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

Yang Wanshan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and lingered his gaze on Lin Zheng for a few seconds before re-evaluating the young man.

He understood what Liu Rong meant: she wanted to use him to sow discord between Qiu Ruiming and Qiu Ruiming.

After a moment of silence, Yang Wanshan put down his teacup and spoke in a calm and unhurried tone.

"Sister-in-law, I understand what you mean."

"However, this project is too complex, and the town alone may not be able to control it."

Lin Zheng understood the meaning behind Yang Wanshan's words: he was pretending not to be able to suppress the enemy, but he really wanted leverage.

"Mayor Yang, after the project restarts and the market is completed, we can allocate ten shops from the first batch of completed shops for the town to use."

Lin Zheng directly stated the terms.

A glint of light flashed in Yang Wanshan's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

Ten shop locations—that's a real achievement.

The slow economic development of Dianhai Town in recent years is due to the lack of commercial projects to drive growth.

With these ten shops, he could provide employment for many people with connections and also generate tax revenue for the town.

"Manager Lin is indeed straightforward."

Yang Wanshan smiled, then changed the subject: "What are your plans to do about Qiu Ruiming?"

"We will try to communicate with Secretary Qiu."

"As long as Mayor Yang helps us coordinate with the various departments in the town, I will handle the rest."

"communicate?"

Yang Wanshan scoffed, "You probably don't know Qiu Ruiming's character."

"He was the one who stopped this project back then. If you want to restart it now, it's like slapping him in the face."

"Given his personality, he will absolutely not let you make progress smoothly."

Lin Zheng didn't reply, but instead took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Yang Wanshan.

"Mayor Yang, take a look at this."

Yang Wanshan took the paper with a puzzled look, unfolded it, and his expression changed instantly.

It was a transfer record that clearly stated that Tianlong Engineering Company transferred three million to an account three years ago.

The account holder was Qiu Ruiming's brother-in-law.

"Where did you get this?"

Yang Wanshan lowered his voice, his eyes fixed on Lin Zheng.

Lin Zheng didn't hide anything: "Zhang Wenshan left it to me."

"Qiu Ruiming halted the project back then because Zhang Wenshan refused to let Tianlong Engineering Company contract the entire project."

"After the two sides broke down in negotiations, Qiu Ruiming forcibly halted the project on the grounds that its environmental impact assessment was not up to standard."

Yang Wanshan gasped, feeling as if the paper in his hand weighed a ton.

If this evidence is handed over to the district, Qiu Ruiming could face anything from being dismissed from his post and investigated to being imprisoned.

"Manager Lin, you're really going to cause a major upheaval."

Yang Wanshan remained silent for a moment, his voice trembling slightly.

"Mayor Yang, I'm not trying to cause a major upheaval, I just want to get this stalled project going."

"If Qiu Ruiming can't handle it, the project will never go smoothly."

"As long as he's in power, he can easily find any excuse to halt the project."

Yang Wanshan fell silent, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as he quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Seeing this, Liu Rong put a piece of food on Qiu Xiuqin's plate.

"Sister-in-law, this steamed sea bass is delicious, you should try it."

Qiu Xiuqin smiled and nodded, but her gaze inadvertently swept towards Lin Zheng.

When Lin Zheng took out that piece of evidence just now, she noticed that the young man showed no sign of panic.

Lin Zheng's confident and composed demeanor stirred a strange feeling within her.

She hadn't seen a young man like that in a long time.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat somber, as Yang Wanshan was still weighing his options.

At this moment, Lin Zheng reached out to pick up some food from a distance, but his arm accidentally bumped into a wine glass, spilling some red wine onto the tablecloth.

"I'm sorry." Lin Zheng quickly apologized and bent down to pick up the fallen chopsticks.

Just as he bent down, his gaze inadvertently swept under the table, and he froze on the spot.

Qiu Xiuqin sat opposite him, and surprisingly, she wasn't wearing anything under her skirt.

Her fair legs were slightly parted, revealing a glimpse of what lay beneath her skirt.

Lin Zheng's breath hitched, and his heart suddenly raced.

He didn't dare look any longer and quickly straightened up.

At that moment, he noticed that Qiu Xiuqin was looking at him with a faint smile on her face.

There seemed to be some kind of hint hidden in that smile.

Lin Zheng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away.

"Manager Lin, if you've dropped your chopsticks, just ask the waiter to bring you another pair."

Yang Wanshan didn't notice the exchange of glances between the two; he was still thinking about the project and weighing the pros and cons.

"It's okay, I can do it myself."

Lin Zheng stopped a passing waiter and asked for a new pair of chopsticks.

During the rest of the meal, he dared not look at Qiu Xiuqin, fearing he would lose control of himself.

The more he tried to avoid it, the more the scene from before would reappear in his mind.

Qiu Xiuqin is thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old this year. She is very well-maintained, with fair skin and a plump figure.

She wore a dark blue long dress with a beige cardigan over it, and she looked dignified and elegant.

Who would have thought that this mayor's wife was wearing nothing under her skirt?

Lin Zheng's mind was in turmoil, but his face remained expressionless.

After finishing a cigarette, Yang Wanshan made his decision.

He stubbed out his cigarette and looked at Lin Zheng.

"Manager Lin, I can help you coordinate with the town, but there are a few conditions."

"Mayor Yang, please speak."

"First, after the project is completed, the town will take a 5% stake."

"Secondly, the demolition and resettlement work must be led by the town government."

"Third, you must guarantee that there will be no safety incidents or corruption issues in the project."

Every condition proposed by Yang Wanshan precisely hit the bottom line of the forestry administration.

Taking a controlling stake means getting a share of the profits.

To lead the demolition and resettlement process is to gain control of the narrative.

Ensuring security and addressing corruption issues is an attempt to shift all responsibility to the Tenghua Group.

He truly is a seasoned official; he calculated every step meticulously.

"Mayor Yang, I can agree to the first condition, but the percentage must be reduced to three percent."

"The second condition is that the town can take the lead, but the village committee and we must participate together."

"The third condition is that we are responsible for security, and the issue of corruption requires joint supervision from all three parties."

Yang Wanshan frowned, clearly displeased with Lin Zheng's bargaining.

But considering the evidence and Liu Rong's connections, he pondered for a moment and finally nodded in agreement.

"Okay, we'll do it your way."

"But let me make this clear from the start: if anything goes wrong with the project, don't blame me for turning my back on you."

Lin Zheng raised his glass, "Mayor Yang, rest assured, I will definitely not let you down."

The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

Liu Rong and Qiu Xiuqin also had a drink, and the atmosphere became lively again.

As the dinner was drawing to a close, Yang Wanshan got up to go to the restroom.

Only Lin Zheng, Liu Rong, and Qiu Xiuqin remained in the private room.

Qiu Xiuqin's gaze fell on Lin Zheng again, with a hint of scrutiny and a different kind of meaning.

"How old is Manager Lin this year?" she suddenly asked.

"Twenty-six," Lin Zheng answered truthfully.

"So young."

Qiu Xiuqin sighed and took a small sip of her wine.

When I was your age, I was teaching in the countryside.

"Your sister-in-law isn't old at all," Lin Zhengyi said cryptically.

"I'm getting old, I'm already thirty-eight."

Qiu Xiuqin smiled, the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes faintly visible.

"Thirty-eight is the prime of life. My sister-in-law takes good care of herself and looks like she's only in her early thirties."

"Manager Lin really knows how to talk."

Qiu Xiuqin was amused and leaned forward slightly, her loose cardigan neckline opening to reveal a patch of snow-white skin.