Wen Liang didn't want to meet Lei De, who replaced Lei Fang, in Shahe, so he made an appointment with Ning Xi to meet at a four-star hotel in Dongming City. After a warm conversation, they talked about the dispute over the dock in Jiangdong. Ning Xi had always believed in Wen Liang's vision and perspective. After a brief consideration, she agreed to establish a joint venture with Lingyang to develop the port. Those who do not plan for the present are not qualified to plan for the future. Although Hengsha Mining has just started, it will inevitably make great plans in import and export trade in the near future. If it can take the lead in acquiring shares in Lingyang Port, one of the largest ports in the Republic, the cost savings alone will be enough to build ten such docks.
After staying in Dongming for one night, Wen Liang received a call from Xu Yao the next morning as soon as he woke up. Then he remembered that he had promised them a few days ago to go to Century Park together on the weekend, but he was busy dealing with the matters at the crude oil terminal and completely forgot about it.
"I'm out of town now, and I may not be able to get back..."
Wen Liang was ready to be yelled at by Xu Yao, but unexpectedly, there was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. Xu Yao chuckled and said, "Got it. Take care of yourself when you're out there!"
After hanging up the phone, Wen Liang sat there blankly for a while. He didn't know when he started to spend less and less time on campus. He seemed to be busy every day. He was in Beijing in the morning and stayed in Dongming at night. He couldn't stop at all. In the past, he would never forget the agreement with Xu Yao. He never failed to fulfill his promises, but what about now
He turned his head and looked at the scenery outside the window, a hint of boredom flashing across his eyes.
Ning Xi came out of the bathroom, wiped her wet hair with a towel, and said, "What do you want to eat? I'll ask Zhuo Min to bring it over."
Wen Liang stood up and said with a smile, "Don't bother, just go to the restaurant and have a buffet. We have to rush back to Qingzhou today. Be careful here too, and make sure you have someone with you when you go out. Although no one dares to cause trouble in Shahe now, it's better to keep a low profile. There must not be a second incident like Lei Fang's."
Ning Xi felt his gentle concern and leaned into his arms, her hands tightly around his waist, her pretty face pressed against his strong shoulders, and whispered, "You should be careful too. Jiangdong may seem calm, but there are undercurrents underneath. Wu Wenyue and Yin Qingquan are testing each other, and the situation is more complicated than ever. If you want to take advantage of the situation, be careful not to get burned..."
After Wen Liang finished washing up, he called Chang Cheng again, and the two of them went downstairs together to the cafeteria on the second floor. Chang Cheng and Zhuo Min were already waiting there, so they didn't bother them. They found a seat and sat down, only two or three meters away from Wen Liang and Ning Xi, just in case.
The two were having breakfast when suddenly a middle-aged man with an extraordinary demeanor came over. He didn't even look at Wen Liang, but stared straight at Ning Xi's face and said with a smile: "Miss, I'm Mu Shouyi. Do you have the honor of meeting me?"
Ning Xi lowered her head while eating breakfast, not even raising her head, as if the spring rolls on the plate were much more interesting than the man beside her. Wen Liang, on the other hand, looked at this man with great interest. A guy who could strike up a conversation by simply saying his name must be extremely confident in himself, so confident that as soon as he said his name, others would know who he was, or even act flattered.
But he just looked at it for a moment and then looked away, continuing to focus on the milk in the cup.
Mu Shouyi obviously rarely encountered such a situation. The corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily, but he still managed to maintain his composure and said, "Why, you won't give me this face?"
Ning Xi still ignored him, her pretty eyebrows slightly frowned, she probably didn't have much patience. Wen Liang didn't want to cause trouble for no reason, so he said, "Comrade, what's your name? If you want to have breakfast, there's a seat over there. If you're full, turn left behind the door. Please don't stand here and disturb others. Thank you!"
Mu Shouyi's face darkened and he said, "How can you talk like that? Do you know who I am?"
Wen Liang really didn't know, so he shook his head honestly and said with a smile: "This is my first time in Dongming..."
Mu Shouyi snorted, looking as if he expected it. His aura of authority without even getting angry was quite intimidating. The only regret was that there was no one around him who was tactful enough to quickly introduce themselves, which was a pity.
"Mu Shouyi, former director of the Huanghuai Heavy Machinery Factory. A dozen state-owned enterprises including the Heavy Machinery Factory and the Mining Equipment Factory were merged and reorganized to form the Huanghuai Heavy Industry Group. He served as the chairman and party secretary of the group. He is a representative of the 7th and 8th National People's Congress. He has deep roots in Huanghuai Province and a wide network of contacts."
