Please, mature women, have some self-respect. I just want a raise and a promotion.

"Take this to him, and he'll put in a good word with Zhou Haimin for you. He'll try to negotiate a lower price for the materials."

Lin Zheng picked up the business card, glanced at it, and put it in his pocket: "Mr. Zhang, you've done such a big favor, what do you want?"

"I want Liu Kaishan to step down."

Lin Zheng did not answer immediately. He picked up the teapot, refilled Zhang Wanquan's cup, and poured himself a cup as well.

The tea is Tieguanyin, with a faint orchid fragrance on the palate.

"Liu Kaishan is the vice president of Tenghua Group. I'm just a development manager in a subsidiary. How could I possibly be considered his equal?"

"You can't reach it, but the project can."

Zhang Wanquan put down his teacup and said, "The district is currently conducting evaluations of key projects, and your project is a benchmark."

"This project had been botched several times by Liu Kaishan before, and he had already received a warning from the Party."

"As long as you get the project going and push the progress forward, and let the people in the district see that the project is progressing smoothly under your leadership, that will be a slap in the face to Liu Kaishan."

"His goal is clear: to strangle you and claim all the credit for your success."

Lin Zheng nodded, thinking to himself that Zhang Wanquan wasn't a good person either.

These words seem harmless on the surface, but upon closer examination, they carry a different meaning.

Zhang Wanquan's words sounded nice, but in reality, he was just being used as a tool.

But this is currently the best way to solve the problem.

In order for the project to proceed smoothly, he had no choice but to cooperate with Zhang Wanquan.

Zhang Wanquan then took out a document from his briefcase and placed it on the table.

"This is a document just issued by the district regarding support policies for key projects. You can use this to apply for a special subsidy."

"This money won't go through the group's account; it'll go directly through the district's finance department. Liu Kaishan can't stop you."

Lin Zheng took the document and flipped through it, secretly pleased.

What he needs most right now is money, and Zhang Wanquan's special subsidy is a timely help.

"Mr. Zhang, there's something else I need to ask you."

Zhang Wanquan nodded: "Go on."

"My only bargaining chip is whether I can arrange for Zhou Haimin's son to join Tenghua Group."

"Okay, I'll arrange for someone to handle it."

After Zhang Wanquan finished speaking, he stood up, paused at the door, and glanced back at Lin Zheng.

"Manager Lin, I don't care what your relationship with Lin Xiaoyu is, nor how frequently you see her. What I care about is whether you can get the project done."

"If the project succeeds, I can overlook the past. But if the project fails, I will settle accounts with you one by one regarding your relationship with her."

Lin Zheng stood by the table, still holding the unfinished cup of tea in his hand, his expression unchanged.

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhang, the project will not fail."

Zhang Wanquan glanced at Lin Zheng for two seconds, then opened the door to the private room and walked out.

The moment the door closed, Lin Zheng put down his teacup, and his expression changed.

If you carefully consider the meaning behind Zhang Wanquan's words, it's not hard to see that he already suspects his relationship with Lin Xiaoyu.

If he can't withstand Liu Kaishan's attack, Zhang Wanquan won't let him off the hook either.

To put it bluntly, Zhang Wanquan didn't want to help him; he wanted to use him to fight against Liu Kaishan.

Whether he wins or loses, it's a win for Zhang Wanquan.

This old fox played the role of the fisherman from beginning to end.

Lin Zheng shook off the jumbled thoughts in his mind, took out his phone, and dialed Liu Xueyi's number.

I answered the phone after it rang twice.

"Zhang Wanquan gave me a document outlining the district's support policies; that should help lower the material prices."

"Also, regarding Zhou Haimin's son joining the group, Zhang Wanquan said he would coordinate it."

Liu Xueyi's voice on the other end of the phone sounded slightly surprised.

"Lin Zheng, I really underestimated you; you actually dragged Zhang Wanquan into this too."

"Sister Lin must have put in a lot of effort, right?"

