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

"I need to spend time dealing with Li Ting."

"If I can get it right, great; if I can't, I'll lose face."

"so…………"

Having said that, Wang Jianguo glanced at Lin Zheng, lit a cigarette, and started smoking.

Lin Zheng remained expressionless, but he knew in his heart that Wang Jianguo wanted something in return.

"Mayor Wang, I understand what you mean."

He took an envelope out of his bag and pushed it in front of Wang Jianguo.

"This is just a small token of my appreciation."

Wang Jianguo glanced at the envelope but did not reach for it.

Judging from the thickness of the envelope, he roughly knew how much money was inside.

"Manager Lin, are you trying to fob me off like a beggar?"

Lin Zheng's expression remained unchanged: "Mayor Wang thinks it's too little?"

"It's not that I think it's too little."

"Manager Lin, you're a smart man, how could you not understand what I mean?"

"That's not what I want."

"What do you want?"

Wang Jianguo exhaled a puff of smoke: "After the Nanshan Market is completed, there will be many shops for rent."

Lin Zheng looked troubled upon hearing this.

A shop is worth at least several hundred thousand.

Wang Jianguo is asking for an exorbitant amount.

"Mayor Wang, I really can't make that decision, you..."

Wang Jianguo waved his hand to interrupt Lin Zheng.

"You can do it."

"You're the project manager; the allocation of shop space is up to you."

"And I don't need the best spot, any one will do."

"Isn't this something you can just say?"

Lin Zheng remained silent for a moment, then picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

"Mayor Wang, please give me some time to discuss the shop matter with the higher-ups."

"However, I also have one condition."

"What are the conditions?"

"You can't interfere in Li Ting's affairs."

Wang Jianguo frowned: "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I'll handle Li Ting's situation myself; Mayor Wang doesn't need to get involved."

"You just need to help me coordinate with the various departments in the town, and I'll handle the rest myself."

"As for the shop space, I can arrange that after the project is completed."

Wang Jianguo remained silent for a moment, then picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Manager Lin, do you not trust me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just..."

"Mayor Wang, let's speak frankly."

"You have a good relationship with Li Ting. If I ask you to speak on his behalf, he'll definitely want you to put in a good word for him."

"Will you help me or him then?"

Wang Jianguo pondered for a moment, then didn't respond to Lin Zheng's words.

Lin Zheng continued, "So the best way is for you not to show your face."

"If I win against Li Ting, it's my skill; if I lose, it's my own fault."

"It has nothing to do with you, and you don't need to take any risks."

"I'll still give you the shop space."

Wang Jianguo smoked a cigarette, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

The private room was quiet, with only the ticking of the wall clock.

It took him a full five minutes to raise his head.

"Manager Lin, you're ruthless."

"Be ruthless to yourself, and ruthless to others."

Lin Zheng smiled and said, "Mayor Wang, you flatter me."

"Okay, I promise you."

"I won't interfere in Li Ting's matter; you handle it yourself."

"Just remember about the shop."

"Definitely." Lin Zheng raised his glass.

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

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere eased considerably.

When Wang Jianguo talked about the town's development plan, Lin Zheng would occasionally chime in with a few words.

At the end of the dinner, Wang Jianguo patted Lin Zheng on the shoulder.

"Manager Lin, you're a real talent."

"Work hard, and you'll have a bright future in Dianhai Town."

Lin Zheng smiled and nodded, then saw him to the door.

Lin Zheng breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Wang Jianguo's car disappear into the night.

He'd give him a shop in exchange for not interfering in Li Ting's affairs.

This deal wasn't a loss.

But Wang Jianguo has quite an appetite.

Today you need one shop, tomorrow you might need two.

We need to find a way to stop his idea.

Lin Zheng lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and started planning his next move.

Just then, my phone rang in my pocket; it was Qiu Xiuqin calling.

"How did the talks go?"

"He asked for a shop."

"A shopfront?"

Qiu Xiuqin laughed, "He certainly didn't stand on ceremony."

"But compared to Li Ting's side, a shop is nothing."

"You agreed?"

"I agreed."

"It's fine to agree."

"But you should be careful, Wang Jianguo's appetite is only going to grow."

"I know."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Zheng hailed a taxi and returned to his residence.

After taking a cold shower, Lin Zheng sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and quietly smoked, reviewing Wang Jianguo's reaction at the dinner party that evening.

Wang Jianguo seemed like a different person tonight; he was so easy to talk to, and he agreed to those conditions so readily.

Given his personality, it's impossible for him to give up so easily.

Is it...

Have Wang Jianguo and Li Ting already made a plan?

He deliberately agreed not to interfere, but was actually covering for Li Ting?

Thinking about it this way, Lin Zheng broke out in a cold sweat.

If that's the case, then he's been made a fool of tonight.

No, we need to find out the truth.

Lin Zheng picked up his phone and dialed Qiu Xiuqin's number.

"Sister Xiuqin, something I just thought of."

"What is it?"

Lin Zheng shared all his thoughts on the post-mortem analysis.

After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, Qiu Xiuqin replied, "Wait for my message."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Zheng leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.

Hopefully, he's overthinking it.

Otherwise, this game will be difficult to play.

The next morning, Qiu Xiuqin called Lin Zheng back.

"Your guess is correct."

"Two hours before Wang Jianguo met with you, he talked with Li Ting for more than an hour in his office."

"Tianlong Engineering Company wants to acquire a piece of land in the town to build a building materials market."

"Wang Jianguo is the deputy mayor in charge of land, and this land is under his jurisdiction."

Lin Zheng broke out in a cold sweat after hearing this.

Wang Jianguo helped Li Ting acquire land, and Li Ting helped Wang Jianguo profit from the project.

The two are bound by shared interests and cannot be easily separated.

The terms I discussed with Wang Jianguo last night.

Wang Jianguo's excuse for not interfering in Li Ting's affairs was merely to appease him.

"Lin Zheng, what's your next step?" Qiu Xiuqin asked.

Lin Zheng thought for a moment: "No rush, let me think of another way."

After hanging up the phone, he lit a cigarette and stood by the window smoking.

We can't count on Wang Jianguo.

We need to find another breakthrough.

We absolutely must get the money back from Li Ting.

The project cannot afford to be delayed.

The one-month deadline given by Ma Cuihua is almost halfway over.