Zhao Feiyang felt a sharp pain inside, though he himself thought the same, but hearing the words come out of Pei Lin’s mouth was the greatest insult to him. Zhao Feiyang said coldly, "Whether I fail or not won’t affect you."

Pei Lin sighed and said, "You always think that I only got to where I am today because of you. In reality, you and I are just pawns in Tang Jingwei’s hands. When he believes we no longer have value, he will ruthlessly abandon us. In this regard, there is no difference between you and me."

Zhao Feiyang drove silently without responding, yet he couldn’t deny that Pei Lin spoke the truth.

Pei Lin said, "The reason Tang Jingwei put me on the board of Jiayue Department Store was to use me to keep you in check. If we divorce, it would mean I lose my value. It wouldn’t be long before he removes me from the board."

Zhao Feiyang smirked silently to himself, thinking you’re not entirely foolish after all, so you don’t want to divorce me.

Pei Lin said, "Perhaps you wish he would do that, but have you considered that if I’m removed, would he give up controlling you?" She shook her head and said, "No, he would immediately exert more pressure on you, making you even more miserable and passive."

Zhao Feiyang had to admit this woman was too smart and had a clear view of the situation.

Pei Lin said, "I withdrew the decision to divorce not because I can’t bear to leave you, but because I believe that divorce would benefit neither of us. Working together will bring mutual benefits, while separation would harm us both. Although we may not become a loving couple, we can still collaborate in our careers and face the Huayuan Group together, to secure a bright future for our child."

Pei Lin gently stroked her abdomen, looking at her bulging belly with a long-lost tenderness in her eyes.

Zhao Feiyang’s breathing became noticeably rapid, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Pei Lin said, "You’re not having an easy time. If I’m not wrong, the two billion from selling Weishan Island Hospital won’t smoothly be transferred to Changxing’s account. If anything goes wrong, you’ll be the one bearing the blame."

Zhao Feiyang drove the car into the hospital parking lot but did not get out immediately because he wanted to hear what Pei Lin had to say next.

Pei Lin said, "Lately, I’ve been thinking sometimes Xu Chunliang’s approach might be worth learning. If you want others to value you, you don’t necessarily have to be diligent and responsible. If you can make them feel troubled yet wary, that’s an approach to life too."

Zhao Feiyang unscrewed his thermos and took a sip of tea, saying, "I don’t have anything important this afternoon, so I’ll accompany you to your check-up."

Pei Lin said, "Nothing improper has ever happened between Yang Mufeng and me. I’ve never betrayed you. If you doubt me, I have no objection to any tests."

Zhao Feiyang naturally understood what she meant. She was telling him that the child in her belly was undoubtedly his.

Xu Chunliang made an imprint of the dragon bone and then hid it again. After completing the transfer procedures, Xu Chunliang reported his situation to Secretary Qin Zhengyang. Qin Zhengyang wasn’t surprised about Xu Chunliang going to the Culture and Tourism Bureau, as it was evident from Fu Guomin borrowing him.

Qin Zhengyang saw Xu Chunliang clearly. Such a person was beyond his control. He neither dared to offend him nor could guarantee that Xu Chunliang would always obey orders during work. Fortunately, the borrowing period was short, and as long as everyone got along peacefully, that was good enough. He wouldn’t adopt a superior stance and would show sufficient respect to Xu Chunliang.

Xu Chunliang also took the opportunity to request leave because next week he would go to the Capital City for a training course.

Qin Zhengyang naturally gave him the green light all the way. Since it was Sunday, he was also in Dongzhou and arranged to have dinner with Xu Chunliang in the evening, informing him that Zhang Hengyang would be coming too.

Inviting Xu Chunliang to such an intimate gathering proved that Qin Zhengyang regarded Xu Chunliang as an equal friend. Also, Zhang Hengyang had already resigned from Da Heng and temporarily had no business dealings with Hu Shan Town, so Qin Zhengyang didn’t need to avoid any suspicion of their relationship.

The dinner was held at the Huaiyang Cuisine Restaurant right in front of Qin Zhengyang’s house. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

When Xu Chunliang arrived, Qin Zhengyang and his wife were already there. Xu Chunliang brought two boxes of tea and a bag of dried bamboo shoots as a gift. He called Li Wenjing ’sister-in-law’ warmly, making her extremely happy.

Li Wenjing was the principal of Qingchun Road Primary School and had just agreed to help Xu Chunliang with an admission spot for this year, which was quite a significant favor. Of course, Xu Chunliang’s intentions were simple, wanting to help He Tiantian and her daughter. Xu Chunliang suggested that when he returned from the Capital City, they could arrange for the Qin Zhengyang couple to try local cuisine from Weishan Lake at He Tiantian’s small restaurant.

"Xiaoxu, why didn’t you bring your girlfriend along?" Qin Zhengyang asked when he called Xu Chunliang to dinner and had specifically instructed him, but Xu Chunliang still came alone.

Xu Chunliang explained that Mei Ru Xue had gone to Gutian at the moment. Qin Zhengyang immediately understood that Mei Ru Xue was once again on a "gilding" trip. The background of Mei Ru Xue was not something Qin Zhengyang could envy. Qin Zhengyang himself had a small goal, to achieve the leap from section chief to deputy department level by the time he was thirty.

