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After a while, Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue tidied up their clothes and hair and came down from the second floor. Tao Lengman and Tao Ya were waiting here, and upon seeing them, they greeted, "Brother Qiu, Sister Xue."
The receptionist, standing behind the counter, shyly approached Zhang Qiu and said, "Brother Qiu, I'm sorry."
"It's fine, just focus on your work," Qiu Wan said to Sister Flowers. "Let's go; it's getting late, and we should all head home."
Tao Lengman asked, "Aren't we leaving anyone here?"
"As long as there are staff members around, it's fine. We can all go our separate ways."
"Brother Qiu," Tao Lengman called out to Zhang Qiu as he was walking towards the door. Zhang Qiu turned around, and Tao Lengman said, "I'll stay behind."
"Is it okay for you not to go home?"
"Of course! I have class later. Brother Qiu, you can just take my sister back; she can't stay out at night, but I can. No one restricts me."
Zhang Qiu nodded. "Alright then, if you want to go home, you can leave anytime."
"Okay, Brother Qiu."
Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue held hands while Jiang Xue held hands with Tao Ya. The three of them left the venue together. The receptionist watched Zhang Qiu's back and felt unsettled for a long time. She had thought she would lose her job or at least face some criticism, but unexpectedly, the new boss was not only young but also had a good temperament. Now that she looked at it, even though Zhang Qiu's attire was quite ordinary, he was still very pleasant to the eye.
"Huh?" Tao Lengman noticed the receptionist looking at Zhang Qiu and asked, "What did your apology to the boss mean?"
...
Zhang Qiu took a taxi with Jiang Xue to drop off Tao Ya first. During the ride, Tao Ya only spoke a few words. After arriving home, it was already eleven o'clock; both parents were asleep. Zhang Qiu asked Jiang Xue, "How does it feel to be the leader? Is it good?"
"Tiring; it's really tiring. Now I understand how exhausting it must be for you."
"Actually, it's fine. Thanks to you all for helping me."
"Alright, go to sleep quickly," Jiang Xue said while helping Zhang Qiu take off her clothes. Zhang Qiu turned around and hugged Jiang Xue tightly. The two of them fell onto the soft cotton quilt.
Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky. Zhang Qiu glanced at the time and hurriedly got up to get dressed. Jiang Xue watched the flustered Zhang Qiu and smiled, "Are you still half-asleep? We don't have school today!"
Zhang Qiu put on her shirt and said, "I'm not half-asleep. I have an appointment with the county government this afternoon, so I can't be late."
"Really? You didn't mention it last night."
"Well, there was a reason for that. We only met in the evening, and we..."
"Stop it! Hurry up and get dressed!"
Jiang Xue pouted, and Zhang Qiu chuckled as she quickly finished getting dressed. While Zhang Qiu was washing up, Jiang Xue also came out dressed. Zhang Qiu said, "Xue'er, there are two spots for the invitation at noon, so I asked Rui Rui to come with me."
"Okay."
Jiang Xue picked up a cup of water to rinse her mouth, and Zhang Qiu laughed, "Aren't you going to ask anything?"
"What is there to ask? I love you."
Zhang Qiu walked over to hug Jiang Xue, but she pushed her away playfully, saying, "Hurry up! Do you really want to be late?"
They headed straight to Fire Cicada to drop off Jiang Xue before Zhang Qiu rushed off to White Day Fire. Rui Rui's outfit today surprised Zhang Qiu; she wore a floral dress that highlighted her curvy figure perfectly. Her golden hair shone like brilliant sunlight, making her look full of vitality. In short, seeing Rui Rui in a dress gave Zhang Qiu a feeling she had never experienced before.
Rui Rui noticed Zhang Qiu's reaction and laughed, "Is it that surprising? Your eyes are about to pop out."
Zhang Qiu chuckled and replied, "Of course! It's my first time seeing you in a dress. But honestly, this outfit looks great on you."
Rui Rui appreciated Zhang Qiu's praise and smiled charmingly, "Do you like it?"
"Uh, yes, I like it," Zhang Qiu nodded repeatedly and added, "It's almost time; let's head out."
"Of course we should go. Didn't you see that someone has come to pick us up?" Rui Rui laughed as she walked towards Zhang Qiu, who then noticed that Rui Rui was wearing high heels today.
"Someone is picking us up?" Zhang Qiu looked aside to see a man in a dress shirt and trousers with a tie approaching. He smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, shall we go?"
"Sure, let's go."
The man led the way while Rui Rui followed Zhang Qiu and whispered with a laugh, "How could you not notice such a big presence standing there?"
"I didn't see it; your brilliance filled the entire hall."
The man reached an Audi and opened the door for both of them. Zhang Qiu and Rui Rui got in one after the other, and the man then entered the driver's seat. Observing the man's proficiency, Zhang Qiu asked, "You must be the driver?"
The man started the engine and turned back with a smile, "That's right. I'm Director Chen's personal driver. Director Chen specifically sent me to pick up both of you heroes from Beilan County."
"Is that so? Hehe, thank you then."
During the drive, the driver chatted casually with Zhang Qiu. When Zhang Qiu asked where they were going to eat, the driver replied with a smile, "Of course it's Beilan Grand Hotel."
"It seems Director Chen values us quite a bit."
