Chapter 1893

Chapter 1893: Chapter 1893

Toward evening, the two of them got dressed and went to the restaurant.

The tall and well-built Song Guanchao stood beside Wu Qiangwei, looking nothing like her subordinate.

A talented man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match, looking more like a couple.

Jiang Zhengdong was waiting outside the restaurant. Seeing them from afar, he couldn’t help feeling a bit suspicious.

The officialdom is also a vanity fair, even more complicated and scheming than the business world.

One careless step and you end up in jail.

Integrity or morality—these are extremely rare things in official circles.

Wu Qiangwei was so beautiful, and Song Guanchao was also a promising young man; whether in appearance or in temperament, the two of them were exceptionally well matched.

If they had some special relationship in private, it wouldn’t be strange at all.

"Mayor Wu." Jiang Zhengdong stepped up with a smile and led them inside. "Chairman Jiao from Zhengxun Electronics has already arrived."

Song Guanchao asked, "What kind of person is Chairman Jiao?"

"He’s got quite a good temper." Jiang Zhengdong thought for a moment, then added, "Easier to talk to than Chairman Han."

Song Guanchao smiled. As long as he was easy to talk to, that was fine.

Among the cities dealing with these foreign companies, the conditions they could offer were actually all more or less the same.

Which city they ultimately chose depended on that city’s political environment.

Soon, they arrived at the private room.

When the door was pushed open, two men were sitting on the sofa inside.

One was in his forties, medium build, wearing glasses.

The other was in his twenties; judging by his look, he should be Chairman Jiao’s assistant.

Seeing the three of them, Chairman Jiao also stood up, smiling as he came over. After Jiang Zhengdong’s introductions, he shook hands with each of them.

Unlike Han Zhenhua’s bluntness, before the dishes were served he chatted about all sorts of trivial topics, pointedly avoiding getting down to business.

Since he wasn’t in a hurry, Wu Qiangwei naturally wasn’t in a hurry either.

Once the waiter had brought in the dishes and they moved from the lounge area to the table, and after two glasses of wine, Wu Qiangwei finally took the initiative: "Chairman Jiao, what requirements does Zhengxun Electronics have?"

Chairman Jiao swirled his wine and countered, "What kind of support can Jiangzhou City give us?"

Wu Qiangwei paused briefly, realizing that Chairman Jiao had probably already met with several governments.

It was likely already the selection stage.

If the conditions she offered weren’t as good as the others, tonight’s dinner could very well be the last time they met.

She and Song Guanchao had discussed this dinner in advance and listed out the corresponding preferential policies for investment attraction.

But she wasn’t sure whether the conditions she offered would be enough to move him.

"Director Song." She looked toward Song Guanchao.

Song Guanchao opened his briefcase and handed over a document. "Chairman Jiao, please take a look."

Chairman Jiao opened the document, read for a few minutes, then set it down and smiled. "We’ll go back and discuss it, and give Mayor Wu an answer in a couple of days."

Compared to Han Zhenhua’s straightforwardness, Chairman Jiao was far more tactful, making it impossible to tell what he was really thinking.

It felt a bit like he was deliberately playing with people’s mindset.

Wu Qiangwei smiled and nodded, and didn’t push the discussion any further.

The dinner went quite smoothly.

After the meal, once Song Guanchao and Jiang Zhengdong had confirmed the meeting time with the last foreign company for tomorrow, he went back to the hotel with Wu Qiangwei.

After a lovers’ bath, the two leaned against the headboard. Wu Qiangwei said, "I don’t think Chairman Jiao was very satisfied with the conditions we offered."

Song Guanchao said, "Everyone’s conditions are almost the same. I actually don’t think that’s the key. The political ecosystem, the city’s rank, and its geographic location are the real factors that will influence their final decision."

He had noticed that in these negotiations with the foreign companies, Wu Qiangwei was taking things a bit too seriously.

