Chapter 2397

Liu Zhizhong made such demands, and as his direct subordinate, Wu Ming certainly couldn't refuse.

The leader has money and does as he pleases, so the subordinates just go along with it.

Wu Ming is also very competent, leaving the town government courtyard around eleven at night, driving his car to the back door of Jun's Restaurant.

Generally, the town's officials don't use the main entrance of Jun's Restaurant.

The main entrance is a bit close to the street—just a wide alley away—and the officials don't want to hear the public gossip.

These days, the culture of indulgence in feasting is widely criticized by the public, so they avoid it when they can. Even in a place like Linxi, where there's no real oversight, and the public's complaints are negligible, officials still prefer to avoid extra trouble.

Arriving at Jun's Restaurant, Wu Ming glanced at the parked cars in the courtyard and immediately knew there were no leaders inside. Yang Ze Ping and several core leaders probably finished their meal on public funds and went to the club on the other side of town to sing. If not singing, they might be getting a foot massage, and if not that, perhaps playing mahjong together.

Oh my!

In such a godforsaken place as Linxi, is there actually a club for singing? Are there foot massage parlors?

Why not?

After all, it's a remote large town with a permanent population of thirty thousand!

The deputy town mayor, Luo Maosheng's sister, runs a club that offers singing, foot massages, and mahjong, called Lanyue Clubhouse. Luo Maosheng's sister is named Luo Lanyue, haha...

Of course, the leaders, spending at Luo Lanyue's place, are reimbursed from public funds. If they don't spend, they lose it!

Linxi Town's annual fiscal allocations, including office expenses, are not insignificant. But each year, they must be slightly overspent. Otherwise, if unspent this year, the allocation for the next year could be reduced.

To put it simply, if the higher-ups allocate one million for office expenses for your town one year, you can overspend, but you can't save thirty or fifty thousand. If you only spend nine hundred thousand, saving a hundred thousand, then you might be allocated just over nine hundred thousand next year, never the full million again, haha...

If you're only allocated nine hundred thousand, but spend a full million, that's acceptable. Because the government doesn't default on debts, once approved by higher-ups, they'll give you the full million next year. So, you can only overspend, never save.

Wu Ming parked the car and entered Jun's Restaurant, pondering whether to mention to Mayor Liu that after hosting the dinner, a trip to Lanyue Clubhouse for some fun would be beneficial for fostering understanding and trust.

At the restaurant front desk, the owner, Chen Jun, was tallying the day's accounts, smiling with a cigarette dangling. His brother was previously the town party secretary and is now the town congress speaker. He's run this restaurant for nearly thirty years, really making a fortune!

At 55 years old, Chen Jun is well-maintained, being one of the town's prosperous businessmen. He eats and drinks well, taking advantage of the mountain's resources, which are plentiful, eco-friendly, and pollution-free.

Everyone in Linxi Town either knows or has heard of Chen Jun—Jun. Everyone calls him Jun, haha… he holds a respectable position in society.

In every town, there are always one or two society figures with significant influence, renowned. They are generally wealthy and have strong connections among town officials, hehe...

Seeing Wu Ming arrive, Chen Jun grinned and offered his cigarette, "Director Wu, you're here late, anything special? I heard there's a new mayor in town, it's your chance, huh?"

"Hehe... Jun, I'm humbled, really. Actually, I've come on behalf of our new Mayor Liu to reserve the best table, with the finest dishes and wines, for lunch tomorrow."

Chen Jun perked up, nodding repeatedly, "Alright, alright, I'll arrange it. Still on the government tab then? Hehe... This new mayor sure has taste! Hehe..."

His chuckle was seasoned, indicative of a veteran.

He knew that the priciest set menu at his restaurant wouldn't cost less than twenty or thirty thousand, featuring all sorts of rare mountain and aquatic delicacies, some even illegal. As for drinks, of course, it's twenty-year-old Moutai, a genuine, ample supply, and pricey!

Yet putting it on the town government account, there's no fear of non-payment; payment is rather assured.

That's just how the world works. For some, dealing with the government means payment struggles; for others, it's easy as pie, hehe...

This is due to strong connections within the government!

Even grassroots town governments are governments; the rules are the same.

Chen Jun wants to keep Jun's Restaurant open, maintaining good relations with town leaders. Over the years, as leadership changes, most still favor his business.

This includes celebrating leaders' birthdays, spouses' birthdays, home weddings, funerals, all set at Jun's Restaurant.

Wu Ming exhaled slowly, "No need to put it on the town tab; bill it to Mayor Liu when the time comes—he's footing the bill."

"Oh, my heaven..."

Chen Jun's eyes widened, "Really... Mayor Liu is that generous? This meal could be fifty-six thousand, isn't it? He's really paying himself?"

"Of course! Haven't you heard of Mayor Liu's background? He's not short on cash..."

"Oh, hehe... That's true, that's true..." Chen Jun nodded, smiling.

Linxi may be a big town, and the main area is sizable, but news like this spreads quickly, you know?

His brother and others had dined here earlier, inevitably discussing the new mayor, which reached Chen Jun's ears.

"I heard Mayor Liu could privately finance a highway, so couldn't he afford this meal, hehe... right?"

Wu Ming nodded, "Yes, I heard Mayor Liu has this plan. But the next steps still pose quite a challenge."

"Sigh... It's rare for a mayor to have such ideas! And about this highway, Director Wu, you know it needs building. Going to the city is really more of a hassle than leaving the province."

Chen Jun's words weren't meant as a joke, but both he and Wu Ming laughed.

Linxi Town is quite unique—located at the boundary between two cities and two provinces.

Crossing Zhangjia Creek leads to a neighboring city. Climbing ten kilometers out of Linxi Town over Black Peak Mountain leads directly to another province, haha...