NOVEL NEXT Chapter 273: Being Favored_2
"Didn't you also not address Teacher Hu by his title?" Xu Yingning laughed, teasing, "What, are you treating Teacher Hu and me differently?"
"Of course not..."
Li Jing realized that she had a point, thought for a moment, and finally nodded, "Alright, I'll call you 'sister-in-law' from now on."
Seeing him agree, Xu Yingning beamed, "Great, then I'll call you Xiaojing, okay?"
"Sure, that's what my parents call me too."
"Really?" Xu Yingning was a bit surprised, but before she could say more, she noticed a familiar figure quickly approaching from a distance.
She decided to end the previous topic, "Xiaojing, my friend is coming over. Why don't you sit with me later? I have a pretty good seat, so you'll have a better view of your friend's competition."
Li Jing responded without much thought, "Sure, thanks, Sister Xu... sister-in-law.
Huang Jun said he's definitely winning today, and it'll be good to have a spot to snap some photos of him."
"Is your friend called Huang Jun?"
Seeing Li Jing change the way he addressed her, Xu Yingning smiled broadly, "I'll check out your friend too. I've learned quite a bit about sports recently, even though I usually teach at the university."
With that, she got out of the car.
At the same time, Wei Yan, who was about to head to the driver's seat, saw Xu Yingning get out from the passenger side and was momentarily taken aback. She didn't have time to speak before seeing a stranger step out of the driver's seat.
"Sister Xu."
Wei Yan greeted Xu Yingning warmly first, then turned her gaze to Li Jing, puzzled, "And this is?"
"He's called Li Jing, just address him as President Li."
With that, Xu Yingning waved to Li Jing, "Come, Xiaojing, this is Director Wei from the sports bureau, a very capable woman."
Li Jing politely smiled, "Hello, Director Wei."
Wei Yan, seeing how friendly Xu Yingning was towards Li Jing, had a flurry of thoughts, then showed a rare kind smile:
"Hello, President Li, nice to meet you."
...
Government building, Deputy Mayor's office.
The spacious solid wood desk was piled with thick documents and a red national flag ornament.
On the wall behind the desk hung a large black-and-white landscape painting, its ink forming mountain outlines, with blank areas resembling swirling mists.
Above the painting, four calligraphic characters "Enduring and Profound" hung meaningfully.
Standing beside the desk, wearing a dark administrative jacket, was Hu Yongbo, looking stern as he gazed out at the campus plaza.
"Leader, the three bosses who just left seem to be from Wang City..."
"Let's not talk about that."
The young man with glasses had barely finished his sentence when Hu Yongbo raised his hand to interrupt, turning to look at the huge planning map of Celestial Sea City on the opposite wall.
He slowly walked over, focusing his eyes on the development zone of Tianhai: "The future development of Tianhai must focus on cultural, sports, and related entertainment service industries in the development zone. The planning and construction of this area must be completed with high quality and speed; we can't let it become a mess like before."
Hearing this, the bespectacled man's expression changed slightly, quietly closing the office door before approaching Hu Yongbo, whispering with concern, "Leader, you have Tianhai's future in mind, but others may not think the same.
Even if they do, their thoughts and intentions are unlikely to be so pure and simple."
"Indeed, the political environment in Tianhai hasn't been great in recent years..."
Hu Yongbo sighed deeply, a bit of weariness showing on his once authoritative face, as he slowly turned back to his desk and sat down.
"That's precisely why we need to be more vigilant."
Hu Yongbo furrowed his brow, determination and sternness in his eyes: "The companies investing in this Cultural Park project need to be thoroughly vetted; we can't let any unwanted elements in. Especially..."
Seeing the man glance at him, the bespectacled man's expression shifted slightly before nodding, "Understood, I'll convey your message, leader."
He hesitated for a moment, looking as if he wanted to say more.
Hu Yongbo looked up, indifferent, "Speak."
"Leader..."
The bespectacled man showed a hint of worry, speaking softly, "By doing this, it seems you're completely disregarding the other's feelings. I'm afraid they might react..."
"Do I need to consider anyone else's feelings when doing what I believe is right?"
"No, no, of course not."
Hearing the slight edge in his voice, the bespectacled man hurriedly laughed dryly, explaining, "Of course, you don't need to consider their feelings.
However, if we don't use the enterprises they recommend, finding investors completely unconnected to them might not be easy; they've been rooted in Tianhai for too long."
Hearing this, Hu Yongbo was silent for a moment, several figures flashing in his mind: "I've talked to some people recently, solutions will always outnumber problems. For things that need to be done, don't develop a defeatist attitude; the boat will naturally straighten when it reaches the bridge."
Hearing this, the bespectacled man was slightly surprised, then bowed his head respectfully, "Yes, I understand."
Just as he was about to leave, he paused, seeing the familiar figure at the door, and couldn't help smiling, "Director Liu."
"Secretary Wang."
Liu Huaming, dressed in black, nodded a greeting, sidestepping to let him out, then looked at Hu Yongbo in the room before walking respectfully into the office.
Seeing it was Liu Huaming, Hu Yongbo merely glanced up before continuing to peruse the documents on his desk.
After softly closing the office door, Liu Huaming remained silent, waiting quietly to the side.
It wasn't until a few documents were signed that Hu Yongbo put down his pen and looked up, "How did it go?"
"Mm, it went smoothly."
Upon Hu Yongbo speaking, Liu Huaming stepped forward to report on his work.
After completing the report, he hesitated before saying, "Brother, should I go sound out President Li? I heard the Cultural Park investment is fairly urgent."
"It's not that urgent; it's just that some people are deliberately pressuring me to loosen my grip sooner."
Hu Yongbo shook his head, "As for Li Jing, no need to ask; your sister-in-law will handle it."
"Sister-in-law?" Liu Huaming was a bit surprised.
"Yes, your sister-in-law is quite optimistic about Li Jing, thinking he's the most suitable among the few I've recently selected."
Hu Yongbo looked at Liu Huaming, "What do you think? Apart from Li Jing, what's your impression of the others?"
"To be honest, the bosses we've been dealing with recently haven't been in Tianhai long, so there aren't too many problems."
After pondering for a while, Liu Huaming said seriously, "But if I had to say who is the most trustworthy, I still think President Li is the most suitable."
Hu Yongbo narrowed his eyes slightly, "Why?"
Liu Huaming met his gaze, seriously answering, "Because he's not greedy for money."
Hu Yongbo frowned, "Everyone's actions have direction and purpose. If he truly doesn't want money, why is he willing to invest?"
"From what I understand, though he's not greedy for money, he deeply values experiences that enrich his life's journey."
Liu Huaming said, "And this project could offer him a unique life experience."
"Life experience..."
Hu Yongbo's fingers lightly tapped on the desk, then slowly shook his head, "The thinking of young people today is certainly different from ours."
He looked out the window, "No wonder Ying Ning values him, perhaps it's the rare quality he possesses.
Life experience, it's been many years since I've heard anyone mention that phrase."
Liu Huaming, sensing the sentiment in his tone, continued, "Your sister-in-law favoring President Li probably also stems from the youthful, rebellious spirit he has, lacking others' slickness and opportunism.
Isn't Xiaohan just such a character?"
Mentioning Xiaohan, a change finally appeared on Hu Yongbo's cold face:
"Maybe so, in the two years Xiaohan's been abroad, your sister-in-law has indeed become much thinner.
Though they look different, in some ways, Li Jing's temperament resembles Xiaohan's. No wonder Ying Ning values him."