My spy diary

Chapter 576 The Handsome Young Master Song (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Zhang Yi smiled faintly: "Then thank you, Miss."

"Why are you being so polite with me?" Zhao Dekai seemed very familiar with Zhang Yi, smiling as he sized him up a few times before asking, "What is your surname, sir?"

"No need to worry about your surname being Song."

"Song?" Zhao Dekai was taken aback and stared at him intently. "May I ask which department Mr. Song is a high-ranking official in?"

"High-ranking official? Miss, you're joking. I'm just a businessman, a small businessman."

"A businessman?" Zhao Dekai asked, somewhat surprised, but still unwilling to give up, "What about your parents?"

“My mother is a farmer, and my father does a small business.” Zhang Yi seemed very frank. Then, he changed the subject and complimented the other person with a smile, “What’s your name, Miss? You’re so beautiful, may I ask which family’s daughter you are?”

"Mr. Song, you have quite the sweet tongue." Zhao Dekai blushed at the compliment, his eyes sparkling with desire. He chuckled frivolously, then scrutinized Zhang Yi and asked, "What were you doing in Tangjiatuo?"

"I heard the government built a lot of houses there, but they haven't sold. I was thinking of renting a few, renovating them, and renting them out to make a profit, hehe." Speaking of business, Zhang Yi talked animatedly, a hint of self-praise in his voice, seemingly quite pleased with his preemptive idea. "Hey, miss, you haven't told me your name yet? What's yours? Do you need to rent a place? It's fate that we met. I'll give you a discount later, how about it? Do you have time to have dinner together tonight?"

The Mencius, Book 7, Part 1, states, "Living conditions influence one's temperament, and one's upbringing influences one's physical constitution," emphasizing the impact of the environment on people.

In Zhang Yi's eyes, the woman in front of him had a spring-like smile on her face, but she exuded a sinister aura. Her eyes had a deliberate quality to them, and when she looked at someone, she would quickly glance over their face with a seemingly casual scrutiny. When she smiled, there was no warmth in her eyes, but rather a hint of vigilance and ruthlessness, as if she was quickly calculating something.

As for Zhao Dekai, she was initially curious about this extraordinary guy, but through conversation and his words and actions, she had already judged that not only did he have no background, but he was also a frivolous, self-important playboy. She wondered which landlord's foolish son he was, trying to make money by renting out rooms. Dream on. How many people would want to come to that godforsaken place, Tangjiatuo?
She shook her head. He was just a pretentious young man who had never seen the world. It seemed she had really misjudged him. It was just a pity that he had such a handsome face. Thinking of this, she looked slightly contemptuous and lost interest in Zhang Yi. She then went to the side and started talking to some colleagues.

However, a trace of doubt remained in his eyes. The watch on his wrist with the winged hourglass icon was very expensive. How could a servant afford it?
Could it be fake?
Zhang Yi was happy not to talk to her, and walked over to Monkey and Qian Xiaosan, glaring at the latter with a serious tone:

"What a mess you've made!"

Qian Xiaosan was completely bewildered: "Senior, it's me."

What's wrong with your watch?

Qian Xiaosan's expression changed: "Chief, she suspects us?"

"They suspect you, and by extension, them suspect us. Where did the watch come from? Longines, quite tasteful."

Qian Xiaosan quickly explained, "Sir, I was playing the role of a playboy's lackey, so to maintain appearances, I wore this fake watch I got from the black market. I'll take it off now."

"Fake?" Zhang Yi interrupted him. "Why take it off? Taking it off now would only make you look guilty and like you're trying to cover something up."

"That"

"What? Didn't you say that people from the city government would come to greet us? I bet there will be quite a commotion later. Let's put on a show, whether it's suspicion or misunderstanding, just keep acting and keep going. If it really arouses their suspicion, we'll just deal with it as it comes."

Zhang Yi waved his hand, walked to the ferry, looked at the surging river, and felt a gentle breeze on his face, which invigorated him.

The ferry sailed downstream for more than half an hour. When it was almost at the Tangjiatuo River, a sound of gongs and drums suddenly rang out from the other side, and everyone looked over.

A male agent who came with Zhao Dekai looked surprised: "Could it be something our comrades who stayed behind did?" As he spoke, he looked at Zhao Dekai and Bai Shangyun with a fawning gaze, "It seems that this time I will be able to benefit from the two section chiefs' influence."

A man next to him was also excited and chimed in, "There are quite a few people here to greet us, and even cars. Looks like we're in for a treat tonight."

Zhao Dekai sneered, "What nonsense are you talking about? We are here on a mission under the Director's secret orders. Our colleagues who stayed behind didn't know this, so why are we being welcomed in such a grand manner? There must be some misunderstanding here."

Bai Shangyun glanced at her, pointed to the opposite bank and said, "Look, they're still holding up banners, warmly welcoming investment and inspection. Who would be so stubborn as to come here to invest and inspect?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dekai's eyes flickered. He suddenly remembered the frivolous young man from earlier, but when he turned around again, "Mr. Song" and the others had vanished, leaving him filled with doubt.

