Chapter 90

Brothers, give your support!

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Indeed, the middle-aged man sitting at the table is Zhou Conglan, the current Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Qinglin City, a person who makes all party cadres tremble at the sight of him.

Zhou Ci, on the other hand, sat quietly beside him, not displaying the charm she usually shows with Su Mu, but rather exuding an air of dignity that made people hesitant to approach.

If not for seeing it with his own eyes, Su Mu would find it hard to imagine how Zhou Ci managed to perfectly blend such contrasting personas.

But what is the purpose of this meeting today?

"Su Mu, right? Come, sit down!" Zhou Conglan said in a gentle and refined manner. At this moment, he showed none of the coldness of a discipline inspection secretary, appearing as warm as a neighborly uncle.

"Secretary Zhou, you can just call me Xiao Su," Su Mu said with a smile, sitting down with a composed demeanor, having recovered from his initial surprise.

Zhou Conglan, who had observed this, couldn't help but admire Su Mu's poise. "No wonder you can guide Zhou Ci to make such bold decisions."

"Xiao Su, do you know why I invited you to dinner today?" Zhou Conglan asked with a smile.

"No idea!" Su Mu shook his head, speaking straightforwardly.

"Actually, you should be able to guess. I invited you here entirely because of Zhou Ci. I never thought that all these years, I've been the one holding her back. If I had known, I should have made my stance clear long ago. Why should she have suffered for so many years?" Zhou Conglan said with a sigh, his tone tinged with melancholy.

Indeed, something is amiss!

From Zhou Conglan's words, Su Mu deduced that even if Zhou Ci hadn't told him anything too private, the shrewd Zhou Conglan must have sensed something. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken so familiarly at their first meeting.

However, before confirming Zhou Conglan's true intentions, Su Mu wouldn't make any hasty statements.

"Secretary Zhou, this is all I should do. I just happened to be there and said a few words. The real decision was made by Zhou Ci. If she hadn't been decisive, no amount of talk would have helped," Su Mu said with a smile.

"That's true!" Zhou Conglan looked at Zhou Ci with affection. "I only have this one daughter. I originally hoped she could live a happy life, but who would have thought it would turn out like this! Humph, do they really think I, Zhou Conglan, am a paper tiger? I..."

"Dad!"

Thinking of the past hurts Zhou Ci had endured, Zhou Conglan felt his blood boil, losing control and almost shouting. Fortunately, Zhou Ci pulled his arm, stopping him.

After all, in front of a subordinate like Su Mu, and being their first meeting, Zhou Conglan had to maintain some composure.

"I lost my composure!" Zhou Conglan smiled and raised his glass. "Regardless, at least Ci is free now, and it's all thanks to you. Xiao Su, come, Uncle Zhou will toast to you."

"Come, Uncle Zhou, I'll toast to you!" Su Mu quickly raised his glass.

Since Zhou Conglan had called him "Uncle Zhou," Su Mu didn't mind climbing the ladder. After all, having a city discipline inspection secretary as an uncle would be a good thing.

"Dad, Xiao Su, come, let's drink!" Zhou Ci said with a smile.

"Come!"

To quickly build a closer relationship, a dinner table is undoubtedly the best place. For someone like Zhou Conglan, despite his high position and power, as long as you hit his weak spot, conquering him is not a problem. His weak spot is Zhou Ci.

Zhou Ci's mother died when she was very young, and Zhou Conglan raised her alone. It's no exaggeration to say that Zhou Ci is everything to him. For Zhou Ci, he can do many things, let alone just drinking with Su Mu to thank him.

After a few glasses of wine, the conversation between Su Mu and Zhou Conglan became much smoother. Besides Zhou Ci's influence, the key was the information Su Mu obtained from the official ranking when toasting Zhou Conglan, which allowed him to quickly find common ground. They talked about what Zhou Conglan loved the most.

Name: Zhou Conglan

Position: Member of the Standing Committee of the Qinglin Municipal Committee, Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission

Hobbies: Calligraphy, Four Treasures of the Study

Intimacy: 50!

