A large huanghuali wood plaque is strikingly visible in front of you, on which the two words "藏拙" are engraved in black official script with strong strokes, which seems to be telling the protagonist's hidden wisdom and philosophy of life.
He Zhibin saw me from a distance, his face full of warm smiles, he walked up to me quickly, and shook my hand tightly, as if to melt all the friendship between us into this handshake.
After some pleasantries, 놛 took me through the winding corridor and came to a private room.
When you open the door, an ancient and elegant atmosphere hits you. The private room is filled with antique Chinese-style decorations. The wooden furniture exudes the scent of time, and the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls add a touch of elegance. A blue and white porcelain vase stood quietly in the center of the room, with smooth lines and exquisite patterns. Under the light, it exuded a warm luster and looked particularly eye-catching, as if it was the soul of this world.
In front of the blue and white porcelain vase, there were two people standing with their backs to us, heads touching, talking in soft voices, as if they were appreciating this simple antique. Their focused expressions seemed as if the whole world was only this porcelain vase in front of them.
He Zhibin walked quickly to the two people, leaned over slightly, and whispered a few words. As soon as he finished speaking, the thin man in an exquisite Tang suit turned around instantly like a sharp cheetah. He came to me in a few steps, grabbed my hand, and shook it with his hand. His face was full of hypocritical smiles, and he said politely, "County Magistrate Guan, my dear, your presence really brings honor to my humble home! I am sorry for not welcoming you in person. I hope you will forgive me, forgive me."
Although the words were extremely polite, those eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. They looked back and forth at me, as if they wanted to see through me and explore the secrets deep in my heart.
I felt uncomfortable being stared at, but I could only force a smile and exchange pleasantries with him.
Upon seeing this, He Zhibin quickly turned sideways, with a flattering but measured smile on his face, and introduced me enthusiastically: "Director Guan, this is Mr. Feng." The tone of his voice seemed as if the word "Mr. Feng" carried its own aura, which could instantly elevate this person's status.
While He Zhibin was introducing me, I quickly and calmly measured the "Mr. Feng" in front of me. Feng, this surname is indeed rare. Just hearing this surname, it exudes a mysterious aura. But He Zhibin's light-hearted "Feng Zong" was a very perfunctory introduction. In such a social scene, the word "Zong" is almost overused. Anyone can be picked up and have the word "Zong" added after their surname, just like in the old society, even if it was a small soldier of the Kuomintang, the common people would call him "Lao Zong" with trembling hands, which really did not contain any substantive information.
Looking at He Zhibin again, at this moment, in front of him, his waist unconsciously bent a little, and the smile on his face became more fawning. His respectful look almost had the word "servile" engraved on his face. This evasive and covert introduction was like a key that instantly opened the door of doubt in my heart. I was already somewhat certain in my heart that this capable and neat man in front of me, with a shrewd and calculating look in his eyes, was most likely Yue Mingyuan.
In an instant, Yue Mingyuan slightly turned sideways, raised his head to signal the person beside him, with a meaningful smile on his face, and slowly said: "County Magistrate Guan, this is Director Feng Lei of the Second Supervision Office of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection."
As soon as I heard the name "Feng Lei", it was as if a heavy nuclear bomb exploded in my ears, and my brain went blank in an instant. Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, Feng Lei, these words made me feel suffocated instantly.
The handsome and elegant man in front of me, wearing glasses and with a calm expression, this man who is within reach, is...
That’s right, he is Shen Mengzhao’s husband and Shen Hexu’s son-in-law!
At this moment, Yue Mingyuan deliberately brought Feng Lei to this secret gathering, and his intentions were obvious. This was not just a simple introduction, it was clearly a carefully planned threat and warning.
The faint smile on Yue Mingyuan's lips instantly turned into an icy dagger in my eyes, pointing straight at my throat. 놛 seemed to be saying: "Guan Hongjun, do you think Shen Hexu can be your indestructible backer? Humph, just look at it, 놛's son-in-law Ru꿷 is standing next to me, chatting and laughing with me, and we are even very close. Those little calculations of yours that you think are brilliant are nothing but the tricks of a clown in front of me, you'd better restrain yourself!"