Liu Xueyi's voice was ambiguous, and she knew exactly what was going on.

Lin Zheng said with a wry smile, "Sister Liu, please don't tease me at a time like this."

"Zhang Wanquan is no good either. He used me to fight against Liu Kaishan, and no matter how it ends, he will reap the benefits."

Liu Xueyi was taken aback: "You knew that, yet you still collaborated with him?"

Lin Zheng sighed: "Do I even have a choice now?"

"Never mind me, what's the progress on Zhang Tianhu's side?"

At this moment, Lin Zheng didn't want Liu Xueyi to cause any problems.

Otherwise, all this planning will have been for nothing in the end.

Liu Xueyi said wearily, "He submitted the materials to the business registration authority this morning, and the approval process for the change of legal representative is underway. If all goes well, he will be the legal representative of Chengyuan Earthwork next week."

Lin Zheng frowned: "Didn't you say before that it would take at least another half month?"

"I'm referring to normal circumstances."

"But he used Liu Kaishan's connections to get through the district's fast track, reducing the approval process to just one week."

"That means we only have one week left."

Lin Zheng frowned deeply.

A week.

The coordination with Zhang Wanquan will take time, while the change of legal representative for Zhang Tianhu is being expedited.

The two lines run in parallel, but neither line is stable.

"Do you have any way to slow down the process of changing the legal representative?"

Liu Xueyi paused for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "Yes, but I need your cooperation."

"you say."

"There is a crucial step in the approval process with the Industry and Commerce Bureau that requires Zhou Haimin's signature."

"Isn't he the deputy director in charge of sand and soil? The final approval for Cheng Yuan Earthwork's legal representative change documents has to go through him."

"As long as he keeps delaying the signing, Zhang Tianhu cannot become the legal representative."

"Will Zhou Haimin listen to you?"

"He won't listen to me."

"But he'll listen to his son."

"His son is currently waiting for an offer of employment from Tenghua Group."

"If something goes wrong with his son, he'll have to find a way to fix it."

"In exchange, his son would pass smoothly."

"Didn't you bring Zhang Wanquan in? You can urge him on."

Lin Zheng understood Liu Xueyi's meaning: to use Zhou Haimin's son's employment qualification as a bargaining chip to force Zhou Haimin to delay the approval process for the change of legal representative.

As long as the change of legal representative is blocked, Zhang Tianhu will not be able to take control of Cheng Yuan Tufang, and the supply of materials will not be interrupted.

But Zhang Tianhu's refusal to go in will always be a problem.

Lin Zheng thought for a moment and said, "I'll take care of Zhou Haimin's son's matter."

"But Zhang Tianhu's refusal to go in is still a problem, and you need to deal with this problem as soon as possible."

Liu Xueyi said, "I've already contacted someone I know at the branch office. Once the materials are confirmed, they'll arrest the person immediately."

"The branch office also informed me that a complete chain of evidence is needed to make an arrest now."

"They have already apprehended three people associated with Zhang Tianhu and obtained their confessions."

"But there are still three people who haven't been caught, so we can't complete the chain of evidence."

Lin Zheng thought for a moment and reminded her, "Sister Liu, sometimes we have to be willing to spend money when getting things done."

"We absolutely cannot falter at such a crucial moment, otherwise we'll be in danger if we can't handle Zhang Tianhu's side."

"I know, don't worry, I will definitely not let you down at the crucial moment."

After the two ended the call, Lin Zheng sat on the sofa and lit another cigarette.

When he was talking to Zhang Wanquan in the private room, he didn't mention Zhang Tianhu at all.

It's not that I don't want to mention it, it's that I'm afraid to.

Zhang Wanquan had just broken ties with Liu Kaishan. If he knew that Zhang Tianhu was also involved, he might reassess the complexity of the matter and then make the choice that would be most advantageous to him.

Like Yang Wanshan, Zhang Wanquan only makes a move when he is confident of success.