"What? Inviting us to join the inspection team? Are you kidding me?" Li Ningguang roared immediately upon hearing Zhang Guodong's helpless message. "It must be that Li Jinluan's doing! It must be him!" What I feared most had come to pass! One group dealing in black market flowers and trees, the other protecting animal flowers and trees—what kind of situation was this? The bigger problem was that Zhang Guodong and Li Ningguang were tied up and couldn't get away. Naturally, the purpose of their trip into the mountains was forgotten. Bai Jiawei was the first to approach Zhang Guodong. This man of average height and appearance, or rather, this young man, gave Bai Jiawei a strange feeling. Zhang Guodong was surprisingly composed in her presence, unlike most people who would be nervous upon meeting her. She didn't know that Zhang Guodong was currently entangled with the provincial TV station's top female host; why would he be nervous or uneasy? People get used to things, so they're not surprised. But for Bai Jiawei, it wasn't like that. Moreover, Zhang Guodong actually kept such a fierce 'wolfhound,' though it looked a bit like a wolf. Wait, how could a wolf be kept as a pet? Bai Jiawei, as a reporter for the documentary team, naturally had some knowledge. However, she wasn't exactly an expert, otherwise she would have definitely said that Lao Qing was a wolf! And a rare wolf king at that! After a few casual words, Bai Jiawei smiled slightly and got straight to the point: "Mr. Zhang, I heard from Chairman Li that Mr. Li recently discovered a precious plant that was suspected to have gone extinct two million years ago. Is that true?" Upon hearing this and seeing the smiling woman, Zhang Guodong became wary. He was already certain that her destination was the same as theirs, so he was very resistant. "A precious plant that went extinct two million years ago? Are you kidding me? How could it be found if it went extinct?" Zhang Guodong shook his head vigorously, clearly not believing it. Bai Jiawei was taken aback that Zhang Guodong didn't even respond. Could it be that Chairman Li had made a mistake? Or did Zhang Guodong not know either? But then she thought that Chairman Li wouldn't lie to her; it was said that the person who discovered this precious fruit tree was also surnamed Li. Speaking of Zhang Guodong, he was relatively lucky. After Zhang Wen was severely beaten, he harbored resentment towards Li Ningguang. Seeing Wang Zhen take Liu Dewang away, he immediately became suspicious. Somehow, he made contact with people in the industry and heard that Li Ningguang had acquired a precious fruit tree worth tens of millions. He guessed something and, in a fit of jealousy and resentment, immediately leaked this news. Zhang Guodong, however, was let off the hook. Zhang Wen thought Zhang Guodong was...Zhang Guodong was just a nobody; even if he spilled the beans, it wouldn't have much of an impact. But Li Ningguang was different; his business was huge, so the impact would be enormous. Under this perception, Zhang Guodong was gradually overlooked by some people (including the role Zhang Guodong played in hosting the banquet). Li Ningguang, at the center of the storm, was the focus of everyone's attention. Bai Jiawei was slightly disappointed; it seemed Zhang Guodong might genuinely not know. In her mind, she considered Zhang Guodong one of Li Ningguang's subordinates because Zhang Guodong dressed similarly to everyone else—simple clothes costing only a few hundred yuan—and had a 'wolfhound' and a bodyguard-like demeanor. So Bai Jiawei clarified the topic, asking Zhang Guodong to relay a message: "The inspection team intends to invite Mr. Li to join our film crew. Please pass on the message, Mr. Zhang, I'll visit him again later!" "Okay, no need to see me out!" Zhang Guodong immediately replied. As soon as Bai Jiawei left, Zhang Guodong frowned and went to Li Ningguang, truthfully relaying the message. During this time of relaying the message, the other party was clearly giving Li Ningguang time to consider and make a decision. This time of consideration became a discussion, a meeting for Li Ningguang and Zhang Guodong to reach a consensus. “Brother Li, that bastard Li, 'Li Hongzhang,' is malicious. We need to find an excuse to refuse!” Zhang Guodong said after watching Li Ningguang roar. In Zhang Guodong’s opinion, only Li Ningguang could find an excuse. It seemed that Miss Bai regarded him as Li Ningguang’s subordinate, which was good, so he wouldn’t become a target as well. Moreover, there was no room for negotiation. If they joined, their trip into the mountains would fail; if they didn’t join, they could take a gamble. Therefore, Zhang Guodong had no intention of cooperating with them at all. Li Ningguang nodded, and the two reached a consensus. However, since the other party was a journalist, their status was somewhat different, so Li Ningguang still had to give them face and waited for Bai Jiawei to arrive. But unexpectedly, Li Hongbo also came along. Once inside, the small stone house seemed even more crowded, and everyone had to stand. This situation made it seem like they weren’t there to discuss cooperation but rather like gangsters were about to have a fight. The atmosphere was very tense! "Mr. Li's inspection team would like to invite your team to join us. What do you think? This trip is very important to our program, so we sincerely hope Mr. Li can help us—" Bai Jiawei said with a humble smile. Before Li Ningguang could refuse, Li Hongbo laughed, "I believe Mr. Li will agree. As a discerning and far-sighted businessman, how could Mr. Li refuse?" Bai Jiawei also smiled expectantly at Li Ningguang. Li Ningguang forced a smile and said, "Reporter Bai, I would be happy to help the inspection team, but we have our own mission. We heard that there is jade in the Qingyang area, but we don't know if it's true or not, so we have to go and see!" This