it offensive. Your presence at our humble establishment is an honor for us. How could we possibly accept your money?"
Chen Xinyu said, "Seeing how hospitable you are, I feel like I should come here for meals more often."
The hotel manager's expression changed, but he casually smiled and said, "Welcome, welcome! Miss Chen is a darling of the fashion world. As long as you choose our hotel, how can it not be a hit?" Although the hotel manager felt a pang of regret, he quickly realized that this was the best form of advertising.
At this moment, Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao entered the private room, and the hotel manager immediately introduced them to Chen Xinyu, "Ms. Chen, this is Secretary Gao of the Jiangquan Municipal Party Committee, and this is Mayor Chao of the Municipal Government."
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao stepped forward and gently shook hands with Chen Xinyu. "Miss Chen is indeed a young and promising woman. It is an honor for our Jiangquan City today. We did not know you would come. We are so sorry for not welcoming you properly."
Chen Xinyu said calmly, "We are all smart people, Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao. Just say what you need to say directly. I don't like beating around the bush."
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao sat down without being invited. Secretary Gao said, "Miss Chen, I don't know if there is a misunderstanding between us. Our Jiangquan City is 100% enthusiastic towards Miss Chen."
Mayor Chao glanced at Zhao Qiang and said, "Miss Chen, is there something you need to do here? Just tell me. In Jiangquan City, Secretary Gao and I have some influence, and we'll definitely help you handle it perfectly."
Chen Xinyu replied straightforwardly, "No, I just came here to have fun. Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao are very kind."
Seeing that Chen Xinyu was unwilling to speak first, Secretary Gao had no choice but to swallow his pride and point at Zhao Qiang, asking, "And this gentleman is...?"
Chen Xinyu said, "Oh, him? He's a friend of a friend, his name is Zhao Qiang."
Donna chuckled inwardly upon hearing this, thinking, "What friend of a friend? That look in his eyes is just off."
Secretary Gao extended his hand to Zhao Qiang, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Zhao."
Zhao Qiang could only shake hands with Secretary Gao and say, "Nice to meet you."
Mayor Chao said, "By the way, Mr. Zhao, do you have some kind of grudge against the local police?" This was getting down to business, before they had even started eating.
Zhao Qiang looked puzzled and said, "Really? I didn't know that."
Chen Xinyu said, "Mayor Chao, is it because my people are being unreasonable and have injured the police officers at the hospital? I apologize to you."
Mayor Chao hurriedly said, "Ms. Chen, there's no need to apologize. That's not what I was talking about. As far as I know, the Public Security Bureau has a record of Mr. Zhao assaulting a police officer. As mayor, it's my responsibility to get to the bottom of this and clear Mr. Zhao's name."
Zhao Qiang asked, "Mayor Chao, may I report Liu Mingzhen of Qiushi Trading Company for bribery?"
"Liu Mingzhen?" Mayor Chao's expression was somewhat unnatural.
Chen Xinyu said, "What? Mayor Chao and he are very familiar with each other. They don't often eat and drink together, do they?"
Mayor Chao's expression hardened. "How could that be? I've only met him a few times."
Secretary Gao asked, "Why did Mr. Zhao report Liu Mingzhen? As far as we know, he is a representative of the People's Congress, an outstanding entrepreneur in the city, and has always been a person of high moral character."
Zhao Qiang said, "Really? Then pretend I didn't say anything."
Secretary Gao's phone rang, interrupting his continued questioning. He gestured apologetically and went outside the private room to answer the call. Soon after, he peeked out and waved to Mayor Chao, and the two went into the corridor. Mayor Chao said, "So it's that kid who wanted to report Liu Mingzhen. No wonder Wang Dong and the local police station were so hung up on him. How could they let him report us? What do we do now?"
Secretary Gao said, "Listen to me first. Secretary Gao from the Provincial Party Committee just gave me some instructions..."
Mayor Chao said, "What? You want us to take extra care of Chen Xinyu?"
Secretary Gao said, "No, it's about protecting Liu Mingzhen."
Volume 2 [724] Neither side will yield
Mayor Chao frowned even more deeply than when he heard the news about taking care of Chen Xinyu. "What is this all about? Protecting Liu Mingzhen? At most, we will not interfere in this matter. What if something goes wrong while protecting him? Secretary Gao, you and I are the most attention-grabbing public figures in Jiangquan City. Once someone leaks this matter online, or Chen Xinyu finds something to use to investigate and report, you can imagine what will happen to us."
Secretary Gao pondered, weighing the pros and cons. Chen Mingzhen was not much of a figure to him, although he had received many benefits from him. The key was that the guy had connections in the province. Now the secretary of the provincial party secretary was personally making a call, which meant the attitude of the provincial party secretary. If he did not express his opinion, it would be difficult to satisfy the provincial party secretary.