"Absolutely! You wouldn't believe it; Director Chen has praised you more than once. The standard for your reception today is eighty-eight per person, on par with the county head."
These words were not something the driver was supposed to say; he intentionally revealed this information to make Zhang Qiu feel appreciated by the leadership. Beilan County was striving to create a civilized city, and after incidents like fights and brawls, they could barely cover it up, let alone promote it widely. But since reports had already come out, they had no choice but to highlight the positive aspects to overshadow the bad ones; in the end, everyone would be happy.
As they got out of the car, Rui Rui grabbed Zhang Qiu's arm and said, "It seems that this Director Chen is quite concerned about our matters."
Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "Of course he cares. This matter has not been our concern since the report came out."
"What is that?"
"That's his achievement. Now, let's hurry up."
Beilan Grand Hotel was jokingly referred to as the office building, and it certainly lived up to its reputation. Zhang Qiu quickly followed the driver, while Rui Rui had not yet understood Zhang Qiu's intention. She took a few steps to catch up, her arm naturally slipping into Zhang Qiu's. Zhang Qiu was momentarily taken aback, turned to glance at Rui Rui, smiled slightly, and did not refuse.
Under the driver's guidance, Zhang Qiu and Rui Rui arrived at the nineteenth floor of Beilan Grand Hotel. The hotel had several luxurious private rooms that were kept vacant for officials' use, even during peak business hours when the hotel was crowded. The waitstaff in the hallway respectfully greeted the driver, their eyes not lingering on Zhang Qiu and Rui Rui. This was a result of long-term training; guests invited by important figures did not wish to be remembered. Here, the less known, the better.
The driver stopped in front of a door, knocked lightly, and after receiving a response from inside, he smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, you two may enter."
The driver opened the door for Zhang Qiu, who walked in with Rui Rui while the driver remained outside and closed the door behind them. The room combined a dining area with a guest room; one wall was adorned with a large peony mural. Five men dressed in white shirts and black trousers sat on the sofa, with an immaculate ashtray on the tea table in front of them and a delicate ceramic teacup before each person.
Upon seeing Zhang Qiu enter, one of them waved from the sofa: "Come sit down."
Zhang Qiu exchanged glances with Rui Rui and walked over to sit beside the sofa. Someone pushed a cup of tea toward Zhang Qiu and asked, "This brother must be Zhang Qiu?"
Zhang Qiu looked at the speaker—a man with a broad face, jowls hanging down, and hair neatly combed back. Zhang Qiu smiled and replied, "I am Zhang Qiu. May I ask your surname?"
"My surname is Wang; I am an executive committee member of our county."
Just as they exchanged a couple of sentences, the door opened from outside, and someone walked in while saying, "Sorry I'm late."
"Director Chen!" The five officials stood up in unison, bowing respectfully as they stepped forward to greet him.
Zhang Qiu looked at Director Chen, who was no more than five minutes away from him, making Zhang Qiu suspect that Director Chen had deliberately waited for him to arrive first in another private room. Zhang Qiu was already quite familiar with Director Chen's appearance from seeing him frequently on television; even if these people did not know him, they would recognize him. However, Zhang Qiu did not approach to greet him but remained seated on the sofa, lifting his teacup to take a sip.
Someone had already pulled out a chair for Director Chen; after he sat down, another person walked over to Zhang Qiu and said, "Zhang Qiu, this is Director Chen; come over."
Zhang Qiu put down the teacup, stood up calmly, and raised his arm, waiting for Rui Rui to step forward before he walked ahead. When he reached Director Chen, Zhang Qiu said, "Hello, County Head."
Two piercing gazes shot from Director Chen's eyes as he looked Zhang Qiu up and down. After a moment, Director Chen said, "Please have a seat."
Zhang Qiu was guided to sit next to Director Chen, with Rui Rui accompanying him on the other side. The others also took their seats, and at that moment, the waiter began serving dishes—one after another, dazzling and exquisitely prepared delicacies were brought to the table. It was Rui Rui's first time in such a place, and she couldn't help but marvel inwardly; no wonder everyone wanted to be an official; they really knew how to enjoy life.
The cold dishes were served in succession, followed by the hot dishes. The waitstaff in the room were attentive. When it came to Zhang Qiu, he waved his hand with a smile and said, "I'm sorry, I only drink water; just give me plain water."
As soon as Zhang Qiu finished speaking, the secretary and five public officials were taken aback and involuntarily looked at Zhang Qiu. Only Director Chen remained unfazed, with a warm smile as he said, "Li, pour him a glass of water."
There was a water dispenser in the room; the secretary went over to fill a glass of water for Zhang Qiu and brought it over. Zhang Qiu accepted it with both hands and said, "Thank you."
Director Chen did not pick up his chopsticks but instead took out a cigarette. A public official beside him immediately pulled out a lighter to light it for the county head. Subsequently, the five public officials took out cigarettes wanting to light them as well. Zhang Qiu frowned slightly and pretended to cough twice, saying, "I'm sorry, Director Chen; my throat isn't very good. Could we possibly not smoke..."
"Oh..." Director Chen elongated his tone, giving Zhang Qiu a meaningful look before smiling and saying, "Everyone put out your cigarettes; let's eat. Today we must properly thank our great hero from Beilan County."
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