268 The Conversation
In less than half an hour of sleep, Chu Ning was awakened by her phone ringing.
“Hello?” Chu Ning answered her phone calmly.
The strong ruled their emotions; the weak allowed emotions to rule them.
Even though her head was throbbing painfully, Chu Ning still spent some effort being civil.
“Chu Ning, I’m Xu Xi. A friend of a relative of mine would like to see you. He says it is important.” Xu Xi sounded hesitant over the line.
“How important is the matter?” Chu Ning was surprised to learn that anyone would want to speak with her. Although she wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, Chu Ning forced herself to continue since it was probably related to business.
“It’s quite an important matter,” Xu Xi answered after some thought.
Any friend of his uncle’s had to be special.
“Okay, give me the address. I’ll go head over right now.” Chu Ning got out of bed and quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes.
Half an hour later, Chu Ning arrived at the address Xu Xi had given her. It was a small tea house. Following Xu Xi’s instructions, she climbed to the second floor and entered the designated room.
Two ordinary-looking middle-aged men sat in the room waiting for her. They appeared rather easygoing. When Chu Ning entered, they smiled gently and invited her to sit.
“You’ve worked hard. Have a seat and enjoy the food,” said one of the middle-aged men.
Several plates of warm desserts and a steaming bowl of porridge were neatly arranged on the table.
Chu Ning took a seat. Now that she had time to spare, Chu Ning realized she felt a little hungry. The two middle-aged men left a good impression on her. They were her elders and had treated her with respect; it was only right she reciprocated the gesture. Besides, Chu Ning knew one of them was Xu Xi’s uncle.
Chu Ning had guessed that Xu Xi’s uncle was influential long ago.
As they had invited her to enjoy the food, Chu Ning acquiesced respectfully. “Is there something I can help you with?” She asked as she helped herself to a spring roll.
“My name is Li Cha. Take your time, don’t worry. We can always order seconds if you’re still hungry.” Mayor Li watched Chu Ning scarf down the food with a flash of concern.
“What did you wish to speak to me about?” Chu Ning did not know Li Cha and wanted a better gauge of the situation.
“Your performance a few hours ago was outstanding. You saved me a lot of trouble,” Mayor Li professed. The more he looked at this beautiful young girl seated at the table, the more he admired her.
Brilliant minds did not need much to connect the dots.
Chu Ning paused and regarded the two middle-aged men seated opposite her.
The two of them continued to smile without saying a word.
Chu Ning fished out her phone and typed in a search for Li Cha’s name.
Li Cha was a common name shared by many, but a few exceptions stood out.
A few seconds was all it took for Chu Ning’s expression to turn serious. Her search results informed her that the ordinary-looking man was, in fact, the mayor of M City.
‘No way! Xu Xi, are you kidding me?’ Chu Ning complained in her heart. She never thought she would have the honor of meeting the mayor and being treated to a meal.
If she had known the mayor wanted to speak to her, she would not have agreed to Xu Xi’s request so quickly.
Then again, Chu Ning recognized that Xu Xi likely had not known his uncle’s friend was the mayor.
“Mr. Mayor, I learned the amusement park had not been renovated in a while and thought the old circuitry might have become faulty due to wear and tear. I made a few adjustments to try and rectify the issue.”
While in the shower, Chu Ning had already prepared a list of reasons for her actions.
The closer she stuck to the truth, the less suspicious she would appear. After all, she had only discovered the problem by accident.
“There’s no need to be nervous. This is not an interrogation; you don’t need to respond so formally. Treat me like you would a friend!” Li Cha laughed. Chu Ning’s reaction had certainly been quick; she was a sharp lass.
‘But you’re the mayor! You’re the head of M City. If I don’t answer carefully, what if I give myself away?’ Chu Ning thought to herself.
“Yes, Mayor.” Chu Ning answered, a sweet smile playing on her lips.
“Call me Uncle Li. I’m probably around the same age as your father. We both contribute to the city, but in different ways.” The more Li Cha examined Chu Ning, the more satisfied he grew. He wondered what the future would be if M City decided on a female mayor one day.
He had read Chu Ning’s information in detail. The changes this young girl had undergone and her most recent experiences over the past few months were truly amazing.
“Yes, yes. I hear you’re Xu Xi’s classmate. I’m his uncle. We may be your elders, but let us work towards serving the people!” Xu Gang interjected.