An intimacy of 50 means that Zhou Conglan's good impression of Su Mu has greatly increased. Because of this good impression, Su Mu felt at ease chatting with Zhou Conglan. Apart from the necessary caution, his tone was very relaxed. While Su Mu might not understand many things, the calligraphy he learned from a young age shone brightly here.

Many characteristics of the calligraphy styles were new to Zhou Conglan. At the exciting moments, the two even dipped their fingers in wine and wrote on the table.

Zhou Ci, sitting beside them, was deeply moved by the scene, her eyes welling up with tears. For so many years, what she had most hoped for was that her man would be appreciated by her father. She never thought this would happen with Su Mu.

Zhou Ci now clearly knew that she could no longer leave Su Mu. She was willing to stay by his side, regardless of any status.

"Uncle Zhou, I have a few small trinkets from the antique street. I don't understand them, but I can bring them over for you to appraise. Would that be okay?" Su Mu said with a smile.

"Of course, my door is always open to you," Zhou Conglan said with a hearty laugh.

The dinner was very enjoyable, despite not touching on any sensitive issues. Even the storm of investigations in Xingtang County, which Su Mu could have inquired about, was avoided. However, both host and guest were genuinely pleased.

But just as Zhou Conglan was about to leave, he held Su Mu's hand and said seemingly casually, "Xiao Su, sometimes things that seem glorious now may not end well. Sometimes, those who seem low-key and unappreciated now may make a comeback."

After saying this, Zhou Conglan got up and left, with Zhou Ci following him out of the private room. Su Mu was left somewhat stunned. By the time he came to his senses and wanted to chase after them, it was too late. Since it was too late, he didn't leave, knowing that Zhou Ci would return.

Su Mu knew that Zhou Conglan wouldn't say such things without reason. At his position, every word and action had deep meaning.

The biggest event in Qinglin City now is the storm of investigations in Xingtang County. Could Zhou Conglan's words be hinting at something? The most active person is Zhao Rui'an, who is eyeing the position of county party secretary. Could it be that his current glory will end in disappointment?

Thinking of this, Su Mu's heart raced. If what Zhou Conglan said is true, the new county party secretary won't be parachuted in but will be promoted from the existing leadership in Xingtang County.

Looking at the members of the Xingtang County Standing Committee, there are not many who are qualified for the position, and even fewer who are currently low-key. Under these conditions, the person Zhou Conglan referred to becomes clear.

"Could it be him?"

Su Mu's eyes lit up. Yes, it must be him. In Xingtang County, only one person has been sidelined and has to maintain a low profile. Could it be...

"Dad, why did you reveal that to Su Mu just now?" Zhou Ci asked softly, standing on the steps.

Zhou Conglan looked at Zhou Ci with affection and said gently, "I said you are my only one. For my precious daughter, I can do anything. Anything, let alone such a small matter. Besides, this will be announced sooner or later. Telling Su Mu in advance is a way to thank him for what he did for you. Don't worry, it doesn't violate any discipline."

"Dad... thank you!" Zhou Ci's tears could no longer be held back, silently sliding down her cheeks.

"Foolish girl!"

Zhou Conglan stepped forward to wipe away Zhou Ci's tears and said with a smile, "You're so grown up, yet you still cry. Go, we left so suddenly, I think Xiao Su hasn't come to his senses yet. Go and keep him company. And tell him, if he dares to back out on what he promised me, I won't let him off. Don't blame me if I invite him for tea!"

The tea from the Discipline Inspection Commission is something few people want to drink!

"Okay!" Zhou Ci wiped away her tears and nodded, watching Zhou Conglan get into the car and leave.

When Zhou Ci returned to the private room, the scene before her was not what she expected. Su Mu, acting as if nothing had happened, was eating and drinking heartily. He had been too busy chatting and drinking with Zhou Conglan to eat properly.

"Eat, eat, didn't you eat enough just now?" Zhou Ci said with a playful smile, sitting down.

"Eat enough? Tell me, what's really going on today?" Su Mu said calmly.

"Husband, I know I was wrong. How about we go somewhere else, and I'll tell you everything from the beginning?" Zhou Ci blinked her big eyes, her ample chest pressing against Su Mu's arm, teasing him casually.

"Let's go!"

Without a second thought, Su Mu put down his chopsticks and bowl, took Zhou Ci's hand, and left.