Me! A high-ranking official!

Zhao Jianguo greeted everyone, went straight back to his room, pulled out a chair and sat down in front of the computer. He typed "gambling king" into the search box, and soon, a flood of news popped up.

This legendary tycoon, who once dominated the world, is now 87 years old. Since his accidental fall some time ago, he has not made any public appearances. According to inside sources, his various bodily functions have deteriorated severely, and he has fallen into a coma. He can only be awake for a very short time. At present, he is being kept alive by the expensive top-notch medical equipment and imported drugs. The monthly expenses for medication and care alone exceed 100 million yuan!

He frowned slightly. This situation was completely different from Zhou Qingyan's previous fatal injury; it was simply that age had taken its toll and the organs had reached their limit.

He closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into the "treasure trove" deep in his mind. A dazzling array of light orbs floated in his consciousness space. He carefully selected them and finally locked his gaze on a pill that emitted a warm, gentle light.

"Rejuvenation Pill" slows down aging and restores bodily functions. It is simply a life-extending medicine tailor-made for the gambling king. What surprised him even more was that the exchange price marked in the treasure bowl was exactly five hundred million.

The bait is ready. Now it depends on whether Zhou Mingyuan can make contact and gain the other party's trust. As long as he gets the money, he can pay off his own debts and plug the hole in Zhou Mingyuan's public funds. A day has passed and Zhou Mingyuan has not replied yet, but he is not in a hurry. Zhou Mingyuan is carrying a debt of hundreds of millions. In order not to end up in jail, he will definitely do his best to facilitate this transaction.

Composing himself, he opened the project progress summary sent in the county bureau's work group and carefully reviewed each document.

The county attaches great importance to the "immersive ancient style experience project". The industrial investment group has also invested heavily in the early stage to start construction. The progress can be considered smooth. According to the original schedule, there should be no problem in completing the project on time. However, a safety accident occurred. The city issued a notice to stop the project and required a complete shutdown for rectification. This delay makes the resumption of work indefinite, and the subsequent troubles will only increase.

Looking at the latest progress of the "Classic of Mountains and Seas Zoo", things are going very well. The city's approval has been officially issued, and the construction period is very tight, requiring completion within six months. The initial version of the in-depth design led by the county has been completed and has successfully passed the city bureau's inspection. Only a few minor adjustments are needed before groundbreaking can begin. In addition, five million of the 20 million special funds have been allocated in advance, and the Municipal Construction Group has also successfully won the bid to obtain the project construction rights.

After understanding the basic situation on both sides, he had just turned off his computer when a series of hurried shouts came from outside the courtyard.

"Brother! Brother! I'm here!"

He chuckled, got up, pushed open the door, and went outside. He saw Zhao Lingling straddling a worn-out electric scooter, her face flushed from the heat, fanning herself with her hand and complaining, "This place is way too far! It took me twenty minutes to ride here, I'm exhausted! I finally got through my senior year of high school and don't have to study anymore, and now you've dragged me here to teach students!"

He walked down the steps and joked, "Anyway, you're just sitting at home doing nothing, so I'll find you something to do and let you put your remaining energy to good use."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lingling objected. She parked the car and began haggling angrily: "It's not that I can't come over, but look at me, I'm sweating buckets! I'm a cultured person, and I'm here to earn this kind of hard-earned money, and you only give me 1,500 a month? This is a desecration of culture! No way, you have to pay more, make it a round 2,000, not a penny less!"

He raised an eyebrow and readily nodded: "I'll raise it to three thousand if you want more money."

Zhao Lingling's eyes instantly lit up like light bulbs: "Really?"

"Of course it's true." Zhao Jianguo added slowly, "But the extra money will be used to offset the cost of your electronic three-piece set, and it will be deducted directly from your salary."

"That was a gift you gave me to celebrate my college entrance exam, why should I have to pay for it!" Zhao Lingling's eyebrows shot up.

He suppressed a laugh: "I gave it to my well-behaved and sensible younger sister. She won't be petty and argumentative with me the moment we meet."

Zhao Lingling immediately deflated. After holding it in for a long time, she could only mutter resentfully, "Fine, fine, 1,500 it is, you skinflint."

Just then, Li Gan came out of the kitchen carrying freshly cooked dishes. Hearing the noise, he greeted him cheerfully, "Brother Zhao, this must be my sister, right?"

Liu Zhijun, who was washing a rag, also came over and said, "Secretary, the food is just ready. Why don't you invite your sister in to have some?"

Zhao Lingling dropped her previous aggressive demeanor and put on a sweet smile, saying politely, "Thank you, brothers. I ate at home before coming."

He ruthlessly exposed her from the side: "You two, hurry up and eat. Don't worry about her. If she's really not full, she won't hesitate to steal food from your bowls to fill her stomach. She will never let herself go hungry."

"Brother!" Zhao Lingling blushed and stomped her foot in embarrassment and annoyance. "How can you expose your own sister's shortcomings in front of outsiders like that!"

He laughed heartily, stopped teasing her, and turned around to say, "Alright, leave the car here, I'll take you to get to know the classroom first."

The two walked along the dirt road in the village toward the classroom that had been temporarily set up. It was evening, and they met several villagers who had just returned from the fields. As soon as they saw Zhao Jianguo, they greeted him warmly from afar, their tone full of affection.

I heard that the pretty young girl next to her is Secretary Zhao's younger sister. Several aunties insisted on taking Zhao Lingling to their home to taste the freshly cooked firewood-cooked rice, and they forced two crisp peaches picked from their own yard before letting her go.

Holding a peach, Zhao Lingling stared incredulously at her brother walking ahead: "Brother, you're amazing! You've only been in this remote, poor place for a few days, and these old folks are treating you like their own son!"

"People are all made of flesh and blood." He didn't stop walking and casually replied, "As long as you sincerely help them make a living, they will naturally treat you like family."

Zhao Lingling pursed her lips, but her eyes couldn't hide her admiration: "It's really strange. That carefree guy from home can actually be a good village party secretary."

As they spoke, the two arrived at the courtyard that had been set up as a classroom. Two mischievous children had already run over and were squatting on the ground playing in the mud.

He beckoned the two children over and pointed to Zhao Lingling beside him, instructing, "This is your new teacher, Ms. Zhao. If you have any questions about your studies, ask her respectfully and don't cause trouble."

Zhao Lingling, who had been acting lazy, straightened up instinctively when called "teacher" by the two children. After all, she had only graduated from high school and still had a bit of student naiveté. In order to keep the situation in check, she deliberately put on a serious face, cleared her throat, and began to set rules for the two children in a strict manner.