Following a soft knock on Mayor Zhu’s office door by the secretary and after receiving permission, Lin Fan was let in.
Upon seeing the woman sitting opposite Mayor Zhu’s desk, he couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.
Dressed in professional attire, she had a face that bore a striking resemblance to Chu Shihan’s, though despite the almost identical features, her demeanor was more mature and composed, exuding an air of authority, especially the sharp gaze behind those gold-rimmed glasses.
"Good day, Mayor Zhu."
Lin Fan immediately greeted Mayor Zhu, who then nodded slightly and, with fingers together, introduced, "You should already be aware of your assignment to Lotus Town as deputy secretary. This is Chu Shiyuan, the leader of the higher-level work group, who also concurrently serves as the leader of the project supervision group."
"Good day, Group Leader Chu."
Lin Fan had just arrived at the office, and Qu Liping had already privately conveyed the secondment to Lianhua Town to take up the post of deputy mayor. Of course, when she reported it, she was on her knees, straight as a board.
"Don’t be nervous, sit down and let’s talk."
Chu Shiyuan nodded slightly, gesturing for Lin Fan to sit before continuing, "The initiative to establish a cultural industry park in Lotus Town is a key project this year, supported by unprecedented effort and progressing rapidly. The aim is to quickly finish promoting the local cultural identity and branding, to undertake the development of distinctive rural tourism projects through example, and to kick off the well-planned ’Ten Villages, Ten Sights’ strategy. These are all key goals for the future tourism characteristics of Lotus Town, so in taking on the role of deputy mayor, you must leverage your strengths to make greater efforts in advancing the project."
"Please rest assured, I will certainly complete the task."
Sitting in his chair, facing the strikingly beautiful aunt across from him, Lin Fan was compelled to admire her bureaucratic speak, so precise in diction and so grandiloquently useless, it seemed as though she said something without actually saying anything.
"Mayor Zhu, may I have a moment to speak privately with him?"
After a brief chat, Chu Shiyuan stood up and addressed Zhu Defu.
"Of course, there’s no problem. I have some matters to attend to outside, so you two don’t need to move to the conference room. Just talk here in my office."
Zhu Defu, knowing it was his cue to exit, stood and left promptly, leaving the office to the two of them.
"Shihan has told you, right? I am her sister."
Chu Shiyuan then relaxed, leaning back in the chair and sizing up Lin Fan.
"She did mention it, and she said that I was able to take on this assignment thanks to your help. I really don’t know how to thank you enough."
Lin Fan remained sitting up straight, but his eyes couldn’t help roaming over Chu Shiyuan, whose face was very similar to her sister’s but had a wholly different figure, somehow softer and more inviting.
"No need to thank me. After all, the list was submitted by Mayor Zhu, and he has nothing but praise for you. I saw a tourism plan report you helped write the other day when I was at the Provincial City. Well-written and well-referenced, you did a thorough job exploring the local lore. In that respect, you certainly fit the bill for this position."
Chu Shiyuan hugged her shoulders. What she referred to was probably the report that Xue Changchun had submitted, "As your elders, we don’t intend to interfere with your relationship with Han Han. Although freedom to love is good, becoming a son-in-law of the Chu Family is not so easy. Thus, this assignment is not only a test from the organization but also an examination by the Chu Family of your capabilities. We hope you can give us a satisfactory answer."
"Please, leaders... Sister, rest assured, I definitely will not let you down."
Lin Fan hurriedly adopted a serious expression, but Chu Shiyuan merely waved her hand, "Whether you do well or poorly, we will not be disappointed. The only one who would be disappointed is Shihan, so I hope that you will press on, and after you achieve some results, you can come to the Provincial City for a visit. By then, my husband and I will introduce you to more important people."
Chu Shiyuan’s words carried several layers of meaning. The most implicit message was that if Lin Fan failed to perform, she would not allow Chu Shihan to continue seeing him; the deeper implication was that the Chu Family was an official family, and as long as he had the ability, they would certainly help him advance further.
Lin Fan nodded hurriedly. After a few more words, Chu Shiyuan stood up and left. Watching her graceful departing figure, Lin Fan curiously pondered what kind of man the husband of such a stunning elder cousin could be.
"It looks like the conversation went quite well."
Zhu Defu, who had returned, sat on a chair, smiling warmly at Lin Fan, "I heard from Cai Ni that there was some trouble at your home, but it’s all taken care of now, right?"
"More or less, I still have to thank Uncle Zhu’s connections. If the County Magistrate hadn’t personally stepped in, my family’s issue would have been quite troublesome."
Lin Fan immediately sucked up to Zhu Defu while simultaneously pushing County Magistrate Luan to the front.
"These things are minor. After all, the reasons behind this posting are known to everyone. If you encounter any problems outside in the future, just report them to Cai Ni. We must not engage in illegal activities, but we also cannot allow ourselves to be bullied."
Zhu Defu gave a nod, "Then you go back and get ready. The transfer order is being processed, and you should take a few days to get prepared to take up the post. I have high hopes for you."
"Yes, Uncle Zhu, I certainly will not let you and Sister Cai Ni down."
Lin Fan stood up quickly, preparing to leave, but then hesitated and stopped.
"What is it, anything else?"
Zhu Defu, seeing Lin Fan’s hesitation, asked.
"There is a small matter, but I’m not sure if I should bring it up. If I say the wrong thing, please don’t be angry with me, Uncle Zhu."
Lin Fan walked over to Zhu Defu while fidgeting with his hands, and in a lowered voice said, "Uncle Zhu, you’ve heard about my breakup, right? Actually, a few days ago I found out who lured my girlfriend away and I got some evidence. I never expected that it would involve Mayor Guo. I’m at a loss as to what to do, so I wanted to ask for your advice on how to handle it."
Hearing this, Zhu Defu’s eyes widened, and Lin Fan pulled out a USB drive from his pocket and handed it to him. Curiously plugging in the USB drive, Zhu Defu immediately saw the footage of Guo Baoming and Lin Fan’s ex-girlfriend, Li Huizhen, rolling around in bed on his computer. At this moment, a sly smile crossed Zhu Defu’s lips, but he quickly hid it.
"This old boy is not getting away this time!"
Pocketing the USB drive as if it were a treasured find, Zhu Defu turned to Lin Fan, "Alright, you call me Uncle, which makes you my junior. I will definitely take this up for you, but you must be patient during this time. Once this matter is settled, I will ensure justice for you."
"Thank you, Uncle Zhu, I’ll remember that."
Lin Fan immediately agreed. He was preparing to leave quietly after loading the ammunition for someone else, having completed his task, when Zhu Defu called out to him again, "Tonight at seven, come to Huixiang Restaurant, private room number 388. I will introduce you to a few new friends."