Chapter 62 of 100

Chapter 62

15 min read3,787 words

Chapter 1: Unexpected Mountain Collapse

The rain grew heavier. Invited warmly by a group of officials from Nanshan Town, Yang Zixuan and Lin Ruoshui stayed for dinner. Driver Xiao Chen had to return home to take care of his ailing mother, so Yang Zixuan instructed him to leave with the accompanying officials from the county party office, the county people's congress office, and the county discipline inspection commission.

For a moment, only Yang Zixuan and Lin Ruoshui, the two county leaders, and a group of officials from Nanshan Town remained.

The banquet was set on the second floor of the Simiao Hotel in Nanshan Town. Named after the famous ancient physician Sun Simiao, the hotel is located in the center of the town, primarily built to meet the accommodation needs of merchants who come to Nanshan Town for herbal trade. Although the interior decoration cannot compare to the Wangjiang Hotel in the county town, sitting in the Simiao Hotel and looking out at the twinkling lights outside, one feels a warm and cozy atmosphere, as if the lights of ten thousand homes are gently lit by the spring breeze.

The atmosphere was pleasant, and Yang Zixuan was in high spirits. He chatted and laughed with the town officials who followed him upstairs, and they all gathered on the second floor.

Beside Lin Ruoshui, many town officials also gathered, but most were female officials, like the women's staff from the family planning office, who surrounded Lin Ruoshui.

Lin Ruoshui, tall and elegant with a dignified and serious appearance, wore black stockings that added a touch of sensuality, attracting many male officials' attention. However, they all kept a respectful distance, not daring to get too close to avoid leaving a bad impression on Lin Ruoshui, the deputy secretary of the party committee in charge of the party mass work.

Even Xu Ke and a few other higher-ranking officials like the mayor of Nanshan Town did not dare to be too casual in front of Lin Ruoshui. In the eyes of Xu Ke and other township-level officials, Lin Ruoshui's background was an unattainable existence.

...

As the toasts and pleasantries continued, a few cups of wine were downed, and the atmosphere became less solemn.

Xu Ke raised his glass to toast Yang Zixuan, saying, "County Chief, this glass is from me, Old Xu, to thank you for your valuable advice and suggestions on the economic development of Nanshan Town. I'll drink it all, you drink as you please!" He then drained his glass in one go.

Next, Mayor Zhou Tongchun of Nanshan Town came to toast. Like Qiu Nan, Zhou Tongchun had come from the county party office and had been working in Nanshan for a few years, achieving significant results. Although Hongshui County's economic ranking in the city of Daming had been declining in recent years, Nanshan Town had maintained a good development momentum. Zhou Tongchun and Party Secretary Xu Ke got along well, and their teamwork was pleasant, which made Yang Zixuan quite satisfied with the Nanshan leadership team.

Unlike Xu Ke's scholarly demeanor, Zhou Tongchun was a typical tall and robust man. After a few glasses of high-proof liquor, his face remained unchanged.

After Zhou Tongchun, other officials also came to toast.

Yang Zixuan knew his alcohol tolerance was low, so he only took small sips when each official came to toast...

At Lin Ruoshui's table, there was less alcohol. Many town officials did not dare to come and toast her, only Xu Ke, Zhou Tongchun, and a few other important town officials did. Lin Ruoshui, who also had a low alcohol tolerance, took a small sip and then switched to tea. Her face, flushed with a rosy glow, looked exceptionally beautiful and captivating. These town officials, who rarely saw such a beautiful woman, and emboldened by the alcohol, many junior officials stared at Lin Ruoshui's flushed, delicate face...

Yang Zixuan's originally gentle gaze turned sharp, and he glared fiercely at the junior officials who kept staring at Lin Ruoshui's face and chest, scaring them into quickly averting their eyes, not daring to look again...

By the time the banquet ended, it was completely dark outside, but the heavy rain had stopped. The guests and hosts had a good time.

Yang Zixuan and the slightly tipsy Lin Ruoshui walked down from the Simiao Hotel. Xu Ke and Zhou Tongchun, along with others, tried to persuade Yang Zixuan and Lin Ruoshui to stay overnight in Nanshan Town, citing the darkness and slippery roads.

However, Yang Zixuan had plans to contact his friend from the provincial branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China the next day to see if he could help with the loan issue, so he politely declined their suggestions and got into the Santana with Lin Ruoshui...

Yang Zixuan sat in the driver's seat, and Lin Ruoshui sat in the passenger seat. Just as they left the center of Nanshan Town, the rain, which had stopped, started pouring again...

The night rain in the deep mountains had a unique charm for Yang Zixuan, and he drove slowly and steadily.

"This small town in the deep mountains, the rain falls all night long. You hold a small paper umbrella, sighing at the twists of fate. The rain falls, the mist is thick, and you ask where the horizon lies..." Yang Zixuan hummed a tune he had heard occasionally in his previous life, feeling that it suited the current atmosphere.

It also reflected his state of mind. Reincarnated into this body, he instinctively continued on the path of his career. His initial goal was not for family legacy or glory, but simply to survive, to protect those worth protecting, and to leave his mark in this passionate era, to do something for the people.

"What tune is this?" Lin Ruoshui looked at Yang Zixuan in surprise. The tune was fitting, but she had never heard it before. Her face, flushed from the alcohol, was filled with an indescribable charm...

The mountain road was only the sound of rain on the leaves and the light from the car headlights, everything else was blurry. In Yang Zixuan's eyes, Lin Ruoshui in this setting looked as beautiful as a fairy or a fox spirit living in the deep mountains, like those in the Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio...

Yang Zixuan was not a novice in his previous life, and after being reborn, he had not tasted meat for a month. At this moment, smelling the faint fragrance from Lin Ruoshui, glancing at her delicate face, he felt a strange sensation in his body, and his breathing quickened...

Lin Ruoshui also seemed to sense the change in the atmosphere. Her mind, which had been slightly intoxicated, became mostly clear.

The straight-line distance from the center of Nanshan Town to the county town of Hongshui was over twenty kilometers, but with many mountains in between and the slippery, poor road conditions due to the rain, the actual driving distance was much longer.

"Boom! Boom!"

Just as they passed a section of the mountain road and reached a small village, Yang Zixuan and Lin Ruoshui heard a loud rumbling sound echoing through the mountains.

"What happened?" Lin Ruoshui instinctively leaned closer to Yang Zixuan, looking back in fear. She saw that the road behind them had collapsed significantly. She patted her chest in relief, grateful that the car had not been caught in the collapse, but then tragedy struck.

Just as Lin Ruoshui turned her head, she saw Yang Zixuan's face turn pale, and the car slowly came to a stop. In front of them, the road was completely blocked by a pile of yellow mud that had collapsed from the mountain!

This was terrible, the roads ahead and behind were both blocked!

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