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

Sitting next to Lin Jingshun was a girl named Xiaoya. She was tall with long hair, light makeup, and bright red lipstick.

As soon as she sat down, she leaned against Lin Jingshun, put her hand on his arm, and said in a sweet voice, "Director Lin, you are so handsome."

Lin Jingshun smiled and put his arm around her waist: "What's your name?"

"Xiaoya."

"Xiaoya, what a nice name."

Lin Jingshun gently stroked her waist, his gaze falling on her neckline.

Sitting next to Cai Mingsheng was a girl named Xiaoyu, who was even hotter than Xiaoya, and her cheongsam was stretched taut.

She poured Cai Mingsheng a glass of wine and brought it to his lips.

"Director Cai, let me toast you."

Cai Mingsheng took a sip from her hand and casually placed his hand on her leg.

"How old are you this year?"

"Twenty-three," Xiaoyu replied with a smile.

"Youth is wonderful." Cai Mingsheng gently pinched her leg.

Chen Guowen sat next to a girl named Xiaoxue. Although she was quieter than the previous two, she had an equally stunning figure.

She poured Chen Guowen a cup of tea and said softly, "Director Chen, please have some tea."

Chen Guowen took the teacup, glanced at her, and his serious expression softened somewhat.

"You do have a good eye."

Xiaoxue smiled, said nothing, and simply sat quietly beside him.

The karaoke machine arrived quickly. Lin Jingshun pulled Xiaoya to the screen, picked up the microphone, and said, "Come on, sing a song."

He requested the song "Late Love," put his arm around Xiaoya's waist, and sang it with deep affection.

Xiaoya nestled in his arms, humming along, her hand gently stroking his chest.

The atmosphere in the private room suddenly became ambiguous.

Not to be outdone, Cai Mingsheng put his arm around Xiaoyu and sang "Sweet Honey". Halfway through the song, his hand had already moved from Xiaoyu's waist to her chest.

Xiaoyu didn't flinch; instead, she moved even closer.

Chen Guowen didn't sing. He sat on the sofa, and Xiaoxue poured him wine and served him food. The two talked in hushed tones, and his hand rested on Xiaoxue's leg, gently stroking it.

These three old geezers put on a righteous facade, but they're actually quite the opposite in private.

Yang Wanshan walked over to Lin Zheng with a wine glass in his hand and lowered his voice.

"Don't rush, let them play."

"If you have fun, the approval process will be much easier."

Lin Zheng nodded: "I know."

"But you have to be careful, these three have big appetites," Yang Wanshan warned. "Lin Jingshun is the greediest, Cai Mingsheng is the most lecherous, and Chen Guowen is the most difficult to deal with. You need to figure out their preferences and deal with them accordingly."

"Thank you for your guidance, Mayor Yang."

Yang Wanshan patted him on the shoulder and walked back to his seat.

After Lin Jingshun finished singing, he put his arm around Xiaoya and returned to the sofa, where he picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

His hands roamed over Xiaoya's body, from her waist to her back, from her back to her neck, and finally stopped on her earlobe, gently kneading it.

Xiaoya bit her lip, let out a soft hum, and leaned against him.

"Director Lin, you're amazing."

Lin Jingshun did not respond, but reached his hand inside her collar.

Xiaoya trembled and grabbed his hand.

"Director Lin, please don't..."

"Don't what?" Lin Jingshun didn't stop.

Xiaoya bit her lip, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the moment.

On the other side, Cai Mingsheng had already clung to Xiaoyu and fallen onto the sofa, the two of them embracing and feeding each other wine mouth to mouth.

Xiaoyu's cheongsam collar was open, and Cai Mingsheng's hand roamed freely inside.

Although Chen Guowen was not as unrestrained as Lin Jingshun and Cai Mingsheng, his hands were not idle either.

His hand gently stroked Xiaoxue's legs, from her knees to her inner thighs. The movements were slow, yet very alluring.

The atmosphere in the private room grew increasingly ambiguous.

Lin Zheng sat in the corner, lit a cigarette, and watched all of this.

After several rounds of drinks, the dishes on the table had been almost finished.

Lin Jingshun put his arm around Xiaoya and leaned back on the sofa. The smile on his face slowly faded, and his gaze turned to Lin Zheng.

"Manager Lin, come here."

Lin Zheng's heart tightened. He stubbed out his cigarette and went over to sit opposite him.

"Director Lin, what are your instructions?"

Lin Jingshun picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said slowly, "There are a few problems with your project from the planning bureau's perspective."

Lin Zheng immediately had a bad feeling and asked, "What's the problem?"

"First, the site of your project is designated as agricultural land according to the planning regulations, so the land use needs to be changed."

"This change requires approval from the city; the district cannot make the decision on its own."

"Secondly, your building density exceeds the standard. According to regulations, it should not exceed 30%, but you have achieved 35%."

"Third, your greening rate is below standard. According to regulations, it should not be less than 30%, but yours is only 25%."

Lin Zheng's expression changed: "Director Lin, these quotas were all approved when Zhang Wenshan was in charge. Why can't they be approved now?"

"The past is the past, and the present is the present."

Lin Jingshun leaned back in his chair, his gaze returning to Lin Zheng's face.

"When Zhang Wenshan was in charge, many procedures were not standardized."

Now there's a new leader, new rules, and everything has to be done according to the new rules.

Damn, is this guy going to turn his back on us?

Lin Zheng took a deep breath and suppressed his anger.

"So, what does Director Yilin suggest we do?"

"What should we do?"

Lin Jingshun smiled and said, "Resubmit for approval and go through the process again."

"How long will that take?"

"It could take as little as six months or as long as a year."

Lin Zheng's face was ashen; the project would have been doomed long ago, after only six months or a year.

"Director Lin, can we hurry up? The project can't wait."

"quick?"

Lin Jingshun glanced at Lin Zheng with a condescending expression.

"Manager Lin, do you think the planning bureau is my personal property? That I can just rush things?"

That's not what I meant...

"So what do you mean?"

Lin Jingshun interrupted him, "You think you can get me to break the rules and give you a permit just because you treat me to a meal and give me a small gift?"

"Manager Lin, aren't you being incredibly naive?"

Lin Zheng clenched his fists, feeling an urge to beat Lin Jingshun up.

Cai Mingsheng put his arm around Xiaoyu and said with a smile, "Manager Lin, don't be in such a hurry."

"It's not that Director Lin doesn't want to help you, it's just that the rules are there, and he's in a difficult position too."

"So, what does Director Cai mean?"

"What I mean is, I want you to follow the rules."

Cai Mingsheng picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and then said, "Apply what needs to be approved, and rectify what needs to be rectified."

"As long as your paperwork is complete, we won't hold you back."

"But the project can't wait," Lin Zheng said.

"We have to wait, even if we can't afford to."

Chen Guowen suddenly spoke, his tone cold.

"I've reviewed the environmental impact assessment report for your project from the Environmental Protection Bureau, and there are many problems."

"Industrial wastewater treatment is not standardized, construction waste disposal does not meet standards, and dust control measures are inadequate."

"The Environmental Protection Bureau will not approve it unless these problems are resolved."

Upon hearing the three people's words, Lin Zheng's expression darkened completely.

He finally realized that these three people weren't helping him, but rather making things difficult for him.

These three gentlemen had no intention of letting the project proceed smoothly.