At the conference, Zhu Defu delivered an important speech on behalf of the city, and naturally, County Magistrate Luan made a statement on behalf of the county. The rest included the Deputy County Magistrates and others roughly outlining the entire plan, while Lin Fan was responsible for linking the whole meeting together with interjections. Busy as he was, in Lucki’s eyes, he remained nothing more than a pawn, completely disregarded.
The two-hour meeting ended quickly, and it was now lunchtime. They all headed to the Five-star Hotel, got out of their cars, and Zhu Defu naturally exchanged pleasantries with some national leaders who had attended the meeting. Aside from County Magistrate Luan, he specifically kept Lin Fan by his side, a gesture whose meaning was clear to everyone.
"Xiao Lu, how has your father been feeling recently? When you get the chance, you must come visit Jiangning. We haven’t seen each other for quite some time and I would like to extend my hospitality."
Zhu Defu, shaking Lucki’s hand, indicated a close personal relationship with Lucki’s father.
"Uncle Zhu, my father has been quite robust these past few years and often talks fondly of the happy times you spent together in the past. He insisted that I learn more from you during this visit."
When Lucki said this, he glanced over at Lin Fan who stood behind Zhu Defu, his lips curling into a supercilious smile that seemed mocking.
"Your father is the one you should be learning from. His interpersonal skills are exceptional; you would do well to follow his example."
Zhu Defu noticed the disrespect in Lucki’s eyes and tried to offer a subtle reminder, but unfortunately, Lucki, blinded by anger and focusing solely on Lin Fan’s reaction, failed to grasp his meaning.
"Uncle Zhu, you must make time to visit the city. It would be great to sit down and have a proper talk. I have a lot to say that isn’t appropriate to discuss here. One of these days, I’ll have to share the explosive details of my college life with you, including all the complex social dynamics."
As Lucki spoke, he didn’t forget to glance again at Lin Fan. His words hinted at tattling, but Lin Fan remained stoically impassive, which made the young man seem all the more arrogant.
"Alright, let’s go have lunch!"
Having said this, Zhu Defu walked away, and Lucki quickly followed, only to be stopped by Lin Fan with a smile.
"I’m sorry, but this dining area is for internal County Committee staff. The participants’ lunch is in the adjacent banquet hall!"
"Who do you think you are to stop me? Didn’t you hear Uncle Zhu invite me to join them for lunch?"
Outraged, Lucki shoved Lin Fan aside, his arrogance blatantly obvious.
Lin Fan, who stumbled into County Magistrate Luan, said nothing but looked towards Zhu Defu. Hearing the commotion behind him, Zhu Defu, with a dark expression, turned around and said, "We have some internal matters to discuss over lunch, perfect for a good chat. The food outside is also quite abundant; you should join the other guests out there instead."
At Zhu Defu’s words, Lucki finally stopped, shot Lin Fan a fierce glare, and then turned to leave. Ke Yunan, who had observed everything, smiled warmly at Lin Fan before quietly exiting.
Inside the private room, Zhu Defu only allowed County Magistrate Luan and Lin Fan to enter. After the food was served, he looked at Lin Fan: "Do you have a personal grudge with Lucki?"
"He was my college classmate... and also my girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend... But that’s all in the past now. My girlfriend and I have also broken up. He’s always had a temper, even back at school. Mayor Zhu, we were just classmates used to roughhousing; please don’t take it to heart."
Lin Fan made a simple statement and didn’t snitch, instead, he made excuses for Lucki.
"You’re quite composed, my boy. After being treated like that, you still think it’s just roughhousing?"
Zhu Defu spoke gravely, "I have a good personal relationship with Lucki’s father, but such poor family education will not lead to great achievements. It seems things are different from what I expected... For this inspection, you should also get a feel for the other contractors and choose someone more suitable."
"Mayor Zhu, I have no experience with this kind of task... and this is just a small matter between me and Lucki. Maybe I should withdraw from the reception work after all, as I’m just assisting County Magistrate Luan."
Lin Fan hastily declined, knowing that agreeing directly would be suspicious.
"You do as you’re told. Isn’t experience accumulated over time? Let County Magistrate Luan guide you. Sometimes, you need to understand how to make an impression on those below you, or else one day they’ll walk all over you. Remember, our role is to suppress those who get too cocky just because they have a bit of money."
"I’ll remember that."
Lin Fan nodded humbly, but he had already sensed the underlying message in the words.
Zhu Defu’s comment was clear: he wanted Lin Fan to take Lucki down a peg. Of course, he would also use the opportunity to strike a blow to the Lu Group. Whether the future project distribution would change remained uncertain, but what was certain was that the Lu Family was going to pay a much steeper price now.