was simply fabrication—was there jade in Qingyang? This was a refusal! Li Ningguang's other identity was that of a jade merchant, so it was perfectly understandable for him to go and investigate jade-producing areas. "Typed by Lexun Bookstore" "Although we can't go in person, we'd be very willing to provide some support to the expedition team. Wang Zhen is sponsoring 30,000 yuan for Reporter Bai's three-person team to show our support for protecting wild flora and fauna resources!" Wang Zhen then took out three stacks of unopened 100-yuan bills and handed them over with both hands. Bai Jiawei was momentarily stunned, but she couldn't refuse because it was a kind gesture. But how should she accept it? No one had expected this turn of events. "How can this be? How can we let you spend so much?" Li Ningguang smiled brilliantly this time, saying, "Reporter Bai, please don't refuse. Filming in the wild to protect wild flora and fauna resources is a very arduous and dangerous task. I'm a rough man, but I know everyone is working for the well-being of future generations. Since we've encountered this opportunity, I'd feel bad if I didn't show my support!" "And this money is specially prepared for your team, and I wish you a safe journey!" Li Hongbo seemed quite annoyed, not expecting Li Ningguang to refuse so decisively and handle things so well. He couldn't dissuade Bai Jiawei now; the sponsor wasn't for the entire expedition team, and he couldn't stop them from having better equipment and food, could he? Zhang Guodong almost burst out laughing. Was Li Ningguang even a rough man? What was originally a difficult situation had been turned into a bittersweet ending, with both sides getting along well. Bai Jiawei had wanted to persuade Li Ningguang, but her colleague said, "Jiawei, it's clear they won't join us. You can't force it, so let it go—" Perhaps the money had worked, or perhaps she truly saw the determination of the inspection team—to be precise, Bai Jiawei reluctantly gave up the invitation. After they left, Zhang Guodong laughed, "Old foxes are still the best! Brother Li solved a big problem!" Li Ningguang laughed heartily, "It's only a temporary solution. Some people are full of bad intentions; you have to be wary!" That person full of bad intentions was naturally Li Hongbo. His unwilling expression as he left made everyone feel both delighted and a little worried. Since ancient times, good and evil have been irreconcilable. Although 'Li Hongzhang' was wicked to the core, he was still in power and represented the government and justice. The rain lasted for two hours straight, a torrential downpour causing mountain torrents to rush down like white dragons converging in the ravines. The deafening roar made it seem as if the power of heaven and earth was unstoppable! As a result, the highway was flooded by the raging torrents, forcing vehicles to wade through the water – an extremely dangerous situation! Fortunately, after two hours, the rain finally subsided, and the lightning and thunder disappeared without a trace. It seemed the mountain thunderstorm was finally coming to an end! "We'll head out once the torrents have subsided!" Li Ningguang said, glancing at the sky. It was already past four in the afternoon, but the clouds still made it feel dark, almost like dusk. If they reached Qingyang smoothly on the remaining journey, it would be completely dark by then. There was no time to lose! Zhang Guodong nodded and went to pack his things. The bedding he had laid out was barely used; he simply wrapped it up and stuffed it into his travel bag. After all, most of his belongings were in Taoyuan; the things in the travel bag were just a cover. The travel bag, weighing only about ten pounds, was quite light. Lao Qing, also full of energy, leaped off the stone table. A dozen minutes later, the rain completely stopped, and the 'white dragon' that had been wading down the mountain had weakened considerably. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and set off! Just as everyone was loading their things onto the vehicles, Liu Dewang, who was looking around, suddenly said, "Look, they've set off too?" Everyone looked and saw that the survey team from the two stone houses had also started moving and had come out. "I knew those chickens were full of bad ideas. But since we're on the road, let them follow if they want!" Li Ningguang cursed disdainfully. Unlike bicycles, the convoy's route was planned. Private bicycles were much more free, and it was easy to shake off these people. Zhang Guodong glanced at the others, got into his car, and the car sped off like a wild horse. He was ahead of them! Once on the road, Zhang Guodong finally felt a sense of relief. He opened the car window, and the fresh air allowed him to exhale all the stuffy air. Soon, Zhang Guodong could no longer see the cars following behind. "I'm starting to miss the hot springs. Having two girls to warm the bed is definitely more comfortable than this mountain valley!" Li Ningguang said boldly. Having bottled up his frustration, he could finally catch his breath. Everyone laughed understandingly. "Dewang, you old bachelor, don't you want a woman? When we get to Qingyang, you can have your fun! I'll pay for it!" Liu Dewang immediately flattered him, beaming. "Following Boss Li means money to spend, women to sleep with, and a bright future!" Zhang Guodong found it amusing, but he could only smile bitterly. Now that he was here, he was destined to be alone. He couldn't compare to Li Ningguang, who, nearing fifty, was seizing the last moments of masculine madness, indulging in unrestrained pleasure. But he couldn't. He was still young. In Qingyang, a hot bath, some local delicacies, and a good night's sleep—that was all he wanted! Once they got to the mountains, let alone a bath, even hot food would be hard to find, right?
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