The one who spoke was Zhuo Min. She came over when she saw what was happening here, and took up Wen Liang's words right away, telling him Mu Shouyi's background in detail.
Just like when she first met Chang Cheng, she could tell him everything about his past without any mistakes. To be chosen by the Ning family to be by Ning Xi's side, she certainly couldn't be just a bodyguard.
Mu Shouyi thought Zhuo Min was an unrelated passerby who recognized him and came to show his support and make friends. He smiled and nodded to express his gratitude, then stared at Ning Xi greedily and said in a reserved manner, "It's okay. It's all because of my friends who gave me face. I still have some influence in Huanghuai. This lady is not a local, is she here for business or tourism?"
Ning Xi finally reacted and asked, "Huanghuai Heavy Industry? A state-owned enterprise?"
Mu Shouyi was overjoyed. Just as he was about to implicitly emphasize the status of the Heavy Industry Group in Huanghuai Province, Zhuo Min said, "It is a state-owned enterprise. The total assets of Huanghuai Heavy Industry after the reorganization exceed 5 billion, ranking among the top ten in the country. It is quite strong."
Mu Shouyi felt so refreshed, and he made up his mind that no matter what Zhuo Min asked him to do, as long as it was not too out of line, he would agree to her request. Then he waited contentedly to appreciate Ning Xi's transformation from rude at first to respectful later, because he had seen too many women like this before, who would pretend to be pretentious at first, but once they knew her identity, they would be too slow to pounce on her.
But today, Mr. Mu was destined to be disappointed. Ning Xi not only did not respond with a smile, but she lowered her head to deal with the food on the plate. Zhuo Min understood Ning Xi's intention, stretched out his hand and said coldly: "Mr. Mu, please come this way. My boss is having a meal and does not want to be disturbed."
This was an order to expel the guest. Mu Shouyi realized that Zhuo Min was actually the other party's person. It was ridiculous that he thought she was here to show his support. His face turned pale and he became angry and said, "Don't be ungrateful!"
Ning Xi smiled and said to Wen Liang, "The tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop. I don't mean to cause any trouble."
Wen Liang sighed, Ning Xi took out her phone and dialed a number, saying, "Director Zhou, how does your State-owned Assets Management Bureau of the Finance Department select cadres? I've heard from many people that Mu Shouyi of Huanghuai Heavy Industry has serious economic problems. Do you think you should conduct a self-examination and self-correction first, or should I go to report to Secretary Jing Ning... Okay, I'll wait for your decision."
Mu Shouyi's body trembled, his mouth slightly opened, and he looked at Ning Xi in disbelief. Huanghuai Heavy Industry Group belongs to the State-owned Assets Management Bureau, which is a subordinate agency of the Provincial Finance Department. The director is surnamed Zhou. As for Secretary Jingning, if I heard correctly, he refers to Wang Jingning, a senior official of the Huanghuai Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission.
"Let's go. I don't have much appetite."
Mu Shouyi stared blankly at the backs of the people leaving, his eyes flickering, not knowing whether the call was real or fake. When he was hesitating, his cell phone rang. He picked up the phone as soon as he saw the number and said, "Director Zhou, hello, hello, yes, I'm in Dongming now... Mr. Ning from Hengsha? I haven't seen him yet... What? I, I know, I know..."
When they reached the parking lot, they heard shouts coming from behind. Mu Shouyi ran over, sweating profusely, and kept apologizing: "Boss Ning, I was blind and didn't recognize you. I'm sorry for offending you just now. Please don't take it personally."
Ning Xi was too lazy to look at him, she bent down and got into the Lexus. Wen Liang lagged behind, nodded to Zhuo Min, and got in as well. Chang Cheng drove away from the hotel.
"Boss Mu, is there anything else?"
Wen Liang asked Zhuo Min to stay and clean up the mess, naturally because he didn't want any complications. Although Hengsha had already established a firm foothold, it had offended many people, and there was also Lei De who was eyeing them covetously from within. It was better to have less trouble.
Mu Shouyi had completely lost his previous arrogance at this moment. He was as well-behaved as a domesticated pastoral dog, and there was not much embarrassment on his face. After all, to be able to get to this point, the key was to be able to bend and stretch.
"Ah, that's right. I came to Dongming this time just to discuss business with Mr. Ning..." (To be continued)