"Congratulations, Teacher Wei. When you go back, don't forget our Central Town," Xiao Lüping said with a smile.
"Thank you, Director Xiao. I will never forget. It's getting late. Let me treat you to a meal. I've been busy all morning," Wei Ke said quickly. After all this trouble, she had grown a lot.
Xiao Lüping smiled and shook his head upon hearing this: "No need, let's go back. If I have the chance to go to the provincial capital in the future, I'll trouble Teacher Wei again."
Xiao Lüping had no interest in having dinner with Wei Ke. He was only helping Wei Ke because Pi Kai had instructed him to. As for Wei Ke paying, well, who cares? Who can afford to miss a meal?
But for many people, it seems that eating this meal means they've agreed to help and repaid the favor.
The idea that you have to get things done just because you paid money is unacceptable within the system. People who come to your restaurant are often doing you a favor.
So without introductions from acquaintances or anything like that, and if someone immediately asks for a treat, no one will go. Wei Ke now understands this deeply. She knows that whether it was Xiao Lüping accompanying her to handle the procedures or Zhou Yutang successfully signing the papers just now.
It has nothing to do with him, and they don't care about his gratitude. They won't even eat a meal from him. All they care about is Li Xiuyuan's reputation.
Wei Ke decided to thank Li Xiuyuan properly herself, so on the way back, she asked Xiao Lüping where in the county there was a suitable place to host a dinner party so she could thank Deputy Mayor Li.
"There are many restaurants in the county suitable for entertaining guests. For the more expensive ones, there is Jinxin Hotel, which is very high-end; the old Huangyuan Hotel is also good; and there is Xiaokang Restaurant, which has become popular in the last two years and is a favorite of many county leaders."
In addition, each unit has designated restaurants, a few that they regularly frequent... and there are also restaurants catering to the different tastes and preferences of different leaders..."
Wei Ke listened and felt overwhelmed. There were so many rules to follow when it came to inviting someone to dinner and choosing a place. So he humbly asked, "Director Xiao, I would like to invite Mayor Li. Where do you think would be a suitable place?"
"If you're inviting Mayor Li, then Xiaokang Restaurant is definitely the best choice. Mayor Li used to work in the county, so he must be a regular at Xiaokang Restaurant. Also, I reckon when you book a private room at the restaurant, just mention Mayor Li's name, and the restaurant might even know his preferences," Xiao Lüping said with a smile.
Wei Ke wrote down the name of the restaurant.
At noon, Li Xiuyuan announced the adjournment of the meeting. He ate a bite in the canteen and rested for a while. At 1:30 pm, Li Xiuyuan set off from the town to Meilin Village to hold a demolition mobilization meeting.
In Meilin Village, 113 households were involved in the demolition and land acquisition. People started arriving at the village committee compound around 1 p.m.
Before the meeting, everyone exchanged ideas and communicated with each other. The fact that Zhou Jianzhong was the first to sign the demolition contract was the focus of everyone's discussion, especially among those surnamed Zhou, many of whom were somewhat dissatisfied.
As for the three families who signed the agreement behind Zhou Jianzhong yesterday, it doesn't matter. They are not village officials or respected figures, and they have no influence in the village, so they are less constrained in this regard. Moreover, since Zhou Jianzhong took the lead in signing, they feel even less pressure.
The Tian family was very united, and many people even laughed at Zhou Jianzhong for being unable to withstand the pressure and signing the contract first. Many people on the Zhou family's side looked rather unhappy. Zhou Jianzhong's signing of the contract broke their agreement and made the Tian family laugh at him.
Amidst the murmurs and gossip in the crowd, Zhou Jianzhong remained oblivious to the discussions, refusing to answer any questions or offer any opinions. He insisted that his role as village head and party secretary was for the development of the village, not for the sake of people like Zhou or for their reputations and prestige.
Zhou Jianzhong was only focused on preparing for the mobilization meeting that was about to begin.
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