Upon hearing Lu Huisheng’s words, Ye Hong was slightly displeased.
"The suggestion to go on this inspection trip came from Chen Bin. Who can go and who cannot—it’s all up to him."
"That won’t work! I argue with him every day; he definitely won’t take me. County Magistrate Ye, you’ve got to help me out with this!"
"Alright then, once he submits the list, I’ll take a look at who’s included."
After Cai Lixia left, Chen Bin immediately called Ma Juan.
He quickly shared the plan to go to Shanghai for the inspection trip.
Ma Juan exclaimed excitedly, "That’s great! I’d been wanting to go to Shanghai anyway—now we can go together!"
"We can sit in the same car, but we can’t directly go together."
"Why not? I’m your woman—are you saying you’re ashamed of me?"
Hearing Ma Juan’s displeased tone, Chen Bin explained patiently.
"You’re so beautiful—how could I be ashamed? It’s just that this time the inspection involves leaders and colleagues. Bringing a girlfriend along wouldn’t be appropriate."
"I don’t care. I’m going to be with you no matter what!"
Seeing her emotional flare-up, Chen Bin soothed her further.
"Be good—listen. This trip is mainly for learning and inspection. Romance can wait for now. Besides, we won’t be far apart; once we’re back in Tianhai, we can see each other anytime."
Despite feeling reluctant, Ma Juan didn’t want to upset Chen Bin.
She sighed and said, "Fine, just let me know once you’ve bought the tickets—I’ll try to book the same train."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Bin took out his phone again and called his university roommate Pan Hao.
Pan Hao was a wealthy heir—his parents owned a company in Shanghai.
During school, Chen Bin often ran errands for Pan Hao, so the two maintained a friendly relationship.
When Pan Hao learned that Chen Bin was coming to Shanghai to visit, he was thrilled.
"No problem! I’ll make sure to find time to pick you up at the station!"
The next day, as soon as Chen Bin reached his office, he called Ding Zi and asked her to meet him there.
After sharing the plan to go to Shanghai for the inspection, he assumed she would readily agree.
After all, the expenses were covered by the public—it was practically a free trip.
However, Ding Zi shook her head expressionlessly.
"My mom’s sick; I need to take care of her."
Only then did Chen Bin realize that Ding Zi had gone to the County Hospital yesterday to care for her mother.
"Can’t someone else take over the care?"
"My dad’s health isn’t good either. I have to replace him as soon as I get off work."
"I see. Alright, you can head back then."
Sighing, Chen Bin felt a tinge of regret.
This was the perfect opportunity to get closer to Ding Zi, but it had slipped away.
Once Qinghe Town’s inspection list was finalized, Chen Bin reported it to Xue Baoguang.
Without much thought, Xue Baoguang directly asked his secretary to submit the list to Vice County Magistrate Yu Jiang.
However, Yu Jiang immediately headed to Ye Hong’s office.
Ye Hong wasted no time before calling Chen Bin.
"I’ve seen the list of people from your town going to Shanghai for the inspection. I feel the allocation of personnel isn’t very reasonable."
Chen Bin responded promptly, "What’s unreasonable, County Magistrate Ye? Please explain."
"The people you chose are mostly from the Party committee. This inspection is about economic development; it should involve people from both the government and the Party committee."
"County Magistrate Ye, I actually wanted to include someone from the government side. But Mayor Lu hasn’t been feeling well—he was sick for half a month last time. If something were to happen this time, I wouldn’t be able to shoulder the responsibility!"
Ye Hong understood that Chen Bin was indirectly complaining.
Although Ye Hong felt displeased, he didn’t express it openly.
"Regardless, the Town Government must send someone!"
Not wanting to offend Ye Hong over a minor issue, Chen Bin replied, "If there’s a suitable candidate from the Town Government, of course, they can be included. But it’d be best if it’s not Mayor Lu—after all, Qinghe Town will need him to maintain order while I’m away!"
Ye Hong didn’t respond. After hanging up, he called Lu Huisheng’s office.
"I’ve secured a spot for your side, but it can’t be you!"
This left Lu Huisheng deeply unhappy. "Why not?"
"Because Chen Bin said Qinghe Town needs you to manage. You can figure it out yourself."
Despite Lu Huisheng’s fury, Ye Hong remained calm.
"This inspection was Chen Bin’s idea, and he’ll definitely go. If you insist on going too, Xue Baoguang won’t approve—and you might even get reprimanded. Think it over yourself."
With that, Ye Hong hung up.
Though deeply frustrated, all Lu Huisheng could do was stew in silence.
After some time, he called Deputy Mayor Du Minli to his office.
Soon, the office door was knocked on, and Du Minli—wearing professional attire—walked in.
Standing about 1.6 meters tall and wearing rimless glasses, her figure was curvaceous and strikingly attractive.
"Mayor Lu, you called for me?"
Looking at his most trusted subordinate, Lu Huisheng informed her about the County’s plan for the Shanghai inspection trip.
"You mean you want me to go?"
Her eyes widened in shock, clearly unable to believe it.
After all, she assumed such a good opportunity would never be hers.
Sighing, Lu Huisheng appeared somewhat helpless.
"Of course, I’d prefer to go myself. But since they won’t allow me, your job is to keep an eye on Chen Bin!"
Nodding solemnly, Du Minli looked resolute.
To her, anyone Lu Huisheng considered his opponent was also her enemy.
Alongside the addition of a Qinghe Town member, Dragon Mountain County’s Government added someone as well:
Lv Zhong, Deputy Minister of Dragon Mountain County’s Organization Department.
His primary task was to manage all team expenses.
Once the list was finalized, the County allocated funding for the trip.
Yu Jiang created a WeChat group and pulled all inspection team members in.
He also announced the departure date as Sunday!
After Lv Zhong purchased the high-speed rail tickets, Chen Bin forwarded the tickets to Ma Juan.
Despite booking her ticket promptly, Ma Juan found she wasn’t in the same car as Chen Bin, though the distance between them wasn’t far.
On Sunday, before leaving the town, Chen Bin instructed Cheng Zhuang.
"Once I leave, you need to keep an eye on the Mayor’s actions. Inform me of any developments as soon as possible."
Cheng Zhuang confidently patted his chest, "Don’t worry—I’ll make sure to complete the task!"
Soon, the inspection team gathered at Tianhai’s high-speed rail station.
After boarding, Chen Bin immediately headed to the neighboring car to check on Ma Juan.
He reminded her to message him if something came up but to avoid approaching him outright to prevent awkwardness in front of colleagues.
Not wanting to upset Chen Bin, Ma Juan nodded obediently.
Returning to his seat, Chen Bin noticed Cai Lixia and Du Minli, both in long dresses, sitting nearby.
Traveling was inherently dull.
Having two beautiful women around certainly brightened the mood.
Qinghe Town Government had three renowned beauties: Cai Lixia, Ding Zi, and Du Minli.
Cai Lixia exuded an air of elegance and purity—her charm was wholesome.
Ding Zi was cold and reserved, much like a timeless block of ice—her beauty was strikingly aloof.
Du Minli, on the other hand, possessed a mature allure that radiated seduction.
Though each woman had her unique appeal, all were undeniably attractive.
A few bored men would inevitably allow their gazes to drift toward Du Minli.
At that moment, a sharp voice suddenly rang out in the car.
"What are you looking at, you perverts!"