Amidst the resounding drums and gongs from the opposite side, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively as the ferry drew closer.

On the dock, a dozen or so men and women stood together in a disorderly fashion, surrounding a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit with a large belly, as if he were the center of a constellation of stars.

The man, all smiles, shaded his eyes with his hand and looked hopefully at the boat a few times before stepping out from the crowd and walking to the dock.

At first, the people on the ferry were curious and watching as if they were going to see something interesting. But gradually they realized something was wrong. At this moment, they were the only ferry on the river, and all eyes on the opposite bank were sweeping over them. The people on the ferry couldn't help but look at each other in confusion. Was this a ferry that had come to greet one of their passengers?
Who are they? They looked each other over.

Finally, it was the male agent who had spoken to Zhao Dekai first who spoke up. He said to Zhao Dekai and Bai Shangyun with a confident and ingratiating expression, "I'm sure those people over there are going to welcome you two section chiefs."

Although Zhao Dekai was puzzled, he couldn't suppress his joy and asked with a frown:
"Officer Liu, what's the reason?"

"Besides the two section chiefs who are outstanding in appearance and have stunning beauty, who else on this ship can compare to them?" Officer Liu looked around and said with a smile, "Although we are carrying out a secret mission, what secrets are there these days? The more secretive we are, the more curious others will be. Maybe someone will hear from somewhere that the two section chiefs are coming."
Furthermore, both of you are among the Director's most trusted men. Duties are duties, and personal life is personal life. The Director might be worried that you two section chiefs are suffering in your personal lives, and he might have secretly asked someone to take care of you. Look, the person opposite is wearing a Party badge on his chest; he's clearly from within the organization. Therefore, I'm certain they're here to welcome you two section chiefs. All that welcoming investment and exploration talk is just a smokescreen.”

As he spoke, he glanced disdainfully at the ordinary-looking, unsophisticated travelers around him, raised his chin, and said, "We're not here to welcome these country bumpkins, are we?"

“That’s right, that’s right,” another male agent chimed in. “If it’s not the two section chiefs, who else could it be?”

Both of them were focused on Zhao Dekai and Bai Shangyun, and treated Zhang Yi and the others who had appeared earlier as mere passersby, not even thinking about them.

"Stop talking nonsense. A person should know their own limitations. What do you mean by 'the most valued person by the bureau chief'? If he really valued me, would he send me to this desolate place? What do you say, Deputy Section Chief Bai?"

Zhao Dekai's words had a double meaning, and he glanced sideways at Bai Shangyun. Although she wouldn't admit it, her eyes were fixed on the opposite dock, a hint of anticipation creeping into her heart. She gripped the ferry railing tightly with one hand, forcing a nonchalant expression.

This is because Xu Zeng'en is a man who often acts unexpectedly. If it was truly arranged by him in secret, then it couldn't be more meticulous. What woman doesn't like to be pampered and cherished in every way?

Bai Shangyun snorted softly, muttered "vixen" under his breath, and stared intently at the dock.

The ferry soon arrived at the dock. Seeing the grand welcome from the other side, Manager Liu thought to himself that he had made the right choice. He hurriedly stepped forward, bowing and scraping to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics officers, wanting to say a few words of flattery. However, the officers were too busy to pay him any attention and impatiently waved him aside. Manager Liu had no choice but to retreat to the side, feeling rather annoyed.

Seeing the man across from them eagerly approaching, the crowd's gazes swept across their faces with a mixture of doubt and uncertainty before finally settling on Zhao Dekai and his companions.

"Could it really be that the boss arranged this to come and greet me?"

Everyone has a desire and need to be flattered and fawned over. A hint of smugness flashed in Zhao Dekai's eyes, and he thought to himself that it was impossible. But when he saw the man walking toward him with a big smile on his face, he was overjoyed. He couldn't help but put on a reserved smile and walked forward leisurely.

She had only taken two steps when someone grabbed her arm. She was annoyed and turned around to see Bai Shangyun. She glared at her angrily, thinking that this woman was afraid she would steal her thunder and was trying to cause her some trouble at this crucial moment.

Just as she was about to say something sarcastic, she saw Bai Shangyun awkwardly gesturing towards her. She turned around in annoyance and realized that the man hadn't even glanced at her, but instead walked straight towards Zhang Yi, who had appeared behind her at some point. She was stunned at first, then her face turned red, and she felt so ashamed and indignant that she wished she could disappear into a crack in a boat.

"Men are all the same, this playboy is a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Seeing Zhang Yi and his group dressed in brand new clothes, Zhao Dekai glared at them angrily, turned around and left in a hurry. The others with her glared at Zhang Yi with envy and jealousy, and then left dejectedly as well.

A portly man rushed forward, extending his large hand:
"Is this Mr. Song, who's here to investigate investment opportunities?"

