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

Lin Zheng stubbed out his cigarette and picked up his phone to call Li Zhengang.

"Boss Li, we still need to talk."

"Let's have a few drinks at noon, Mingxuan Hotel, room 666."

"I'd be more than happy to accept Manager Lin's invitation."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Zheng pondered how to bypass Wang Jianguo and cooperate with Li Zhengang.

However, the most pressing issue to address right now is Zhou Hailong's gambling debts.

A day has passed.

Zhou Hailong's silence indicates that he withstood the pressure.

At this point, we need to add fuel to the fire.

At noon, Lin Zheng prepared a sumptuous meal at Mingxuan Hotel.

Li Zhengang arrived on time.

As soon as he sat down, Li Zhengang got straight to the point: "Manager Lin, it's the middle of the day, you don't really have the leisure to invite me for a drink, do you?"

Lin Zheng opened a bottle of Wuliangye and poured it for Li Zhengang.

"Nothing can be kept from Boss Li."

"I hope you can put more pressure on Zhou Hailong."

Li Zhengang's gaze turned cold: "What? He's not cooperating?"

"It's not that I'm unwilling, I'm considering it."

I wanted to add fuel to the fire and force him to make a decision.

Li Zhengang picked up his glass and took a sip: "If I add more pressure, I'm afraid he won't be able to handle it. If someone dies, who will be responsible?"

"Don't worry, Boss Li. I've already figured out Zhou Hailong's background. He won't want to die."

"You need to put more pressure on him; if he can't handle it, he'll have to come to me."

Li Zhengang downed the Wuliangye liquor in one gulp.

"Manager Lin, you're driving someone to their death."

"It wasn't me who forced him; he drove himself to a dead end."

"Paying back debts is a matter of course."

"If he doesn't try to pay back the money, does he expect me to pay it back for him?"

"Weren't you originally planning to help him pay it back?" Li Zhengang asked.

"My relationship with him was a transaction, not a free gift."

Li Zhengang nodded: "Okay, I'll send someone to find him again tomorrow."

"This time, we're not just going to his company to wait for him, we're going to his house too."

"Let his wife know how much money he owes outside."

Lin Zheng frowned: "Go to my house? Isn't that inappropriate?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Didn't you just say that it's only right to pay back debts?"

"His wife found out, so she can help him think of a solution."

Lin Zheng thought for a moment and finally nodded.

"Okay, you handle it."

The two chatted for a while longer, then Li Zhengang suddenly asked, "Manager Lin, how did your talk with Mayor Wang go?"

"It's alright." Lin Zheng didn't say anything more.

"Mayor Wang has quite the appetite."

"Don't let him lead you astray."

Lin Zheng was taken aback, thinking that Li Zhengang and Wang Jianguo were not on the same page.

However, he did not respond or speak ill of Wang Jianguo.

Who knows if Li Zhengang's words were a test? He had to be careful.

After the dinner, Lin Zheng returned to his residence and lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

My mind was filled with Qiu Xiuqin's reminders.

The two are definitely plotting something, but he doesn't know the specifics.

This feeling of being kept in the dark made him very uncomfortable.

He picked up his phone, intending to call Qiu Xiuqin.

I checked the time; it was almost eleven o'clock, so I put it down again.

Never mind, I'll talk about it tomorrow.

…………

The next morning, Lin Zheng had just arrived at his office when his phone rang.

It was Wang Jianguo calling.

"Manager Lin, let's have lunch together after get off work and talk some more."

"Alright, Mayor Wang, you decide on the location."

Lin Zheng had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

After deciding on a place, the two exchanged a few polite words and then hung up the phone.

Wang Jianguo invited me to dinner again; it can't be anything good.

Lin Zheng thought for a moment and then called Qiu Xiuqin.

"Wang Jianguo invited me to lunch. What do you think he's up to?"

Qiu Xiuqin quickly replied: "I guess you agreed too readily yesterday, and he felt like he was being taken advantage of."

"One shop isn't enough? Does he want two?" Lin Zheng said.

"If you put it that way, it's actually quite possible."

"He's putting pressure on you, but he's also weighing the interests of both sides."

"As I said before, Wang Jianguo is a man who only cares about interests."

"Give him enough benefits, and he'll switch sides at any time."

"Take a look at what he means by this dinner invitation, figure it out before making a decision."

"Understood."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Zheng pondered how to deal with Wang Jianguo.

...............

Noon, room 508 of Wangjiang Tower.

Wang Jianguo had already arrived and was sitting in the private room smoking, with several small dishes on the table.

After Lin Zheng came in, the two exchanged a few polite words, and Wang Jianguo got straight to the point.

"I thought about it all night and I think we need to change the terms we discussed before."

"One shop is too little; I'm losing out."

"I want two."

Lin Zheng did not answer immediately, but lit a cigarette and slowly smoked it.

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

A full minute passed before Lin Zheng finally spoke.

"Mayor Wang, two shops are no small sum."

"I know."

"So I added conditions."

"What are the conditions?" Lin Zheng asked.

"You told me before that I shouldn't interfere in Li Ting's affairs, and I agreed."

"But now I've thought about it, and I can stay out of it, but I need to know what you're trying to do."

"What are your plans to do against Li Ting?"

Lin Zheng paused for a moment before saying, "Sue him."

"Sue?"

Are you confident?

Lin Zheng shook his head and said, "No."

"But this is the only way."

"He's dragging his feet on paying back the money, so the project can't move forward, and I have no way to explain this to the group."

"Therefore, we have no choice but to go through legal proceedings."

Wang Jianguo tapped his fingers lightly on the table, then took out a cigarette and lit it.

After taking a few deep drags on his cigarette, Wang Jianguo said, "Sueing Li Ting isn't as simple as you think."

"He has connections in the district and in the court."

"If you sue him, he can easily find someone to suppress the case."

"So you need my support."

"I have connections in the district. I can't guarantee I can help you win the case, but I can at least get it moving forward normally."

Lin Zheng understood the meaning behind his words: he wanted to exchange support for shops.

"Mayor Wang, if I agree to give you two shops, what tangible benefits can you offer me in return?"

Wang Jianguo said, "I'll give you four words: full support."

"How can I offer my support?"

"First, I'll take care of coordinating with the various departments in the town."

"Secondly, I'll help you smooth things over with the people in the district."

"Third, I was on your side when you sued Li Ting."

"Mayor Wang, that's easy for you to say."

"As a deal, you need to take some concrete actions."

"Of course, there are concrete actions."

"For example, I can help you arrange a meal with the vice president of the district court."

"He's my old classmate. As long as he's willing to take this case, Li Ting won't be able to suppress it."

Lin Zheng weighed the matter for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Wang Jianguo.

"Mayor Wang, if you can do these things, I can agree to give you two shops."

"But I also have one condition."

"What are the conditions?"

"You must sign an agreement with me."

Wang Jianguo frowned: "What agreement?"

"It wasn't a formal contract, just a memorandum."

"It says on it that if you support my lawsuit against Li Ting, I promise to give you two shops."

Both parties sign, and each retains a copy.

Wang Jianguo's face darkened: "Manager Lin, do you not trust me?"

"It's not that we don't trust you, Mayor Wang, we're all sensible people."

"Words are meaningless; let's put them in writing."

"You do me a favor, I'll give you a shop; it's a fair trade."

"No one loses out."

Wang Jianguo's expression shifted between light and dark as he took out another cigarette and lit it.

Lin Zheng understood that the old fox was weighing his options.

Signing the agreement is tantamount to leaving yourself with leverage.