After Xu An finished speaking, he led the applause, then handed the microphone back to the host, and walked down from the stage to his seat.
On his way back, Xu An also saw the villagers' reddened eyes, their hands clapping until they were red, Xu Heping's thumbs-up and his smug smile.
"It turns out this is a story of mutual benefit. The villagers placed their trust in Boss Xu, and Boss Xu gave back to everyone through development. What a beautiful story!"
The host took the microphone, secured the stage, and after delivering his opening remarks, quickly moved on to the next segment: "Next, let's give a warm round of applause to the leaders of Honghe City to come to the stage and speak! Everyone! Let's give them a round of applause!"
As the leaders of Honghe City walked onto the stage, Xu An immediately composed himself, placed his hands on his knees, sat up straight, and fixed his gaze firmly on the leaders of Honghe City.
The main event is about to begin!
I just don't know if the main event will be sweet, delicious, and tempting enough.
After the lengthy and complicated pleasantries, the Honghe City leader's gaze suddenly fell on Xu An, a distinct smile curving his lips, and his tone abruptly changed, becoming three times more somber and serious than before.
"Led by Li Sixin, the Party Secretary of Hezibao, and with the participation of all villagers, Xu An, the owner of Xu's Restaurant, received unanimous approval from everyone in Hezibao. After layers of approval and multiple assessments and reviews, the opinions of all departments were unified."
As the leaders of Honghe City began their speech, the staff standing on both sides suddenly stirred. An assistant, carrying a tray covered with a red cloth, walked up to the leaders.
Due to the height and angle, Xu An couldn't see what was on the tray, but through the smiles on the faces of the Honghe City leaders, the faint whispers behind him, and the low gasps, Xu An's heart began to pound.
Thump—thump—thump thump—
Each jump is more powerful and faster than the last.
In just a few words, Xu An felt his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.
"On this auspicious day of the groundbreaking ceremony for the food procurement and processing plant under Xu's Catering, we express our gratitude to Mr. Xu An for using his capital and connections to bring opportunities for economic development, industrial investment, and poverty alleviation."
"I hereby announce! Xu's Catering, Xu An, and Mr. Xu have received the first-ever letter of appointment as Honorary Village Chief issued by Qingyan Province! All 306 households in Hezibao extend a sincere invitation to Mr. Xu An, please accept this appointment."
"Mr. Xu, would you be willing to become the honorary village chief of Hezibao?"
What? What is this honorary village chief? This wasn't part of the groundbreaking ceremony process we discussed yesterday!
With his mind blank, Xu An's gaze unconsciously fell on Xu Heping, who was stationed at Hezibao, waiting for him to give him an explanation.
"Go, Anzi, hurry up! This is great news! A really great thing!"
As soon as Xu Heping met Xu An's gaze, he urged him to come up on stage. When he saw that Xu An did not react, he became anxious. He secretly reached his right hand towards the soft flesh of Xu An's waist, pinched a small piece of flesh between his two fingers and suddenly exerted force. Xu An's bewildered eyes opened to their widest extent and his eyes regained their clarity.
"Anzi, hurry up and get on stage, everyone's waiting for you!" Xu Heping urged again when he saw Xu An come back to his senses. "This is a certificate of honor, proving that everyone recognizes and supports everything you've done!"
As he listened to Xu Heping's words, Xu An turned his neck slightly and slowly swept his gaze over everyone present.
Li Sixin, his face flushed with joy; the villagers, cheering loudly and huddled together; and the television reporters, caught up in the enthusiastic atmosphere, joining in the cheers and applause.
After looking around, Xu An's gaze finally landed on the leaders of Honghe City who were standing on the stage, smiling at him. A smile suddenly spread from Xu An's eyes, quickly reaching the corners of his eyes, the tip of his nose, the corners of his mouth, and even his entire face. His white teeth gleamed in the sunlight.
"After deliberation by the Hezibao Village Committee and with the approval of the Honghe City leadership, in order to promote the revitalization and development of Hezibao, Mr. Xu An has been specially appointed as the Honorary Village Head of Hezibao."
A light yet weighty red certificate was picked up by the leaders of Honghe City and solemnly placed in Xu An's hands.
Thump-thump—thump-thump-clang—crackle-crackle—
Amidst applause, shouts, the sound of gongs and drums, and the crackling of firecrackers, the excavator standing atop the food processing plant emitted a deep hum before its massive, heavy bucket deftly rose and fell, disappearing completely into the soil.
When it rose again, a huge black crater appeared on the ground, and the host's voice echoed through the speakers.
"The groundbreaking ceremony for Xu's Catering Food Procurement Factory has been successfully completed!"
In a daze, the groundbreaking ceremony ended, followed by an invitation for a group of leaders to visit the existing 'industries' of Hezibao.
Perhaps because of the large number of people attending the groundbreaking ceremony, or perhaps because of the photographers following them all the way, despite the food purchasing factory being 800 meters away from Hezibao, everyone walked slowly towards Hezibao.
While Xu An and the others were still exchanging congratulations and pleasantries, the villagers had already left.
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