Chapter 36: A Petty Man

"No, this is my first time here," Li Xiuyuan said, looking at his uncle, Song Limin. In his previous life, he had actually visited the Jinxin Hotel before, having been brought there by his superiors. However, in a couple of years, places like this would be a dime a dozen.

At the moment, it just happened to look a bit more upscale and atmospheric in terms of decor and service.

"Seeing how familiar you are with everything, I thought you'd been here before," Song Limin said with a sheepish smile. This nephew of his had truly changed.

The two didn't wait long before Song Limin received a call; Luo Tao had arrived at the entrance. Li Xiuyuan followed his uncle out to greet him. Luo Tao looked somewhat similar to Director Luo Yi—they were brothers, after all.

However, even though he was a classmate of his uncle, Song Limin, he looked a bit younger.

When Song Limin introduced Li Xiuyuan, and Luo Tao heard that Li Xiuyuan had recently passed the civil service exam and started working at the County Government Office, he immediately understood the situation.

Luo Tao didn't find it strange, though. If someone books such a high-end venue, spending one or two thousand yuan on a meal, what else would they be after besides asking for a favor?

The meal went smoothly. Li Xiuyuan was good at conversation, strictly maintaining his identity as the younger generation. He toasted when he was supposed to, poured tea when needed, and was sweet-mouthed, addressing the guest as "Uncle Luo" at every turn.

Luo Tao was quite pleased with Li Xiuyuan, finding the young man to be tactful and polished.

"Brother Tao, I won't stand on ceremony with you. Since Xiuyuan just started his job, I was hoping to invite your brother to a meal so they could meet, and perhaps you could look out for him at the office," Song Limin said, feeling the time was right after several rounds of drinks.

Luo Tao smiled, glanced at Li Xiuyuan, and replied, "Sure, that’s no problem at all. I’ll stop by tomorrow, have a word with my brother, and see when he's free so we can all sit down together. Given our relationship, there's really no need to be this extravagant; any place would have done. Booking such a high-end spot makes it feel like we're drifting apart."

"Oh, I know. I didn't want to either, but Xiuyuan insisted that since it's his first time meeting Uncle Luo, he had to show proper respect," Song Limin said, shifting all the credit to Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan seized the moment to raise his glass.

"Uncle Luo, thank you. I know you and my uncle are great friends, but your friendship is yours, and as the younger generation, I can't be lacking in manners. If you and my uncle were just grabbing a casual bite, that's your bond—what you eat doesn't matter, it's the sentiment that counts. But given your status, you must be a regular here at the Jinxin Hotel. If I had arranged a small, shabby place for our first meeting, it would have been my own lack of awareness."

"Haha!" Luo Tao laughed heartily at Li Xiuyuan's words. He liked this young man more and more. He was truly eloquent; his words gave Luo Tao face while emphasizing his own sense of loyalty, effectively putting him on a pedestal.

"Fine, for that remark alone—come, let's finish this drink. As for your business, your Uncle Luo will make sure it gets done." Luo Tao drained his glass.

As the meal ended, Li Xiuyuan and Song Limin stood at the entrance, watching Luo Tao depart.

Song Limin was quite excited. Aside from the sting of the bill, he was very satisfied with the outcome of the dinner.

"Xiuyuan, rest easy. Tao is a man of his word; since he promised, there definitely won't be any issues." Song Limin was full of confidence. In the private room, he had called him "Brother Tao," but now he was just "Tao."

Li Xiuyuan, however, was not as optimistic. Luo Tao was Luo Tao, and Director Luo was Director Luo; they were different people. Luo Tao was, at the end of the day, an ordinary person, and even with their connection, he viewed problems from an ordinary person's perspective.

Director Luo was different. Having spent so many years in the Government Office and rising to the position of First Deputy Director, his way of considering things would surely be different from Luo Tao's.

What Luo Tao promised might not necessarily be something Director Luo would agree to.

But at this point, Li Xiuyuan had done everything he could. Whether it was a narrow escape or a dead end, he could only wait for the result. If push came to shove, he would have to resort to his last option.

That would be trying his luck with Wu Yiyi, though that would be like trying to revive a dead horse.

Throughout Thursday, Li Xiuyuan waited anxiously for news from Luo Tao. He hoped that if things were settled on Thursday, he could arrange the meal with Director Luo for Friday or Saturday night—that would be the most appropriate timing.

However, by the time he got off work in the evening, there was still no word. Li Xiuyuan had to prepare to head home, but Wang Zhitao suggested that since they hadn't been able to eat together yesterday, they should go now.

Li Xiuyuan didn't have any plans, so he went out to eat with Wang Zhitao and Li Boyang.

The three of them left right on time, but no sooner had they left than Qu Hui arrived. Seeing that they were gone, he asked the others where they had gone, sounding quite displeased.

"Section Chief Qu, Li Boyang and Zhitao took the newcomer, Li Xiuyuan, out for a meal," Huang Wei said first.

Qu Hui frowned upon hearing this. "When did they leave?"

"I didn't notice," Huang Wei replied directly.

Sister Zhang and the young Mrs. Yang opened their mouths as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed their words. Recently, there had been rumors that the General Section was looking to promote a Deputy Section Chief.

At a sensitive time like this, it was better not to offend anyone. Besides, speaking up wouldn't just offend Huang Wei; it would primarily offend Qu Hui.

Old Zhu remained unfazed, looking as if the matter had nothing to do with him. Finally, Wu Yiyi couldn't watch anymore and said, "Section Chief Qu, the three of them left after work hours. If there's any work to be done, I can give them a call and ask them to come back."

Wu Yiyi didn't care about Li Boyang, but Wang Zhitao had started at the same time as her and they had a decent relationship, and she found Li Xiuyuan agreeable, so she didn't mind helping when she could.

Qu Hui looked at Wu Yiyi, shook his head, and said, "No need. If they've left, let them be. After all, time after work is their own."

Qu Hui spoke in a flat, indifferent tone. He was only giving Wu Yiyi face; otherwise, he wouldn't have let it slide so easily. He then turned to Huang Wei and said, "Huang Wei, if you're not busy, stay late. There's a document that needs to be written tonight; the leaders need it tomorrow..."

"Understood, Section Chief Qu. I'm free..."

Huang Wei followed Qu Hui away happily. The others left in the office had their own private thoughts. Wu Yiyi took out her phone and tapped out a text message to Li Xiuyuan, explaining what had happened.

At that moment, Li Xiuyuan, Wang Zhitao, and Li Boyang had just arrived at the restaurant. When he saw the message from Wu Yiyi, his face darkened. This damn Huang Wei was truly a piece of work.

He was a villain through and through. He wore a smile for everyone, but when it came to stabbing people in the back, he was a master.

What did he mean by "I didn't notice when they left"? If you didn't notice, you could have just said you didn't know where they went. But instead, he made sure to mention that they had gone out to eat and drink, while simultaneously claiming he didn't notice if they had left after work or not.

It seemed he only "didn't notice" exactly when it served to hurt someone.

Li Xiuyuan didn't hide anything from Wang Zhitao and Li Boyang, relaying what had happened in the General Section after they left.

Wang Zhitao was furious upon hearing this. "Huang Wei is a bastard. I can't believe he's so underhanded."

Li Boyang, however, was accustomed to such things. "It's normal. Haven't you realized? Huang Wei and that guy Qu are cut from the same cloth. When I was competing with Qu Hui for the position of Secretary Section Chief, he used these kinds of petty tactics constantly. It's disgusting, but you can't deny that these petty tricks are indeed effective."

Intrigued, Li Xiuyuan and Wang Zhitao immediately began asking for the details of that past conflict.