Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

The provincial capital, the Jinxiu Jiangnan Private Club.

Tonight, the entire clubhouse was booked out by the Xi family from Beijing and the Ningzhou Provincial Office, ostensibly to welcome the newly appointed deputy secretary of the Provincial Youth League Committee, Xi Wanqing.

Those who can step through this door are all prominent figures in the provincial capital's social circles. In addition to powerful division chiefs and deputy director-level reserve cadres from provincial government departments, there are also many well-dressed young men from the provincial capital whose eyes reveal shrewdness and arrogance.

In the provincial capital, while department-level cadres are everywhere, a 26-year-old female deputy director-level cadre like Xi Wanqing, with her powerful background and stunning beauty, is a rare gem among men, becoming the ultimate red-chip stock in the eyes of all unmarried sons of the powerful and wealthy.

"Wanqing, congratulations. Returning to the provincial capital from Ningzhou was a brilliant move; the old man at home personally praised you."

The speaker was a young man in his early thirties, the youngest division chief in the provincial finance department, and also the well-known "gentle and refined" Mr. Zhou in the provincial capital.

Xi Wanqing held a half-empty glass of champagne, a polite yet extremely distant smile on her face. She nodded slightly, her words perfectly measured:

"It's all thanks to the organization's cultivation. Ningzhou's achievements are collective; I'm just someone who was fortunate enough to be a part of it. Director Zhou, you flatter me."

Young Master Zhou wanted to find another topic to talk about.

Suddenly, the previously noisy clubhouse lobby fell silent for a moment.

Immediately following was a chorus of low gasps of amazement, like a breeze rustling through wheat fields.

A red figure suddenly appeared in everyone's sight at the gilded and painted mahogany door in the hall.

It was a fiery red backless evening gown, like a burning flame, instantly burning a hole in the originally cool and elegant banquet atmosphere.

Nangong Yao.

This business queen, who had just won a great victory in the financial war and officially become the new richest person in Jiangnan Province, arrived uninvited, holding an exquisite little handbag in her hand and with an extremely arrogant yet extremely charming smile on her lips.

Behind her were not her secretary, but "Tank" and "Lone Wolf" from the Dragon Fang Squad. Even though the two men were wearing black suits, their menacing aura still made those around them instinctively keep their distance by half a meter.

"Hey, looks like I've arrived just in time."

Nangong Yao's voice was clear and bright, carrying an air of authority. She walked steadily down the red carpet in her seven-centimeter crystal high heels, her steps creating a crisp rhythm, and headed straight for Xi Wanqing and Liu Ming in the center of the crowd.

The young masters in the venue were all dumbfounded.

The two beauties from the provincial capital unexpectedly met on the same night and in the same place.

One is a rising political star, aloof and cold, from a distinguished family, representing the pinnacle of power.

One is a fiery business queen, incredibly wealthy, representing the pinnacle of money.

The story of these two joining forces to stir up trouble in Ningzhou had long been a topic of conversation among the upper echelons of the provincial capital, but no one expected that the moment these two met, sparks would fly in the air enough to ignite the entire building.

"President Nangong, I recall that the guest list for the welcome banquet didn't seem to include any business people." Xi Wanqing put down her wine glass, her eyes growing even colder, unleashing the official authority unique to the vice mayor (though she had been transferred, her influence remained).

Nangong Yao stopped, standing only half a meter away from Xi Wanqing. The two were of similar height, but their auras, one cold and the other warm, clashed violently in mid-air.

"Deputy Secretary Xi, now that we've finished our official business, we should talk about personal matters, shouldn't we?" Nangong Yao smiled charmingly, but her eyes seemed to glance at Liu Ming, who was sitting to the side, studying the fruit plate.

"I heard that my 'important partner' was drinking alone here, and I was worried that he might have been plied with alcohol by some people, so I came to pick him up and take him home. After all, the Nangong Group's headquarters in the provincial capital is still counting on Director Liu for guidance."

Partner?

Should we take him home?

The moment those two words were uttered, the entire audience erupted in uproar.

The young men from the provincial capital who were originally surrounding Xi Wanqing instantly changed their gazes toward Liu Ming from "curiosity" to "murder."

That was naked jealousy.

That was a fury so intense it felt like it wanted to grind Liu Ming to dust.

On what grounds?

