Chapter 82

Chapter 38: AA System for a Meal

Li Yi found Shao Guoping and told him about the matter. Shao Guoping immediately had a bitter smile on his face: "Li Ke, you've been set up!"

Li Yi was surprised: "What do you mean?"

Shao Guoping whispered: "The former county magistrate of Lianshui, Zhu Yanping, is a close confidant of Deputy Secretary Cao of the Provincial Party Committee. He has now been transferred to serve as the vice mayor of Xizhou City. The Xishan Reservoir project is Zhu Yanping's political achievement. This matter is not something ordinary people can handle!"

Li Yi exclaimed.

Shao Guoping continued: "Moreover, Deputy Secretary Cao and Governor Tang have never gotten along well. They have been in conflict for a long time. Director Wang is Governor Tang's man, so he naturally wants to help Governor Tang and is eager to find flaws in this project. However, he doesn't want to openly offend Deputy Secretary Cao, so he's using you as a pawn!"

Li Yi frowned: "I'll just do my job and stay out of their conflicts!"

"Can you? If you investigate the case, won't you offend Deputy Secretary Cao? If you don't investigate it, you won't be able to give an account to Director Wang and Governor Tang. This is a hot potato!" Shao Guoping gave him a meaningful look and patted his shoulder: "Li Ke, I know you are a diligent worker, which is why I'm warning you. The waters in the government are deep!"

Li Yi finally understood and said calmly: "Shao Ke, if there's a problem with the Xishan Reservoir, we can't ignore it. We need to start our work from there!"

Shao Guoping remained silent.

Li Yi said: "If Shao Ke is uncomfortable, I can lead the team."

Shao Guoping asked: "Aren't you afraid of being suppressed from above?"

Li Yi laughed: "I don't know if Shao Ke knows, but I was the one who strongly advocated for the establishment of the Water Supervision Office."

Shao Guoping was moved: "I've heard about it, but I didn't know it was you! Alright, Li Yi, I'll lead the team, and you can stay in the provincial capital!"

Li Yi smiled: "Shao Ke, if you're not afraid, why should I be?"

"Don't call me Shao Ke. If you respect me, call me Brother Shao!" Shao Guoping gave him an approving look.

"Alright! Brother Shao!"

The two discussed the specific matters and decided to set out for Lianshui the day after tomorrow.

The next day, not long after Li Yi arrived at work, he received a call.

The voice on the phone had a heavy accent, sounding like a middle-aged man: "Hello, is this Li Ke from the Water Supervision Office?"

Li Yi replied: "I'm Li Yi. Who are you?"

"Hello, Li Ke, I'm Xie Limin from the Lianshui County Water Conservancy Bureau. I'd like to invite you for a casual meal. Are you free at noon?"

"Sorry, I'm not available."

Li Yi hung up the phone, thinking that the other party had acted quickly. They had just made the decision, and already someone was trying to curry favor and plead for leniency.

Ouyang Jinxuan came over and laughed: "Little pervert, did someone invite you to dinner?"

Li Yi glared at her: "If you call me a pervert one more time, I'll make it real!"

Ouyang Jinxuan thought for a moment, then crossed her arms and made a scared gesture, sticking out her tongue at Li Yi: "Little pervert! If you have the guts, come and rape me!"

Li Yi growled: "You keep calling me that!"

Ouyang Jinxuan, confident that he wouldn't do it, said: "Little pervert!"

Li Yi suddenly lunged, grabbing her beautiful face and aiming for her red lips, pretending to kiss her.

"Uh!" Although Ouyang Jinxuan was verbally tough, she was completely stunned at that moment, her whole body frozen.

After twenty years of being a girl, she had never even held hands with anyone, and now her first kiss was about to be taken?

Her mind went blank, and she didn't know what to do.

"Ah!" A scream came from the office, and Fan Siyu shouted.

Ma Haitao quickly ran over, shouting: "Li Ke, you're awesome!"

Li Yi stopped just in time, not really kissing her, and released her, mockingly: "If you call me a little pervert one more time, I'll strip you in front of everyone!"

"Hmph! You have the desire but not the courage!" Ouyang Jinxuan smiled triumphantly, but her beautiful face was already flushed.

Li Yi sneered: "Don't think just because you're a woman, I won't hit you! I neither pity beauty nor cherish jade! Watch your mouth in front of me!"

"You! I'm not afraid of you!" Ouyang Jinxuan made a face and walked away.

Li Yi glared at Ma Haitao and Fan Siyu: "What are you looking at? Get back to work!"

After this incident, Ouyang Jinxuan became much more subdued, not daring to speak to him casually. She only talked about work and no longer called him a little pervert.

Soon it was time to leave work. As Li Yi walked out of the office building, he was met by two people, a man and a woman. The man was in his forties, with a smiling face, and said to Li Yi: "Hello, Li Ke! I'm Xie Limin, the one who called you this morning."

"Do you know me?" Li Yi asked.

"Just now, I met a woman and asked if she knew Li Ke. She enthusiastically said that the most handsome person behind her was you. I recognized you right away. Hehe." Xie Limin had a smooth face.

The woman beside him couldn't help but laugh: "That woman said, the one who looks most like a pervert is the one!"

Xie Limin glared at her. The woman immediately stopped laughing, glanced at Li Yi, and couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh again. She was slender, wearing a short skirt that revealed her snow-white, long legs. When she laughed, her slim waist trembled. Li Yi couldn't help but look at her a few times, realizing that the girl was probably Ouyang Jinxuan.

Xie Limin introduced her with a smile: "Li Ke, this is the director of our Water Conservancy Bureau's office, Deng Qiaoqiao."

Deng Qiaoqiao stopped laughing, extended her hand: "Hello, Li Ke, please take care of me."

Li Yi lightly shook her hand and let go. Deng Qiaoqiao smiled: "Li Ke, please do us the honor of having a casual meal together!"

Li Yi said: "I can have a meal, but I have two conditions. First, no talk about work."

Xie Limin and Deng Qiaoqiao nodded: "Alright! We'll follow Li Ke's lead."

"Second: AA system." Li Yi smiled slightly.

"AA system?" Xie Limin clearly didn't understand, looking at Deng Qiaoqiao.

Li Yi smiled: "AA system means each person pays for their own meal."

"How can that be!" Xie Limin jumped up: "Isn't that insulting me? I invite Li Ke to a meal, and you have to pay? Li Ke, are you looking down on us from Lianshui?"

Li Yi said coldly: "If you don't agree, forget it!"

"Don't go, Li Ke! Alright, we'll follow Li Ke's lead, AA system it is!" Xie Limin gave in.

Li Yi found a regular hotel, ordered one meat dish and one vegetable, and started eating, ignoring the surprised and awkward expressions of Xie Limin and Deng Qiaoqiao.

Deng Qiaoqiao raised her glass and smiled: "Since the meal is as Li Ke wishes, can the drinks be as we wish? Li Ke, I'll toast you. I'll drink a full glass, and you can drink as you like!"

"Oh?" Li Yi glanced at the beautiful woman.

Deng Qiaoqiao's almond eyes blinked lightly, and her full chest revealed a deep cleavage. In her mid-twenties, she was in the prime of her youth. All the parts of her body that could make a man's heart race were perfectly displayed, enticing the male gaze.