Mayor Chao could easily guess the reason for Secretary Gao's hesitation. He continued, "Didn't Chen Xinyu say that she and Zhao Qiang are just friends of friends? I think we should give Chen Xinyu a little something while dealing with Zhao Qiang. If necessary, we can go easy on her to save face. What do you think? Don't push things too far, or I'll abstain from the matter."
Giving gifts to Chen Xinyu is easy; the city has a special slush fund for this, and it can be approved at the Standing Committee meeting. However, figuring out how to protect Liu Mingzhen without making Chen Xinyu angry because of Zhao Qiang's matter requires careful consideration.
Inside the private room, Guo Yang and Guo Gang had already arrived. Guo Yang and Chen Xinyu weren't familiar with each other; this was their first formal meeting. Guo Gang was curious why Zhao Qiang knew her, since no one outside knew about Su Xiaosu and Chen Xinyu's relationship. When Guo Yang learned that Chen Xinyu had come for Tang Na, he was relieved. His cousin did have some influence; with Chen Xinyu's help, the leaders of Jiangquan City wouldn't dare ignore this matter.
Chen Xinyu and Zhao Qiang exchanged a glance. Both of them were wearing X-ray glasses. Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao had gone outside to make a phone call, thinking that their voices wouldn't be heard, but their lip movements were clearly visible. Even if they wanted to eavesdrop on Zhao Qiang and Chen Xinyu, there were plenty of ways. But just by reading their lip movements, the two of them could guess what they were talking about. They never expected that Liu Mingzhen actually had connections in the province, nor did they expect that Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao would plan to give Zhao Qiang a beating in order to please their superiors.
Chen Xinyu whispered to Zhao Qiang, "After all, I lack direct connections with the local government, and among us, besides your senior brother, there's no one else who works in this field. However, your senior brother is only at the same level as them, so his abilities won't have much influence. I think the only option is to let Shiqi handle it. People in the military are easier to talk to. If Shiqi can't handle it, then we can report to Sister Xiaoya. But if we can keep it from her, we shouldn't let her know. You know she's too busy. Besides, if she finds out, it's the same as the country finding out. I understand you don't want that."
Zhao Qiang snorted coldly: "It seems I really have no face left. Everyone treats me like a piece of bread to be squeezed."
Chen Xinyu said, "Don't be angry. If you lose your temper, things will get worse. You don't want the people of Jiangquan City to be disturbed because of your actions, do you? Actually, with your current position, the State Council can order this matter to be handled as soon as you say the word. But I know your personality. You would never go to those old men to talk to them."
Zhao Qiang said, "You know me very well."
Chen Xinyu said, "How could I not know? Otherwise you'll be unhappy and won't like me anymore. Actually, I can also take down those people in Jiangquan City, but my method takes time, and we can't wait that long."
Zhao Qiang ignored it. All he would do was hit her. This matter was somewhat inappropriate. It was good that Chen Xinyu was there. Zhao Qiang trusted her to handle things. Otherwise, he wouldn't have entrusted Sky Media to her management. After all, it was the forefront of public opinion.
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao re-entered the private room. Their expressions had changed somewhat compared to before. When they saw Guo Gang and Guo Yang, they looked at Chen Xinyu with questioning eyes. Chen Xinyu replied, "These are my friends."
Secretary Gao said, "Isn't that inconvenient? How about we set up a separate table for them?"
Chen Xinyu said, "How could it be inconvenient? They have a grievance they want to report to the two officials."
Secretary Gao said, "Oh, what kind of injustice? You can go through the normal procedures."
Chen Xinyu's face turned cold: "Secretary Gao, you're not giving me face." Chen Xinyu hadn't expected the leaders of Jiangquan City to be so arrogant, and she couldn't control herself.
Secretary Gao was in a hurry to resolve the issues of Zhao Qiang assaulting the police and Liu Mingzhen, so he didn't take the matter of petitioning higher authorities to heart. He even disliked people like that who made filing complaints a daily occurrence. He thought it best to lock them all up.
When Mayor Chao saw Chen Xinyu turn hostile, he knew all too well how powerful she was, having nearly wiped out the entire group of police officers in the hospital. Although she might not dare to lay a hand on Secretary Gao and him, he had to be on guard.
Mayor Chao hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, Miss Chen has misunderstood Secretary Gao's meaning. Right now, we have more important matters to resolve than these two. The province already knows about Mr. Zhao's crime of assaulting a police officer. We have no choice but to give an explanation to the people of Jiangquan City and the province."
Chen Xinyu hadn't expected Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao to be so ruthless, pursuing the assault on a police officer despite her presence and ignoring the underlying reasons. With a heavy heart, Chen Xinyu said, "I originally intended to save you two, but you've brought this upon yourselves. Fine, you decide what to do. But I'm warning you, from this moment on, your fate is sealed. Don't complain about being wronged; your future is entirely your own doing."
Chen Xinyu does indeed hold a superior position, but that's only in the media. Now that things have come to this, Secretary Gao thought to himself, as long as I am more careful in my actions in the future, what can a media boss do to me? Which Chinese government official isn't more corrupt than me? If you can report it, then go ahead and bring down the entire national institution. The country will absolutely not allow you to do that.
