"Jingjing, what's wrong?" Zeng Ni asked.
Then, the tiny sprout of the "seed of affection" in her heart trembled slightly. Zeng Ni seemed to realize something, her expression changing briefly before returning to normal.
Martin spoke as casually as if he were discussing household matters: "That night, I came back late, wanting to surprise you. But who knew Jingjing was sleeping in your bed? So, we ended up doing something we shouldn't have. Now that things have come to this, I hope you two can get along well and join Martin's happy big family together!"
Hu Jing's eyes widened. How could he say something like that so casually? Wasn't he asking for a beating?
But to her surprise, her best friend nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I had a feeling something was off earlier. It seems I was right. Since it's already happened, let's just go with it. We can all live happily together!"
Hu Jing's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming!
She pinched herself hard.
So, it wasn't a dream. It was real!
Was Nini really this generous when it came to matters of the heart?
Hu Jing glanced at Martin's handsome face.
Well, if it were me, I might be able to accept it too.
Hu Jing felt like crying and laughing at the same time. In the end, she hugged Zeng Ni, both crying and laughing.
Zeng Ni had been fine at first, her emotional fluctuations minimized under the influence of the "seed of affection." But with Hu Jing's outburst, a mix of sorrow and joy surged within her, and she too began crying and laughing.
The two women clung to each other like lunatics, alternating between sobbing and laughing.
Martin calmly ate and drank, knowing he would enjoy the company of both women that night.
And indeed, that night—
[TL/N: I removed some useless paragraph here.]
"Mr. Martin, you've already seen the specific terms of our agreement. If everything looks good, can we proceed with signing the contract as soon as possible?"
Martin smiled and said decisively, "Sign!"
The local government had done such thorough preparatory work, even bringing in construction teams ahead of time and offering such generous preferential policies. Not signing would not only offend people but also be a waste of a great opportunity!
Martin turned to David Scott and said, "David, our engineers can start coming in."
Martin's decisiveness delighted the government officials on site. The provincial governor waved his hand and declared, "Notify everyone to complete the 'three connections and one leveling' as quickly as possible. This is a major battle! Also, the foundation and pipeline work for the petrochemical base can begin."
However, Martin suggested, "Governor, it might be best to wait for our engineers to arrive before starting the pipeline installation. Building a petrochemical base is a highly specialized project, and I'm sure none of us want this base to pollute the local green mountains, clear waters, and beautiful coastline."
The governor wasn't offended by Martin's rebuttal. Instead, he smiled and said, "That's wonderful! Mr. Martin is truly a responsible entrepreneur!"
He meant every word. In this era, Domestic enterprises, few prioritized environmental protection in the name of attracting investment. Many places had sacrificed their environment for development!
The "Canghai Plan" was a major initiative planned by central ministries and several senior leaders. Who could enter, how they could enter, and in what manner were all negotiated by state-level institutions. Even a provincial governor had limited influence over it.
Martin's emphasis on protecting the local environment impressed the officials present, and their opinion of him grew even more favorable!
The contract was signed.
Both sides were pleased.
Martin once again drink on China. After outdrinking a circle of high-ranking officials, Martin's reputation in the area soared.
After signing the contract in Xiamen, Martin returned to Beijing, where he was received by a senior leader at Zhongnanhai.
For the next half month, he stayed in the courtyard house, spending time with Zeng Ni and Hu Jing.
On February 15, Martin boarded a plane back to Los Angeles.