Me! A high-ranking official!

He laughed and waved his hand: "Boss, you're so resourceful. I only did some trivial things, yet I still managed to attract your attention. It seems I don't have any secrets to hide."

The woman sensed the probing in Zhao Jianguo's words, but she wasn't annoyed. She smiled and said, "Then I'll take it as Mr. Zhao praising my good connections."

Zhao Jianguo was filled with apprehension. This woman had immense power; she could run a dog farm of that size so successfully that no one dared to touch it. She was definitely not an ordinary businesswoman. He was just a village cadre, living in a completely different world from her. For someone like her to take the initiative to come to him, it was definitely not just out of admiration.

Sure enough, the woman put down her water glass and her expression became serious: "Mr. Zhao, we've done business before, so I won't beat around the bush. I'm here today to discuss cooperation with you."

"Cooperation?" Zhao Jianguo raised an eyebrow and pointed to his badge: "Boss, although I don't hold a high-ranking position, I am still a public servant. State cadres are not allowed to engage in business. Your cooperation... I'm afraid you've come to the wrong person."

The woman shook her head, smiling broadly: "Since it's a collaboration, I naturally know the rules. It will definitely be within Mr. Zhao's capabilities, and I will never allow Mr. Zhao to risk doing anything against the rules or regulations."

"Then what kind of cooperation?"

"Mr. Zhao knows I started out in the dog farm business, but I have more to do than that. I've been integrating resources recently, preparing to build a complete industrial chain for authentic Chinese medicinal herbs." The woman paused, observing Zhao Jianguo's reaction.

Zhao Jianguo's eyes flashed, signaling her to continue.

"The soil and climate of Linshui County and the surrounding counties are actually very suitable for growing medicinal herbs such as honeysuckle, rehmannia, and chrysanthemum. In the past, I was just a middleman, buying from individual farmers and then wholesaling and distributing them. But now, I want to set up my own planting demonstration site."

The woman stared into Zhao Jianguo's eyes: "I want to cooperate with Mr. Zhao. Luojia Village will provide manpower and land, and I will be responsible for providing seedlings, technical training and guidance throughout the process. Most importantly, I will guarantee the distribution of all the output."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jianguo, who had been leaning back slightly, involuntarily sat up straight.

Cultivating authentic medicinal herbs is indeed a great project, with profits several times, or even ten times, higher than growing grain! Once the two major challenges of technology and sales channels are solved, it will be the cornerstone for Luojia Village to escape poverty and achieve prosperity!

But he wasn't overwhelmed by this windfall. Having worked his way up from the bottom for so long, he knew that there was no such thing as love without a reason. The land in Luo Family Village was no more fertile than elsewhere, and the people in Luo Family Village were no more hardworking than elsewhere. As long as this woman made her word, dozens of villages in the county would fight tooth and nail to cooperate with her.

Why today of all days? Why Zhao Jianguo of all people?

He pondered, looking at the woman before him, his mind racing.

They got their marriage certificate at 2 PM... Zhou Qingyan reported to the city leaders at 4 PM... At 7:30 PM, this incredibly influential woman arrived with the contract...

Such a coincidence is almost non-existent in the adult world. He suddenly realized that this woman was not here for him, Zhao Jianguo, nor for Luo Family Village!

She came for Zhou Qingyan, the county party secretary who had just registered his marriage with him, whose mother was a vice-ministerial level official, and whose future was limitless!

This woman's information network is absolutely terrifying! She clearly learned about Zhou Qingyan's relationship with him immediately, taking advantage of the unclear situation and before anyone could react to stir up trouble!

As long as her project is implemented in Luojia Village, it will be equivalent to being tied to Zhao Jianguo, and indirectly establish a subtle connection with Zhou Qingyan.

He was secretly astonished. Was this the premium of power? The red book he hadn't even had a chance to warm up had so quickly turned into a bargaining chip for the whole village to get rich?

"Is it that simple?" He narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming intriguing. "Boss, I'm a timid person and don't like owing too many favors."

The woman could tell that Zhao Jianguo had already guessed some of what was going on, but she didn't expose him. She simply maintained a polite smile and said, "It's that simple. As long as Luo Family Village can organize the land transfer and labor force, my people will do the rest of the hard and tiring work. This is a political achievement for Mr. Zhao, and a business deal for me. We each get what we need, don't we?"

He looked out at the pitch-black night and sneered inwardly. "Zhou Qingyan, Zhou Qingyan, your nominal wife's power is truly beyond my imagination. The marriage hasn't even settled in yet, and trouble and fortune have already come knocking on our door at the same time."

He leaned back in his chair, quietly watching the woman in the wheelchair in front of him. His mind raced as he calculated that the woman herself had just said that she had other businesses besides dogfighting rings. The dogfighting ring alone, which operated in the gray area and made a fortune every day, was estimated to be worth tens of millions. And that was probably just her side business. The real, respectable main business of this woman was worth hundreds of millions.

For a financial player of her caliber, spending a few million to start a medicinal herb planting pilot project in Luojia Village is like throwing chips at a card table. It's a sure-fire, goodwill investment. If it succeeds, great; if she makes some money. Even if she loses, the few million can be considered a toll, allowing her to establish a deep connection of interests with Zhao Jianguo and Zhou Qingyan behind him.

In this country, on this land, personal connections and networks are always the most valuable resources, even more valuable than money. This woman dared to invest millions in him when she had only just received uncertain information. Her actions and methods are truly impressive!

Admittedly, he knew very well that the other party was after Zhou Qingyan, but he also knew even better what his own position was in this absurd and doomed fake marriage with Zhou Qingyan.

Given Zhou Qingyan's intolerant and decisive temperament, and the Zhou family's high-ranking and ruthless nature, if they discover that Zhao Jianguo is abusing his power and could even become a stain on Zhou Qingyan's political future, they will definitely cut ties with him ruthlessly at the first opportunity! They won't even need their political enemies to intervene; the Zhou family themselves will personally take action, cutting him down and crushing him into dust!

Thinking this through, he pulled himself together, smiled slowly, and said, "Boss, you've got a shrewd plan, but this investment probably won't yield the return you truly desire!"

The woman understood the underlying meaning in Zhao Jianguo's words. Instead of getting angry, she smiled slightly, her eyes revealing a businessman's composure: "Mr. Zhao, not all investments yield immediate returns, but without investment, there is no guaranteed return."