One step at a time, neither side giving way, and the situation didn't develop in the direction we had imagined. We're all impulsive people, after all.
Secretary Gao snorted coldly: "Miss Chen, you look down on us too much. We are handling this impartially. Assaulting a police officer is a serious crime. As an educated person, you must know this. If we don't investigate such a crime, do you still care about the people? Do you still want to see the country achieve long-term stability? You are going against the country's policies and pushing back the wheels of history."
Guo Yang realized things were going badly. How could things have suddenly taken such a turn for the worse? Originally, with Chen Xinyu's connections, the matter should have been resolved quickly, but unexpectedly, Liu Mingzhen used his connections in the province to put pressure on Jiangquan City, and now the situation had suddenly become tense.
Chen Xinyu said, "Go ahead, you two can do whatever you want, but be careful you don't lose your heads."
Secretary Gao retorted sharply, "Miss Chen, is this considered a threat?"
Chen Xinyu said, "You're not qualified yet."
Mayor Chao continued to smooth things over, "Gentlemen, gentlemen, please don't be like this. Didn't I just ask about your relationship with Zhao Qiang? I don't think you deserve to do this for him. He's just a friend of a friend. Think about it, he assaulted a police officer."
Chen Xinyu said, "I attacked you at the hospital just now, what can you do about it? Are you going to deal with me too?"
Mayor Chao looked embarrassed. He knew that Chen Xinyu's entourage included highly skilled individuals. Even if he mobilized all the police forces in Jiangquan City, let alone a few special police officers, it was questionable whether they could subdue Chen Xinyu's followers. Moreover, someone of Chen Xinyu's caliber was simply beyond the capabilities of Jiangquan City to handle.
Mayor Chao said, "Of course not, and we wouldn't dare. Miss Chen's matter was a misunderstanding."
Secretary Gao continued to play the bad cop, saying, "The province has given special instructions that the case of assaulting a police officer must be dealt with severely. However, we will also consider your feelings, Miss Chen. How about this, take the person away first, and we will investigate this matter carefully and give Miss Chen an explanation."
This can be considered a compromise. Secretary Gao believes that he has already given Chen Xinyu enough face and hopes that she will not ruin the situation for the sake of a friend of a friend. Jiangquan City is also a large city, and their leadership positions here are not low. It is absolutely unacceptable for them to lose face, otherwise how will they manage the millions of people in Jiangquan City in the future?
Chen Xinyu said, "It seems you two are determined. Fine, do whatever you want. I was going to save you, but you're just throwing yourselves into this mess. Welcome." Chen Xinyu felt that her good intentions had been taken for granted by these two. Since they wanted to jump into the fire, she wouldn't stop them. Zhao Qiang's fists were already clenched, and it wouldn't be right to make him suppress them any longer.
However, Chen Xinyu still felt that she should report the matter to Xu Xiaoya, otherwise the top official in charge of internal affairs would blame her to death if she found out. Chen Xinyu immediately took out her phone to make a call. Although Xu Xiaoya had a lot of official business, not just anyone could call her number. Apart from a few big shots and ministers in the central government, only her family members were qualified.
"Xinyu, why did you suddenly decide to call me? Weren't you in Hong Kong these past few days?" Xu Xiaoya was reviewing documents, holding her phone to her shoulder as she flipped through them. She was in a good mood these past two days because Zhao Qiang had returned from that dangerous place in the United States, and the country had made concessions to him, so she wouldn't have to worry about these things anymore.
“I’m in Jiangquan City. A friend of mine came back from the United States, so I came to visit.”
Xu Xiaoya said, "Oh, please treat them well. Should I say hello to the people over there?"
Chen Xinyu neither confirmed nor denied it, but instead said, "Zhao Qiang is also here."
Xu Xiaoya was taken aback: "Him? Isn't he in Ningzhou? Isn't Xiao Su with him?"
Chen Xinyu said, "He assaulted a police officer. There are two guys here, surnamed Gao and Chao, who won't let it go and are already planning to invite them for tea."
Chen Xinyu didn't explain the reason, knowing there was no need to, and Xu Xiaoya wouldn't listen anyway; she just needed to give the result.
Xu Xiaoya snorted, "Jiangquan City has some nerve! You hold Zhao Qiang down and prevent him from getting violent. I'll have someone handle this immediately." Xu Xiaoya didn't ask why; her trust in Zhao Qiang was unquestionable. Even if Zhao Qiang had assaulted a police officer without cause, she would unconditionally support him.
Mayor Chao and his colleague stopped what they were doing when they heard Chen Xinyu making a phone call. They were particularly nervous when they heard the words "Zhao Qiang" and "assaulting a police officer" mentioned in her voice. Mayor Chao asked Chen Xinyu, "Who...who are you calling?"
Chen Xinyu said casually, "Zhao Qiang's friend, I've said before that he's a friend of my friend."