Five minutes past the agreed time, Qin Zhengyang called Zhang Hengyang. Usually, Zhang Hengyang arrived early in such situations, but today he was late.

Just as Qin Zhengyang dialed, Zhang Hengyang entered holding his phone, repeatedly apologizing, "Sorry, sorry, I had some car trouble."

Zhang Hengyang brought four bottles of Moutai and a bottle of French red wine.

Xu Chunliang didn’t know much about wine, but he knew this wine wasn’t cheap.

Qin Zhengyang said, "I said I was hosting, so what are you doing bringing these?"

Zhang Hengyang laughed and said, "We’re all friends, there’s no need to be so formal."

Xu Chunliang opened a bottle and poured some wine, and Zhang Hengyang quickly tried to stop him, "Town Mayor Xu, let me do it, let me do it!"

Qin Zhengyang chuckled, "Xiaoxu is now part of the Cultural and Tourism Bureau."

Zhang Hengyang was momentarily surprised. Xu Chunliang had barely worked in Hu Shan Town for a few days, and now he’s with the Cultural and Tourism Bureau? This guy might surpass Qin Zhengyang before long.

Xu Chunliang explained that he had just been transferred from Changxing to the Cultural and Tourism Bureau, but he was still temporarily stationed in Hu Shan Town.

Zhang Hengyang was aware of Fu Guomin’s relationship with Xu Chunliang and heard Xu was now in the Culture, Tourism, and Cultural Relics section. This guy will likely navigate the Cultural and Tourism Bureau with ease, though Xu Chunliang seems to handle every situation effortlessly.

After three rounds of drinks, Zhang Hengyang congratulated Xu Chunliang once more.

Xu Chunliang inquired about his current situation.

Zhang Hengyang replied, "I resigned from Da Heng and am preparing to start my own business."

Li Wenjing said, "Congratulations on that."

Qin Zhengyang asked, "Are you still in real estate?"

Zhang Hengyang shook his head, saying, "The real estate market hasn’t been good these past two years. I can’t see a future there, that’s why I left Da Heng."

Everyone knew he had taken the blame for the Weishan Island project.

Zhang Hengyang didn’t feel down about it. Considering Da Heng’s uncertain prospects, leaving was perhaps a wise risk-avoidance move.

Xu Chunliang asked, "What do you plan to do? Do you have any direction? Maybe there’s a chance for collaboration."

Zhang Hengyang smiled and said, "I’m still exploring. I want to take some time to rest. Since this is my own venture, every penny spent is real money, so I have to be extra careful."

Qin Zhengyang asked, "Given Da Heng’s poor condition, why don’t they want to transfer the Weishan Island project to Equatorial Capital?"

Zhang Hengyang answered, "That’s no longer my responsibility, but I know a bit about it. Equatorial Capital offered a very low price, and Luan Yuchuan has historically attacked Da Heng’s stock, making a lot of money. Using money taken from Da Heng to buy Da Heng’s projects is something no one would accept."

Xu Chunliang responded, "As long as they’re paying with real money, why does it matter where it came from?"

Zhang Hengyang, knowing his relationship with Mo Han, smiled and said, "I’m too lazy to care about Da Heng’s matters now."

Qin Zhengyang asked, "That can’t be true. You still hold quite a bit of Da Heng stock, right?" For a senior executive like Zhang Hengyang, even if he resigned, completely cutting ties with Da Heng immediately would be unlikely.

Zhang Hengyang replied, "Not much anymore."

Qin Zhengyang further questioned, "Will Da Heng’s theme park be completed on schedule?"

Zhang Hengyang answered, "That shouldn’t be a problem; I verified it before leaving."

With the issues at Weishan Island Hospital resolved, what worried Qin Zhengyang now was Da Heng Group’s project, fearing it might be left unfinished.

Xu Chunliang casually reported to Qin Zhengyang about the recent cultural and tourism meeting.

After listening, Qin Zhengyang sighed, "The cultural and tourism work in Dongzhou is tough. Take the national-level tourist resort project, for instance. It’s vast and not exclusive to Dongzhou; Jizhou has a part too. Jizhou’s lake is expansive and surrounded by mountains and water. Except for Weishan Island, Dongzhou’s lakeside areas are mostly flat plains. Lake fishing is rampant, breaking the lake into fragments, which hardly constitutes a scenic view."

Xu Chunliang commented, "That’s why Weishan Island has become the focal point for Dongzhou tourism."

Zhang Hengyang, who previously managed Da Heng projects across the East China Region, including Jizhou, nodded knowingly, "From an outsider’s perspective, Jizhou’s efforts in tourism outpace Dongzhou’s. Their investment is substantial, and they boast more historical relics around Weishan Lake."

Xu Chunliang, who recently visited Jizhou, laughed, "That’s because Dongzhou’s GDP isn’t driven by cultural and tourism factors."

Li Wenjing remarked, "Personally, I feel there’s not much fun in Dongzhou. Besides the Han Tomb and Hidden Dragon Lake, you barely see any ancient buildings in the city. Coupled with the constant road construction and new subway projects, the dust is overwhelming. Haven’t you heard people call our place the ’Eastern Syria’?"