What makes this guy named Liu Ming so capable of making these two women, who stand at the pinnacle of Jiangnan Province, fight like they're vying for prey in front of everyone?

"Miss Nangong, this is a private party, please behave yourself." Xi Wanqing's voice turned even colder, even carrying a hint of warning.

"Self-respect?" Nangong Yao chuckled, casually placing her hand on Liu Ming's shoulder. "Back in Ningzhou, weren't we playing 'Landlord' together? How come Deputy Secretary Xi is turning his back on us now that we're in the provincial capital? Does a promotion make him think the air in the provincial capital is superior to that in Ningzhou?"

The words "Dou Dizhu" evoked certain indescribable memories.

Xi Wanqing's cheeks flushed slightly, a sign of extreme embarrassment and annoyance.

"you……"

Although those around them couldn't understand the implied meaning, the tense and ambiguous atmosphere was like a sledgehammer, striking the hearts of every suitor with a resounding thud.

Zhao Ruilong stood in the shadows at a distance, watching this scene, so angry that he almost crushed the crystal glass in his hand.

In all his years of tyrannical rule in the provincial capital, when had he ever witnessed such a spectacle? Two goddesses he couldn't even touch were actually arguing fiercely over a "peasant" from the county?

This is no longer just a slap in the face; it's like displaying the dignity of all the young masters in the provincial capital on the city wall!

"Director Liu, aren't you going to say a few words?"

Nangong Yao turned her head, her slender fingers lightly tracing a line on Liu Ming's shoulder, her tone full of provocation.

Liu Ming felt that her back was soaked with cold sweat.

This scene is even more terrifying than being surrounded by an entire platoon of mercenaries in the jungle.

Those mercenaries at least wanted to kill him, but these two women in front of him... wanted to tear him apart.

He could feel Xi Wanqing's gaze, as intense as that of an polar glacier.

You can also feel the scorching heat emanating from Nangong Yao, like a lava eruption.

There were also hundreds of envious gazes around him, enough to pierce him like a sieve.

"Um... you two."

Liu Ming finally put down the watermelon he had smashed to pieces, stood up with a dry laugh, and his voice revealed an unprecedented sense of guilt.

"Since this is a welcome dinner, let's focus on unity. Um, have some tea."

"Want some tea?"

The two women spoke in unison.

Xi Wanqing sneered: "Director Liu seems to have had too much tea in Ningzhou and wants a change of pace?"

Nangong Yao said coquettishly, "Tea is boring. Liu Ming, I have a bottle of Romanée-Conti that just arrived. Shall we go back and enjoy it separately?"

"Cough...cough cough!"

Liu Ming coughed violently. He felt that if he stayed any longer, he might become the first deputy director-level cadre in the history of Jiangnan Province to die in the line of duty due to "excessive pressure in the battlefield".

He sensed that the resentment of the young masters around him was about to solidify into a tangible curse.

"Um... I suddenly remembered that the drink I just had seems to have a bit of an aftereffect. I'm going to the restroom to sober up. You guys chat, you guys keep chatting."

Before the two women could react.

Liu Ming displayed the speed he used when he was scouting enemy positions on the Laoshan front, and in a flash, he slipped out of the encirclement.

His movements were so fast and his footwork so unpredictable that the military officers present were all stunned.

Even the few rich kids who tried to stop him only felt a gust of wind before their figures disappeared at the end of the restroom corridor.

The moment Liu Ming escaped the lobby, she leaned against the cold marble wall of the restroom and let out a long sigh of relief.

He touched the cigarettes in his pocket, his hand trembling slightly.

"Damn it, the water in this provincial capital..."

Liu Ming muttered to herself, a bitter smile playing on her lips.

"It's definitely much deeper than Ningzhou."

Behind them, the "battle" in the hall seemed to be continuing, and they could still faintly hear Nangong Yao's signature laughter and Xi Wanqing's cold tone.

Liu Ming lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and his eyes regained their sharpness and depth.

"Go ahead and make a scene, the bigger the better."

"The more muddy you stir up this mess, the more those old turtles hiding at the bottom will have to jump out for air."

He looked at himself in the mirror.

A fleeting glimpse of awareness, like a "bait," flashed in his eyes.

"Now that we're in the game, let's see who's tougher."

At the end of the corridor, the noise of the hall surged in again like a tide.

Liu Ming exhaled a puff of smoke and casually crushed the cigarette butt.

"There's no way to escape it."