Zhang Yi shook hands reservedly: "It's me, and who are you?"

"I am Lao Yu from the Municipal Construction Bureau."

"Oh, Director Yu?"

"Deputy Director, Deputy Director," Deputy Director Yu said with a modest smile, looking Zhang Yi up and down.

A well-tailored suit with gold-stamped buttons, a high-quality white shirt, and fair skin around the neck. A faint, unidentifiable scent of perfume wafted by. A gold-chained pocket watch and a jeweled walking stick adorned his chest.

Although he was young and a bit naive, just based on his attire, Deputy Director Yu had already categorized him as someone on whom high hopes could be placed.

Deputy Director Yu also had his own difficulties. The mayor responded to the policy of the higher authorities to relocate urban residents and started a large-scale construction project in the suburbs on a whim. His original intention may have been good, but who would live in the houses built dozens of kilometers away from the city center in the middle of nowhere?

With his vanity project on the verge of turning into a disaster, and investors coming to his door every day demanding repayment, he was extremely annoyed and hadn't had a good night's sleep in ages. If things continued this way, to quell public opinion, the mayor would find him, as the deputy director of the construction bureau, responsible, and he would inevitably be forced to take the blame.

That's not the most crucial point. The crucial point is that almost all of his net worth was tied up in the construction project funds at the time. If the house couldn't be sold, not only would he be scapegoated and kicked out, but his family would also be starving.

That's why, upon hearing that investors were coming to inspect the area, Deputy Director Yu set aside his status and went to great lengths to welcome them.

Zhang Yi took off his sunglasses, glanced at Deputy Director Yu, and smiled politely:

"Director Yu is too modest. Shall we go look at the houses now?"

"No problem, no problem, this way please!" Deputy Director Yu extended an invitation and respectfully ushered Zhang Yi into the car. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they subtly began discussing real estate.

One person asked a question, and the other answered, occasionally letting out a hearty laugh; the atmosphere was harmonious.

After a few words, Deputy Director Yu realized that this young master Song's understanding of real estate seemed superficial. However, he was not surprised and even felt a little smug. Young and impetuous, with only a superficial understanding, he was easy to fool.

The key is to trick you into investing money. As long as the houses sell, they're happy, the mayor is pleased, and whether you make money or not is none of their business! Anyway, by then they'll probably have been promoted, and the one who should be worrying is their successor.

As a result, Deputy Director Yu became even more enthusiastic, talking at length about the development prospects of Tangjiatuo, praising its beautiful scenery, grand plans, and sturdy buildings.

Zhang Yi listened attentively, occasionally offering well-timed comments or questions, praising the government for its timely assessment, people-centered approach, and consideration for the people's needs, thus guiding the conversation smoothly without being blatant.

After a long and boastful speech, Deputy Director Yu finally remembered to ask Zhang Yi to say a few words, so as to see the young master's determination to invest.

"Hey, I say, Young Master Song has an extraordinary bearing and is quite handsome. He looks like someone who can take charge. I wonder about the scale of this investment?" Deputy Director Yu flattered, slowly eliciting the question he most wanted to know.

Zhang Yi scratched his head sheepishly and said, "You flatter me. What do you mean by 'in charge'? I just came back from abroad and was put in charge of the business by my family. I'm not very knowledgeable and it's just a small-scale operation. But to show my sincerity, I brought quite a bit of money with me this time."

Deputy Director Yu chuckled mischievously, "Young Master Song is an honest man, and I like dealing with honest people." Then, he changed the subject, "So, Young Master Song is a returned student from studying abroad. His surname is Song. May I ask who my father is? Perhaps I have the honor of meeting him."

Zhang Yi looked up at him, smiled, and said nothing.

"What? Could it be the Song family?" Deputy Director Yu was startled and sat up straight.

"Well, sort of. The old man works for the government," Zhang Yi said vaguely.

The charm of subtlety lies in the fact that blank spaces always give people endless room for imagination.

Deputy Director Yu gave a meaningful "Oh," and didn't dare to ask any further questions.

He couldn't describe the feeling in his heart. His parents were just minor gentry in rural Zhejiang. He, on the other hand, had worked his way up from a lowly clerk in the Nanjing government, relying on years of flattery and hard work to get to where he was today. A deputy bureau chief—not even an official, just a lowly clerk. Now that he was at this point, his parents couldn't help him at all, and his wife, looking worn out, only knew how to keep asking for money.

In this mountain city, teeming with wealthy merchants and powerful figures, there are countless young rich kids and sons of officials with fortunes to their name. After years of hard work, all he could earn was a chance to ride in the same car as them, or someone like "Young Master Song."

When Deputy Director Yu looked at Zhang Yi again, his eyes held a more complex expression, and his attitude became even more humble.

But in "Young Master Song's" eyes, there was a frankness and a touch of innocence, like a clear spring that accepted all his gaze.

Deputy Director Yu was torn: should he continue to deceive him, or should he be honest with Young Master Song?

(End of this chapter)