In the private room, the atmosphere became stunned.
Xie Huilan's words seemed like a bombshell, detonating loudly in the air—everyone seemed to be reeling from the shock, unable to accept it, something they never expected. Previously, people from Bao Hong City had already interacted with Xie Huilan, and like many others, they had a very positive impression of her. They thought she was remarkable—a beautiful woman with a great figure and a high rank. Even setting aside those superficial factors, she was incredibly smart and wise, with an air of grace and poise that fundamentally differed from officials from small places. But who could have guessed that this nearly perfect woman was married to Dong Xuebing?
Although people may not have known him before, now, who doesn’t? People from Bao Hong City recognize his name immediately.
A thug who dares to go toe-to-toe with the city.
An asshole who dares to curse out foreigners to their face.
How could Secretary Xie marry him? What’s going on with the world?
Several staff members from Bao Hong City felt a sense of lamentation. One of them, who had admired Secretary Xie at first sight, almost fainted upon seeing her.
Is there no justice in the world?
Noticing everyone’s astonished expressions directed at him, Dong Xuebing remained calm and natural, casually picking up his chopsticks and eating without any pretense. And he even spoke after eating a bite, “Hmm, this dish is tasty. What is this?”
Secretary Qian Litao gave Dong Xuebing a deep look.
A staff member from Bao Hong City glanced at him and could only reply, “Golden braised lion’s head.”
“Oh, a lion’s head. It’s done well here.” Dong Xuebing was savoring the taste.
In reality, Dong Xuebing had already ordered this dish, and he had even tried it before—of course, he knew what it was called. This was him being deliberate. Suppose he was acting as the County Party Secretary of Jiao Lin, let alone asking the name of a dish. In that case, he might not even be qualified to sit at this table and might be given a cold shoulder by the city’s people. But now, the situation was different. Dong Xuebing was here as Secretary Xie’s husband. This meal was a welcome for Secretary Xie, making Dong Xuebing the center of attention. The identity was different. In the past, you could act tough and give me the cold shoulder, but now, I’m the husband of a city leader. Dong Xuebing was tired of being harassed by the city’s constant troubles—getting annoyed whenever he was made a target. Now, he had an opportunity to show off a bit. It’s good to have a wife who’s a leader.
No one dared give Dong Xuebing a cold shoulder at this moment. No matter what had happened in the past or what would happen in the future, at least in this private room, with Secretary Xie present, no one would dare to provoke Dong Xuebing. The City Party Secretary of Xie Xing City was here for inspection and exchange. If they gave a cold shoulder to Secretary Xie’s husband, it would be giving a cold shoulder to Secretary Xie, to Xie Xing City. That wouldn’t be in Bao Hong City’s best interest.
It's better not to provoke what you can’t handle.
The people from Bao Hong City were swearing under their breath, choosing not to speak, and continued eating.
A few minutes later, Qian Litao said, "Everyone must be about done eating, right, Secretary Xie? Where would you like to stay tonight? I'll make arrangements for you."
Xie Huilan smiled, "Of course, I'll stay in the city. Thanks for taking care of it, Secretary Qian."
"No need for thanks, heh," replied Qian Litao. "I'll have someone arrange everything for you. Just get in touch with Mayor Wang for the schedule of tomorrow's activities. The cars will be ready whenever you need them. I have some work to handle, so I'll take my leave for now."
Xie Huilan also stood up and shook hands with Qian Litao again, "Thank you for the hospitality today, Secretary Qian. You've made things a bit troublesome for your city this time."
Qian Litao smiled, "Too polite, no trouble at all. It's all about exchanging and learning from each other—these activities should be held more frequently. We'll have to go to Xie Xing City for some pointers if there's another opportunity. I hope you won't mind our visit then."
Xie Huilan chuckled, "Of course not. I'll welcome you personally."
They exchanged a few pleasantries, and then the banquet ended, with everyone gradually leaving. The city staff took care of the bill.
Outside, the city staff quickly arranged for hotel check-in. They didn’t have to leave the hotel; they could go straight upstairs to their rooms. Once everything was arranged, the people from Bao Hong City bid farewell, leaving only Dong Xuebing, Xie Huilan, and the delegation from Xie Xing City.
"Secretary, what now?" asked a staff member from Xie Xing City.
Xie Huilan replied calmly, "Free time. You can go up to rest or go out for a walk if you like. Heh, I'll leave that up to you."
So, the people from Xie Xing City dispersed. Many of them again cast curious glances at Dong Xuebing before they left.
After everyone had gone, Dong Xuebing told Xie Huilan, "You can stay here tonight or come with me to our county."
Xie Huilan replied, "Tomorrow is the first day of the exchange activities, so going to your county today isn’t appropriate. We still need to go through some formalities with the city tomorrow. Let’s wait until noon tomorrow to go to your county."
Dong Xuebing thought momentarily, "I can't stay in the city. Everyone is here for the celebration dinner. What would I be doing by staying alone? Besides, going to work here in the morning is inconvenient. If you have to stay here, I won’t be able to accompany you tonight. We’ll have to talk about it tomorrow instead."
Xie Huilan smiled, "Then let’s talk about it tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’ll stay in your county."
"Okay, let’s go then. The people from the county are still waiting for us." Dong Xuebing turned around, leading Xie Huilan toward the banquet hall.
As they walked past, they saw Zhang Dongfang and several county leaders coming out with glasses of wine, clearly heading to the leaders' private room to make a toast.
Dong Xuebing waved at them, "Old Zhang, Old Wei, don’t bother going there. The city leaders just left, and the private room is empty." He didn’t have the heart to say that he had already gone there to make a toast earlier, so he said, "We just ran into them in the lobby, and they left not long ago."
Zhang Dongfang and the others had no choice but to return to the banquet hall with Dong Xuebing and his wife.
Inside, the atmosphere was lively, with good food and wine. Dong Xuebing had also settled the bonus issue earlier, which had everyone’s spirits up. People were enjoying themselves, and Dong Xuebing liked this kind of atmosphere. So, he drank several more cups with a few county leaders.