So seriously that she seemed somewhat anxious about gains and losses, losing the usual calm she had.

He felt that a major reason Wu Qiangwei was like this was that Secretary Gao was about to leave Nanjiang Province.

That was why she was so eager to boost Jiangzhou’s economy, and to take over from Zhou Zheng as City Secretary before Secretary Gao left.

"We’ll definitely secure these foreign companies." Song Guanchao squeezed her shoulder, his voice gentle yet full of certainty.

Wu Qiangwei answered softly. Just as he had guessed, she really did want to become City Secretary as soon as possible.

That way, she wouldn’t have to go along with her family’s arrangements and enter into a marriage alliance with a man she had no emotional foundation with.

"Stop overthinking and get some rest." Song Guanchao stroked her hair as he spoke.

Suddenly, Wu Qiangwei lifted her head, sat up from the bed, swung her long legs over him and straddled his waist, her eyes shy yet resolute. "I want more."

Song Guanchao was stunned, then broke into a smile. One hand closed around her soft waist, the other pinched her chin, pulling her face closer to his.

...

The next day, three in the afternoon.

They walked out of the restaurant.

The last foreign company had also been dealt with.

Among the three foreign company representatives, some were polite, some impolite.

But in Song Guanchao’s view, they were actually all the same.

As long as they were willing to settle in Jiangzhou, no matter how bad their attitude was, he could still greet them with a smile.

If they weren’t willing to come to Jiangzhou, then no amount of courtesy was of any use.

Song Guanchao was a pragmatist and didn’t care for empty gestures.

"Text me when you get home."

Standing outside the airport, Song Guanchao said goodbye to her.

Jiang Zhengdong was waiting not far away.

"You’re not going back?" Wu Qiangwei asked. "You still have things to do?"

As she spoke, her eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to see right through him. "You’ve got someone here in Jinling too?"

Song Guanchao said speechlessly, "What are you thinking? I’m staying to lock down these foreign companies."

Wu Qiangwei remembered he’d said he was going to sabotage the other cities that were negotiating with the foreign companies.

A worried look appeared on her face. She wanted to tell him not to do that—if someone discovered he was meddling behind the scenes, they definitely wouldn’t let him off easily.

It was as if Song Guanchao could read minds; he cut her off in advance. "Relax, I’m a professional at this kind of thing."

Wu Qiangwei shot him a glare, annoyed. "You make it sound like you do this all the time."

Song Guanchao thought to himself, Before I became a leader, I really did do this all the time.

But that was something he absolutely couldn’t say to her.

"Get going, or you might miss your flight. If all goes well on my end, I’ll be back in a week. For now, let Old Zhou handle the City Government’s work."

"Okay." Wu Qiangwei rose on tiptoe, wanting to give him a hug, then suddenly remembered that Jiang Zhengdong was still there.

"Don’t fool around. If you really can’t make it happen, don’t push it." She was worried that to achieve his goal, Song Guanchao might resort to any means necessary.

"Relax, I know my limits." Song Guanchao reached out and lifted a strand of hair from her forehead.

The gesture startled Wu Qiangwei. She hurriedly glanced toward Jiang Zhengdong; seeing that he wasn’t looking in their direction, she finally exhaled and glared fiercely at Song Guanchao. "Don’t mess around in public."

"I’ll be more careful next time." Song Guanchao grinned cheekily. Wu Qiangwei shot him a reproachful look, then pulled her suitcase toward the terminal.

From an angle where Song Guanchao couldn’t see, her face was full of smiles, and even her steps were much lighter.

Song Guanchao didn’t care at all whether Jiang Zhengdong might pick up on their relationship from these little gestures.

That showed that Song Guanchao had never planned to hide his relationship with her in front of outsiders.

Which further proved that he was already prepared to be with her.

Only after Wu Qiangwei’s figure disappeared completely from view did Song Guanchao turn and walk over. "Mr. Jiang, let’s go."