My back was instantly soaked with cold sweat, beads of sweat appeared on my forehead, and my hands unconsciously clenched, my knuckles turning white from use.
I pretended to be calm, tried to put on a far-fetched smile, and held out my hand to Feng Lei, but my voice still trembled a little: "Director Feng, I have heard of your name for a long time. It is an honor to meet you today."
Hearing this, Feng Lei's mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a faint smile, but that smile seemed to be separated by a layer of mist, making it difficult to grasp. He slowly extended his hand and shook mine gently. I felt a faint coolness coming from his fingertips. His voice was calm, but it contained a hidden meaning: "County Magistrate Guan, you're too polite. I've heard of your great name a long time ago."
The words "I've heard of your name long ago" sounded like a heavy hammer to my heart. Yes, considering the relationship between Shen Mengzhao and I, how could it be as simple as just “hearing of the name”? I seemed to be able to see the rage boiling in my heart, a rage mixed with jealousy and resentment. I wished I could be eaten alive and ground into ashes by a man who had had an ambiguous relationship with my wife. It's just that he is extremely cunning, burying his hatred deep in his heart, yet he still maintains a false calm on the surface.
He Zhibin was standing aside and saw our first confrontation, which was polite on the surface but tense in reality. There was a cunning light flashing in his eyes, and the gloating smile on the corner of his mouth became more and more obvious. He was proudly admiring his "masterpiece". Presumably, he had suffered a lot of setbacks from me in the previous negotiations. Now that he saw that I was “outmaneuvered” like this, the anger in his heart finally subsided a little. He pretended to be hypocritical, but his voice couldn't hide the sarcasm: "Director Guan, you don't look well. Is it possible that the air conditioner is set too low and you caught a cold?"
I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the panic and anger in my heart, quickly calming my mind and making my voice sound steady and calm: "It's okay, I like the coolness here, and it doesn't matter if the temperature is lower." Having said that, only I know that at this moment my back has been soaked with cold sweat.
As everyone took their seats one by one, the atmosphere in the room seemed to be quietly stirred by an invisible force, and gradually underwent subtle changes.
Yue Mingyuan's original aura, which was somewhat sharp and intimidating, slowly subsided like the receding tide, and the kiss was obviously much softer. She bowed slightly, picked up the wine jug on the table with an elegant posture, and poured me a glass of wine with skillful movements. The crystal wine swayed gently in the glass, reflecting a soft halo.
Afterwards, he enthusiastically picked up the serving chopsticks and put several exquisite dishes on the plate in front of me, with just the right smile on his face. There was none of the usual arrogance of the governor's father-in-law. Instead, it was as if he was meeting an old friend after a long absence, showing intimacy and warmth.
Seeing this move, I felt vaguely that this "Hongmen Banquet" on the 2nd day, which seemed to be full of murderous intent, might not be just a demonstration to me. As a wealthy man with a net worth of billions, Yue Mingyuan must be busy with affairs and constant social engagements on weekdays. How could he waste his precious time on someone like me who may be insignificant in his eyes just to vent his anger? There must be more far-reaching considerations and plans behind this.
Thinking about this, I feel more and more that there are undercurrents at the table, and every step needs to be taken with caution. When the wine glass exuding a mellow aroma was handed to me, I pretended to frown casually, raised my hand and gently pressed the glass, with a somewhat apologetic smile on my face, and said, "Boss Feng, I'm really sorry. I've been feeling unwell recently and can't drink much. I hope you can understand."
When Yue Mingyuan heard this, there was no displeasure or dissatisfaction on his face. Instead, he nodded slightly, with a barely perceptible approval flashing in his eyes, as if he had already expected that I would make such an excuse. Wang smiled slightly and said in a gentle tone: "County Magistrate Guan, what are you talking about? Your health is important. Drinking is for fun. Don't let it harm your health. Please feel free to drink and do what you think is right." After that, Wang stopped urging me to drink and just chatted with me. The topic seemed casual, but it was full of mysteries. I felt that this dinner was like a fog, and I was deeply trapped in it, trying to explore the truth hidden behind the fog.
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